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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Mar 2013 : 01:36:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Thauranil
Just got my hands on Faith and fire, warhammer 40000 novel about the sisters of battle. As there aren't that many novels that focus on them I hope this book doesn't disappoint.
I'd like to hear what you think about the book, Thauranil. I've always liked the Sisters of Battle, but have rarely dealt with the fiction-based tales supporting them. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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DragonReader
Senior Scribe
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2013 : 18:04:01
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Last night I finished Just After Sunset, a collection of tales by Stephen King.
Not sure what I'll read next. I am thinking about The Element of Fire by Martha Wells, Gauntlgrym by R.A. Salvatore, Exploits by Mike Resnick, or maybe a mystery...
So much to read (and so little time) that I can't decide.
Well I guess that's a good problem (well not the too little time part) :) |
Edited by - DragonReader on 20 Mar 2013 18:14:53 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36968 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2013 : 20:36:41
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Just finished There Will Be Dragons. It was enjoyable, and I think I will seek out the rest of the series.
The next book is (finally!) Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
I was thinking about it the other day... I think that the last time I read the Chronicles and the Legends was in 2004. I spent a week and a half without power, because of Hurricane Frances. My workplace was fairly close, and didn't have power, either... I was very much living paycheck to paycheck, and I wasn't sure if we were going to get paid for the involuntary time off. So the long and the short of it was I had lots of free time, no money to spend, and because of the lack of electricity, very litle I could do.
Reading was the only option. So I read a lot during those 10 or 11 days! It was summer, with long daylight hours, so I would wake up, take a cold shower (no electricity for hot water!), run by work to see if it was open, and then spend the rest of the daylight hours either on my balcony or on my front step, reading (it depended on which spot had shade). I'd read by flashlight, well into the night, then go to sleep and repeat the process the next day. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 20 Mar 2013 20:37:42 |
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Entromancer
Senior Scribe
USA
388 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2013 : 21:37:43
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| Hawkmoon: The Mad God's Amulet by Michael Moorcock. The second Hawkmoon novel. Currently, Hawkmoon is fleeing from the soldiers and hunters of the Dark Empire of Granbretan and seeking news of the German province, Kamarg. |
"...the will is everything. The will to act."--Ra's Al Ghul
"Suffering builds character."--Talia Al Ghul |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2013 : 00:20:03
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| Reading Terry Goodkind's Blood of the Fold. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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realmsrider
Acolyte
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2013 : 02:16:51
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These are all part of the Warhammer book series...
Grudge Bearer by Gav Thorpe
The relevance of the Grudge and the innate patience of the Dwarfs are on display here. This book is the first that I'm aware of that also features Chaos Dwarfs. Really fun.
Oathbreaker by Nick Kyme
My favorite of the trilogy. The dwarfs try to take a hold overrun with skaven, orcs and other beasties. This book kept me guessing and has more than a few of those WTF moments.
Honourkeeper by Nick Kyme
The delicate treaty of Dwarfs and Elves are put to the test. I saw the twist coming a long way off but I loved every minute of it.
Magestorm by Jonathan Green
Dennis nails it in his review. Aoth and Jhesri combined.
The Enemy Within by Richard Lee Byers
A wizard is blackmailed into joining a Chaos cult to bring it down from within. Richard really gives these characters depth and makes this story very relevant. I highly recommend just because it's Byers. He really knows his universes.
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Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2013 : 11:38:21
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Thauranil
Just got my hands on Faith and fire, warhammer 40000 novel about the sisters of battle. As there aren't that many novels that focus on them I hope this book doesn't disappoint.
I'd like to hear what you think about the book, Thauranil. I've always liked the Sisters of Battle, but have rarely dealt with the fiction-based tales supporting them.
Sorry it took me a while to reply but i was busy with college stuff.
anyway the book itself was interesting , not the usual chainsword and bolter stuff, though there is a goodly amount of that, you get a good look at the inner working of the Adepta Sororitas and the Imperial church.
However the book lacks the tension and passion of other Warhammer 40k books but perhaps that is because it is trying something a little different. Overall i liked it and while definitely get the second book in the series someday soon. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2013 : 13:46:14
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quote:
Originally posted by realmsrider
Magestorm by Jonathan Green
Dennis nails it in his review. Aoth and Jhesri combined.
