Review: Meteor Men

Meteor Men by Jeff Parker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meteor Men, by Jeff Parker, Sandy Jarrell, and Kevin Volo, is essentially a first contact/alien invasion story focusing on a lonely teen, Alden Baylor. Alden is an orphan, and when a series of strange meteors strike the planet, Alden finds one of them in a field he inherited when his parents passed away. It doesn't take long for Alden to figure out that there's more to the meteors than most people thought, and for the government to start investigating the reports of strange beings showing up across the globe.

This is mostly fun, but fairly predictable, YA sci-fi romp. The inevitable conclusion is obvious a long way off, and when the government types start butting in, it's not any big surprise how they react. Jarrell and Volo do a fine job making sure that the young characters actually look like young characters, and their approach to the aliens and alien speech works well. This is an entertaining enough read, but there's not much to make it a strong recommendation.

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Review: Batman: Odyssey

Batman: Odyssey by Neal Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Batman: Odyssey is apparently the magnum opus of Neal "easily in the top ten greatest Batman artists who ever lived" Adams. Find me a list of the best or most influential Batman artists that doesn't include Neal Adams, and I'll show you a list made by someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. Adams helped define the character in a way that few other artists can claim, and his work is still amazing to see.



His writing, on the other hand... well...

Batman: Odyssey has, in a way, very similar aims to Grant Morrison's run on the Dark Knight. It's an attempt to reconnect with Batman's roots and tell a story grounded in the ways that Batman has changed over the years. Where Morrison tried to find a way to reconcile decades of continuity, though, Adams is looking at thematic slices. We see Batman as he was at the beginning of his career, before he had Robin by his side, and we see Batman as he is now, much later. Adams is interested in exploring some of the quirkier aspects of the character, and he wants to tell a story, I think, about what makes Batman, Batman.

Whether he's successful is... a matter of some dispute.

Let me just say, up front, that artist Adams is still at the top of his game. Mostly. There are certainly a few panels that stand out as being perhaps a little bit overdone and border on parody. If nothing else, you can't accuse his version of Bruce Wayne of being understated.



That aside, you can definitely see why Adams is listed among the greats. His depictions of Batman in action have an amazing amount of energy and motion, and he has a tremendous imagination. There is an incredible sequence wherein Batman is flying a giant bat, avoiding shotgun fire from an oil prospector riding a dinosaur. Which is probably something you wouldn't expect to see in a modern Batman book, but there it is, looking not ridiculous, but ridiculously awesome.



I particularly like the subtle touches he uses to show how Batman has evolved over time. In the scenes of his early adventures, you always see his eyes, but in the later years, he has protective shields that create the "white out" effect modern readers are used to. The early costume's "horns" wrinkle and bend when he climbs atop the train, as well. These little touches are a visual treat.

The problem is that Adams just doesn't write this particularly well. The plot, to put it mildly, is a mess. At the start of Batman: Odyssey, Bruce Wayne is telling an unseen audience the story about the time he told Robin the story of the time he stopped a train robbery but got shot in the process. Adams makes liberal use of flashbacks and time jumps throughout the story, but never to a particularly clear purpose. The use of the frame story seems mostly there to help drive home that Batman underwent an Odyssey (which is also drive home by Adams repeatedly having the character explicitly say that he went on an Odyssey) and to provide the opportunity for Batman to infodump.

Comics are a visual medium. While there are obviously times that you need to infodump for plot purposes, if you find yourself doing large infodumps at the beginning of every issue (or, in some cases, several times throughout an issue) you're probably doing something wrong. Despite his capable skills as an artist, Writer Adams does a lot of telling instead of (sometimes in addition to) showing, and it's painful.



Sadly, his command of dialog isn't any better. Characters repeat themselves, repeat text from the narrative boxes, or repeat each other with alarming frequency. They pause or stop mid-sentence more often than the complete full thoughts. On one page, I counted 14 ellipses in eight dialog bubbles. I doubt there's a page in the book with fewer than six sets of ellipses per page.

I don't want to spend too much time beating up on Writer Adams, though, because the fact is, despite, or perhaps because of the writing, this is actually a pretty fun book. It's not a good book, but it's a lot of fun to read, and it's a visual treat. When is the last time you got to see Batman throw a tank like a bowling ball or straight-up punch an Egyptian god in the jaw? How often does Batman fight dinosaurs these days? Have you ever seen Batman shoot an old man in the back or threaten to murder innocent people?



