I knew going into it that I was probably going to like it. It is very similar vibes to How to Become the Dark Lord and DI genuinely enjoyed this book.
I knew going into it that I was probably going to like it. It is very similar vibes to How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. I think this is better written than that, but equally as funny.
Our main characters are so cute. Gav is a hilarious POV character, and I really like how ordinary he is.
Honestly, I like how ordinary all of our mains are. No one is perfectly good and almost no one is perfectly evil. I liked seeing everyone interact and also watching Gav desperately trying to fake it until he made it.
The end was very satisfying and just generally wholesome. I would almost say this is a kinda gory cozy fantasy....more
The number one best-selling series that Audible listeners call “wonderfully entertaining”, “packed with humour, geek references and thought-provoking The number one best-selling series that Audible listeners call “wonderfully entertaining”, “packed with humour, geek references and thought-provoking storylines”, and performed by “a true master story teller and actor” returns as the Bobs face their deadliest challenge yet.
The Bobiverse is a different place in the aftermath of the Starfleet War, and the days of the Bobs gathering in one big happy moot are far behind. There’s anti-Bob sentiment on multiple planets, the Skippies playing with an AI time bomb, and multiple Bobs just wanting to get away from it all.
But it all pales compared to what Icarus and Daedalus discover on their 26,000-year journey to the center of the galaxy. Sure, it could settle the Fermi Paradox for good (and what Bob doesn’t want to solve a mystery of the universe?). But it also reveals a threat to the galaxy greater than anything the Bobs could have imagined.
Just another average day in the Bobiverse.
I might have done a happy dance when I got the notification that this audiobook was available, and even more when I realized I had an Audible credit to use.
I love the Bobiverse series and I always want to know what will happen next. In this instalment, we follow Icarus and Daedalus on their adventure to Sagittarius A* and their side-tracks, which leads them home at last, but with terrible news. It’s certainly an entertaining and clever solution to the Fermi Paradox, although I maintain my hypothesis that the other sentient species of the galaxy took one look at us and decided to leave us to our own devices because we were too much trouble. The second plot is Howard and Bridget’s adventures among the dragons. Another is the mission to develop wormholes, defeat the self-aware AI Thoth that the Skippies have let loose on the galaxy, and deal with increasingly hostile humans, while the Quinlans get their own ‘net and Charles makes a confession about the origins of Starfleet.
There are always a few plot lines in a Bobiverse book, because they’re an ensemble cast, but it gets confusing. I really enjoyed the different plots but I’d love it if I could just focus on one at a time! The plots are mostly linked, but sometimes they’re just separate stories. Howard and Bridget’s adventures among the dragons could have been a novella, for instance. I think Bob and Teresa’s story definitely needs more attention, too.
As ever, Ray Porter is a superlative narrator. I love his voice!
Overall, a great return to the Bobiverse, but may need more than one listen to get everything that’s going on. I shall be re-listening soon. ...more
In High Society, Dave Sim pulled off the ambitious task of writing an actual graphic novel, one concerned with politics and the abuse of power and at In High Society, Dave Sim pulled off the ambitious task of writing an actual graphic novel, one concerned with politics and the abuse of power and at a length almost unknown when he began serializing the story in 1980. With Church and State he attempted something even more ambitious as he examined religion. The story is so mammoth, running to 1,220 pages, that it required two volumes to gather it.
With Cerebus the aardvark having become Prime Minister of Iest in High Society, he suffers the same fate again. This time, wiser and more cynical, he is most reluctant, and has to be forced into accepting the post by the manipulative President Weisshaupt. Before you know it, the Machiavellian machinations are coming thick and fast, and the book moves into religious territory, when, in an attempt to undermine Weisshaupt, his enemies nominate Cerebus as Pope. Unfortunately, this sets Cerebus off on one, and he demands that everyone gives him all their gold or perish as a divine consequence. Then hints occur that his prophecy could be self-fulfilling. And that’s when things start to get really strange.
However, it’s not all political intrigue and metaphysical weirdness, Sim also excels at comedy, whether it’s Marx Brothers-style satire or the broader parody of Wolveroach. This prompted a ‘cease and desist’ order from Marvel, something that earlier parodies – of Moon Knight and Captain America – hadn’t.
In one of the many great scenes Cerebus exhorts the masses to give him all their gold, and to illustrate the point that you can get what you want and still not be happy, he blesses someone’s child and then tosses it into the distance like an American football. This upset some readers. So Cerebus later kicks a crippled old man off a roof. The lesson: one less mouth to feed is one less mouth to feed. Many of these scenes provide some of the finest comedy in the book, with Cerebus showing what an imaginative, vindictive and greedy little bastard he can be.
