Much of Emily St. John Mandel’s STATION ELEVEN takes place twenty years after the collapse of modern society due to a lethal and vicious pathogen nameMuch of Emily St. John Mandel’s STATION ELEVEN takes place twenty years after the collapse of modern society due to a lethal and vicious pathogen named The Georgian Flu. The novel follows a group of survivors, dubbed “The Travelling Symphony”; a troupe of musicians and actors who commute from settlement to settlement performing Shakespeare alongside a selection of classical music.
The novel also uncovers the origins of several members of the group as well as a few peripheral characters who in the past were responsible for tangential connections amongst those remaining in the present.
There is a blurb on the back of the book written by Jessie Burton (author of The Miniaturist) that states, “Station Eleven left me wistful for a world where I still live.” This stuck with me throughout the three hundred plus pages of Emily St. John Mandel’s damn near perfect novel.
Let me explain.
There is a chapter early in the novel in which St. John Mandel presents an “incomplete list” of what made up the “old world” before the Georgian Flu proceeded to wipe out ninety nine percent of the Earth’s population. Sure, we would miss the absolutely integral parts of modern living like pharmaceuticals and hospitals, home heating and refrigerators, as well as transportation and electricity, but what she also throws in are the beautiful parts of life like “concert stages with candy-coloured halogens” and “ball games played under floodlights” or “porch lights with moths fluttering on summer nights”. By having the characters wax poetic over the days of the past while also keeping both feet firmly planted in a world that had moved on, St. John Mandel made me appreciate the simple luxury of sitting in my reading chair, under a blanket, on a cold January night, like no novel had ever done before.
Emily St. John Mandel painted a compelling picture of societal disintegration that had me fully plugged into her world. Scenes of gridlocked, rusted-out vehicles housing skeletons and abandoned airports that held full communities of hundreds fully captured my imagination. She doesn’t skimp on the barbarous nature of humanity in detailing ruthless acts of killing, rape and gaslighting by those willing to seize power for their own benefit as she writes of a town fully succumbing to a twisted religious fanatic offering up false hope in exchange for absolute control.
Although COVID-19 is not nearly as horrendous as the mutated swine flu that St. John Mandel presents in her novel, the similarities between the chaotic early days of both viruses had me feeling sick to my stomach as I recalled those first few weeks in 2020 of mind-crippling anxiety and despair. But as a friend told me, “there is just so much hope in this book” and he wasn’t wrong. In Emily St. John Mandel’s story, while much of the luxuries were left behind to the pre-flu era, those who survived carried forward much of what made humanity special and kind. The fact that a group of actors and musicians continued to travel over parts of North America twenty years after the collapse of society to perform Shakespeare gives us all hope that maybe, if we’re unlucky enough to have this happen in our lifetimes, that maybe life can continue outside the vein of brutalist survival instincts while maintaining a sense of community.
STATION ELEVEN is a tremendous novel that truly deserves all the hype and awards that it has been showered with. It’s a shame that it took me this long to read it, but I think having lived through a pandemic, it made the story hit that much harder. The novel has been shortlisted for this year’s Canada Reads competition so it has some tough competition in the road ahead, but I would not be shocked at all to see it collect yet another accolade....more
Seemingly without reason, men and women venture out of their homes and begin walking. They exhibit no signs of awaWhere do I even begin with this one?
Seemingly without reason, men and women venture out of their homes and begin walking. They exhibit no signs of awareness, just a blank stare coupled with a slow and steady cadence. If grabbed and made to stop, they heat up like hot water bottles, shake and explode in a violent mess of blood and bone.
Friends and family of the walkers – dubbed shepherds – walk alongside their “flock” in an effort to take care of them as well as offer safety and support for the afflicted. The story doesn’t just stay here though. Wendig puts a spotlight on a “Trumpian” style candidate running against a Democrat incumbent in the upcoming presidential election. Ed Creel, the GOP dark horse, uses much of the same rhetoric as Trump in seeking to sow discontent among those he claims have been “forgotten” by giving a newfound relevance to white nationalists. He frames the walkers as a threat that need to be dealt with.
Also drawn into the story is Matthew, a man of the cloth suffering from a crisis of faith as well as Pete, a decadent rock star struggling with who he is at his core. Both men play a big role in the story and are fully drawn out characters necessary to showcasing the plot on an even bigger level.
While the men and women sleepwalking across the country is the early focus of the book, a horrifying turn of events on the horizon will take the story to a whole other level. One that will change humanity and the world forever.
