Set in the marshes of England, The Woman in Black tells the story of a young solicitor from London and his encounters with a malevolent supernatural entity.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the book. I expected there to be more horror or horrific scenes involved. I never felt frightened while reading this book, though I must admit that the plot was well-structured. One thing I appreciate about it is that Susan Hill did not make anything in the book sound cheesy.
Hill's writing style and narration, through the first-person point of view of the protagonist, made the novel an easy and quick read. She has a way with words and descriptions, though sometimes she goes about describing things that are not important in the story.
While I was disappointed, I cannot say that I hated the book. It is a good thing to pick up when you want to read something that is substantial yet won't bog you down with complicated plot twists and unnecessarily flowery writing.
As the official prequel of the hit video game of the same name, this graphic novelby Paul Dini and Carlos D'Anda bridges the gap between Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Batman: Arkham City. With the riot in Arkham Asylum over, Quincy Sharp takes the long-coveted position of Mayor and decides to wall off one section of Gotham City and turn it into a Arkham City, where the criminal and evil-doers can build their own society. The Caped Crusader, realizing that there is someone pulling Sharp's strings, decides to intervene.
The plot of this graphic novel is quite well-written, though any major action is deferred so as to not preempt the game. As a lead-in, the graphic novel succeeds in three things: (1) bridging the storylines of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, (2) exciting those who have not played the game yet or shedding light on certain aspects of the game's plot for those who have played the game, and (3) provide Batman-styled action and intrigue.
The artwork was very good. Balancing the use of darkness and light, the comic panels were dark and gritty enough to capture the essence of a Batman comic yet bright enough to be eye-catching and exciting.
While this graphic novel was not the best Batman graphic novel I've read, it is a great read for all the fans of the Caped Crusader and the video games.
Banished to the planet Sakaar, the Hulk returns to Earth to exact revenge on the four who exiled him: Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Dr. Strange. Driven by hatred and unmitigated rage, the green giant is willing to smash through anything (and anyone) that gets in his way.
A premise like that sounds very promising. However, Greg Pak's execution of this story line left much to be desired. The plot felt a rushed and, at one point, simply became series of strung together fight sequences (which also felt rushed). There are many characters (e.g. She-Hulk) that had the potential to be key players in the plot but were sadly underused. But, to be fair, this edition only includes the main story arc and not the side stories attached to this title.
The art was generally very well done (John Romita Jr. is a great comic artist)., but there were certain panels which, in my opinion, were a bit cluttered and had many details which served as distractions from the main action of the panel.
Despite all this, World War Hulk is an enjoyable read for the fans of Marvel Comics (I stress the word comics). This graphic novel is bursting with old fashioned comic book action. It also lets you peer deeper into the character of the Hulk, who is one of Marvel's most powerful and conflicted anti-heroes. Sadly, an "enjoyable read" is all it is.
The first book in my 50 Books in 2013 project! I know that I am probably one of the last people on Earth to pick up a copy of this book, but I figured that, as a literature student, I should read this book. As one of the most popular novels in modern literature, there has always been an argument as to whether or not this book deserves the praise it garnered upon its publication. After reading it, I was finally able to form my own opinions about it. Is it overrated? Yes, but it is a very enjoyable read. The story of the Andalusian shepherd who leaves everything behind in order to fulfill his Personal Legend was very entertaining and inspiring in a fairy tale sort of way. There is also a lot of that well-loved mysticism which sets Latin American literature apart from the rest. However, I think that Coelho tried too hard to make the novel something life-changing and profound to the point where he begins to become somewhat preachy. Also, towards the end of the novel, the mystical aspect of the story began to feel a tad forced and cheesy. . The book is also full of wonderful and inspirational quotes. I took note of the ones that I especially liked: "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." "It's the simple things in life that are most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them." ". . . when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises." "Not everyone can see his dream come true in the same way." "Every blessing ignored becomes a curse." "Making a decision is only the beginning of things." "People need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want." "When you can't go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward." "Everything on earth is alive...and it [the Earth] has a soul.We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us." "Every search begins with begginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested."
To be fair, reading this book was a good way to start off the year. being about following your dreams, facing hardship, making sacrifices, and following your heart, this story reminded me of a lot of the lessons we learn as children but often forget.
Hi, everyone! How has the first week of the new year been for you guys?
After much deliberation and procrastination, I finalized my 2013 resolutions. Seeing that the world did not end last December, I decided to make this list as comprehensive as possible.
