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Brett Anderson recommended The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths in Music (curated)
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Supergirl (2016-) Vol. 1: The Killers of Krypton in Books
Nov 30, 2020
This was a solid book, really made me care about Supergirl as a character, something I have not felt since Peter David was writing it! Marc Andreyko has a genuine caring for the character, as she is written strongly, without pandering to the fanboys out there. And while I know Kara is not a real person, under Andreyko's hand, she felt very real!
The story follows up on the tail end of MAN OF STEEL (which, as I said in my review, exceeded my low expectations, helping to have faith anew in Brian Michael Bendis). She says goodbye to her cousin, Kal-El, as she heads to space to follow the trail of Rogol Zaar, and to determine if he was not lying when he claimed to have destroyed Krypton. Best of all, she won't be alone: Krypto will be along for the journey! And what a journey it is!
Some questions are answered, but new ones are generated, as a conspiracy within the Guardians of Oa! There's a lot more to it than just that, but I like my reviews, like my initial readings, to be Spoiler-Free! You'll have to read it for yourself, and I am certain that, like myself, you will not be disappointed!
And speaking of "not being disappointed", let me talk a bit about the equally enjoyable art. The majority of this volume was drawn by Kevin Maguire (who I adored here, as much as his work in the 80s on JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL), but he was also support the likes of Emanuela Lupacchino, Evan "Doc" Shaner, Lan, Medina and a bit of Karl Kesel, too! All involved were totally on their game, turning in art that remained consistent with Maguire's style, so as not to derail the story. Everyone deserves a big, hearty round of applause!
However, there was one thing in it that caused me to give it four Stars, not five. And, that, unfortunately, would be Dan Jurgens' Christmas-themed story. While the message was truly heartfelt and appreciated, the actual dialogue, as well as the story itself, was just not as good as I recall Jurgens being. And that's a damned shame, because some of my best Superman memories involve his stories from the 90s! Ah, memories!
And, that my friends, is a wrap! I hope you will check this one out, as it is the probably one of the best Supergirl stories in far too long! I truly hope DC treats Marc Andreyko right, because he is all aces!
The story follows up on the tail end of MAN OF STEEL (which, as I said in my review, exceeded my low expectations, helping to have faith anew in Brian Michael Bendis). She says goodbye to her cousin, Kal-El, as she heads to space to follow the trail of Rogol Zaar, and to determine if he was not lying when he claimed to have destroyed Krypton. Best of all, she won't be alone: Krypto will be along for the journey! And what a journey it is!
Some questions are answered, but new ones are generated, as a conspiracy within the Guardians of Oa! There's a lot more to it than just that, but I like my reviews, like my initial readings, to be Spoiler-Free! You'll have to read it for yourself, and I am certain that, like myself, you will not be disappointed!
And speaking of "not being disappointed", let me talk a bit about the equally enjoyable art. The majority of this volume was drawn by Kevin Maguire (who I adored here, as much as his work in the 80s on JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL), but he was also support the likes of Emanuela Lupacchino, Evan "Doc" Shaner, Lan, Medina and a bit of Karl Kesel, too! All involved were totally on their game, turning in art that remained consistent with Maguire's style, so as not to derail the story. Everyone deserves a big, hearty round of applause!
However, there was one thing in it that caused me to give it four Stars, not five. And, that, unfortunately, would be Dan Jurgens' Christmas-themed story. While the message was truly heartfelt and appreciated, the actual dialogue, as well as the story itself, was just not as good as I recall Jurgens being. And that's a damned shame, because some of my best Superman memories involve his stories from the 90s! Ah, memories!
And, that my friends, is a wrap! I hope you will check this one out, as it is the probably one of the best Supergirl stories in far too long! I truly hope DC treats Marc Andreyko right, because he is all aces!
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Swamp Thing, Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows in Books
Nov 30, 2020
Earlier this year I had finished Vol. 3 and was ready to start on Vol. 4, but I just wasn't feeling it. The timing just wasn't right. So, I put off my re-visitation of Alan Moore's <b>EFFING BRILLIANT</b> SWAMP THING run...until the other night, when the "timing" returned and I devoured it two nights! Now, with that out of the way, onto my review...
In my reviews for the first three volumes, I mentioned that this was a re-visitation of sorts. It was always something I had intended, returning to a series I had not read since it first came out in the 80s, but it wasn't until going the digital route that I felt the time was due.
