Get your butts down there it's going to be fantastic! - hagelrat
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Iain M Banks
Phoenix Square, Leicester
Fri 3 Jun, 7pm
Booking: £8/£7 conc, book online at www.phoenix.org.uk or call the Box Office on 0116 242 2800
Born in Fife in 1954, Iain M Banks is one of the UK's most acclaimed writers of science fiction. Having already carved out a great reputation as a literary writer with novels such as The Wasp Factory and Walking on Glass, his first SF novel, Consider Phlebas, was published in 1987. Since then the Culture series has gone from strength to strength, featuring a number of seminal titles such as Use of Weapons, Feersum Endjinn and Matter. His most recent novel, Surface Detail, was released in hardback in 2010.
To celebrate the paperback release of Surface Detail, this special event will feature a reading, Q+A session and signing with Iain. This will be Iain's only tour date in the East Midlands, so be sure not to miss out on an evening with one of science fiction's leading lights.
This event is brought to you by Orbit and Alt.Fiction, a Writing East Midlands brand. Visit www.altfiction.co.uk to see the year round programme of events.
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Gunnerkrigg Court Volume 1: Orientation
Written and Illustrated by Thomas Siddell, who was kind enough to give me the go-ahead for posting this.
Published by Titan Books
We’ve all been their, the first day at a new school. Some of us might have even been in the exact situation of the protagonist, Antimony Carver, coming in to a new school after a few years, when people already know each other, friends a groups have been established and you have to figure out who to befriend and who to avoid by yourself as you try to fit in. However, I somehow doubt that any of our schools are quite like Gunnerkrigg Court, the mysterious complex of buildings that exists between ‘normal’ human civilization and Gillitie woods a place of myth and magic.
The book is a graphic novel based upon the web-comic of the same name, which has been running since 2005 and is ongoing, with three books published to date of which this was the first. Each book covers the events of one school term, Orientation covering Antimony’s arrival at the court and her meetings with her classmates, from the routine bully William to the downright unusual Zimmy. The classes are only the tip of the iceberg, however. Actually, they only appear in chapter two. In chapter one, Antimony acquires an extra Shadow, an entity of some kind. Upon confronting it, she discovers that it wishes to return home, to the other side of the waters. As Antimony can’t go herself due to ‘the rules’ she does what any right-thinking young girl would do. Build a robot to take the shadow home!
This snippet introduces the reader well to the combination of science and magic that form the core themes of the tale, as well as demonstrating the writers markedly tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, the robot coming from a room labelled ‘robot parts’, amongst a row of rooms labelled, pens, pencils and other mundane paraphernalia we’d expect. There’s also a distinct tease here about the convenience with which regular hero’s “fortunately” find mysterious items which help them, an idea which crops up later in the series.
I must confess, this my first attempt at reviewing a graphic novel, so please forgive me for focusing a little on the story, which is a fascinating mixture of European and Native American mythology and lore, with appearances of several mythological figures (including my two personal favourites, kudos to whoever figures out which two) contrasting beautifully with the scientific, rational nature of the schools appearance.
This separation is reinforced by the difference in graphical styles used for the two, with the forest being a living area against the grey bulk of the school. Another nice touch is the use of different graphical styles for certain characters from the forest, so a character of Native American mythology descent would tell a section of the story illustrated in the style of their homeland. There’s also a chapter which is a pure spoof on classic adventure comics, which is again done in their style and provides a quirky side-trip from main plot.
Whilst the first few chapters can be a little confusing, the beauty and depth of this story rapidly draws you in and the story rewards you for it, with what looked like throw-away or stand-alone elements from earlier coming back later (in this book or others in the series) as major plot elements, binding the story together in a complex, fascinating whole brought to life by a lively illustration style.
I can strongly recommend the Gunnerkrigg Court series to anyone who wants to read a glorious British piece of originality in the Graphic Novel area.
Regards to all,
Kerl
P.S. For those who wish to “Try before they buy”, the web-comic can be found here: http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=1
If you liked the sound of this, consider:
Poul Andersons “Operation Chaos” and “Operation Luna”, presenting a world not dissimilar to ours but where magic is the driving force, so instead of car’s, brooms line the streets. As with Gunnerkrigg Court, the books draw upon global mythology to produce a beautiful story along with an excellent mirror to the real world.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Meat – Joseph D’Lacey
Meat
By: Joseph D’Lacey
Pub: Bloody Books
343 Pages
Meat is not straight up and down horror. It’s more insidious than that. I’ve had to ponder a bit before even saying that it is horror, but it leans more towards that then any other category.
Abyrne sits alone in the wasteland, a town encircled by desolate wasteland, and possibly left as the last island of humanity. The town’s inhabitants scrape by with what they have, but what has really kept the town going, generation upon generation is meat. So imbedded is this within the town that religion has built up around it, and the whole of the small society shifts around it.
This puts the power in the hands of Abyrne’s Meat Baron, Rory Magnus, the owner of the Magnus Meat plant at the fringes of the town. It also puts power in the hands of the clergy, and this sets the two organisations at odds. One following profits the other chasing hearts and minds.
As might be guessed from the title the real horror of the story comes from the meat plant, but the story is more layered than that.
At the heart of the story is Richard Shanti, a legendary slaughter man whose reputation extends beyond the factory gates into the town itself he is at odds with the world around him, not quite fitting the mould as he should. But while his work holds good his foibles are overlooked. In private Shanti avoids the meat he is so deeply involved in providing and this begins to driving wedges into his family life.
The story combines the central backbone of the horror story with Shanti’s shifting place in the world, and the changes overtaking the town.
The real villain of the piece is Rory Magnus himself who maintains his iron grip upon the town through any means necessary,as long as the town gets its meat and he gets his profit.
As alluded to above Meat isn’t standard horror. By its nature the central shock of the story can’t be maintained throughout, and while certain scenes manage to heighten or reinvigorate this feeling the book relies upon Richard Shanti to carry more and more of the readers interest and the weight of the story. The horror here is more considered than simply scare tactics, and it’s harder to pin down. The horror also rubs against Shanti’s arc as a character which, while mainly following the archetypal path of a horror hero feels oddly removed at times.