This volume ends on a literal cliffhanger, with Cerebus, much like the aforementioned baby, being tossed into the air by Thrunk, a giant orange rock-monster (sound familiar?) that Cerebus had encountered back in the early Conan-parody days. This was to be a recurring theme in Cerebus, with characters who’d appear to be mere throwaways returning to become important elements in Cerebus’s life. Nowhere is this more true than with Jaka, the aardvark’s one true love. She abruptly reappears and Cerebus is ready to drop everything and go with her, but, as is so often the case, it’s not quite that simple. That moves us onto another topic, unrequited love, which is among the themes explored in detail in the next novel: Jaka’s Story.
Gerhard, who, like Prince or Madonna, apparently only has one name, came on board during this book to assist Sim with backgrounds, tints and the like. After some experimentation he settled on a distinctive style that would be an invaluable contribution, and some of his artwork is superb. By this stage Sim was an accomplished artist and writer, as adept at comedy as drama, constantly pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in comics, both in form and content.
If nothing else, this may be the biggest book in comics, in terms of sheer size. It is often challenging, and makes no attempt to wrap things up neatly. For that, you’ll have to read the conclusion: Church and State 2....more
In his short story collection Pastoralia, George Saunders guides us through alternately self-pitying, self-aggrandizing, self-castigating, self-deceptIn his short story collection Pastoralia, George Saunders guides us through alternately self-pitying, self-aggrandizing, self-castigating, self-deceptive, and simultaneously self-aware selves. His characters often live grotesquely pathetic lives: a middle-aged worker on a computer company factory line who longs to get rid of the mildly retarded sister he cared for, a male stripper who is rated by his customers as somewhere between "Honeypie" and "Adequate" and lives in the projects with his two malopriating sisters and self-abnegating aunt, a fat, hateful little boy constantly mocked by his mother and step-father, a barber born without toes who is tortured by his inability to see beyond the physical imperfections of the women in his life. Almost all male, often adults still living with their mothers, self-identified lifelong losers, Saunders' characters brood on past injustices and failures and, more often than not, show themselves unable to break the patterns that have stalled their lives.
These are comic tales, though not, in my view, of the laugh-out loud kind. They are darkly, even bitterly, ironic, and though Saunders sometimes tempers his irony with redeeming moments of pathos, his world is generally one in which mean spiritedness rules the day. Whether the storyteller, himself, is guilty of such mean spiritedness or whether he merely documents it, is difficult to say. One can detect a certain degree of affection toward these characters in the narrative voice, but there is also a little disdain. This ironic detachment is, perhaps, what marks these tales as postmodernist. I am reminded not so much of Pynchon as of Don DeLillo, so that if you like the latter writer, I suspect you will enjoy Saunders.
I, myself, am not a fan of this brand of postmodernism. Ultimately, such writers in my view construct mere caricatures-highly complex, sophisticated caricatures, but caricatures nonetheless. If you are more humanist than postmodernist, I think you will find these tales to be interesting, but limited, explorations of our psychic warts.
One more thing. I haven't discussed the first story in the collection which gives the book its name. I did read it, but I found it so alienating I almost did not continue on to the other stories. Set either in the near future or in some alternate dimension of the present, "Pastoralia" is the story of a man who earns his living by serving as a live exhibit in some kind of historical theme park. Hired to be a Neanderthal, his job requires him literally to live in a cave, mimicking the daily activities of our prehistoric ancestors for sporadic visitors. He finds himself caught between the demands of a woman partner who refuses to remain in character and an exploitative management that appears to be running the theme park into the ground. It's an imaginative plot, but I found the execution tedious and unrewarding. So, my advice to the reader is not to skip this story, but simply to be patient. If feel like your slogging through it like I did, don't toss away the book. There are better things to come.
BTW, in looking over the other reviews, I see that I am among a tiny, tiny minority. Nearly everyone else gives Saunders five stars and lauds him as hilarious, insightful, and original. Maybe I have a deaf ear to this kind of satire, but I found all of these raves to be hyperbolic. One of the few other reviewers who is critical of this collection suggests that Saunders appeals distinctly to men. She may have a point. Maybe Saunders cynicism is more male oriented. I also suspect though, that he appeals to many readers because he enables them to feel smart and superior not only to the consistently pathetic protagonists but also to the moronic demands of the society that they live in. I'm no big defender of the status quo, but I'm afraid I just don't see the world as quite so stupid as these stories portray it, and so I don't take any joy from the collection's social critique. The barbs aimed at the social order are undoubtedly clever, but they are hardly subtle....more
Although the second book in the series, after Cerebus, High Society was the first Cerebus book to be collected in the format that would become known aAlthough the second book in the series, after Cerebus, High Society was the first Cerebus book to be collected in the format that would become known as ‘phonebooks’ on account of their size.