This is the volume that introduces that ol' bastard John Constantine, and for that alone, this volume is worth the price of admission! However, it was the path that Constantine sets Swampy on, and the tense and unforgettable finale that culminates in Issue 50, the last part of this volume! For that turns it all the way up to Eleven! Yeah, no Spoilers, despite it's age, but it is intense as a comic could be and then some!
Moore has become, in my eyes, some of a pain in the ass over the last few years. However, with SWAMP THING, as well as WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, he was totally on his game! There was not one issue in this volume that had me thinking, <i>"Yeah, this was good, but that one story was just absolute rubbish!"</i>. It was pure gold!
Now let it be said that I think the artwork of Jock is about as good as it gets as far as stirring horror images that stay with you long after the story is finished! However, after seeing the art of Stephen R. Bissette and John Tottleben, I was reminded of being scared reading this the first time out, and even now, on the re-read! Man, what I wouldn't give to seem them do another Swampy run, maybe even a guest spot on JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK! Oh, I am excited just imagining how frikkin' <b>AWESOME</b> that would be!
Look, there are a ton of great reviews out there, wherein the writer takes and analyzes everything of importance in this volume. And a number of those great reviews are right here on Goodreads! But, I can't add much to what has already been said! All I can add is this: You soooooo need to read this series! That's all I'm gonna say!
In my reviews for the first three volumes, I mentioned that this was a re-visitation of sorts. It was always something I had intended, returning to a series I had not read since it first came out in the 80s, but it wasn't until going the digital route that I felt the time was due.
This is the volume that introduces that ol' bastard John Constantine, and for that alone, this volume is worth the price of admission! However, it was the path that Constantine sets Swampy on, and the tense and unforgettable finale that culminates in Issue 50, the last part of this volume! For that turns it all the way up to Eleven! Yeah, no Spoilers, despite it's age, but it is intense as a comic could be and then some!
Moore has become, in my eyes, some of a pain in the ass over the last few years. However, with SWAMP THING, as well as WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, he was totally on his game! There was not one issue in this volume that had me thinking, <i>"Yeah, this was good, but that one story was just absolute rubbish!"</i>. It was pure gold!
Now let it be said that I think the artwork of Jock is about as good as it gets as far as stirring horror images that stay with you long after the story is finished! However, after seeing the art of Stephen R. Bissette and John Tottleben, I was reminded of being scared reading this the first time out, and even now, on the re-read! Man, what I wouldn't give to seem them do another Swampy run, maybe even a guest spot on JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK! Oh, I am excited just imagining how frikkin' <b>AWESOME</b> that would be!
Look, there are a ton of great reviews out there, wherein the writer takes and analyzes everything of importance in this volume. And a number of those great reviews are right here on Goodreads! But, I can't add much to what has already been said! All I can add is this: You soooooo need to read this series! That's all I'm gonna say!
Radio Pro HQ
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WWE Champions - Action RPG
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5.0
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Your WWE dream rivalries are happening live in WWE: Champions, the free action RPG that pits the...
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Turn your iDevice into the Doctor's TARDIS, and travel through space and time! Or see the TARDIS in...
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Bring back memories and make brand new ones with Nintendo's ultimate retro gaming experience,...
TheBookMother (105 KP) rated Christine in Books
May 26, 2019
Think classic slasher come Top Gear.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Like alot of my recent reads I picked up a very well loved copy from a supermarket fundraising bookcase.
Now, I do feel quite conflicted in critiquing the master that is Stephen King especially as it's not all positive. It's probably the same feeling if you kicked your Nan or when you've hidden your son's favourite toy that drives you crazy and watch him scour the house for it for days on end.
It started off in true King fashion. I've read a few of his repertoire including the classics. I have come to recognise his tone and the way he sets the scene.
We begin by meeting Dennis who is recalling past events which include his friend Arnie and his obsession with his new car Christine. We soon find out Christine is a bit more than your average first car and anyone who seems to cross Arnie will feel her very gory and murderous wrath. We learn that her previous owner LeBay begins to possess Arnie. Dennis sets out to try and save his friend from the evil clutch(es) (I had to sorry!) of Christine and stop her once and for all.
Tense, descriptive with an air of paranormal/ supernatural you generally know what you're getting with King and you know there will tend to be a twist or scare along the way.
However, I did find this abit of a slow burner and not what expected it to be.
I think it could be because this is 20+ years old and I am probably desensitised by slashers it did feel quite cliché in places.
I did at times feel slightly confused as we were introduced to Christine the possessed car but then we learn it's all to do with Lebay taking over and even ageing Arnie. It did remind me abit of Ghost Rider.
