Review: Northlanders: Sven the Returned

Sven the Returned is the first trade collection of Brian Wood's Northlanders series. Set in 980 a.d. Northlanders follows Sven, who has returned to his ancestral lands in Orkney to claim the inheritance left by his recently deceased father. Sven's plan is to quickly show up, get his money, and head back to Constantinople where he has spent most of his life amongst the palaces, as an elite soldier. Of course, things aren't that easy. He returns to discover that his uncle, Gorm has claimed Sven's birthright. Sven however, is not discouraged by his Uncle's betrayal. Nor does he fear the small army of men loyal to Gorm who view Sven as a traitor. Sven embarks on a one man war to claim his birthright.

Filled with hardcore Viking action and gore, Sven the Returned is a pleasure to look at. Illustrated by Davide Gianfelice, the artwork is quite stunning. Gianfelice and colorist Dave McCaig do a fantastic job of nailing the harsh northern climate setting, using flat-toned hues to lend a real life quality to the beautiful backdrops and scenery. Gianfelice also manages to make the brutality of combat look beautiful, yet realistically gory. Lots of blood was spilled in this graphic novel, but considering the weapons of choice for that time, it seemed perfect.

I wish I could say as many nice things about the writing as I could the art. But I cant. Once again, I find myself let down by Brian Wood. A major snag for me was the language used. Wood completely modernized the dialog to the point that the vikings talk like cheesy modern day action movie characters. Juxtaposed with the art work which depicted period specific clothing, weaponry, tools, dwellings, etc. this felt incredibly out of place. I wouldn't have minded too much if the dialog had been moderately update so as to not be archaic, but this just felt like overkill.

Wood's plotting led to other annoyances. The first being Sven's affair with Thora, one of Gorm's love-slaves. At one point while they are banging, Sven states: "She was my first, when we were young. I suppose I made all kinds of stupid promises to get her to fuck me." However, about forty pages later while Wood is giving Sven's back-story, we see that he left his village at a very young age. I would guess, from the art depiction, the way child-Sven acted and behaved, and the other back-story events, that he was about ten years old at the time. Maybe he did have sex with Thora at age ten, but it seems highly unlikely and was an annoying flaw in the story.

Another plotting complaint is the conflict between Sven and Gorm's right-hand man, Hakkar. From the very first moment they meet, (Hakkar knocks Sven out with a brutal uppercut) the two seem to be on a collision course. For much of the book I was anticipating this eventual showdown, but it never happens, though there was plenty of opportunity for them to throw down. Instead, amidst contrived formality they become "brothers" or some lame thing like that, and it all felt like such a cop out.

I had other gripes too, including the characters, all of which were poorly developed, and the plotting, which lacked focus, and came to a uninteresting climax. As much as I wanted to like Sven the Returned, I simply couldn't. In most cases, the combo of vikings, sword fights, and sex would be a hit for me, but this just fell flat. This may be the end of the road for me and Brian Wood.

Grade: C-

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling



Nine years and seven books later, I have finally (!!) finished with the Harry Potter series. The first couple books hooked me, and there was enough good stuff in the rest of the books to keep me interested, so I kept plugging along. Here, at the top of the Harry Potter summit, looking back, it was a good trip, but I'm damn glad it is over.

This one took me by surprise...by how terribly boring a huge portion of it was. It seemed to me that Harry and company had a clear mission ahead of them by the end of The Half Blood Prince, but it took ages, nearly half the book for anything to happen in this one. Fun, look how weird the Dursleys are! Wow, a wizard wedding! (Which seemed very Christian). Then, finally, yippee! A very standard quest, complete with a power-sword, and evil talismans. At one point, when I was tallying up how many more horcruxes were left to destroy, and how many more pages I had to read, I was unsure I would be able to get through this book.

Luckily, things do eventually pick, up, but the first 300 pages of this book could have benefited from massive editing. When the ball does get rolling, the book is quite good. I was annoyed at how Harry, Ron and Hermoine were always on the run, so when they finally started being more proactive, I was relieved. This book had some great, memorable moments. The battle of Hogwarts was great, and I thought Snape's pensieve memory was quite interesting and put a good cap on one of my favorite characters in the series. As far as series ending books go, I thought Rowling did a good,not great, job putting this one to bed. It was satisfying.

I will point out a few gripes I had though. So, WARNING! SEVERE SPOILERS AHEAD!!

First off, when Harry "dies" and meets Dumbledore in Kings Cross, it really killed the flow for me. The book had been cracking along so nicely for a good stretch, then Rowling slowed everything down with a chapter that is essentially one long info-dump, where she ties up all the loose ends in the series...All the while Voldemort is still alive, and the fate of the wizarding world hangs in the balance. I hated this disruption of flow and it sullied my enjoyment of the final scenes.