Cerebus began as a Conan parody, but this was something far more ambitious – an honest to goodness graphic novel. With this approach in mind, Sim largely eschewed the normal episodic pacing of comics in favour of a narrative that would make more sense when read in its entirety. Realising this, many Cerebus readers stopped buying the comic and just waited for the collections. This became known as ‘the Cerebus effect’, and the ramifications of it are still felt in the industry today.
By this stage in his career Sim was a confident and accomplished artist whose style had developed organically from a Barry Windsor-Smith wannabe. He retained much of Windsor-Smith’s love of the ornate, but his art had become very much its own thing. His writing had progressed even further, and High Society is a complex, mature work with important things to say about the nature of power, while often being very, very funny into the bargain.
The plot is labyrinthine and resists precis, but when Cerebus turns up at the Regency Hotel in the city-state of Iest he’s warmly welcomed by everyone because of his past associations with Lord Julius of Palnu, another city-state to which Iest owes a great deal of money. Cerebus was his Lord Julius’s Kitchen Staff Supervisor – Julius likes to keep everyone on their toes by making sure no one has the faintest idea of who does what. Before long, Cerebus is embroiled in Julius’s complicated political machinations, running for Prime Minister against Lord Julius’s goat and trying to wage wars on neighbouring countries.
Much of the book’s plot is driven by the attempts of various characters to control and manipulate Cerebus. The main culprit is Lord Julius, who often seems to be working against himself, but also includes Astoria, Cerebus’s political advisor (and Julius’s ‘niece’) and assorted political and religious factions. However, Cerebus (who only ever refers to himself in the third person) proves himself to be not only cunning – something we had seen glimpses of previously, even in the early Conan pastiches – but also surprisingly knowledgeable in the ways of both magicians and politicians.
This book is a great starting point for anyone wanting to sample one of the most important comics in the history of the medium, self-published or otherwise. The first book, though relatively unpolished, is also worth a read, introducing many of the characters that would appear in this and later volumes over the course of 25 years, but any later books would be nigh impossible to follow without being aware of what has gone before.
And Cerebus? After Prime Minister, there was only thing left to do, become Pope, which he sets out to do in the next book: Church and State....more
As a long time fan of XKCD, I thought I knew exactly what I was in for when I bought this book as a gift for my younger brother. In fact, I am very imAs a long time fan of XKCD, I thought I knew exactly what I was in for when I bought this book as a gift for my younger brother. In fact, I am very impressed with what I recieved!
The quality of the book immediately caught my attention after unpackaging it. There are plenty of little jokes added to the dust jacket, cover, and even the end paper inside the covers! Some images of these are included in the Amazon pictures here, but I didn't look at them to closely before buying the book. Everything is written in the classic humour style of Munroe's comic. The hardcover has a little bit of a gloss to it that I appreciated.
In terms of the actual content of the book, I was expecting verbatim explanations of the free content from the What-If webpage, with a few added questions that I hadn't seen before to flesh things out. This is more or less what I got. However, as I skimmed through (prior to gifting it to my brother, I just HAD to check out the new stuff quickly) it seemed like it was more detailed than I remembered. I think that some of the text might have been updated or added to, even on previously available explanations. I could be wrong, but that doesn't change how awesome the book is!
This book is great for anyone who appreciates a good laugh, or is curious about science and the world around them! Lots of other people have already mentioned this, but the writing style is INCREDIBLY accessible for fans of all ages and levels of understanding. I have an Engineering background, and I really appreciate the way technical accuracy and accessibility manage to be combined. It's not an easy thing to do!...more
This is a step away from Haywood's typical style, but it is just as epic. It is a funny, well-written, unpredictable adventure full of surprises from This is a step away from Haywood's typical style, but it is just as epic. It is a funny, well-written, unpredictable adventure full of surprises from the very first chapter. I really enjoyed the main character and every friend he made along the way.
Fiction Land is easily R.R. Haywood's most accessible book yet, using satire, comedy, and action to its advantage in telling a story we've never quite seen before. The world of the novel is incredible, and Haywood stuffs it full of his trademark banter and fisticuffs.
Where it really stands out, however, is with its characters and themes, saying more than meets the eye about archetypes, owning your flaws, and becoming your own person. Its cast is lovable, the direction of its narrative surprising, and its tone as optimistic as they come.
It was fascinating to see how the writer's frame of mind is represented in this story, particularly in terms of the overflow of subpar fiction that is rife within the literary world today. I left this book feeling I had learned more about RR Haywood and appreciated his vulnerability.