The wild mood shifts (one minute, Batman is welcoming a character like an old friend, literally the next panel he's screaming at him like a maniac), horrible dialog, amazing visuals, and incomprehensible story make this fun to read in the same way that a lot of the classic B movies are to watch. There's heart, here, even if it doesn't seem like Writer Adams quite managed to pull off the story in the way he wanted to. If you can laugh off bad writing and appreciate the roller coaster ride for what it is, this might be worth a read.
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Review: Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike

Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

DeConnick and Rios's Pretty deadly is an Old West fairy tale about Death, as told by a dead rabbit to a butterfly (that, I think, isn't dead. Yet. Probably). A long time ago, or so the story goes, there was a man who loved a woman more than anyone in the world, but let his jealousy get the better of him. He locked her away from the eyes of other men, and she slowly died inside. When, at last, she could take no more, she sought the final sleep of death. But, alas, when Death came to her, he coveted her beauty as well, and he took her deep into his kingdom, never to see the light of day.



Eventually, she bore death's child. Death's child resented the man who loved her mother so much that he locked her away, and sought revenge on the man. Death, who knew her rage would be mighty, sought to use her as a pawn in an audacious scheme.

And so the story starts...

As you can see, there's a lot going on in Pretty Deadly. I haven't even touched on some of the subplots or minor characters, yet. For the most part, the plot focuses on death faced Ginny, the daughter of Death, and a young girl in a vulture cloak. DeConnick clearly has a love of fairy tales and myths, and I like the way that she's crafted a new mythology that feels true to the traditions that came before. The characters are larger than life and have an intensity to match the high stakes of the story. If anything, the story moves too fast in spots; this feels like it wants to be at least an issue or two longer. There are several characters who aren't given enough time to breathe, and there are a couple of plot points that are passed over without enough explanation. If you're like me, these points won't distract overly much during the initial read-through, but will nag a bit later.



I really like Rios' work, here. The color palate is perfect for the book, and she's created a visually compelling cast of characters. Her depiction of death is particularly well done, and the strange and surreal way that his lair is depicted fits the mythology of the story. There are a number of really cleverly done splash pages, too. I don't have a bad thing to say about the visuals, in fact. They're exactly right for this story; Rios has a good eye for the dramatic touches.



I hope that DeConnick is able to unpack future stories a little more and to tighten the plot up in future volumes, but for anyone who likes myths and Westerns, I wholeheartedly recommend taking a peak at this. This book does contain some graphic violence and has strong sexual themes and some brief nudity, so it's probably not a great selection for younger readers.



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Review: Deadly Class #1

Deadly Class #1 by Rick Remender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's 1987, and Marcus Lopez is a teenage orphan on the run from his past. Living on the streets after his parents die in a freak accident, he spends his time avoiding the police, trying to scrounge up enough money and food to survive, and trying to forget his past. When he's offered an opportunity to attend the incredibly exclusive Dominion High School, he has to decide whether this is a killer opportunity, or just an opportunity to be killed.

Deadly Class, by Rick Remender, is part of legacy extending, I assume, back to the almost the beginning of all high schools everywhere. It doesn't take long for anyone who ever attended a public high school (and, I assume, most private high schools) to realize that... well... high school sucks. Obviously, there are some great moments, and the amount of free time that many kids have during high school is obviously the envy of most adults working the 40 hour week, but high school is also fraught with dangers. There are bullies and cliques to worry about. There are budding, fragile relationships forming, both platonic and romantic. Friendships form and dissolve with alarming frequency. The whole thing is so incredibly intense. Add to that the chaos of puberty and out of control hormones and teens natural tendency towards risk taking, and you have a recipe for one messy, awful time of life, especially if you're just a little bit weird or different.

And while I'm sure that there are people who don't have that experience, and who view high school as the best time of their life, there's a certain segment of the population who really connect to stories like Heathers or, now, Deadly Class. Here's a book that takes all of that hostility and frustration and the politics of youth, and turns it up to 11. A high school for the deadly arts, where every clique and in-group is a different type of homicidal maniac? Interesting.

