tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64766023964080533012024-02-20T20:32:30.026-08:00Reademption LiteratureFrankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-22356836146128158642018-08-05T22:45:00.000-07:002018-08-20T04:11:43.441-07:00 #HolmesPeerReading ADVENTURES part 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next three stories for ADVENTURES provided memorable action sequences that truly showcased Doyle's knack for descriptive prose and predilection towards the most mundanely bizarre. I know I haven't been exactly consistent in my reading lately, let alone posting my thoughts about it, but make no mistake: I'm still willing to see this peer reading through. I only have three more stories to go before I'd be finished with ADVENTURES, and, so far, this collection has a varied range of cases that are riveting, baffling and humorous (sometimes even downright unsettling for a few notable exceptions). Without further ado, here are my thoughts:
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>✫⎣Case #07⎦✫ THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE CARBUNCLE
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This can be readily seen as a Christmas story, given that it was set during the yuletide season. I remember this story well mainly because of the Granada adaptation. It started with Watson and Holmes examining a hat whose owner's identity they were trying to discern. It should be no surprise that Holmes had been able to deduce the kind of man who wore it based solely on the physical clues he could see. He's used this truck time and time again, and Watson still finds himself floored about it.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The real case that followed after tackled a thievery which involved a precious royal gem called the blue carbuncle. It was apparently famous and had gone missing. The leads were measly at best, so Holmes had to get creative in how he deduced the stone's whereabouts and how the burglar managed to stash it away without being detected. The answers to that were funny, making the tone of this entire narrative lighthearted and almost comical.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed this story because it was goddamn funny in a few places, especially when it was at last resolved, and Holmes confronted the perpetrator. In a twist I should have seen coming, the Great Detective let the man go simply because it was Christmas. That twist was pretty credible to me. After all, Holmes has done the same thing before in which he took it upon himself to not bring a criminal to justice, mostly because of the gray area of the circumstances.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, doing the same for this case was of petty consequence unlike that other time. Holmes assessed that the thief was not inherently a bad man but only a desperate and foolish one. He also reasoned out that sending said nervous wreck into prison and subjecting him into such harsh conditions may only refine him as a more cynical man who might be more susceptible to commuting worse crimes in the future. It actually made a whole lot of sense. Not sending the man to prison may have been a good way to reform him as opposed to the real punishment of serving time.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So it was essentially a Christmas favor that Holmes let this man off the hook.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>﹂✦ RATING: 7/ 10
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>✫⎣Case #08⎦✫ THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I. love. this. story. This was one of the few in ADVENTURES that really stayed with me and captured my imagination because of how seamlessly it flowed from beginning to end. It reeled me instantly as a reader from the moment the client was introduced and she began narrating the odd and subtly sinister situation she was experiencing that prompted her to consult the Great Detective.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This woman had a twin sister who died under suspicious circustmances and whose dying words while delirious haunted her. Holmes and Watson were in-sync at this point of their partnership even though the latter wasn't sure what to expect and was kept in the dark most of the time. Still he trusted Holmes knew what he was doing, and his friend never failed him in that regard.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's worth noting that SPECKLED is a locked mystery story, which is a staple of the detective genre to this day. Doyle has done an exceptional job building up the tension and suspense by giving up enough clues which would aid us readers to figure them out along with Holmes, although in reality we were just as confused about the events as Watson, who was still a pretty reliable narrator in spite of the chaos and shocking murder twist at the end of the story.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Playing up both the mystery and murder aspects of a detective story is always a delicate balance to maintain, and Doyle for SPECKLED did an excellent job conveying this. I don't want to describe the details of this story at all because I would be hard pressed not to spoil the entire thing. All I can say is that this was clearly one of the best Doyle has written and certainly one of the striking ones.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>﹂✦ RATING: 9 / 10
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>✫⎣Case #09⎦✫ THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER'S THUMB
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fresh from the heart-stopping previous story about a speckled band, this one also delivered when it came to the action and suspense. A good eighty-percent of the short stories in Holmes canon was usually told in flashbacks in which the client would describe in detail events that have transpired before they found themselves in the safety of Baker Street. This one was no exception.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can say that the riveting account for this one has rivaled that of THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS from last time. The man who told his tale was a hydraulic engineer hired to examine and do repairs for a hydraulic press owned by a family. He had a sinking feeling about the job already, but since it paid well enough, he decided to throw precaution to the wind, which was a big mistake. He found that later on and regrettably so.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The build-up and the actual attempted murder was rendered with chilling passages about how the engineer narrowly escaped death thanks to his perseverance and the kindness and guilty conscience of a stranger in the household. He had lost his thumb, however, but gained a second chance at life at least. The ending was a good simmer from that suspense, although Holmes was unable to apprehend the criminals who tried to kill the engineer since they arrived to late to the scene.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For that lukewarm lack of real resolution, I'm taking another star from my rating although the climactic events were still pretty damn engrossing to read anyway.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>﹂✦ RATING: 8 / 10</b></span></div>
Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-60453992578603165062018-06-30T22:29:00.000-07:002018-08-06T22:31:27.320-07:00#HolmesPeerReading: ADVENTURES part 2<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Save the Russian drama (which I've heard was pretty brilliant), I've watched a lot of Holmesian adaptations already; from the silver screen series of Basil Rathbone (not as great as I would have wanted), different interpretations from the canon (ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ʟɪғᴇ ᴏғ sʜᴇʀʟᴏᴄᴋ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇs and ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴇɴᴛ sᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ are great standalones; ʏᴏᴜɴɢ sʜᴇʀʟᴏᴄᴋ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇs, sʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sɪʟᴠᴇʀ sᴛᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ and ᴀ ᴄᴀsᴇ ᴏғ ᴇᴠɪʟ are unfortunately average) and down to the more recent Guy Ritchie ones with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law that surprisingly pack a punch. I also loved the animation ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴍᴏᴜsᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ and definitely thought the cinematography and feature film aspect of ʙʙᴄ sʜᴇʀʟᴏᴄᴋ every season to be astounding and entertaining, although I'm much more inclined to still believe its American cousin ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʀʏ to be the more nuanced series when it comes to character development and overall faithful tribute to Doyle's canon itself, especially on the more subtle yet meaningful aspects of his Holmes and Watson and the spirit of how he frames the cases. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The definitive Sherlock Holmes for me, as I've stated over and over since this Peer Reading has begun, is the Granada series with Jeremy Brett as the Great Detective. I've been using him as my GIFs for my posts as well. He's phenomenal in the role and the closest who has ever gotten to what many fans who grew up with the stories would envision Holmes to be in the flesh. So why do people love Sherlock Holmes stories? Well, I think it's because mysteries are a universal staple of storytelling in fiction that often translate to the real world events especially cases that have a hold on our imagination. In an era where serial killings are glorified by the mainstream media, a great majority of people have a morbid fascination for murders and mysteries. What separates Doyle's canon from other works by Pie, Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler (these authors are big names in the genre, by the way, and y'all should check them out) is not only Holmes himself as the lead detective but how he progresses in the stories which also involved his relationship with Watson, his ever loyal Boswell and associate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This review of the next three stories for THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES may be shorter than the previous ones and would barely have enough content in them, but rest assured that the next one will be better.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">THE REVIEW WILL BE SPOILER-FREE.
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">✫⎣Case #04⎦✫ THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">﹂✦ RATING: 8 / 10
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There was something about the way Doyle had penned this story that was the very first one of the Holmes stories so far that managed to build up a creeping sort of suspense. The balance among flashback, exposition and actual action is also consistent; something I've always pointed out as Doyle's weak point in the beginning of his canon that truly does improve the more he keeps writing Holmes stories.
I enjoyed the fact that this was a case in which the Scotland Yard has closed already, technically, but a client came forward to Holmes and Watson and asked them to clear the name of the main suspect based only on her woman's intuition that he did not do it. The reason it got a high rating for me aside from the objective elements I've cited was because of its resolution that further sealed to me that Holmes does operate on his own terms of justice. It isn't vigilantism, not even close, but he tends to use a more flexible moral judgment in which he respects that there is a karmic force that needs to be honored and goes beyond what the law he serves would prescribe.
That's pretty much as vague as I'm going to get here to avoid a spoiler.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>✫⎣Case #05⎦✫ THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>﹂✦ RATING: 8 / 10
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I waa so torn about this story at first, and most readers would probably not find it memorable enough to earn a rating like this. It unfolded solely via flashback during a client's account of events. The ending too didn't offer any definitive resolution. What I did love about it was the level of dread during the flashback that Doyle has captured spectacularly through secondhand description alone.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The name dropping of a certain organization being used here, for me, was a bold move. It revealed Doyle's own political leanings that in turn have influenced how Holmes acted in the story. Midway through Five Orange Pips, readers glimpsed an emotion in Holmes that I felt was necessary to further develop him as not just this crime-solving analytical 'machine' who gives insightful lectures on deductive reasoning and the science of it, but also as a righteous man who does care about his clients and the evils they may face; ones he feels responsible enough to abolish for their sake.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>✫⎣Case #06⎦✫ THE MAN WITH A TWISTED LIP
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>﹂✦ RATING: 7 / 10
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This story is so entertaining! It also started differently than most of the stories so far where Watson was in the middle of figuring out a mystery of his own about a friend of his wife's. The entire plot unraveled rather cheekily next, considering the 'mystery' involved was so simple that Doyle had to get very clever about its revelation in the end. It was reminiscent of A CASE OF IDENTITY which was, as I've said in the previous review, rather crappy.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think Doyle has realized that himself later on and tried to find a way to redeem that shit show through writing another story similar in its aspects yet far more superior in execution. And it worked. There was wit and humor in the way he crafted each scene that kept me engaged enough. Holmes and Watson too felt more like they have developed a real fondness for one another that hasn't yet been that present in the previous stories.</span></div>
Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-14704359837317591222018-06-09T00:56:00.000-07:002018-06-13T00:58:34.290-07:00 #HolmesPeerReading: ADVENTURES part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've reached the first anthology of the Holmes canon at last! THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is comprised of twelve short stories or standalone cases. Think crime procedurals in television shows. That genre of serials might as well hail from Doyle's Holmes canon itself. My idea for my next reviews of this book is that I'll divide the stories in groups of three so that I can discuss everything and hopefully make it as succinct as possible. After all, I can't really spoil too many details for each story, seeing as they are shorts and so the content of my reviews should also reflect that brevity.
In the interest of furthering my reviews as an insightful reading material about the Holmes canon, I also want to raise a few observations not necessarily in regards of the plot or mystery/case presented, but also on the characterizations or themes made in each piece. Holmes and Watson's respective development as characters, particularly their personal and/or working relationship, should be a focal point that I must address and tackle as I go on. They are such interesting individuals who continue to capture the imagination of generations of readers throughout the ages, whether here in the source material or in other adaptations. </div>
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It's worth noting that the Holmes short stories are not always in chronological order. The Great Detective had a long and illustrious career, and so some cases often never get told or only revealed later in another volume. Watson as the boswell would often publish stories out of order which will become noticeable only with the references he would make here and there to clarify certain dates. There were also references to cases that author Doyle himself never wrote and only added to give the impression of the multitude of cases Holmes had solved (or never solved), hence the reason why writers of today can still write (and had written) their own cases to add as supplemental material. I own six Holmes anthologies complied from several authors, and I can attest that there were a spectacular few I consider worthy enough to be added into the canon itself.
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Let's start talking about the first three cases in ADVENTURES, shall we?
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<b>✫⎣Case #01 ✫ A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA
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❛tσ shєrlσck hσlmєs, shє ís αlwαчs /thє/ wσmαn. í hαvє sєldσm hєαrd hím mєntíσn hєr undєr αnч σthєr nαmє. ín hís єчєs, shє єclípsєs αnd prєdσmínαtєs thє whσlє σf hєr sєх. ít's nσt thαt hє fєlt αnч єmσtíσn αkín tσ lσvє fσr írєnє αdlєr. αll єmσtíσns, αnd thαt σnє pαrtículαr, wєrє αвhσrrєnt tσ hís cσld, prєcísє вut αdmírαвlч вαlαncєd mínd...
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...αnd чєt thєrє wαs вut σnє wσmαn tσ hím, αnd thαt wσmαn wαs thє lαtє írєnє αdlєr, σf duвíσus αnd quєstíσnαвlє mєmσrч.❜
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﹂✦ Next to Professor James Moriarty, Irene Adler was another character strongly associated to Holmes. Most of it was because of the adaptations on screen and the fan fiction they spawned. Readers can interpret Watson's opening paragraph for SCANDAL in the obvious way, which is the fact that Irene Adler must have been Holmes' great (if not only) romantic love. When I was thirteen and started writing fanfics myself, I was understandably sold with this idea. It stemmed mostly from my own self-insert fantasies about being Holmes' own love interest. Young girls tend to do that about their heroes, don't they? Over the years, I've learned to view the potential relationship between them objectively.
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﹂✦ Some would argue that Watson himself had already abolished any notion or speculation of a romantic affair by explaining that the Great Detective never allows emotions to govern him, and that his feelings for Ms. Adler remain that of admiration and professional respect. After all, during the course of SCANDAL, she has shown what a remarkably astute and intelligent woman she was and therefore has even bested a great mind like Sherlock Holmes.
﹂✦ It was brought up in THE SIGN OF THE FOUR that Holmes distrusts the opposite sex. Whether or not this makes him a misogynist would depend on more examples that I'm prepared to make as I move along with the volume. There are notable scenes and dialogue that would point out that he sees women in general in an unfavorable light, as much as there are examples where he fought and defended an exceptional woman who impressed him. Irene Adler was one, and so is the governess Violet Hunter who will make her appearance in the last story found in ADVENTURES.
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﹂✦<b> RATING: 8/10
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* This story was a good opening for ADVENTURES. We get to see Holmes put on a few disguises as he spies on Irene Adler to uncover a certain photograph. And, as added bonus, he got to put a member of a prominent royal family in his place.