Honestly, as impossible as it seems, I like him even more now. Thank you, kind sir. Your mastery of storytelling and evocation has made you one of my favourite authors of all time.
It's a great place to start with Haywood's bibliography, and its a brilliant place to continue if you're already a fan....more
I thought this book was uproariously funny and enjoyed its laugh-out-loud moments. However, it was longer than it needed to be. An added bonus was leaI thought this book was uproariously funny and enjoyed its laugh-out-loud moments. However, it was longer than it needed to be. An added bonus was learning about some leading artists that were unknown to me. The comedy connects some diverse characters in a surprising way. The story is set mainly in Sweden.
The despicable, vile Victor owns an art gallery that should have belonged to his mild, younger wife, Jenny. He ignored her except when tricking her out of her inheritance and then promptly divorced her. Like Hitler, Victor abhorred modern art from the time of the Impressionists and only concentrated on realistic paintings in his gallery. His ultra-conservative right-wing views on art, race, politics, etc., align with those of Hitler. He left his only son, Kevin, in the wilds of Africa to be eaten by lions.
Later, Jenny and Kevin meet by chance in Stockholm. Their mutual hatred of Victor leads to a romance and a goal of revenge. There is Hugo, who had a successful career in advertising. He left this position to establish a less competent Revenge business. Joining them is a Maasai medicine man who comes to Sweden knowing nothing about the outside world or of modern conveniences banned in his settlement. He arrives in Stockholm in the winter clad in his traditional garb and carrying tribal weapons. Misunderstandings led him into all sorts of trouble and amusing situations.
Paintings by the deceased artist, Irma Stern, play a significant role in this revenge plot. I did not expect that I would not only be entertained but that this book would inform me. I had not known that Irma Stern was an actual painter of now valuable works of art. Thanks to Google, I was able to view her paintings on the internet. I was also introduced to artists whose work was destroyed mainly by Hitler's contempt towards Impressionism but was able to view a few paintings that remained.
Getting even with Victor includes a goat, bags of flour, and sex toys left in his home, plus the appearance that he is forging Stern's paintings. This revenge ruins Victor's reputation, but he can live with that humiliation as he has a scheme to add to his fortune through more trickery.
A hilarious, overly long, madcap comedy with unlikely connections and subplots...more
After the bleak, rainy misery that suffuses most of the third volume of Tite Kubo's "Bleach," the fourth volume "Quincy Archer Hates You" is a deliberAfter the bleak, rainy misery that suffuses most of the third volume of Tite Kubo's "Bleach," the fourth volume "Quincy Archer Hates You" is a deliberately lighthearted affair -- crazy spiritualists, frog-Hollows, and stuffed-animal drag. But Kubo turns the intensity back on in the last few pages, even as he introduces a mysterious new character.
After Ichigo and Rukia demonstrate their eccentric cleaning methods, Kon decides to go in search of someone who will "cherish" him as he thinks he deserves. He stalks Orihime, tries to charm some of Ichigo's female classmates, and is finally rescued by Yuzu. Turns out being cherished is overrated.
Then the hit ghost-hunting show "Spontaneous Trips" comes to Karakura, much to Ichigo's disgust. But while he and Rukia are watching from the live audience, they witness flamboyant host Don Kanonji turning a basic ghost into a Hollow. Now Ichigo must somehow destroy the Hollow in an abandoned hospital, without endangering the audience -- and while dealing with the kooky Kanonji.
That broadcast causes some problems for Ichigo -- as well as his good grades -- but he's more preoccupied with the false alarms. Every time Rukia gets a Hollow alert, it turns out to be a dud. And unbeknownst to Ichigo, a mysterious bespectacled young man is watching him from a distance...
"Bleach Volume 4: Quincy Archer Hates You" has a somewhat deceptive title -- the character in question doesn't appear until the last chapter, and we don't find out anything about him until the last few pages. Pretty obviously the real info is coming in the chapters to come.
Instead, Kubo provides readers with a calm spot between supernatural storms, and has some fun with lighthearted stories about Kon in frilly dresses and bonnets ("Did he get into some weird scene while he was gone?") and a slightly mad ghost-hunter who drives Ichigo even madder. Our lanky hero's expression of mingled nausea and disgust is hilarious.
That, and we get Keigo causing massive trouble when he learns that Ichigo isn't as dumb as he thought ("While we were out having fun like idiots, you were locked in your room learning! YOU WEIRDO! NERD!"). There are a few serious moments -- such as Don Kanonji realizing where the "mean spirit" came from -- but the overall mood is lighthearted.