I haven't yet finished reading this. I've been quite busy with work and something else lately. 'Twas almost a miracle that I managed to get back to Van Horstmann and finished it today.
quote:
The Enemy Within by Richard Lee Byers
A wizard is blackmailed into joining a Chaos cult to bring it down from within. Richard really gives these characters depth and makes this story very relevant. I highly recommend just because it's Byers. He really knows his universes.
Glad to hear that. I hope Richard gets to write for this setting again, and I wish he'd tackle the Amethyst Order and induce his own brand of necromantic genius. (Yes, I know, the Order of Death spurns necromancy. But it would be interesting to see the very thing they loathe permeate the foundations of their order, right?) |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2013 : 13:57:23
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Finally, despite my unbelievably busy schedule these days, I managed to finish Van Horstmann. The following review contains spoilers.
Van Horstman is a stand-alone Warhammer novel by Ben Counter. It tells the story of a young boy who was robbed of his innocence, who lost the only person in the world that he cared about, who grew into a formidable magister, master of both Light and Dark magic, and who is hell-bent to exact revenge on two people who took away everything from him.
Egrimm van Horstmann is such an interesting character. Not your typical cackling, crazed villain. He possesses the disciplined mind of a scholar, the patience of an immovable mountain, and a seemingly unending thirst for magical lore. He deems reality as what it maybe and shapes it to what he thinks it should be. He once said during the coronation of the new emperor that the selection of the new ruler of the empire was always left up to chance, that that’s how the world worked, if it’s permitted—but he would not permit it, chance would not rule him.
He’s quick of mind; he often avoids even the most unavoidable of scenarios and does what others might call miracles. Very rarely can the blessed bullets of the witch hunters (Sigmar’s priests) be stopped, and yet van Horstmann does. He does so not through sheer power, but by his sharp mind that fully understands the law of “physics” in their world. And never had any Dark wizard ever set foot in the very Pyramid of the Order of Light, let alone become its Grand Magister. Yet he manages to do so, with careful planning, patience, discipline of both mind and spirit, and determination. The following words are testament to how he accomplishes his goals—the same words from which other colleges of magic can learn a thing or two.
quote:
“We must have more than one way of looking at the world . . . That is the weakness of the colleges. Each order only sees through one eye. Through the concept of the world created by the way of their own wind of magic. The Bright Order sees everything as creation and destruction, always in violence. The Amethyst wizards as decay and dissolution. We see it in terms of purity and corruption, everything in those terms. It is how a wizard becomes blind to the reality of the world, for he rejects whatever does not fit into his view of it. I see through the eyes both of a Light wizard and of a man curious about the world. That is how I stave off stagnation.”
There’s one more thing that sets van Horstmann apart from many heroes and villains alike in other coming-of-age epic fantasy books: his wont to subterfuge. For the sake of comparison, I choose Kvothe from Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles. Kvothe longed to be recognized and adored, so he used his sharp mind and innate magic to prove to his peers and superiors exactly what he’s capable of, and sometimes even gloated over it. Egrimm is almost quite the opposite. He manipulates people to see how great he is, but at the same time he wears a mask of humility to overshadow his achievements, which in turn work to underscore them.
Somehow I sympathize with van Horstmann. He is as much a victim as a tormentor. People in power broke his “spirit” by taking away the only person that mattered to him. Such kind of victim treads only either of the two paths—retreat from reality or revenge. Van Horstmann chose the latter, for better or for worse.
Counter fleshes out quite well the Empire’s capital city, Altdorf, and its people. His descriptions of the colleges of magic, especially the Pyramid of the Order of Light, and their locations are as vivid as anyone can hope for.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Warhammer novel if there’s not enough dose of battles or war. And I assure you, there’s quite enough of that in this book. Counter depicts battles, large scale and gladiator-type alike, as thorough and as masterful as a seasoned painter. No scene, no sound escapes his keen eyes and ears.
The ending is a bit disappointing though. In a world where gods almost always assume active roles, it would be a breath of fresh air to see a mortal, even just one, who would rise above being mere pawns of these self-righteous gods. Ninety-nine percent of the book gives the impression that van Horstmann could be just that man. Unfortunately, the last five pages ruin that. I probably would have given it a perfect rating if such was not the case.
Still, I would recommend this to all Warhammer fans and to all curious readers who may want to discover this wonderful setting.