1. To keep my bedroom neat - My parents decided replace all of our old furniture pieces, including my old bookshelves and amoire. Now, all of my things are just piled up in a corner of my room. I was planning to clean everything up over the holiday break, but, sadly, indolence was my master. So, I vow to clean up my room and keep it neat (my room seems to have a nasty habit of becoming messy one week after I clean up).
2. To not procrastinate - If there's one thing certain, it is that I am a professional procrastinator. I always find myself cramming my homework and papers late at night, even on weekends. I even procrastinate leisure or recreational activities (like blogging). But this year, all that will change!
3. To pray more often - I come from a Catholic family, though they're all, with the exception of my mother, non-practicing Catholics, and graduated from a Catholic high school but I never picked up the habit of praying regularly. This year, I'll try to pray every evening before I go to sleep.
4. To sleep earlier - This will solve my "waking-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed" problems, which has been a problem since high school.
5. To maintain a healthy diet - The recent holidays seemed to be especially laden with food, thanks to the numerous cakes given to my family last Christmas, the trip to Bangkok with my brother, and the big family New Year's party. Also, I spent most of last year eating unhealthy university cafeteria food. This year, I'll eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less sweets (I have a big sweet tooth) and deep-fried food, drink less sweet drinks, and control the amount of meat that I consume. But, of course, the occasional gastronomic indulgence wouldn't hurt. However, I have a feeling that Tumblr will make this a very difficult resolution to keep.
6. To regularly update my planner - Every year, I buy a planner but eventually stop using it. As a result, I experienced a lot schedule conflicts. This year, I plan to update my planner regularly. Maybe that will help me keep resolutions 2 and 3.
7. To read 50 books in 2013 - One of my literature teachers in high school has a project wherein she reads fifty books every year. She documents her progress on her Tumblr (fightingforjune). I tried to do this last year but only made it to thirty-two. This year, I hope to make it to fifty. I already finished one book and am currently in the middle of my second one.
These are resolutions for 2013. I wasn't very successful in keeping some of them last week. But hey, I have time, right?
In my Poetry and Drama class, my professor asked us to read "Nantucket" by William Carlos Williams. The poem goes like this:
"NANTUCKET" by W.C. Williams
Flowers through the window
lavender and yellow
changed by white curtains-
Smell of cleanliness-
Sunshine of late afternoon-
On the glass tray.
a glass pitcher, the tumbler
turned down, by which
a key is lying-and the
immaculate white bed.
We then started suggesting possible interpretations of the poem, saying that the images in the poem represent possibilities, new beginnings, escape, refuge, etc. We spent two whole hours discussing what we thought the poem means.
Later that day, my classmates and I were required to attend a master lecture on the importance of imagery and statement in poetry. There, in the class, the speaker recited a poem by W.C. Williams and said that Williams believed that poems shouldn't have deep images and that they should simply capture the visuals of an object or a moment in life. So many of his poems, like "Nantucket", were full of images which, to W.C. Williams, didn't represent anything. At this point, my professor, who was seated in front of us, turned around and smiled at us.
That's the funny thing about poetry. Everyone thinks that poets always write about deep truths and heavy emotions and that poems are always full of symbols, so they always go crazy looking for a meaningful interpretation. What people forget about, the speaker said, is that sometimes the poet writes a poem simply because he or she feels like writing it.
The speaker, however, said that W.C. Williams poems don't have meaning just because he (the poet) didn't intend to put any in them. Meaning and interpretation in poetry, and in the rest of literature, depends on the reader because reading is a personal experience. So while the poem doesn't mean much to W.C. Williams, it can mean something to his readers. So remember that when you're reading poetry.
That was just a silly anecdote I wanted to share. With university being what it is, all of my anecdotes nowadays are school-based.
Here is another poem we discussed in Literature 14: Poetry and Drama. It's a beautiful poem by the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet William Butler Yeats when he was obsessed with occultism and Irish legends.
"THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS" by William Butler Yeats
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut an peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
and moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hallow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
I'm sorry for being M.I.A. again. I'll try my best to post at least once a week but with the Christmas break coming up though, I'm sure my professors will try to squeeze in as much work as possible. :(
Last Wednesday, two professors gave very inspiring and enlightening lectures about the same thing: living life. The first of the two professors was my Literature 14: Poetry and Drama professor. He started the lesson by discussing the poem "When Spring Returns" by Fernando Pessoa. Here is a copy of the poem for those who have not read it yet:
"WHEN SPRING RETURNS" by Fernando Pessoa
When Spring returns
Perhaps I will no longer be in the world.
