I enjoyed the build up of this story in the way it used the real life fear of "Satanism" that actually happened back in the 70s and 80s, but somethingI enjoyed the build up of this story in the way it used the real life fear of "Satanism" that actually happened back in the 70s and 80s, but something about this didn't really click for me.
I like that the protagonist is a woman who made accusations as a child that continues to haunt her and I liked that Brubaker links the "Satanic Panic" with the kind of people who believe insane conspiracy theories today.
I found the ending a let down, it was building up too something but it never quite got there for me.
Sean Phillips' art is fantastic as usual, as well as Jacob Phillips' colours. ...more
I should point out that I'm aware Collins has written other books in the "Perdition" series but I wasn't aware when I read this one. Perhaps if I had I should point out that I'm aware Collins has written other books in the "Perdition" series but I wasn't aware when I read this one. Perhaps if I had I'd change my thoughts, but going in having only read the first "Road to Perdition", this is my overall feeling.
This is a cool noir, crime thriller set in the 1970s. It's very much like the kind of stories Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips create.
I like that the protagonist starts off as a Vietnam War veteran, a hero who ends up sinking deeper into the criminal underworld. So that's probably not a particularly original concept, but I do like that it turns the original "Road To Perdition" on its head by making the protagonist someone who wouldn't normally be immediately associated with the mob.
The artwork by Terry Beatty reminds me a lot of Sean Phillips' style, gritty and real.
But the thing is this isn't really a sequel to "Road to Perdition". It features some of the same characters, and a similar premise that works well in the same universe but it feels like it was a stand-alone crime book that someone figured would work well as a sequel with some tweaks.
And it is a good story with nice artwork, so I'm not complaining, I just think it would work better without references to the original story, or if they were more fully integrated into this one.
I got sucked into it pretty easily, but then all of a sudden there are moments where I'm reminded of the first book and it feels very shoe-horned in. I don't think the first book had any un-answered questions, it worked as a nice, self contained story.
And the thing is, I enjoyed it despite all that. I think it's a well written crime/mystery book that isn't helped by the connection to "Road to Perdition" but it's not really hampered by it either. ...more
It's weird hearing this described as "queersploitation", but it's accurate. A tale of revenge featuring a closeted Jamaican cop trying to escape the hIt's weird hearing this described as "queersploitation", but it's accurate. A tale of revenge featuring a closeted Jamaican cop trying to escape the homophobic environment before he and his boyfriend are outed.
I've never really gotten into the exploitation film genre. I know it has a certain cult appeal, but the kind of stories focusing on racially or gender motivated revenge aren't really my thing.
And I don't think queersploitation is really my thing either. I mean it's interesting and I get the concept behind vicariously living through such a brutal tale, and I'm glad I got to experience it, but I don't have a great deal of interest in reading any other stories like this. They tend to bum me out, particularly when they have a fairly large basis in reality, except in reality the victimised usually end up dead instead of taking revenge.
The artwork was colourful and vibrant, and definitely reminded me of the kind of over-saturated films from the '70s.
So, in all it was a story I'm glad I read but I don't think I'll be reading any more from this very niche genre....more
Holy shit, that was epic. I kind of feel sorry for Stephen King's editors. There's so much content in his books, so many subplots and characters and eHoly shit, that was epic. I kind of feel sorry for Stephen King's editors. There's so much content in his books, so many subplots and characters and events that it all gets pretty overwhelming.
The first half of the book was a little hit or miss. There are some really compelling chapters, but others seem to go off on wild tangents that don't appear to have any real importance to the overall plot, except for some world building.
The characters are well defined, each having their own unique voice, but it got frustrating seeing them have to relive their old experiences to grow up again, but it makes sense they'd revert considering they forgot all about Derry after moving away.
My biggest criticism of the Stephen King novels I've read so far is that the ending is usually lacking. In this case it worked perfectly....more
Well, not surprisingly Hugh Laurie is just as good a novelist as he is comedic actor, dramatic actor (with and without flawless American accent), musiWell, not surprisingly Hugh Laurie is just as good a novelist as he is comedic actor, dramatic actor (with and without flawless American accent), musician, and many other things.
