In the vein of novels like Black Beauty or movies like Au Hasard Balthazar, and EO, this short new novella by one of my favorite authors chronicles thIn the vein of novels like Black Beauty or movies like Au Hasard Balthazar, and EO, this short new novella by one of my favorite authors chronicles the life of a Boxer dog living in Washington DC as he transitions through different owners.
When I sat down to start this book, I was a little worried that it might turn into trauma porn as we see this innocent dog suffer on the mean streets of DC. But I should have known to trust Pelecanos, who has always shown maturity, taste, and soulful grace when it comes to his crime fiction, and that’s no different here. He doesn’t wallow in the dog’s misery but doesn’t hide Buster’s trials and tribulations either.
The book is told in Buster’s first-person POV and that makes it doubly fascinating to read his childhood memories, and witness him making friends, enemies, and trying to live a good life where he can. If you like crime fiction and Pelecanos’s work and never realized that it would be cool to read it from a canine’s point of view, check this one out!...more
This one has a great atmosphere, sort of an Eyes Wide Shut mixed with the drearier work of David Goodis. But this one proves itself to be middle-of-thThis one has a great atmosphere, sort of an Eyes Wide Shut mixed with the drearier work of David Goodis. But this one proves itself to be middle-of-the-road when compared to other Brubaker and Sean Philips work, really petering out at the end into a bit of an anticlimax. Still better than a lot of material out there though and I feel like a re-read might be warranted soon....more
DC Comics has the really great idea to expand on the idea behind the enduring success of Batman: The Killing Joke, and assign six different sets of wrDC Comics has the really great idea to expand on the idea behind the enduring success of Batman: The Killing Joke, and assign six different sets of writers and artists to create their own version of that classic story but for a different Batman villain. The conceit is based on the famous line from The Killing Joke:
"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day."
First up is the Riddler, given the Tom King treatment. King does what he does best and writes a nuanced exploration of Edward Nigma; what motivates him and what his relationship is to Batman.
Like Alan Moore did in The Killing Joke, we get two parallel stories here, one set in present day as Batman investigates why Nygma would murder someone in cold blood without an accompanying riddle, and a flashback story looking back at Nygma’s past and providing a possible origin to his character. And while it might be a little too derivative of Alan Moore's graphic novel, it’s wonderfully written with King’s trademark thoughtfulness, great dialogue, and a show-stopping ending. But the real stand-out here is the moody, textured art by Mitch Gerads, which might be the best work that I’ve seen by the artist!...more
One of the most enjoyable things about Jeff Strand’s writing is that you never know quite what you’re going to get when you crack one of his books opeOne of the most enjoyable things about Jeff Strand’s writing is that you never know quite what you’re going to get when you crack one of his books open. I’ve learned to be prepared for anything when starting his books and to never try to guess where it’s going to go. If I try, I’m rarely ever correct.
Even though the novel’s synopsis hints that things are not quite as they seem, the writing still managed to lull me into comfort as I started to wonder if this was just a simple romance novel as it detailed the budding love story between Nate and Alice. But then, I’ll be damned if I wasn’t still surprised once the rug was pulled out for under me.
This one is fully entertaining and a hoot to experience if you go in blind and not spoiled with what the story is about. Once it takes off, it’s hard to put down. Strand has got to be one of my favorite writers now. Few writers are as consistent in quality and as brave in execution....more
Set on the eve of the desegregation of Boston's public schools in the 1970's, a woman from Southie, an ex-addict cop, and the Irish mob collide after Set on the eve of the desegregation of Boston's public schools in the 1970's, a woman from Southie, an ex-addict cop, and the Irish mob collide after a young white girl goes missing and a black man is found dead at a train station, setting fire to an already lit match of racial unrest in the city.
"We're not built for princesses down here."
It feels like it's been a while since I've read a novel by Lehane, one of my favorites. And everything here is all that you expect from a master crime writer. The man has such a strong command of his art form at this point. Not only is this a great time capsule documenting this tense time in Boston (and American) history, but it's also a fantastic portrait of these two lead characters.
Mary Pat Fennessy is finally confronted with how stuck she and her community have been in their ways, how malignant her environment can be, and how she has to reckon with how this toxicity could have tragically spilled into her daughter. And in contrast, Detective Bobby Coyness has grown up in the same way but somehow managed to keep on the right path, even though it's an everyday struggle to keep his morality and his sobriety.
He considers the possibility that maybe the opposite of hate is not love. It's hope. Because hate takes years to build, but hope can come sliding around the corner when you're not even looking.
Although this didn't have the raw power like some of his best novels have, this is still a great book, with its focus on the struggle to not allow hatred to be passed down from generation to generation....more
…because the wounded find the wounded, washed up on the same sad shore.
Picking up immediately after Danny Ryan hightailed it outta Provide
…because the wounded find the wounded, washed up on the same sad shore.
Picking up immediately after Danny Ryan hightailed it outta Providence after losing his wife and the war with the Italian mob, this second novel in Winslow’s final trilogy finds Danny on the run, and struggling to carve out a safe space for his friends and young son.
The novel takes on a very different atmosphere than the first, trading New England for the the sunny West Coast, bouncing around San Diego, Las Vegas, and the city of dreams itself, Los Angeles. I love that the book takes a bigger look at and expands on what were minor characters from the first novel as Danny makes this journey with the ragtag crew that he ran from Providence with. It was cool seeing more of Bernie Hughes, Jimmy Mac, Ned Egan, and especially the constantly entertaining Altar Boys: Sean and Kevin. The love story is potent but watching these New England hoods try to navigate the Hollywood world is pure gold!...more
The Rogues, the group of street-level, blue-collar Flash villains out of Central City are popular for being much more grounded supervillains than peopThe Rogues, the group of street-level, blue-collar Flash villains out of Central City are popular for being much more grounded supervillains than people are used to seeing in superhero comic books, as they were envisioned by Geoff Johns in his Flash run. Joshua Williamson now has the wonderful idea of telling the last story of the Rogues, giving them a “one last job” heist story, where an aging, paroled Captain Cold gathers the crew together for one final job, the heist of all heists, stealing a pile of gold from a vault deep within Gorilla City.
It’s a fantastic idea, with double crosses, and plot twists, but I couldn’t help but wish a more capable writer took a crack at it. I barely understood what the plan was and the heist itself was pretty damn weak, and this whole thing was just a bit unremarkable, with characters that felt diluted. I wish someone like Ed Brubaker or Greg Rucka had a crack at something like this. The potential here is a little wasted. ...more
This is a great Noirvember read and my favorite volume of the consistently great Reckless series of hard-boiled graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and SeanThis is a great Noirvember read and my favorite volume of the consistently great Reckless series of hard-boiled graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips about a pulp "detective" named Ethan Reckless, that's a cross between Travis McGee, Jack Reacher, and Matthew Scudder. It's a companion piece of sorts with the last book, The Ghost In You, which focused solely on Ethan's best buddy Anna with only a small hint as to what was going on with Ethan. Here, we get the whole dramatic tale of what happened to him when he takes a missing wife case in post-earthquake San Francisco.
I really enjoyed the story and the way it developed, its focus on abuse, and the cycle of violence that abuse can foster. The book is the best one at building and illustrating Ethan's character since the very first novel, and it does so in small but effective ways. And I was totally surprised by how hopeful and bittersweet the ending is. I'm used to stories in this genre ending with nihilism and negativity, but it was actually refreshing to see somewhat of a happy ending. It's not all sunshine and roses mind you, but it feels perfectly cathartic. Bravo Brubaker and Phillips, you outdid yourselves with this one. ...more