Further into the book there’s a shift towards both more supernatural elements, big set piece scenes and a deeper plunge into the private evils of Rory Magnus, and the larger evils of the town itself. At some points this becomes overblown (Magnus becomes almost ridiculous) but for the most part works well in building the book to a satisfying conclusion.
Looking back over the book for this review has meant noticing a number of odd holes within its internal logic. Not plot holes, so much as places were the internal world of the book doesn’t quite mesh properly. The writing at times seems a little heavy handed, and possibly overstays the premise. With the benefit of hindsight the creepiest thing is the coldness of the language within the book even as the blood is flowing there’s an impression of calm and business as usual.
The set of the story line gives opportunities for preaching which the book for the most part avoids, although there's a message to be taken away by those who want to go out and run with it.
Overall it’s a good horror read. Somewhat more considered than some, and certainly branching out to explore more themes than I expected it’s an interesting read for anyone with a strong stomach.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Embedded – Dan Abnett
Embedded
By: Dan Abnett
Pub: Angry Robot
363 Pages.
The disunity that dogged humanity on Earth has followed her out amongst the stars. Beneath a thin layer of harmony and behind checks and balances old rivalries still simmer. Eighty-Six, a mineral rich colony planet is soon to be the place where they boil over.
Lex Falk is a renowned journalist finding that his carer no longer excites him. Following the thinnest of rumours to Eighty-Six he runs into military policy shutting down press access to strictly policed outlets. Disgusted with this bracketing he finds himself aligned with other interests and given a much closer view of the fighting than he wished. His conscious gets plugged into a combat trooper, Nestor Bloom, riding piggyback on a combat drop. When the mission starts to go sideways and Bloom is injured, Falk is left to fend for himself, and try to get out alive.
I have a lot of time for Dan Abnett, whichever media he is writing in, be it comics, tie in work, or his own novels. Embedded does not disappoint, maintaining the high standard of both writing and plot that reader familiar with his other work would expect. Which is not to say it’s the same. The writing style is dissimilar from Triumff (which I also enjoyed, and which is reviewed here (although the link is down at the time of writing)) and may not be to everyone tastes. The writing lends it’s full weight to the plot, really dragging the reading into the high pressured, dangerous, and disorientating, arena of combat that Falk finds himself in. The pitch of the writing is cinematic at times, with the visceral feeling of weapons fire chipping away cover, and the thump of impacts masterfully captured. This locked down style for the combat, means the reader is freer and more capable of focusing on Falk’s situation of being trapped in someone else’s flesh. Confusion and fear are palpable, and Falk and the supporting cast all remain deeply human, caught in a situation they are unprepared for, and making bad decisions along the way.
The story starts with a slow burn, which ties the reader to Falk and his sense of ennui and eventual anger. This delay means that the action, which takes place in the subsequent two thirds of the book, is stronger and more shocking by the contrast. This escalation also powers Falk’s development as a character. Bloom’s presence seems ghostly at times, but his character is no less vital for that.
The plot is strong throughout, and unlike other combat-based novels, it feels far more than just a link between gunfights. The alternate universe the book is set in diverges from our history, with the Cold War continuing as humanity expands into space and colonises other planets. This provides a somewhat different internal political terrain than found in much other modern sci-fi books where corporations hold almost complete sway. It’s an interesting twist and prevents the plot being telegraphed. Combined with the gathering pace of the story means the plot reveals itself in its own time, and is very difficult to second guess.The ending seems to come a little suddenly, but spinning the book out would only have ruined the feel, with a overly long come down and explanation, rather than finishing with a bang.
Dan Abnett’s future is stuffed full of odd devices and odder words. Technology feels advanced yet familiar, but there’s the occasional feeling that we’re a step away from “ultra mahogany” and the like of Hitch-hiker's fame. This is sidestepped though, and the new vocabulary soon sinks in.
The overarching story arc touches on a number of larger issues, from advertising, to the press, to the social media/news cross over, and humanities drives towards expansion. Wrapping this up in such violent packaging without taking away from the thrust of the points makes the writing really stand out.
There feels like there could be a lot more to Lex Falk’s world, but the book would sit quiet happily alone without follow up or expansion.
Anyone after visceral SF with a brain as well as a big gun would be foolish not to pick this book up. It’s a freeking® good read.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Comics
By Way Of Introduction
Every so often I’ve thrown a review of a comic book up here, but this time I’m going to do something a little different and just write about them. If the style’s half passable this ought to be a short essay on comics. I realize that’s beyond vague as introductions go, but I’ve only got a very rough idea of what I’m going to mention. I’d beware of taking this as either solid fact (except where I’ve tried to back myself up) or as any sort of guide, beyond recommendations I make in the text. For a number of reasons I’m likely to focus on Marvel, and the why’s of that ought to be made clear as we go along.
Words and Pictures
Trying to get any accurate industry data on sales figures for comics is more than a little tricky. The best I’ve managed to do is all pulled from The Comic Chronicles. Even the information there is a little sketchy, and there are too many blanks to fill in to make an even moderately well founded assertion. So without evidence I’m going to indulge in a little supposition. (If anyone does happen to have hard facts and figures on this I’d love to know)
Over the last few years we’ve been pretty well bombarded with increasing numbers of comic book adaptations, a trend that is set to continue. This summer alone has seen Thor on the big screen (which I have yet to see), and this will be shortly followed by the new Captain America film, and X-Men First Class, as well as the Spiderman reboot, a third outing for Christian Bale’s Batman, Green Lantern, and rumours of more beside. Oh, and Kick Ass (It’s an OK film, but the book takes what could have been a really interesting topic and plays it for the crudest laughs possible). And just to throw a curved ball for those not paying attention there’s stuff that doesn’t have a costume in sight. Tamara Drewe springs to mind, as does Adele Blanc-Sec.
On the small screen the Walking Dead is set for a second series and Wonder Woman is soon to move from page to a TV series (the quality of which remains very much in question). A less high profile influx of adaptation has come from the porn industry as superhero parodies rise. Don’t believe me? Head over to Bleeding Cool (It’s a reputable site) and have a dig around or a brief look through the search results here. The Batman one is probably the most interesting with the film company having hired the original costume designers and with rumours of a “no sex” option on the DVD so you just get to enjoy the plot.
