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Louise (64 KP) rated Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick in Books
Jul 2, 2018
When I saw this making the rounds on booktube, I thought I must read it, it sounds amazing and nothing I have never read before. It appears graphic novels and comics are popular once again.
First of all I want to mention just how amazing the artwork in this book is and the colours are so pretty as can be seen above.
I had to read this twice as I just wasn't sure first time round, I took my time reading this once again and I stand by my initial thoughts that this book is ok but could be better.
The story just jumps all over the place, you will be reading about current happenings and then it will jump to the future and I was just like huh! whats going on? and getting very confused! (it's not difficult)
I didn't feel any connection with the main characters John and Suze they just meet at a party have sex, realise they can both stop time and John reminiscing on the first time he realised he could do it.
The premise of the books sounds great and had me hooked but it was just ok. - John and Suze find that they can both stop time when they climax, so they make a plan to rob the bank to fund the library that is closing down.
There is also a part that refers to all women in the sex industry must have been abused in there younger days which I found very stereotypical, not funny and could be offensive to some readers.
Also there is sex police! Yes you heard me right! SEX POLICE!!
The humour on this novel was very crude or could be called 'Bathroom humour,' there is a lot of sexual content and pictures so if you are easily offended this is not the book for you.
So overall this book was just MEH! It had it pro's but unfortunately was outweighed by the cons. I am not sure if I will be continuing on with this series, I think I need to see what other people think first.
I rate this 3 out of 5 stars.
First of all I want to mention just how amazing the artwork in this book is and the colours are so pretty as can be seen above.
I had to read this twice as I just wasn't sure first time round, I took my time reading this once again and I stand by my initial thoughts that this book is ok but could be better.
The story just jumps all over the place, you will be reading about current happenings and then it will jump to the future and I was just like huh! whats going on? and getting very confused! (it's not difficult)
I didn't feel any connection with the main characters John and Suze they just meet at a party have sex, realise they can both stop time and John reminiscing on the first time he realised he could do it.
The premise of the books sounds great and had me hooked but it was just ok. - John and Suze find that they can both stop time when they climax, so they make a plan to rob the bank to fund the library that is closing down.
There is also a part that refers to all women in the sex industry must have been abused in there younger days which I found very stereotypical, not funny and could be offensive to some readers.
Also there is sex police! Yes you heard me right! SEX POLICE!!
The humour on this novel was very crude or could be called 'Bathroom humour,' there is a lot of sexual content and pictures so if you are easily offended this is not the book for you.
So overall this book was just MEH! It had it pro's but unfortunately was outweighed by the cons. I am not sure if I will be continuing on with this series, I think I need to see what other people think first.
I rate this 3 out of 5 stars.
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Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated House of M in Books
Nov 30, 2020
*** <i>Read the entire story while listening to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score to GONE GIRL. Not saying it would be for everyone, but it definitely worked for my re-reading.</i>
I have mentioned this in my graphic novel reviews of late, that I have been doing a fair amount of re-reads since making the transition to digital. It's such a delight to be able to read the comics again without fear of ruining the pages if I am eating or drinking! And best of all? The graphic novels (and books) read take up zero space, helping me to continue to maintain a minimalist lifestyle.
Okay, on to the review..
I originally read the HOUSE OF M about a year or so after it was published in trade paperback. At that time, I recall liking it well enough, thinking that Bendis did a good job. It was not good enough, at that time, to leave a lasting impression on me, unlike other Marvel events before it. With the move to digital, and with a price I could not refuse, I felt it was time to revisit the series and see how it would fare with my not-as-cluttered mental state.
First, let me just <b>"WOW!"</b>. No, seriously! For a re-read, it felt decidely fresh and much more engaging that it was for me first time out. The story was quite good, helping fulfill my Daily Minimum Requuirement of Angst Bendis wrote everyone in character, and he made it was easy to empathize with the characters, as they dealt with effects of the world presented in HOUSE OF M.
One thing that really made HOUSE OF M stand out, besides the story, was the art. Oliver Coipel's pencils were perfecting, offering clear expressions, helping to capture the mood(s) needed throughout! Coipel's was given some solid inkers to finish it: Tim Townsend, Rick Magyar, Scott Hanna, and John Dell. And let us not forget to mention the final icing on the cake: that super awesome coloring from Frank D'Armata. Seriously, a big hand goes out to all of this top notch collaborative effort!
I won't try to tell anyone how to read this, or anything for that matter. However, I will say that for my re-reading, I would stop every so often and reflect, to imagine what it must have been like for Wanda (Scarlet Witch) to have to live going forward after being told your children were just fabrications! And then, even further, to learn what she did at the end of HOUSE OF M! Seriously, regardless of whether you love or hate Bendis, this was heavy stuff to swallow! Sadly, it seems to been retconned by Marvel!
