In 2015 I have watched 6 full TV series, seen 5 films in the cinema, and read a lot of graphic novels. I now feel more confident in my knowledge and immersion into geek culture.
2016 resolutions: I will be more active on my blog. The content will include Top 10 lists, reviews for each Sailor Moon manga volumes, and additional book reviews. Extra films and comics too.
Happy New Year! :D x
Thursday 31 December 2015
I would like to wish everybody a fantastic new year. A new year of changes, trying out new things, gaining new experiences, and forever growing wiser about life and the world as a result. Throughout the bad times, let's remember the good times as well, for each of us is capable of hope, and bringing it out into the open for others to see. Let us all give and receive through supporting and understanding each other. Happy 2016 xxx
Wednesday 30 December 2015
Tuesday 29 December 2015
And I just realised that the majority of books that have disappointed me this year are fantasy - my favourite genre - and are critically acclaimed.
Sometimes it's lonely being the black sheep. Or the dark horse.
Oh well, I am still hoping for a more positive year in books in 2016! There is real magic to be found in reading and writing :D
Sometimes it's lonely being the black sheep. Or the dark horse.
Oh well, I am still hoping for a more positive year in books in 2016! There is real magic to be found in reading and writing :D
My Top 10 Worst/Most Disappointing Reads of 2015
Top 10 Worst/Most Disappointing Reads of 2015:
1. Slaughterhouse 5 (Overrated classic)
2. Hogfather (Sorry Terry Pratchett)
3. In the Hand of the Goddess
4. Frankenstein (Couldn't finish it)
5. The Vampire Lestat (Horrifically dull)
6. The Last Ever After (FUUUUCK THAT ENDING!!!)
7. Quintana of Charyn (Don't know why everyone loves it)
8. Wildwood Dancing
9. The Dark Is Rising Sequence
10. Libriomancer
1. Slaughterhouse 5 (Overrated classic)
2. Hogfather (Sorry Terry Pratchett)
3. In the Hand of the Goddess
4. Frankenstein (Couldn't finish it)
5. The Vampire Lestat (Horrifically dull)
6. The Last Ever After (FUUUUCK THAT ENDING!!!)
7. Quintana of Charyn (Don't know why everyone loves it)
8. Wildwood Dancing
9. The Dark Is Rising Sequence
10. Libriomancer
My Top 10 Best Reads of 2015
Right, here goes -
Top 10 Best Reads of 2015:
1. Women Who Run With The Wolves (Might have changed my life)
2. Everyday Sexism (Feminist text)
3. Saga Volume 1
4. Nimona (Standalone graphic novel)
5. Misery (Horror)
6. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Trilogy ending)
7. Princeless Volume 1
8. Red Sonja Volume 1
9. Momo (Children's)
10. Batman: Mad Love
What a year for graphic novels and nerdy stuff!
Top 10 Best Reads of 2015:
1. Women Who Run With The Wolves (Might have changed my life)
2. Everyday Sexism (Feminist text)
3. Saga Volume 1
4. Nimona (Standalone graphic novel)
5. Misery (Horror)
6. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Trilogy ending)
7. Princeless Volume 1
8. Red Sonja Volume 1
9. Momo (Children's)
10. Batman: Mad Love
What a year for graphic novels and nerdy stuff!
Thursday 24 December 2015
Wednesday 23 December 2015
Book Review - 'Momo' by Michael Ende
Lovely. Sharp. Shocking. Dazzling. Clever. If you loved Michael Ende's other children's book, 'The Neverending Story', like I did, then check out the criminally-underrated 'Momo', as it provides a similar magical experience.
Really, with its theme of time and how much of it each human being has within themselves as they grow older - and how much of it can be taken away so we have no time for leisure activities and just turn into rushing, irritable, grey adults - it would fit a 'Doctor Who' episode beautifully. Maybe as a Christmas special.
Another important theme is friendship, and how much time and energy we spend with them for as long as we can before things change...
'Momo' has the ingredients of a classic, conventional children's fable or fairy tale. Except that it isn't so simple, as it is fundamentally about the concept of time. But the book is a vastly addictive read; it flows like it possesses its own little time bubble for readers to dive into. The plot moves steadily - beat-to-beat - like a ticking grandfather clock in a grand dome, with its bell about to strike at midnight towards the climax. Its atmosphere sings the universe-travelling music from Professor Hora's majestic hour-lillies.
Momo is an optimistic, poor orphaned heroine with no education or any sense of how society works - yet she has all the time in her little world to listen to everyone around her and go wherever she wants to, whenever. Supporting characters such as Guido, Beppo and the child friends of Momo are also memorable and charismatic. (Guido's stories are wonderfully imaginative, even if he himself is very eccentric and self-centred).
Then, outside of "normality", there's the master of time, the mentor called Professor Secundus Minutus Hora (great name), and perhaps my favourite character, Cassiopeia the tortoise, whose slow-moving pace and simple answers on her shell are maybe what the world needs right now.
Like every good fable, 'Momo' begins with the world being happy and uncomplicated for the hero. Then darkness lurks, disturbing and penetrating the normal way of life. At around the middle of the story, despair threatens to take over completely, and the hero is at her lowest, loneliest point. But there is always a glimmer of hope that grows within her, and she resolves never to give up on her quest to defeat the darkness and save the world. At the end she returns to her old way of life; more brave, knowledgeable and resourceful than before.
Thank you, dear 'Momo'. Now I know there's no doubt that Michael Ende was a storytelling genius. He used his imagination to the fullest, and was well aware of what happens to anyone who loses touch with it. People lose a part of themselves otherwise, and, poignantly, they forget about the innocence of childhood. They forget what it's like to have fun and play and dream, because they "have no time" for any of that anymore. They become pale. Lifeless.
I'm very much surprised 'Momo' isn't more well-known. As well as being a charming little fantasy, it contains essential messages about how life isn't to be rushed, for no matter how much time is saved, more time and other things are lost as well. You'll not be satisfied with anything. Like a well-made animated movie, 'Momo' teaches us how necessary it is that we stop and make time for loved ones and to smell the blossoms. To recognise how beautiful the world is without so many narrow, artificial, industrial, materialistic and self-indulgent constraints which threaten to poison how we live. And how we feel about living.
Darkness in the light in stories never hurt anyone.
This is a perfect gift for children and even adults for the holidays.
Merry Christmas.
Final Score: 5/5
Really, with its theme of time and how much of it each human being has within themselves as they grow older - and how much of it can be taken away so we have no time for leisure activities and just turn into rushing, irritable, grey adults - it would fit a 'Doctor Who' episode beautifully. Maybe as a Christmas special.
Another important theme is friendship, and how much time and energy we spend with them for as long as we can before things change...
'Momo' has the ingredients of a classic, conventional children's fable or fairy tale. Except that it isn't so simple, as it is fundamentally about the concept of time. But the book is a vastly addictive read; it flows like it possesses its own little time bubble for readers to dive into. The plot moves steadily - beat-to-beat - like a ticking grandfather clock in a grand dome, with its bell about to strike at midnight towards the climax. Its atmosphere sings the universe-travelling music from Professor Hora's majestic hour-lillies.
Momo is an optimistic, poor orphaned heroine with no education or any sense of how society works - yet she has all the time in her little world to listen to everyone around her and go wherever she wants to, whenever. Supporting characters such as Guido, Beppo and the child friends of Momo are also memorable and charismatic. (Guido's stories are wonderfully imaginative, even if he himself is very eccentric and self-centred).
