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Ross (3284 KP) rated Deadpool Classic Volume 1 in Books

Aug 20, 2018

This collection of Deadpool's first appearances gets off to a very "meh" start, with a brief appearance in an issue of New Mutants. There then follows two distinct, but similar, storylines with more of a Deadpool focus. Here the artwork is great, but there is a dated feel to it, and the cod Irish dialogue from Banshee and Syren is cringeworthy.
The final issue is the start of Joe Kelly's tenure as Deadpool writer. Here the banter and 4th wall breaking is turned up a notch and Deadpool starts to feel better defined, albeit still in dire need of a decent enemy to face. However the artwork doesn't quite sit right with me, its all a bit too quirky and cartoony (big hands and faces and every other character has a cigar between his teeth). And adding this one issue into this collection just seems odd, as Deadpool as a character is very different to the previous stories, has a completely different setup and technology and just doesn't fit in at all.

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David McK (3731 KP) rated Nightlife (Cal Leandros #1) in Books

Jan 28, 2019

Originally picked up on a whim (as a Christmas present from my Amazon wishlist back in the early 2010s), and I'm glad I did. Be looking for more of this series, methinks.

<edit in 2018>
I've just re-read this again, and can fill in a bit more now than my previous 'review' (above).

This falls firmly into the Urban Fantasy genre, mainly told in the first person, with Cal(iban) Leandros the main narrator of the story, and with the Grendels (or Auphe, or Elf!) the main antagonists: the main, but not the only. In this world (or New York), there's also a Boggle in the park, Trolls (at least one) in the underground, Werewolves, Vampires and other associated mythological creatures, including one who takes a prominent role: that of Darkling (whose sisters are the Banshees of Irish myth). Caliban definitely undergoes quite a bit throughout this story with a major transformation in his character taking place roughly about halfway through: read it, and you'll see what I mean!

Kudos

David McK (3731 KP) rated Trapped (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #5) in Books

Jan 30, 2019

Book #5 in Kevin Hearne's 'Iron Druid Chronicles', this takes place 12 years after the events of [b:Tricked|106843|Tricked|Alex Robinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347400465s/106843.jpg|102982], and thus 6 years after the in-between novella [b:Two Ravens and One Crow|15728721|Two Ravens and One Crow (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #4.5)|Kevin Hearne|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344336650s/15728721.jpg|21407171].

In this, Atticus's apprentice Granuaille has finally nearly finished her training, with a large part of the story dealing with Atticus's attempts to get some peace in order to do so: a peace that keeps getting interrupted by the gods and goddesses of various pantheons, a lot of whom bear a grudge against him for various reasons (with the end of the novel having Atticus trying to make amends for previous actions - personally, I felt this was a bit 'tacked on' - against the Norse pantheon)

Comic relief, as always, is provided by his Irish Wolfhound Oberon (who Atticus can mentally communicate with), providing a much needed dose of lightening to the proceedings.