It’s been about a week since this tome dropped and there have been plenty of reviews written for Wendig’s Wanderers. I’ve read a baker’s dozen of them just to see how everyone feels about it. The majority I’ve read have been overwhelmingly positive with only a small amount being particularly negative. One thing they all seem to share is the penchant for comparing Wanderers with Stephen King’s The Stand. For a long, long time The Stand was my favorite book. Depending on who you ask, King’s 1150 page doorstopper is a towering achievement so any book that gets compared to it has some big shoes to fill.
Do I think Wanderers is as good as The Stand? No. However, that doesn’t mean that Wendig hasn’t written something spectacular in his own right.
If you want to write a book about the end of the world and you want to make it eight hundred pages, you’re not going to spend all your time with just a handful of characters in one location – it has to be sprawling. Wendig introduces a wide cast of players and several themes that deal with the misuse of religion, divisive politics and the looming threat of climate change. It’s like taking the current state of America and injecting it with steroids.
Wendig pulls no punches when it comes to depicting the collapse of civilization. Honestly, I found a few moments were even too raw for me. But when it comes down to it, there’s no beauty in the end of the world. Wendig knows this and he isn’t here to sugar coat anything. Humanity likes to believe it’s altruistic and kind and maybe it can be for the most part, but when the chips are down and we’re all staring down the barrel of a loaded shotgun – do we really know what we’re capable of?
So, I’ve gushed unabashedly about the book for the majority of this review, but was it perfect? No, I don’t think so. The ending will likely end up being divisive. I’ll admit, it’s hard to end these massive stories on a note that everyone will enjoy but the journey kind of makes up for it? Maybe? There’s also the whole thing about artificial intelligence that while interesting, sort of lost me near the end. However, it’s not like it didn’t fit the story – things don’t go off the rails – but it goes to a place I wasn’t thrilled with.
Chuck Wendig is without a doubt, one of my absolute favourite authors. I am a huge fan of his Miriam Black series and I’m not sure there’s a writer alive today with a style similar to his that jitters and crackles with an electricity on the page. Writing a book of this size and scope is an achievement for sure and I expect big things for this novel....more
Set in the snowy wilderness of Northern Canada, The Wolves of Winter follows Gwendolynn McBride (Lynn, if you please), a young woman who, along with hSet in the snowy wilderness of Northern Canada, The Wolves of Winter follows Gwendolynn McBride (Lynn, if you please), a young woman who, along with her family, escaped the United States after both nuclear war and a deadly flu virus ravaged her homeland. The McBrides have been leading a minimalist existence under the radar until a mysterious man arrives on their proverbial doorstep. Who is he running from? Will he threaten the McBride’s way of life?
I’ll be the first to admit that I nearly gave up on this one within the first fifty pages. The story was interesting enough (I’m a sucker for most things post-apocalyptic), but the problem lay within the narration for Lynn. I found her to be written much younger than her twenty-three years, to the point where it was a distraction from the overall story. However, as the story moved along, she seemed to settle down as the overall seriousness of the story commanded a more grounded tone.
Once the stakes had risen and the characters' actions required a deeper sense of urgency, this one became a real page-turner. I was home sick from work when I picked this one up in the morning and devoured the whole book in one day. The heavy focus on action and snappy dialogue made this an easily digestible story.
To be honest, I was skeptical that you would be able to find anywhere that would be a good place to hide out following a nuclear war, but after doing some additional online research, the Yukon holds up surprisingly well. I didn’t exactly doubt the author, it had more to do with my skeptical nature. Author Tyrell Johnson does a great job painting the picture of the harsh frozen landscape and the dire lifestyle of its inhabitants.
My biggest complaint involves the ending. I would have preferred things not be wrapped up so neatly as I found the author stretched believability a little too far and didn’t quite take enough chances. People can take disappointment! It’s an end-of-the-world novel, after all. That being said, The Wolves of Winter is impressive work for a first time novelist. Johnson paces the novel exceptionally well, crafting a thrilling, albeit swift read. I believe he will continue to grow and develop as he produces more work as time goes on....more
“The world was on fire and no one could save me but you..”
A deadly plague dubbed “dragonscale” – a disease that causes its carriers to burst into flam“The world was on fire and no one could save me but you..”
A deadly plague dubbed “dragonscale” – a disease that causes its carriers to burst into flames shortly following the appearance of black and gold scale-like patterns on their skin – is sweeping the nation. Small town nurse Harper Grayson becomes infected following a long stint working in a Massachusetts area hospital. When she and her husband discover she’s pregnant, the decision whether to keep the baby leads to a pretty nasty split. With nowhere to go, and looking for a safe haven to bring her child to term, Harper hooks up with a group of similarly infected individuals hiding out in a backwoods summer camp named Camp Wynward. The residents there seem to have found a way to control the infection and Harper is hoping she can survive long enough to see her child arrive safe and sound.