There were a lot of laugh out loud moments that really reminded me of Douglas Adams, there's a very British sort of humour to the book that makes wonder how successful this is in America.
The overall story was interesting but for me it was more about the characters and the humour of their situations. A really solid book and I'll look forward to reading more from this much acclaimed author....more
Warren Ellis continues to write Bond in a less bombastic, over-the-top style. I still haven't read any of the novels, but I assume that this low-key, Warren Ellis continues to write Bond in a less bombastic, over-the-top style. I still haven't read any of the novels, but I assume that this low-key, casual killer is the James Bond of the novels. He still has that vaguely mysognistic charm of the films, and if anything he's more disturbing in this medium. There aren't any terrible puns, rarely any quips, just cold calculated killing.
I like the lack of exotic locations and the focus on story. This acts more like a direct sequel to the previous volume, tying up some questions and expanding upon the univese. I'm not sure what the future has to bring with these comics but I've really enjoyed Ellis's take on them....more
Are you unfamiliar with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips? This is a good introduction to Do you like Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips? Yes? Good, read this.
Are you unfamiliar with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips? This is a good introduction to their work.
There's no shortage of normal guy becomes vigilante stories out there. It's become a sub-genre in itself these days thanks to stories like Kick-Ass and Wanted.
They're almost always stories that show how much of a bad-arse you can be when you take the law into your own hands.
Brubaker and Phillips have tackled those stories before. Usually they're gangsters or other ne'er-do-wells trying to survive in a shitty world. The violence isn't sensationalised, it always feels grim and filled with consequences.
This time the protagonist Dylan is dragged into the world of violence and death, he implies it's against his will but it's left up to the reader to decide if that's actually true.
Brubaker has always been able to write relatable protagonists, whether it's a superhero or a low life criminal and he does it again with Dylan. He's an average guy who is lonely and aimless. A guy who takes a step into a violent world and slowly becomes less and less like the person he was.
This is another collaboration between Brubaker and Philips (with Elizabeth Breitweiser colouring) that leaves me wanting more.
Before these two I was never interested in crime fiction, but as long as they keep doing it, I'll keep reading it....more
Although this felt like its own thing, unrelated to the movies I still found myself reading Bond in Daniel Craig's voice, even though he looks nothingAlthough this felt like its own thing, unrelated to the movies I still found myself reading Bond in Daniel Craig's voice, even though he looks nothing like him, in fact he looks more like Bruce Wayne than any of the Bond actors. I see this as a positive, it's nice to start fresh with the character, or possibly go back to the original description from the novels. He definitely feels like a man out of time in some respects, smoking (which you rarely seen on screen now) and a casual disregard for the lives of his enemies.
The story is compact, Bond doesn't travel to many locations, he has a mission and he's going to accomplish it as quickly and efficiently as possible. I assume it's a way of grounding Bond for people like me who have only ever experienced the character in big screen adventure.
Warren Ellis has written some of my favourite stories, so it's nice to see him tackle such a well known character while staying true to the original vision. I'll look forward to James Bond's return....more
It's nice to read the occasional Australian political thriller. While we are blessed (or cursed) to live in intersting times, it's not unique to this It's nice to read the occasional Australian political thriller. While we are blessed (or cursed) to live in intersting times, it's not unique to this century.
Gough Whitlam's dismissal remains a important event in Australia's political history, so it makes sense to set a book in that unstable political climate.
I'd expect an American book to create a grand Dan Brown style conspiracy to surround the dismissal, so it was a refreshing change that this book feels smaller, more compact to fit in to 1975 Australia.
As someone who still feels the need to "maintain the rage" it was a really nice snapshot into a world I never knew....more
My first thought on finishing this book was I wonder what Kevin Rudd would think of this book.
Although clearly a work of fiction there are several blMy first thought on finishing this book was I wonder what Kevin Rudd would think of this book.