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<b>✫⎣Case #02 ✫ THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE
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﹂✦ A notable moment in this story had to be Watson's descriptions of Holmes' mood swings. He made observations regarding the man's consuming lethargy when he has no cases to solve or interests to pursue at the moment, which were then contrasted with his high energy and infectious charm every time he was hot upon the scent of a mystery. There were speculations among Holmes scholars and fans that he had a bipolar disorder since the symptoms of his behavior point to that nature. My favorite definitive Holmes actor Jeremy Brett shared this disorder, which lent his performance of the Great Detective some incidental authenticity.
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﹂✦ Holmes' passion for the violin and classical masterpieces was also tackled in this story. I think this was the first time Watson and the readers witnessed the softer side of Holmes in which he has displayed keen interested towards arts and music and not just towards science and crime-solving. According to Watson, ❛“thє stαgє lσst α fínє αctσr, єvєn αs scíєncє lσst αn αcutє rєαsσnєr, whєn [hσlmєs] вєcαmє α spєcíαlíst ín crímє.”❜
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﹂✦<b> RATING: 7/10
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* The amusing con involving red-headed men is interesting to see get solved. Holmes' shrewdness is enjoyable especially because he was rather cheeky about it too. He also imparted more great lessons about what he does as a scientist and detective, such as: ❛As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is t̲h̲e̲ l̲e̲s̲s̲ ̲m̲y̲s̲t̲e̲r̲i̲o̲u̲s̲ it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are r̲e̲a̲l̲l̲y̲ p̲u̲z̲z̲l̲i̲n̲g̲, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify.❜
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<b>✫⎣Case #03 ✫ A CASE OF IDENTITY
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﹂✦ This story was actually a weak point for me, not only because of how easy it was to figure out the 'mystery' element of the case, but also due to the fact that it ended on a weirdly detached tone in which Holmes didn't even care to disclose the truth to his client, whom he dismissively claimed will never believe it anyway because of her sentiments of the heart. It just didn't sit right with me, is all. Holmes operates on his own morality scale, true, but he just sounded thoroughly negligent here when he never had a problem with brutal honesty before. Not even Watson protested about it when he's the type of fellow who's always eager to jump on a woman's defense, especially if she has been wronged.
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﹂✦ RATING: <b>6/10
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* We also don't get to see Holmes and Watson engage in anything remotely resembling an action sequence or a good mental sparring with the 'antagonist'. It really felt as if Doyle was half-asleep while penning this one.
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Slow and steady is how I move through this peer reading, I know, given my other creative preoccupations plus the burden of my work as a teacher. But I've made a vow to myself to be consistent with my posts and reviews. I surely hope Airiz herself can catch up soon. THE GAME IS ON!</div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-79208400621612837502018-05-12T20:37:00.000-07:002018-05-29T21:16:47.562-07:00#HolmesPeerReading: THE SIGN OF THE FOUR<div style="text-align: center;">
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Airiz and I have been unfortunately slacking off in our Holmes Peer Reading, but she probably has a better excuse than I have, what with the demands of her work and abundant social life. Me I'm always online and writing for Twitter RP, and that's where most of my creativity is focused on. I was really hoping to turn it around this year, however, which was why I've been writing fanfiction again and even started this peer reading for Sherlockian canon, and I'll do myself an injustice if I don't become consistent with these other commitments.
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On my end at least, I've accomplished the first two novels of the canon. My previous twitlonger post about A STUDY IN SCARLET indicated that I've always thought that<b> THE SIGN OF (the) FOUR </b>is a better story, and I definitely stand by that although I should clarify that this is an objective comparison with regards as to how Doyle approached the groundwork of SIGN that feels more intact than the one for SCARLET.
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The debut story in question has a few enjoyable aspects for me which had more to do with getting to know Holmes and Watson individually and how they would later on work well together as detective and biographer and eventual loyal friends. The mystery and murder case were only secondary when it came to the appeal of SCARLET, although they did provide memorable instances that we now associate with the Holmes canon. The revenge plot was quintessential in a lot of whoddunnit stories and the detective genre itself, and Doyle was definitely one of the pioneers who would become better at rehashing this trope in a few Holmes short stories after SCARLET.
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My main yet slight nitpick of SCARLET, however, was the flashback device Doyle has employed, which also covered the better half of the closing chapters in the novella. One can admire his willingness to experiment on the narrative, of course, although some of that too was indulgent, and I much rather preferred how he wrapped things up here in SIGN that used that kind of flashback device but kept it within the dialogue/confession of the culprit. This was opposed to dedicating an entire three-four chapters of it where the POV completely shifts to a character we will never meet again over the course of the Holmes canon later on.
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I won't needlessly discuss each scene sequence and turning point for THE SIGN OF (the) FOUR here in this post since I want to be as succinct about it as possible and just raise the parts that struck me as crucial to discuss. That way, anyone who might read this won't get spoiled of the details concerning the plot in case they are encouraged to pick up the Holmes canon to enjoy for themselves.
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<b>(1) THE PLOT (not an in-depth look)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6pDs-7-zlAuTxWRLVLm4SbAhnpkHwt3GNTu1nkzeuWzuuSTdp_5Wcp-UIf2wKwrsA6T7qfq0etlaQuDJRdo62_34B5ADmJe92E6SNBNGxZrDdflgIZQ5hKN1FgdM0tLdJlxpdIXURaMn/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6pDs-7-zlAuTxWRLVLm4SbAhnpkHwt3GNTu1nkzeuWzuuSTdp_5Wcp-UIf2wKwrsA6T7qfq0etlaQuDJRdo62_34B5ADmJe92E6SNBNGxZrDdflgIZQ5hKN1FgdM0tLdJlxpdIXURaMn/s1600/giphy.gif" /></a>A client by the name of Mary Morstan consulted Sherlock Holmes for an advice regarding a bizarre predicament she's facing. An anonymous sender has offered her expensive pearls as a compensation for an injustice they did not specify but still felt she was owed. Morstan also spoke about her father who disappeared many years ago, and Holmes pointed out the the possible connection between that and this generous patron. Later on she brought them to a man who claimed to be an associate of her father back when they served in the infantry.
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Things escalated soon enough as a murder took place and the wrong man was arrested. Holmes and Watson had a brief yet entertaining chase across the sea between boats, and the real culprits were revealed to have motives that both humanized them, much like it was in SCARLET.
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The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a historical point that was contextualized in this story as well. Themes of avarice and revenge were once again used but of a different shade and scale than SCARLET. Hidden treasure and the secrecy surrounding it as well as the betrayal among supposed allies was explored. And then we even got a dash of romance in between pages for Dr. Watson and Mary Morstan whose feelings for one another were apparently mutual.
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(<b>2) JOHN WATSON FALLS IN LOVE
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Watson mostly talked about how admirable in spirit Mary was; that her attractiveness was not only because of her 'delicacy of face and manners' but also the iron and calm underneath that. He's essentially a school boy tackling how much he wishes he could hold hands with a girl. Holmes was made aware of Watson's infatuation with Mary from the beginning, but since it had no bearing on the interesting case he was saddled with, he half-heartedly made snarky comments that highlighted his distrust of the opposite sex yet (classic Sherlock) but still told Watson that he's free to pursue the lass if that's what he wanted.
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[SPOILER ALERT: He eventually marries Mary some time before the next case happens for The Adventures]
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I liked these intervals in the story because they've entertained me. Watson had been a total sap for SIGN when it came to Mary, but he's also a very endearing one who has expressed more of himself as a real person which contrasted the workaholic automaton that Holmes will always be on the other hand. It's worth mentioning that the good doctor was there for Holmes all the way through in the case, acting as a reliable ally and companion who genuinely supported Holmes with every ludicrous idea the Great Detective would have, as Watson often played the role of a sparring partner when it came to Holmes' mental acumen as he goes about solving the case.
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<b>(3) HOLMES AND THE SEVEN-PERCENT SOLUTION
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdvu4TXAlX7ZiYrZomTDKbZghuxe2s1ngk3UJoSdInRv5nfSlxhn8pD566GA-kVlmPY8W9idpE53SauqRASWiuGFqrceRHH8R1wqldmZ2vA2LayDJP6LCGNE8SSPCoiTyS92Y3k38l72-/s1600/tumblr_mfmxm5iM8s1qe8wvfo4_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdvu4TXAlX7ZiYrZomTDKbZghuxe2s1ngk3UJoSdInRv5nfSlxhn8pD566GA-kVlmPY8W9idpE53SauqRASWiuGFqrceRHH8R1wqldmZ2vA2LayDJP6LCGNE8SSPCoiTyS92Y3k38l72-/s1600/tumblr_mfmxm5iM8s1qe8wvfo4_250.gif" /></a>That is not to say that Holmes' characterization was treated in a wholly clinical manner for this story. In fact, it was in THE SIGN OF (the) FOUR that Doyle revealed that his seemingly perfect Great Detective has a drug habit. Oh yeah, Holmes looooves his cocaine (and the occasional morphine).
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By modern standards, a drug habit is not only a worrying practice but one that is detrimental to the user and their loved ones. The show ELEMENTARY's focal point of character interpretation for Sherlock Holmes relied heavily on discussing the dangers of him being a heroin addict and how that affects his relationships with his family and the people he works with on a daily basis including his partner (and previous sober companion) Joan Watson. But since the Holmes canon operated on the Victorian era of sexual repression and nilly-willy drug indulgences, his habit can be taken as just another passing quirk that wouldn't really define him as a person except that it really does. It can be considered as the one fatal flaw of his character. Watson knew it too, and he was rightfully enraged to see his friend using harmful substances that can cause serious repercussions on his brilliant mind in the long run. Holmes, of course, justified it by being a smug dick, citing he needed constant stimulation or else he gets 'bored:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">❝mч mínd rєвєls αt stαgnαtíσn. gívє mє prσвlєms, gívє mє wσrk, gívє mє thє mσst αвstrusє crчptσgrαm, σr thє mσst íntrícαtє αnαlчsís, αnd í αm ín mч σwn prσpєr αtmσsphєrє. вut í αвhσr thє dull rσutínє σf єхístєncє. í crαvє fσr mєntαl єхαltαtíσn.❞
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This is also one of the reasons ELEMENTARY sets itself apart from all the Holmes adaptations as so refreshing and progressive because the writers tackled how damaging a drug addiction could be, and a brilliant man like Sherlock Holmes should never have been exempt to the ill effects it has not only on neurological and emotional levels but also interpersonal. Here in SIGN, Doyle provides a two-fold interpretation of such a behavior where Holmes glorified it as some sort of saving and temporary solution to his 'boredom' whilst a medical professional like Watson argued that it is debilitating and shameful that the most intelligent and sophisticated analyst he has ever met would fall victim to such a vile habit. I could go on and on about his drug habit but I won't. It was still crucial to bring it up though, considering it was the story's cold open and its grim conclusion.</div>
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The next on the pipeline would be the twelve collected works comprised in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. The canon was divided into anthologies like this, so it's more or less like the procedural shows we watch on TV. I'll go so far as to say that modern detective shows borrowed this format from Doyle's canon. I really hope I could get started on A Scandal in Bohemia before this month ends, and that Airiz can catch up to me soon and share her thoughts ✬</div>
Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-66761109009677024112018-03-04T19:32:00.000-08:002018-05-29T21:07:50.225-07:00#HolmesPeerReading: A STUDY IN SCARLET<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here I am, 120 pages into <b>A STUDY IN SCARLET</b>, and the story has just reached its inevitable conclusion. As a debut story for a fictional character who will go to live on in such a way that his own creator never could have perceived, SCARLET didn't exactly have all the makings that would lead anyone who first read it to believe that Doyle can pen another story starring Holmes and Watson again, but that didn't make it any less engrossing or worth the second read.
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Detective work (especially forensic science) has been made to be so fascinating in televised adaptation that I believe the original medium in which it spawned from (the written form) may not be as captivating, considering that the entire thing was set-up in an era lacking the technology of today. But any good detective work is truly a matter of deductive reasoning which Doyle had done his best to capture in his Holmes canon. I've watched the very first CSI show in 2003 just months after I bought my copy of this book, and it was an interesting comparison for me to make that even with the stark contrast between the Victorian era and the advancements of the modern age that help in solving crimes, Holmes stories can definitely hold up their own as a compelling narrative solely because readers (through Watson as a representative) can experience the nuances of deductive reasoning in full force.
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To pick up from what I've said in my last twitlonger post, I'll comment first on the groundwork of the mystery/case itself. Anyone who may read this short review and has seen the BBC Sherlock with the pilot A STUDY IN PINK will recognize the elements easily enough. I'll always view this story in the eyes of my thirteen year old self who has never encountered anything like a gritty murder mystery before, but I would be hard pressed not to make comparisons now with the BBC adaptation.
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For starters, the murder scene in SCARLET plays out exactly like it did in the show for PINK with a few notable changes. The victim whose corpse Holmes and Watson examined was male as opposed to female, and it was never revealed until later on as part of the first of three twists by the nearing end that the victim had been poisoned. Holmes was accompanied by Watson and two other detectives too, Lestrade and Hopkins, who were in direct competition with one another and therefore are on a race against time as to who can settle this ugly business.</div>
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It's interesting to see how the three men tried to work out scenarios as to how the crime played out, but readers can determine already that Holmes was the one who can most potentially untangle the seams of this mystery because of his methods that are unheard of for Scotland Yard; a method he had cultivated over the years and devoted much of the expansion of his knowledge to. Earlier in the story, Watson had enumerated Holmes' strengths and weaknesses as an academic whose expertise can be desultory and sporadic. This had purpose and meaning to the overall process of the events that took place next. In revealing what encompasses Holmes's knowledge, Doyle makes a believable argument as to why this consulting detective had what it takes to solve murders in a fresh and exciting way using real science, which is, of course, the groundwork for forensic studies centuries later.
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Without delving too much into it, I would say that I enjoyed reading the version of Lestrade and Hopkins' sleuthing where they each followed different leads. The two of them taking the time to present their cases before Holmes was fun for me to see unfold but not because they were erroneous in their findings (and Holmes inevitably was victorious) but because of how well it informed readers that this was the way police work back in that era was conducted.
