#i do really genuinely enjoy his character growth in modern comics i do

[razmerry]

you know I do moderately enjoy wayne family adventures especially when it's doing light-hearted comedic stuff but I just. cannot get on board with the 'therapy-speak inner strength everyone is nicey' serious arcs they do, it just doesn't click with me. partially, this is because I think it's written sort of amateurly and like every character is trying to get a good grade in emotional development. but crucially, this is also because my favorite jason todd characterization is from the batshit insane early 2000s brothers in blood miniseries, which hooked into my brain and made me rabid forever. I can't enjoy cathartic-and-healing-taking-a-break-jason because my princessest specialest version is easily the most insane and fucked up he's ever been. this is simply a true fact about me

[molinaskies]

This is a sign for you to reread the Metal Virus Saga in IDW Sonic.

I just reread it and it's genuinely a lot better than I remember it being. To be fair, the fluff issues are really, really hard to get through when you're watching the comic serialize in real-time and you're ready to see what happens next in the arc, but reading everything holistically, I wouldn't remove a single issue from the run as every issue adds world-, character-, and relationship-building.

The characterization (besides Shadow, rest in peace, though I think Evan Stanley has done a great job bringing his character out of the gutter that modern SEGA threw him into) is genuinely solid, if not for a couple snags here and there. Cream and Tangle, in particular, are wonderful characters to follow through this. Sonic's newfound doubt and guilt over sparing Mr. Tinker coupled with his devotion to his decision actually lead to some AMAZING Sonic emotional growth. Amy's great, too; while I wish she got more moments for more than anger and stress to shine, what she does get is phenomenal and true to character, in my honest opinion.

I remember reading the climax my first time and feeling really underwhelmed and played, but I see now that the pacing was actually decently spot-on and the solution makes a lot more sense when you can read it all at once. You can be mad at the Zeti returning (seriously, though, why do we constantly bring them back as if they ever mattered?), but I think Ian's work with them made sense, was unique, and paid off. It's like the Werehog: conceptually, it probably didn't need to happen, but what we got works mostly well in execution if it's what you can enjoy.

I feel like the arc has gotten a lot of hate for how it treated Shadow, how long it went on for, and the Zeti, in particular, but there are a lot of nuanced character moments and action sequences that I think go underappreciated. It's by no means perfect and certainly could have done more with downed characters to make the virus more threatening, but it commits to its tone and is an overall strong read.

[roobylavender]

What do you like about the Nolan movies, if you don't mind explaining? Most people don't seem to enjoy them so I'm surprised you do

mostly i adore them ideologically. i don't think nolan always executes a clean plot while making the trilogy, there are obv very concerning casting choices, and his white liberalism does reveal itself every now and then bc he presents interesting questions about the system only to more often than not leave them hanging in the air by the end. but, why i tend to be okay with bearing with all of this is bc his take on the bat is genuinely wonderful to me. i even think there are ways he expands on the original foundations of the character's philosophy that are better than some avenues comic writers have explored

what i think the trilogy emphasizes so well from start to finish is that it believes in broos and it believes in the bat. it's a very hopeful take on the character and despite broos needing to go through stages of growth and maturation as a person, there's never a feeling that he's being condescended to. he's criticized for his initially limited ideas regarding justice (whether this is by rachel, ducard, harvey, etc.), but he's allowed to learn and help his understanding of the world evolve so that he can be a better hero by the time he puts on the mask. the broos who decides he wants to seek justice for his parents is a very naive, emotional idealist. the broos who decides to put on the mask has a vision and understands what it is that he seeks to do to save his city. he's nowhere close to being the perfect hero, but his motivations and compassion for people are taken seriously, and that's something that i think is sorely missing from not only a lot of adaptations but also the comics in general in this modern age

i am also a really huge fan of how nolan approaches martyrdom and heroism as concepts. i'm sure people have convinced themselves that any version of broos who can let go of the mantle is not a good adaptation but i honestly beg to differ. the longevity of the character and dc's understanding that they will never sell more than when they're prioritizing broos is what's lead to him never leaving the mantle long-term, not who he actually is as a person. personally i think he either should have died or retired years ago. there are two things i love about the trilogy's approaches to broos leaving the mantle:

(1) they allow broos to understand that simply being the bat is not the end-all, be-all solution. there is more to heroism than solely pursuing your own vision and giving a big fuck you to all other options. i know a lot of people hate the ending to the second movie and how it allegedly positions him as a murderer, but the thing is, broos knows he didn't kill anyone. he's not actually a murderer. he's simply someone humble and compassionate enough to understand that the hero the city needs in that moment isn't him, and that he has to step down so that the city can survive under the weight of its own desperation for hope. it's an entirely selfless moment and i love it bc i really do think modern writers have convinced themselves that the best way to write broos is to have him entirely obsessed with his masked identity when imo it's far more interesting to explore broos recognizing there are other avenues for justice and other positions he can take upon to help the city. understanding that the bat is not the only solution to the city's problems is very humble, and by extension, it's why i also adore the trilogy's attention to who broos is in his daily life bc it recognizes that there are moments for him to be heroic just as himself too (the second movie does a marvelous job of this in particular)

(2) they allow broos to move on and understand that the burden is not his alone to bear! another thing people seem to hate about these movies is how they have broos retiring. and i kind of understand, what with him being gone for eight years and then having a last huzza before taking the mask off permanently, but i also wish people approached that development from a purely ideological standpoint. there are obv problems with john being a cop and like i wish i wish i wish he wasn't one but the plot line with him and broos is genuinely one of my favorites and i think it's so cool and full circle that broos starts the trilogy wanting to be a symbol to inspire people towards doing good, and that's exactly what happens in the end. he inspires someone, he realizes that he doesn't have to shoulder the fate of the city all alone, and he passes on the mantle to someone he knows shares his compassion and vision for justice. it's another beautiful, selfless moment and i almost wonder if people hate it bc they have this idea that broos can only ever be dedicatedly obsessed and close minded wrt the masked identity. i know for many people that is the appeal of the character/phenomenon and its longevity, but for storytelling purposes, i think allowing bruce to be selfless and humble enough to entrust the city in the hands of other people like him is very inspiring. i wish comic had done it years ago and let him retire or at least take a backseat role rather than making him into the obsessive micromanager forever and always

overall nolan to me is someone who genuinely understands and believes in the heroism that not just the bat but any hero is supposed to evoke and then expands on that concept in interesting ways by tackling martyrdom as well. the plots of the movies are clunky as hell, much of the action is a bore, and by the last movie nolan has gotten so ahead of himself in terms of ideas and plots he wants to tackle that it's all falling apart. all of this is true. but ideologically the themes of the movies are what really draw me in and i don't think we are ever going to get that hopeful and sympathetic of a take on the character again, unfortunately. the newest movie is enough of a testament to that since it can't even manage to believe in broos or his vision and instead has to chide him for being an obsessive shut-in with no eyes for anything or anyone else until the very end of the film

[smokeybrand]

He Gave Us The Signal

I’ve been giving Batman a lot of sh*t lately and feel like this gives the impression that i actually hate the character. I don’t. I actually really love Batman. His entire mythos is really the only thing i like about DC Comics. I find the way there heroes are represented to be unwieldy and too fantastical for me. I absolutely know how contradictory that sounds because, you know, comic books, but lets be honest; It’s a lot easier identifying with Spider-Man than it is Superman. Marvel characters, from the outset, were grounded in the real world. They were written like real people. I got into comics during the gritty Eighties so all of the comic companies were trying to reintroduce more grounded, grimy, fare. Indeed, my first Batman comic i ever read was the introduction of Killer Croc. The first Bat-book i ever purchased with my own money was The Killing Joke. That version of Bat,an is my batman and, while i have had a roller coaster relationship with the character over the last thirty years, dude remains one of my favorite characters to date. I just wanted to take some time and gush about what i love most in the Bat-verse. Just the comics though. If i included ancillary media like the cartoons, movies, or games, I'd end up writing an entire novel.