Today I wish I could think of Spring as a person
So that I could imagine her crying for me
When she sees that she's lost her only friend.
But Spring isn't even a thing;
It's a manner of speaking.
Not even the flowers or green leaves return.
There are new flowers, new green leaves.
There are new balmy days.
Nothing returns, nothing repeats, because everything is real.
A wonderful but sad poem, isn't it? My professor stated that the speaker is a morose and forlorn person who is probably dying from a terminal illness. His (the speaker) confrontation with mortality is a lonely and diminishing one. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker has a negative perception of spring. However, in the 6th and 7th line of the poem, the speaker has a poetic epiphany wherein spring, to him, is no longer a measure of time (a season) and is now a state of mind. by the end of the poem, the speaker's tone goes from lonely, hopeless, and sombre to enlightened and accepting of his inexorable death.
My professor followed up this discussion on the speaker's change in his perception of spring by saying, "When we change our perspective, the world changes and renews itself in our eyes."* He then explained that when we focus on the "darker" side of our mortality, the beauty of life and the world is lost on us. He used this to segue into a discussion on about time and living in the present. He said that he wanted to avoid using the phrase "Carpe Diem" in order to avoid comparisons with Robin Williams's character in Dead Poet's Society. Instead, he said, "Time is not yesterday or tomorrow. Time is now. The only certainty we have is the here and the now."*
He explained that the past is uncertain because our feelings and perception of what happened to us in the past changes as we grow and mature. The future is uncertain because, even if we make plans, we are never fully certain of what will happen to us. The only certainty is now.
Our professor ended the discussion by encouraging us to use the fact that we will die as a reason to live life to the fullest, rather than moan about it the way the speaker did in the first five lines of the poem.
The second professor to have a discussion along these lines was another member of the school's English department. This time, he used the video game series Assassin's Creed as the springboard of the discussion. Knowing that I am a fan of the video game, he asked me what one of the major themes of the series is. I replied by saying, "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted."
He wrote this down on the board and said that he would get back to that quote. He then started discussing absurdism, wherein life and human existence are thought of as empty and meaningless. My professor, however, said that "life is empty and meaningless not because it is sad and pointless. It is empty and meaningless because it's an empty slate that we can fill up."*
What we fill it up with, he explained, is what will give our lives meaning, but it is up to us if it will be good or bad. We are allowed to do want we want with our lives. This is where the quote from Assassin's Creed comes in. The creed is not calling us to be lawless and totally free, but to be wise.
I hope that I will always be able to remember what my professors said. These are things we are constantly reminded about but easily forget.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a fan of JK Rowling and the Harry Potter Series. Of course, when I heard that she was about to publish a new book, I was very excited. It interested me even more to hear that the book would have nothing to do with magic.
With that excitement, however, came the realization that I would have to put all thoughts of the magical world of Harry Potter out of my head while reading this book. The Casual Vacancy was about a totally new set of people and a completely different place. A normal place filled with normal people.
Or so I thought.
The Casual Vacancy is set in the small and suburban town of Pagford. Despite the seemingly sleepy appearance of this West Country town, Pagford's residents are all at silent, personal wars with each other. The two main wars in the town are of a political nature. The first war, a long-fought battle of divided local sentiment, is being fought over the possibility of disassociating the town from "The Fields", a nearby local estate which is mostly filled with what the old Pagford families refer to as "good-for-nothings". The second war is being fought over a seat on the Parish Council, the town's local government, which was left empty after the death of Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother, a well-loved member of the community who championed the cause to keep the the Fields with Pagford.
The set of characters present in JK Rowling's newest book range from reckless young children to restless adults. These characters, like the depressed and socially awkward Sukhvinder Jawanda, the idealistic newcomer Kay Bawden, the self-absorbed leader of the Parish Council Howard Mollison whose head size is matched only be that of his stomach, and the outspoken and misunderstood Krystal Weedon, are the crowning glory of the novel. All of JK Rowling's characters are extremely well-developed, vividly distinct, wonderfully human, and deliciously flawed. I found myself either relating very well to the feelings of many characters or thinking that I knew someone who was exactly like the characters being described.