If you are tired of the current events "daisy chaining" that Marvel feels compelled to continue churning out, you could do a whole lot worse than HOUSE OF M. Bendis puts forward some interesting ideas, and seeing them play out is a hell of a good read! It is probably one of his best Marvel contributions, next to his DAREDEVIL! I urge you to give it a shot! You, like me, may need a second reading, but I think you will enjoy it!
Now, I am off to read the post-HOUSE OF M stuff, as well as AVENGERS: DISASSEMBLED, which leads into HOUSE OF M, and which I did not read when HOUSE OF M first came out.
I have mentioned this in my graphic novel reviews of late, that I have been doing a fair amount of re-reads since making the transition to digital. It's such a delight to be able to read the comics again without fear of ruining the pages if I am eating or drinking! And best of all? The graphic novels (and books) read take up zero space, helping me to continue to maintain a minimalist lifestyle.
Okay, on to the review..
I originally read the HOUSE OF M about a year or so after it was published in trade paperback. At that time, I recall liking it well enough, thinking that Bendis did a good job. It was not good enough, at that time, to leave a lasting impression on me, unlike other Marvel events before it. With the move to digital, and with a price I could not refuse, I felt it was time to revisit the series and see how it would fare with my not-as-cluttered mental state.
First, let me just <b>"WOW!"</b>. No, seriously! For a re-read, it felt decidely fresh and much more engaging that it was for me first time out. The story was quite good, helping fulfill my Daily Minimum Requuirement of Angst Bendis wrote everyone in character, and he made it was easy to empathize with the characters, as they dealt with effects of the world presented in HOUSE OF M.
One thing that really made HOUSE OF M stand out, besides the story, was the art. Oliver Coipel's pencils were perfecting, offering clear expressions, helping to capture the mood(s) needed throughout! Coipel's was given some solid inkers to finish it: Tim Townsend, Rick Magyar, Scott Hanna, and John Dell. And let us not forget to mention the final icing on the cake: that super awesome coloring from Frank D'Armata. Seriously, a big hand goes out to all of this top notch collaborative effort!
I won't try to tell anyone how to read this, or anything for that matter. However, I will say that for my re-reading, I would stop every so often and reflect, to imagine what it must have been like for Wanda (Scarlet Witch) to have to live going forward after being told your children were just fabrications! And then, even further, to learn what she did at the end of HOUSE OF M! Seriously, regardless of whether you love or hate Bendis, this was heavy stuff to swallow! Sadly, it seems to been retconned by Marvel!
If you are tired of the current events "daisy chaining" that Marvel feels compelled to continue churning out, you could do a whole lot worse than HOUSE OF M. Bendis puts forward some interesting ideas, and seeing them play out is a hell of a good read! It is probably one of his best Marvel contributions, next to his DAREDEVIL! I urge you to give it a shot! You, like me, may need a second reading, but I think you will enjoy it!
Now, I am off to read the post-HOUSE OF M stuff, as well as AVENGERS: DISASSEMBLED, which leads into HOUSE OF M, and which I did not read when HOUSE OF M first came out.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Justice League International, Vol. 1 in Books
Nov 30, 2020
I am a 50 year old comic reader. In this life, you should pick one hobby, stick with it, and make it your own. It's hard to do that when you have been reading "the funny pages" for pretty much most of your life. However, I am adapting, learning to leave the current Marvel and DC reboots and events be, as I am not the market they are aimed at. Instead, I have been content to re-read the old TPBs digitally, remembering what kept me interested in the comics.
I started re-reading JLI, as it was, and still is, one of my best memories of the late 80s-early 90s. The series was always sure to inspire me to laugh out loud, while reading what sort of crap Blue Beetle and Booster Gold would get themselves into. My strongest memories are of when then-unknown Adam Hughes took over the art, replacing Kevin Maguire. But, talking of that takes away from this particular Volume, where the magic, as it were, was to begin.
Let's jump into the art, since we were talking about that just a moment ago. Here, it is reminiscent of the 80s. Bright colors, fun attitude, new costumes. All of that was here, drawn perfectly by Kevin Maguire, with inks by Terry Austin (for issue 1) and Al Gordon thereafter. Everything about the series' art was a testament to the new direction the team was going, and it definitely worked!
The writing was okay. I remember the series as being funnier, but the first volume was necessary, as it was needed for the setting up, introducing the members and what their dynamic would be. The stories are not required reading, as I am just starting the third volume, and I feel you could skip this volume. Most notable, this was the first time we see Batman layout that misogynist of a GL, Guy Gardner. That alone is worth the price of admission indeed!
Look, there is nothing wrong with this Volume, other than the inside material overall was good, but not as great as I wanted to remember. Sure, the team was written in a fun way (something missing in the books today), but overall, I wanted to get to the bigger "Bwa-hahaha" that lay ahead.
So, final conclusion? It's up to you. I would say "Sure, give it a shot". There's a helluva lot worse graphic novels/TPBs you could be spending your hard earned cash on!