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Watson had also observed that although Holmes took pride in his prowess, he doesn't mind giving the credit and spotlight to the two other detectives, because recognition and accolades meant that little to him. All he cared about was demonstrating how the crime was committed and how it can be solved so the ones who are responsible can be brought to justice.
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The thing about SCARLET is how there is so much more depth to the murder mystery than just uncovering the identity of the killer and bringing him to trial. Doyle had even spent the second part of his novella by employing a flashback concerning the character Jefferson Hope, the perpetrator for the crimes. Here Doyle contextualized and justified why Hope has killed, and therefore made him a sympathetic, almost anti-hero of a tale that's surreptitiously boils down to that of love and vengeance. The motives this murderer has is to avenge what happened to the woman he loves and the methods he employed to get even with the men who had taken away the love of his life were complex and quite symbolic.
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Rather than just explicitly killing them, his two victims were given a choice between two pills inside a bottle in which one of them is lethal. It's a roulette of death then, but with pharmaceuticals instead of loaded gun. Hope wanted to taunt these men since they are of religious faith and to force them to gamble their lives by making a fatal choice is agonizing for them, and that makes for the ultimate satisfactory bonus for Hope's vendetta.
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The murder mystery in SCARLET was an unconventional one, relying on the trappings of what was supposedly a straightforward plot about killers and their victims but was fleshed out enormously by Doyle by giving the killer a humanizing backstory as opposed to a nefarious one. His so-called victims were the real villains as far as reader perspective is concerned, and so there was a bittersweet pay-off on Jefferson Hope's end when he had taken justice in his own hands and served it best cold. I don't know about you, but that's how I like my justice.
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I don't really have any definitive closing thoughts about SCARLET except to say that this had been a great introduction to what will be a celebrated canon for centuries. Watson's deftness in laying out the groundwork that Holmes is this enigmatic figure who can read people and situations with a sharpness unlike anyone has ever done before is what enhanced the Great Detective for me. Doyle deciding to write using Watson as the POV character also made the prose enjoyable especially as the next stories come along.
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This is going to sound as an anti-climactic way to end this post, but this is all I could come up with for now on the fly until the next story in the mix which is THE SIGN OF FOUR. I actually really loved this story much more than I did SCARLET. And I'm excited to get into it soon! But first, Airiz will post her own thoughts next about SCARLET before I start on my intro for SIGN. I'm looking forward to what she has to say!</div>
Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-70092906494260297892018-02-11T19:27:00.000-08:002018-05-29T21:02:50.720-07:00#HolmesPeerReading: Initial thoughts on SCARLET<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">❛ Tнεяε'ѕ тнε ѕcαяlεт тняεαd σƒ мυяdεя яυииιиg тняσυgн тнε cσlσυяlεѕѕ ѕкειи σƒ lιƒε, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">αиd συя dυтч ιѕ тσ υияανεl ιт, αиd ιѕσlαтε ιт, αиd εχρσѕε ενεяч ιиcн σƒ ιт. ❜
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Reading through the first twenty-five pages for <b>A STUDY IN SCARLET</b> was most certainly very nostalgic. My peer for this endeavor, Airiz, just told me that it was the only Holmes story she had read a while back in high school, so this is more or less a re-read for us both in that aspect.
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My impression after coming back to this Holmes story (which was the Great Detective's first appearance ever in the Strand Magazine back in 1887 for their Christmas Annual) was not the same as the one I had before when I read it for the first time at thirteen years old. There was so much wild intrigue and fascination for me back then because I was viewing in the fresh eyes of a budding bibliophile. Doyle was also the first author in classical literature whose work I've had the pleasure to experience, and he had since opened the doors to that genre of fiction for me. Still, reading it tonight made me very excited, and it was still a rewarding pursuit for me to pick up his books again.
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I still recall every passage and dialogue that had occurred in those measly twenty-five pages, all of which I envisioned now with the knowledge of someone who had seen the more modern adaptations for Holmes and Watson on-screen. The closest thing their first meeting was adapted approximately was back in BBC Sherlock's pilot episode entitled "A Study in Pink". Of course, that had its tweaks since it was set in our current times as opposed to Victorian London.
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Not even the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett had depicted the very first time Holmes and Watson met which for me is a disappointing if not completely missed opportunity. After all, Brett remains to me as the 'definitive' Holmes, and I would love to have seen him act out the scene in the laboratory. In it, Holmes had just discovered a more proficient way to examine blood by establishing timeline. This was a crucial discovery because it would aid immensely in crime detection back in that period.
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From the get-go, author Doyle had characterized his Sherlock Holmes as a scholar who prided himself in his scientific experiments especially the results he would yield from them. He was bold, innovative and unabashed in taking his studies one step further, no matter how eccentric they prove to be. Watson would later figure out just how both encompassing and limited Holmes' knowledge is when it comes to certain branches of studies, and that was one of the notable things I'd like to tackle here in my expanded notes.
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The next pages detailed succinctly not only Holmes' profound grasp in subjects like Chemistry, Botany (notably poisons), Geology (soil samples) and Sensational Literature (he avidly follows crimes), Doyle also touched upon his ignorance of more 'practical' knowledge such as the Copernican Theory. Holmes asserts that it was useless to him if the earth revolved around the sun since it had little meaning in his work. The man also believed that the human brain is an attic, and you must only store valuable information in it so as not to crowd it with senseless data.
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But what was his work? Later on, Watson will discover this right after he read an essay called 'The Science of Deduction'. He thought the observations made by the analyst in the paper are absurd, but Holmes countered it by saying deductive reasoning is the most practical scientific method of all. He revealed that he wrote that article and he can attest to its credibility.
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Ah, the science and art of deductive reasoning. Where do we begin with that? Well, in BBC Sherlock, the writers had depicted it as some sort of superpower in which only Holmes and his older brother and rival Mycroft are gifted with it. However, the American adaptation Elementary had grounded it in more reasonable terms, and it was therefore much more in spirit of how Doyle intended it to be.
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Deductive reasoning is a science; it can be both taught and learned provided that someone shows devotion and passion in the art of observation and analysis. It isn't some superpower that only genuises like Holmes are readily bestowed with like some sort of karmic provenance. No, it is a cultivated way of living in which a scientist makes a real study of it and constantly harnesses and improves their skills on deducing events right from the most banal and mundane.
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This is one of the things I enjoy about the Holmes books and why I think Elementary (next to the Granada series) is the closest adaptation to Doyle's method of approach concerning Holmes' supposedly crime-detecting genius. Sure, it is impressive in scope how Holmes can deduce things in near perfection by just looking at clues in a person's clothing or many other details in appearance when he's within a crime scene. But Doyle had always treated it with a more pragmatic sense of wonder for the readers' benefit than glamorize it that it becomes an alienating sort of parlor trick that only serves to impress and entertain.
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Unlike in the BBC adaptation, in which we have Moffat and co. make it seem like deductive reasoning is inaccessible to the average man and Sherlock Holmes is a superhero simply gifted with it, Doyle instead presented that anyone can study deduction. It does take someone who puts in constant hard work, however, and has the drive and patience that such a rigorous endeavor entails, in order for him or her to fully master said craft.
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Sherlock Holmes is one such individual. But you could be too, if your heart and soul is in it. The Holmes books had taught me that science shouldn't be put in some pedestal never to be touched and only admired from afar, but rather a goal in which one can aspire to achieve and make a difference in.</div>
Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-34356471394921453972018-02-09T19:19:00.000-08:002018-05-29T21:00:22.852-07:00#HolmesPeerReading: INTRODUCTION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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❝Lɪᴛᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ᴀ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱʏᴍʙɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ɴᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡᴀʀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟᴇꜱꜱ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ.❞ </div>
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I just finished reading the introduction by Loren D. Estleman entitled ❛ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BOSWELLS❜. </div>
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Aside from tackling the contents of the stories provided in the two volumes of this collection that are more or less general summaries about notable titles, the essay also touched upon the role of Dr. John Watson. M.D, who is Holmes' biographer and chronicler of his cases. </div>
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I definitely agreed with the points raised regarding the unfair treatment which Watson had suffered throughout the decades in regards to his portrayal on-screen ever since Nigel Bruce in those series of black and white films from Hollywood starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes came out. </div>
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In those movies, he only served as a comic foil, this bumbling fool. They emphasized that he was fat, ignorant and useless. And that never made sense to me at all, given the meaningful contributions his character has made and how much of a self-insert of Doyle he was supposed to be himself. </div>
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A man as brilliant as Holmes will never live with someone like that nor will he allow Watson to be involved in his criminal cases if he truly was unintelligent. The fact of the matter was that though Watson may not be the genius sleuth like Holmes and was celebrated for his prowess of unmatched deductive reasoning, the humble doctor remains just as important and pivotal of a character for entirely distinct reasons in the Doyle stories. </div>
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One, he is the man who framed the adventures and cases of his friend with a dash of literary liberties that make them so compelling to read in the first place. He engaged the readers with his prose and painted Holmes in a sympathetic light which in turn made readers want to know more about this Great Detective. Two, he is very much competent as a partner, one whom Holmes had time and time again relied upon because he was loyal and had on occasions risked his own life for the both of them. The fact that he was not only a doctor but an army doctor was also critical; this meant he has the taste and the temperament that would suit chasing around criminals and solving crimes. </div>
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As a character in an objective sense, Watson is also well-nuanced, even more so than Holmes ever was since the man remains ever a mystery which is where his appeal through the decades depended upon. Meanwhile, Watson is someone readers would find warm and enjoyable especially during his private musings and observations about people including his stoic friend. His love and devotion to Holmes, as well as his thirst for intrigue and higher sensibilities are qualities that would continue to endear him as the stories went on. </div>
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I'm glad that the introduction touched upon how Watson made so much difference for the character of Holmes and the tales they were written in. Fortunately, the more modern adaptations had been kinder and more in spirit of what Doyle intended him to be. In BBC Sherlock with Martin Freeman, the Guy Ritchie films with Jude Law and, of course, even in his gender-bent version for Elementary as played by Lucy Liu, Watson's significance had finally been developed and realized for a younger generation of audiences to appreciate and adore.</div>
Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-32474566804487534882017-11-29T23:50:00.002-08:002017-11-29T23:53:00.246-08:00"It is always the nature of dreams to define reality"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The craft that goes into weaving stories is majorly credited as the most astounding feat of the imagination, but it is also nonetheless laborious and altogether a vexing preoccupation. My own fascination for myths and legends started from an impressionable age which I pursued over the years ever since I discovered that I not only have an insatiable passion to read books but also an inclination to pen tales of my very own.<br />
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And this is how Neil Gaiman's enduring series found me at the ripe age of nineteen. In 2009, I was also actively pursuing a scholastic career in writing as soon as I joined the student paper to become a literary writer. The current associate there then (who eventually became one of my best friends) introduced me to Neil Gaiman. He looked up to this author and even had a chance to interview the man himself and write a feature article for our magazine.<br />
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Suffice to say, The Sandman shaped a lot about how I began to view the art of making myths and storytelling ever since I started to consume its eleven-volumed breadth years ago. The series was published by Vertigo comics, which is an extension of the DC universe with works that do not necessarily fall in the superhero genre, such as more adult-oriented storylines with fantasy and occult elements. Gaiman's rich tapestry of plots and characters which populated The Sandman was evident not only in the ensemble of artists who inked and illustrated each issue/collection, but also in how he mightily penned the dysfunctional anthropomorphic family called the Endless, and how they affect the lives of countless characters.<br />
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The Endless is essentially a family of timeless beings that embody seven core aspects of the universe's consciousnesss. The eldest is Destiny followed by Death, Dream and Destruction, then the twins Desire and Despair and finally Delight who later transformed into Delirium. Each Endless is responsible for the realm of their namesake, governing and facilitating everything. Their influence is far-reaching and not only limited to Earth. Destiny knows what happens to every life that was ever lived as his sister Death is sure to claim every single one. Meanwhile, Desire plays games and orchestrates drama and passion to make people aspire to have it all, as their twin Despair shows people what happens to desires unmet or desires not wanted at all. And then we have my personal favorite, Delirium, whose existence is the definition of joyous chaos; undiscriminating and inexplicable where madness is the only freedom. Chaos, however, only befell the realm of Destruction when he had decided to abandon his duties due to an incident (tackled in a later volume).<br />
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At the heart of The Sandman is, of course, the eponymous Dream himself, who rules the Dreaming and inspires the land of stories. Any living mind has a fertile imagination that can weave tales. After all, gods with their myths and legends were birthed through the dreams of the people who believe they must exist and therefore they do. This is then the realm which Dream protects and serves. As a character, the King of Dreams is as enigmatic as one would expect from a timeless being who rules the subconscious. Gaiman surely wrote him as someone who is a stickler for rules and duty, but one who is often prone to falling in love with mortals; a few of whom suffered the consequences of becoming a lover to an Endless. Such circumstances become pivotal points throughout the series' run which also explores the complicated dynamics involved between the Endless and specific humans whom they form deeper connections with.<br />
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The Sandman: Overture is a prequel to the original series. It's been years in the making and the finished product was just so motherfucking astounding! Gaiman's success with the publication of The Sandman had secured him a position as one of the most influential fantasy writers of all time, specifically for the comics medium. Sure, Gaiman had enjoyed some commercial accolades with his actual novels like American Gods, Good Omens, Stardust, Coraline as well as with his anthologies, but it is The Sandman which, for me, had immortalized him. This is his living legacy that will never be forgotten.<br />
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And this was why a prequel was more than a welcome treat to his long-time readers and fans. Gaiman and the artists who worked tirelessly on this masterpiece had not disappointed at all. In OVERTURE, the events of this graphic novel were set before the premise of the first The Sandman story in which Dream of the Endless was held in captivity for ninety-five years by a cult whose leader actually wanted to detain Death but got the wrong sibling instead. <br />