The book does not have a fast-paced, action-packed plot. Rather, it has a character-driven plot made up of interconnected story arcs which concern the different residents of the town. This makes the book's plot as a whole progress slowly, yet it highlights how the characters and their decisions affect one another, whether they intended to or not. I have two main comments regarding the plot: (1) there were chapters which I felt were not needed to further the story along, but were very useful in developing the characters and (2) not all of the noticeable conflicts were resolved in the end.
I loved JK Rowling's writing style: simple and unpretentious yet witty and flowing. The novel itself is intelligent and insightful, talking about issues like politics, drugs, sex, poverty, prostitution, and social class, without being preachy.
Overall, I thought it was a good book. It had its flaws here and there, mostly with the plot, but it was still an enjoyable read. You will only enjoy the book, however, if you do not compare it to Harry Potter. Under a completely different genre, The Casual Vacancy is its own book.
As much as I love reading poetry, I have to admit that I am not well-versed in the works of George Gordon, better known by his title, Lord Byron. I read one of his poems for the very first time in my Introduction to Poetry and Drama class last week, and I absolutely loved it. Here's a copy of his wonderfully written piece about how an Assyrian king and his grand army were defeated.
The Destruction of Sennacherib
ByGeorge Gordon, Lord Byron
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.
For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!
And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.
And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.
And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!
For my fellow Byron first-timers, I hope you enjoyed the poem as much as I did!
Hi, everyone! I am so sorry for being a no-show for the past two weeks. With academic work being what it is, posting on time has become quite difficult. My class hours today, however, were cut short by the university because of a faculty awarding ceremony scheduled later this afternoon. Also, there is no homework due tomorrow, so I'm free for the rest of the day!
Batman: Under the Red Hood by Judd Winick
Art by Doug Mahnke, Shane Davis, Eric Battle, and Paul Lee
Last week, I read Batman: Under the Red Hood, the story about how a new masked figure, using the name "Red Hood", appears in Gotham City. A one-man army, he takes on the criminal empire of the Black Mask, who is the city's crime lord. Of course, his actions catch the attention of Batman, who senses that there is something more underneath the red helmet.
I love how this story arc portrays the emotional struggle of Batman. Sometimes, I feel that people, both the writers and the audience, forget that the psychological and emotional struggles are what make Batman the kind of superhero that he is. Of course, there is a lot of the exciting, action-packed fight sequences with the stunning acrobatics, martial arts, and gadgets that Batman has at hand.
The art was done in the usual style of Batman comics: gritty and dark yet eye-catching. The fight sequences, which always take the cake in a graphic novel, were riveting and dynamic.
I know that in terms of comic continuity, I am very late in reading this graphic novel. It is a very important story arc for the story of Batman and the Bat Family. So, if you are a Batman fan and you haven't read this graphic novel yet, I suggest that you pick up a copy soon.
Spoken-word has always been an interesting form of poetry. People do not hold many poetry slams where I live, so the internet serves as my source of spoken-word poetry.
Here is a spoken-word poem entitled "Wasabi", written and performed by Andrea Gibson, which I found on tumblr. It is a beautifully written and performed piece!
“Wasabi” by Andrea Gibson
The plan was to play hard to get, that’s right.
I wasn’t just gonna go giving myself away, I’m no easy catch.
Can you really see me in fishnets? No.
I always find myself slipping out the holes,
swimming back out to sea.
I’d never been anybody’s sushi roll.
But she has lips like wasabi.
My eyes water every time we kiss.
Makes me wish we had a porch swing
and a little home
Makes me wish I could right wrongs
instead of poems
The heart is a bullet that’s terrified of blood
Love is a windshield wiper in a hurricane;
Nothing is ever clear
You mistake her name for the moon
Mistake porch lights for the stars
And sometimes they are.
Her constellations lead me home
Ten thousand shades of open
And if there’s one thing in this world
I’ve ever known for sure it’s that this girl
is gonna crush me like a small bug,
leave me so freaking broken there’ll
be body bags beneath my eyes
from nights I cried so hard the stars died
but I’m like, go ahead, I’m all yours.
I would kiss you in the middle of the ocean during a lightning storm
cause I’d rather be left for dead than left to wonder
what thunder sounds like.
I’m not looking for someone who can save me
Liferafts might keep you afloat but they rarely get you anywhere
and I’ve got places I want to go.
So break me in two, peel back my ribcage and
cover every page of my heart with love poems
that you will burn someday.