I started re-reading JLI, as it was, and still is, one of my best memories of the late 80s-early 90s. The series was always sure to inspire me to laugh out loud, while reading what sort of crap Blue Beetle and Booster Gold would get themselves into. My strongest memories are of when then-unknown Adam Hughes took over the art, replacing Kevin Maguire. But, talking of that takes away from this particular Volume, where the magic, as it were, was to begin.
Let's jump into the art, since we were talking about that just a moment ago. Here, it is reminiscent of the 80s. Bright colors, fun attitude, new costumes. All of that was here, drawn perfectly by Kevin Maguire, with inks by Terry Austin (for issue 1) and Al Gordon thereafter. Everything about the series' art was a testament to the new direction the team was going, and it definitely worked!
The writing was okay. I remember the series as being funnier, but the first volume was necessary, as it was needed for the setting up, introducing the members and what their dynamic would be. The stories are not required reading, as I am just starting the third volume, and I feel you could skip this volume. Most notable, this was the first time we see Batman layout that misogynist of a GL, Guy Gardner. That alone is worth the price of admission indeed!
Look, there is nothing wrong with this Volume, other than the inside material overall was good, but not as great as I wanted to remember. Sure, the team was written in a fun way (something missing in the books today), but overall, I wanted to get to the bigger "Bwa-hahaha" that lay ahead.
So, final conclusion? It's up to you. I would say "Sure, give it a shot". There's a helluva lot worse graphic novels/TPBs you could be spending your hard earned cash on!
Louise (64 KP) rated Izombie: Volume 1: Dead to the World in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I first heard about this book from Elena reads books and was instantly intrigued!This book sounded fun, I haven’t read much about zombies and also just wanted to read more comics/graphic novels. It was totally fascinating from the start and definitely different.
Gwen appears to be you average everyday person at the start, other than working as a gravedigger she is normal, except she’s not! She is a zombie! but not your stereotypical zombie – she doesn’t walk around groaning, her face and body are not decaying. As long as she eats one brain per month she will not turn full zombie. However eating brains comes at a cost, first of all the brain has to be pretty fresh (hence being a gravedigger), she obviously can’t get caught, they taste bad….oh and she gets stuck with the deceased’s memories for a period of time. The last brain she ate was from a young family man who was killed by a serial killer. Gwen takes it upon herself to investigate why the man was murdered. Also there are a group of female vampires who don’t kill their victims they just feed little and often from men that attend paint balling in the woods. However there is always one that can’t play by the rules and is starting to attract attention from these ancient monster hunters.
There were so many different types of character/monsters in this book, we had zombies (obvs)Ghosts, Vampires and even a WereTerrier which I thought was kind of cute. This is a more of a fluffy zombie book and totally different from the walking dead. I liked all the individual characters but there wasn’t a lot of development and I think this was because there was too much trying to happen in one volume. We had the story of Gwen, it would then jump to the Vampires and then to the hunters, which made the plot line a bit disjointed. Some of the characters….Mainly Dixie was portrayed as being self-centred, all she thinks about is herself and Gwen is unable to rely on her even though she is her best friend. All the females in the book all seemed to have perfect bodies… I wish they just made some females different shapes and sizes. I really liked the art style and colours that were used to set the tone of the book. This was a great introduction to the story and I will be continuing on with the second volume.
Also there is a series on Netflix adaptation that is loosely based on the comic, I might start watching it as my partner has watched it and said it’s alright. Have you watched izombie? whats your thoughts on it?
Overall I rated this 3.75 out of 5 stars
Gwen appears to be you average everyday person at the start, other than working as a gravedigger she is normal, except she’s not! She is a zombie! but not your stereotypical zombie – she doesn’t walk around groaning, her face and body are not decaying. As long as she eats one brain per month she will not turn full zombie. However eating brains comes at a cost, first of all the brain has to be pretty fresh (hence being a gravedigger), she obviously can’t get caught, they taste bad….oh and she gets stuck with the deceased’s memories for a period of time. The last brain she ate was from a young family man who was killed by a serial killer. Gwen takes it upon herself to investigate why the man was murdered. Also there are a group of female vampires who don’t kill their victims they just feed little and often from men that attend paint balling in the woods. However there is always one that can’t play by the rules and is starting to attract attention from these ancient monster hunters.
There were so many different types of character/monsters in this book, we had zombies (obvs)Ghosts, Vampires and even a WereTerrier which I thought was kind of cute. This is a more of a fluffy zombie book and totally different from the walking dead. I liked all the individual characters but there wasn’t a lot of development and I think this was because there was too much trying to happen in one volume. We had the story of Gwen, it would then jump to the Vampires and then to the hunters, which made the plot line a bit disjointed. Some of the characters….Mainly Dixie was portrayed as being self-centred, all she thinks about is herself and Gwen is unable to rely on her even though she is her best friend. All the females in the book all seemed to have perfect bodies… I wish they just made some females different shapes and sizes. I really liked the art style and colours that were used to set the tone of the book. This was a great introduction to the story and I will be continuing on with the second volume.