Cassandra Cain

I love Cass. Love her. I think she is the best addition to the Bat-Family, period. Aside from injected a bit of Asian representation into a mainstream comic with little to no fuss, her character is the most compelling one since Bruce, himself, to get that shine. Progeny of super-skilled assassin, David Cain, and one of, if not, THE best martial artist in all of DC, Lady Shiva, Cassandra is a one woman wrecking crew. She was hones as a living weapon since birth, for the sole purpose of brutalizing man. Cass is an AR-15 with legs. She is easily the best warrior, including Bruce, among the Bat-fam and yet, the most delicate. Watching Cassandra grow from a violent mute into the woman she was right before the New 52 was a pleasure. And then she was erased for half a decade. That sucked. However, her recent reintroduction as Orphan has been pretty chill. I like the relationship she has with Duke Thomas. I liked how she could feel compassion for someone like Clayface, even if no one else could see the same thing she could. I love Cassandra Cain, man. I loved her as the bet Batgirl. I loved her when she had her title snaked away and became Black Bat. I'm loving her as Orphan. I like what Cass has become so far. Here’s hoping they don’t f*ck her up going forward.

Knightfall

I actually really like Knightfall as a concept. I don’t much care for all of the other sh*t that goes on after the book, Azrael Batman was a mistake only redeemed by his White Knight revamp, but i tend to gravitate toward arcs where Bats is given the full-court press and Knightfall is one of the best. It also introduces Bane, a character i am rather indifferent to but still respect, as a proper force of nature. To this day, his breaking of the Bat has been a defining moment in the Bat-mythos, one that has lingering repercussions like The Killing Joke or No Man’s Land.

Damian Wayne

Damian took a few years to grow on me but i love the little dude. he’s like a mini version of his assault father and i love it. There is so much sass packed in that little kid, it’s ridiculous. That said, he is not to be taken lightly. Damian Wayne is child of Brice and Talia Al Ghul, through what can only be seen as a drugged rape at some point. We’ve seen this idea flirted with a few times, the first i can recall being Ibn Al Xu'ffasch from Alex Ross’ Kingdom Come. When i realized who that character was, i was shocked and intrigued. It felt like there was a ton of potential there and a proper missed opportunity for mainstream DC comics. A decade later, we were properly introduced to one of the best additions to the Bat-Family in decades. Not better than Cass, though. And, before you get at me about that super deepcut, questioning my Bat-cred and everything, yes, i am aware that, technically, a version of Damian exists in the main Bat-contnutity dating back to the Eighties. Son of the Bat is a thing that i acknowledge but that kid as never names and had no character so i prefer to think the 06 introduction is the real origin of Damian. Plus, kid got a pet cow. That sh*t is adorable.

Joker

I wanted to put Joker War here because that was the best Knightfall story I've read in years but then i hesitated because i realized how much i loved Endgame. And then A Death in the Family. And then The Three jokers. And then The War of Jokes and Riddles. And then Emperor Joker. and then White Knight. And then The Killing Joke. And then The Man Who Laughs. And the Mad Love. And so many more that escape me at the moment I'm writing this. I realized that it was Joker, himself, that i loved so much and for good reason. Joker is, quite literally, the best comic book antagonist of all time. He’s so malleable, evolving over the years with the times and trends, lending his distinct clown chaos to some of the best Bat-stories ever written. The ambiguity of his identity coupled with the fact that he knows Batman’s entire history is absolutely horrifying. The fact that he refuses to even assault Bruce on a civilian level because “it’s not fun” is absolutely contradictory and solidifies his position as pure, antagonistic, chaos for the Batman, alone. There is no Joke without the Bat and i love that dynamic so much. I love this character so much!

The Court of Owls

I really enjoyed this whole arc. Thomas Wayne Jr. The Talons. The whole clandestine cabal of elites, poisoning Gotham for their own gain. It tickles my tin hat sensibilities while being something that makes all of the sense for the cesspool that is Gotham City. The Court of Owls was easily one of the best narratives to come out of the overall abortion that was the New 52 and i appreciate Scot Snyder for bringing it to us. This narrative fleshes out a lot of underlying aspects of the mythos, gives a bit more agency to and intrigue to Dick, and allows for a myriad of potential stories where Batman is effectively pitted against Gotham, itself.

Jason Todd

I was never a he fan of Todd as Robin. At that point, it was just him and Dick, and Dick was a MUCH better character. In my opinion. I enjoyed his introduction, though. Snatching the rims of the Batmobile was kind of a brilliant way to differentiate him from goody-goody Grayson. If I was old enough to vote, I definitely would have voted to kill him way back when. Fast forward to his resurrection in Under the Red Hood, and I am hooked. His super edgy, Punisher-esque, vigilante justice is fantastic to see. Todd is understandably brutal, violent, and unforgiving. His solution to crime is a bullet between the eyes and that makes for the most interesting dynamic with his pops. More than that, outside of the Bat-family books, Todd is thriving. I love Red Hood and the Outlaws. The current run, not the original. Mostly his relationship with Artemis but I adore the big brother position he took with Bizarro, too. Jason Todd started out as a ridiculous replacement for a beloved Robin, got beaten with a crowbar then exploded, resurrected decades later to take on the mantle of the man who killed him, raved through Gotham on a one-man mission to destroy everything that was the Bat or Joke, and eventually settled into being the black-ops branch of the Bat-fam. I respect his growth as a character and I love his relation ship with Artemis to bits. That feels super right. That Trinity, the Dark Trinity, is my favorite and it absolutely has everything to do with Jason Todd's utter bad-assery. His new costume his sh*t, tho.

White Knight

I’ve literally wrote an entire essay, gushing about my love for this Elseworlds universe. You can search for that on this blog by looking up Bat Kino or White Knight to bring up my detailed fangasm if you’re curious but, in short, the White Knight universe is the best Bat-anything I've read in years. I really, really, liked Endgame but White Knight is so much more compelling a read, it’s hard not to give it the edge.

