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Comic Book Fever: A Celebration of Comics, 1976-1986: A Celebration of Comics: 1976-1986
Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, Alex Ross and Frank Miller
Book
GEORGE?KHOURY?(author of The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore and Kimota:?The Miracleman?Companion)...
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Driven (Reflections, #9) in Books
Apr 6, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
The books by Dean Murray and Eldon Murphy (same person) finally collide in Driven and it works perfectly! With having the two previous stories detailing Geoffrey's life, you get a real feel for what he is trying to do and how he's acting. From the books detailing Jasmin's participation in Alec's pack, you can completely understand how the frustration and exhaustion would be affecting Jasmin. This book answers questions that were raised by the books prior to this one but you are still left with new questions that need answers.
This series is one of the most entertaining ones that I have read and the attention to detail is astounding. These books flow, are easy to read and you are never bored. There is so much action but it is perfectly balanced. You don't feel like you are thrown from one scenario to another.
I loved this book and have been waiting for it very (im)patiently but it was definitely worth the wait. Highly recommended to all Dean Murray/Eldon Murphy fans and fans of the YA, Fantasy or Paranormal genres.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 13, 2016
This series is one of the most entertaining ones that I have read and the attention to detail is astounding. These books flow, are easy to read and you are never bored. There is so much action but it is perfectly balanced. You don't feel like you are thrown from one scenario to another.
I loved this book and have been waiting for it very (im)patiently but it was definitely worth the wait. Highly recommended to all Dean Murray/Eldon Murphy fans and fans of the YA, Fantasy or Paranormal genres.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 13, 2016
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night's Edge in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I just finished Maggie Shayne's short story, Her Best Enemy, and enjoyed it a lot. Yes, the plot is rushed and I didn't believe they could love each other that soon at the end, but it was a really fun story! I would have liked it better if Ms. Shayne had left them just starting out in their promising relationship and not dropping the L-bomb at the end - it felt too forced and cheesy. But as I said before, it was very fun, and an easy and fast read too! :)
4/5 stars
Someone Else's Shadow was another very good story. I really liked Maddie, and while the love angle was again very fast, but at the end I appreciated that the author addresses how fast they fell in love. As with the first story, the ghost angle was creepy and made the whole atmosphere of the story come alive. The chemistry between Maddie and Phil was palpable and it did make me feel like they could in fact fall in love that fast. A great short story!
4.5/5 stars
Dancers in the Dark was another good tale in this anthology. Rue was a likable protagonist who had a horrible past, and while Sean could have been brought to life (ha!) more, he was still a good hero for her. The plot was well-done and I never got annoyed at Rue for feeling sorry for herself or anything, which can happen in stories similar to this. All-in-all it was a fascinating tale.
4/5 stars
4/5 stars
Someone Else's Shadow was another very good story. I really liked Maddie, and while the love angle was again very fast, but at the end I appreciated that the author addresses how fast they fell in love. As with the first story, the ghost angle was creepy and made the whole atmosphere of the story come alive. The chemistry between Maddie and Phil was palpable and it did make me feel like they could in fact fall in love that fast. A great short story!
4.5/5 stars
Dancers in the Dark was another good tale in this anthology. Rue was a likable protagonist who had a horrible past, and while Sean could have been brought to life (ha!) more, he was still a good hero for her. The plot was well-done and I never got annoyed at Rue for feeling sorry for herself or anything, which can happen in stories similar to this. All-in-all it was a fascinating tale.
4/5 stars
David McK (3562 KP) rated Batman the Killing Joke in Books
Jan 28, 2019
So, [b:The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787].
Commonly cited as one the best Batman stories (after [b:The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159]), The Killing Joke is, in reality, an origin story.
However, rather than being the origin story of a Superhero, this takes the somewhat unusual idea of being that of a villain instead: in this case, how did the most Notorious (and deadly) of Batman's foes - The Joker - come to be how he is?
This also draws parallels between The Joker and Batman himself, depicting them each as, if you will, two sides of the same coin - both have had a very bad day, but each have reacted to it differently (or have they?).
Personally, I feel that the origins of The Joker would have been better left to mystery rather than detailed as in this story; however, that's not denying that this is a good (if short) read in its own right.
Commonly cited as one the best Batman stories (after [b:The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159]), The Killing Joke is, in reality, an origin story.
However, rather than being the origin story of a Superhero, this takes the somewhat unusual idea of being that of a villain instead: in this case, how did the most Notorious (and deadly) of Batman's foes - The Joker - come to be how he is?
This also draws parallels between The Joker and Batman himself, depicting them each as, if you will, two sides of the same coin - both have had a very bad day, but each have reacted to it differently (or have they?).
Personally, I feel that the origins of The Joker would have been better left to mystery rather than detailed as in this story; however, that's not denying that this is a good (if short) read in its own right.
The Org: How The Office Really Works
Book
Why do members of Al Qaeda have to submit travel and expense reports? How do you create incentives...
Before there were Stars
Tabletop Game
Since ancient times, the twinkling of the heavens inspired people across the globe to create stories...
BoardGames StoryGames 2018Games
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) in Movies
Sep 26, 2020
Not a patch on the first
The Babysitter was a surprisingly good film, in all it's cheesy gory goodness and whilst it was a shock to see they had made a sequel, I was really hoping it'd have the same music. Sadly it didn't.
I feel like the success of the first film may have gone to the makers heads. They've tried to take what worked in the first film and take it to the extremes - the back stories of the original characters, in jokes and references - but the problem is that for the most part it just doesn't work. Seeing the original characters back is fun for a minute and then it (and they) just become irritating. This film really does suffer from the lack of Samara Weaving who doesn't have nearly enough screen time. Judah Lewis is fine but his relationship with Phoebe isn't at all interesting and watchable like his one with Bea.