There’s even traffic going the other way as the flurry of Royal Wedding/William and Kate comics shows. (Maybe things will come full circle with a porn parody of a Kate and Wills comic book that focuses mainly on Pippa Middleton.)
The question of if this sort of thing translates into increased sales figures is one that I’m in no position to answer. But was it does do is raise the profile of comics, and lift sales in at least the short term for the specific titles. I’m not sure we’ll see people reading them at the bus stop and the like though.
Full Disclosure
I’ll briefly touch upon the a few other big publishers before moving onto Marvel. DC, umm right. Batman comics. I’ve never quite found DC to my liking. What I’ve read I’ve mostly enjoyed (Secret Six is good, and I quite like some of the Green Lantern stuff) but that’s mainly been picked up via recommendation. The universe just seems a little odd, and the characters aren’t in my head like Marvel ones are (Not the most eloquent turn of phrase, but hopefully explained further on). Batman has never fully grabbed me as a character. I’d go out of my way to recommend reading “Hush”, as I really enjoyed that, but much of the time Batman seems to be a reflecting pool for his villains rather than a fully developed character. I’ve avoided DC in the main because I don’t know where to start with the universe. DC’s darker twin I’m a fan of though. Vertigo prints DC’s more adult line, including the John Constantine books, Northlanders, and other series I’ve mentioned or reviewed here before.
Closer to home, 2000AD is different from the American comics. At times darker, odder, and funnier, it is in something of a league of its own.
There’s a swell of others out there, doing a host of things. Avatar, IDW, SLG and more. As for manga, that’s somewhat outside of any experience I’d claim to have. That’d be far more MangaCat’s sphere than mine.
And now to frame my viewpoint on Marvel before we move on. My initial exposure to Marvel was through Saturday morning cartoons. Chiefly X Men and Spiderman, as well as other series on and off, including the old live action Hulk TV series, which featured Thor, which everyone seems to have forgotten. This meant that when I did get into the world of comic books I’d got a rough smattering of background and a vague idea of whom I was looking for.
Underwear on the Outside?
Being as comics is a ridiculously large field I’m mostly going to stick to talking about Marvel, but before I narrow things down too far there’s a bit of general stuff to cover. What I’ll say about Marvel will probably stand true for other companies too, so it might be worth a look even if you’re not fussed about tights and powers. Which rather neatly brings me to my first point.
Looking back over the reviews I’ve put up on here should make this clear, but comics are not all about people with super powers and fancy costumes. There’s far more out there than that. Even those that do have a super powered line up are not really about that, if they’ve got any depth at all (Not that depth is always necessary though). Further on, when I start talking about Marvel I might seem to be going completely counter to this point, but it remains true. It’s something of a case of not seeing the wood for the trees. Comics as a medium has as much depth and variety as books.
Paper, Paper, Everywhere (And None of it the Same)
Comics are a weird form of media. Both in terms of the mix of art and writing and by virtue of the way they’re packaged.
To deal with the first and easier part of that statement (and make another point in the process), when you go into a bookstore, people tend to gravitate to a particular section (you’re reading a website for genre books, so I’d say I’m fairly unassailable on this point) and then look for what, an author, a series, something definite? (or you’re just browsing, looking for something that leaps out, but for the sake of a clean example we’ll ignore that bit of awkwardness for now.) For the sake of this argument, say you go for a particular author, for whatever reason; because you like the style, or the characters, or because you’re invested in the world that’s been created in someone else’s head.
Now bearing that in mind think of the whatever shelves have comics on. If you’re in Waterstones or similar it’ll be a fuzzily organized, and narrow, with an incomplete hodge-podge of publishes, titles, and genres. If you’re in a dedicated comic shop it’s more likely to be a alphabetized maze of shelf upon shelf of the same (If anyone knows somewhere that organized comics other than by alphabetizing titles I’d love to know where – we’ll come to the foundation of that want further on). So, standing in front of a shelf of books with pictures in (used to the brackets and self deprecation yet?), let’s try picking a book out by the usual approach. By author? No such luck. As alluded to above book tend to be organized by title, and unless you’re after a certain series (The Sandman books, and Preacher, and quite a few others spring to mind, as does, more currently, The Walking Dead) isn’t a help. Knowing a series often isn’t a major benefit either, as writers chop and change with alarming regularity on most mainstream titles. So say you do find an author you like. Are they writing for characters to you like? Is the art style something you like? Comics are something of a shifting sand. In much the same way as films it’s a collaborative process, and that, by its very nature bring uncertainty and variation.
So for the sake of wrapping up this bit say you find something you like. Now comes another choice.
Comics come in four flavours. There’s the individual issues, released monthly by publishers, either as a standalone, or part of a ongoing series. There’s the hardcovers (HC’s), which collect these issues. Then there’s the paperback collections (TPBs), which are releases after the hardbacks and at a slightly lower price. Finally, there’s now digital to further muddy the waters, which also suffers a delay depending on publisher.
Because of the way things are releases TPBs suffer a significant time delay and are somewhat adrift from the present situation within any given comic timeline. One again exact figure are a pain to drag up.
I’ve tried digital comics from 2000AD, Marvel, and DC and it’s not something I’ve quiet got comfortable with. Not having an iPad I’m limited to viewing things on my computer or iTouch. Neither of these has a screen of sufficient size to deal with A4 art pages, let alone an A3 size double page spread. I do get my 2000AD fix via downloadable pdfs but it’s not ideal. With the added issues of copyright, digital comics have a way to go.
So you’ve picked your series and your chosen format. Now here comes the real kicker. For the record, dependent on series I favour the TPB releases and will occasionally get a hardback when they hit the stands if they’re something I can’t wait to read, and have good reviews.
The Endless Past
So, what’s the real probable with comics? And this is where I’m going to focus down on Marvel, but it’s equally true of DC, 2000AD and others.
Marvel has been running in one form or another since 1939. While the current series don’t stretch back quiet that far there’s a significant weight of history there to be mined.
Now most series stand up fairly well on their own, but the ideal jumping in point may well be a few years back. So that means either a spoiler filled Wikipedia search or hunting down the right back issues to get the back story.