Also there is a series on Netflix adaptation that is loosely based on the comic, I might start watching it as my partner has watched it and said it’s alright. Have you watched izombie? whats your thoughts on it?
Overall I rated this 3.75 out of 5 stars
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books
May 30, 2017
Horrifyingly Plausible
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The dystopian idea of a virus wiping out most of the world’s human inhabitants is not a new concept. It has be done and retold over and over again. Emily St. John Mandel’s invention of the Georgian Flu is no different from these. Brought to Canada and the USA by a passenger on a plane from Russia, the highly contagious virus spreads quickly from person to person, town to town, and once caught you are dead within forty-eight hours.
The difference between Station Eleven and other novels of apocalyptic themes is that the story takes place primarily in two time periods – pre-Georgian Flu and twenty years post-Georgian flu – rather than during the outbreak and the immediate days after (although there are a few scenes written within that timeframe). It is difficult to explain the storyline without giving too much away. Although the death of millions of people is a vital feature, it is the lives of the characters that are important. All the significant characters are in some way linked to one man, Arthur Leander, and, particularly in the case of one individual, a graphic novel titled Station Eleven.
The book opens in Toronto with Arthur, a Hollywood actor, starring in a stage production of King Lear. Despite the quick reaction of trainee paramedic Jeevan, Arthur dies of a heart attack after suddenly collapsing during the forth act. Then suddenly, that same night, the Georgian flu makes its first appearance in Canada. Despite this occurring right at the beginning, it is not the last the reader sees of Arthur. Throughout the story the author returns to Arthur, recounting scenes of his life from acting career to his three ex-wives and only child.
Twenty years after the Georgian flu, Kirsten Raymonde, who starred as a child in the same production of King Lear, is part of the Traveling Symphony: a group of actors and musicians walking from decaying-town-to-town performing a number of Shakespeare plays as they go. With her she carries two Station Eleven comics that Arthur gave her before he died – incidentally written and drawn by his first wife. Most people that the Symphony encounter are accommodating and are trying their best to live in a world of no electricity or health care, but then they meet a man who calls himself the Prophet. Believing that he has been given a duty by God to repopulate the world he preaches to the people telling them that everything happens for a reason, likening the epidemic to Noah’s flood in the Bible. However it soon becomes clear that he is a dangerous character.
In a way it is heartening to imagine that high culture (such as Shakespeare and orchestral music) survives in a world that has been destroyed. Shakespeare was born in a time before all the modern inventions relied upon today, and now, in this novel, it is once again an electricity-less era yet these historical things live on.
One problem with Station Eleven is that it is hard to pinpoint the exact plot line. There is the life story of Arthur Leander, his wives and a close friend. Then there is Kirsten living a completely different life. Nonetheless it is still an incredibly fascinating book. Although it flits between time periods it is thankfully not as confusing as some may imagine it would be.
Even though dystopian novels of this nature have been done before, Station Eleven is definitely a book to read; and through it all it poses the question of how you, the reader, would survive in such a world.
The dystopian idea of a virus wiping out most of the world’s human inhabitants is not a new concept. It has be done and retold over and over again. Emily St. John Mandel’s invention of the Georgian Flu is no different from these. Brought to Canada and the USA by a passenger on a plane from Russia, the highly contagious virus spreads quickly from person to person, town to town, and once caught you are dead within forty-eight hours.
The difference between Station Eleven and other novels of apocalyptic themes is that the story takes place primarily in two time periods – pre-Georgian Flu and twenty years post-Georgian flu – rather than during the outbreak and the immediate days after (although there are a few scenes written within that timeframe). It is difficult to explain the storyline without giving too much away. Although the death of millions of people is a vital feature, it is the lives of the characters that are important. All the significant characters are in some way linked to one man, Arthur Leander, and, particularly in the case of one individual, a graphic novel titled Station Eleven.
The book opens in Toronto with Arthur, a Hollywood actor, starring in a stage production of King Lear. Despite the quick reaction of trainee paramedic Jeevan, Arthur dies of a heart attack after suddenly collapsing during the forth act. Then suddenly, that same night, the Georgian flu makes its first appearance in Canada. Despite this occurring right at the beginning, it is not the last the reader sees of Arthur. Throughout the story the author returns to Arthur, recounting scenes of his life from acting career to his three ex-wives and only child.
Twenty years after the Georgian flu, Kirsten Raymonde, who starred as a child in the same production of King Lear, is part of the Traveling Symphony: a group of actors and musicians walking from decaying-town-to-town performing a number of Shakespeare plays as they go. With her she carries two Station Eleven comics that Arthur gave her before he died – incidentally written and drawn by his first wife. Most people that the Symphony encounter are accommodating and are trying their best to live in a world of no electricity or health care, but then they meet a man who calls himself the Prophet. Believing that he has been given a duty by God to repopulate the world he preaches to the people telling them that everything happens for a reason, likening the epidemic to Noah’s flood in the Bible. However it soon becomes clear that he is a dangerous character.