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OVERTURE revealed the story as to why Dream was weak enough to get entrapped by a spell. It turned out that he had just come back from a space trip. That's right, the Endless also have intergalactic relations with many galaxies across the cosmos, all of which have a different version and interpretation of them. With six issues, The Sandman: Overture is an ambitious body of work, but one that managed to deliver a lot of promises in its limited bulk of pages. Each issue spans a fascinating tale about Dream's forced adventures to confront the many aspects of his own self. His mission in OVERTURE hinges on helping a star that has 'gone mad' and whose infection is spreading through other constellations and even nearby planets.<br />
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I wouldn't necessarily advice new readers to pick up this book without tapping into the original series first, but in case you are one of those people, I do feel the need to caution you that OVERTURE wastes no time on introductions and already opens with sprawling narratives that are interconnected only if you are familiar already with the mythos and these characters that have made appearances in the previous Sandman work.<br />
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That said, Gaiman's voice is ever engaging and mysterious, but it also felt more focused than it ever had been back when he began writing The Sandman. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that he had by now mastered his voice for this titular character and the overall arc of the story itself. The premise concerning an intergalactic adventure, however, has to be a new one for Gaiman to tackle based from the scope of The Sandman stories he had written in the past. Most of the standalone arcs in those early volumes were exclusively earth-bound (with the exceptions of events that occurred in dreams). The exception had to be the last volume which was an anthology concerning each Endless. The Dream-centric installment in it was set somewhere in a galaxy where planetary bodies and alien species attended a party, and Dream came with his first lover (and very first heartbreak), Kilala.<br />
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I do not want to go into the specifics of what happened in OVERTURE especially since it only had six issues, but I will comment on the outstanding breadth of art and illustrations contributed by the main artist J.H Williams III. Aside from Gaiman writing The Sandman prequel itself, the second most commendable thing and selling point of this project was the artwork. <br />
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A collage of sprawling multi-colored landscapes and painfully intricate and boldly etched sceneries can be savored and enjoyed by the readers of OVERTURE who will experience a literal 'feast for the eyes'. The panel layout of the pages was creatively rendered that either emphasized a certain atmosphere for a particular dialogue or scene that was enclosed in it, or enhanced the symbolic representation of what that specific scene was trying to communicate as spelled out by Gaiman's prose.</span><!--Clip_XXXX_171127_182620_606--><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Since I intend for this to be a spoiler-free review, I suppose all I can really do is to encourage anyone who wants to try their hand on the comics medium to pick up either this prequel or the original run of The Sandman itself. Hopefully, my praises for Gaiman's body of work would serve as enough incentive. It would change your life and the way you would view myths and legends in general in the context of your personal creed and culture when compared to the universal themes that are widespread not just in literature but in the history of stories themselves. I knew that <i>The Sandman</i> certainly challenged my own views and even enhanced my enjoyment.</span><br />
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-14100381818253173642017-03-27T00:30:00.001-07:002017-03-27T00:30:38.403-07:00"When you allow darkness to blanket your being..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The root of all horror is <i>fear</i>, but people frequently mistake fear as an easy experience; it's that obvious crescendo in the scoring during a movie when you know some weird shit it about to go down. Horror then is reduced to mere jump scares and cheap thrills to shock and repulse people, but that ultimately is a disservice. Granted, said genre in film had often catered to audiences that are simply looking for mindless gore and lifeless dialogue being spoken by flat characters whose only purpose are to be brutally murdered and disposed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">But with recent entries like <i>The Babadook</i>, <i>It Follows</i> and even <i>The VVitch</i>, horror movies can possibly become more exploratory and symbolic; just as it had been decades ago in its prime before all these franchises about serial killers, ghosts and demon possessions have turned the genre into something rather repetitive and sublimely stupid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Such stories after all lack the human element which is exactly what horror is supposed to be all about regardless if it deals with the paranormal or the macabre. Horror stories must deliver a harrowing tale of the human condition in which madness, grief and vulnerability are fully realized and exposed for the pickings of vultures. Anyone who has ever read Edgar Allan Poe would understand that there is more to horror than just surprising you with a well-timed jump scare or a literal rendition of blood and guts spilled for your viewing pleasure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In this modest Filipino anthology written in the English language, thirteen writers exhibit their own harrowing narratives. Enclosed in a compact collection that is truly impressive as the sum of all its parts, <i style="font-weight: bold;">All that Darkness Allows</i> is a worthwhile read with a few stories layered with unforgettable symbolism while others explore myths as the rest were cautionary tales that delivered some punches. Right off the bat, it opens with its titular story about a lunar event that threatens the peaceful quiet living of Earth's residents. The first-person story was hypnotic, prone to melancholic contemplation as readers feel the utter loss of hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Afterwards, readers would sample <i>The Skip</i> which presents a post-apocalyptic landscape with almost Lovecraftian monsters thriving in the tunnels of a subway system. We also get a surprising ghost story entitled <i>Going Down</i> whose twist at the end was rather commendable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A staple of the horror genre often deals with female protagonists discovering something terrible and inescapable about their lives and this trope is very much present in a lot of the anthology's stories such as <i>Dalaw, Mama's Here, The Invite, Sunshine, All the Birds, Fire Tree</i> and <i>Inked. </i></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From this bunch, the ones that stood out for me are </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">All the Birds</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> and </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sunshine</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> whose symbolisms have open interpretations that at first exposure would only feel slightly uncomfortable until they really settle in and leave impressions that can chill the bones. </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Mama's Here </i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">and </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Fire Tree</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> both deal with any mother's truest fear coming to life while </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Dalaw</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> and </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Inked</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> have their female protagonists succumb to inner darknesses during one fateful moment. The only difference is that </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Inked</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">'s protagonist truly caved in and offered herself to forces beyond her comprehension. Meanwhile, </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Invite</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> explored the nuances of grief and guilt, a rather unpleasant and oppressive combination.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Certain other stories have very perplexing premises and these are <i>Analemma </i>and <i>Phantoma, Towards the Pharmacology</i> which I feel I can't even spoil and readers themselves have to get into. They are respectively written by Eliza Victoria and Karl De Mesa<i> </i>whose works I am more than familiar with in the past. One story of this collection stood out the most because it's probably the only one that really sickened me in a lot of levels and that's the body horror masterpiece entitled <i>Stigmata</i>. The descriptions of debauchery performed by two men of cloth, as well as those concerning a certain illness that inflicts the body, did get my stomach churning for a bit--and when the connotations of religious fanaticism came into play, I really can't stop myself from cringing even as I finished the story itself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In a nutshell, <i style="font-weight: bold;">All that Darkness Allows</i> is something you don't want to miss out on. If you're looking for horror stories that are more than just passing tales about ghost hauntings and garden-variety gore, then you may want to purchase this from your local bookstore soon.</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-5938820009357988252017-03-19T03:01:00.000-07:002017-03-19T03:01:01.968-07:00To More Ceaseless Nights of Bliss and Frenzied Feeding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Short stories can probably be considered the most underappreciated form of fiction writing these days, particularly those that belong in the genre of speculative fiction. Not a lot of people are aware of this, but said genre actually thrives in the fringes of Filipino literature and most are written in the English language. Writers like Dean Francis Alfar and Eliza Victoria have had small mainstream successes with their respective works, but other writers for the genre only have their works usually published as part of a varied anthology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In fact, I never would have discovered author Gabriela Lee myself if I wasn't dutifully checking the Filipino Literature section of my local bookstore near my place of work. I'm glad I did one day because I would have missed out in buying my copy of her freshman debut <i><b>Instructions on How to Disappear</b></i> whose cover illustration as well as the rest of its visual presentation was enticing enough to pick up and browse through. I was furthermore encouraged to read it because Dean Francis Alfar himself wrote the Introduction who promised the readers a truly remarkable experience in the hands of Gabriela Lee herself. With my expectations in check, I proceeded to partake. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Composed of no more than eleven short stories, this collection had made it rather easy enough to make a fair assessment of Ms. Lee's caliber and style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I would consider that seven of these tales are the ones I considered the most poetic and painfully unforgettable; all of which were intricately woven as they combine both searing, introspective narrative and hard-hitting symbolism. At times I would even feel as if Ms. Lee was carving the words not just in my skin but also in my bones. Her expertise in literary language is unapologetic and unique. She was not only effective in exploring characters with nuance in which their personal journeys through the abyss would resonate almost powerfully in readers, but she was also adept in crafting plots that expose not only the mythical in her more urban fantasy stories, but also the maddeningly sublime and hurtful in her futuristic dystopias. By reading Ms. Lee's collection and embracing its magic, I realized that a short story is only as good as its overreaching message of either hope or despair.</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Instructions</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> opens with </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bargains</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> whose atmosphere and situation resemble the very premise for CLAMP's manga </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">xxxHOLIC</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">, but with a more horrific twist of its own. An aspiring writer whose ambition outweighs her talent meets up with an enigmatic Chinese shopkeeper. This elderly woman provided her with the means to become successful in her literary field--but for a very steep price. Next we have the charming </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The Side of the Looking Class</i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> which is quite young-adult-esque with its heroine outcast and her weight problems. The wish fulfillment element of this odd story is what gave its sequence of events a guilty pleasure appeal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Tabula Rasa</i> was the most haunting piece in the anthology overall; a dark yet romantic tale of how love literally consumes its host. Much of its narrative was driven with metaphorical representation which can be borderline absurd. After all, how else would you interpret events concerning a woman who can absorb all of her boyfriend's memories every time they engage in sexual congress and, in turn, she was also able to abolish his very identity and essence until he was reduced into nothingness? There was something almost suspenseful about this story as it reaches an ill-fated climax. On the flip side, we have <i>Capture</i> which chronicled a college boy's photography project with his model who seemed to slowly become less tangible than the photos in which she was depicted in. These two stories are the most ambiguous as <i>Honesty Hour</i>, meanwhile, is the most straightforward yet also the least interesting story of the collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">One of my top favorites is <i>Hunger. </i>In this story, Ms. Lee was able to examine her own mythos concerning the lore of the <i>manananggal</i>. Written in the second-person, <i>Hunger</i> follows the intimate details of succumbing to a cursed state and how often liberating it is to accept your transformation as the kind of creature anchored by nightmares and bloodlust. That being said, it was also a bittersweet account about unrequited love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Most of this anthology's stories deals with the devastation of a lost love such as the titular <i>Instructions on How to Disappear</i> and <i>August Moon</i>. On the other hand, not all of Ms. Lee's stories captivated me. One of them is <i>Stations</i> which revealed a dystopic landscape that feels a little fragmented story-wise, redeemed only by the bouts of lyricism in the prose; whereas the more urban fantasy story mixed with mythology entitled <i>The Nameless Ones</i> succeeded in delivering a fast-paced thriller which warrants a second chapter because it left me looking forward to a multi-chaptered series of its plot. I would definitely read a second part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The other science fiction dystopia tale is <i>Eyes As Wide as the Sky</i> whose opening paragraph already illustrates just how breathtaking Ms. Lee can write and sustain that same enchantment of prose all throughout the way said story flowed. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Its subtle horror and piercing poignancy were both unexpected, and left me with a sensation of loss myself once I have reached its tragic conclusion that left more questions unanswered.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"We did a good thing when we raised ourselves up from the rubble of the last war. Amid the carnage and destruction, we built the single thing that can truly stand the test of time: the Last City, a shimmering dome that surrounded our fluted structures of glass and metal, rings upon rings of protection that we erected against he elements, against time, against all that wishes to destroy the final creation of mankind." </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In a nutshell, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Instructions on How to Disappear</i> is a purchase you will not regret!</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-43282913006079195982017-03-18T23:21:00.000-07:002017-03-18T23:21:51.103-07:00"Poems. Confessions. Apologies. Promises."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Shelved next to copies of <i>Otaku, Candy</i> and <i>Reader's Digest</i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">In Case You Come Back </i>is this medium-sized book of poems with assorted themes which wouldn't even be as noticeable at first glance. Its spine is plain white with a small and barely discernible font, prompting most of us not to give it a second look unless we feel the need to keep browsing the shelf. The only way you could select it among the pile was either by purposely looking for it, or by simply having the strangest luck. My stumbling upon it was admittedly through pure chance, and I may even deem such event as 'serendipitous' because it found me while I was in a delicate cusp of heartbreak and discord where I could certainly use a balm that would appease my troubles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This poetry collection was a collaborative effort between writers Marla Miniano and Reese Lansangan as well as with the illustrator Jamie Catt. The latter's sketches were pretty and metaphorical enough in execution, providing readers the imagery that often supports the content of the writings themselves. The results of which become a varied palette of some of the most intuitive, well-woven and eloquent compositions that denote sentiments and grievances delivered with more clarity than ever before. There is an unmistakable self-indulgence in how these entries were written and yet the excess ultimately works for their favor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Miniano's verses can stretch and bend in agonizing intervals, uninhibited by any measure or rhyme. Her stylistic choices are more elaborative than your basic poem structure, often relying on descriptive prose as opposed to the economy of words to deliver her message of all manners of love; from the desperately romantic to the heartbreakingly nostalgic-- all while she would alternate in tone from the the liberated quixotic to the stifled cynic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I most certainly would argue on her behalf that Miniano's most punishingly detailed and articulate entries were those that invoke not only unforgettable imagery but also strong feelings of the forlorn and lonely which we can </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">readily</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">associate them with. They're the ones that are crowded enough to leave readers breathless. Here are samples of her prose poetry:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">These poems wondrously chew the scenery. They also convey an inescapable deluge of details. Such poems might call to mind the most mundane trivialities of every day sufferings mixed then with the tragically extraordinary in order to produce a concoction of emotions. They can define and demystify ambiguities for people who have at one point lost it all before gaining back something else in the end. Such tales were woven together into a singular tapestry next. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Miniano's poems in this collection (as well as Lansangan) have that constant effect all throughout; these writers break down said experiences first into fundamental aches--like a salvage from all the debris in the aftermath of destruction--before arranging them back to make them whole again through pointed if not searing words.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">My best advice to enjoy this collection is to consume it slowly; with steady breaks in between each page so one can fully savor and digest each meal served. Not a single poem was ever lifeless, but some do require more patience to get through because Miniano also possesses a tendency to spin her tale far too carelessly that the ink she had metaphorically used spilled rather messily in some pages, leaving dark spots on the edge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">That being said, these flaws--if one would be so inclined to overlook or forgive--can enhance her entries. They can be deemed flawed mechanisms of creative expression for even in their failures the poems still hold a certain allure. <b><i>In Case You Come Back</i> </b>is somewhat of a titular reassurance to its readers; a self-aware apology that aims to win over the most harshest of critic; and an open invitation to explore its lonely territories once more and experience the tidal waves of grand highs and lows without necessarily forsaking one for the other.</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-44361861581104701292016-11-27T01:06:00.004-08:002016-11-29T09:57:40.621-08:00Legends of RED SONJA by Gail Simone Vol. 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I have no idea who Red Sonja is, to be honest, and that means I had to go online to research about the character's origin and publication history as a comic book series. From what I understand overall, she was a character created by Marvel Comics around 1973 when she first appeared in a <i>Conan the Barbarian</i> issue. There was also a movie about her at some point. She's the quintessential pin-up fantasy heroine from comics. What made me want to read this more recent Dynamite comics title is because Gail Simone (from DC's <i>Batgirl</i>) is the writer of this particular line-up. Also, there is something nostalgic about warrior women for me. I did after all grow up to <i>Xena: the Warrior Princess</i> (but I was nine and I don’t remember specific things about that show except that Lucy Lawless rocked and kicked ass). And so reading Red Sonja definitely gave me that kind of nostalgia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The first volume of this revamped version from 2010 to 2012 entitled <i>Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues</i> reads more of an anthology with a sideline linear narrative. According to what I researched, this Red Sonja is a distant relative for the original She-Devil with a sword. Knowing this premise actually helped demystify some elements for this volume that seemed shaky and suspicious. Nevertheless, reading this collection had been enjoyable because of its action-packed moments and interesting blend of tall tales, feminist insight and sometimes clever subversion of tropes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A group of warriors named Grey Riders are the 'protagonists' of this story as they are on a quest to capture or slay Red Sonja whose reputation and deeds make her very larger-than-life if not almost mythical. For every issue, the Grey Riders have to interrogate an array of colorful side characters who have a tale or two to spare about the legendary She-Devil with a Sword. And that's how this volume reads and develops as an anthology because of the interwoven separate an standalone stories that the Grey Riders have to hear and often have to figure out whether or not these tales are authentic. A lot of the stories emphasize the badassery and cunning of Red Sonja. Some are exaggerated to the point of absurd while a few are designed to inspire paranoia or discourage the Grey Riders on their quest to seek out the infamous fire-kissed warrior who seems to keep eluding them throughout the journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Simone has worked with many fantastic artists for this volume and the variety and quality of the artworks and illustrations are truly a feast for the eyes and a feat of the imagination. What stands out easily when it comes to the depiction of Red Sonja is her iconic bikini-style armor. It is so utterly gorgeous and in one issue Simone even had a self-aware flashback that acknowledges the deadly allure of a formidable fighter who happens to be a scantily dressed woman--and what that can do to unsuspecting fiends and rivals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I had a great fucking time reading this volume. It's ridiculous yet witty, infectiously daring and unafraid in its exploits and small doses of dark humor, and visually interesting with the multiple collaborations of artists working together. The first volume included a script for one of the issues as well as gallery for the concept art. This is something that can be consumed by novice and veteran comics readers alike. So if you like your women fierce and written by a female writer, you can’t go wrong with Gail Simone and her work for the Legend of Red Sonja.</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-92224748333028120882016-11-22T22:44:00.000-08:002016-11-22T22:44:20.218-08:00Rachel Rising by Terry Moore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The last graphic novel I reviewed just a week ago is about a woman who cannot be killed (<i>Lazarus</i>), and now I'm doing another one about yet another female character who is resurrected from the dead. It's a playful coincidence. The two stories have nothing much in common except that basic premise, however, and if I'm to be honest I think I much enjoyed <i>Lazarus</i> although that doesn't actually mean that Terry Moore's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Rachel Rising</i> doesn't hold up well as a series. If the first volume is any indication of how certifiably creepy and atmospheric everything is, then I will surely pick up the second volume someday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Rachel Rising</i> is about the titular female character who was strangled and left for dead as she was buried in a shallow grave next to what seemed to be implied as a land where witches used to live and do evil stuff? It's all speculative for now. The very first pages opened with Rachel walking out of said grave with fragmented memories as well as possessing literally bloodshot eyes and very discernible rope marks around her throat. Moore's illustrations are minimalist and drawn in black and white. The panels certainly make you feel as if you could be reading this on a Sunday paper, in spite of the macabre and gore that would be happening next as the chapters progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The story for the first volume <i>The Shadow of Death</i> unfolds in two ways. We have Rachel's side of the plot on one hand and this little girl character named Zoe on the other. Rachel sought the help of her aunt, Johnny, who is a mortician and her childhood friend Jet, to find out about her attacker and how and why in the fuck did she even get resurrected from death. Her character story as the heroine crosses with that of the secondary character Zoe's version of the events. Her side of the story is the more disturbing, filled with gruesome deaths. A malignant force in shape of a mysterious woman had taken control over Zoe's actions, making her do very bad things while she is still much aware of the deeds as she is committing them. At a crucial point in the narrative Zoe and Rachel finally cross paths but another awful tragedy strikes that would claim more lives than either of them could possibly imagine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I like this series so far. The story is still half-baked and often shaky at best. Most of the time the evasive dialogue and lack of real action aside from people getting killed could get tiresome real fast, but just when the pacing and momentum feel like it's slowing down, Moore leaves readers with just enough incentive to keep them reading anyway, eager to solve the mystery surrounding Rachel's resurrection and whatever evil is about to spread in her hometown brought about by ritualistic sacrifices that heavily imply that this has all been a set-up for now and there is a storm that is about to come. Things may pick up by then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I think I would recommend Rachel Rising to anyone who is looking for something gothic and enticingly creepy. It's digestible enough if not momentarily baffling in some places. It's still missing a real hook for me which is why I'm giving it a safe rating.</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-79752909842512932192016-11-17T22:57:00.000-08:002016-11-16T22:58:15.330-08:00LAZARUS by Greg Rucka Volume 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6imRcLFUjK5V3_b-ibD9wj__xYWaaX8im_N_mBdwYRhF6gnfzAQEpWJhDA0I7SxoTN3nGRibyl1g5JA6qKo8PC-VGbRwVMb-DmrK8XEZRDHKPrbYxOgpsZ3z0-phdKllmBjrFpG2y4dy/s1600/Screenshot_2016-11-16-01-11-53.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6imRcLFUjK5V3_b-ibD9wj__xYWaaX8im_N_mBdwYRhF6gnfzAQEpWJhDA0I7SxoTN3nGRibyl1g5JA6qKo8PC-VGbRwVMb-DmrK8XEZRDHKPrbYxOgpsZ3z0-phdKllmBjrFpG2y4dy/s1600/Screenshot_2016-11-16-01-11-53.png" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Comprised of the series first four issues, this debut volume written by Greg Rucka, and illustrated by Michael Lark with the colors done by Santi Arcas, is a dystopian science fiction story that definitely holds promises. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I actually liked it even if it's only a hundred pages long. My review for this graphic novel collection is positive enough although I can't say yet what is in store for the rest of the series, seeing as the four issues of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Lazarus </i>felt like watching a pilot for a TV show. With that comparison, I believe these issues hold enough weight on their own both as separate installments and as a singular story that unfolds efficiently well. Action-packed and well-balanced when it comes to exposition and dialogue, <i>Lazarus: Family</i> is something readers can easily consume in one sitting but it's also a substantial serving which would make them come back for more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Speaking of TV pilots, this series might actually be adapted for a television show, and based from what I have seen so far, I think it would work well. The plot of the story focuses on a futuristic setting where capitalism is the dominating status quo that had abolished real governments across the world. The wealthy and privileged reign as supreme rulers and each city in the states is governed by a 'Family' while the rest are deemed as Waste (not even kidding, it's that blunt). Essentially, the modern world reverted back to a brutal age when elitist rich families are considered the most valuable while everyone else are cattle and slaves. How demeaning is it that after that much progress humans societies have made throughout history that the shift of power had only moved back from what was once considered ancient and barbaric? But I digress. I can actually see this future happening someday because of frighteningly good reasons when you consider the widening chasm and disparity growing between the rich and the poor even to this day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now the heart of this socio-political is our protagonist Forever Carlyle, who serves as the 'Lazarus' of the Carlyle family. As the namesake implies, she can never die and can come back from any method of killing or death. She's reserved and obedient, but also quite inquisitive and kind. Forever (or Eve) had started asking questions about her purpose and calling which is something her 'siblings' and the man she calls 'father' are not so thrilled about. The first four issues delved in the beginnings of Rucka's world-building where the Carlyle family has some strained relationships with other feuding families from across the state lines and within their own parameters of territory. There is enough betrayal and deceit to go around with, and characters who will become main players for the narrative are fleshed-out enough to compel readers to look forward to their roles and participation in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I get this vibe that <i>Lazarus</i> will have the sensibilities of <i>The Sopranos</i> and <i>Game of Thrones</i> since it is about the privileged families who are also engaged in organized crime. I think it's not a bad direction to go for, and I'd be interested to learn how Rucka would pull it off in the next installments. Lark's illustrations are detailed and particularly enjoyable to look at especially with scenes that have a weight of importance. I like the way each panels are positioned not only during action sequences but also during the quieter moments. Colorist Arcas had employed rather dark colors for his palette, but they worked exceptionally well to deliver the atmosphere of prejudice and power struggle which the characters are engaged in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Overall, this is an impressive debut series with a satisfying first arc and a tantalizing heroine to match it. I definitely look forward to the other volumes in the series!</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-6940308028332362712016-11-12T01:27:00.002-08:002016-11-12T01:35:34.868-08:00Webcomics Watch: CUCUMBER QUEST by Gigi D.G<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There are a lot of wonderful adventure-fantasy webcomics out there, both popular and obscure, and some of them are long-running series that stretched out for years already that keeping track of their multiple arcs can be a hassle especially if you are more of a casual reader (and more so if you barely get internet access). This ongoing fluff yet sublime webcomics story written and drawn by Gigi D.G is still in the earlier stages of its hopefully long run in years to come, so there is definitely more time to catch up and get yourselves invested in the amusingly enjoyable characters and the literal candy-colored worlds of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cucumber Quest</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The collected printed volumes for this webcomics has the Prologue and Chapter 0 as the first volume, Chapters 1 as its second, and Chapter 2 as its third. Currently, the fourth chapter online is about to be concluded. I managed to finish until the third chapter last night, and man it has been such an utter delight. The good thing about <i>Cucumber Quest</i> is that it's truly for light reading and very easy on the eyes. Gigi D.G's simplistic art style shines well because of her extravagant choices of colors. Bright and often with rainbow layers in coloring plus adorably draw bunny-eared characters being entertaining and funny, each page for this webcomics is a pleasant feast for the eyes, and it certainly did remind me of children's books in the best way possible. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There is never a dull moment for the chapters of this series because Gigi D.G's enthusiasm and passion shows in the way she balances the pacing, humor and heartwarming moments of each arc, and hence she makes readers eager for more installments concerning Cucumber and the gang as they move forward to face their outlandish villains and visit/get stranded in various candy-colored landscapes that readers would squeal over because of how pretty they are. I know I sure did, and I guarantee that you will too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In retrospect, <i>Cucumber Quest</i> can just be taken as a straightforward adventure story starring the bookish and socially reserved Cucumber who only wants to go to magic school but is plagued with the prophesy that he's supposed to be a legendary hero. He's neither outdoorsy or skilled in combat, but it's his 'destiny' to defeat the Disaster Masters and the infamous Nightmare Knight. It seems basic but the storytelling chops of Gigi D.G is anything but generic because, on the other hand, <i>Cucumber Quest</i> is also subversion of certain quest tropes with a minimalist approach that never dares to take itself seriously as a deconstruction, and that is what makes it fun and compelling to go through. It never had to be dark or radical that would border on pretentious; what you see is what you get, and what it offers are well-balanced elements of recognizable tropes coupled with fantastic chemistry among its chief cast. This series can be comparable and may have been inspired by <i>Adventure Time</i> animation series, but it's also entirely unique as its own brand of quirky self-awareness and shenanigans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Joining Cucumber in his reluctant quest to save the kingdoms and put a stop to the evil queen Cordelia's master plan and also defeat the Nightmare Knight whom she summoned, are his sister Almond who is more or less the one who is more eager to become a monster-slaying adventurer; Sir Carrot, the often cowardly yet endearing knight who loves to do chores, and later by the frustratingly eternal optimist Princess Nautilus of the Ripple Kingdom. The villains they face are the ridiculous named trio of Sir Tomato, Bacon and Lettuce, the witch Peridot (who has a nemesis /girl-crush situation with Almond) and the array of Disaster Masters for each kingdom they visit. Fun times and hilarity ensue as Cucumber is still being forced to participate in all of this while making astute if not meta observations of how suspicious everything about the famed prophesy and the roles they must take to fulfill it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Let's take a look of some lovely art so you guys will get a taste of what I mean when I said that it's literal candy. Here are some of the pages that I enjoyed both for art and content:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It's only by the second chapter (third volume) that things get more explored and given a heftier substance and depth. Cucumber's suspicions are slowly being confirmed the more evasive their supposedly appointed guide Dream Oracle becomes if not outright being aggressively dismissive of Cucumber's questions. The Big Bad villain Nightmare Knight also begins to show his true colors which may not be as vile or dark as everyone believes it to be especially the more he interacts with the captive princess Parfait. Even the Disaster Masters themselves don't seem that willing to keep fighting, and Almond is really the only one who is enjoying this quest while Sir Carrot is more concerned about getting back to his sweetheart Parfait. Still, the humor is entertaining particularly when it's centered around Princess Nautilus who really acts as the charming ditz of the narrative, that is until you get on her bad side. Other extra characters like the thief Saturday, the creepy inventor Cosmo , that alien caped crusader and the Limbo/Pizza gang also provide comic relief in small doses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In a nutshell, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cucumber Quest </i>is a worthy webcomics series that has enough mass appeal for even the most casual reader to get into and enjoy. Gigi D.G is also beginning to develop the characters in interesting ways as well as drop hints and bread crumbs every installment as to what is the real deal with this supposed 'hero quest' that Cucumber must keep enduring, and why the Dream Oracle is being curiously vague regarding what is going on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I will keep reading to find out and you should too!