I enjoyed the music lyrics at the beginning of each chapter and throughout as it really did help set scene and help with showing the difference between Arnie and Lebay's ages.
I have to admit I was distracted alot and do put it down frequently but I did pick up and finish it eventually.
I normally finish a book in 2-3 days (children, work and life permitting!) But this took a while longer. Perhaps, as I felt it was a tad stagnant in places.
It was never the less an okay read, it's a good slasher come supernatural story but one I did think I would have enjoyed alot more.
Now, I do feel quite conflicted in critiquing the master that is Stephen King especially as it's not all positive. It's probably the same feeling if you kicked your Nan or when you've hidden your son's favourite toy that drives you crazy and watch him scour the house for it for days on end.
It started off in true King fashion. I've read a few of his repertoire including the classics. I have come to recognise his tone and the way he sets the scene.
We begin by meeting Dennis who is recalling past events which include his friend Arnie and his obsession with his new car Christine. We soon find out Christine is a bit more than your average first car and anyone who seems to cross Arnie will feel her very gory and murderous wrath. We learn that her previous owner LeBay begins to possess Arnie. Dennis sets out to try and save his friend from the evil clutch(es) (I had to sorry!) of Christine and stop her once and for all.
Tense, descriptive with an air of paranormal/ supernatural you generally know what you're getting with King and you know there will tend to be a twist or scare along the way.
However, I did find this abit of a slow burner and not what expected it to be.
I think it could be because this is 20+ years old and I am probably desensitised by slashers it did feel quite cliché in places.
I did at times feel slightly confused as we were introduced to Christine the possessed car but then we learn it's all to do with Lebay taking over and even ageing Arnie. It did remind me abit of Ghost Rider.
I enjoyed the music lyrics at the beginning of each chapter and throughout as it really did help set scene and help with showing the difference between Arnie and Lebay's ages.
I have to admit I was distracted alot and do put it down frequently but I did pick up and finish it eventually.
I normally finish a book in 2-3 days (children, work and life permitting!) But this took a while longer. Perhaps, as I felt it was a tad stagnant in places.
It was never the less an okay read, it's a good slasher come supernatural story but one I did think I would have enjoyed alot more.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated My Sunshine Away in Books
Feb 13, 2018
One evening, on a quiet suburban street in Baton Rouge, fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson is raped. Her rape changes the fabric of her neighborhood, as narrated by her fourteen-year-old male neighbor, who had a huge crush on the lovely Lindy, a popular track star. He takes the readers through the various suspects--all members of the neighborhood--and one of whom is himself. We meet the many members of this quiet block, where not everything is as perfect as it seems. What really happened to Lindy that night? And is our narrator truly to blame?
I really wanted to like this book, as I'd heard such good things, and was really excited to finally to read it. But honestly, I found it disappointing, tedious, and slow. It was a real let down after all the rave reviews. Our narrator does a good job, I suppose, of highlighting the self-centeredness of teenage boys, but oh my goodness. He talks and talks and talks - endless diatribes about this and that. Pontificates about everything while trying to tell us the meaning of life. I found my eyes glazing over as I skimmed paragraphs, just wanting to find out what happened to poor Lindy, who is basically forgotten in his story -- she's just an object of lust -- not a real person.
This book had the potential of being a love story in many ways -- that of the love between a son and his mother, between teenagers, etc., but it just seemed to flounder. Moments of brilliance poked through, but most of the time, I found myself frustrated and wondering what the point was. Instead, it seemed to be a treatise on how boys and men should *not* treat girls and women. It is at it's best when looked at as a story of neighborhood - the sad side story of a neighborhood family will hurt your heart in many ways - but it gets lost in the narrator's endless rants and discussions. At one point, we get a whole chapter on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Baton Rouge. All well and good, I suppose, except the majority of this book takes place in the late 80s/early 90s. Why are we hearing about something take place decades later?
Overall, I wanted to like this one, and I spotted moments of good peeking out, but I was mostly just frustrated and waiting for it to end. Definitely a disappointment.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for purchase everywhere. You can read this review and many more at my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
I really wanted to like this book, as I'd heard such good things, and was really excited to finally to read it. But honestly, I found it disappointing, tedious, and slow. It was a real let down after all the rave reviews. Our narrator does a good job, I suppose, of highlighting the self-centeredness of teenage boys, but oh my goodness. He talks and talks and talks - endless diatribes about this and that. Pontificates about everything while trying to tell us the meaning of life. I found my eyes glazing over as I skimmed paragraphs, just wanting to find out what happened to poor Lindy, who is basically forgotten in his story -- she's just an object of lust -- not a real person.