Then, outside of "normality", there's the master of time, the mentor called Professor Secundus Minutus Hora (great name), and perhaps my favourite character, Cassiopeia the tortoise, whose slow-moving pace and simple answers on her shell are maybe what the world needs right now.
Like every good fable, 'Momo' begins with the world being happy and uncomplicated for the hero. Then darkness lurks, disturbing and penetrating the normal way of life. At around the middle of the story, despair threatens to take over completely, and the hero is at her lowest, loneliest point. But there is always a glimmer of hope that grows within her, and she resolves never to give up on her quest to defeat the darkness and save the world. At the end she returns to her old way of life; more brave, knowledgeable and resourceful than before.
Thank you, dear 'Momo'. Now I know there's no doubt that Michael Ende was a storytelling genius. He used his imagination to the fullest, and was well aware of what happens to anyone who loses touch with it. People lose a part of themselves otherwise, and, poignantly, they forget about the innocence of childhood. They forget what it's like to have fun and play and dream, because they "have no time" for any of that anymore. They become pale. Lifeless.
I'm very much surprised 'Momo' isn't more well-known. As well as being a charming little fantasy, it contains essential messages about how life isn't to be rushed, for no matter how much time is saved, more time and other things are lost as well. You'll not be satisfied with anything. Like a well-made animated movie, 'Momo' teaches us how necessary it is that we stop and make time for loved ones and to smell the blossoms. To recognise how beautiful the world is without so many narrow, artificial, industrial, materialistic and self-indulgent constraints which threaten to poison how we live. And how we feel about living.
Darkness in the light in stories never hurt anyone.
This is a perfect gift for children and even adults for the holidays.
Merry Christmas.
Final Score: 5/5
Tuesday 22 December 2015
Friday 18 December 2015
Book Review - 'The Shining' by Stephen King
2021 EDIT: Not as addictive or flowing as the first time I read it (which was, admittedly, ages ago), but 'The Shining' remains a well-written, well-paced and haunting classic. There is excellently done character writing and foreshadowing, and whether the 500-page tome is unnecessarily, overly detailed and meandering or not is up to the reader.
But there is the casual homophobia, as is to be expected in an early King book, like with the character Watson's dialogue at the beginning. And we are meant to like Watson, or at least Jack Torrance thinks highly of him; which, yeah, maybe that in of itself is an indication that we are not meant to like Watson after all (I didn't care much for Jack this time, who is a violent, aggressive drunk and had serious issues long before going to the Overlook Hotel, and Wendy was too much of a forgiving doormat early on). At least the sexism and racism are clearly shown to be wrongheaded and come from very dark places. But not when it comes to homophobia.
There are other things which I was uncomfortable with in 'The Shining', and not in intentional ways, but I'll leave it at that for now. It's a good, long read, that on a subtext level is about breaking the monstrous cycle of abuse; and, perhaps accidently, a deconstruction of American white male privilege and entitlement. This can lead to abuse, toxic behaviour, and violence of all kinds.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
REDRUM. REDRUM.
Cabin fever is catching. One doesn’t realise how affectively it can take hold of one’s soul, one’s sanity...
Creepy, claustrophobic, smart, well-organised and well-paced; with a reality subtext that is far more terrifying than any of the supernatural ghouls to check out at the Overlook Hotel. 'The Shining' has shown me how much of Stephen King's novel writing has improved when he was starting out in the 70s.
Every page, every passage of 'The Shining' demands the reader's attention, and the imagination presented in the context of a seemingly simple story is palpable. It is a straightforward, addictive read to get lost in.
A large hotel in winter is the haunted house setting, but there is history to be discovered down every corridor, even within the psyches of the characters before they enter the heart of the violent, bloody Overlook. It is in this prestigious hotel where the words "isolation" and "trapped" take on external as well as internal meanings. One moment it is described as a beautiful building, and then frightening underneath the next.
Deceptions can hurt you, horribly. Like snow, or denial in thinking that things are working out, when they're not. That things are going to be okay, when they won't.
I liked all of the people. They are a complex crossroads between likeable and unlikeable, but more importantly they are human. There is the recovering alcoholic and writer Jack Torrance, who recently lost his job as a schoolteacher for beating up a student (he has a violent temper; he once broke his three-year-old son's arm). Every scene that Jack is in, he shows clear signs of frustration, stress, and going cold turkey even after months of sobriety. No matter how hard he tries for his family's sake, he may not be wilfully strong enough to avoid going deeper and deeper into the abyss. Even when he is self-aware enough to take responsibility for his actions and realise he is turning into his own abusive father, he can't help blaming other people for his problems. His theology is that life is all, "Up yours, Jack"; he is a passive participant, and the outside world is out to make his life a living hell. He will become an easy target for the Overlook Hotel to do that for him and push him further into madness from which there is no return.
Jack's wife Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance is a traditional loving homemaker and mother, but she has her limits. She had seriously considered a divorce after the incident when Jack broke their son Danny's arm. She gets jealous of Danny's close bond with Jack, despite the father's violent outbursts, and feels ashamed because she fears she's becoming like her own overbearing, emotionally abusive mother. Wendy knows there is only so much support she can give alone to a lost cause, and unlike her stubborn husband she is perceptive enough to catch on quickly that the Overlook is not a normal place; it can hurt her family physically and mentally. She ends up believing in Danny's psychic powers, and doesn't patronise him, but listens. I admired her bravery and level-headedness throughout the book, and how this leans into stupidity at times of impossible decision-making only reinforces how human she really is. At her core Wendy is a parent who will do anything to protect her child; she would die for him. Though of course she has to be beautiful, as well.
Danny Torrance, the five-year-old son, is surprisingly engaging too. From the get-go I cared about him, and how his mind-reading and precognitive abilities - his "shine", as Dick Halloran calls it - affect the way he sees the world in his young, innocent mind. I could understand his love for his troubled daddy, just as Jack once loved his abusive father at an age when he didn't know any better or what constitutes as "normal" family behaviour. Before Danny even learns to read, he comes to realise that adults do not always hold the answers, and that his parents are not perfect. Little Danny may not understand everything, but what he certainly will learn is how much his close-knit family struggles to keep it all together - emotionally and financially - and that the world is full of things wanting to hurt him. Like the ghostly Overlook Hotel, just to name an example. His "invisible friend" is Tony, who helps him to use his powers along the way. Danny will reluctantly have to outgrow Tony in order to save himself in the climax he has seen coming throughout the book. That Tony is revealed to look like Danny's older self is significant in of itself. Danny isn't a child character who's pushed to the sidelines - he is an active hero, arguably the true protagonist of 'The Shining'; innocent but extremely gifted in more ways than one.
The Overlook's cook, Dick Halloran, also has the "shining", and is also three-dimensional; brave yet a perfectly flawed human being. In such a short period of time in his long, hard life, he encounters other people with the "shine", not just the boy Danny. It is very touching, as it shows he is not alone with abilities rare and sparse in humans; abilities indistinguishable from a gift and a curse. (Did Carrie White have a powerful "shine" as well, I wonder? Though there's no telekinesis on display here, so...) While Dick does ultimately serve a Magical Negro role, the fact that *spoilers* he doesn't die and is active to the very end, makes up for that. It's an impressive, self-aware move in a book written in the 1970s.
So the characters and the setting are among 'The Shining''s highest accomplishments. I wouldn't call it the scariest book of all time, since it is rather long and slow in places. But while the scares are not frequent or leave a lasting effect, they are built-up with great skill. The reader wants to know what happens next because the characters are fully developed. The atmospheric intent is excellently done. Besides, the last hundred pages are gripping and exciting - a payoff to look forward to.