</span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-44437059426695762982016-11-02T05:49:00.000-07:002016-11-02T05:49:31.368-07:00NOVEMBER List of Readables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-41471723939441064792016-10-31T05:23:00.000-07:002016-11-02T05:24:38.196-07:00"No one's love is truly unconditional"<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF5kLWG1vODz0K-NFpn50FKaFFHVClI09wDBk0hSh6kXVmtqCVt2PdoxEyHJo8tGPR4OHzCkGWmrPU_JYhdxpxoV1hOFg10jcipnIeoNvUGsZkOWb6FLJS58m23DudzA3xDNKpuZNVT-P/s1600/wlg-cover-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF5kLWG1vODz0K-NFpn50FKaFFHVClI09wDBk0hSh6kXVmtqCVt2PdoxEyHJo8tGPR4OHzCkGWmrPU_JYhdxpxoV1hOFg10jcipnIeoNvUGsZkOWb6FLJS58m23DudzA3xDNKpuZNVT-P/s1600/wlg-cover-a.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I have been a fan of Eliza Victoria since coming across her novel <i>Dwellers</i> which is one of the most exciting psychological supernatural thrillers I have read, and it spanned only for less than two hundred pages! A year later I stumbled upon this, her latest book, and as fates would have it, I only carried enough money with me that also happens to be <i>the exact amount </i>that had enabled me to purchase this treasure. And it is one for the collection!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The reasons why I get excited about reading Eliza Victoria are (1) I don't usually connect with female fiction writers for some reason, save for Virginia Woolf and the CLAMP mangaka; (2) she is a Filipino author and a very talented one at that; and (3) the genre she writes in, which is urban fantasy, is something I believe she brings a lot of freshness of ideas into, particularly on the mythology of supernatural creatures and several folklores. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wounded Little Gods</i> touches upon the polytheistic religion of Filipinos from the old times. Before we became a Catholic nation for the most part, Filipino ancestors pre-colonial times used to have many deities they worship and dedicate functions concerning nature such as weather and harvest, and this novel explores the idea that these deities still do live on, particularly in a remote fictional place called Heridos. But that was until a grave incident occurred which abruptly ended the communication and patronage between the gods and the people of Heridos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Regina, this book's protagonist of sorts, comes home to Heridos after a co-worker of hers left her a piece of paper containing an enigmatic map and a few unfamiliar names before this co-worker disappeared. Rather curious about this baffling turn of events, Regina tracks down the names on the paper as well as other several clues which more or less feel like someone is purposely dropping these bread crumbs for her to find. The way the story unfolded both on Regina's end, and ultimately on the end of the unseen characters who will be later revealed as important players, has been executed fairly well. Victoria has built up the right amount of suspense to deliver a plot whose twists are subtle yet still memorable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I've noticed a common theme in her novels which are sibling relationships. Both in her previous works <i>Dwellers </i>as well as <i>Project 17</i>, a science fiction concerning memories and artificial intelligence, all have lead characters who are cousins or brothers. In <i>Wounded Little Gods</i>, the same theme occurs but this time between a brother and sister. I just think it's noteworthy to point out. I can't really say much about this book because it's rather short much like <i>Dwellers</i>, but the substance is worth the serving because Victoria's prose is a case of simplicity that denotes elegance. The way she weaves certain scenes and sentiments together makes her conflicts and the resolutions of them bittersweet and poignant, often relying on the impact of her characters' defeats and their small compensations at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It might be easy to compare this to Neil Gaiman's <i>American Gods</i> because the concept of deities still living among humans while in disguise as one of them has been explored by Gaiman not just in said book but in his graphic novel series <i>The Sandman </i>too, but that would be a tad unfair because Victoria's own version is unique in itself. Besides, it's also thrilling to see Filipino deities portrayed in fiction in a very compelling manner. Aside from the pagan religion and mythology aspects of this book, there is also a subplot concerning scientific research with questionable ethics that has been performed in Heridos and which ties with the more paranormal elements of the plot. I think they are inseparable more or less, and Victoria balanced them skilfully enough that the pay-off is something both satisfying and not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Wounded Little Gods</i> is essentially a story about what need and longing do to sentient beings who will never stop searching answers to their questions and gratification for their desires. It's a story about accepting that humanity always comes with its flaws and deceptions, but even divinity itself may not be as perfect as it may seem. The book also touches upon the value of not abusing knowledge and science, and to use one's enlightenment for the the benefit of others and not for their oppression. Written in brevity yet endurably engrossing down to the last page, <i>Wounded Little Gods</i> is yet another triumphant work for Eliza Victoria.</span><br />
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-1858308088403660802016-10-29T00:37:00.000-07:002016-10-29T00:37:00.049-07:00X/1999 by CLAMP Volumes 1-9 review Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If you have ever read a CLAMP manga, chances are you're a cynical romantic masochist. And yes, that's a thing and if you have ever fallen in love with any CLAMP work, you know deep inside that you fucking are a cynical romantic masochist. It'd be easier to just blow past it now and accept facts. This particular manga series known as <b>X</b>, and then changed to <b>X/1999</b> because there was also a Western series with the same name, is the famed 'unfinished' work by CLAMP that is more or less a magnus opei. It went on a very, <i>very</i> long-term hiatus since 2003 and in doing so, left the story lacking any real conclusion TO THIS DAY. Concerns about its increasingly violent scenes have been the issue why the series has been discontinued by the magazine it was published in because they're a bunch of sissies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In any case, <i>X/1999</i> definitely deserved better because it was simply brilliant with layers that would make this possible for several readings. Also, this has to be the most confounding, sophisticated and emotionally stressful series CLAMP had ever produced, and they have a long line of other emotionally stressful stories after this because they are dicks--and I say that with loving affection as a fan. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Due to time constrictions, I was only able to finish the nine volumes collected. Now, I would have pushed through it and found a way to binge everything in one sitting, but that is not an advisable route when it comes to any CLAMP series. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I repeat: DO NOT BINGE A CLAMP SERIES because reading any CLAMP work in one sitting is not good for your mental and emotional health especially with this one. I'll try to give you a semi-spoiler-ish look at why you might want to read this--and why you must brace yourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Essentially my reaction as I progressed through each volume is <b>WHAT---WHY---WHAT THE FUCK?</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Essentially me since volume 4</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Genre-wise, </span><b style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><i>X/1999 </i></b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">is an apocalyptic fiction combining several elements of the story's own mythology with that of other secular elements, particularly Christian themes. At the heart of its plot is an ontological argument regarding Fate vs. Free Will. The very tagline of this series testifies to it, and serves as the main conflict for the protagonist Kamui who must choose between two fates; one that leads him to a path of goodness and redemption--and the other towards destruction and mayhem. The choice should be simple enough, of course, but </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">X/1999</i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> certainly draws it out to stress the weight and importance of making such a choice because it's not only a matter of doing the right thing but also coming to terms of one's capacity for both good and evil, depending on which part you nurture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Kamui, this story's protagonist, is a surly teenage boy supposedly destined to either be the world's salvation or damnation when Armageddon hits in the year 1999. He is brash, immensely powerful and haunted; having witnessed the very detailed and brutal murder of someone at a young age. He has two childhood friends whom he considers the ones he loves the most, but had to cut off ties with them because he doesn't want them to get involved in the supernatural drama that is a prophecy about his life as the chosen 'Kamui'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The conflict sounds predictable and comparable to other works focusing on the power of choice, and the possibility of how the end of the world hangs in a balance with said choice. There would be nothing particularly special about <i>X/1999</i> in this regard, except that CLAMP also created an interesting mythos to make its own version of an apocalypse that not only concerns the utter devastation of the world as we know it, but also an intimate portrait of how the burden of making choices can truly be a matter of life and death. Kamui is not the only one who has to decide; the ensemble of intriguing characters that would also play vital roles in the 1999 End of the World. These are the collective seven seals and seven minions who more or less brought up to what their destines would be like once Kamui decides his fate, and theirs for that matter. They all have their own personal motives, tragic backstories and wish fulfillments that certainly allows readers to feel that this isn't just a one-man Kamui show but one that touches upon other players' own choices that could influence a smaller narrative against the backdrop of a much bigger and overwhelming one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">To see their lives unfold and unravel alongside Kamui's is where the emotional chord is being wrapped around the readers' hearts. The way these fourteen characters would act whether through their own accord or for some higher, preordained plan is a compelling and gratingly frustrating thing to read about because it would definitely make readers question about how much of their life they do control, or if they were ever in control about it in the first place. I would not be spoiling and discussing these characters individually because no introduction about them here would suffice, and discovering who they are for yourselves would be a more satisfying experience because one of CLAMP's strengths is creating memorable characters with nuanced personal histories and conflicts that move you to root for them no matter how hopeless the situations they find themselves in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">You think loving characters in <i>Game of Thrones </i>only to watch them fail and die is painful? Well, CLAMP characters will make you experience a different kind of pain that could be called 'cruel' if it wasn't also persistently bittersweet and ultimately an inevitable end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">On a lighter topic, since this is CLAMP, some unintended/ambiguous scenes of boy-love are ever present. This is mostly prominently featured in the relationship between Kamui and his childhood friend Fuuma who has a sister named Kotori whom Kamui also loves. It's probably the most painful relationship rendered on paper which may only be rivaled by other CLAMP pairings like Sakura and Syaoran of <i>Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle</i> and motherfucking Subaru and Seishirou from <i>Tokyo Babylon</i> WHO ALSO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS SERIES AS THE ULTIMATE QUEER VERSIONS OF ROMEO AND JULIET, ONLY MUCH MORE TRAGIC! Anyway, here's some ambiguously gay moments:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Amidst the vividly drawn dream sequences, perplexing symbolism weaved into these sequences, and the brutal depictions of killings that would definitely jump out the page, there are also separate chapters focusing on a particular character's story at the end of each volume. The most enjoyable aspect of this series are definitely the gorgeous illustrations of even the most mundane scenes. Aside from <i>Tsubasa</i>, <i>X/1999</i> has to have the most detailed visual work and exceptionally so, considering the bulk of the plot alone and how two or three volumes usually delved on many pages of dream sequence and symbolism that would make readers head spin as they try to interpret them. I would show them here but that would be spoiling a lot of important elements in the prophecy itself so I won't. Instead, let me just show a touching spread when Kamui decides to save the world so he can preserve the home of his childhood friends/sweethearts Fuuma and Kotori, and the love these three have for one another WILL TOTALLY <u>NOT </u>BECOME A WASTELAND OF ANGST LATER ON. Nope. Not at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's only been nine volumes so I can't have that much strong opinion about Kamui as a lead protagonist of this story. He started out rather unrelatable and even annoying, being quite stubborn and hotheaded, but as readers follow him in his quest for self-knowledge, it becomes pretty difficult to keep thinking he's just some whiny teenager, given the extent of his trauma and his losses along the way that just kept getting worse and worse. His arc in this story as the main one to follow can be very depressing and hopeless, but I would like to see how he fares once his character development progresses along. He's in a very vulnerable place where pain and despair mostly define it. However, the ninth volume changes that with his interaction with one Subaru Sumeragi, the protagonist for <i>Tokyo Babylon</i> which I reviewed earlier this year and subsequently unraveled from. <b><a href="http://reademption-lit.blogspot.co.id/2016/02/tokyo-babylon-volumes-1-7-by-clamp.html">READ THE UNRAVELING HERE.</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">There are so many things I want to reveal in this review to get you to read it, but I will abstain because it would just spoil too much of what CLAMP has accomplished in this series, as far as I've read in the volumes I got to finish. So, I will just leave you guys with Sumeragi rehashing the painful experiences he had from <i>Tokyo Babylon</i> to give Kamui some context and perspective that there might be a way to survive the worst of heartbreaks no matter how impossible it may seem. And it's not like they have a choice--they're in a CLAMP story!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once I finish all the required readings for this year, I'm going to read more of <i>X/1999</i> again. I'll be taking it slow though, considering there is no resolution of this series and I don't want to rush to its non-ending just yet, being discontinued and all, but from what I have seen so far, I really do believe it's worth the trouble. </span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-60690917858484445722016-10-25T00:38:00.000-07:002016-10-25T00:39:37.574-07:00LOW by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">The last Rick Remender graphic novel I read had been actually scheduled as the last X-Men series I read earlier this year for my X-Men comics diet. Suffice to say, I wasn't charmed by it so I only got to finish the first volume because I lost interest easily in the way the story was told. It just didn't click for me, is all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">Now that was back in April or so, and now here I am just a few months later reading another work of his. As soon as I finished this, I have to say that this is comparably an improvement from <i>Uncanny Avengers</i>. That comparison would be unfair though, since they are of different genres, and I could tell (given the Afterword for every issue of this series) that Remender is quite passionate and proud about this work. I do think he should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">LOW</i> is a sci-fi comic book story set in an underwater world. It's also billions of years into the future, where our sun in the solar system has expanded to a toxic level of radiation, so it is more or less about to wipe out the world. The human race and other creatures migrated to the deep levels of the ocean and have made their homes there. One such place is Salus, and this is where the protagonist family of the story lives. <i>Low</i> is more or less about the mother Stel and her unabashedly stubborn positive way of thinking no matter the dreariness of her circumstances. Bundled into six issues, the series' first volume <i>The Delirium of Hope</i> is a thematic examination of what it's like to be an optimist in an often nightmarish landscape filled with despair. Over the course of said issues, Stel lost her husband, had her two daughters abducted, and her only son estranged to her because he resents her for being so inconceivably 'hopeful'. The conflict is more or less about Stel overcoming difficulties with the power of positive thinking. In a sense, I have to admire the tenacity of her self-belief.