In a way it is heartening to imagine that high culture (such as Shakespeare and orchestral music) survives in a world that has been destroyed. Shakespeare was born in a time before all the modern inventions relied upon today, and now, in this novel, it is once again an electricity-less era yet these historical things live on.
One problem with Station Eleven is that it is hard to pinpoint the exact plot line. There is the life story of Arthur Leander, his wives and a close friend. Then there is Kirsten living a completely different life. Nonetheless it is still an incredibly fascinating book. Although it flits between time periods it is thankfully not as confusing as some may imagine it would be.
Even though dystopian novels of this nature have been done before, Station Eleven is definitely a book to read; and through it all it poses the question of how you, the reader, would survive in such a world.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
The dystopian idea of a virus wiping out most of the world’s human inhabitants is not a new concept. It has be done and retold over and over again. Emily St. John Mandel’s invention of the Georgian Flu is no different from these. Brought to Canada and the USA by a passenger on a plane from Russia, the highly contagious virus spreads quickly from person to person, town to town, and once caught you are dead within forty-eight hours.
The difference between <i>Station Eleven</i> and other novels of apocalyptic themes is that the story takes place primarily in two time periods – pre-Georgian Flu and twenty years post-Georgian flu – rather than during the outbreak and the immediate days after (although there are a few scenes written within that timeframe). It is difficult to explain the storyline without giving too much away. Although the death of millions of people is a vital feature, it is the lives of the characters that are important. All the significant characters are in some way linked to one man, Arthur Leander, and, particularly in the case of one individual, a graphic novel titled <i>Station Eleven</i>.
The book opens in Toronto with Arthur, a Hollywood actor, starring in a stage production of <i>King Lear</i>. Despite the quick reaction of trainee paramedic Jeevan, Arthur dies of a heart attack after suddenly collapsing during the forth act. Then suddenly, that same night, the Georgian flu makes its first appearance in Canada. Despite this occurring right at the beginning, it is not the last the reader sees of Arthur. Throughout the story the author returns to Arthur, recounting scenes of his life from acting career to his three ex-wives and only child.
Twenty years after the Georgian flu, Kirsten Raymonde, who starred as a child in the same production of <i>King Lear</i>, is part of the Traveling Symphony: a group of actors and musicians walking from decaying-town-to-town performing a number of Shakespeare plays as they go. With her she carries two <i>Station Eleven</i> comics that Arthur gave her before he died – incidentally written and drawn by his first wife. Most people that the Symphony encounter are accommodating and are trying their best to live in a world of no electricity or health care, but then they meet a man who calls himself the Prophet. Believing that he has been given a duty by God to repopulate the world he preaches to the people telling them that everything happens for a reason, likening the epidemic to Noah’s flood in the Bible. However it soon becomes clear that he is a dangerous character.
In a way it is heartening to imagine that high culture (such as Shakespeare and orchestral music) survives in a world that has been destroyed. Shakespeare was born in a time before all the modern inventions relied upon today, and now, in this novel, it is once again an electricity-less era yet these historical things live on.
One problem with <i>Station Eleven</i> is that it is hard to pinpoint the exact plot line. There is the life story of Arthur Leander, his wives and a close friend. Then there is Kirsten living a completely different life. Nonetheless it is still an incredibly fascinating book. Although it flits between time periods it is thankfully not as confusing as some may imagine it would be.
Even though dystopian novels of this nature have been done before, <i>Station Eleven</i> is definitely a book to read; and through it all it poses the question of how you, the reader, would survive in such a world.
The dystopian idea of a virus wiping out most of the world’s human inhabitants is not a new concept. It has be done and retold over and over again. Emily St. John Mandel’s invention of the Georgian Flu is no different from these. Brought to Canada and the USA by a passenger on a plane from Russia, the highly contagious virus spreads quickly from person to person, town to town, and once caught you are dead within forty-eight hours.
The difference between <i>Station Eleven</i> and other novels of apocalyptic themes is that the story takes place primarily in two time periods – pre-Georgian Flu and twenty years post-Georgian flu – rather than during the outbreak and the immediate days after (although there are a few scenes written within that timeframe). It is difficult to explain the storyline without giving too much away. Although the death of millions of people is a vital feature, it is the lives of the characters that are important. All the significant characters are in some way linked to one man, Arthur Leander, and, particularly in the case of one individual, a graphic novel titled <i>Station Eleven</i>.