Harley Quinn

I’ve written in part about my love for Harley in my post about my disdain for Punchline. I love Harley, man. Watching her growth as a character has been a very real privilege. She’s been handled incredibly well by the writers at DC and watching her popularity grow over the years has been very refreshing. Harley always had the potential to be great. Her introduction in the Timmverse was one that sent ripples throughout the fandom so, when she was moved over to the comics, it made sense she’d be a hit. More than that, comic stories are free from the constraints of television censors and we saw an absolute evolution of Harleen over the next three decades. Harley went from being a lovesick whipping girl, locked in a violently abusive relationship with one of the worst psychopaths in all of DC, to a brilliant vigilante and trusted ally to the Bat-family I love that Harleen has found real love with Ivy, even if DC keeps shenaniganing that relationship. I love that she uses her PhD whenever she can. I love that she is one of the most complete, nuanced, and fun characters in the entirety of the Bat-fam. Harley Quinn is a real gem and one of the best things about modern Batman. Even is I do miss the old jester outfit.

There is, legitimately, SO much more I can reference because Batman has a very LONG history full of content to adore. Off the top of my head, Bat-Cat, Hush, Bluebird, We Are Robin, Year One, Damned, The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween, Signal, Beyond, Gotham Girl, Thomas Wayne; It's like an embarrassment of riches. If I listed everything, I'd be here all day. Just Joker stuff, alone, is more than enough to fill several of these lists. I really, genuinely, love Batman which is why it's so seeing him written so poorly as of late. The climax to Joker War was excellent, I'll admit that, but the lingering issues with that OC Punchline chick taints that triumph for me a little bit. The idea of The Batman Who Laughs and the entirety of the Dark Multiverse is absolutely intriguing, but look what they did to my boy. They massacred my boy with all of this literal godhood nonsense. And don't even get me started on this Ghost Killer guy. I thought Clown Hunter was a little bit of a shark jump but this guy? Word? Batman is a great character with one of the best rouges galleries in comics (Spider-Man give him a run for his money) and one of the deepest, richest, histories to pull from. He is a character that has endured for eighty years and I know he's weather this panicked stunt writing as of late. I just have to remember the stuff I love and try to tolerate the rest. Even after taking the worst kind of hit, Batman always finds a way to stand back up.

[carriagelamp]

February 2020 Book Review

The Last Wish / Sword Of Destiny

Let’s start with the books that currently have me in a stranglehold. I apologize to everyone that actually follows me and watched me descend into fandom pits but whatcha gonna do. So, I was aware of the video game when it came out, but not being a prolific gamer I was intrigued but never bothered getting into it. Then the Netflix series came out, and I was again intrigued... but I suck at sitting down and watching shows. So what the heck I decided, it’s probably mediocre hypermasculine high fantasy but let’s try a book to see what the fuss is all about.

Good god. Guys. It’s real good. And so fucking different from the show. Geralt is actually a really emotional, well-meaning guy who’s starved for positive social interactions and is just trying to do his best. And the books’ consistent themes of colonialism, environmental destruction, forced extinction, and changing eras is... chilling and fascinating and honestly a little too relatable at times. These books have made me laugh and shout and frankly sob. Still a little sexist, cause 90s fantasy, but Geralt is so not the gruff, heartless, manly man character I thought he would be. I am so deeply into these and have just cracked the spine of the next book in the series. If you like high fantasy, I can’t recommend these enough.

The Silver Eyes

I just learnt that there were Five Nights At Freddy’s books, and honestly picked this up from the library as a joke for my brother. We’d played the games back when they first came out, and were into the lore, but lbr they’re more of a meme at this point. Anyway, we ended up reading this out loud to each other, a chapter a night, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Probably wouldn’t have liked it as much on my own, but the main character was complicated and messy, and the book’s way or portraying trauma was neat. It was nominally horror, and did have the occasional chilling moment, or times it was fun to speculate, it over all it was pretty run of the mill middle grade fiction.

FRNK

Probably the best graphic novel I’ve read this month. 

I was howling with laughter while I read it. Good quality Belgium comics, always a treat. This story is about a modern day boy, Frank, who is accidentally thrown back into prehistoric times, where he’s stuck with a bunch of cavemen who haven’t invented the concept of vowels yet. Admittedly my French isn’t great, so it made trying to decipher words with half the letters missing a challenge to say the least, but plenty worth it. I really want to get my hands on book two. I believe there’s an English translation, and I’d recommend giving it a try.

Best Friends

A neat little graphic novel that addresses common growing up issues, about what it means to be friends, stay friends, how to cope with people changing and when it’s time to walk away. Anxiety, being yourself, fitting in, all that sort of stuff. It’s a quick read, very pleasant, and has nice art.

Karen’s Witch

Another cute graphic novel with charming art. I read this at the store while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled. It’s about this five year old (or thereabouts) who is absolutely determined that her neighbour is a witch and by god she is going to prove it or at least scare herself and her friend silly in the process. A fun little read!

Endling: The First

The second book in the Endling series, and all my praise for the first book apply here as well. A super unique high fantasy that gives extinct and threatened species a voice. The book explore themes of war, environmental destruction, sacrifice and loss. You really get to see how much Byx has grown and how much she needs to continue to grow. This book has me so excited for the third, I haven’t read such an emotionally rewarding quest novel in a long time.

Bleach

I found out my library has a billion books of this series and decided to jump into it again for the first time in over a decade. Honestly it’s even better than I remembered? The art is absolutely stunning, Ichigo is such a power fantasy hero, and it’s one of those series with a lot of really loveable characters and a lot of heart. Ichigo is a good guy who you actually feel good liking, which can’t be said for all shonen protags by any means. This is just such a classic and it holds up man. And if you like manga and have never read it? Jump in and enjoy a normal human getting supernatural powers and kicking absolutely enormous monsters’ asses.

Dinotopia: Sabertooth Mountain

This was my favourite Dinotopia book as a kid, and it was still fun to reread. The world of Dinotopia is one separate from the rest of the world, where humanity lives in perfect harmony with many prehistoric creatures that have managed to survive and evolve on the island of Dinotopia. This story is about a crisis brewing, as the sabertooths are cut off from their food supply and are in danger of not only starving but of bringing death to the rest of the mountain as well. While surveying the situation with his older sister, the main character finds himself falling from the airship in the middle of a storm, directly into the valley of starving sabertooths.

I read a bunch of this author’s graphic novels, and they are such feel-good queer lit. This was probably my favourite of the lot, but I also read Tea Dragon Society, Aquicorn Cove, and Princess Princess Ever After. Taking place in a picturesque mountain community, it’s about a girl meeting a guardian dragon who accidentally fell asleep in the mountains a century ago rather than watch over the village like intended. It’s about coming to terms with and loving yourself (and also about super cute little tea dragons).