Although clearly a work of fiction there are several blatant similarities to real world events, so it sometimes feels like this story is only slightly removed from reality.
Catriona Bailey is clearly based on Kevin Rudd, a nerdy Labor PM beloved by the public, knifed by her own party who becomes Foreign Minister and wants nothing more than to return to the top spot or bring the entire party crashing down.
Elizabeth Scott feels like our current PM, Malcolm Turnbull. She's probably the most sympathetic politician in the book, but if her path follows Turnbull's I can see that changing quite quickly.
Although the story follows political journalist Harry Dunkley in uncovering a story that could potentially bring down a Minister, possibly a government, the point of view shifts between several characters so the reader gets a good idea of the climate in this not-too-far-from-reality Canberra.
It reminds me of Shane Maloney's Murray Whelan books. A crime book written by someone is intimately familiar with the shady world of Australian politics. In this case two someones, Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann.
I knew they'd both spent their careers following Australian politics, but I wasn't sure whether either could write fiction. Any question I might have had ended with a single sentence: "You selfish bitch."
Although there are several voices in the book, they all feel fairly unqiue, which helps when some of them are based on real world people, although they all seem to share a hatred of the left wing of politics, which actually sounds about right when you look at the current state of Australian politics.
Though the political organisation that's based on the real world 'GetUp!' also gets a hammering which feels more like one of the authors' personal views being projected through fiction. The Greens are also written in a fairly mocking way that again sometimes feels like being lectured about the real-world counterparts.
For anyone interested in Australian politics, mysteries, conspiracies and you've already read the Murray Whelan books by Shane Maloney, I'd definitely add this to your list....more
I've read all the earlier books but I only started reviewing them recently. I'll go back and review them once I re-read.
While I enjoyed this final volume, I feel that this book had a few too many comedic elements with the Lone Gunmen. Normally I love these guys since they always bring a bit of a light-hearted feeling to the world but it went too far with Langley and Frohike's little adventure. That being said, I was satisfied with this conclusion, though there are some flash-forwards that left me a little confused on whether they're real or not.
There's also a lack of 'Monster of the Week' stories in this book, which I assume is due to the sudden ending, the book suffers a little for this lack of variety.
While writing this review I've been doing some research and since this is such an early end to the season compared to the five books of Season 10 I fear that this might be the end of the non-canon adventures of Mulder and Scully.
And if that's the case, they're making a huge mistake. I didn't want to bring down one thing to put something else up, but if they're retooling to fit into the new TV episodes they're making a mistake.
Even as 2D pages in a book, these comics felt more like The X-Files to me than most of the new episodes ever did. Joe Harris seems to have more respect for existing continuity than Chris Carter at this point. He manages to pull deep from old episodes, from the old mythology and bring something new to it without making it more confusing, or outright contradicting it.
So, if we're not getting a Season 12, it's been fun but there's no way in Hell I'm reading any book set in the new series' continuity. ...more
There's a really cool conversation in the start of the book between some writers including Darwyn and Ed Brubaker. I love that Brubaker and Cooke wereThere's a really cool conversation in the start of the book between some writers including Darwyn and Ed Brubaker. I love that Brubaker and Cooke were friends, two of my favourite comic book creators side-by-side chatting about Parker and crime comics in general.
There's a moment that gave me a moment of sadness during the discussion. Brubaker asks if Cooke was planning on adapting all the Parker books and Cooke jokingly responds that he won't live long enough. I still think about Cooke and how he's no longer with us everytime I read one of his books. The one upshot is that I believe he completed all the Parker books he wanted to adapt before he passed.
I have read all the Parker books as they were released in the smaller hardback format, it really fit in with the pulpy old-school feel of the book, but upon opening up this massive hardcover edition, the only thing that went through my head was "Holy shit."
This is how Parker was meant to be experienced, full sized in all its glory so you can see every pen stroke, every dash of watercolour. The first time you see Parker's face as he looks up into the mirror... if it wasn't sacrilegious to me I would rip that page right out of the book and frame it.