This book had the potential of being a love story in many ways -- that of the love between a son and his mother, between teenagers, etc., but it just seemed to flounder. Moments of brilliance poked through, but most of the time, I found myself frustrated and wondering what the point was. Instead, it seemed to be a treatise on how boys and men should *not* treat girls and women. It is at it's best when looked at as a story of neighborhood - the sad side story of a neighborhood family will hurt your heart in many ways - but it gets lost in the narrator's endless rants and discussions. At one point, we get a whole chapter on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Baton Rouge. All well and good, I suppose, except the majority of this book takes place in the late 80s/early 90s. Why are we hearing about something take place decades later?
Overall, I wanted to like this one, and I spotted moments of good peeking out, but I was mostly just frustrated and waiting for it to end. Definitely a disappointment.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for purchase everywhere. You can read this review and many more at my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
When “Hot Tub Time Machine” came out almost five years ago, it took a whacky concept of four friends whisked back in time during a getaway to the 80s giving them a chance to fix aspects of their lives they wished they had done differently.
The outrageous and bawdy humor as well as strong performances from John Cusack and Crispin Glover made the film a cult hit that earned over $64 million worldwide and did well on DVD sales as well.
Naturally a sequel was planned and when I first heard it was looking to be a direct to DVD sequel sans Cusack, I had an idea that the film may be little more than an effort to cash in on the success of the first film without offering much to the continued story of the characters.
I was encouraged by the early trailers for the sequel and as such went into the screener with better expectations than I had originally had when I first heard of the projects.
The film explains that “John Cusack’s character is off on adventure of self-discovery as the friends have all become wealthy and famous after the events of the first film. Lou (Rob Corddry) has milked Motley Crue and his knowledge of pending tech to establish himself as a major player, Nick (Craig Robinson) has cashed in on a recording career by covering famous songs from his day before they were ever released and Jacob (Clark Duke) is stuck playing Butler to his father Lou.
Lou has become an example of an ego run wild and during one of his lavish parties; he is shot and left near death. In a move of desperation, Nick and Jacob whisk Lou into the Hot Tub and attempt to go back in time to stop the shooting.
Things do not go as planned as the trio end up 15 years into the future and must find a way to put things right and get home.
One would think that this premise would be able to produce some funny moments, but sadly the film is painfully slow and plodding and most shocking of all, very, very unfunny. The film tries to get some crude laughs from a gameshow of the future and a homicidal Smart Car but the film just wanders from situation to situation looking for laughs and does not setup or execute them properly.
There is a montage scene at the end of the film which sadly is the best part and shows what could have been a much better sequel with the group going through time taking the place of famous individuals and interacting with them.
As it stands, “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”, is a trip you do not want to make.
http://sknr.net/2015/02/20/hot-tub-time-machine-2/
The outrageous and bawdy humor as well as strong performances from John Cusack and Crispin Glover made the film a cult hit that earned over $64 million worldwide and did well on DVD sales as well.
Naturally a sequel was planned and when I first heard it was looking to be a direct to DVD sequel sans Cusack, I had an idea that the film may be little more than an effort to cash in on the success of the first film without offering much to the continued story of the characters.
I was encouraged by the early trailers for the sequel and as such went into the screener with better expectations than I had originally had when I first heard of the projects.
The film explains that “John Cusack’s character is off on adventure of self-discovery as the friends have all become wealthy and famous after the events of the first film. Lou (Rob Corddry) has milked Motley Crue and his knowledge of pending tech to establish himself as a major player, Nick (Craig Robinson) has cashed in on a recording career by covering famous songs from his day before they were ever released and Jacob (Clark Duke) is stuck playing Butler to his father Lou.
Lou has become an example of an ego run wild and during one of his lavish parties; he is shot and left near death. In a move of desperation, Nick and Jacob whisk Lou into the Hot Tub and attempt to go back in time to stop the shooting.
Things do not go as planned as the trio end up 15 years into the future and must find a way to put things right and get home.
One would think that this premise would be able to produce some funny moments, but sadly the film is painfully slow and plodding and most shocking of all, very, very unfunny. The film tries to get some crude laughs from a gameshow of the future and a homicidal Smart Car but the film just wanders from situation to situation looking for laughs and does not setup or execute them properly.
There is a montage scene at the end of the film which sadly is the best part and shows what could have been a much better sequel with the group going through time taking the place of famous individuals and interacting with them.
As it stands, “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”, is a trip you do not want to make.
http://sknr.net/2015/02/20/hot-tub-time-machine-2/