Just Jaime

Another story that focuses on the complications of middle school, and how friends can grow and change, and when sometimes friendships become toxic and cruel. These are novel/graphic novel hybrids that are very visually appealing, and really do manage to tell very heartfelt stories. This one takes a side character from the earlier two books, and turns her from a very one dimensional, somewhat annoying character, into a fully realized person with her own issues and her own need for growth.

The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up / The Life-Changing Manga Of Tidying Up

Given that I’m not really a non-fiction person and DEFINITELY not a self-help book person, I really enjoyed these (though I didn’t read Spark Joy). I read the manga first, out of curiosity, but enough of it struck true that I decided to try the book as well. Have I cleaned anything up yet? No. But honestly, I can genuinely say that despite being repetitive at points I do truly feel like I got a lot of good out of it, and I feel much more excited and prepared when I do decide to do a big clean next. It really does reframe the relationship you have with your belongings and with yourself. I genuinely love the concept of “sparking joy”.

Bigfoot Boy: The Sound Of Thunder

Technically the last book of the series, whoops. Though honestly having read it I didn’t feel like I missed that much. It’s a Canadian graphic novel and I had... mixed feelings about it. Interesting and exciting in some ways, but the pacing was odd, and honestly I don’t think indigenous voices went into making it (I could be wrong but...) and it reads as kinda... eugh. Problematic. Having a none indigenous author write about a white boy being the guardian of a first nation totem and turning into a bigfoot isn’t a super cool optic.

Bloodchild

I was told “hey this is a really fucked up short story” so I read it, and guess what? It was a really fucked up short story. Would recommend if you want weird alien sex slavery bullshit-- it was a wild ride. And the overall themes obviously went a lot deeper than that, but honestly, it’s like a few dozen pages long if you wanna dig into all the philosophical shit, just give it a read! Uh, heavy content warning, tw tw tw, but a really bizarre, unsettling look at gender and power dynamics and oppression through a scifi lens.

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIHM

I hadn’t read this book since elementary school so I reread it on a whim. It really is such a charming story. As far as animal stories go, this feels almost like the platonic ideal. Mother mouse is worried about her sick son and winds up compelled to seek out the mysterious rats who live in the rosebush for help, and is not only thrust into her own adventure but learns about the strange past her late husband shared with the rats of NIMH. It’s such a relaxing read, while still managing to be exciting and compelling.

Exploring According to Og the Frog

And one last animal story to round us off. I’d read one of the Humphrey books last month, and check out a couple more from the library for fun. I didn’t enjoy Mysteries According to Humphrey that much, but this one was charming, showing the world through Humphrey’s frog friend Og instead. The same charming type of adventure, but being a frog, Og has a very different attitude and view of the world, which was fun. Very cute elementary kid lit.

[bemusedandconfused-blog]

Claire watches Asian dramas - spooky edition

Korean Ghost Rom-Dramadies

How’s that for a specific subgenre? I’ve found I like the supernatural romance dramas that involve seeing ghosts, since it provides an interesting backdrop and some bigger-picture significance to the interpersonal relationship stuff. Some dramas work better than others, as is the case in all genres, but here are three that I’ve very much enjoyed with a brief description and assessment of each. 

Hotel del Luna 호텔 델루나  (2019)

My favorite of the subgenre so far, this show brilliantly weaves big-picture mythology into the very personal story of a relationship between a young man of the modern era and a mysterious, ageless woman who runs a hotel for ghosts. With themes of justice, retribution, guilt and forgiveness, there’s a lot packed into it’s sole season. 16 episode run, each episode is just over an hour. 

Pros:

Consistent characterizations and quality storytelling with a satisfying resolution. I loved the mythology, and the “Beauty and the Beast” flair of the first episode. 

Main leads have great chemistry

Nice variety of ghosts and interesting, relevant, “cases of the week”.

One case involved spy-camera porn, something that Korea has been struggling with, particularly in the last decade. 

Beautiful set pieces

Cons:

It can’t avoid all the cliches, so just be prepared for some moments of predictable writing.

Occasional bouts of substandard CGI

Bring it on, Ghost  싸우자 귀신아  (2016)

Another translation of this title is “Hey Ghost, Let’s Fight!” and both are perfectly suited to this very cute romance drama which leans heavily into the comedy of the supporting cast. College student who can see and punch* ghosts makes extra money by hiring himself out as a non-traditional exorcist, meets a young female ghost who can kick his ass. They team up, and as they grow closer learn about the mysterious connections that seem to indicate their fates are intertwined. 16 episodes, about an hour long each. 

Pros:

Happy ending; personal growth happens but no one becomes wildly out of character. 

Comic relief sidekick duo are genuinely funny and made me laugh out loud a couple of times. 

Kick-ass female character who doesn’t have to compromise her awesomeness despite the tragic events she experiences. 

Consistent mythology within the show. The explanation for the characters’ powers is reasonable. 

Cons:

The ghost stories aren’t as fully developed in this drama. 

The bad guy is super cartoon-villain-y. Like, should have neon lights flashing above his head. 

*I love that it really is just brawling with ghosts. No fancy martial arts moves, just good old fashioned, bar-room-brawl style fights. 

Master’s Sun  주군의 태양  (2013)

The show I just finished watching this weekend, here the young woman (in her early 30s! Finally a show about my age group!) is tormented by her ability to see and communicate with ghosts. When she bumps into a man who neutralizes her powers, suddenly a ghost-free future opens up for her. Will her ability to see the ghost of the guy’s teenage First Love be enough to convince him of her value? 17 episodes, each one just over an hour long. 

Pros:

The characters showed more personal insight and self-reflection than you may expect for a romance drama.

The primary relationship felt like it evolved realistically, and I really appreciated the resolution. 

Well developed ghost stories, and the right amount of scary looking ones, and some nice “turning your expectations on their heads” ones. 

The main female lead has the best character growth of any of the characters I’ve seen in these types of shows, to date. 

Cons:

Inconsistent background plot lines. What seemed SUPER SIGNIFICANT one episode was basically ignored after the next episode, and plot arcs you thought were going somewhere dry up pretty quickly. 

Last few episodes were kind of a slog (before the very final episode, which was good, but almost too jam packed with secondary characters.) 

Secondary characters were okay, but not as good as in other shows. 

I’m not a fan of the “if I harass you long enough you’ll realize you actually do like me” trope, even if it’s played off as “cute” when a girl does it to a guy. 