Out of ten possible stars, I give it eight. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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realmsrider
Acolyte
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2013 : 14:49:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
quote:
Originally posted by realmsrider
Magestorm by Jonathan Green
Dennis nails it in his review. Aoth and Jhesri combined.
I haven't yet finished reading this. I've been quite busy with work and something else lately. 'Twas almost a miracle that I managed to get back to Van Horstmann and finished it today.
quote:
The Enemy Within by Richard Lee Byers
A wizard is blackmailed into joining a Chaos cult to bring it down from within. Richard really gives these characters depth and makes this story very relevant. I highly recommend just because it's Byers. He really knows his universes.
Glad to hear that. I hope Richard gets to write for this setting again, and I wish he'd tackle the Amethyst Order and induce his own brand of necromantic genius. (Yes, I know, the Order of Death spurns necromancy. But it would be interesting to see the very thing they loathe permeate the foundations of their order, right?)
What amazes me is how deep and rich Richard manages to make his characters in the 250 page setting while keeping the story moving forward. A large portion of the Warhammer books from this period are just cookie cutter novels with one dimensional arcs and characters. |
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DragonReader
Senior Scribe
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2013 : 16:01:56
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| Decided to read The Element of Fire by Martha Wells |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2013 : 18:19:24
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Finished Book 3 of the Sword of Truth: Blood of the Fold.
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Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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realmsrider
Acolyte
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 25 Mar 2013 : 05:34:59
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The Dead and the Damned by Jonathan Green
A year in the life of a mercenary group called Badenov's Band. A few good bits but mostly mediocre. It feels like JG doesn't have the full grasp of Warhammer. This could have been a random fantasy setting and fit right in. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 25 Mar 2013 : 22:25:32
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| Reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36968 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2013 : 03:20:11
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| Finished Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Since I'm going chronologically (as much as is possible, since some of the events of the Lost Chronicles are concurrent with the Chronicles), then next is Dragons of the Dwarven Depths. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2013 : 10:55:02
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Started Shadow Games, an Star wars novel by Micheal Reeves.
It got Dash Rendar in it so that's a point in its favor already. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2013 : 13:41:11
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I’m reading Superman: Last Son of Krypton by Elliot S. Maggin. I’m in chapter 20 now. It’s quite fun so far. I love the flashbacks to Superman and Luthor’s childhood days, the fleshing out of Luthor’s personality (I didn’t realize he can be funny, albeit likely unintentionally), and the light but credible enough moral questions about the existence of a superhero thwarting the social progress of an entire civilization. My only quibble (so far) is the author’s apparent assumption that only comics fans read this book as he hardly describes certain places, most notably the planet Oric.
It’s a pity this novel is out of print, and it looks like DC has no immediate plans of re-printing it. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2013 : 15:27:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Finished Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Since I'm going chronologically (as much as is possible, since some of the events of the Lost Chronicles are concurrent with the Chronicles), then next is Dragons of the Dwarven Depths.
Aww Crap...now i realize I need to re-read these.....thanks Wooly! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2013 : 22:32:15
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Finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Wow.
Words of advice: read this book bundled up with a thick blanket in your favorite chair with a belly full of food, a clean and dry pair of socks, and a nice steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
This book made me feel starving, cold, or soaking wet on nearly every page…and I pictured myself reading it with a perpetual frown. That being said, I loved this book.
The writing and dialogue was strange but I thought it actually fit nicely with the bleak hopelessness of the setting. I’m not really sure what else to say about this one but I wouldn’t read it if you have had any recent bouts of bad luck, depression, or other forms of malcontent…because this book just MIGHT push you over the edge. |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36968 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2013 : 18:11:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Finished Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Since I'm going chronologically (as much as is possible, since some of the events of the Lost Chronicles are concurrent with the Chronicles), then next is Dragons of the Dwarven Depths.
Something amusing occurred to me the other day... The Lost Chronicles books are filler, providing additional stories that were only mentioned in passing, in the Chronicles... And yet, the Lost Chronicles have considerably more page count! The filler stories are larger than the stories they are supplementing! |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2013 : 20:09:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Finished Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Since I'm going chronologically (as much as is possible, since some of the events of the Lost Chronicles are concurrent with the Chronicles), then next is Dragons of the Dwarven Depths.