It's a bizarre take on a long-standing tradition, and it was a ton of fun to read. My only concern is how long can Remender keep the protagonists interesting *and* likable in a world where they're being trained to murder people.

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Review: Daughters unto Devils

Daughters unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy Lukavics' creepy novel, Daughters unto Devils, follows teenage Amanda Verner and her family as they struggle with the threat of another disasterous winter. The previous winter, one of the worst on record, was particularly challenging for the family, and none of them are sure they'll survive another winter like it. To add to the family's trouble, Amanda is pregnant.

Picked this up on recommendation from a friend, and glad I did. This is a great book for Halloween. I won't lie; this starts off a lot slower than it should, and I think that Lukavics does too much telling and not enough showing in some places (if the family is that religious, show us; stop having Amanda repeat to us how religious they are with no evidence of it being shown), but the last third of the book... wow. She really shifts gears and turns up the creep-factor. I was genuinely surprised.

A fast read to get your ready for the Halloween holiday.

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36 Days of Halloween - 1995: Day of the Beast

Shortly before Christmas, a Roman Catholic priest discovers that the antichrist will be born before dawn on Christmas day. He decides the only way to stop the antichrist is by engaging in enough sins that he can sell his soul to the Devil and learn the location of the Antichrist's birth, whereupon he will kill the Antichrist and save humanity. He's helped in this quest by a record store clerk and a television... psychic. I first saw this film probably ten or fifteen years ago, while I was living in Ann Arbor; it was hard to track down a copy, but I'm glad I did; this film is very funny. Director Álex de la Iglesia carefully balances the comedy/horror line here, without ever slipping too far in either direction. The film opens with a glorious scene where the Priest, Angel Berriartúa, confides in the head priest; and is told that they can bear the weight of this cross together. Unfortunately for the head priest, this claim is tested much more literally than he expected, and Angel is left on his own. The scenes of Angel trying to sin his way into the Devil's good graces are quite funny. He steal luggage, harasses street preachers and mimes, and ultimately goes to a record store to purchase "devil music." Angel's attempts to sin his way into the Devil's good graces are hilariously absurd; he's a man who dedicated his life to God, and he thinks the Devil will accept him as his own if he buys a few heavy metal albums and shoplifts from a book. It's not a huge surprise when the Devil does not, in fact, confide in Angel. Despite the almost two hour run-time, this is a fast paced film; there's never a moment where the film feels slow or overly burdened. The director keeps the action moving by pushing Angel into more and more absurd situations in his quest to find the Antichrist. The actors involved deserve a ton of credit for the success, as well; the main cast and most of the supporting cast put in excellent performances, and help create tremendously likable characters. The biggest flaw with this film is the difficulty most people will have finding a copy. This is a thoroughly enjoyable darkly comedic romp. This one easily gets five out of five sides of a pentagram.

36 Days of Halloween - 1994: In the Mouth of Madness

In this John Carpenter cult classic, Sam Neill investigates the disappearance of famous New England horror writer H.P. Lovecraft... I mean, Stephen King... no, wait, sorry, I mean Sutter Cane. In recent years, Cane's work has become erratic, and his publisher is concerned about the disappearance. Sam Neill (played by actor Sam Neill) tracks the elusive and insane author to the fictional town where his books are set. In the face of the increasing evidence that Sutter Cane's work isn't quite as fictional as he thought, Sam Neill tries to hold onto his sanity and escape from Cane's world. I love this movie so much. How could I not? A famous horror author's works coming to life while a beleaguered investigator tries to make sense of reality unraveling? It's an awesome concept, right? Carpenter definitely plays with the idea in some awesome ways. Since the whole point of the film is that reality has come unhinged in the hands of a psychotic author, Carpenter is able to explore some interesting techniques to mess with the audience's expectations. One of my favorite ways that Carpenter portrays the breakdown of reality is through altering the chronology of the events and the character's perceptions of what has happened. Sam Neill lives through some of the events in the film three and four times. The first time this happens, it's treated as a dream sequence, but the motif reappears many times throughout the film (the most memorable being Neill's attempt to leave the town only to find himself driving back into the center of town). While the film is a little slow to start--contributing to the feeling that the film is perhaps 15 minutes too long--it really picks up once Neill visit's Hobb's End. There are some special effects that look a little dated, 20 years later, but there are also some amazing effects and cinematography that make this a must-see. There's a particularly inspired scene where Sutter Cane has revealed to Neill exactly what is happening and Neill is trying to come to grips, when the scene literally starts to unravel. Neill literally sees the reality behind the page (Sam Neill pulling away a page is another reoccurring motif). As I said, this film is perhaps just a little longer than it should be, and the special effects--especially the creature effects--are a little dated, but despite those flaws, there's a lot here to love. Sam Neill's performance is amazing; nobody else does gradually unraveling sanity quite like Neill. Carpenter clearly had a lot of fun making this, and there are a lot of really clever sequences (in all fairness, some of them probably should have been cut; they're clever, but not all of them are necessary). I strongly recommend giving this a try, particularly if you're a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's work. It's definitely not flawless, but it's still a lot of fun, provides some real thrills, and is a truly creepy film. Carpenter's exploration of madness is five out of five creepy New England horror novels.