I also can't help but vote the book down a tad due to its casual use of homophobic and racist language, even if they were common at the time and setting of the narrative. It just made me uncomfortable, and not in a way that's intended for a horror novel.
Overlooking all that, however, it is easy to see why 'The Shining' is considered a classic, and one of Stephen King's best works, if not THE best he’s ever put to paper. Brilliant job.
Final Score: 4/5
But there is the casual homophobia, as is to be expected in an early King book, like with the character Watson's dialogue at the beginning. And we are meant to like Watson, or at least Jack Torrance thinks highly of him; which, yeah, maybe that in of itself is an indication that we are not meant to like Watson after all (I didn't care much for Jack this time, who is a violent, aggressive drunk and had serious issues long before going to the Overlook Hotel, and Wendy was too much of a forgiving doormat early on). At least the sexism and racism are clearly shown to be wrongheaded and come from very dark places. But not when it comes to homophobia.
There are other things which I was uncomfortable with in 'The Shining', and not in intentional ways, but I'll leave it at that for now. It's a good, long read, that on a subtext level is about breaking the monstrous cycle of abuse; and, perhaps accidently, a deconstruction of American white male privilege and entitlement. This can lead to abuse, toxic behaviour, and violence of all kinds.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
REDRUM. REDRUM.
Cabin fever is catching. One doesn’t realise how affectively it can take hold of one’s soul, one’s sanity...
Creepy, claustrophobic, smart, well-organised and well-paced; with a reality subtext that is far more terrifying than any of the supernatural ghouls to check out at the Overlook Hotel. 'The Shining' has shown me how much of Stephen King's novel writing has improved when he was starting out in the 70s.
Every page, every passage of 'The Shining' demands the reader's attention, and the imagination presented in the context of a seemingly simple story is palpable. It is a straightforward, addictive read to get lost in.
A large hotel in winter is the haunted house setting, but there is history to be discovered down every corridor, even within the psyches of the characters before they enter the heart of the violent, bloody Overlook. It is in this prestigious hotel where the words "isolation" and "trapped" take on external as well as internal meanings. One moment it is described as a beautiful building, and then frightening underneath the next.
Deceptions can hurt you, horribly. Like snow, or denial in thinking that things are working out, when they're not. That things are going to be okay, when they won't.
I liked all of the people. They are a complex crossroads between likeable and unlikeable, but more importantly they are human. There is the recovering alcoholic and writer Jack Torrance, who recently lost his job as a schoolteacher for beating up a student (he has a violent temper; he once broke his three-year-old son's arm). Every scene that Jack is in, he shows clear signs of frustration, stress, and going cold turkey even after months of sobriety. No matter how hard he tries for his family's sake, he may not be wilfully strong enough to avoid going deeper and deeper into the abyss. Even when he is self-aware enough to take responsibility for his actions and realise he is turning into his own abusive father, he can't help blaming other people for his problems. His theology is that life is all, "Up yours, Jack"; he is a passive participant, and the outside world is out to make his life a living hell. He will become an easy target for the Overlook Hotel to do that for him and push him further into madness from which there is no return.
Jack's wife Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance is a traditional loving homemaker and mother, but she has her limits. She had seriously considered a divorce after the incident when Jack broke their son Danny's arm. She gets jealous of Danny's close bond with Jack, despite the father's violent outbursts, and feels ashamed because she fears she's becoming like her own overbearing, emotionally abusive mother. Wendy knows there is only so much support she can give alone to a lost cause, and unlike her stubborn husband she is perceptive enough to catch on quickly that the Overlook is not a normal place; it can hurt her family physically and mentally. She ends up believing in Danny's psychic powers, and doesn't patronise him, but listens. I admired her bravery and level-headedness throughout the book, and how this leans into stupidity at times of impossible decision-making only reinforces how human she really is. At her core Wendy is a parent who will do anything to protect her child; she would die for him. Though of course she has to be beautiful, as well.
Danny Torrance, the five-year-old son, is surprisingly engaging too. From the get-go I cared about him, and how his mind-reading and precognitive abilities - his "shine", as Dick Halloran calls it - affect the way he sees the world in his young, innocent mind. I could understand his love for his troubled daddy, just as Jack once loved his abusive father at an age when he didn't know any better or what constitutes as "normal" family behaviour. Before Danny even learns to read, he comes to realise that adults do not always hold the answers, and that his parents are not perfect. Little Danny may not understand everything, but what he certainly will learn is how much his close-knit family struggles to keep it all together - emotionally and financially - and that the world is full of things wanting to hurt him. Like the ghostly Overlook Hotel, just to name an example. His "invisible friend" is Tony, who helps him to use his powers along the way. Danny will reluctantly have to outgrow Tony in order to save himself in the climax he has seen coming throughout the book. That Tony is revealed to look like Danny's older self is significant in of itself. Danny isn't a child character who's pushed to the sidelines - he is an active hero, arguably the true protagonist of 'The Shining'; innocent but extremely gifted in more ways than one.
The Overlook's cook, Dick Halloran, also has the "shining", and is also three-dimensional; brave yet a perfectly flawed human being. In such a short period of time in his long, hard life, he encounters other people with the "shine", not just the boy Danny. It is very touching, as it shows he is not alone with abilities rare and sparse in humans; abilities indistinguishable from a gift and a curse. (Did Carrie White have a powerful "shine" as well, I wonder? Though there's no telekinesis on display here, so...) While Dick does ultimately serve a Magical Negro role, the fact that *spoilers* he doesn't die and is active to the very end, makes up for that. It's an impressive, self-aware move in a book written in the 1970s.
So the characters and the setting are among 'The Shining''s highest accomplishments. I wouldn't call it the scariest book of all time, since it is rather long and slow in places. But while the scares are not frequent or leave a lasting effect, they are built-up with great skill. The reader wants to know what happens next because the characters are fully developed. The atmospheric intent is excellently done. Besides, the last hundred pages are gripping and exciting - a payoff to look forward to.
I also can't help but vote the book down a tad due to its casual use of homophobic and racist language, even if they were common at the time and setting of the narrative. It just made me uncomfortable, and not in a way that's intended for a horror novel.
Overlooking all that, however, it is easy to see why 'The Shining' is considered a classic, and one of Stephen King's best works, if not THE best he’s ever put to paper. Brilliant job.
Final Score: 4/5
Saturday 12 December 2015
Book Review - 'The Fox and the Star' by Coralie Bickford-Smith
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
A sweet, touching little story accompanied by fitting art that's simple yet truly starry. Nothing spectacular, but a nice gift for someone you love at Christmas. For all ages.
P.S. Did anybody else think of Nintendo's 'Star Fox' when they first saw the title? No? Just me and my nostalgia, then.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
A sweet, touching little story accompanied by fitting art that's simple yet truly starry. Nothing spectacular, but a nice gift for someone you love at Christmas. For all ages.
P.S. Did anybody else think of Nintendo's 'Star Fox' when they first saw the title? No? Just me and my nostalgia, then.
Final Score: 4/5
Monday 7 December 2015
I've come to realise that life is all about perspective and reflection. I wrote in my diary, the first entry in months, "My life has been filled with one disappointment after another. I wonder, what's the point?" Then I realised: You're living. You're breathing, thinking, feeling, and acting - what more point do you need? Progress is painful and slow, but worth it. Nothing ends unless you decide it to. Remember that.