After turning the final page last week, I noticed it took me nearly a month to read this sucker. Sure, it’s nearly 800 pages, but I’ve flown through any one of James S.A. Corey’s Expanse novels in nearly half the time – so why did it take me a few weeks to reach the end of Joe Hill’s barnburner of a novel?
Likely because it suffered from what I thought was a slow start. Although the tension does pick up about a quarter of the way into the story, those first hundred or so pages felt like a real slog to get through. Granted, while there was a lot of groundwork to be laid concerning the breakdown of society and the spread of dragonscale, I found that Hill lingered a little too long on Harper’s life before joining up with the Wynward crew.
Once Harper arrives at camp and we’re introduced to a whole slew of new characters, the novel seems to shift to a “Lord of the Flies” style story complete with backstabbing and power-struggles. A lot of the more integral characters strongly develop and evolve reasonably to suit the changing atmosphere of the camp. Those in power seem to be willing to do anything to maintain control and keep the camp off the radar of the “cremation crews”, groups of self-governed militarized killers who hunt down and burn those afflicted with the mysterious malady.
The mark of a good central conflict is when an author can make both pros and cons for those occupying either side of a fundamental disagreement. While I thought that Harper was correct to defy authority, the actions of those at the head of the camp – while extreme – were done for the right reasons. Harper was reckless on a few occasions and her actions did put the camp at risk. On the other side, Carol Story, the daughter of camp patriarch Tom, went a little nuts on the paranoia scale and while she could have done things a lot differently, she wasn’t exactly power hungry. I thought the dynamic between both the perceived “good” and “evil” sides went a long way in keeping things interesting and the tension at a ridiculously high level.
Joe Hill had me a little worried at the beginning of the story but I stuck with it and it paid off in a big, big way. The Fireman is a high-octane thriller that will leave you severely singed....more
A unspecified world catastrophe forces the evacuation of a northern Canadian astronomical research station but disaffected scientist and perennial lonA unspecified world catastrophe forces the evacuation of a northern Canadian astronomical research station but disaffected scientist and perennial loner Augustine decides to stick around to finish his work. He doesn’t care what happened nor is he particularly bothered by the seriousness of the event – he just wants to be left alone to dither about and end his days comfortable and surrounded by familiarity. Not long after his colleagues hit the bricks, he discovers Iris, a lone child, left behind.
Sully is part of a team of astronauts on their voyage home following a successful research mission deep into space. Somewhere along the way, they lost all communication from Earth. Diagnostics indicate that their equipment is functioning as it should but the mysterious silence leaves them shaken. As they move closer to their destination, they begin to wonder what awaits them upon their arrival.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Good Morning, Midnight was an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic novel where instead of explosions and panic, we’re left with an unexplained deafening silence. Coming in at a little over 200 pages, this was a pretty quick read, although I felt it seemed to drag at points. It could be because I’ve been reading a lot of page-turning plot-driven stuff lately.( That’s kind of a burn to this book, was that intentional? – yup) Lily Brooks-Dalton is content to meander about, digging into both Sully and Augustine’s past, which while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the writing is very strong – my mind would often wander and I’d lose my place.
In the face of so many end-of-days stories where “the event” is the central plot point, I liked the author’s idea to keep whatever happened largely unknown. In this way she was able to focus more on what drives both Sully and Augustine when faced with the unknown. I found this helped to put me into the shoes of the characters and feel their fear and concern along with them. That being said, I felt a lot of the backstory and info-dumping surrounding Augustine’s sexual history and alleged sociopathic behavior sort of irrelevant when the author returned to it near the final act of the story. I can see what she was doing in trying to explain his unexpected attachment to Iris, but I found my eyes glazing over large chunks of text due to it feeling more like a retread than breaking new ground on the character. It seemed like the author really couldn’t decide how to present him. It left the scenes where I was meant to view him as a sympathetic character fall flat. Did we really need more reasons to think this guy was an asshole?
I liked Sully a bit more than Augustine, but I guess that was the point. They both have similar reasons for pursuing their scientific endeavors, but I felt she came across a little stronger and a little more rational than Augustine. I will say that I didn’t really care all that much for the shoe-horned love story, but I suppose that added a bit of weight to the interactions aboard the space shuttle. I would have been more than happy to read a novel about her alone, which is odd because it was hearing about Augustine’s story that drove me to the book initially....more
Wesley Chu’s Time Salvager presents a bleak vision of mankind hundreds of years in the future. While technology has advanced to the point of interplanWesley Chu’s Time Salvager presents a bleak vision of mankind hundreds of years in the future. While technology has advanced to the point of interplanetary travel and colony settlement, supplies are running low. Luckily for the human race, they’ve perfected time travel! Using this technology, a select few are tasked with going into the past and bringing back resources in an effort to further humanity’s survival.