36 Days of Halloween - 1993: Cronos

Guillermo del Toro's take on the vampire tale follows the battle between an antiques dealer and a wealthy, but dying, man as they vie for control of a device that grants the user a form of immortality... at a price. Like many of del Toro's films, this one is a bit of a genre blend. While there are obviously horror elements, given the involvement of vampires, this is still carries his trademark fairy tale-esque elements, as well. The resulti...ng blend becomes a sort of darkly whimsical tale, and a touching story about a man's love for his family. Cronos is a beautiful film, and I suspect that it will reward multiple viewings. If nothing else, it's a vampire movie with a unique premise, a fantastic cast, and a brilliant script. What more could you ask for? 5 out of 5 lifetimes lived.

36 Days of Halloween - 1992: Candyman

From the mind of Clive Barker comes a this film about an urban legend about a killer called the Candyman. Essentially a modern take on the "Bloody Mary" myth, the Candyman shows up if you say his name five times while looking in a mirror. A grad student, Helen, who is looking into modern myths discovers the tale, and starts to investigate the legendary figure, with tragic results. I'm a sucker for "urban legends are real" ...movies, and this is no exception. The Candyman figure is very creepy--from the hook embedded in his bloody stump, to his torso of bees, to the incredible voice, he's incredibly menacing. If his motivations aren't completely clear, at least he's distinct and memorable. The treatment of race in this film is about as subtle as a hook to the chest, but I guess it's at least *trying* to be aware of the kind of racism that creates and traps people in ghettos? The main plot ends up being a little confusing--there's a strong implication that the Candyman's real power comes from the belief of the people that he's there. The more people who believe the stories, the more powerful he is. Helen's skepticism seems to hurt him in some way, and he becomes obsessed with making her believe in him and in having her sacrifice herself to him. The biggest flaws here are in the pacing and the failure to press the "Helen is actually just super crazy" aspects. The pacing issues are really a result of having too many scenes of Helen wandering around doing nothing, watching her husband in class, and having the most awkward dinner party I've ever seen on film. While some of the scenes do provide important information and back story, I think they needed to be tightened up. To my mind, the bigger problem is the way that the film sets up the possibility that it really all is in Helen's head, but then doesn't follow up on it very well. It's certainly possible that Helen could have kidnapped the baby, killed her friend when she came to visit, and murdered her doctor to escape. The problem is that, by the time the film introduces this possibility, the movie is almost over, and then the supernatural elements are beyond refute. She's dead and comes back to murder her own husband, after all. Still, it's a pretty creepy movie with villain who has complex motives and an unforgettable screen presence. Call it four out of five Candymen.

36 Days of Halloween - 1991: Subspecies

Two young coeds head overseas to visit their friend and fellow student in Prejmer, Romania. While there, they study the local superstitions surrounding vampires. When they meet and befriend the handsome Stefan, they unwittingly find themselves in the middle of a family battle between Stefan and his monstrous brother, Radu, for control of their castle and the mystical bloodstone. While... this direct to video film has definitely not aged well in the special effects department--Radu's minions look, frankly, horrible--it's still a lot of fun to watch. Radu, with his long fingers and massive fangs, is extremely creepy, and watching him skulk around menacing people is fantastic.The premise--there are vampires in the area who hate each other and want to kill one another--is solid enough for a horror franchise, and the acting, while not award winning by any means, is capable enough for cheap thrills. I imagine my fond memories of watching this with a friend in high school colors my perceptions of the film a bit, but I had a great time watching it. Four out of five poorly animated blood minions out of five.