And without much of a serious story line, it's a chance for the characters to lighten up and goof around -- Rukia in particular enjoys the live shoot a little too much, and allows herself to be bribed with rice dumplings. And we find out that not only is Ichigo way smarter than most of the people around him, but he really, really hates "Ghost Hunter"-style shows. Oh, and a few of his pals are suddenly able to hear Hollows -- which is pretty portentous.
"Bleach Volume 4: Quincy Archer Hates You" doesn't have much to do with the Quincy archer, but it's a nice diversion before the next bloody, action-packed adventure....more
Charlie Fitzer is not living the dream. In short order, his wife left him, his job fired him, his dad got sick and then passed away. Now Charlie is liCharlie Fitzer is not living the dream. In short order, his wife left him, his job fired him, his dad got sick and then passed away. Now Charlie is living in his childhood home, rent free, but he is required, by the trust his father set up, to pay all the bills. His half-siblings want him to agree to sell the house and he wants them to agree to put it up as collateral for a local pub he’s trying to buy as being a substitute teacher isn’t living his best life. Things are not looking good but when a stray fluffball (aka kitten) approaches him as he walks home, Charlie picks it up. “When a kitten walks up to you and makes demands, what are you going to do? Say no?” Luckily his cat, Hera, approves of the newcomer.
Charlie isn’t sure of what to make of the woman (Matilda Morrison) he discovers sitting on the front porch. She claims to have worked for Charlie’s Uncle Jake who wasn’t not a figure in Charlie’s life but who recently passed away. Will Charlie attend Uncle Jake’s memorial service? If he does, there will be a nice financial reward. To his credit, Charlie balks a bit but does agree after it’s rephrased as doing a good deed for someone who has no one else. The memorial includes some floral arrangements with “heartfelt” messages from Uncle Jake’s associates and is … “one of the more memorable visitations” the funeral director can recall.
As he approaches his house afterwards, the shit gets real. Luckily the cats were outside. Charlie soon discovers that his Uncle Jake wasn’t just a parking lot tycoon. Nope, Uncle Jake was a supervillain complete with a lair (cool!), minions (but very intelligent ones), and enemies (oops). As Charlie tiptoes through the minefield of his new job and desperately tries to get up to speed, will he be able to negotiate with a new worker’s union, stay ahead of his fellow villains, and not feel inferior to his cats?
As in “The Kaiju Preservation Society,” a lot of the backstory and world building are carried out via exposition but this time it’s Charlie asking questions of his Uncle’s workers. As Charlie can’t be expected to know jack shit about any of this and the snark is toned down a bit, I enjoyed this part more. Yes, Charlie’s initial view of supervillain-ing is “Blofeld with lasers in the villain lair” but as it’s pointed out to him, destroying things gets the government after you while supplying services (sometimes to those same governments) can earn you tons of money. But liquidity is important.
Charlie tries to take all this in and when faced with a villain convocation he realizes what they are up to and quickly stifles it after which “the shit gets real” again. I will admit to applauding Charlie for standing up for himself after figuring things out. He also negotiates well with some of his workers who feel like the oppressed proletariat (and think the fucking cats are fucking C suite management). I had no idea how this was going to end (which I like in a book) and am pleased with the way things went.
Humour abounds – some of which appeared to be gently parodying the villain genre. There is also more than a little scalding social commentary about the 1% (Boomers and Gen X), bro culture (even if they’re wearing expensive suits), and as mentioned earlier worker oppression. Some people also die. Charlie asks a lot of questions but when needed, hand waving and ignoring certain things is employed to bypass some questions that might occur to readers. Yeah, okay it’s not really necessary to know how the most amazing things were accomplished. It was amusing enough to just have them in the book. ...more
The success of The Way of the Househusband has inspired a mini-boom of comedies about tough, macho, or sometimes just improbable characters throwing tThe success of The Way of the Househusband has inspired a mini-boom of comedies about tough, macho, or sometimes just improbable characters throwing themselves into feminine-coded activities. The Yakuza’s Bias starts from what may be the funniest of these premises yet: a hardened gangster becoming a K-pop stan.
Ken Kanashiro, second in command of the Washio crime family, is initiated into hardcore pop music fandom by Megumi, the boss’s daughter, who follows the five-member group MNW. Every MNW fan has a favourite member, or “bias,” and Ken pledges fealty to handsome, tousle-haired Jun, publicly begging the singer to be his aniki (“big brother,” but also a yakuza term for a superior). “Has my heart ever burned this bright before?” he wonders.