Thursday 19 November 2015
Ah life. I have to cut down my reading time due to retail working hours towards the holiday season. So many early starts, and I've learned the hard way that sleep is imperative. Plus I want to finish watching a whole TV DVD boxset before the year closes. So many things to do and want, so little time - adulthood!
Well, I'm silent but deadly, and I'll tell my talkative brain to shut up once I need my beauty sleep.
Well, I'm silent but deadly, and I'll tell my talkative brain to shut up once I need my beauty sleep.
Friday 13 November 2015
Sunday 8 November 2015
Book Review - 'The Snow Queen's Shadow (Princess, #4)' by Jim C. Hines
The last (for now, you never know) in a series of fantasy books I found to be some of the most fun, creative, well-written and intensely emotional I've ever read. It's epic, it's exciting, it's going to leave fans divided. Especially concerning how all the plot threads are resolved.
One way I can describe each book in the 'Princess' series is they are like a roller coaster ride - you are always on the edge of your seat as you are brought into a world of super highs and super lows, the likes of which ordinary people rarely feel. Conflict is everywhere. Prepare for the log ride to give you a large splash, never unscarred!
'The Snow Queen's Shadow' certainly starts off as such. Tensions and stakes are raised throughout the kickass princesses' ice adventure/rescue mission. This time, after being at sea with Hephyra the dryad, we explore Snow White's homeland of Allesandria, the magical capital of the world.
I won't get into a lot of the book’s details in this review due to spoilers, but I will say that the plot begins differently than in the previous ones. It is the last we'll see of these amazing characters and their fairy tale world, so it must be bigger, more shocking, and start and end with a bang. Or a snowy whirlwind full of ice wasps with glass stingers possessed by demonic energy.
The short of it: Snow White becomes possessed by a demon trapped within her magic mirror, which was once used by her deceased mother to make herself more powerful. Snow ends up repeating her murderous mother’s mistakes. When she tried to play God the mirror shattered, and the demon is set free upon the world. Using Snow's many glass pieces to make vile slaves of anyone they cut, the demon - along with Snow and her hidden, painful emotions regarding her past - kidnaps little Prince Jakob and flees to Allesandria. For revenge. And supposedly to make everyone see how everything is a lie; how ugly the world and its politics are. Both human and fairy kind are doomed, standing no chance against Snow White as the Snow Queen.
Except maybe her old friends, the princesses Danielle Whiteshore and Talia. On their quest to rescue both Jakob and Snow, they receive help from the strangest of places.
One of the princess trio, the flirty and playful Snow, has turned into an abomination of dark magic with no clear hope of going back. The hardest thing the women have faced could be either one of their downfall, if not with the rest of the world. Danger and deceit lurk everywhere they go, and the kindhearted future queen of Lorindar, Danielle, may be forced to make the most dire, impossible decisions to save her son's life...
Danielle has developed exceptionally throughout the series. From peasant to queen, she has definitely earned her royal title already, having been up against the most nightmarish horrors thrown at her. She has managed to conquer her insecurities, be brave in the face of the worst, be crafty when need be, and keep some emotions hidden without losing her gentlest of hearts. With the help of her mother's spirit, her glass sword, and animal friends as well as human ones, she overcomes her greatest fears. Beautiful on the inside and inside out, Danielle 'Cinderella' Whiteshore of Lorindar is a blonde not to be underestimated.
Talia has always been in love with Snow, so this is her toughest quest, as it is Danielle's because of losing both a friend and her child, Jakob. I love reading her perspective; she's pure badass, less graceful in personality than in her ninja moves. Sarcastic and deadpan, and she fights like a genius. Between the end of 'Red Hood's Revenge' and the start of 'The Snow Queen's Shadow', her lover Faziya left for their country of Arathea because Faziya saw it as more of her home than the exile Talia sees Lorindar as her own. The 'Princess' books can be read as individual adventures without having to worry too much about what happened previously, like ‘James Bond’, so this is only referenced a couple of times. I am a bit wary about how Talia's love for Snow is resolved in the end. It seems a cop-out, and kind of disrespectful to Snow. But nevertheless I enjoyed Talia's character and story arc. She will be missed.
Snow White, the lovable and morally gray sorceress, is the villain of ‘The Snow Queen’s Shadow’, the women’s final big adventure. She's possessed, yes, but the demon sensed the pain of her past and secret hatred of her people and family of Allesandria, who abandoned her when she needed them the most. She killed her tyrant mother in self-defence after the queen murdered Snow's lover. The things she does when she falls under the demon's power - thus “freeing” herself - are horrendously evil: murder, enslavement, cutting and threatening to murder a two-year-old traumatised child whom she turns into a bird on occasion. Dark Snow White appears out of reach of anything good anymore, and part of the tension is the reader wanting to believe one of our favourite characters in the past three books can be saved and redeemed from this menace.
Or maybe not...
Also, poor Armand, he gets possessed again. And there is no way the toddler Jakob is ever going to get over the events of this story, even if he does successfully get rescued. What he goes through is terrifying - nearly starved and bled to death, left freezing in the worst conditions, shapeshifted against his will; I do hope Danielle can afford a palace psychologist for him in the future. This is no place for children. (Wait, if Jakob has fairy blood and he's so powerful that Dark Snow's glass magic has no effect on him, how can she turn him into a bird?)
The ending of 'The Snow Queen's Shadow' is a little rushed, anticlimactic even. Not everything is resolved smoothly or with the attention they perhaps need. For example, the beginnings of a revolution of humans and fairies living together in true peace without a treaty (in Fairytown) or driving all magical creatures underground. There is a lot of potential not fully explored here. But I felt for the characters all the way through, and marvelled at every tough choice they make for themselves, as they’ve done before. Clever ideas, creative solutions and set pieces for epic action sequences are still present.
Brilliantly written as always, and as ice cold in grip as the settings, I enjoyed 'The Snow Queen's Shadow' immensely, flaws aside. I will miss these ladies, I admit. They are wonderful, dynamic, differing, likable protagonists. But all good things must come to an end. The story is action-packed, solid in quick worldbuilding detail, and uncomfortable yet fun to read as the conclusion to a series with the premise, "There is no such thing as happily ever after, for nothing truly ends".
So more may yet come. Good old Jim C. Hines.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score of the whole 'Princess' saga: 4/5
One way I can describe each book in the 'Princess' series is they are like a roller coaster ride - you are always on the edge of your seat as you are brought into a world of super highs and super lows, the likes of which ordinary people rarely feel. Conflict is everywhere. Prepare for the log ride to give you a large splash, never unscarred!
'The Snow Queen's Shadow' certainly starts off as such. Tensions and stakes are raised throughout the kickass princesses' ice adventure/rescue mission. This time, after being at sea with Hephyra the dryad, we explore Snow White's homeland of Allesandria, the magical capital of the world.
I won't get into a lot of the book’s details in this review due to spoilers, but I will say that the plot begins differently than in the previous ones. It is the last we'll see of these amazing characters and their fairy tale world, so it must be bigger, more shocking, and start and end with a bang. Or a snowy whirlwind full of ice wasps with glass stingers possessed by demonic energy.
The short of it: Snow White becomes possessed by a demon trapped within her magic mirror, which was once used by her deceased mother to make herself more powerful. Snow ends up repeating her murderous mother’s mistakes. When she tried to play God the mirror shattered, and the demon is set free upon the world. Using Snow's many glass pieces to make vile slaves of anyone they cut, the demon - along with Snow and her hidden, painful emotions regarding her past - kidnaps little Prince Jakob and flees to Allesandria. For revenge. And supposedly to make everyone see how everything is a lie; how ugly the world and its politics are. Both human and fairy kind are doomed, standing no chance against Snow White as the Snow Queen.