36 Days of Halloween - 1990: Arachnophobia

City doctor moves to the country. Spider moves from Venezuela to country. Spider finds loves, makes baby spiders. Baby spiders kill a bunch of people. Doctor tries to stop it. Arachnophobia is neither as funny nor as scary as I remember it being. Also, it turns out that it's John Goodman, *not* John Candy playing the role of the cocky exterminator. I don't know why I was convinced it was Candy. This isn't a bad movie, but it's not particularly exciting, either. I think I'll stick with Eight Legged Freaks as my go-to for spider-based horror comedies. Arachnophobia is pretty tame, sort of mid-grade "I expect that it plays on tv a lot" for a horror movie. 4 out of 8 spider legs.

36 Days of Halloween - 1989: Santa Sangre

This is a weird film; I'm not even sure how to summarize it. A young boy, Alex, grows up as part of a traveling circus. His mother, the acrobat, is extremely religious and devoted to the Church of the Holy Blood, and his father, the knife thrower, spends his days drunk or flirting with other women. Eventually, his mother discovers his father in bed with the tattooed woman, and throws acid on his groin in a fit of rage. His father cuts ...off her arms with his knives, and then kills himself in front of young Alex. Years later, Alex, now an adult, is living in an asylum when, during a trip outside, he sees the tattooed woman, and his mother comes to visit him. Then things get really weird. This wasn't really at all what I was expecting. Despite the disturbing things that happen, this feels like less of a horror film, and more of a tragedy about a boy who is really emotionally and mentally messed up by a childhood filled with bizarre and unhealthy things. I suppose it's sort of a psychological horror film? It's what happens if you take a horror/slasher film, but add in all of the backstory that led to the mental breakdown of the killer (in a good way, not in a ham-fisted way). It's definitely an impressively made film. filled with unforgettable scenes. If you're looking for something a little less mainstream, this is a good choice.

36 Days of Halloween - 1988: Beetlejuice

In typical Tim Burton fashion, a couple dies in a completely contrived and ridiculous fashion, only to find themselves haunting their former house. When a horrible family moves in and starts to change everything, they try, without success, to scare them away. Failing that, they call on gross, homeless, pervy Michael Keaton to help them out. He does actually help them out as they requested, so they renege on their promise to him, and ev...eryone but him lives happily ever after. Beetlejuice is *weird*. Really really weird. How did this movie get turned into a children's cartoon? How did Beetlejuice go from being the creepy undead pervert trying to hook up with ~16 year old girl, to being her best friend in the animated version? So, as weird as this movie is, it's also really funny. It's mostly an excuse to use a bunch of weird special effects and show of Tim Burton's visual aesthetic. The various ghosts and ghouls that make appearances, and the wacky attempts to scare away the Deetz family show off some pretty neat special effects (I particularly like when Adam and Barbara show their case worker how they'll be trying to scare the Deetzs; the eyeballs on the fingertips get me every time!). The best scenes are obviously the musical numbers, but the whole thing is ridiculous fun, and seeing Michael Keaton hamming it up as the disgusting "ghost with the most" makes this worth rewatching. 2.5 out of 3 Beetlejuices said out loud.

36 Days of Halloween - 1987: Lost Boys

At an impromptu beach party in Santa Carlo, a shirtless, greased up, long haired guy who looks like a pro wrestler sings an amazing version of "I Believe" and does a killer sax solo. Also, there are vampires. Lost Boys is awesome in every sense of the word. The soundtrack is amazing. The Coreys are fantastic. Kiefer Sutherland is the very definition of cool. The wardrobes are the most gloriously 80s thing you've ever seen. Everything about this movie is amazing, and you should love it. Did I mention the amazing sax solo at a beach party?