Like Way of the Househusband, The Yakuza’s Bias gets a lot of comedy mileage out of copying the visual style of old-school hard boiled manga artists like Ryoichi Ikegami. With his scarred face and dead eyes, Ken is an intimidating sight, which is why it’s funny to watch him stand in the front row of a concert with manly tears pouring down his cheeks. His new passion throws the underworld into chaos; his conversations about scoring tickets and merch are misinterpreted as being about drug deals, organ harvesting, or hostage negotiations, and soon his fellow gangsters are either won over to K-pop or left utterly confused. Meanwhile, his Instagram account takes off in MNW fandom. “I don’t know if he’s a gangster or an influencer anymore,” groans a comrade. Could Jun himself stan the yakuza who stans him?
All of this is played for pure comedy, with little gang violence or serious drama intruding to weigh down the feather-light mood. Kodansha’s localization team has enormous fun crafting the language of besotted fans (“OMG HE’S THE PRECIOUSEST I’M LITERALLY DEAD AND IN MY GRAVE SMILING SEND NO HELP”) and faithfully translating the characters’ lengthy arguments about the relative merits of each member of MNW. Without much plot or character depth, it’s not clear how long The Yakuza’s Bias can sustain its comic tone. But for now it’s extremely funny, ideal for anyone who’s ever pledged their life to a fandom....more
This book introduces most of the main characters who would appear throughout the first half of the Cerebus story line, and in some cases into the sec This book introduces most of the main characters who would appear throughout the first half of the Cerebus story line, and in some cases into the second half. They're almost all parodies of famous characters from other comic books, science fiction stories, films and even history. There's Red Sophia, a female warrior based on the comic book character Red Sonja. Captain Cockroach parodies a whole range of comic book superheroes. Elrod the albino looks like the Elric character from Michael Moorcock's fantasy books, but he talks like Foghorn Leghorn from the Bugs Bunny cartoons. President Weisshaupt is a version of George Washington (apparently the last name comes from a story that the real Washington was never actually president of the U.S., instead an imposter named Weisshaupt took his place). But the character who wins the parody sweepstakes is Lord Julius, the ruler of a city-state called Palnu. He's not so much a parody as he is a dead ringer for Groucho Marx, which usually makes him the funniest character of any issue in which he appears.
The first book also introduces Jaka, who is probably the longest running character besides Cerebus himself. She first appears in issue #6 as a tavern dancer (sort of a PG-rated version of a stripper) who Cerebus falls in love with while under the influence of a drug. The drug is given to him by criminals who hope to use his love for Jaka to get information out of him. The drug wears off, and Cerebus ends up leaving Jaka in tears, his memories of their romantic relationship gone. I get the impression that Jaka was intended as a one-time character when she first appeared, but later in the series when Sim needed a love interest for Cerebus, he brought Jaka back. Again and again.
We also start to learn the geography of Estarcion in this book. There are cities like Palnu and Iest, regions like the Red Marches, etc. We meet an underground civilization called the Pigts who worship a statue that looks a lot like Cerebus. We learn of beings like Clovis (who Cerebus frequently swears oaths by in the early issues, but who eventually disappears from the story) and Tarim (who is the story's original equivalent of a god).
All of these characters (and more) end up making reappearances in the following three books, so even though the real "meat" of the Cerebus story line doesn't begin until the second book, the first book is a must-read in order to set everything up. Plus, towards the end of the first book, the stories started getting longer and more advanced, running across multiple issues. We're not yet up to the stage where a book is one continuous story yet, but by the end of book one plot lines that take at least three issues to resolve are the norm, not the exception.
Another story element that is hinted at in the first book but never explicitly stated is that of Cerebus' "magnifier" nature. It is mentioned that in his youth (before the events of book one), Cerebus spent time as a Wizard's apprentice. Dave Sim has stated that some sort of magical "magnifier", possibly obtained accidentally during his apprenticeship, inhabits Cerebus. This causes many odd and amazing things to happen to Cerebus and to those around him during the course of his life. To me, this sounds like it may have started out as an excuse to explain away any illogical and supernatural plot points, but eventually Sim started using it as a plot device in later books. Or maybe he really did have it planned that way all along. Who knows?
In addition to introducing the characters and the world, the first book also has a bunch of good stories in it. It may be the most humour-oriented book of the entire series. It's a little tentative and even amateurish in places, obviously the work of a comic book artist who's just getting started. But it's a very entertaining read, and sets Cerebus apart from other comic books right from the start. ...more
What are the odds that the admittedly wild child of two deaf parents who was brought up in two mutually dysfunctional households in Oakland and BrooklWhat are the odds that the admittedly wild child of two deaf parents who was brought up in two mutually dysfunctional households in Oakland and Brooklyn would grow up to be a successful stand-up comedian?