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">Stel is a mother who never loses hope which in a hopeless world should be a commendable thing. Or is it? I think that's the challenge being presented for <i>Low</i>'s narrative. Should a person always choose to believe in the adage that one is responsible for his or her own attitude when it comes to dealing with the universe, and that attitude will certainly shape the course of their destiny? Or is the universe truly a place without order and more leaning towards chaos, so however the person feels he or she has any control over how they would react, the universe finds a way to take them by surprise or overwhelm them anyway?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">Based from this volume so far, the universe is not only winning, but s also being a dick about it. Although Stel has faith that her endeavors to rescue her daughter would not be for naught, and that her efforts will not be wasted so long as she keeps up her positive attitude, certain situations tend to disprove it otherwise. I actually do like this kind of story Remender has weaved because it feels very personal and heartfelt in a lot of ways. I enjoyed this for what it is in spite of not sharing the writer or his lead character's way of living their lives. I'm more of a pragmatist myself, right in that sweet spot between optimism and pessimism. There are advantages to forcefully clinging onto positivity because hope does spring eternal, but being too fixed about this perspective is just as damaging as being nihilistic and negative. Too much of anything is always a bad thing after all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">In addition, Stel reminds me a lot of Catelyn Stark from the first three books of <i>A Song of Ice and Fire</i> series. Much like Catelyn, Stel is a mother struggling to unite her family, only to find that her will and efforts are constantly tested. I suppose I would read the next volume after this just to see how Remender handles the next arc of the series because once again another blockage is impeding Stel's way and I know there are possibly more to come, and I want to see how she would move past them with her power of positive thinking which Remender apparently is determined to campaign and drive home to the readers. I don't find it annoying because touchy-feely things okay for me since they have little impact on my own perspective anyway as a pragmatic. Besides there are quotable moments I did agree with. Like this: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">I think Greg Tocchini is worth crediting alongside Remender (if not more so) because as the artist of this series, he has made the reading experience an exceedingly amazing one because of his lush sceneries of the aquatic disquiet present in the panels and specific scenes. I truly loved looking at the breadth of his illustrations and I believe that if another artist had drawn for <i>Low</i>, it would have changed the way I looked at this series altogether, and I may not be more forgiving of its story's flaws and its writer's ultimate bias about his heroine's personality and personal beliefs. His art style is just gorgeous:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;">In a nutshell, Rick Remender's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Low</i> is a commendable work I wouldn't mind speaking good things about, but Greg Tocchini visual contribution is the one thing I would probably give more praise. Whatever opinions I may have that contrast Stel's, I still think she was a character I can find myself caring about, and I'm interested to see how well she would fare, or how much she might change as the story progresses. I'll pick this series again soon enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-align: justify;"><b>RECOMMENDED: 8/10</b></span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-80609212952680259982016-10-19T23:20:00.000-07:002016-10-18T23:21:01.634-07:00Flex Mentallo by Grant Morrison <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I don't know how to begin reviewing this graphic novel mostly because there is too much context that one needs to know if they ever decide to read this blindly, which I did, and it affected how I enjoyed the story a lot. The point is I could not recommend this to someone who is just getting into comics, because this is essentially a compilation inspired from another comics line which was <i>Doom Patrol</i> and which Grant Morrison himself has written for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From what I can discern when I researched this story, <b>Flex Mentallo </b>as a character came from that series, created by Morrison himself in an issue, and who was then expanded as more than just a side character he originally appeared to be as. Now two years ago I had the distinct pleasure of reading through Morrison's semi-autobiographical book called <i><b>Supergods</b></i>, tracing the superhero myth and contextualizing it with his own experiences as a professional writer in the industry. I mentioned this book since it is critical in further explaining the roots for Mentallo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You see, he is just a part of an long string of 'fictional character who came to life' that Morrison has been doing for the past two decades or so, and also ties in with his other works like <i>The Invisibles</i> which I intend to read soon enough. Mentallo is a part of a roster of other characters written and drawn by a psychic child. According to the wiki, "<i>The characters created in this child's youthful scrawlings, titled "My Greenest Adventure", apparently came to life. Amongst Flex's "Greenest Adventure" siblings were the villainous Waxworker and the heroic Fact.</i>" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What you need to know in summary is that Flex Mentallo is also called the 'Man of Muscle Mystery' and he has the ability to affect reality by flexing his muscles. It sounds absurd, but purposefully so. He even has what is called a 'hero halo' above his head when he uses his powers, and it says "Hero of the Beach" which had something to do with his origin story about a swimsuit competition. It was never explained in this graphic novel, and I literally had to read his fictional biography online to understand this. So now that I have established that this GN is not newbie-friendly, let's talk about the content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Artist Frank Quitely's style has been a personal favorite since <i>Batman and Robin</i> and <i>Batman Incorporated</i>, titles which he also collaborated with Grant Morrison. Visually speaking, <i>Flex Mentallo</i> is gorgeous. The illustrations are well-defined and rendered with great detail. The art is also as eccentric as the narrative, matching its absurdity and rather surreal scope. There is really no way for me to explain sufficiently what this GN is unless you are already familiar with the mythos about Doom Patrol, and Morrison comics in general. I'm going to try my best to comment on the content, however, because it had been an interesting read, albeit also a baffling one. My review isn't going to be helpful to a Morrison fan, I'm afraid, who may be reading this to compare notes with my personal opinion. But I sure want this review to prepare first-time readers who may be inclined to pick this up one day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Flex Mentallo goes to investigate the whereabouts of his other friends, fictional characters who also came to life and are lost somehow. There's a whodunit element and some comedic action in between, spliced with genuine moments of suspense that lend its story enough levity. What is confusing are the scenes featuring the psychic child who created Mentallo and co. who apparently has become a mentally unstable junkie and a former rock star musician. His sense of self and his telepathic imagination are slowly unraveling as the pages continue, and his part of the narrative is important but also alienating for someone like me who isn't as acquainted with Morrison outside of his Batman works. That being said, the transitions do make sense and are often seamless enough to get the message across that this is a rather psychedelic meta experience that comments on the genre conventions of superhero storytelling. It would take readers like me a while to realize this until halfway through the climactic scenes, but the message becomes clear and substantial enough once finished. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Unfortunately, it's also rather jumbled up, filled with references and allegories I am not familiar with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In a nutshell, <i>Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery</i> is something you read as a true-blue comics aficionado who also knows a lot about Morrison's universe and body of work to fully appreciate what it offers and satirizes. For a new reader with specific taste in comics or only goes for one or two genres, this may not be the comic book you are looking for, at least at this point in time. I might re-read this again too once I'm more acquainted with a few more of Grant Morrison's works. Still, I could tell this a momentous celebration about superheroes. I can't really spoil the ending because it is the message of this story to begin with, but I will say that it has something to do with Morrison's thesis in <i>Supergods.</i></span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-68256333509816260152016-10-07T12:46:00.001-07:002016-10-07T12:46:41.304-07:00OCTOBER List of Readables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-68538529263149428532016-10-07T04:04:00.000-07:002016-10-07T04:04:30.686-07:00The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This is honestly a very daunting novel to review, more so to finish reading in the first place, and not just because of its 600+ pages but the quality of its prose which is painstakingly detailed in ways that are often not necessary at all. I can only think of two reasons why I could recommend reading this, and even then I could only recommend it to a specific type of people, and not to your average casual reader. Michael Chabon's <i><b>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</b></i> is a 2000 book that is in many ways a historical fiction about the Golden and Silver Age of American comic books. This subject matter is what got me so interested in it when a good friend of mine recommended it (and purchased me a copy as a Christmas gift last year).</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>~MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD~</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The paperback is actually close to seven hundred pages and is divided into six parts which chronicled the lives and struggles of cousins Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay, the titular heroes of this novel. They are aspiring comic book writers and artists with a Jewish heritage, living in an era when fascism is thriving and victimizing Europe. With this promising premise filled with daring possibilities for character exposition with lots of historical allusion, Chabon takes readers into a very vivid and verbose journey about the intricacies that surrounded these cousins and their choices. From making it big in the comic book industry and facing certain issues in the business, to the important discoveries they have made within their personal, private lives that also influenced and changed them either for better or worse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>"Comic books thrived to articulate a purpose for itself in the marketplace of ten-cent dreams, to express the lust for power and the gaudy taste of a race of powerless people with no leave to dress themselves. They were pure and true, and they arrived at precisely the moment when the kids of America began, after ten years of terrible hardship, to find their pockets burdened with the occasional superfluous dime."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What I can say foremost is that <i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</i> is a damn mighty fine novel comparable in length and breadth to perhaps something like <i>War and Peace</i> by Leo Tolstoy but the comparison, of course, ends there. I just want to give everyone proper context on how completely immersed, absorbing and detailed this novel was to read and enjoy, and how much it spans from one decade/era to the next since it does follow Joe and Sam from their early twenties to middle age and so on. Since it's also a historical fiction, many chapters are dedicated to lavishing the readers with expositions regarding the comic book characters created by Joe and Sam, and how they serve as allegories for the themes Chabon tackled profusely and passionately for. There is clearly a great amount of research and planning done to infuse together what is based from factual accounts with that of the fictionalized moments in Chabon's narrative he wrote in, but ultimately the result was a seamless and compelling semi-biographical examination and commentary at why Americans created and celebrated superheroes in those times. Chabon's grasp of his subject matter is impressive; he doesn't shy away from dedicated chapters to completely build a world that resembles the one we can recognize about the Golden Age of comics, while also maintaining layers of fictional liberties in doing so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Of course, this rigorous storytelling style will not appeal to everyone's taste and sensibilities, and that is why I can't recommend <i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</i> with the casual reader. One should at least have an enthusiasm or passion in comic books in general which I have copious amounts of. If not, then a great bulk of this novel will be alienating and baffling for you. However, if you do have an open mind and do want to explore the mythos and the kind of creative industry which comics books operate on, then <i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</i> could be a worthwhile endeavor. The selling point of the story for me is the way Chabon got me invested and involved in Joe and Sam as characters and respective representations of a Jewish boy who immigrated to the States and wanted to help his kin escape from the Nazis in whatever way he can, and a closeted gay man who is coming to terms with his sexuality. The moments devoted to their respective character arcs are my favorite.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>"He wanted them to understand the importance of the fight, to succumb to the propaganda that he and Sammy were unabashedly churning out. If they could not move Americans to anger against Hitler, then Joe's existence, the mysterious freedom that had been granted to him and denied to so many others, had no meaning." </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Joe Kavalier's character arc in the beginning focuses on his superhero myth-making as an artist with a character named The Escapist, his creation with Sam. Though Sam is the one who is more of the writer of their duo, Kavalier is the one whose attachment with the Escapist runs deep since it stems from a place of both hope and despair. Successfully immigrating to the States before Nazis took over his land, Joe feels obligated to do something to make Americans and everyone else see the evils of Hitler's regime, and this translates in the stories and illustrations he collaborates with Sam who is open to it because he is very supportive of his cousin's plight. Joe wants to showcase that the Escapist is a superhero who can free himself from any bondage and hence also do the same for others. The origin story for the Escapist is nuanced, and the more Joe devotes all his creativity and efforts in turning him into a symbol akin that to a freedom fighter, the more he also gets depressed over the fact that he's living a pretty good life, earning sustainable income for his comics while his family is out there dealing with the Nazis daily. This survivor's guilt drives Joe's character throughout the novel, making him do really noble and admirable acts but reckless and temperamental things as well. Joe is a well-rounded character whose personal demons are fascinating to read about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: courier new, courier, monospace;">Meanwhile, Sam Clay struggling with his sexuality and abandonment issues offered readers a bittersweet taste of wide-eyed innocence and idealism. Sam has admired men his entire life, and it was only through meeting an actor named Tracy Bacon, who plays the Escapist for a radio show based on their comics, did Sam came to understand that he falls for men romantically. But the era in which he lives in is very homophobic and prejudiced, and Sam has to retreat emotionally from what he wants and the man he loves because to be a gay man then means opening yourself up to being terrorized, policed and even raped. The later parts of the novel reach a frightening climax when Sam was abused by a couple of FBI agents just because he was gay, and Joe finding out that his younger brother whom he was attempting to spirit away from a Nazi-populated region had perished on a ship ride to America among with other Jewish children. It got very harrowing that I was shocked about it because the tone of the novel becomes more intimate in a gruesome and disheartening way. Nevertheless, I was already devoted to these boys so I finished anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"The magician seemed to promise that something torn to bits might be mended without a seam; a scattered handful of doves or dust might be reunited by a word, a paper consumed by fire can bloom from a pile of ash. But it's all an illusion. The true magic of this broken world, however lay in the ability of the things it contained to vanish, to become thoroughly lost that they might never have existed in the first place."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">At the last hundred pages or so of the book, Chabon included production notes that expand on the world he created for <i>Kavalier and Clay. </i>I have yet to read them all but from what I can garner so far, they are able to offer more insights on his narrative and choices of plot directions. In a nutshell, <i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</i> is a work of fuction I could only recommend to a chosen few, but those people are guaranteed to enjoy it nevertheless!</span><br />