36 Days of Halloween Bonus - 1968: Rosemary's Baby

A young couple move into a new home with a bad reputation. When Rosemary discovers she is pregnant with their first child, she is elated. Her joy soon turns to anxiety when the pregnancy proves to be difficult and she begins to suspect her neighbors have more than a normal interest in her child. This was the first time I'd ever seen this film, and for 95% of it, I was thoroughly on board. I was practically glued to the edge of my seat. The too-kind neighbors; the slightly jerky, bit self abosorbed husband; the difficult pregnancy: all of it is handled with such skill. Polanski crafts a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking tale. Your heart breaks for Rosemary and the isolation and pain she's clearly going through, but Polanski keeps all of it just vague enough that you're never quite sure if they really are out to get her, or if she's seeing things that aren't there. You want her to get away from them, not because they're clearly evil, but because the situation is unhealthy for her. But then he ruins the whole thing by making it ten/fifteen minutes too long. What was a tremendously tense and riveting film turns into a farce the exact moment Rosemary walks into the Satanist Party Monthly Meeting. It would have been so much better to leave a little to viewer. Perhaps end the film while Rosemary is recovering, after her jerk of a husband suggests they try again and is talking about his career instead of caring for his nearly catatonic wife. She's staring vacantly at the wall. She turns her head slightly, and we hear just the faintest baby's wail coming from the other side of the wall. Bam, done. Was it in her head? Was it a kidnapping? Were there witches after all? Who knows? Instead it's "HAIL SATAN!" and a demon baby? Ugh.So, five out of five tannis root shakes for the first two hours; Rosemary dumping them down the drain in disgust for the last fifteen minutes.

Review: What Janie Found

What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Jennie Spring was that girl on the milk carton. Kidnapped as a toddler, she lived most of her life thinking she was Janie Johnson. She was raised by the parents of the young woman who kidnapped her. When the deception came out, both families were stunned. The Johnsons had no idea their daughter had kidnapped young Janie. Years later, Janie now has two families. She lives most of her life with the Johnsons, who raised her, but is trying to form stronger relationships with her birth family, the Springs. When Mr. Johnson has a stroke, and Janie is tasked with helping out with the family finances, she finds something that threatens to topple the carefully constructed world she's built for herself.

Dun dun duuuuuuun.

This might have been a better read for me if I had actually read the first three books in the series. As it is, Cooney's novel is a little too "after school special" for me. The central premise feels really melodramatic and overwrought. At no point did I think "Yeah, I can understand the conflict here." Instead, I found myself wanting to shake these people and ask "Why are you being such complete morons?" The final straw, for me, was Stephen's girlfriend, Kathleen. As she's written in the later parts of the book, she's just completely, unbelievably awful. She's completely self absorbed and rude.

The cover design is amazing, and manages to evoke the sorts of YA horror that I still really love from the late 90s/early 00s, but this ends up being a perfect example of "don't judge a book by its cover."

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Review: Fatale Deluxe Edition, Volume One

Fatale Deluxe Edition, Volume One by Ed Brubaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fatale is another amazing collaboration between Brubaker and Phillips (of Criminal fame. Also Sleeper and Incognito, all of which are fantastic reads). In this book, Brubaker blends two parts Dashiell Hammett with one part H.P. Lovecraft, mixes well, and hard boils it for maximum noir goodness. Josephine, the femme fatale of the title, is on the run from a cult determined to find her. At some point in her past, she was cursed; she can influence men to do her bidding, without even meaning to, but doing so inevitably leads them to bad endings.



Brubaker and Phillips have been one of my favorite creative teams for a long time, now, but, even by their high standards, this is a really inspired work. The twist on a classic trope works really well, and it's surprising that the "noir/horror" combination doesn't seem to be used more often.

Brubaker has always done a good job with crime stories, and this is no exception. Here, he's playing around with various noir tropes, and putting a supernatural spin on them to create a fresh new take on a very old genre. The idea that the femme fatale's power over men comes from a supernatural source is actually quite clever, and gets around some of the plot-induced stupidity that men in noir novels sometimes seem to suffer. It also leads to some interesting moments where the men involved question their own actions, wondering why they seem to be acting in ways they wouldn't normally, but also wondering if they're better for it or not.