In his memoir, "Kasher in the Rye," Moshe Kasher narrates his unlikely odyssey in surprisingly arresting, and successful, literary terms. Although the title is a tip of the yarmulke to his distinguished predecessor, Kasher's memoir is a worthy addition to the overly packed memoir genre, somewhere between Augusten Burroughs and "Junkie," William S. Burroughs' ode to dope fiends. Kasher doesn't take things quite that far, but his descriptions of his "drug-filled journey through the harrowing years of my youth," while riotously funny, are also searingly truthful.
Hanging out with the poor kids in the East Bay was an adventure for this overweight white boy who quickly took on ghetto cultural aspirations ("8 Mile," anyone?) to fit in with the crowd, partying with and then picking on the rich kids of Piedmont for cheap thrills, hanging out with the homeless in squats and developing a seemingly incurable appetite for blunts and cheap wine.
It's a reminder that class, as well as race, is an almost unbridgeable divider, as Kasher finds out standing on the poor kids' lunch line at Claremont Middle School, "waiting to get my juice cup and nacho cheese fries alongside a mealy pizza slice and an egg roll." After several unsuccessful rehab attempts, Kasher hits bottom, stealing from his long-suffering mom before meeting a teacher who lets him escape algebra and earn a GED if he promises to work hard and read a certain classic coming-of-age yarn. Reader, he made it. Somewhere, a sage in New Hampshire is laughing....more
For such a popular character, it’s a frustrating and troublesome process following Madman’s chronology over numerous different publishers and several For such a popular character, it’s a frustrating and troublesome process following Madman’s chronology over numerous different publishers and several books labelled ‘Volume one’. Well, this is the ur book, Madman’s first prolonged costumed appearances, combining what was previously issued as The Oddity Odyssey and Madman Adventures.
Laura Allred’s bright colours are such an integral constituent of Madman that it’s strange to crack this book open and discover that Frank Einstein’s first adventure was in black, white and grey. Other oddities that were wrinkled out include a costume hood that covers his entire head and a tendency toward the gruesome later completely excised. If you want to see Madman removing an eyeball and sticking it in his mouth, this is the one time only opportunity.
What’s astounding, however, is how much Michael Allred managed to hit the right note first time out. Despite the missteps into horror, the light and whimsical eccentricity is there, Madman conceiving unconventional solutions to dangerous situations, and the generosity of his spirit shining through. Allred the artist is also near fully formed. As with any top talent, he can surely point to a few panels that didn’t turn out as expected, and he hasn’t quite evolved the cartooning that would be associated with Madman, but for what was only his second long-form story, it’s some achievement.
Madman is never referred to as such. He’s Frank Einstein, returned to life by a nutty scientist, but left lacking any memory of his previous life, with a strange skin colour and a large scar across his forehead. In what’s unusual for the dramatic elements of superhero comics, his condition matters not at all to Joe Lombard, and for the remainder of the series theirs will be a mutual love untainted by tawdry soap opera plot considerations. Madman’s first outing requires he track down a Dr. Flem in order to save the life of Doctor Boiffard, the nutty scientist who saved him. It’s a discursive, but always entertaining mission.
The consequences of unfettered experimentation by visionary scientific engineers is a regular feature of the series, and results in Madman being deposited in prehistoric times. By the colour feature Allred’s made a few tweaks and the result is Madman as he’s been ever since. There’s the resolutely positive nature, colour pages and a joyful regurgitation of pop culture and scientific wonder. A final presentation sees Allred release his experimental side as dreams and hallucinations feature heavily in what’s an amazing artistic showcase, but less satisfying in story terms. It doesn’t matter in the greater context as Allred has now found his magical formula, and Madman has taken flight.
A fantastic bonus section should also be mentioned. Allred asked dozens of comic creators for a pin-up, and they responded incredibly enthusiastically. The roll call is a who’s who of comics. Genuinely. We have legends Jack Kirby, Alex Toth and Barry Windsor Smith, the hot turks of the early 1990s Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane and Marc Silvestri, the contemporary independent darlings Dan Clowes, Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez, the classical stylings of Frank Frazetta, Michael Kaluta and Charles Vess… and loads more people, equally good....more
There is a lot going in in Good Omens. We have three distinct story lines following the key players. First, there’s main story of how an angel and a dThere is a lot going in in Good Omens. We have three distinct story lines following the key players. First, there’s main story of how an angel and a demon are trying to prevent the apocalypse because frankly life in the 20th century is everything they’d ever want it to be and they would rather not see it end.
Then, there’s the story of the boy who is supposed to be the Antichrist and who is to bring about the apocalypse.
There’s also a thread of the story as we watch the four horsemen of the apocalypse organize themselves and set things into motion.
Lastly, I’m going to lump together the characters revolving around the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, a book of prophecies which is distinct from other books of prophecies for one reason alone – It’s 100% accurate, this includes the descendant of Agnes, Anathema Device (best name for a character, ever), Newton Pulsifer, and Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell.