My other big gripe is the "19 Years Later" epilogue. It was completely unnecessary. I'd much rather wonder what happend to Harry and his pals then have it be laid right out in front of me. This chapter felt way too nice. Harry marries Ginny, Ron marries Hermoine, and they name their little wizard kids this and that...CUTE! Really? For real? That is such an incredibly boring ending. I just wish Rowling had left things where they were and let the reader contemplate what happened next. Instead: "And they all lived happily ever after!" is what you get.

I'm sure there are a lot of super fans out there who are sad this series is over, but I'm kinda glad. It was fun while it lasted, but it feels good to have this in the rear-view mirror. Despite some golden moments, this book suffered from a lack of editing, which caused it to drag for long periods of time. Of course if you've made it this far and only have the seventh book to read, power through it. You wont be too disappointed.

Grade: C

Tickets!

Just purchased a pair of Willie Nelson tickets. I've been wanting to see Willie live for years, so this is pretty much a dream come true for me. I grew up listening to all the country-western legends at my grandparent's and Willie's music has special meaning for me, so I'm really excited to see him live. Just have to wait until mid September...

Music Break

I was just rocking out to this song today....Thought I'd share!

Review: Invincible: Family Matters

Invincible is a "cape and tights" comic written by Robert Kirkman, and drawn by Corey Walker. The main character, Mark Grayson, is a typical teenager: He's a senior in high school, he has a crappy part time job at a burger joint, he's interested in girls, and his dad is the most powerful superhero on earth. Ok, maybe that last bit isn't so typical, but aside from the super hero stuff...pretty standard!

Mark's father is Omni-Man, a super powerful human-like alien from a far distant planet, here on earth to protect it from trouble. Mark's mom seems like a typical American mom, but her calm, laid-back demeanor seems to keep the family anchored.

One day at work while taking out the garbage, Mark discovers that has begun to inherit his father's powers. That night at dinner, Mark's mother asks him how his day was. Mark replies that he thinks he is finally getting his Dad's powers, and his mom's response is to say: "That's nice. Can you please pass the potatoes?" Her normal response to a very abnormal statement was quite funny to me, and sets the Grayson family up as a very likable bunch. It would be hard to connect to a family of super-powered heroes, but the mother, in her normalcy, allows the reader to be able to make that connection, and it really works. I found myself liking the scenes at home the best.

As Mark learns more about his burgeoning powers, he goes though most things you might expect a young upstart hero to go thorough: From choosing a suit, to picking a name, and busting low-life crooks. Mark also kinda-sorta joins a super hero team called the "Teen Team". Pathetic name, but the babe of the team, Atom Eve, is a school mate of Mark's, and his crush.

With the help of the Teen Team, and Omni-Man, Mark works to uncover the whereabouts of some students who have gone missing from his high school, and how they may be connected to a string of mall bombings.

The art of Invincible is quite striking. The artist, Walker and colorist Crabtree, use bold lines and bright colors to make the images stand out. The somewhat cartoony artform lends a bit of lightheartedness to the story. While I enjoyed the visuals, there were never any moments that really took my breath away.

Invincible is an interesting take on costumed heroes. Mark is a likable guy, and Kirkman's writing is quite solid, but I never felt like I was fully hooked into the story. This was probably due to there being a complete lack of tension. I never worried for Mark's safety, or thought that maybe he couldn't handle a situation. You'd think a rookie hero might run across some hardship in his or her early stages of crime fighting, but that never happened here, and it was a bit boring. The "bad-guys" were chumps, and easily handled, and Mark is "Invincible" so can anything really go too far wrong for him?

All in all, Invincible was an enjoyable, light read, but not necessarily what I would consider a must read by any means. Fans of costumed hero comics might enjoy this one more than I did, but for me the rest of the series isn't exactly something i feel like I need to read.

Grade: C

Review: Preacher: Ancient History

The fourth volume of Preacher is unlike any volumes that have come before. It contains three Preacher "specials" each set in the past, giving back story on some of the more prominent side characters from the series. The other discrepancy from the previous volumes is that the art is not done by Steve Dillon, and is instead handled by three different artists: Steve Pugh, Carlos Ezquerra, and Richard Case.

The first of the three tales is titled Saint of Killers and tells the origin story of Custer's supernatural nemesis. This is the longest of the three stories and it displays just how bad ass the Saint of Killers was in his mortal life.

While on a journey to a nearby town to obtain medicine for his sick wife and child, the unnamed man runs across a vile band of crooks and killers. This meeting sets off a chain of events that leads to multiple deaths, epic shoot outs and the most amazing scene set in Hell, where even the devil himself isn't safe from the Saint of Killers.