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-23428690250975457502016-09-24T04:10:00.000-07:002016-09-24T04:32:57.016-07:00SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING by Alan Moore Volume 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><i><b>"It seems where demons fail and monsters falter, angels may prevail."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I'm coming to this version of Alan Moore's the Swamp Thing without any knowledge of his original creation by Len Wein, except of course with the brief appearances he had made during the Jamie Delano for <i>Hellblazer: John Constantine</i>. That being said, it had been a neat introduction to a comics icon. It was a rather baffling start at first, but one that is also beguiling enough to see through its finish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This first volume had tons of spectacular potentials to be the masterpiece that I sure hope it would become by the next volumes. There are four volumes of Alan Moore's <b><i>Saga of the Swamp Thing</i> </b>to look forward to reading, but for now I will content myself with the fact that I was able to read this installment which wasn't anything that I expected it to be. Monster stories, especially those steeped in classical roots, have been a lost art especially with the kind of horrors my generation respond more to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Swamp Thing, however, at least in this Alan Moore version, can still live up to its reputation and capture the imagination. As the titular character, he demonstrates enough grit and depth to qualify as a thing of horror that could haunt you as a reader. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">But he is also a misunderstood creature trying to restore his humanity, clinging to a semblance of a series of fragile connections with others who may be just as lost and desperate as he had been ever since transforming into this wretched beast he never asked for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It's a familiar trope and symbolism that Alan Moore, as one of the most celebrated comics writers ever, refurbishes into something uniquely intimate for readers. I for one appreciated it for its plentiful charm. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">Before there was a Swamp Thing, there was only a man named Alec Holland who got into an unfortunate accident as well as one who is bereaved by a wife whose loss left a decisively permanent mark on his psyche and eventual ghoulish persona. I really do not know enough of Len Wein's original version to contrast it from Alan Moore, but from what I can discern, his version of the Swamp Thing opens the possibility that perhaps Alec Holland is truly no more, and he is just a hollow shell built around the ghost of this man he is trying so hard to become. That is the core of Swamp Thing's journey as a character in this first volume; he is trying to adjust and recalibrate his sense of identity and the ultimate invalidation of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Some things about his conception as the Swamp Thing were also tackled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I don't want to give any more specific spoilers but I did enjoy the arc about Wood-Rue, and his manipulation of Swamp Thing so he can unleash his radical environmentalism villainy on every human on earth, with the false belief he is the representative of the oppressed Mother Nature. I thought this particular arc was engrossing more so because it was a good character portrait and contrast between Swamp Thing and Wood-Rue. The latter truly believes he was doing the right thing while the former rediscovers why he must evolve from a simple, negatively perceived monster, and how to do things right not because he wants to reclaim his humanity, but because one's actions already testify to his or her humanity. Swamp Thing learns this through his encounters with Wood-Rue, and by reconnecting with an old friend, Abigail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Another thing I enjoyed the most about this volume are the illustrations done by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben. Some of their panels have been really creative and cool to look at, especially the full-paged panels. I thought their choices of layout and the details they put in drawing characters were a worthwhile visual adventure that complemented Moore's literary voice throughout this first volume. The colors have mostly bright hues which are a feast to the eyes. They definitely enhanced my enjoyment for the stories. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">My personal favorite is the one below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I think it's also worth mentioning that I found an interesting allusion between this version of Swamp Thing to Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. Perhaps it's because both suffered a sense of disconnect and detachment from their previously held identities, and much like watching Capaldi Doctor find himself again as a new kind of hero in Series 8, I was also reading Swamp Thing embrace that whoever he was--that creature clinging to his lost humanity--should be left by the door for good so he can move on to better things. He and Capaldi Doctor little by little start to grow and accept that they don't have to be anyone's version of what a hero or monster people perceive to be; they only have to be what they are willing to achieve, and willing to evolve into. Abigail for me plays the companion Clara to Swamp Things's Twelfth Doctor, given that she seems to anchor him to the person he used to be (Alec Holland), while also accepting that he could never become that person again--but at least she is comforted by the knowledge her friend will be happy again, like Clara was for Twelve by <i>Last Christmas</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">That panel reminded me of the scene where Twelve asked Clara if he is a good man, and by the end of Series 8 he finally decides that he wants to be. Abigail inquiring for Swamp Thing's identity and then asking next if he is happy was a nice touch of poignancy because Swamp Thing shows her that he is content now of the creature he has decided to become from now on. Abigail is joyous as well and they celebrate it with a hug. Maybe it's really just the nerdy biases of the <i>Doctor Who</i> fan in me, particularly as one who adores the Twelve-Clara dynamic, but I can't help but see these similarities when I was reading this comic book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I also think that the last arc for this volume focusing on children and fear is much like the Steven Moffat fable in Series 8 called <i>Listen</i> where it's a fable about fear and loneliness. In this case, the story featured here in this volume deals with a supernatural aspect and an issue concerning childhood trauma but the resolution is much the same as <i>Listen</i> with a few choice differences, of course. The message has a common thematic resonance between the two stories, highlighted by the fact that Swamp Thing--a supposedly thing of horrors--rises up to become the very guardian one will never expect children could have. He's just a sweetie pie, and I find him instantly endearing and I definitely hope to read more of him soon.</span><br />
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-25501425991024740632016-09-16T09:18:00.002-07:002016-09-16T09:18:52.537-07:00Y: THE LAST MAN by Brian K. Vaughan Volume 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOn665qfrMKKcB5_KQQQ7DqUoG42oSHwX2fR9Z6lCBvdY8KpKTxvnbSJP4j5CToyOFjTZXhhk5v94QUbQ9NDGfr9UAD9n4WAnzdno_wC_jPqQUDBQ1M0GGhtl50FPKO7s6GQiLspWd7roM/s1600/Screenshot_2016-09-13-21-24-58.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOn665qfrMKKcB5_KQQQ7DqUoG42oSHwX2fR9Z6lCBvdY8KpKTxvnbSJP4j5CToyOFjTZXhhk5v94QUbQ9NDGfr9UAD9n4WAnzdno_wC_jPqQUDBQ1M0GGhtl50FPKO7s6GQiLspWd7roM/s1600/Screenshot_2016-09-13-21-24-58.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This comic book series has received rave reviews for its rather satirical premise concerning the idea of the extinction of all mammals with the Y chromosome, and how the female population supposedly tries to deal with this global crisis. I've been intrigued by this series for four years now, but put off reading it even after I bought an actual copy about three years ago. It's a Vertigo title which immediately guarantees it's promising. Finally, I got to read the first volume <i>Unmanned </i>which collected the first five issues of the series, and as much as I wasn't completely invested yet in the story and characters, I have to agree that it's an interesting beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Y: The Last Man </i>was published in 2002 with ten volume all in all, and its official run ended by 2008. It had received and won nominations from Eisner Awards thrice. That being said, this first volume is not something I would personally consider an instant masterpiece which was okay. Neil Gaiman's <i>The Sandman</i>: <i>Preludes and Nocturnes</i> wasn't so hot either at least until <i>The Sound of Her Wings</i> closing issue, but that series eventually did become one as the story went on. To compare it with the other graphic novels I reviewed since last month, it's still a good entry but not something as magnificently appealing like <i>SAGA</i> or <i>Sex Criminals </i>had proven to be, whose first volumes were immediately so stellar and engrossing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I could even liken <i>Y: The Last Man</i> to Joe Hill's debut volume for <i>Locke and Key</i> which had all the proper elements of supernatural horror and drama and has definitely more potentials to sprout from. However, <i>Y: The Last Man</i> in its first volume <i>Unmanned</i> is off to a slow start with the build-up quite scattered among many placed and with different characters that hopefully will form a more cohesive ensemble once the plot progression settles in a more desirable and suspenseful pace. Hey, at least it wasn't <i>The Wicked and Divine</i>, a series I had so much hopes for but sorely let down in the end that I won't even bother posting a review about it. I also didn't bother picking up the second volume anymore because UGH.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But I digress. Illustrated by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan Jr., penciler and inker respectively, <i>Y the Las Man </i>was visually efficient enough to convey the dystopic landscape of a man-less existence where women are clamoring for survival, power and politics. The tone of the narrative definitely portrays a satirical approach which calls into question and discussion the topics of female empowerment and the radical extremists who pursue a more vicious goal to assert it. Since all the male mammals including humans got wiped out, these feminazis are inclined to believe that nature has taken its course and now it's time to go Amazonian in such a ridiculously chauvinistic way that DC's counterpart of the real Amazons where Wonder Woman hails from would be ashamed to be associated with these women.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I can't help but be reminded of that last season of <i>Veronica Mars</i> about said feminazis becoming the villains of that supposedly empowering show. No wonder it got pulled after that season because it was extremely negative in its portrayal of feminist activists. <i>Y: The Last Man</i>, I feel, has a real possibility of crossing that line, but seeing as this was only the first volume and that it did last for ten more, I think I'll assume that the writer and editors of Vertigo found a balance and compromise in how they handled the feminist side of thing for this story. Here are some of the notable pages about it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The ongoing discourse about how feminists values and other pro-women movements have been portrayed for <i>Y: The Last Man</i> certainly invites critical arguments from everyone who has their own opinions about it, whether affirmative or cynical. I'd rather stay away from that and simply review and appreciate this as a work of fiction, no matter how politically heated it tends to become in the later issues. Protagonist Yorick and his monkey companion Amerstad are the only male left in the world (or at least as far as we know). Yorick's mother is a congresswoman who wanted him to take his role as mankind's last chance for procreation more seriously, but Yorick is more concerned to getting back to his girlfriend he had just proposed to over a long-distance phone call to Australia before all this extinction shit went down. It's contextually hilarious but also grim.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As far as first impressions go, I am lukewarm towards Yorick. I don't find him that interesting but he is the central character in an interesting situation. I certainly hope to get to know the other female characters who show a more promising depth but whose names I can't tell you on the spot because of how little time this volume spends presenting them and how thinly the entire storyline is spread across the five issues so far. I do hope I warm up to Yorick especially even if he's such a narrow-minded fool who is more concerned about seeing his girlfriend than discover why the hell has he survived the extinction? I'd be more excited to find that out if I was Yorick, but hey, that's only because I would rather solve a good mystery over any kind of romantic ties I may have.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Get the fuck out of here, you hopeless sap!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In a nutshell, <i>Y The Last Man</i> shows promise. It has a puzzle that readers can solve and watch develop across its ten-volumed span, and the feminist angle is certainly worth the merit mentioning as well, but it's not the first graphic novel I will be picking up anytime soon once I finished my scheduled GNs for this year. That place still belongs to <i>SAGA</i>, I'm afraid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>RECOMMENDED: 7/10</b></span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476602396408053301.post-17603147864920258872016-09-08T01:30:00.002-07:002016-09-08T01:30:19.458-07:00LOCKE AND KEY by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez Volume 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYA6iJd7rEaIThyGxUYKPmtROnvfW1pqZHnsGO_Q2eet8UvcUYcRh7IURpfOKcER6KC9whR8QRxp4VHgJFqC9uELXjodEkIYlhJ8HKtSs8yFMhlVJvj4DqHuzp6Ub4QsepWJDkC_YU_KWU/s1600/Screenshot_2016-09-08-01-43-52.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYA6iJd7rEaIThyGxUYKPmtROnvfW1pqZHnsGO_Q2eet8UvcUYcRh7IURpfOKcER6KC9whR8QRxp4VHgJFqC9uELXjodEkIYlhJ8HKtSs8yFMhlVJvj4DqHuzp6Ub4QsepWJDkC_YU_KWU/s1600/Screenshot_2016-09-08-01-43-52.png" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I had a copy of the first volume of this series since two years ago, but I finally only got to read it this year. Much like the first two volumes of Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples' <i style="font-weight: bold;">SAGA</i>, I managed to finish this one under an hour, but it's equivocally a different experience. Granted, it was still a very good one because I was invested the entire time I read it. Writer Joe Hill brought a great horror story to life in graphic novel form with <b><i>Locke and Key</i></b><i>, </i>there was denying it. It has all the right elements of the genre, and the storytelling is well-balanced enough to even warrant a possible movie adaptation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'm aware that it even got an unaired pilot which sadly never got to see the light of day. I think clips of its tailer are still available online. It's also worth noting that Joe Hill is the son of no other than prolific horror fiction writer Stephen King, and it's great to see he's following his father's steps while being completely unique on his own as a writer in the same genre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">That being said, <i>Locke and Key'</i>s first volume plays more of a psychological thriller in narrative with fantasy elements thrown in there as well, but I would still characterize it as a horror story because of the scope of its drama and characterization. I genuinely enjoyed this graphic novel. I wasn't exactly stimulated intellectually, but the mystery aspect of the story did get me interested enough to look forward reading the second installment of the series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A family was recovering from a home invasion experience after the brutal murder of the father committed by the eldest son's school acquaintance. The mother, a rape survivor of the crime, decides to move her three kids to Lovecraft, Massachusetts so they can live in her late husband's family house called the Keyhouse. The three kids all try to cope from the loss of their father by dealing with conflicted feelings regarding their respective roles during the invasion. The eldest son Tyler tries to come to terms of how much of a failure he feels for perhaps indirectly causing his father's death in the first place while the daughter Kinsey suffers an identity crisis where she loses a sense of her individuality that she gradually kept shrinking away from social ties. Meanwhile, the youngest Bode finds a mysterious key that can open a door that could apparently turn him into a ghost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What I like about this first volume is not so much as the story (which was good) but really more of the groundwork for the main characters. It's very easy to sympathize with the family as the victims of a crime, but also still view the potential growth of these characters in an objective way such as what roles they could contribute to an ongoing supernatural storyline that is still on its initial stage. Tyler, Kinsey and Bode are well-rounded enough, but both teens are still defined by their tragedies while Bode--the supposedly more central character since he was the only one aware of the supernatural (at least until we get to the end)--is not yet compelling to hold his own weight against the adult characters. I'm actually very curious about the mother Nina since she had been victimized with rape, and yet we never get to tackle this here. The first volume focused more on the kids and their inner conflicts. I think Nina may have her own issue in the next volume. I hope that's the case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Now, the story itself did fine on it own; the alternating scenes between the past and the present (before and after the home invasion) were well-executed, maintaining a seamless transition. The inner monologues and the dialogues never clash, and Hill truly utilized them well in establishing the conflict and building up the suspense nice and slow until the climactic events in the last two issues collected for the volume. The villains of the series are composed of the mysterious 'girl in the well' who has compelled a boy named Sam Lesser to commit horrible crimes for the sake of having a second chance to restart his life. I found Sam Lesser really fascinating as a character himself, and his antagonistic role for the story is one that is chilling yet also still sympathetic. He's a rotten egg but one whose motivation is clear, and whose methods are as methodical as they are violent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">All in all, Volume 1: <i>Welcome to Lovecraft</i> is a solid debut for the series itself. The pacing is remarkable; only a few stories I've read and reviewed are as careful and as precise as getting that perfect balance of narrative, character exposition and suspense, and the first volume of Joe Hill's <i>Locke and Key</i> was definitely one of them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I look forward to reading the next installment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>RECOMMENDED: 8/10</b></span></div>
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Frankh Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08256065850655289424noreply@blogger.com0