These uncertain waters are further muddied by Marvels preference for “Events” were the plot lines of a number of series come together to describe the story arc of a major shifting of the status quo within the Marvel Universe. The most famous of which may still be Civil War, which dragged in almost every major character.
Well apart from this mainstream universe there are various offshoots and alternatives as well. One of these is the Ultimate line which aimed to reset the clock on many of the big marvel series by starting the stories afresh. They’re not a series I’ve ever really got into, but worth bearing in mind, perhaps.
OK, with me so far? Now it gets tricky.
To work with a popular are difficult example let’s look at the X-Men. Popular comic book, film franchise, and includes comic pin up Wolverine, you’d think it’d be a gateway series and be easy to get into. Oh no.
Off the top of my head (I’m not going to do a proper count, because I’ll only miss something, and look silly(-er)) there are at least five X Men titles currently on stands (Anyone fancy listing them in the comments section?). Which is without taking into account separate titles for individual characters. Chief of these is Wolverine, who runs across both his own books, and into the Avengers’ line up as well.
The division between titles is by no means clear cut, as characters shift from book to book, or events take place across multiple issues simultaneously. One of the more recent X Men TPB’s opens with a flowchart that shows the reading order/interrelationship between the various series/issues contained within its covers.
And with that we’ve just hit one of the largest problems on the nose.
A Question of Timing.
The timeline of comics is a horrible thing to unravel. If you buy things issue by issue it’s a question of sticking to that order and adjusting for late issues, or renumbering, or title changes. That’s assuming things stay chronological.
For anyone looking at HC’s or TPB’s things are tricky. Some series are nice and will have a volume number. Others not so much, that’s fair enough, as most will mention the issue numbers they collect somewhere. However, not all issues make it to HC/TPB and others get duplicated.
Things only get more complicated if other series get added to the mix, or you run into an Event. Because of the mix of writers and artist both within and across titles the internal chronology can get fuzzy at times, even when the overarching story is clear. Add to this to the fact that a TPB is not the natural format of comic books (it’s bundling together 6+ issues that were release separately into a non divisible format that doesn’t sink up with another series) and things get tricky. Need proof, go search for a chronology of Marvel TPB’s or similar. What there is, is incomplete. Which, returning to an earlier point is why you’ll see alphabetical shelving, not anything claiming to be chronological.
Further to this is the small selection of books held by the likes of Waterstones, or even the big comic shops like Forbidden Planet can’t stock the whole range (a terrifying though when you see how much they do have), which means that finding something new often means starting in the middle, even for popular series.
Where We Stand
At this point it’d be lovely to be able to act all knowledgeable and rattle off a summary of where the Marvel universe stands at present. This isn’t going to happen. While I know the rough shape of events I’m somewhat behind due to the time lag on TPB’s, and even then, what I know is rather narrowly focused at that. Venture forth to store or internet and have an adventure, if you can avoid the spoilers. I’m tempted to try and reconcile the current X-Men titles at some point, but that may be a challenge too far.
A Character’s Ransom
One final little bit before I try and wrap this up and that’s about price and value. One reflects the other, but the two are not the same. Because of the mechanics of the fan base and the ready availability of outlets online, some books can swiftly reach very silly prices, as they become a rare commodity.
While this is more often the case with rare or limited issues it also affects HC’s and TPB’s more often than would be the case in the books market. Beware internet sellers with books at high prices and note that many online shops simply don’t have things in stock despite having them listed.
Black and White
Despite anything negative above, comics are worth getting into. It’s just a question of where to start.
Marvel, DC, and 2000AD, are all aware of the trail of back issues many of their characters have attached. To this end they're each publishers has released chunky softcover collections in black and white which chronicle these early exploits. Marvel also has the same issues collected in hardback, colour editions at greater cost. These provide the reader with the earliest of stories without becoming involved in the terrifyingly expensive world of buying first edition issues. These stories are often very much of their time, with a villain of the week, and a lot of fighting without the depth of character development found now.
Newer book tend to follow a major story arc over 6 or more issues, each of which tends to end with a cliff hanger. This is one of the reasons I don’t get monthly issues, as the pauses wear me down. 2000AD is a notable exception as it’s released weekly and collects differing titles under its banner, from Judge Dredd, Kingdom, Nikolai Dante and many more.
Dependent on the series there are also cliff hanger endings at the finale of these arcs. Marvel’s The Invincible Iron Man springs to mind as leaving a lot of balls still in the air at the end of the most recent TPB.
The End of The End
I’d say I’ve gone on for more than long enough.
Hopefully that’s been somewhat of interest for anyone who got all the way to the end. I’m going to try and get as wide range of TBP reviews on here if I can, to showcase a range of different comics. The various companies seem to be doing a fair job of point people at comics related to whichever movie is around the corner, so I’ll give those a look, and try to voice some alternatives, as well as casting a wide net for other stuff.
If you have stuck with this all the way to the end, go into a proper comic shop with a spare £20/£30 (depending on the books that is one or two TPBs) and have a bloody good browse until you find something you like. If it’s a standalone pick it up. If you like the look of it, buy it. If your intimidated by jumping in at the midpoint of a series the internet is your friend. Either put the book back on the shelf and do some research, or get it and find the back story you need online. I'd recommend picking up the latest 2000AD while you're at it, be beware of being right in the middle of a series, so chose wisely. Talking of online, yes Amazon is lovely, but support your struggling real life shop.
Every so often I’ve thrown a review of a comic book up here, but this time I’m going to do something a little different and just write about them. If the style’s half passable this ought to be a short essay on comics. I realize that’s beyond vague as introductions go, but I’ve only got a very rough idea of what I’m going to mention. I’d beware of taking this as either solid fact (except where I’ve tried to back myself up) or as any sort of guide, beyond recommendations I make in the text. For a number of reasons I’m likely to focus on Marvel, and the why’s of that ought to be made clear as we go along.