Except maybe her old friends, the princesses Danielle Whiteshore and Talia. On their quest to rescue both Jakob and Snow, they receive help from the strangest of places.
One of the princess trio, the flirty and playful Snow, has turned into an abomination of dark magic with no clear hope of going back. The hardest thing the women have faced could be either one of their downfall, if not with the rest of the world. Danger and deceit lurk everywhere they go, and the kindhearted future queen of Lorindar, Danielle, may be forced to make the most dire, impossible decisions to save her son's life...
Danielle has developed exceptionally throughout the series. From peasant to queen, she has definitely earned her royal title already, having been up against the most nightmarish horrors thrown at her. She has managed to conquer her insecurities, be brave in the face of the worst, be crafty when need be, and keep some emotions hidden without losing her gentlest of hearts. With the help of her mother's spirit, her glass sword, and animal friends as well as human ones, she overcomes her greatest fears. Beautiful on the inside and inside out, Danielle 'Cinderella' Whiteshore of Lorindar is a blonde not to be underestimated.
Talia has always been in love with Snow, so this is her toughest quest, as it is Danielle's because of losing both a friend and her child, Jakob. I love reading her perspective; she's pure badass, less graceful in personality than in her ninja moves. Sarcastic and deadpan, and she fights like a genius. Between the end of 'Red Hood's Revenge' and the start of 'The Snow Queen's Shadow', her lover Faziya left for their country of Arathea because Faziya saw it as more of her home than the exile Talia sees Lorindar as her own. The 'Princess' books can be read as individual adventures without having to worry too much about what happened previously, like ‘James Bond’, so this is only referenced a couple of times. I am a bit wary about how Talia's love for Snow is resolved in the end. It seems a cop-out, and kind of disrespectful to Snow. But nevertheless I enjoyed Talia's character and story arc. She will be missed.
Snow White, the lovable and morally gray sorceress, is the villain of ‘The Snow Queen’s Shadow’, the women’s final big adventure. She's possessed, yes, but the demon sensed the pain of her past and secret hatred of her people and family of Allesandria, who abandoned her when she needed them the most. She killed her tyrant mother in self-defence after the queen murdered Snow's lover. The things she does when she falls under the demon's power - thus “freeing” herself - are horrendously evil: murder, enslavement, cutting and threatening to murder a two-year-old traumatised child whom she turns into a bird on occasion. Dark Snow White appears out of reach of anything good anymore, and part of the tension is the reader wanting to believe one of our favourite characters in the past three books can be saved and redeemed from this menace.
Or maybe not...
Also, poor Armand, he gets possessed again. And there is no way the toddler Jakob is ever going to get over the events of this story, even if he does successfully get rescued. What he goes through is terrifying - nearly starved and bled to death, left freezing in the worst conditions, shapeshifted against his will; I do hope Danielle can afford a palace psychologist for him in the future. This is no place for children. (Wait, if Jakob has fairy blood and he's so powerful that Dark Snow's glass magic has no effect on him, how can she turn him into a bird?)
The ending of 'The Snow Queen's Shadow' is a little rushed, anticlimactic even. Not everything is resolved smoothly or with the attention they perhaps need. For example, the beginnings of a revolution of humans and fairies living together in true peace without a treaty (in Fairytown) or driving all magical creatures underground. There is a lot of potential not fully explored here. But I felt for the characters all the way through, and marvelled at every tough choice they make for themselves, as they’ve done before. Clever ideas, creative solutions and set pieces for epic action sequences are still present.
Brilliantly written as always, and as ice cold in grip as the settings, I enjoyed 'The Snow Queen's Shadow' immensely, flaws aside. I will miss these ladies, I admit. They are wonderful, dynamic, differing, likable protagonists. But all good things must come to an end. The story is action-packed, solid in quick worldbuilding detail, and uncomfortable yet fun to read as the conclusion to a series with the premise, "There is no such thing as happily ever after, for nothing truly ends".
So more may yet come. Good old Jim C. Hines.
Final Score: 4/5
Final Score of the whole 'Princess' saga: 4/5
Saturday 31 October 2015
Graphic Novel Review - 'Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories' by Paul Dini (Writer), Bruce Timm (Artist), Various
I'm giving this five golden stars, despite some ingrained sexism and the creators admitting to liking to draw pretty women and girls (for something aimed at a younger audience, no less), because the comic is a fun - as well as heartwrenchingly tragic - masterpiece.
The stories included in this tome, based upon the 90s Batman animated series, are good. But 'Mad Love' is genius storytelling, and I see why it is lauded as one of the best Batman stories ever written.
'Mad Love', written by Paul Dini and drawn by Bruce Timm, is the initially conceived origin story of the Joker's hopelessly devoted henchwoman Harley Quinn, and a magnum opus. Really, almost everything about it is perfect - the colours, the panelling, the characters, the expressions, the dialogue, the pace, the emotions: all adding up to a tragic tale about the adult subject of abuse. It’s great that Dini understands that the cycle of abuse is dangerous, and why it is so hard for victims to break out of a relationship built on mad, obsessive love. He makes you love the wonderfully charismatic Harley dearly, yet also feel deeply sorry for her, even though she is a villain. She’s someone that anyone can become; that the reader can emphasise with easily. What does that say about us as humans and our capacity to love unconditionally? How disturbing is that?
'Mad Love', starring Harley Quinn, is a cautionary tale to be sure.
I've always loved her complex character. In 'Mad Love' it seems she just wishes to see the best in the sociopathic and manipulative Joker, so that all her giving up on a career as a prestigious psychiatrist into a life of crime for a man will not have been for nothing. But it was a lost cause from the very start; one of the many reasons why Harley is so tragic a figure.
There are plenty of hints that suggest Harleen Quinzel might have lost the plot and ended up being used and abused even if she'd never met the Joker. Her backstory shows her not wanting to take psychology seriously, and to her it was a way towards publicity and fame. Plus there's the controversial implication that she might have slept her way towards her degree in university.
But another thing to love about her is she's always been a lot smarter than she lets on. Harley Quinn may be in love with a psychopath, and she may believe in changing others while finding it difficult to change herself, but her cunning and spontaneity are brilliant as well as funny; as shown when her intricate plan to trick Batman into thinking she's betrayed Joker actually works. She makes the effort to successfully lure him into her clever trap. All in a desperate attempt to make the Joker love her, yes, but it's a credit to her attention to detail and in knowing how the Dark Knight thinks and acts.
One other thing Harley (unintentionally) manages to achieve what the Joker couldn’t? Make Batman laugh. That she doesn’t see how this puts her above the Clown Prince of Crime - she never even tells him about it - is in its own way another tragedy in her poor, misguided life.
The clown lady of crime is just such an interesting character. I'm glad that through the years since her creation and in 'Mad Love' she's gotten her deserved attention and fame into mainstream superhero/comic book culture. So rare for a female character to accomplish.
'Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories' also features: Roxy Rocket, Catwoman, The Ventriloquist, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy in a very short segment that's more about Bruce Wayne, a very funny Batgirl Christmas story (Robin remains absent in the entire volume, which is refreshing), Ra's Al-Ghul and Talia (I never was interested in them, but they're passable here [and Talia is drawn as sexy in an appropriate, in-universe way]), the demon Etrigan, and another tragic tale - one about Two-Face.