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/28/20

Dr. STONE, Vol. 11 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Balloons! Yes, Dr. STONE is taking it upon itself to do something it does best, which is show off the gorgeous vistas of this not-really-that-explored future Japan it takes place in. And that means hot air balloons. It also means speedboats! But alas, just because Senku is a scientist does not mean he can cook. So they use some of the last remaining fluid to un-stone a butler-cum-chef-cum-everything, Francois, who is flamboyant and also a lot of fun. There’s actually some really good humor in this volume as well, be it the reporter getting her camera and its undercutting right afterwards, or Senku’s Einstein impersonation. This remains one of the essential Jump titles. – Sean Gaffney

Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth Is a Modern City!, Vol. 2 | By Rui Tsukiyo and Hideaki Yoshikawa | Seven Seas – After wrapping up the cliffhanger from the first volume (he names his first monster girl, which gives her the power-up (and bust expansion) she needs to win), the cast gets down to the nitty-gritty of what he wants to do: build a city, not a dungeon, which feeds on positive emotions. Of course, there are a few problems. Location, labor costs, the neighboring demon lords, and of course Marcho’s impending death, which she seems to have accepted more than Procel has. This remains sort of mid-tier manga—not interesting enough to stand out, but the pages turn easily, and you could do worse. Also, brilliant pun for the back-cover blurb. – Sean Gaffney

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart | By Various Artists | Yen Press – The second of the Éclair anthologies to come out over here, this one seems to focus more attention on love that is already in bloom when the story begins than love that we see the start of. There’s a nice mix of funny, heartwarming, sad, and generally melancholic. Some highlights are “Azalea Corner,” about a minion’s crush on the arrogant ojou she follows; “The Unemployed Woman and the High School Girl,” which should be awful but is by Canno so is cute instead; and “That Summer Won’t Come Again,” about a girl trapped in her sister’s past who bonds with a senpai and learns to swim again. There’s good and not-so-good here, but overall well worth buying. – Sean Gaffney

Éclair Blanche: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart | By Various Artists | Yen Press – This is the second Éclair anthology, but aside from two continuations, all the stories here are new. The quality varies, and it seems the better stories are in the front. The first story, Fly’s “Flowers in a Storm,” sets the tone for bittersweet, ambiguous endings with the tale of a first kiss that comes too late. There are also several stories about unrequited love for a friend who loves someone else, be it another girl, an idol, or a guy. Kabocha’s “Though Summer Won’t Come Again” is a standout, about a girl who assumes the senpai she’s developed feelings for prefers her older sister, as everyone else seems to. Unfortunately, I found the stories toward the end of the volume to be less enjoyable, particularly the final one, which includes the most awkward teacher-student embrace I have ever seen. Still, I will read the next installment when it comes out! – Michelle Smith

I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love | By Minta Suzumaru | Futekiya (digital only) – Yoshino Kiritani is a beautiful 30-year-old salaryman who happens to be both gay and a virgin. With no relationship prospects on the horizon and wanting to finally have sex, he goes to a gay bar, meets a charismatic college student named Rou, and sleeps with him. The back-and-forth that follows between these two guys is so well done. Rou is a notorious playboy with a hot-and-cold routine he has employed many times to manipulate his conquests into falling for him and confessing their feelings. He tries this on Yoshino, even though he’s actually serious about him, but it doesn’t work. Self-effacing Yoshino genuinely thinks Rou wants nothing more to do with him, forcing Rou to face the seriously scary prospect of rejection by declaring his feelings first. There are a few explicit scenes, but they serve the characters and story well. Highly recommended! – Michelle Smith

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 2 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – First of all, a word of advice to the author: don’t sink people’s ships in your author’s notes, OK? Secondly, this continues to have the strengths of Io Sakisaka titles—it gets teenage love in a good way, has characters who are likeable but clearly flawed, shows gradual character growth, and has clean, easy-to-follow art. She’s still trying to balance out the idealistic girl with the realistic girl, though it may be leaning towards the former. Sadly, it also contains what’s always been one of this author’s big weaknesses to me—I like her series but never love them. Each volume is fun to read and I’d call it good, but it’s never going to be tops in my favorite shoujo manga lists. It’s not life-changing the way a Yona of the Dawn is. – Sean Gaffney

Ping Pong, Vol. 1 | By Taiyo Matsumoto | Viz Media – Ever since Matsumoto was a guest at TCAF in 2013 and spoke in depth about the series, its development, and how it fit into his overall career, I’ve been desperately wanting to read Ping Pong in English. When the excellent anime adaptation came and went soon after and the original manga still hadn’t been licensed, I didn’t expect that we’d ever see it translated. But it is actually here! The first of two beautifully designed omnibus volumes. And I am absolutely in love with Matsumoto’s Ping Pong. Ostensibly a high school sports manga, Ping Pong spends very little time explaining the ins and outs of the game even though table tennis is essentially omnipresent; instead, the series devotes its attention almost entirely to the characters themselves. With strong psychological elements, in part the work’s themes explore talent, motivation, and self-determination, all supported by Matsumoto’s distinctive and spectacularly dynamic and expressive artwork. – Ash Brown

Prince Freya, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | VIZ Media – The land of Tyr is threatened by Sigurd, the empire to the north. Our “wimpy and weak” heroine, Freya, happens to be the spitting image of Prince Edvard, who’s just been poisoned by Sigurd, and so takes on the role of impersonating him to protect her country. Alas, Freya’s performance as Edvard (and characterization in general) is inconsistent and in a way that doesn’t seem intentional on the mangaka’s part. Sometimes she boldly and capably takes action, sometimes she just cries. In my notes I wrote, “This ain’t no Basara,” prompted by a panel in which Freya is making an extremely insipid face because of something sappy her love interest has just said, but then something super dramatic and unexpected occurs and… well, now I’m cautiously on board. It may turn out to be fluffier than I would like, but I will at least give it a couple more volumes. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 9 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – There’s less swapping in this one, but the one time there is a swap it blows the reader out of the water. I suspect Ichika’s popularity took a nosedive after this volume, as her ideal of “all’s fair in love and war” is taken to a somewhat cruel conclusion. She’s not even the thirstiest of the quints, as both Nino and Miku are trying to make their feelings for Futaro as clear to him as possible. Meanwhile, Yotsuba is trying the opposite tactic, saying that she’ll support whichever sister that isn’t her he picks, showing off a core of self-deprecation that we’ve seen before, but never to this level. And then there’s Itsuki, who seems to have forgotten she was supposed to be first girl. Great harem antics. – Sean Gaffney

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 9 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – I missed reviewing the eighth volume of this, for some reason; I’m not sure why. It continues to be quietly sweet, with a heroine who perhaps leans a little too much towards “can save everyone by the sheer power of being really nice.” That said, nice can only go so far, and when she discovers a country that’s being blackmailed into slavery, nice becomes determined and fierce. There’s also some tortured romance at the start—the king’s chief bodyguard and the princess’s attendant clearly are headed towards each other, but there are a few steps back here before we can move forward once more. I admit that I’d likely enjoy this more without its central conceit of animal people, but oh well. – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 7 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – I admit I was a bit more surprised than Shirayuki was at the identity of the leader of the Lions of the Mountain. That said, it does remind us that Shirayuki is another one of those great “shoujo heroines who underreacts to everything,” which can be quite amusing when done right. That said, this volume is when the series transitioned from the quarterly DX to the main LaLa magazine, and as such much of the middle part is taken up with introducing new readers to the main cast and the situation. This includes an amusing “personality reversal” chapter where Mitsuhide starts acting like a chivalrous knight. the book ends with the implication that their love is going public. How will that go? Great shoujo. – Sean Gaffney

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1 | By Jougi Shiraishi, Itsuki Nanao, and Azure | Square Enix – This is a manga adaptation of the first fourth or so of the light novel, and it’s a very good adaptation. I will admit that Elaina is a lot more expressive than I was expecting… her delivery in the novels is somewhat cool… but it makes sense given the manga’s visual medium, and she’s cute. This volume shows off what we’re going to get from now on: some cute fluffy stories, some melancholic stories with deaths, some stories of Elaina having to extricate herself from a situation, and some backstory showing how she came to be wandering. The final story was one of my favorites in the book, and it’s the best one here too. A nice adaptation. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[fandom-and-fantasy]

CAPTAIN FANDOM REVIEWS: MIB INTERNATIONAL

Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson rule the screen once again - this time as the dynamic duo in Colombia Picture’s next installment of their Blockbuster franchise, Men in Black: International. Based on the Men in Black comics and the three-film installment released over a period of fifteen years, Men in Black: International is a startlingly charming addition to the market’s oversaturated nostalgia-based remakes and sequels.