Re-reading this book for the third or fourth time it struck me how Cooke makes some really interesting choices, there's not a lot of dialogue in some sections so the story is told simply through what's happening in each panel, the choice to not show Parker's face until he looks at it in the mirror is well worth the build up. And the lack of dialogue reflects the kind of character Parker is, he's not complicated or torn, he's just a walking ball of vengeance. And there there are large sections of text with only a single accompanying image so you're simply engrossed by Stark's words. Cooke mentions he didn't have a solid plan for how he was going to draw these books and I think we reap the benefits of this as it allowed him to experiment as he went.
I had no idea that everything was hand-drawn by Cooke, hand painted, but you can see each stroke, each line with this large volume and it's beautiful....more
It's a little unnerving reading this book about Homeland Security Service Agent Miracle Dunn. She lives in a world somewhat like our own, only more coIt's a little unnerving reading this book about Homeland Security Service Agent Miracle Dunn. She lives in a world somewhat like our own, only more conservative, more family focused, somewhat more homophobic. A world where the Twin Towers fell in 1993 and the more liberal of the Democratic Party were lost in 1996.
So it's a little strange to find myself liking Agent Dunn. Not that I have any reason to dislike her, she's a good investigator and doesn't misuse her powers, but she is part of an all-powerful, all-seeing government agency, something that people are continually more suspicious of in our world.
As Dunn investigates a murder, we learn more about her world as well as Dunn herself. And as we go, we see that of course there is more to this murder than originally seems.
I've been a fan of Michael A. Stackpole since I was a teen, reading his many Star Wars novels. Though it shames me to say this is the first non-Star Wars story I've read of his, outside of short stories.
I was a little confused at this alternate reality and why Stackpole chose to make such a different world. I understand it gives him the freedom to create his own security force without worrying about the differences, but I'm not sure what his aim was in creating a vastly more conservative world.
The most curious part for me is that it's written in a very neutral way. Stackpole isn't suggesting this is a better or worse world, it's just different. I suspect certain elements will be addressed in future stories, though for right now it allows the reader to come to their own decision.
The main plot, the murder investigation kept my attention, there are enough twists and turns to keep me wondering and enough questions left unanswered to entice me back. And the added curiosity of this strange alternate world is an added bonus. ...more
I love that whenever I read an Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips book I get sucked right into the world of gritty, hard-boiled detective noir. I open up the I love that whenever I read an Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips book I get sucked right into the world of gritty, hard-boiled detective noir. I open up the first page and suddenly I can smell the booze and cigarettes, I feel like I'm covered in a thin layer of grime and everyone seems much more beautiful or seedier... sometimes it's hard to tell.
The Fade Out does the same. I feel like I'm in an old Hollywood movie. Starlets like Maya Silver and Valeria Sommers, the not-beautiful-but-quite-pretty Dottie Quinn, Debonair leading men like Earl Rath, handome closeted pretty boys like Tyler Graves... they all seem like real characters after years of seeing people exactly like them all over the silver screen.
There's not much to say, except that it is a satisfying conclusion to yet another great collaboration. ...more
Have you ever wondered if there was more to Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond series? Was she really just a flirty executive assistant? I feel like thHave you ever wondered if there was more to Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond series? Was she really just a flirty executive assistant? I feel like that's where this story came from, Brubaker asking that question and throwing us into an action spy thriller starring a Moneypenny who is just as capable a spy as James Bond.
It's fun reading a spy action thriller set in the 70's with a strong female lead. I'm so used to seeing the women subservient in these stories, and so are all the characters in this book, which makes it all the more satisfying when Velvet lets loose. I'm a big Brubaker fan, so it's no wonder I enjoyed it so much. I suspect that if you're familiar with Brubaker's style of writing you'll already know whether you'll want to read this or not.
One of the best parts of reading a Brubaker book is that he's always accompanied by an amazing artist. In this case Steve Epting & Bettie Breitweiser do a fantastic job of bringing everyone to life in a realistic, cinematic style.
The story ends with a revelation that left me wanting more, so for me Velvet Templeton will return....more
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