The tragedy of smart (and beautiful, of course) women who are stubbornly devoted to the men in their lives seems to be a recurring pattern of storytelling for the creators of 'Batman: The Animated Series', as well as of this comic collection.
The whole thing is just such an enjoyable and insightful read. Definitely one of my favourite comics. 'Mad Love' is a thing of beauty not to be cast aside, and it's not merely for children, oh no.
Wholeheartedly recommended.
Final Score: 5/5
The stories included in this tome, based upon the 90s Batman animated series, are good. But 'Mad Love' is genius storytelling, and I see why it is lauded as one of the best Batman stories ever written.
'Mad Love', written by Paul Dini and drawn by Bruce Timm, is the initially conceived origin story of the Joker's hopelessly devoted henchwoman Harley Quinn, and a magnum opus. Really, almost everything about it is perfect - the colours, the panelling, the characters, the expressions, the dialogue, the pace, the emotions: all adding up to a tragic tale about the adult subject of abuse. It’s great that Dini understands that the cycle of abuse is dangerous, and why it is so hard for victims to break out of a relationship built on mad, obsessive love. He makes you love the wonderfully charismatic Harley dearly, yet also feel deeply sorry for her, even though she is a villain. She’s someone that anyone can become; that the reader can emphasise with easily. What does that say about us as humans and our capacity to love unconditionally? How disturbing is that?
'Mad Love', starring Harley Quinn, is a cautionary tale to be sure.
I've always loved her complex character. In 'Mad Love' it seems she just wishes to see the best in the sociopathic and manipulative Joker, so that all her giving up on a career as a prestigious psychiatrist into a life of crime for a man will not have been for nothing. But it was a lost cause from the very start; one of the many reasons why Harley is so tragic a figure.
There are plenty of hints that suggest Harleen Quinzel might have lost the plot and ended up being used and abused even if she'd never met the Joker. Her backstory shows her not wanting to take psychology seriously, and to her it was a way towards publicity and fame. Plus there's the controversial implication that she might have slept her way towards her degree in university.
But another thing to love about her is she's always been a lot smarter than she lets on. Harley Quinn may be in love with a psychopath, and she may believe in changing others while finding it difficult to change herself, but her cunning and spontaneity are brilliant as well as funny; as shown when her intricate plan to trick Batman into thinking she's betrayed Joker actually works. She makes the effort to successfully lure him into her clever trap. All in a desperate attempt to make the Joker love her, yes, but it's a credit to her attention to detail and in knowing how the Dark Knight thinks and acts.
One other thing Harley (unintentionally) manages to achieve what the Joker couldn’t? Make Batman laugh. That she doesn’t see how this puts her above the Clown Prince of Crime - she never even tells him about it - is in its own way another tragedy in her poor, misguided life.
The clown lady of crime is just such an interesting character. I'm glad that through the years since her creation and in 'Mad Love' she's gotten her deserved attention and fame into mainstream superhero/comic book culture. So rare for a female character to accomplish.
'Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories' also features: Roxy Rocket, Catwoman, The Ventriloquist, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy in a very short segment that's more about Bruce Wayne, a very funny Batgirl Christmas story (Robin remains absent in the entire volume, which is refreshing), Ra's Al-Ghul and Talia (I never was interested in them, but they're passable here [and Talia is drawn as sexy in an appropriate, in-universe way]), the demon Etrigan, and another tragic tale - one about Two-Face.
The tragedy of smart (and beautiful, of course) women who are stubbornly devoted to the men in their lives seems to be a recurring pattern of storytelling for the creators of 'Batman: The Animated Series', as well as of this comic collection.
The whole thing is just such an enjoyable and insightful read. Definitely one of my favourite comics. 'Mad Love' is a thing of beauty not to be cast aside, and it's not merely for children, oh no.
Wholeheartedly recommended.
Final Score: 5/5
Friday 30 October 2015
Graphic Novel Review - 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol.1: Squirrel Power' by Ryan North (Writer), Erica Henderson (Artist)
WARNING: AFTER READING THIS COMIC YOU WILL NEVER LOOK AT SQUIRRELS THE SAME WAY AGAIN.
Such a fun Marvel gem, about such an obscure and unique little superheroine. I knew nothing of her or her role within the Avengers before reading, but this does not matter in the slightest: 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl' is for everyone to enjoy.
Squirrel Girl, aka the infectious Doreen Green, is like a parody of Spider Man or the X-Men mutants. But as a superhero in her own right she's as bright and charming as they come. She has fun while fighting bad guys - even sings her own theme tune - and in trying to suss them out before they destroy the world. She also always tries to do the right thing in the face of different kinds of impending doom, sometimes when they all happen at once. What an admirable hero who happens to be partially a woodland animal! I love her faithful, adorable squirrel sidekick Tippy-Toe, and her awesome, three-dimensional college roommate Nancy Whitehead (plus Mew the kitten, because Nancy would definitely hate me for not including her).
Squirrel Girl, who originally began as a one-off joke of a superhero in the 1990s, becomes another character much needed in comics today - a female hero taking centre stage whose attributes involve fighting crime and using her powers and (surprising) intelligence; rather than the focus being on whether or not her sex appeal will sell for fanboys. This Spectacular Squirrel Girl comic is so body-positive, feminist and diverse!
Packed with tons of meta humour, self-awareness humour, Marvel universe humour, modern humour, pop culture reference humour, and college experience humour, 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1' aims to be a good time out for its readers. It's endearing, exactly like its kooky protagonist. Like a better version of Faith Erin Hicks’ ‘The Adventures of Super Hero Girl’; one of the reasons being that ‘Squirrel Girl’ actually has a much stronger plot and characters.
Is Squirrel Girl really unbeatable? Could she truly be Marvel's greatest superhero? Outrageous, but with the light-hearted hilarity on display, I'd totally buy it.
Needs to be added: Doreen Green's Deadpool villain trading cards are hilarious.
Another additional note: I’m finding Iron Man to be more interesting all the time now.
Iron Suit Squirrel Girl - WIN!
Top 3 Squirrel Girl quotes/taglines:
"Eats nuts kicks butts!"
"I don't need luck, I eat nuts!"
... Too many to narrow down to just three.
Colourful, clever, nutty fun!
Final Score: 4/5
Such a fun Marvel gem, about such an obscure and unique little superheroine. I knew nothing of her or her role within the Avengers before reading, but this does not matter in the slightest: 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl' is for everyone to enjoy.
Squirrel Girl, aka the infectious Doreen Green, is like a parody of Spider Man or the X-Men mutants. But as a superhero in her own right she's as bright and charming as they come. She has fun while fighting bad guys - even sings her own theme tune - and in trying to suss them out before they destroy the world. She also always tries to do the right thing in the face of different kinds of impending doom, sometimes when they all happen at once. What an admirable hero who happens to be partially a woodland animal! I love her faithful, adorable squirrel sidekick Tippy-Toe, and her awesome, three-dimensional college roommate Nancy Whitehead (plus Mew the kitten, because Nancy would definitely hate me for not including her).
Squirrel Girl, who originally began as a one-off joke of a superhero in the 1990s, becomes another character much needed in comics today - a female hero taking centre stage whose attributes involve fighting crime and using her powers and (surprising) intelligence; rather than the focus being on whether or not her sex appeal will sell for fanboys. This Spectacular Squirrel Girl comic is so body-positive, feminist and diverse!
Packed with tons of meta humour, self-awareness humour, Marvel universe humour, modern humour, pop culture reference humour, and college experience humour, 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1' aims to be a good time out for its readers. It's endearing, exactly like its kooky protagonist. Like a better version of Faith Erin Hicks’ ‘The Adventures of Super Hero Girl’; one of the reasons being that ‘Squirrel Girl’ actually has a much stronger plot and characters.