The book opens in Toronto with Arthur, a Hollywood actor, starring in a stage production of <i>King Lear</i>. Despite the quick reaction of trainee paramedic Jeevan, Arthur dies of a heart attack after suddenly collapsing during the forth act. Then suddenly, that same night, the Georgian flu makes its first appearance in Canada. Despite this occurring right at the beginning, it is not the last the reader sees of Arthur. Throughout the story the author returns to Arthur, recounting scenes of his life from acting career to his three ex-wives and only child.
Twenty years after the Georgian flu, Kirsten Raymonde, who starred as a child in the same production of <i>King Lear</i>, is part of the Traveling Symphony: a group of actors and musicians walking from decaying-town-to-town performing a number of Shakespeare plays as they go. With her she carries two <i>Station Eleven</i> comics that Arthur gave her before he died – incidentally written and drawn by his first wife. Most people that the Symphony encounter are accommodating and are trying their best to live in a world of no electricity or health care, but then they meet a man who calls himself the Prophet. Believing that he has been given a duty by God to repopulate the world he preaches to the people telling them that everything happens for a reason, likening the epidemic to Noah’s flood in the Bible. However it soon becomes clear that he is a dangerous character.
In a way it is heartening to imagine that high culture (such as Shakespeare and orchestral music) survives in a world that has been destroyed. Shakespeare was born in a time before all the modern inventions relied upon today, and now, in this novel, it is once again an electricity-less era yet these historical things live on.
One problem with <i>Station Eleven</i> is that it is hard to pinpoint the exact plot line. There is the life story of Arthur Leander, his wives and a close friend. Then there is Kirsten living a completely different life. Nonetheless it is still an incredibly fascinating book. Although it flits between time periods it is thankfully not as confusing as some may imagine it would be.
Even though dystopian novels of this nature have been done before, <i>Station Eleven</i> is definitely a book to read; and through it all it poses the question of how you, the reader, would survive in such a world.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Stumptown: The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo: Volume 1 in Books
May 21, 2020
After spotting in the trailer for the TV adaptation that it was based on a book I nipped off to order it straight away... I think it's great that people can see the potential in books that will make an interesting adaptation, with Stumptown I find that particularly impressive because I didn't find it that gripping. This first volume is four issues with one storyline and beyond that there are three more books which I haven't read, potentially there are things I picked up on that are resolved in later volumes. If that is the case though it's a bit of a problem for me because I don't really want to read any more of them.
I found the characters to be mostly non-descript both in the story and visually. On my first read-through I kept having to pop back a few pages and rereading when I lost track of who was who in a scene. It sadly didn't get much clearer on my second read-through.
Our main character is Dex Parios, a PI with a gambling problem. From the very beginning she isn't painted as a very likeable person, it's more than just some of the personality traits, she's been created as a gungho, mildly sex-driven, incompetent woman. At one point I put the book down because she was getting beaten up again with seemingly no real point. There's an almost leering quality to her (as well as other characters) in the illustrations and the inference from the text, as the only character that we really get to know this doesn't make compelling reading.
The storyline runs around the disappearance of a girl, her grandmother who runs the casino Dex is in debt to asks her to investigate and bring her back. That was perfectly introduced, though it took up a lot of pages, but other parts of the story don't click. As I said, I've read the book twice and still can't remember the reason for the second major part of the story... it feels very cloak and dagger which is perhaps why it wasn't very engaging.
Illustrations in comics/graphic novels are either hit or miss for me. The lettering here is pretty standard and managed to be clear and well laid out which was a great boost as sometimes it can get very chunky making it difficult to read. With the illustrations themselves you've got a nice colour palette that changes with the scenes and definitely helps move things along. Beyond that though I'm ultimately not a fan of the finished style, there's not enough differentiation between the characters and, as I mentioned above, it made for a difficult first read.
As an overall story there's something in it but it's a real challenge to like the characters, there wasn't anyone who I was looking forward to seeing again. Dex is given what feels like token bisexuality, it's not expressly pointed out but it's hinted at in a variety of ways. Her sexuality in general is quite heavy handed and I wouldn't be surprised if later down the line we find out she's slept with most of the recurring characters.
After I finished my first reading of Stumptown I messaged a friend... "It was bad and now I'm not sure I want to watch the series they made of it"... I pondered on that for a while because I was tired and maybe I was grumpy while reading it, the second reading came the next day, but even being more alert and less distracted by unfamiliar content I didn't get anything better out of this volume.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/05/based-on-stumptown.html
I found the characters to be mostly non-descript both in the story and visually. On my first read-through I kept having to pop back a few pages and rereading when I lost track of who was who in a scene. It sadly didn't get much clearer on my second read-through.
Our main character is Dex Parios, a PI with a gambling problem. From the very beginning she isn't painted as a very likeable person, it's more than just some of the personality traits, she's been created as a gungho, mildly sex-driven, incompetent woman. At one point I put the book down because she was getting beaten up again with seemingly no real point. There's an almost leering quality to her (as well as other characters) in the illustrations and the inference from the text, as the only character that we really get to know this doesn't make compelling reading.