Words and Pictures
Trying to get any accurate industry data on sales figures for comics is more than a little tricky. The best I’ve managed to do is all pulled from The Comic Chronicles. Even the information there is a little sketchy, and there are too many blanks to fill in to make an even moderately well founded assertion. So without evidence I’m going to indulge in a little supposition. (If anyone does happen to have hard facts and figures on this I’d love to know)
Over the last few years we’ve been pretty well bombarded with increasing numbers of comic book adaptations, a trend that is set to continue. This summer alone has seen Thor on the big screen (which I have yet to see), and this will be shortly followed by the new Captain America film, and X-Men First Class, as well as the Spiderman reboot, a third outing for Christian Bale’s Batman, Green Lantern, and rumours of more beside. Oh, and Kick Ass (It’s an OK film, but the book takes what could have been a really interesting topic and plays it for the crudest laughs possible). And just to throw a curved ball for those not paying attention there’s stuff that doesn’t have a costume in sight. Tamara Drewe springs to mind, as does Adele Blanc-Sec.
On the small screen the Walking Dead is set for a second series and Wonder Woman is soon to move from page to a TV series (the quality of which remains very much in question). A less high profile influx of adaptation has come from the porn industry as superhero parodies rise. Don’t believe me? Head over to Bleeding Cool (It’s a reputable site) and have a dig around or a brief look through the search results here. The Batman one is probably the most interesting with the film company having hired the original costume designers and with rumours of a “no sex” option on the DVD so you just get to enjoy the plot.
There’s even traffic going the other way as the flurry of Royal Wedding/William and Kate comics shows. (Maybe things will come full circle with a porn parody of a Kate and Wills comic book that focuses mainly on Pippa Middleton.)
The question of if this sort of thing translates into increased sales figures is one that I’m in no position to answer. But was it does do is raise the profile of comics, and lift sales in at least the short term for the specific titles. I’m not sure we’ll see people reading them at the bus stop and the like though.
Full Disclosure
I’ll briefly touch upon the a few other big publishers before moving onto Marvel. DC, umm right. Batman comics. I’ve never quite found DC to my liking. What I’ve read I’ve mostly enjoyed (Secret Six is good, and I quite like some of the Green Lantern stuff) but that’s mainly been picked up via recommendation. The universe just seems a little odd, and the characters aren’t in my head like Marvel ones are (Not the most eloquent turn of phrase, but hopefully explained further on). Batman has never fully grabbed me as a character. I’d go out of my way to recommend reading “Hush”, as I really enjoyed that, but much of the time Batman seems to be a reflecting pool for his villains rather than a fully developed character. I’ve avoided DC in the main because I don’t know where to start with the universe. DC’s darker twin I’m a fan of though. Vertigo prints DC’s more adult line, including the John Constantine books, Northlanders, and other series I’ve mentioned or reviewed here before.
Closer to home, 2000AD is different from the American comics. At times darker, odder, and funnier, it is in something of a league of its own.
There’s a swell of others out there, doing a host of things. Avatar, IDW, SLG and more. As for manga, that’s somewhat outside of any experience I’d claim to have. That’d be far more MangaCat’s sphere than mine.
And now to frame my viewpoint on Marvel before we move on. My initial exposure to Marvel was through Saturday morning cartoons. Chiefly X Men and Spiderman, as well as other series on and off, including the old live action Hulk TV series, which featured Thor, which everyone seems to have forgotten. This meant that when I did get into the world of comic books I’d got a rough smattering of background and a vague idea of whom I was looking for.
Underwear on the Outside?
Being as comics is a ridiculously large field I’m mostly going to stick to talking about Marvel, but before I narrow things down too far there’s a bit of general stuff to cover. What I’ll say about Marvel will probably stand true for other companies too, so it might be worth a look even if you’re not fussed about tights and powers. Which rather neatly brings me to my first point.
Looking back over the reviews I’ve put up on here should make this clear, but comics are not all about people with super powers and fancy costumes. There’s far more out there than that. Even those that do have a super powered line up are not really about that, if they’ve got any depth at all (Not that depth is always necessary though). Further on, when I start talking about Marvel I might seem to be going completely counter to this point, but it remains true. It’s something of a case of not seeing the wood for the trees. Comics as a medium has as much depth and variety as books.
Paper, Paper, Everywhere (And None of it the Same)
Comics are a weird form of media. Both in terms of the mix of art and writing and by virtue of the way they’re packaged.
To deal with the first and easier part of that statement (and make another point in the process), when you go into a bookstore, people tend to gravitate to a particular section (you’re reading a website for genre books, so I’d say I’m fairly unassailable on this point) and then look for what, an author, a series, something definite? (or you’re just browsing, looking for something that leaps out, but for the sake of a clean example we’ll ignore that bit of awkwardness for now.) For the sake of this argument, say you go for a particular author, for whatever reason; because you like the style, or the characters, or because you’re invested in the world that’s been created in someone else’s head.
Now bearing that in mind think of the whatever shelves have comics on. If you’re in Waterstones or similar it’ll be a fuzzily organized, and narrow, with an incomplete hodge-podge of publishes, titles, and genres. If you’re in a dedicated comic shop it’s more likely to be a alphabetized maze of shelf upon shelf of the same (If anyone knows somewhere that organized comics other than by alphabetizing titles I’d love to know where – we’ll come to the foundation of that want further on). So, standing in front of a shelf of books with pictures in (used to the brackets and self deprecation yet?), let’s try picking a book out by the usual approach. By author? No such luck. As alluded to above book tend to be organized by title, and unless you’re after a certain series (The Sandman books, and Preacher, and quite a few others spring to mind, as does, more currently, The Walking Dead) isn’t a help. Knowing a series often isn’t a major benefit either, as writers chop and change with alarming regularity on most mainstream titles. So say you do find an author you like. Are they writing for characters to you like? Is the art style something you like? Comics are something of a shifting sand. In much the same way as films it’s a collaborative process, and that, by its very nature bring uncertainty and variation.
So for the sake of wrapping up this bit say you find something you like. Now comes another choice.
Comics come in four flavours. There’s the individual issues, released monthly by publishers, either as a standalone, or part of a ongoing series. There’s the hardcovers (HC’s), which collect these issues. Then there’s the paperback collections (TPBs), which are releases after the hardbacks and at a slightly lower price. Finally, there’s now digital to further muddy the waters, which also suffers a delay depending on publisher.