This first volume spans three generations worth of time, and Brubaker handles this with aplumb by having a framing story set in modern times, with a character looking over documents and manuscripts to queue up flashbacks. It's not complicated, but it is effective. Given that Jo's plot is already complicated enough between her agelessness and the cult, and etc, it's nice that Brubaker made it pretty easy to follow the timeline and spot the overlaps.

Phillips visuals are perfect for this. He captures the heavy shadows, distorted features, and dramatic angles that mark the noir aesthetic. His character designs are perfectly suited to capturing the sense of dread the story contains. I particularly like the designs for the Old Man who leads the cult in the first arc, and of the nameless Associates who follow him around.



This edition also includes two short essays at the end, discussing topics/themes that are present in the work (in particular, Lovecraftian horror, and Poe). Some nudity/sexual content, gore, and violence might make this unsuitable for younger readers, but none of it feels gratuitous. Highly recommended for fans of noir and crime novels who don't mind bit of supernatural horror blended in. Now I just need to get volume 2.




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Review: Hell Yeah! Volume 1: Last Day on Earths

Hell Yeah! Volume 1: Last Day on Earths by Joe Keatinge
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ben Day has super powers. Unfortunately, his super powers aren't that great, and he lives in a world where having super powers doesn't really make you that special. Extra unfortunately, someone is cruising through the multiverse killing all of the other Ben Days. Soon, he finds himself stuck in the middle of a conflict he doesn't understand as various people from across the multiverse converge on his reality.

The basic premise-a kid living in a world where superheroes have only been on the scene for generation discovers that everything isn't quite what it seems-seems solid enough, but hte execution here is a little lacking. Slacker Ben seems to take too much in stride, and doesn't really seem to be particularly phased by the weirdness erupting around him. More significantly, the central mystery-who is killing all the other Bens, and why?-remains mostly unsolved by the end. While we do discover the "who", the "why" component is completely untouched. Worst of all, the final few pages make everything that came before them meaningless. It felt like there was supposed to be at least another 10 or 20 pages of material that somehow got left out.



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36 Days of Halloween - 1986: The Fly

Eccentric engineer/scientist Seth Brundle builds a teleportation pod with an unfortunate drawback: it can't teleport living tissue. A budding relationship with beautiful reporter leads to the insight he needs to fix the error. But when he thinks she might be falling back into the arms of her former lover, Seth gets drunk and tests the machine himself. Unfortunately, an errant fly wanders into the pod. Unbeknownst to Seth, he and the fly ar...e merged at the genetic level, and the Brundlefly is born. I *love* this movie. Jeff Goldblum is perfectly cast as the eccentric and socially awkward Brundle. Gina Davis is amazing as the plucky and slightly jaded reporter. That Guy is fantastic as the slimey and smarmy boss. What's not to love? While the relationship between Goldblum and Davis feels very *very* rushed, the transition from Brundle to Brundlefly is spot on. Cronenberg takes his time with the transformation. Brundle's deterioration is very subtle at first. The hairs are the obvious sign, but the way he twitches, his change in posture, his increased energy, and even the way his skin starts to take on a sickly sheen all start to suggest that the teleportation wasn't as successfully as he'd hoped. Obviously, the audience knows going in that he's going to become a fly, but Cronenberg smartly delays the full transformation, which makes the whole thing that much more horrible. That brief period where Seth thinks that, not only did the teleporter work, but that it made him *better* than he was before just makes his eventual realization that something has gone *horribly* wrong that much more powerful. A lot of surprisingly touching moments in a film about a giant fly-monster-man.

36 Days of Halloween - 1985: Re-Animator

Based on H.P. Lovecraft's story of a young medical genius who discovers a serum that brings the dead back to life: Herbert West, a brilliant but disturbing young medical student, is obsessed with brain death. He becomes convinced that he has developed a serum that will rejuvenate the dead. When the serum doesn't quite work as expected and a jealous professor steals the formula, wackiness ensues. This was a fun but *very* campy film that never really takes itself particularly seriously. It's not remotely scary, and even the "gross" scenes are mostly absurd and kind of funny. Herbert is played with an amazing amount of intensity by Jeffrey Combs. Also, as friend of the Blog, Mark, points out, the jealous professor looks an awful lot like John Kerry. Judge for yourself, which is which? ​