The most fertile lands were built by the hands of volcanoes
And I want to know what grows beneath the drone of
hallmark and roses.
I want your goodbye to feel like explosives.
Your lips a burning building without fire escapes,
Your hips the gates of hell if I know if heaven exists,
but this will do just fine.
And I want to feel you like lifelines on the palms of Jesus
when the nails went through
Is that really, really creepy?
Just in case it is, let me also say that I want you
sleepy-eyed in the morning waking at my side
like a warm summer sky born from
so much softness the horizon cries every time
night fall comes to take you.
Let me also say that I want to make you sandwiches and soup,
and peanut butter cookies—though, the truth is,
peanut butter is actually really bad for you ‘cause they
grow peanuts in old cotton fields to clean the toxins out
of the soil—but hey,
you like peanut butter and I like you.
Let me also say I’ve never seen anything more gorgeous
than you were that night,
the moon bending through the window blinds
I told time by the light casting shadows across your face
while you told me the story.
My grandparents were married for 63 years.
On the day my grandfather died, he laid in bed and said
Nothing but love love love love
then he puckered his lips and kissed my
grandmother for the last time.
Love love love
Love is like sunshine. Sometimes you have to get burned
to know you were there, I want to know that I’m here.
Every single part of me—my heart open as
the river’s eyes the first time it sees the ocean.
My God, look at those waves.
Listen to that thundering tide.
Can you imagine anything more frightening?
Can you imagine anything more alive?
I hope you guys enjoyed this poem as much as I did!
Barbara Gordon was always my favorite DC character. Her transformation from Batgirl to the Oracle was nothing short of inspiring, but as much as I loved her as the Oracle, she is, in my mind, forever Batgirl. Yes, her successors, Cassandra and Stephanie, were impressive as well, but Barbara really takes the cake as DC's number one girl. In my opinion, at least.
Gail Simone's tale of her return as Gotham's female Knight was extremely well-written, albeit flawed. Barbara's fight with the first villain, Mirror, showcased her intelligence, perseverance, and her determination. Her struggles to heal emotionally and psychologically after her physical recovery was well portrayed. The second story, however, was hastily done and less exciting than the first. In fact, the second story was a bit disappointing.
The art was spectacular. The fight panels were engaging and dynamic, while the stunt panels were absolutely stunning. Some of the illustrations just seemed to leap off the page.
Overall, I give this graphic novel a 3 out of 5 stars. Of course, this is only the first volume. I bet it'll get better from here.
There are two things I love about rainy days. One, it makes the otherwise hot weather cool. Two, it gives me an excuse to stay snuggled up in bed and read, and what better rainy-day read is there than the 800-page novel that you've had to wait ages to read? That, for me, is George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, the first in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
I was first introduced to the book series by my older brother, who is a fan of the HBO miniseries. Like all bookworms, I wanted to read the book first. Sadly, there was an ongoing war at home over who gets to read the book first. Out of the six of us in the family, I am the third to read this.
When it comes to literature, I devour fantasy novels. I love reading about magic, new worlds, epic battles, strange creatures, and all that jazz. Luckily, A Game of Thrones has all that.
Needless to say, I enjoyed reading this book immensely. The story is definitely action-packed. The range of characters is very diverse and the book has the right amount medieval other-worldliness to be a complete nerd explosion.
The book is told from the third person limited point-of-view of eight major characters: Eddard "Ned" Stark, his wife Catelyn Stark, their daughters Sansa and Arya, their son Bran, Ned's illegitimate son Jon, the queen's brother Tyrion Lannister, and the princess-in-hiding Daenerys Targaryen. This method of narration allowed for a full telling of the story, which was needed considering the interdependence of the different characters's story lines, but led to the occasional muddling and dragging of certain parts of the book. There were also some parts of the different character story lines that I felt the book, in its entirety, could have done without, and I'm not just talking about the sex.
The different character stories make the plot very intricate, but not without a price. Some of the characters's stories were better and more interesting than that of the other characters. For example, I definitely enjoyed reading about Jon and Daenerys more than about Catelyn and Sansa. On the positive note, it was very interesting to see the different events happening from different sides of the story.
The characters of the book were very interesting. All characters had their own flaws, making them remarkably human (despite the fact that some weren't all that human). Even upright and honorable characters had their flaws. Not all characters were given the chance to develop as well as others, a plague all books of this length and range seem to have, but the ones that George R.R. Martin focused on developed well. Some of characters were unlikable, but, like in life, we cannot expect to like everyone.