Is Squirrel Girl really unbeatable? Could she truly be Marvel's greatest superhero? Outrageous, but with the light-hearted hilarity on display, I'd totally buy it.
Needs to be added: Doreen Green's Deadpool villain trading cards are hilarious.
Another additional note: I’m finding Iron Man to be more interesting all the time now.
Iron Suit Squirrel Girl - WIN!
Top 3 Squirrel Girl quotes/taglines:
"Eats nuts kicks butts!"
"I don't need luck, I eat nuts!"
... Too many to narrow down to just three.
Colourful, clever, nutty fun!
Final Score: 4/5
Why is it that when a genuinely strong female character is made, her creators have an almost compulsive want to put her in a love triangle? She's still a prize for men to win, then, regardless of what she accomplishes.
Is this so the straight male gaze can feel comfortable knowing she'll settle down with any different man at her side? She should be liked on her own - and women have more than one personality type!
Is this so the straight male gaze can feel comfortable knowing she'll settle down with any different man at her side? She should be liked on her own - and women have more than one personality type!
Thursday 22 October 2015
Book Review - 'Welcome To Orphancorp' by Marlee Jane Ward
2021 EDIT: How could I have forgotten about Ara, the South Asian nonbinary teen? They're awesome! How could I have also forgotten about Freya, the evil little shit?
Just as good and thought-provoking as the first read. All at once sweet and horrifying - it's humanity in its constant, contradictory flux. There's nice symbolism added here; the littlest details mean so much.
I still mean everything I wrote about this dystopia novella in my original review.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
'Welcome To Orphancorp' is a welcome surprise in my current reading slump. It's a dystopia novella set in an industrial orphanage that is tough, biting and gets to the point quickly, and is narrated by a wonderful protagonist.
'Welcome To Orphancorp' is short and sweet, with the events taking place within a week. The voice of the daring, snarky, funny and instantly sympathetic Mirii brings to life the realism and humanity taking place in the horrible prison (for that's what the orphanage actually is) called Verity House. The novella is packed with:
• Perfectly-timed-and-written character action and reaction passages.
• Memorable children of all ages.
• Warm, tender and sad touches as well as tense and truly heinous, hateful moments.
• And the non-white female lead gets into a polygamous LBGTQ relationship. ‘Nuff said.
In such a short time 'Welcome To Orphancorp' seems to have captured what it means to be human; specifically the need for compassion, for communication - for release - when trapped in a confined and fear-mongering environment. That the oppression is happening to orphaned children makes the experience all the more harrowing.
Though because it is such a short book, very little is explained in terms of worldbuilding, and at the end there are things left unanswered and there seems to be a set-up for drama for a sequel. There isn't much that can be said of a plot beforehand.
But the characters - especially the spirited, talented, opinionated and indomitable Mirii - and their relationships with one another feel real enough that I would want to hang out with them whatever happens. Or doesn't happen.
‘Welcome To Orphancorp’ - a cracking gem I thought would bore me like many other books of its ilk have done in the past. I'm glad that a friend of mine on Goodreads recommended it to me. Thank you.
Final Score: 4/5
Just as good and thought-provoking as the first read. All at once sweet and horrifying - it's humanity in its constant, contradictory flux. There's nice symbolism added here; the littlest details mean so much.
I still mean everything I wrote about this dystopia novella in my original review.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
'Welcome To Orphancorp' is a welcome surprise in my current reading slump. It's a dystopia novella set in an industrial orphanage that is tough, biting and gets to the point quickly, and is narrated by a wonderful protagonist.
'Welcome To Orphancorp' is short and sweet, with the events taking place within a week. The voice of the daring, snarky, funny and instantly sympathetic Mirii brings to life the realism and humanity taking place in the horrible prison (for that's what the orphanage actually is) called Verity House. The novella is packed with:
• Perfectly-timed-and-written character action and reaction passages.
• Memorable children of all ages.
• Warm, tender and sad touches as well as tense and truly heinous, hateful moments.
• And the non-white female lead gets into a polygamous LBGTQ relationship. ‘Nuff said.
In such a short time 'Welcome To Orphancorp' seems to have captured what it means to be human; specifically the need for compassion, for communication - for release - when trapped in a confined and fear-mongering environment. That the oppression is happening to orphaned children makes the experience all the more harrowing.
Though because it is such a short book, very little is explained in terms of worldbuilding, and at the end there are things left unanswered and there seems to be a set-up for drama for a sequel. There isn't much that can be said of a plot beforehand.
But the characters - especially the spirited, talented, opinionated and indomitable Mirii - and their relationships with one another feel real enough that I would want to hang out with them whatever happens. Or doesn't happen.
‘Welcome To Orphancorp’ - a cracking gem I thought would bore me like many other books of its ilk have done in the past. I'm glad that a friend of mine on Goodreads recommended it to me. Thank you.
Final Score: 4/5
Saturday 17 October 2015
Friday 16 October 2015
Graphic Novel Review - 'Bitch Planet, Vol 1: Extraordinary Machine' by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Writer), Valentine De Landro (Artist), Robert Wilson IV (Artist), Cris Peter (Artist), Clayton Cowles (Artist)
ARE YOU WOMAN ENOUGH TO SURVIVE...
'Bitch Planet' is a graphic novel series that might be better analysed than, say, wholeheartedly enjoyed. But I agree that it is a very important read for this day and age.
So here's proof #2901 that anyone who says that comic books are only for children has never actually read one in his/her life.
'Bitch Planet' - a perfect, eye-catching title for such a punching, in-your-face premise and execution. It is a sci-fi-B-movie-homage satire comic meant to be taken seriously; for similar to Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', it is not hard to believe that this sort of thing could eventually happen to women. Where they are punished for being "non-compliant", or NCs for short, and are sent to a prison planet where rich, white middle-aged men would not have to deal with them and their problems.
Women and girls can be taken from their home and family - at any age - for not fitting a socially-acceptable label, for being too "masculine", for being too opinionated, for being "hysterical", for being too independent, for liking and being good at sports, for being too talented at anything, for being too sexual, for having a respectable career, for not living up to ludicrous and impossible beauty standards, for making their own choices, for not smiling enough even when they're not honestly happy, for not being married, for not being mothers or not fitting into a box that allows for nothing other than what is socially deemed as being a "good mother".
In other words, women are punished for being human.
I love the diversity of the main cast - Kamau Kogo, Penny Rolle and Meiko Maki are awesome - and how nearly every antagonist is a rich, white middle-aged man; the more diverse of the privileged men are more sympathetic. The one female villain, Miss Whitney, is a white blonde Stepford-type and she is scary as hell. Though I have a feeling that, like Severus Snape, she might turn out to be an ally later down the line. There is a reason why the majority of the NCs are women of colour, and are of different shapes and sizes other than the young, slim, poreless white girl which is our society's standard of godlike beauty. It is risky and bold commentary, and I love these characters to pieces.
The messages regarding the patriarchy and how sexism is ingrained in our culture (such as saying "We are not anti-woman, ‘cause look, see-", “We the Fathers have your best interests at heart...”, etc.) are poignant in surprisingly subtle ways. It tackles the subject of propaganda and how modern technology is used to influence people's way of thinking and living.