Because of the way things are releases TPBs suffer a significant time delay and are somewhat adrift from the present situation within any given comic timeline. One again exact figure are a pain to drag up.
I’ve tried digital comics from 2000AD, Marvel, and DC and it’s not something I’ve quiet got comfortable with. Not having an iPad I’m limited to viewing things on my computer or iTouch. Neither of these has a screen of sufficient size to deal with A4 art pages, let alone an A3 size double page spread. I do get my 2000AD fix via downloadable pdfs but it’s not ideal. With the added issues of copyright, digital comics have a way to go.
So you’ve picked your series and your chosen format. Now here comes the real kicker. For the record, dependent on series I favour the TPB releases and will occasionally get a hardback when they hit the stands if they’re something I can’t wait to read, and have good reviews.
The Endless Past
So, what’s the real probable with comics? And this is where I’m going to focus down on Marvel, but it’s equally true of DC, 2000AD and others.
Marvel has been running in one form or another since 1939. While the current series don’t stretch back quiet that far there’s a significant weight of history there to be mined.
Now most series stand up fairly well on their own, but the ideal jumping in point may well be a few years back. So that means either a spoiler filled Wikipedia search or hunting down the right back issues to get the back story.
These uncertain waters are further muddied by Marvels preference for “Events” were the plot lines of a number of series come together to describe the story arc of a major shifting of the status quo within the Marvel Universe. The most famous of which may still be Civil War, which dragged in almost every major character.
Well apart from this mainstream universe there are various offshoots and alternatives as well. One of these is the Ultimate line which aimed to reset the clock on many of the big marvel series by starting the stories afresh. They’re not a series I’ve ever really got into, but worth bearing in mind, perhaps.
OK, with me so far? Now it gets tricky.
To work with a popular are difficult example let’s look at the X-Men. Popular comic book, film franchise, and includes comic pin up Wolverine, you’d think it’d be a gateway series and be easy to get into. Oh no.
Off the top of my head (I’m not going to do a proper count, because I’ll only miss something, and look silly(-er)) there are at least five X Men titles currently on stands (Anyone fancy listing them in the comments section?). Which is without taking into account separate titles for individual characters. Chief of these is Wolverine, who runs across both his own books, and into the Avengers’ line up as well.
The division between titles is by no means clear cut, as characters shift from book to book, or events take place across multiple issues simultaneously. One of the more recent X Men TPB’s opens with a flowchart that shows the reading order/interrelationship between the various series/issues contained within its covers.
And with that we’ve just hit one of the largest problems on the nose.
A Question of Timing.
The timeline of comics is a horrible thing to unravel. If you buy things issue by issue it’s a question of sticking to that order and adjusting for late issues, or renumbering, or title changes. That’s assuming things stay chronological.
For anyone looking at HC’s or TPB’s things are tricky. Some series are nice and will have a volume number. Others not so much, that’s fair enough, as most will mention the issue numbers they collect somewhere. However, not all issues make it to HC/TPB and others get duplicated.
Things only get more complicated if other series get added to the mix, or you run into an Event. Because of the mix of writers and artist both within and across titles the internal chronology can get fuzzy at times, even when the overarching story is clear. Add to this to the fact that a TPB is not the natural format of comic books (it’s bundling together 6+ issues that were release separately into a non divisible format that doesn’t sink up with another series) and things get tricky. Need proof, go search for a chronology of Marvel TPB’s or similar. What there is, is incomplete. Which, returning to an earlier point is why you’ll see alphabetical shelving, not anything claiming to be chronological.
Further to this is the small selection of books held by the likes of Waterstones, or even the big comic shops like Forbidden Planet can’t stock the whole range (a terrifying though when you see how much they do have), which means that finding something new often means starting in the middle, even for popular series.
Where We Stand
At this point it’d be lovely to be able to act all knowledgeable and rattle off a summary of where the Marvel universe stands at present. This isn’t going to happen. While I know the rough shape of events I’m somewhat behind due to the time lag on TPB’s, and even then, what I know is rather narrowly focused at that. Venture forth to store or internet and have an adventure, if you can avoid the spoilers. I’m tempted to try and reconcile the current X-Men titles at some point, but that may be a challenge too far.
A Character’s Ransom
One final little bit before I try and wrap this up and that’s about price and value. One reflects the other, but the two are not the same. Because of the mechanics of the fan base and the ready availability of outlets online, some books can swiftly reach very silly prices, as they become a rare commodity.
While this is more often the case with rare or limited issues it also affects HC’s and TPB’s more often than would be the case in the books market. Beware internet sellers with books at high prices and note that many online shops simply don’t have things in stock despite having them listed.
Black and White
Despite anything negative above, comics are worth getting into. It’s just a question of where to start.
Marvel, DC, and 2000AD, are all aware of the trail of back issues many of their characters have attached. To this end they're each publishers has released chunky softcover collections in black and white which chronicle these early exploits. Marvel also has the same issues collected in hardback, colour editions at greater cost. These provide the reader with the earliest of stories without becoming involved in the terrifyingly expensive world of buying first edition issues. These stories are often very much of their time, with a villain of the week, and a lot of fighting without the depth of character development found now.
Newer book tend to follow a major story arc over 6 or more issues, each of which tends to end with a cliff hanger. This is one of the reasons I don’t get monthly issues, as the pauses wear me down. 2000AD is a notable exception as it’s released weekly and collects differing titles under its banner, from Judge Dredd, Kingdom, Nikolai Dante and many more.
Dependent on the series there are also cliff hanger endings at the finale of these arcs. Marvel’s The Invincible Iron Man springs to mind as leaving a lot of balls still in the air at the end of the most recent TPB.
The End of The End
I’d say I’ve gone on for more than long enough.
Hopefully that’s been somewhat of interest for anyone who got all the way to the end. I’m going to try and get as wide range of TBP reviews on here if I can, to showcase a range of different comics. The various companies seem to be doing a fair job of point people at comics related to whichever movie is around the corner, so I’ll give those a look, and try to voice some alternatives, as well as casting a wide net for other stuff.