I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book has its flaws, but I believe that the good points definitely make up for its bad ones. Now, I can watch the miniseries on HBO and be a fangirl!
The fantastic illustrators and inkers of this graphic novel: Dave Johnson, Kilian
Plunkett, Andrew Robinson, and Walden Wong
In 2003, comic book writer Mark Millar presented the ultimate what-if scenario in DC Comics. Millar, along with his fabulous artistic team, redirects the rocket ship that carries baby Kal-El to Earth, veering it away from Jonathan and Martha Kent's homey farm in Smallville for the fields of Ukraine while it is under the Soviet Union. In Superman: Red Son, the Hero of the American Dream and the All-American Icon becomes the Comrade of Steel and the poster boy of the U.S.S.R.
Comic book companies seem to be very fond of what-if scenarios, which can be very risky. If not done correctly, these alternate universes can turn out to be just well-funded, badly-written fan fictions. Millar, however, proves his writing prowess by masterly manipulating Superman's back story. Not only does he successfully paint a picture of a communist Superman, he also provides a gripping and creative story with multiple ingenious plot twists (especially the ending), exciting action, amusing name-dropping, and dynamic characters.
Millar's characters develop very well throughout the graphic novel. One of the things I find wonderful about Millar's work is the fact that he did not simply move the DC characters to the Soviet Union, give them the Russian versions of their names, and make them do the same things they do in the mainstream universe. In Red Son, Millar really changes everything to make it a more compelling and more believable what-if story, though there were some changes made which I didn't understand how Superman's not being raised in America could have affected it.
To be honest, I am not a fan of the Man of Steel. I find him to be irritatingly self-righteous, naively big-headed, and too much of a boy scout in tights to be likable. His only saving grace is that he fights for the common good without any reluctance. In Red Son, Superman is every bit as self-righteous, big-headed, naive, and boy scout-y as he is in the mainstream continuity, but he stands for the ideals of communism instead of democracy. In Red Son, he also fights for what he believes is right, but he enforces his ideas of right and wrong differently. But it's not all nobility and goodness in this title. As Superman continues his fight for communism, he slowly becomes his own version of a dictator.
Red Son features other key players in the DC Universe. There is Lex Luthor's portrayal in this graphic novel, which is nothing short of amazing. At one point in the graphic novel, I found myself rooting for Lex Luthor instead of the man in tights. Lois is present, of course, though h her interaction with the Comrade of Steel is quite minimal. James "Jimmy" Olsen is there as well, though he is much cooler here than in the mainstream continuity. Other members of Superman's rogues gallery like Brainiac (still as awesomely dangerous as ever), Bizarro, and Metallo make appearances as well.
Other DC heroes leave their mark on the story as well. The most prominent among them is Wonder Woman, which irritated me because she is the DC hero that I hate after Superman. Batman is as amazing as ever. Still fueled by his parents's murder, he aims to take down the soviet government. The Green Lantern Corp. (always a pleasure to read about) makes a small but exciting appearance as well.
When it comes to the plot and the characters, my comment is "MORE". I wanted more action with Batman, the Green Lanterns, and even Bizarro. There could have been more in terms of relationship exploration between the different characters. There could have been more about the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War. Generally, the graphic novel could have afforded to have more going on. Don't get me wrong: Millar's work is undeniably excellent, but it leaves much to be desired.
As important as the plot and the characters is the theme, something which Millar never fails to present very well. Red Son, like many of Millar's stellar works, carries multiple themes. These themes includes democracy versus communism, the fine line between benign dictatorship and despotism, and the difference between what is right and what is ideal.
Let's not forget about the art (which I am guilty of doing from time to time). The art, in my opinion, was fantastic. The art in Red Son is engaging and attractive. Many of the panels can leap off the page. This is the kind of art that I think most, and I emphasize the word, superhero comics should have.
Overall, I give Superman: Red Son four out of five stars. It is one of the better Superman titles that I have read and is one of the best alternate universe story arcs that I have encountered from both DC and Marvel. I definitely look forward to reading more from Millar, a comic book genius, and seeing more art by Red Son's four talented artists.
When it comes to superhero comic books and graphic novels, I’m
more used to the save-the-city-from-the-Joker and the stop-Doctor-Doom’s-evil-schemes
set up, so Alan Moore’s Watchmen is a pretty unique read for me.