The gore and deaths are quite fun, but the majority of this film just comes across as cringeworthy rather than cheesily good like the original. I really don't know what the ending was about and why they decided to go down this route. This almost spoils the original and I think is yet another case of a sequel that should never have been made.
I feel like the success of the first film may have gone to the makers heads. They've tried to take what worked in the first film and take it to the extremes - the back stories of the original characters, in jokes and references - but the problem is that for the most part it just doesn't work. Seeing the original characters back is fun for a minute and then it (and they) just become irritating. This film really does suffer from the lack of Samara Weaving who doesn't have nearly enough screen time. Judah Lewis is fine but his relationship with Phoebe isn't at all interesting and watchable like his one with Bea.
The gore and deaths are quite fun, but the majority of this film just comes across as cringeworthy rather than cheesily good like the original. I really don't know what the ending was about and why they decided to go down this route. This almost spoils the original and I think is yet another case of a sequel that should never have been made.
Teammate: My Life in Baseball
David Ross, Don Yaeger and Theo Epstein
Book
Of the many storylines to the Chicago Cubs incredible 2016 season was the late career renaissance of...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Irish Soda Bread Murder in Books
Dec 26, 2024 (Updated Dec 26, 2024)
These Loaves of Bread Aren’t Deadly to Your Waistline. They’re Just Deadly
Three cozy mystery authors reunite to again present St. Patrick themed novellas with their characters. Up first, Carlene O’Connor revisits her Home to Ireland characters as Tara gets involved when her aunt’s rival dies from Irish soda bread. Next, Peggy Ehrhart presents a story with her Knits and Nibbles characters when a judge in a contest baking dies after sampling the first loaf of bread. Finally, Liz Ireland takes Mrs. Claus and three of the elves from Santaland to Oregon when April goes to investigate a leak in her inn only to get involved in some shady things going on with her caretaker.
All three stories are entertaining. I read this anthology for the Mrs. Claus story, but I felt right at home with the characters from the first two as well, so if you haven’t met any of them yet, you can easily use this to sample the authors. Given that these are novellas, I felt the authors all did a good job of bringing the characters to life, although I did feel the pacing could have been stronger. Still, I enjoyed all the stories and the twists we did get. I even laughed at that final story multiple times. If you pick up this book now or wait until March to read it, you’ll find yourself enjoying it.
All three stories are entertaining. I read this anthology for the Mrs. Claus story, but I felt right at home with the characters from the first two as well, so if you haven’t met any of them yet, you can easily use this to sample the authors. Given that these are novellas, I felt the authors all did a good job of bringing the characters to life, although I did feel the pacing could have been stronger. Still, I enjoyed all the stories and the twists we did get. I even laughed at that final story multiple times. If you pick up this book now or wait until March to read it, you’ll find yourself enjoying it.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Love, Death & Robots in TV
Jul 7, 2020
Unique And Visceral Experience
Love, Death, & Robots is an adult animated anthology tv series on Netflix. The series is produced by Joshua Donen, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller, and Tim Miller. Each of the 18 episodes released on the first season was animated by different crews from a range of countries. It's also a re-imagining of 1981 animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Topher Grace, Gary Cole, Samira Wiley, and Stefan Kapicic.
Produced by different casts and crews, and consisting of 18 stand-alone episodes, each under 20 minutes, the title of the series refers to the recurring themes of love, death, and robots in each episode. Full of terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy, it's a collection of animated short stories spanning several genres like horror, comedy, fantasy, and science fiction. Captivating stories come to life with world-class animation in a plethora of tales unlike anything else.
This series was wicked awesome. Reminded me of some of the other animated anthologies I've seen such as The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, except quite a bit more NSFW. This series also gave me a Twilight Zone vibe but bit darker. More blood and guts and highly sexual. Even though it's pretty graphic, I really liked a lot of the stories they told and the twists that most had in the end as well. Some are kind of hit or miss or just better than others but I think that there is definitely something for everyone despite the gore and nudity and language. I especially enjoyed the following episodes, 1. Sonnie's Edge, 8. Good Hunting, 10. Shape-Shifters, 13. Lucky 13, and 18. Secret War. The way they went about the story telling and world building in each episode was phenomenal. I really feel that some of these episodes deserve their own individual films or series to do them better justice. I mean some were just so good and less than 20 minutes felt like not enough or that they could have been even better. I give the entire series overall a 9/10.
Produced by different casts and crews, and consisting of 18 stand-alone episodes, each under 20 minutes, the title of the series refers to the recurring themes of love, death, and robots in each episode. Full of terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy, it's a collection of animated short stories spanning several genres like horror, comedy, fantasy, and science fiction. Captivating stories come to life with world-class animation in a plethora of tales unlike anything else.
This series was wicked awesome. Reminded me of some of the other animated anthologies I've seen such as The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, except quite a bit more NSFW. This series also gave me a Twilight Zone vibe but bit darker. More blood and guts and highly sexual. Even though it's pretty graphic, I really liked a lot of the stories they told and the twists that most had in the end as well. Some are kind of hit or miss or just better than others but I think that there is definitely something for everyone despite the gore and nudity and language. I especially enjoyed the following episodes, 1. Sonnie's Edge, 8. Good Hunting, 10. Shape-Shifters, 13. Lucky 13, and 18. Secret War. The way they went about the story telling and world building in each episode was phenomenal. I really feel that some of these episodes deserve their own individual films or series to do them better justice. I mean some were just so good and less than 20 minutes felt like not enough or that they could have been even better. I give the entire series overall a 9/10.