If you have stuck with this all the way to the end, go into a proper comic shop with a spare £20/£30 (depending on the books that is one or two TPBs) and have a bloody good browse until you find something you like. If it’s a standalone pick it up. If you like the look of it, buy it. If your intimidated by jumping in at the midpoint of a series the internet is your friend. Either put the book back on the shelf and do some research, or get it and find the back story you need online. I'd recommend picking up the latest 2000AD while you're at it, be beware of being right in the middle of a series, so chose wisely. Talking of online, yes Amazon is lovely, but support your struggling real life shop.
Friday, 6 May 2011
The Wise Man’s Fear – Patrick Rothfuss
The Wise Man’s Fear
By: Patrick Rothfuss
Pub: Gollancz
994 Pages.
First things first, yes I know I mentioned audio last time. The amount of test below ought to be fair indication that this didn't happen. Trust me that you didn't want it anyway. It would have only ended badly. If you're desperate, find someone to read this out loud to you.
Quite some time ago I reviewed “The Name of The Wind”, the first book in Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles. “The Wise Man’s Fear" continues the tale, picking up seamlessly where the first book left off.
Opening in The Waystone Inn, the ripples of the violent ending of the first book can still be felt in the present even as Kvothe continues his plunge into his veiled past and recounts his story to his attentive audience of Bast, his apprentice, and the scribe, Chronicler.
Kvothe’s account follows him away from sheltered grounds of The University and into the wider world, encompassing both supernatural and more mundane adventures. The false legends are peeled back to reveal more of the truth beneath.
The story shifts back and forth between Kvothe’s recollections and the Inn in which he is recounting the tale. This style gives the story natural breaks, but also alters the view of the characters and their development. The story Kvothe recites has a known plot and ending to an extent. The events that tie into Kvothe’s legend need to be explained, as does whatever leads him to be living in disguise as an Innkeeper. In the present a question mark hangs over Kvothe’s future as the outside world presses in on the secret life that Kvothe has built. This contrast between past and present adds a depth and perspective that might otherwise be missing.
The book is tinged with a sense of tragedy. Kvothe’s apparent fall to lowly innkeeper from the lofty highs of notorious wizard, is not the only source of this. Kvothe's relationships come more to the fore and are by no means stable, nor are the situations he finds himself in. Even the victorious conclusion is damped down. Which is not to say the book doesn't have it's highpoints, but is does differ from more clear cut ending of traditional swords and sorcery (is there much of that about any more? I may be flashing my ignorance, but it's a while since I read any, might just me that I pass over it. Anyway... back to the point).
The writing stays tight throughout the whole of the book, deftly managing both the change between past and present and the slowly evolving Kvothe. The ending once again pulls off the perfect set up for the third book.
If you've read the first book, then this doesn't disappoint. If you've not, go and pick both up soon. If you've already picked up the hardback, then go out and hit people with it till they buy it.
Next up for review will be Dan Abnett's Embedded, which is so far coming across like Hitchhicker's meets cold war combat novel. Which is no bad thing. Before that, on Tuesday in fact, I'll be putting Marvel Comics on the chopping block and trying to beat chronological sense into 70+ years of canon and resurrections. Assuming I don't go mad first.
By: Patrick Rothfuss
Pub: Gollancz
994 Pages.
First things first, yes I know I mentioned audio last time. The amount of test below ought to be fair indication that this didn't happen. Trust me that you didn't want it anyway. It would have only ended badly. If you're desperate, find someone to read this out loud to you.
Quite some time ago I reviewed “The Name of The Wind”, the first book in Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles. “The Wise Man’s Fear" continues the tale, picking up seamlessly where the first book left off.
Opening in The Waystone Inn, the ripples of the violent ending of the first book can still be felt in the present even as Kvothe continues his plunge into his veiled past and recounts his story to his attentive audience of Bast, his apprentice, and the scribe, Chronicler.
Kvothe’s account follows him away from sheltered grounds of The University and into the wider world, encompassing both supernatural and more mundane adventures. The false legends are peeled back to reveal more of the truth beneath.
The story shifts back and forth between Kvothe’s recollections and the Inn in which he is recounting the tale. This style gives the story natural breaks, but also alters the view of the characters and their development. The story Kvothe recites has a known plot and ending to an extent. The events that tie into Kvothe’s legend need to be explained, as does whatever leads him to be living in disguise as an Innkeeper. In the present a question mark hangs over Kvothe’s future as the outside world presses in on the secret life that Kvothe has built. This contrast between past and present adds a depth and perspective that might otherwise be missing.
The book is tinged with a sense of tragedy. Kvothe’s apparent fall to lowly innkeeper from the lofty highs of notorious wizard, is not the only source of this. Kvothe's relationships come more to the fore and are by no means stable, nor are the situations he finds himself in. Even the victorious conclusion is damped down. Which is not to say the book doesn't have it's highpoints, but is does differ from more clear cut ending of traditional swords and sorcery (is there much of that about any more? I may be flashing my ignorance, but it's a while since I read any, might just me that I pass over it. Anyway... back to the point).
The writing stays tight throughout the whole of the book, deftly managing both the change between past and present and the slowly evolving Kvothe. The ending once again pulls off the perfect set up for the third book.
If you've read the first book, then this doesn't disappoint. If you've not, go and pick both up soon. If you've already picked up the hardback, then go out and hit people with it till they buy it.
Next up for review will be Dan Abnett's Embedded, which is so far coming across like Hitchhicker's meets cold war combat novel. Which is no bad thing. Before that, on Tuesday in fact, I'll be putting Marvel Comics on the chopping block and trying to beat chronological sense into 70+ years of canon and resurrections. Assuming I don't go mad first.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan
Written by Celine Kiernan
The shadows are gathering as Wynter Moorehawke returns to her home Kingdom. What, from her memories, comes across as a vibrant, idyll kingdom has turned into one of secrets. The true heir to the throne hasn’t been seen, whilst the illegitimate son has returned.
This sets the seen for a most compelling story which presents a curious fusion of
real-world locations and ideas (the characters say “Jesu Christie when surprised, for example”) alongside some marvellously creative fantasy elements, such as the ghosts. However, what won me over from the start was Wynter’s former job description: The keeper of the cats. The looking after of the castles cat population and her ability to talk to them is another feature of her childhood that comes across with warmth and humor, that then turns to tragedy as the story continues.