At first glance,
one may think that Watchmen is simply about costumed heroes in New York.
Looking deeper, however, one will see that it is much more than that. Alan
Moore’s tale presents to the readers the violent and dirty world of
vigilantism, the askew morality of society, the fine line between right and
wrong, and the light and darkness of human character.
The line-up
of characters is very diverse. Present in the story are idealists, cynics, reluctant
heroes, antiheroes, fighters, cowards, phonies, and super-humans. The
superheroes in the graphic novel aren’t all like the gung-ho, morally upright
costumed vigilantes seen in the pages of DC and Marvel Comics. To use the most
obvious examples, characters like the first Nite Owl and Captain Metropolis
reflect the classic boy-scout superheroes, while characters like Rorschach and
the Comedian represent the darker, grittier, and more violent side of the field
of vigilantism. Even the smaller civilian characters represent aspects of the
human psyche and of society.
Vigilantism
and crime isn’t the only theme of the story. Watchmen becomes very philosophical
and critical, discussing right versus wrong, the value of human existence, the
end justifying the means, what makes someone a “hero”, and even the definition
of sanity (one has to admit, the purportedly insane Rorschach saw the world
with unnerving clarity).
Considering
that it was published in the 1980s, Watchmen is a landmark graphic novel. Alan Moore intrepidly tackled things which weren't discussed
in the field of comic books and superheroes at that time, something which I greatly
appreciate and admire about him. I also like how Moore used minute and tiny details to either imply or foreshadow (this subtlety suited the story quite well) and how nothing (plot device and character) presented in the graphic novel was pointless.
Yes, it opened up the darker side of
superheroes and had a hand in the emergence of the heavier and more serious
tone that comic books carry nowadays, but it was not the perfect graphic novel.
While I enjoyed it immensely, both plot and art, I cannot say that it was the
greatest graphic novel ever, given that it had its rough spots here and there.
Overall, a
great read. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in comic
books and superheroes.
Here are some quotes in the graphic novel which I thought were worth sharing:
"We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from another's vantage point, as if new, it may still take the breath away."
"No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise."
As a fan of Mark Millar's work under Marvel and DC, I was very keen on reading one of his original works. Kick-Ass did not disappoint! I loved how the graphic novel poked fun at the world of comic books and the concept of superheroism. Plus, a stereotypical, teenage comic-book nerd putting on tights to fight crime - well, who doesn't like a comedic premise like that? It's something most, if not all, superhero fans have fantasized about at least once.
I liked how the dialogue and the narration generally stayed within a teenage sensibility(sometimes, writers can forget the narrator's age), yet still managed to be witty and darkly humorous. It was also fun to see the exaggerated and satirical picture of vigilantism that the graphic novel presents. The graphic novel doesn't have much depth, but, in my opinion, depth wasn't what the book was going for.
Managing to be gritty enough to suit the violence and the darker aspects of the graphic novel yet bright enough to be associated with superhero comics, the art was very well done. It was unnerving at first to see so much blood in the panels but I guess that's really what comes with fighting crime.
Overall, a masterfully-executed graphic novel and a great read!
Set in an alternative Victorian England, a team of unique individuals is assembled to aid Her Majesty’s Empire when its capital is in a time of impending peril.
I was first introduced to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003, when the film adaptation was released. Though I did not think much of the movie itself, I did enjoy the idea of different literary characters banding together to be the Victorian version of the Avengers or the Justice League. So, nine years later, I decided to buy the graphic novel after finding it in a bookstore.
The graphic novel and the movie are very different. I prefer the roster of the graphic novel, as well as the team dynamics where Mina is the leader instead of Quatermain. Even the characterization of each member was better in the graphic novel, though I did not like how Mina needed to be saved twice at the beginning of the story (on the plus side, her independent spirit, headstrong personality, and capable leadership make up for it). Every member of the League has a deep flaw or issue which he (or she) must grapple with, giving the characters depth.
As a self-proclaimed literature nerd, I was very amused by all the well-placed literary references and allusions. I also liked how Kevin O’Neill didn't try to make the images glamorous as other period pieces. It is only fitting since the story itself is gritty as opposed to glamorous.
The plot, too, was better than the one used in the movie, though I agree with Allan Moore’s statement that some plots are really only fit to be in comic form. This might be one of them, unless an extremely clever artistic teams can find a way to make this one work onscreen.