MIB: International topped the Box Office on it’s opening weekend despite an initially abysmal outlook from professional critics. In contrast to their opinion that the newest installment fell flat, the film stood up to everything it promised audiences it would be - a fun and exciting, albeit oft-times campy, alien film based in a cinematic universe that was piloted by a veritable king of comedy - Will Smith.

The lead role belongs to Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Avengers: Endgame) as Agent H, but the film is wholeheartedly stolen by Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok) - playing the role of Agent M, a dedicated and quirky nerd on the search for the answers of the universe. Agent M is the most relatable character on screen. She has “no dog, no cat, and definitely no chill” - and she proves it through her voracious curiosity and dedication. M’s determination is so strong that she singlehandedly tracks down the secret New York headquarters of MIB and sneaks inside, dressed in her clever approximation of an MIB uniform. It is endearing and heartwarming to watch Agent M grow from a character with no attachments save the singular goal of joining the Men in Black, to the strong and confident Agent that saves the world and discovers the value of friendship along the way.

Agent H, played by the ruggedly handsome and charming Chris Hemsworth, is everything Hemsworth embodies - charismatic, funny, and almost jovial - when he first appears on screen in a flashback to Paris 2016. However, the present 2019 Agent H is “vaguely inept, arrogant, [and] reckless,” as described by Thompson’s character. He’s riding high off his singular shining moment in MIB - saving the world from The Hive “with only his wits and his series 70 atomizer”. But the mighty have clearly fallen, and a lackadaisical Agent H embarks on a mission to once again stop Hive, this time with rookie M in tow - and while his character growth is subtle it’s still visible throughout the film.

For being set in an out-of-this-world universe of science fiction, the story was incredibly rooted in it’s characters. From Pawny, the melodramatic alien Pawn that joined Agent M as a pocket-sized sidekick in Marrakesh, to the ever so stuffy and proper Agent C (the character in the film that you love to hate), the MIB universe was uplifted by the new and delightful cast joining an already beloved franchise.

And with the amount of fascinating and creative additions to the alien life already seen in the previous films, it was amusing to note that the most unbelievable thing about the film was thinking a stockpile of Amazon packages left out on a shop stoop because the owner hadn’t been able to collect would remain as clues for the hapless Agents, rather than being stolen.

Men in Black: International was a treasure trove of visual interest that kept me engaged, entertained, and amused! From the incredibly colorful and exciting Marrakesh, to the sleek, shining and modern designs for London HQ, the Men in Black universe worked hard to immerse it’s audience and never let them forget for even a moment that there are aliens among us -  all you have to do is open your eyes.

Overall: 5/5 — This completely blew my expectations out of the water! I was genuinely expecting something lukewarm and blasé - but instead I received something even better than just average. The humor was palpable and didn’t disappoint from the tone of the original films and I left the theater ready to see it again.

Story: 4.5/5 — The story did manage to leave me second guessing my assumptions through several clever red herrings, but with a few minor plots left untied (perhaps for future films?), I have to knock it down half a point.

Music: 5/5 — You know you’re going to enjoy the soundtrack when the opening song (a new arrangement of the original theme) gets you so pumped that you can barely sit still

Special Effects: 5/5 — None of the clunky CGI from the original films, limited by the years of their release. Stunning aliens and effects - and the weapons were top notch

Costumes: 3.5/5 — I liked Molly’s original take on an MIB suit, but she did rock the classic suit quite well. There was also a tiny bit of variety in Agent H’s costume I caught that was pleasing but overall there wasn’t much variety or opportunity for the costuming to really shine in this film

Production Design: 5/5 — Everything from the futuristic elements of London HQ, to the gritty down to earth streets of Marrakesh, left me with a thrill and a deep seated desire to step into the screen to experience the locations for myself. Also, top notch designs for the different forms of transportation used throughout the film

BONUS

Alien Design: 5/5 — As a connoisseur of multiple Science Fiction universes such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who and others, I can appreciate when effort is put into designing new and creative creatures and aliens for an established franchise like Men In Black. While not as much time was spent on the aliens themselves, I was absolutely delighted with all of them

[patheticphallacy]

This is the first in my Graphic Reading Wrap Up series.

I read enough manga, comics and graphic novels that I figured I’d be better off doing separate wrap ups so I don’t find myself having to cram a shit ton into my reading wrap ups every month. I want to spend more time actually talking about what I read, especially graphic fiction/non-fiction, which I get through so much of that I feel like I don’t spend enough time explaining my thoughts.

If you would like longer reviews of anything I talk about in this post, let me know. I have some P L A N S for Christmas blogging to make up for what will be a smaller November upload month.

#1 is my first wrap up after my September wrap up, if you want to see what else I’ve read.

Assassination Classroom Volume 5 by Yusei Matsui

I’m very fond of this series, and the growth of its characters. The prioritisation of developing the students and their self esteem is so incredible: rather than beating his students down, Korosensei works them towards improvement, and it’s interesting seeing so many layers of characters who aren’t strictly good or evil. This volume has the end of the baseball arc, a fight against the new PE teacher, and the next arc is another assassination attempt on Korosensei, which is exciting.

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

I’ve been reading this webcomic since 2016, so finally being able to pick up this volume now I have money has been a long time coming. I hold every character deep in my heart and I know pretty much every chapter/episode like the back of my hand, so reading this was more like revisiting an old friend than something new. I HIIIIGHLY recommend this webcomic, and I will only discuss it with you if you also rate it 5 stars and love it unconditionally!

The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by the McElroy’s (especially Clint) and Carey Pietsch

This is my favourite arc in the podcast, so I was expecting to love it more than I did. It feels like some of the humour isn’t translated as well over to these graphic novels, but I think changes made are important to fit the format. I think this works well for people who are fans of the podcast, but I’d definitely recommend the podcast first for other people, just to understand the characterisation and the D&D self-inserts Griffin has. But I will say…. Angus McDonald is still my baby boy and I love him.