Whilst anyone requiring non-stop action may be disappointed (there are one or two small engagements which are very well written) the word play and character development is incredible, bringing you into the book alongside the characters as secrets from the past rise up to threaten the present. The characters are, despite the slightly supernatural world, very human with their own dreams, desires, strengths and weaknesses that make the tale believable and aid in drawing you into the book. This works well alongside a brilliant description of the life and workings of a medieval castle which aid that sense of realism and make the book an almost education read, but described through the characters eyes. Actually, I’ll correct that, Wynters eyes. Whilst there are several strong characters the story is told primarily from her perspective, what she sees and feels as she finds the welcoming home and the people she thought she knew slipping away like a waking dream.
A fantastic read. Whilst the ending is without ceremony it did leave me wanting to read the rest of the trilogy and see what happens.
Regards to all,
Kerl
Post Script: Celine keeps a DeviantArt Page with many excellent quality sketches of her various, vibrant characters. It can be found here: http://tinycoward.deviantart.com/
I'm also on there, as Kerl-of-Fox-County, if you want a few photos of scenary around the UK alongside some sketches and rambling bits of writing! :D
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Inside the Book Prison: Past, Present, and Future?
Being a re-introduction of sorts, a look at the reading pile, and a query to the audience. Smooth Jazz commencing in 3...2...1...
Look, let's not dive into all the sordid details about my absence from Un:Bound. Yes, we could talk about the slanderous accusations stemming from my time in Peru, and the questionable circumstances surrounding my somewhat forced ejection from said country. We can theorize and postulate endlessly about that night in Portugal with a certain Belgian Princess, a tiger, and a case of mistaken identity, but all that does is delay my triumphant return back to the hallowed virtual halls of high intellect, where the science fiction and fantasy flow like ambrosia, and the dreary day to day doldrums are left at the door. Where the beautiful, the gifted, the creme de la creme congregate to collude and collabor---
What? Whaddaya mean you didn't even notice I was gone?!
Sigh...Oh, well. Let's start again.
Hi. I'm Chris and among other things, I used to write quite a bit here at Un:Bound. When Adele/Hagelrat was just starting the site out, she asked if I wanted to contribute, and what started as a semi-regular Monday gig turned into a whole lot more and was, in a word, wonderful. Great people, fresh and exciting comments, ideas, contests, interviews...as the content grew and the people who followed it grew, Un:Bound managed the rare feat of becoming more engaging and friendly and full of the promise I had hoped when for when we were inexplicably interviewed by the much smarter (so much smarter he should have known better than to interview a twit like me) Harry Markov for the sadly departed Temple Library Reviews.
So if it was so great, why did I leave?
For the same reason we do anything - life. 2010 in particular was a supremely shitty year, culminating in April with the death of my father, a loss that a year later I still haven't completely comes to terms with. I wrote about his effect on my life with regards to reading here on the site, and even carried on with reviews and articles for a few more months until finally, things just dried up. Not just writing: even reading became too painful a reminder of things, so I just kind of drifted away from the blogosphere until, well...now, actually
So, with that out of the way, let's talk books.
As I write these words (well, not literally as I write these words...as I these words I'm sitting at my desk at work, looking at the monitor to ensure I don't misspell any of the words I'm currently writing) I'm 250 pages into The Pale King, the "unfinished novel" by the late, great David Foster Wallace. What little plot there is centers around a group of IRS employees stationed in Illinois in the mid 1980s, including a young man named David Foster Wallace. The book is filled with the rich observations and attention to language Wallace was famous for, including massive amounts of entertaining footnotes, and it's a incredible look at what could have been his crowning achievement as a writer instead of a sad, wistful look at what could have been.
I've been trying to get a good mix of reading in this year, alternating between literary fiction, nonfiction, and more genre-oriented works. There's a slew of cool book on the To-Be-Read pile, including Soon I Will Be Invincible, Acacia, and The Way of Kings, the first in a 10-part series by Brandon Sanderson, who wrote the stellar Mistborn series and is currently finishing up Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. But nothing may top The Wise Man's Fear, the second book in the Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind (reviewed here) was the book that really got me back into fantasy, and for people wary of "swords and sorcery" books, this is an excellent gateway back in, serving as a commentary on the genre as well as an exciting, expertly written example itself.
To make a long story just a hair shorter, that's where I've been, that's where I am, and that's where I plan to be in the future. It feels good to be writing again, especially here on Un:Bound, and I hope that if you're reading this you'll comment, contribute, and share in the general revelry that is a hallmark of this little corner of the web.
Finally, a question or two: What are you reading right now? How did you come to it? And what are you looking forward to reading this year?
--------------------
What? Whaddaya mean you didn't even notice I was gone?!
Sigh...Oh, well. Let's start again.
Hi. I'm Chris and among other things, I used to write quite a bit here at Un:Bound. When Adele/Hagelrat was just starting the site out, she asked if I wanted to contribute, and what started as a semi-regular Monday gig turned into a whole lot more and was, in a word, wonderful. Great people, fresh and exciting comments, ideas, contests, interviews...as the content grew and the people who followed it grew, Un:Bound managed the rare feat of becoming more engaging and friendly and full of the promise I had hoped when for when we were inexplicably interviewed by the much smarter (so much smarter he should have known better than to interview a twit like me) Harry Markov for the sadly departed Temple Library Reviews.
So if it was so great, why did I leave?
For the same reason we do anything - life. 2010 in particular was a supremely shitty year, culminating in April with the death of my father, a loss that a year later I still haven't completely comes to terms with. I wrote about his effect on my life with regards to reading here on the site, and even carried on with reviews and articles for a few more months until finally, things just dried up. Not just writing: even reading became too painful a reminder of things, so I just kind of drifted away from the blogosphere until, well...now, actually
So, with that out of the way, let's talk books.
To make a long story just a hair shorter, that's where I've been, that's where I am, and that's where I plan to be in the future. It feels good to be writing again, especially here on Un:Bound, and I hope that if you're reading this you'll comment, contribute, and share in the general revelry that is a hallmark of this little corner of the web.
Finally, a question or two: What are you reading right now? How did you come to it? And what are you looking forward to reading this year?
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