The storyline runs around the disappearance of a girl, her grandmother who runs the casino Dex is in debt to asks her to investigate and bring her back. That was perfectly introduced, though it took up a lot of pages, but other parts of the story don't click. As I said, I've read the book twice and still can't remember the reason for the second major part of the story... it feels very cloak and dagger which is perhaps why it wasn't very engaging.
Illustrations in comics/graphic novels are either hit or miss for me. The lettering here is pretty standard and managed to be clear and well laid out which was a great boost as sometimes it can get very chunky making it difficult to read. With the illustrations themselves you've got a nice colour palette that changes with the scenes and definitely helps move things along. Beyond that though I'm ultimately not a fan of the finished style, there's not enough differentiation between the characters and, as I mentioned above, it made for a difficult first read.
As an overall story there's something in it but it's a real challenge to like the characters, there wasn't anyone who I was looking forward to seeing again. Dex is given what feels like token bisexuality, it's not expressly pointed out but it's hinted at in a variety of ways. Her sexuality in general is quite heavy handed and I wouldn't be surprised if later down the line we find out she's slept with most of the recurring characters.
After I finished my first reading of Stumptown I messaged a friend... "It was bad and now I'm not sure I want to watch the series they made of it"... I pondered on that for a while because I was tired and maybe I was grumpy while reading it, the second reading came the next day, but even being more alert and less distracted by unfamiliar content I didn't get anything better out of this volume.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/05/based-on-stumptown.html
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
The story of Valerian is a good one. We open on Mül, a idyllic place of peace and a simple life. But this peace is shattered when fire rains from the sky devastating the entire planet. The last moment of Mül sees the Princess, doomed to die in the explosion, release her energy into the universe, through time and space.
Valerian, sunning himself on his ship, is hit with a sudden vision of the cataclysm on Mül. Unsure about it's meaning he goes back to the task at hand, retrieving a relic from some disreputable people on the black market. The "converter" is the last of it's kind in the universe, it will eat anything and rapidly replicate it, and as such is a very valuable commodity.
The mission is to return the converter to Alpha station. But when they arrive they discover that the station has been infected with something right at its heart. It's spreading, and all those that enter do not come back. When events lead to Valerian being drawn into the infected area, Laureline isn't willing to give up hope, and she battles her way in. Once she's reunited with Valerian they work travel to the centre of the station and discover the shocking truth about how the infection began...
The film is based on Valerian and Laureline, a French sci-fi comic series written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières. I have got the first one to read, but as is my tradition, I have yet to do so. The first one is available free on Kindle at the moment if anybody is that way inclined. I expect that it will get a much better reaction in Europe than it seem to have done in the States, which is a bit of a shame. Possibly the way to go would have been with bigger stars, but *shrugs shoulders* it's too late now.
As I said, the story itself is a good one, and while people are nit picking and saying there are plot holes... there aren't if you don't look for them. I have this horrible ability to just watch a film for what it is, if you just go and see something to have some fun you don't notice any of that. It's a horribly nice way to be able to live my life, I enjoy a lot more things that way.
What I'm about to say is going to contradict my overall feeling for the film... I didn't really enjoy Dane DeHaan or Cara Delevingne. I had originally thought that I hadn't seen DeHaan in anything before, but was soon getting recollections of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Scrolling through Delevingne's few years of films I've only seen Suicide Squad, and her acting as a "real person" is quite a small piece in that. While I can't think of anyone who would have perfectly suited either role, I feel like many other actors could have done an equal, or better, performance.
You get a wonderful introduction to what the station is, and has become. And we're treated to the potted history of alien species, several of which would sit quite nicely in the Whoniverse. I'm quite looking forward to reading the graphic novel. I can see stories unfolding in the different sections of the station, and that works. It almost feels like it would have made an amazing TV series, because it is essentially Star Trek with glitzier aliens and ecosystems.
As far as the secondary characters go we're treated to several memorable moments. Including Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp, which is as flamboyant as you'd expect. Clive Owen as Commander Filitt, stern and ruthless, the sort who would stab you in the back (or the front) for his own gain. Sam Spruell as General Okto-Bar, who acted his part incredibly well... I'm honestly surprised I've not seen any of the other things he's been in, but I will be checking them out. Rihanna as Bubble, I'm a little surprised about how much I heard about her being in this considering how short her role is. But the same is true of a few things I've seen recently. We first meet her at Jolly's den of iniquity, where the music video training definitely came in handy.
As a whole the film moves along smoothly, with only a few little bits that seemed like they didn't belong, or could have been cut out. Unlike other films though, these little additions didn't harm the overall product.
Here is where my love for the film takes a steep nose-drive. Imagine crying with joy to resting bitch-face in the space of a few seconds. The 3D was hideous. I can't even think of a nice thing to say about it.