Something amusing occurred to me the other day... The Lost Chronicles books are filler, providing additional stories that were only mentioned in passing, in the Chronicles... And yet, the Lost Chronicles have considerably more page count! The filler stories are larger than the stories they are supplementing!
The first two lost chronicle were much longer, but the hourglass mage was like 100 pages shorter than the first two...so they only average about 5 pages more.
That was my biggest dissapointment in the lost chronicles trilogy...the last book being so short. they could have easily written hundreds of pages more about what Raistlin was up to....but wasnt there some political wrangling behind the scenes between the authors and publisher? |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36968 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2013 : 20:17:18
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quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
but wasnt there some political wrangling behind the scenes between the authors and publisher?
I believe there was some sort of dispute, there, but I do not have any details. I do recall there being a significant delay betwixt the release of books 2 and 3, and I seem to recall book 3 being cancelled and then reinstated. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2013 : 01:56:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
but wasnt there some political wrangling behind the scenes between the authors and publisher?
I believe there was some sort of dispute, there, but I do not have any details. I do recall there being a significant delay betwixt the release of books 2 and 3, and I seem to recall book 3 being cancelled and then reinstated.
That's the basic plot. I won't bother with the actual particulars, since this is an FR board, but I'll just note that the delay for Dragons of the Hourglass Mage did indeed have an impact on it's page-size. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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realmsrider
Acolyte
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2013 : 05:32:03
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Time of Legends: Heldenhammer(book 1) by Graham McNeill
A friend asked me the other day why I love reading Warhammer. He has no interest in novels with a fantasy setting and is only aware of the most mainstream of fantasy settings. I replied, imagine LotR if Frodo was cut down by one of the black riders and steals the ring for himself. He turns Frodo and Samwise into his undead minions and they recruit members of the fellowship through treachery and deceit to overthrow Sauron. That's kind of what Warhammer is like. That being said, Heldenhammer lacks the raw desperation of WH but seeing as it's a man who becomes a God it's an interesting look at the birth of a legend. The final battle and the molding of an Empire were enough to keep me entertained. The first half is a little too fluffy though. I've heard books 2 and 3 are exceptionally better so I'm sticking with it.
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2013 : 12:46:04
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Amazon has posted the blurb of Magician’s End, which will be released a month from now. This part has me worried:
quote:
Pug, now the greatest magician of all time, must risk everything he has fought for and everything he cherishes in the hope of destroying an evil enemy once and for all. But to achieve peace and save untold millions of lives, he will have to pay the ultimate price.
It looks like Pug is really going to die here. Probably he, the Great Ones from reborn Kelewan, the Elvandar and star elves, and Midkemia’s magicians would attempt to cast some Grand Spell that would either obliterate or banish the Dread for eternity. I know the title should have been a giveaway, but I’m still hoping that somehow Pug would survive this final battle and just die a “natural” death in some unforeseen, untold future.
Oh, well, we'll just have to wait and see . . . |
Every beginning has an end. |
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realmsrider
Acolyte
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2013 : 00:46:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Amazon has posted the blurb of Magician’s End, which will be released a month from now. This part has me worried:
quote:
Pug, now the greatest magician of all time, must risk everything he has fought for and everything he cherishes in the hope of destroying an evil enemy once and for all. But to achieve peace and save untold millions of lives, he will have to pay the ultimate price.
It looks like Pug is really going to die here. Probably he, the Great Ones from reborn Kelewan, the Elvandar and star elves, and Midkemia’s magicians would attempt to cast some Grand Spell that would either obliterate or banish the Dread for eternity. I know the title should have been a giveaway, but I’m still hoping that somehow Pug would survive this final battle and just die a “natural” death in some unforeseen, untold future.
Oh, well, we'll just have to wait and see . . .
Maybe he'll hae to sacrifice his use of magic. That too is an ultimate price. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2013 : 04:36:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
I’m reading Superman: Last Son of Krypton by Elliot S. Maggin. I’m in chapter 20 now. It’s quite fun so far. I love the flashbacks to Superman and Luthor’s childhood days, the fleshing out of Luthor’s personality (I didn’t realize he can be funny, albeit likely unintentionally), and the light but credible enough moral questions about the existence of a superhero thwarting the social progress of an entire civilization. My only quibble (so far) is the author’s apparent assumption that only comics fans read this book as he hardly describes certain places, most notably the planet Oric.