Rereading 'Bitch Planet, Vol 1', I noticed images in certain panels that show the effort put into making the feminist subtext work; like the little hints of a once-elected female president of the United States in this future. The political subtext drawn in to aid the narrative reminded me of 'Watchmen'. 'Bitch Planet' also uses the colour pink in its artwork for either a badass or eerie effect (such as with the holographic Auxiliary Compliance Outpost lady), and it is not feminine or "girly". It's a colour. Nothing more. It can mean anything to anyone, regardless of sexist social constructs.
Sure, there are people who may get defensive and declare that 'Bitch Planet' is "too feminist". Well, pardon me for not being compliant, but-
Fuck. That. Shit.
Because I firmly believe that equality is a huge necessity that benefits everyone. That helps people no matter their gender, race, background, family, sexuality, religion or other differences which make it awesome to be human, because all forms of oppression harm us all. Or so that should be what feminism and equality stand for to make the world a better place.
In 'Bitch Planet', anger is a healthy emotion for a woman to express, especially at the injustices done to her. Let her be outraged and unafraid to show it. She can be confident for who she is, and not give a damn what other people think of her. Her strong will and physical and mental strengths are things to be admired, not repulsed because they're oh-so "unladylike". Aggression is a virtue.
Meanwhile, women who are portrayed as "compliant" have no real personalities of their own; they are always smiling, passive, are mostly white and blonde, and only exist for their relationship with the rich working men of the patriarchy. They are only referred to as Mrs-insert-man's-name-here, and the female news anchors (or any woman on TV) are constantly called "sweetheart" instead of their name. They are objects - like household and public conveniences - and when they become inconvenient for men, they are shipped off to another planet, which as a bonus could become a death sentence for them if warranted...
The first volume of the series can be over-the-top - as well as hard-hitting violence, there is a lot of nudity and female and male sex organs on display - and subtle at the same time. The downsides are that sometimes I prefer the OTT moments because they are so much more fun to read - they always involve the women of Bitch Planet, and I get bored of the scenes where fancy-suited men talk politics in skyscrapers. These scenes seem to exist for exposition and worldbuilding purposes only, and I was impatient to see the fighting, rebellious NCs again. Also, there are a lot of story threads and character arcs left unexplained and delayed for the future. Further gender-double-standard issues could have been added in or implied as well, even though the volume is only the first five comic issues of a much bigger story to come.
But on further rereads, yeah, 'Bitch Planet, Vol 1' is important, with great characters and the beginnings of social and political discussions (on the subject of race as well as of sex and gender relations) to be taken from it. As a feminist, I can appreciate it all the more. It's complex, and emotional in a positive manner, not in a stereotypical "women's problems" BS manner that's dismissive and patronising.
A shocking riot of a book: holding back nothing, with underplayed character moments.
Prepare to be CAGED AND ENRAGED!!!
Final Score: 4/5
'Bitch Planet' is a graphic novel series that might be better analysed than, say, wholeheartedly enjoyed. But I agree that it is a very important read for this day and age.
So here's proof #2901 that anyone who says that comic books are only for children has never actually read one in his/her life.
'Bitch Planet' - a perfect, eye-catching title for such a punching, in-your-face premise and execution. It is a sci-fi-B-movie-homage satire comic meant to be taken seriously; for similar to Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', it is not hard to believe that this sort of thing could eventually happen to women. Where they are punished for being "non-compliant", or NCs for short, and are sent to a prison planet where rich, white middle-aged men would not have to deal with them and their problems.
Women and girls can be taken from their home and family - at any age - for not fitting a socially-acceptable label, for being too "masculine", for being too opinionated, for being "hysterical", for being too independent, for liking and being good at sports, for being too talented at anything, for being too sexual, for having a respectable career, for not living up to ludicrous and impossible beauty standards, for making their own choices, for not smiling enough even when they're not honestly happy, for not being married, for not being mothers or not fitting into a box that allows for nothing other than what is socially deemed as being a "good mother".
In other words, women are punished for being human.
I love the diversity of the main cast - Kamau Kogo, Penny Rolle and Meiko Maki are awesome - and how nearly every antagonist is a rich, white middle-aged man; the more diverse of the privileged men are more sympathetic. The one female villain, Miss Whitney, is a white blonde Stepford-type and she is scary as hell. Though I have a feeling that, like Severus Snape, she might turn out to be an ally later down the line. There is a reason why the majority of the NCs are women of colour, and are of different shapes and sizes other than the young, slim, poreless white girl which is our society's standard of godlike beauty. It is risky and bold commentary, and I love these characters to pieces.
The messages regarding the patriarchy and how sexism is ingrained in our culture (such as saying "We are not anti-woman, ‘cause look, see-", “We the Fathers have your best interests at heart...”, etc.) are poignant in surprisingly subtle ways. It tackles the subject of propaganda and how modern technology is used to influence people's way of thinking and living.
Rereading 'Bitch Planet, Vol 1', I noticed images in certain panels that show the effort put into making the feminist subtext work; like the little hints of a once-elected female president of the United States in this future. The political subtext drawn in to aid the narrative reminded me of 'Watchmen'. 'Bitch Planet' also uses the colour pink in its artwork for either a badass or eerie effect (such as with the holographic Auxiliary Compliance Outpost lady), and it is not feminine or "girly". It's a colour. Nothing more. It can mean anything to anyone, regardless of sexist social constructs.
Sure, there are people who may get defensive and declare that 'Bitch Planet' is "too feminist". Well, pardon me for not being compliant, but-
Fuck. That. Shit.
Because I firmly believe that equality is a huge necessity that benefits everyone. That helps people no matter their gender, race, background, family, sexuality, religion or other differences which make it awesome to be human, because all forms of oppression harm us all. Or so that should be what feminism and equality stand for to make the world a better place.
In 'Bitch Planet', anger is a healthy emotion for a woman to express, especially at the injustices done to her. Let her be outraged and unafraid to show it. She can be confident for who she is, and not give a damn what other people think of her. Her strong will and physical and mental strengths are things to be admired, not repulsed because they're oh-so "unladylike". Aggression is a virtue.
Meanwhile, women who are portrayed as "compliant" have no real personalities of their own; they are always smiling, passive, are mostly white and blonde, and only exist for their relationship with the rich working men of the patriarchy. They are only referred to as Mrs-insert-man's-name-here, and the female news anchors (or any woman on TV) are constantly called "sweetheart" instead of their name. They are objects - like household and public conveniences - and when they become inconvenient for men, they are shipped off to another planet, which as a bonus could become a death sentence for them if warranted...
The first volume of the series can be over-the-top - as well as hard-hitting violence, there is a lot of nudity and female and male sex organs on display - and subtle at the same time. The downsides are that sometimes I prefer the OTT moments because they are so much more fun to read - they always involve the women of Bitch Planet, and I get bored of the scenes where fancy-suited men talk politics in skyscrapers. These scenes seem to exist for exposition and worldbuilding purposes only, and I was impatient to see the fighting, rebellious NCs again. Also, there are a lot of story threads and character arcs left unexplained and delayed for the future. Further gender-double-standard issues could have been added in or implied as well, even though the volume is only the first five comic issues of a much bigger story to come.
But on further rereads, yeah, 'Bitch Planet, Vol 1' is important, with great characters and the beginnings of social and political discussions (on the subject of race as well as of sex and gender relations) to be taken from it. As a feminist, I can appreciate it all the more. It's complex, and emotional in a positive manner, not in a stereotypical "women's problems" BS manner that's dismissive and patronising.
A shocking riot of a book: holding back nothing, with underplayed character moments.
Prepare to be CAGED AND ENRAGED!!!
Final Score: 4/5
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