Momo to Manji Volume 1 and 2 by Sawa Sakura

A very heavy series, while still being cute. Momo to Manji is set during the Edo Period and follows a male prostitute who is taken in by another man after growing too old to still serve. It has confusing moments, and has very dark material– some violence, obviously prostitution, as well as incest and very young characters having sex with adults– but the relationship between the two main characters is very endearing, and I really grew to care about Momo especially.

Welcome to Wanderland #4 by Jackie Ball (not pictured)

Finally got to read issue 4! A very quick and fantastical series, and I think the new artist did a great job helping finish up a series that was very dear to the hearts of the writer and the original artist. I was satisfied with this conclusion and I think I’ll end up re-reading it, maybe next year, just to experience the full story in all its glory.

Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito

This is a solid 3 star collection. None of the stories really lingered with me other than Gentle Goodbye, which is now one of my favourite short stories. It’s a beautiful and incredibly moving story for me, even if that wasn’t Ito’s original intention when writing it as a horror story. There’s something to be said about generational horror and ghosts, and what family means to different individuals.

Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito

My new favourite Junji Ito manga! There’s a focus on body horror, as there always is, but this felt more… fun. Chizumi is a nightmare child, I think she’s so great and definitely up there with my favourite children in horror now. I know the ending will be hit or miss with other people, but it’s not like Uzumaki, where I waited 600 pages to be disappointed at the end.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Volume 1, 2 & 3 by Kore Yamazaki

A series I’m very much in the middle about. I’m enjoying the fantastical elements, but the setting and time period are so confusing to wrap my head around in terms of modernity. It very much reminds me of Lore Olympus in that regard, but that webcomic is more straightforward in explaining, so I just don’t know with this manga. There’s also something stopping me for completely loving the characters. I’m not a fan of age-gap romances that don’t spell out what’s going on: is this romantic, or is it purely platonic? If I don’t know where I’m supposed to stand, I can’t feel at ease reading it.

The Avant-Guards #7 & #8 by Carly Usdin

This series is so good! Great cast of characters who are believable in their love for one another and their basketball playing. There’s a genuine wholesomeness to this series that really reminds me of Check, Please! and Haikyuu!!. What is it with sports stories and exclamation marks? Anyway, I highly recommend this series, I’m glad it’s been longer running than Usdin’s other stories. Also, did you see the Heavy Vinyl graphic novel announcement? SICK.

Lovely Complex Volume 2 by Aya Nakahara

This series is getting better by volume. It definitely draws on cliches and tropes of the genre, but I really enjoy that, and I’m still attached to the characters and the slow burn complexity of the feelings between the two leads. It’s easy reading where the conflicts never linger and isn’t at all difficult to get through, which is definitely something I need more of in my reading.

Parasyte Volume 1 by Hitoshi Iwaaki

Meh. For some reason, I was really expecting to love this– a dude learning to live with a parasite who controls his arm is a great premise– but there was something about the writing that stopped me from feeling compelled. I can’t really feel any risk, and that’s something I like in my horror. The body horror is also not too great, which was one of the selling points for me. Sad! Not sure if I’ll carry on with this series, honestly.

Out of Skin  by Emily Carroll

Another freaky short story from Emily Carroll, who honestly does no wrong in my eyes. Amazing art– character design, colour palette, all of it, amazing– and the eerie story at its heart. I love Emily Carroll’s focus on more feminine voices and stories, it never feels exploitative of women and draws on violence towards women without feeling nasty or targeted.

Teen Dog by Jake Lawrence

The ULTIMATE graphic novel. Literally, one of my all time favourites. It’s the perfect balance of silly and existential, and I genuinely love every moment of reading this. It was my second read through and I just smiled the whole time.

Are you a fan of this new recapping format? I found it a lot more easy to only talk about manga/comics/graphic novels, and doing this means I don’t put myself under pressure to get wrap ups out at the same time every month and have about 40 things to get through in one go!

I’d love some recommendations in the comments.

If you liked this post, consider buying me a coffee? Ko-Fi. 

Goodreads|Twitter|Instagram|Letterboxd

Graphic Reading Wrap Up #1 This is the first in my Graphic Reading Wrap Up series. I read enough manga, comics and graphic novels that I figured I'd be better off doing separate wrap ups so I don't find myself having to cram a shit ton into my reading wrap ups every month.

[relevy]

A-Z Book Recommendations.

What a great idea from my friend at @macrolit :) Had to give it a go. I’ve omitted “A’s” and “The’s” from most of the titles for sake of flow.

A - American Gods by Neil Gaiman - A wandering modern “fantasy” that felt keenly poignant to me having grown up in the midwest. You’ll need patience for this one but this book is truly about the journey not the destination.

B - Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer - I’ll be honest, I never finished this series. It got a little overblown but the characters are so genuine that I held out a lot longer than I would expect of myself. This first book though is the definition of a classic middle reader. Lot of Adventure and a lovable, fierce, albeit flawed, female protagonist. 

C - Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - I used to read this book every summer. It’s a rough read with some explicit violence (sexual and otherwise) but an important one I think. I recommend reading the “British” publishing which has 21 chapters (the publishers took out the last one for American audiences, because apparently we don’t like character redemption and growth *eyeroll*). The real genius of this book is the vernacular Burgess created from scratch that is truly like reading another language at first. 

D - Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - Not to be cliche but I find that a lot of the titles Booklr obsesses over in the YA genre to be par-baked at best. Not the case with this series! Well developed characters that exist beyond their actions and exhibit real emotional complexity without relying on tropes and a plot that kept me turning and turning pages!

E - East by Edith Pattou - This is a remnant from my scholastic book fair days. It’s a frightfully easy read, however, her love for the folktale on which it is based (East of the Sun and West of the Moon) shines through. Each chapter is told by a distinct alternating voice and though the plot leaps about a bit you do not lose any sense of forward motion. 

F - Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge - At this point you’ve probably realized I love middle-reader books. There is also a pattern of relatable well written female protagonists in all of them. Not to be outdone the lead of this book is a stubborn young girl named Mosca and her equally prickly goose, who live in a fantasy setting based loosely on 18th century Britain. I won’t give anything else away except to say READ THIS BOOK!

G - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson- I don’t exclusively read fantasy children’s books and here’s the proof. All of Larsson’s books are difficult to get into. Which can be put down to the fact that the first half of his reads are laying the complex groundwork for the gripping, fast paced, second half that will leave you gasping for air. 

H - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - If you go into The Hobbit expecting the verbose grandeur of LoTR you’re going to be sorely disappointed. This book was aimed much more at a younger audience and is far more light-hearted and comical than its more mature follow-ups. Nevertheless it still has the grand beauty of Tolkien’s imagination and I quite like the whimsy of his narrative style in this prequel. 

I - It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - This book helped me understand aspects of my own struggle with depression and anxiety. It is heartfelt, raw, but most importantly not without hope. Vizzini committed suicide a few years ago, which leaves a bit of a cloud over the book but it is an important read for both those who struggle and those who care about them.