It’s a pity this novel is out of print, and it looks like DC has no immediate plans of re-printing it.
I just finished this today.
Superman in “real time” is hardly fleshed out, to the point that he stands at the precipice of being boring. Luthor, on the other hand, gets enough “face time”—enough for the reader to see his genius and idiosyncrasies. The use of Albert Einstein, while essential to the plot, appears to be contrived. Unless, of course, this ties into some mega-plot in some comics story line or books that I’m unfamiliar of.
How interesting a villain is portrayed is one of the primary factors that keep me turning the pages. Luthor is depicted well enough, though not necessarily as a villain. The one I have a problem with is the alien minstrel Towbee. Other than his ridiculous-sounding name, there’s nothing about him that’s even close to being interesting. While subtlety and cunning (as opposed to sheer power and strength) sometimes work for some antagonists, this one minstrel uses them with such ease that it appears overly convenient.
Everything in this novel happens in a flash, at times quite literally. When the book reaches the point to introduce a sense of doom via a galaxy-wide threat, it presents a solution right away. It takes away the conflict to the extent that the reader would eventually ask, “Is there even a conflict to begin with?” I am almost inclined to say that this is one dilemma that besieges a Superman book. What threat is big enough that he can’t handle? Then I remember Roger Stern’s quite excellent novel—The Death and Life of Superman—and the films that feature the Man of Steel, even the ones that touch on his character tangentially, and I remember that yes, there are multiple threats, big and small, that can paralyze, if not outright kill Superman and that a bleak, dreary, end-of-the-world atmosphere can also be effectively cast through his absence or failure to stop a villain’s selfish scheme.
For the lore and for the fun save-the-day situations for the most part, I recommend this to all Superman fans.
Out of ten possible stars, I give this seven. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2013 : 04:55:42
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quote:
Originally posted by realmsrider
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Amazon has posted the blurb of Magician’s End, which will be released a month from now. This part has me worried:
quote:
Pug, now the greatest magician of all time, must risk everything he has fought for and everything he cherishes in the hope of destroying an evil enemy once and for all. But to achieve peace and save untold millions of lives, he will have to pay the ultimate price.
It looks like Pug is really going to die here. Probably he, the Great Ones from reborn Kelewan, the Elvandar and star elves, and Midkemia’s magicians would attempt to cast some Grand Spell that would either obliterate or banish the Dread for eternity. I know the title should have been a giveaway, but I’m still hoping that somehow Pug would survive this final battle and just die a “natural” death in some unforeseen, untold future.
Oh, well, we'll just have to wait and see . . .
Maybe he'll hae to sacrifice his use of magic. That too is an ultimate price.
Maybe. Though for a long-lived powerful magician, that's rather worse than death itself. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2013 : 18:41:24
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I just finished reading the graphic novel Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski (author) and Shane Davis (illustrator). This is an excellent re-imagining of the Man of the Steel, coupled with impeccable artwork by a comics veteran. Straczynski balances the scope of the story quite well—from Clark’s introspections to the worldwide threat of Tyrell and his alien armada.
We get to see Clark’s doubts, and one of which is this fundamental question: Can he really be among the people even though he’s not of the people?
There are scenes in this novel that are quite touching, like when young Clark visited the grave of his Pa Kent.
I also like the tweaking of Krypton’s apocalypse. I think it sounds better than the original.
This is a must-have for all Superman fans.
Out of ten possible stars, I give this nine. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2013 : 20:42:44
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It’s 4:30 a.m. and I can’t sleep, so I just grab the sequel to Earth One and let my eyes “relax.”
I just finished Superman: Earth One Vol. 2 by J. Michael Straczynski (author) and Shane Davis (illustrator). What happens when Superman becomes powerless and is unable to “recharge”? Well, you’ll know the answer here . . .
Parasite has been fleshed out fine. We get to see how the nascent serial killer started his “experiments” at a very early age and how he later becomes a “legend” in the history of serial killing. There’s a little dose of drama in his story that might allow you to sympathize with him, for a second or two, at the very least.
Straczynski continues to give a new perspective on the Man of Steel without disrespecting the mythos of this iconic character. Clark/Superman can be young and naïve and wise and prudent at the same time.
The appearance of two characters (who will likely play a very important part in volume 3) will undoubtedly surprise you.
Out of ten possible stars, I give it eight. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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What are you reading? (2013)
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