We see the book in three main time periods; the events surrounding the placement of the baby Antichrist into a suitable family; the key points of the boy’s growing up when both the angel, Aziraphale, and the demon, Crowley, work to ensure he’s given a proper education so when the time comes for the apocalypse, he’s ready; and then the time when the apocalypse is supposed to happen.
Like I said, there’s a lot going on here.
The one thing that I always find delightful in Pratchett’s books is his use of distinct and likeable characters. We see loads of this here. The cast is absolutely massive in this book and yet each character is built in such a way that they walk fully formed off of the page. Take the demon Crowley, for example. He could have been played like a stereotypical villain and not been anything more than that. Instead, we have a man who loves his vintage Bentley (even if every cassette he tries to play in it in time turns into a Queen album), raises houseplants like children (which he sacrifices regularly to threaten the others to grow better, he is a demon after all), and created the M25 just to annoy humans.
Then, we mix all these amazing characters into a story line that’s both so complicated and yet so simple which screams iconic Gaiman.
It’s a hard combination to pull off and yet, for me, was 100% successful in creating an delightful romp through something running just parallel enough to the truth that it can be enjoyed first while reading, but also again as you think about all the bits and how they fit together.
If you’re already a fan of Pratchett and Gaiman you’ll already know that they both love to walk on the edge of the acceptable and explore what is considered right and wrong and why. That said, if reading about the Antichrist as a very real person, and worse, a child, makes you a little squeamish, then this whole book might be a little too much for comfort.
I loved Good Omens for its excellent characters, delightful unlikely situations, and the most unusual of friendships....more
Billy Pilgrim, the hapless World War II Chaplin's Assistant whose experiences toward the end of the war are at the centre of Vonnegut's tale, could noBilly Pilgrim, the hapless World War II Chaplin's Assistant whose experiences toward the end of the war are at the centre of Vonnegut's tale, could not have been less suited for active duty. Separated from his unit virtually from the time he reached the front at the Battle of the Bulge, he never got his bearings and soon came to grief. Hurting, in way over his head, Pilgrim wanted to be left to die, but couldn't manage even that. Roland Weary, a buddy, refused to leave him behind, and bullied him along. When captured, Weary and Pilgrim were in such sad shape that their captors published photographs of them "as heartening evidence of how miserably equipped the American Army often was." Vonnegut, whose actual World War II service provided much of the raw material for the book, never lets the reader forget the reasons for his antiwar views.
These become most clear in the account of the aftermath of the bombing raid on Dresden, the centrepiece of the book. In gross violation of the rules of war, the raid was designed to immolate Dresden's civilian population in the course of burning the city to the ground. Winston Churchill is said to have approved the raid because he wanted to deal with Stalin at the upcoming Yalta Conference from a position of strength. The fact that adverse weather conditions delayed the planned attack until after Yalta did not persuade Churchill to back off. The great old city of Dresden, a place of no military value, one which the Red Cross considered an open city, i.e. one that would not be bombed, was wiped out.
Billy Pilgrim was part of a small group of American prisoners who were housed (as Vonnegut had been) in a deep underground meat locker, Slaughterhouse-Five, away from the city centre. It is where Pilgrim (and Vonnegut) spent the night of the bombing. "There were sounds like giant footsteps above. . . . There was a fire-storm out there. Dresden was one big flame. The one flame ate everything organic, everything that would burn. . . . When the Americans and their guards did come out [the next day], the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighbourhood was dead. So it goes."
For practical purposes, this gut-wrenching account was for a great many Americans their first accurate look at what had happened to Dresden at the hands of the US Eighth Air Force. "Slaughterhouse-Five" not only revealed the extent of the atrocity, it makes clear Vonnegut's contempt for the US government's efforts to conceal it. As Vonnegut writes "Even then [back in the days fairly soon after the War] I was supposedly writing a book about Dresden. It wasn't a famous air raid back then in America. Not many Americans knew how much worse it had been than Hiroshima, for instance. I didn't know that either. There hadn't been that much publicity."
“So it goes” follows every mention of death in the novel, equalizing all of them, whether they are natural, accidental, or intentional, and whether they occur on a massive scale, or on a very personal one. Also, the repetition of the phrase keeps a tally of the cumulative force of death throughout the novel, thus pointing out the tragic inevitability of death.
It appears at least 84 times in the book including the one quoted above. The editors of the 2009 Dial Press trade paper edition missed a great chance to use it to good purpose in the brief biographical note on the book's back cover. It ends: "Mr. Vonnegut passed away in April 2007." If Vonnegut had been alive to compose that note, he would have added "so it goes."...more
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