When the scenes were general crowd shots or indoors, everything was fine... although these shots didn't really benefit from the effect. The exterior shots however, in my not so expert opinion, were a terrible idea. I found some of them actually painful to watch, particularly long range shots of Alpha with ships coming in to dock. It was near on impossible to deal with the perspective as there was so much happening. For the last half of the film I took my 3D glasses off every time these shots appeared on screen as my head was rapidly starting to hurt, and I wasn't the only one having trouble.
If it wasn't for the painful exterior shots I honestly would have forgotten I was watching the film in 3D. Unlike other 3D films, you weren't aware that things were coming out of the screen at you. Not once.
I really don't want to be so negative about this film, it was an enjoyable watch (without the optical illusion created by the 3D). I would recommend it to anyone who has a passing interest in sci-fi and adaptations of comics. And I feel like, if nothing else, it might get the graphic novels themselves more circulation outside of Europe.
But please... watch it in 2D.
Valerian, sunning himself on his ship, is hit with a sudden vision of the cataclysm on Mül. Unsure about it's meaning he goes back to the task at hand, retrieving a relic from some disreputable people on the black market. The "converter" is the last of it's kind in the universe, it will eat anything and rapidly replicate it, and as such is a very valuable commodity.
The mission is to return the converter to Alpha station. But when they arrive they discover that the station has been infected with something right at its heart. It's spreading, and all those that enter do not come back. When events lead to Valerian being drawn into the infected area, Laureline isn't willing to give up hope, and she battles her way in. Once she's reunited with Valerian they work travel to the centre of the station and discover the shocking truth about how the infection began...
The film is based on Valerian and Laureline, a French sci-fi comic series written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières. I have got the first one to read, but as is my tradition, I have yet to do so. The first one is available free on Kindle at the moment if anybody is that way inclined. I expect that it will get a much better reaction in Europe than it seem to have done in the States, which is a bit of a shame. Possibly the way to go would have been with bigger stars, but *shrugs shoulders* it's too late now.
As I said, the story itself is a good one, and while people are nit picking and saying there are plot holes... there aren't if you don't look for them. I have this horrible ability to just watch a film for what it is, if you just go and see something to have some fun you don't notice any of that. It's a horribly nice way to be able to live my life, I enjoy a lot more things that way.
What I'm about to say is going to contradict my overall feeling for the film... I didn't really enjoy Dane DeHaan or Cara Delevingne. I had originally thought that I hadn't seen DeHaan in anything before, but was soon getting recollections of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Scrolling through Delevingne's few years of films I've only seen Suicide Squad, and her acting as a "real person" is quite a small piece in that. While I can't think of anyone who would have perfectly suited either role, I feel like many other actors could have done an equal, or better, performance.
You get a wonderful introduction to what the station is, and has become. And we're treated to the potted history of alien species, several of which would sit quite nicely in the Whoniverse. I'm quite looking forward to reading the graphic novel. I can see stories unfolding in the different sections of the station, and that works. It almost feels like it would have made an amazing TV series, because it is essentially Star Trek with glitzier aliens and ecosystems.
As far as the secondary characters go we're treated to several memorable moments. Including Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp, which is as flamboyant as you'd expect. Clive Owen as Commander Filitt, stern and ruthless, the sort who would stab you in the back (or the front) for his own gain. Sam Spruell as General Okto-Bar, who acted his part incredibly well... I'm honestly surprised I've not seen any of the other things he's been in, but I will be checking them out. Rihanna as Bubble, I'm a little surprised about how much I heard about her being in this considering how short her role is. But the same is true of a few things I've seen recently. We first meet her at Jolly's den of iniquity, where the music video training definitely came in handy.
As a whole the film moves along smoothly, with only a few little bits that seemed like they didn't belong, or could have been cut out. Unlike other films though, these little additions didn't harm the overall product.
Here is where my love for the film takes a steep nose-drive. Imagine crying with joy to resting bitch-face in the space of a few seconds. The 3D was hideous. I can't even think of a nice thing to say about it.
When the scenes were general crowd shots or indoors, everything was fine... although these shots didn't really benefit from the effect. The exterior shots however, in my not so expert opinion, were a terrible idea. I found some of them actually painful to watch, particularly long range shots of Alpha with ships coming in to dock. It was near on impossible to deal with the perspective as there was so much happening. For the last half of the film I took my 3D glasses off every time these shots appeared on screen as my head was rapidly starting to hurt, and I wasn't the only one having trouble.
If it wasn't for the painful exterior shots I honestly would have forgotten I was watching the film in 3D. Unlike other 3D films, you weren't aware that things were coming out of the screen at you. Not once.
I really don't want to be so negative about this film, it was an enjoyable watch (without the optical illusion created by the 3D). I would recommend it to anyone who has a passing interest in sci-fi and adaptations of comics. And I feel like, if nothing else, it might get the graphic novels themselves more circulation outside of Europe.
But please... watch it in 2D.