This first story was extremely entertaining, it has pitch perfect dialog, great action scenes, and is also often very funny as well. Very few writers are able to pack so much into a story, but Ennis does so with ease. This is one of the most interesting origin stories I've ever read, and a great western tale as well.

The second story is titled The Story of You-Know-Who, starring one of Ennis' most fucked up characters: Arseface. Set in suburban Texas, an outcast teen struggles to get by while living with his alcoholic mother, and his rednecked-racist father, who also happens to be the town sheriff. His only friend is a fellow outcast named "Pube". When he isn't getting beaten by his father, the kid kills time by listening to Nirvana, smoking weed, and jacking off to porn mags. This saga of angst and woe culminates with the suicide of Kurt Cobain, which causes the two boys to form a suicide pact.

This was the weakest of the three stories. Arseface is a strange character, and one that isn't that interesting to me. I also felt like I've seen or read enough stories of teen angst and that this one felt pretty typical. Given the fact that the kid's name is "Arseface" also more or less gives away the ending, which is ok, if the journey there is great, but this one didn't do too much for me.

The third and final story is titled The Good Old Boys and stars two of my favorite Preacher characters thus far, Jody and T.C. This story takes place during quieter, happier times for Jody and T.C.

On a relaxing day for Jody and T.C.; one filled with fishing, and a death match with a gorilla, they stumble across a cop and a model turned lawyer. These two newcomers have crashed a helicopter in the bayou and are on the run from an international terrorist and his band of mercenaries. Can these two good old boys save the day and get the girl?

This third story played out like an action movie, but one full of twists and breaks from convention. Jody and T.C. are characters I love to hate, for just how psychotic they are in their own unique ways. This was probably my favorite of the three stories, simply because it was a ton of fun to read, and also quite funny.

Ancient History was an interesting break from the main story arc of the Preacher series. I enjoyed reading the back story on the Saint of Killers, and I'm glad Ennis decided to revisit Jody and T.C. That being said, I look forward to getting back to the main story line and seeing what happens with Custer, Cassidy and Tulip.

Grade: B+

Review: Reaper's Gale

Reaper's Gale By Steven Erikson



Two and a half weeks ago, with a giant intake of breath, I embarked on the seventh Malazan Book of the Fallen. Reading a Malazan novel is unlike most any other reading experience. It takes a heightened sense of attention, a large degree of dedication, and some patience as well.

As usual in this series, Reaper's Gale drops down into the middle of things with little or no explanation. At the start of this one, Erikson introduces a new group of people, the Awl. Then, in a matter of pages, he flits around between multiple story threads, with a huge cast of characters; some new and some familiar. All of this requires the reader to stay focused, and be patient, as Erikson slowly reveals just what the hell is going on since the last time the series visited the continent of Lether.

This is also a flippin' huge book, weighing in at over 800 pages. I always need to steel myself for a visit to Erikson's world, knowing that it will take me the better part of a month to read one of his books. Reaper's Gale could have been a bit shorter. There were many parts that I skimmed simply because nothing important was happening, with characters I cared nothing about, or could not remember who the hell they were.

Perhaps more so than other Malazan books, this one suffered from a truly massive cast of characters, and multiple story threads. I particularly had a hard time keeping some of the Letherii characters straight, as some had similar names, and little character development to help tell them apart. I find that after each double paragraph break, when Erikson switches to to new point of view, that I spend a minute or so placing the proper characters in my brain and figuring out where exactly shit is taking place. This is often a pain in the ass.

All that being said, like all Malazan books I've read so far, Reaper's Gale rewards the reader with some absolutely spectacular moments that live long in the memory. This book includes some of the most iconic characters from the entire series, (Karsa, Tehol, and Fiddler being favorites of mine), and does great things with them.

While I thought that maybe I had a good grip on where the series was headed after reading the 6th book, Reaper's Gale actually seemed to broaden the focus, instead of the narrowing that I expected. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but reading this book, I felt a sense that Erikson was carefully placing dominoes in preparation for the series finale, which is only three books away. In that sense, I felt slightly disappointed by the end of the book, and the outcomes felt slightly predictable, and lackluster.

I realize this may sound harsh, but while I did enjoy parts of it, this is far from a great book. I noticed dozens of grammatical errors, which is annoying as hell and break up my reading flow. It is a common complaint that the reader has to put up with certain annoyances when reading a Malazan book, but they felt more overt in this one.

There was just enough interesting things going on, and enough characters that I love to keep me going through this book. It is one of, if not my least favorite Malazan book so far. However, the end is now firmly in sight for this series, only three more books to go, and I'm excited to see where it takes me. This is a series that is massive in scope unlike any other fantasy series that has come before. The end should be a spectacle.

Grade: C-