J - Jerusalem by Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi - But Rachel this is a cookbook! Yes! Yes it is! But it’s also so much more than that. The entire thing is a love letter from the two authors who grew up, respectively, in the Jewish and Arabian communities of this complex city. Beyond the delicious recipes there is mouth-watering photography more akin to photojournalism than a traditional cookbook. Each section and almost each recipe is accompanied by an explanation of the historical and political machinations, tragedies, and cultures that led to its creation.

K - King Lear by William Shakespeare - Far and away one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I dream of someday playing a gender-bent Lear. I find that this play in particular asks a lot of tough questions of its characters and they answer in frighteningly frustrating ways. “Tis the times’ plague, when madmen lead the blind.” 

L - Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt - This book is a cult classic. Originally published in Dutch in 1962 it has since been translated into twelve languages! This is a classic hero’s journey written in a loving, nurturing hand. 

M - Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff - Maresi is a relatively new book that has flown totally under the YA Booklr radar. It has a vivid comparison to The Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula K Leguin but is not a reproduction. The plot centers around an island of “sisters” in an intensely patriarchal world. The second book was just released so I suggest jumping on this bandwagon soon!

N - (The) Naming by Allison Croggon - I’m in the middle of rereading The Books of Pellinor series and I vividly remember now why they were the favorites of my High School years. Crogon writes in a simple elegance that must have been lovingly honed by years of reading Leguin and Tolkien. Another complex female protagonist in this one but written in 3rd person Omniscient (not fixed) narrative which is hard to find these days.

O - Once and Future King by T.H. White - I am an Arthur scholar and I will admit this is not my favorite Arthurian book (That’s Sword at Sunset by Rosmary Sutcliff). However, it is a necessary read for anyone who has interest in how modern fantasy came about in the US and the American obsession with King Arthur.

P - The Plucker by Brom - This is more of a graphic novel than a book. If you are a fan of Guillermo del Toro YOU WILL LOVE THIS. Imagine Toy Story except as a horror movie instead of playful animation. Brom is an exquisite illustrator and it’s worth it for the art alone. 

Q - I have literally nothing for this one! Ah!

R - Runaways by Brian K Vaughan - This is a graphic novel series about a group of teenagers who mistakenly find out their parents are part of a super-villain society. Being a Marvel comic there are cameos by familiar goodies and badies and the series itself takes many surprising twists. Characters of color and female characters are prominent! 

S - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - Imagine if Dragons could take human form but were required by law to wear a bell to mark their otherness. Rather than set in a typical medieval setting, Seraphina takes place in a pseudo “classical” Europe setting with heavy emphasis on music. The characters and plot in this are flawless and I found it a refreshing, fun read.  

T - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - This is one of the few books I was required to read in High School that I actually enjoyed. There’s a lot to be said for this timeless classic but the fact that it still remains relevant is really all that needs to be.

U - Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly - Albeit I read this book back when pirates were much more a pop culture phenomenon than they are now. However, if you like history, and pirates this is a great read for notable and notorious seafarers. 

V - V for Vendetta by Alan Moore - a graphic novel but truly a novel in its own right. I honestly prefer Watchmen but I feel Alan Moore is at his most Alan Moore-y in this one. No contest better than the movie.

W - Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Leguin - The mythic style of these books can turn some modern readers off. Keeping with that there’s not as much character “development” as modern readers are used to. However, that being said these are some of the most compelling characters and books you will ever meet.

X - I came up dry on this one as well :(

Y - Y the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan (Again!) - Imagine if all the men on earth died instantaneously except one slacker and his capuchin monkey. This graphic novel series could have gone way off the rails (as far as imagining what an all female dystopia would look like) yet Vaughan writes his female characters with a surprising nuance and depth. 

Z - Zel by Donna Jo Napoli - I read this in elementary school and WHOOO BOY I don’t know who approved that one for children’s shelves but it is definitely a mature retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale. Distinctive voices and no making it less gruesome than the original here. 

[criticallyspectacular]

Wonder Woman

Did Warner Bros. Finally make a good DC Comics movie? They did! They did it!

Critical: Thumbs Up

Fantastic characters

A simple but uncomplicated plot

A great introduction to the title character

Spectacle: Thumbs Up

Fantastic action sequences

Good humor to help the movie along

Chris Pine and Gal Gadot have great chemistry

What Is It?

Wonder Woman, a Golden Age super hero who started life fighting Nazis and the 3rd Reich, she is an Amazon, sculpted from clay, and given life by Zeus (in modern versions, as well as this movie).

The Movie:

A young and inexperienced Diana of Themiscyra witnesses a plane being shot down. She saves the human pilot and is drawn into a race to save the world during The Great War.

What’s Good:

This movie wows and dazzles from the beginning all the way to the end. Starting with the beginning of Diana’s life as a child, her training as an Amazon, and her first experiences with humanity, we see the growth of a character coming to her own as a well known and respected hero icon.

The characters in this movie are just great. Diana is wonderfully portrayed as naive to the world around her, which gives her a fish out of water story arc. Steven Trevor serves as an excellent example of humanity, being genuinely good in a world gone mad. His secretary gives some great laughs early on, and his eventual crew of misfits all blend together beautifully as one cohesive whole. Nothing is underutilized here.

And when the movie gets to action sequences, it does not disappoint. Big action set pieces with a camera that knows how to allow the audience to actually see what’s going on, taking on some of the visual style of Zack Snyder’s 300. Be it Amazon warriors on horseback, or Diana herself advancing on a machine gun nest by herself, the movie knows how to thrill visually.

What’s Bad:

The plot requires the movie move at a slower pace, and while I didn’t personally mind that it could be an issue for some viewers. It’s not strictly an action movie, after all.

Shortly after arriving in London, there are some gags played at Diana’s expense. Taking advantage of her naive nature and the nature of fashion at the time, it’s just some mindless silliness to help move the plot along and help introduce Steve’s secretary. It doesn’t hurt the pacing, but doesn’t really do much for the movie, either. It’s a net neutral in my opinion.

And the final act will either wow and entertain of grate depending on how you felt about the CG effects from the previous DCEU movies. The action goes exceptionally bombastic at this point, and looks very familiar to previous movies (Batman v. Superman for example). The visual style is just a touch on the fake side, but does properly showcase what these characters are capable of.

Final Thoughts:

Critical nitpicks aside (and I had to look to what others were saying to better understand these negative points), I felt this movie was an absolute rush and a joy to watch. It’s just refreshing to see a movie like this take it’s source material seriously and stay true to it’s characters.

As a Critical movie, it’s a slow paced coming of age story with some action thrown in. Good acting and excellent characters will push this one into a high category.

As a Spectacle movie, it’s a little slow but has fun characters, bombastic and over the top action sequences that will have you rooting for more.

There’s no other way to say this. This is a must see movie. Don’t worry about the other DC comic book movies, you don’t need to know anything about them to understand and enjoy this movie. Go and support this film. You won’t regret it.

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