Because time travel is tricky and even the slightest modification of the past can have effects on the future, a governing body dubbed ChronoCom was created. This organization trains men and women – Chronmen – to slide into the past, grab what is required and return to the future, hopefully avoiding any activity that could seriously alter the timeline. I say seriously as no matter what chronmen do, a ripple effect will always be created – the key is to make it as manageable as possible. How you ask? By going into what are perceived as “dead time-lines” – think salvaging a ship just as it is about to sink to the bottom of the sea. There’s also a specific set of time laws that everyone must follow – and breaking any time law is met with swift and severe punishment. I’ll get to that later.
Because travel (or jumps) back and forth through time have a tendency to rattle you like paint shaker, Chronmen have a particularly short shelf life, despite specialized training as well as medication provided to try and lessen its effects. So when Chronman James Griffin-Mars receives a job that upon completion would sever his contract with ChronoCom thus pushing him into early retirement, he jumps at the chance to take it.
Remember those time laws? Well, against better judgment, James breaks one of those during said job by bringing back a resident of the past in an effort to save her life. When ChronoCom discovers James’ disregard for the rules, a universe-wide manhunt begins.
Time Salvager reads like a sprawling, sci-fi epic movie – which I suppose makes sense given how quickly the film rights were snatched up. I was surprised with how well everything flowed given what needed to be established in terms of world-building – very impressive work on the part of Wesley Chu considering this is only his fourth full novel!
The ending of Time Salvager isn’t so much an ending as it is a lead in to the sequel Time Siege, which is tentatively scheduled for May 2016. I’m on the edge of my seat when it comes to this one.
Many years have passed since a devastating nuclear war left much of the world in ruins. A small village in northern Labrador comprised of religious fuMany years have passed since a devastating nuclear war left much of the world in ruins. A small village in northern Labrador comprised of religious fundamentalists is on the lookout for what they call “deviations” - food, animals or even people who deviate from the socially acceptable norm. Once these deviations have been discovered, it is either to be destroyed on the spot or if you’re one of the few people born with a deformity, sterilized and banished from the community, destined to live in what they call “The Fringes”.
Author John Wyndham brings us into the mind of David, a young man born with telepathic powers. Where his own personal deviation is not visible to the community, he and others who share this ability must keep their special talent a secret for fear of death or banishment. Can David and his fellow friends keep their special skills under wraps or are they doomed to live among the fallen?
There’s nothing that creeps me out more than hardcore bible thumpers. I’m not about to go Rust Cohle and step onto some imaginary soap box and start throwing shade on those who believe in a higher power. I understand the purpose in believing that there’s some omnipotent being that guides us through this thresher (OK, maybe a little Rust won't hurt) but when you start forcing your beliefs onto the general population and allowing it to govern the way you operate as a society, I get a little upset.
David’s father is a no-nonsense preacher who presents select bible verses as fact and therefore is void of empathy when it comes to protecting the community from so called deviations from the devil, despite the fact that many pose no threat. Since nuclear waste has an approximate half life of twenty-four thousand years, there’s a good chance that the deformities are a result of radiation rather than the mythical man below. However, I guess the struggling society isn’t all that knowledgeable given the separation from the “Old People”.
Wyndham’s novel is less about the apocalypse, genetic mutations and God than it is about what we’re doing to ourselves as a species. If we’d put away our own reservations about race and religion, we could really accomplish more as a society rather than be bogged down in archaic ideals about what’s “right” and what’s “wrong”....more
This collection is labeled as “Days of Future Past” but seeing as the feature presentation is only a two issue story, there’s a great deal of padding This collection is labeled as “Days of Future Past” but seeing as the feature presentation is only a two issue story, there’s a great deal of padding on either side of it and while DOFP is tremendous, everything else in here kind of sucks.
Before the stories even begin, we’re given a massive amount of history bringing us up to date on what has been going down in the X-Men universe. We’re treated to lots of epic storytelling involving the birth of Phoenix, the death of many mutant brethren, and Cyclops’ departure from the group, leaving Storm as team captain.
From there, we’re thrust into a story involving Doctor Strange and the team's venture into a version of Hell inspired by Dante’s Inferno. Nightcrawler is accused of murder and his punishment is brought about by a demon. Sounds cool, right? Well, I was bored to tears and this is mostly due to the horrifically bad dialogue. Tip to Chris Claremont - when you’re using a visual medium like comic books, there’s no need for your characters to tell the reader every single thing they’re doing using the very limited space you have for dialogue. Let the images carry you.
The Days of Future Past story line itself was fantastic and I’m beyond excited for the big screen adaptation in just a few short weeks. From the trailers I've seen, it looks like the screenwriters are playing around with a few of the roles each character has in the original story - which is fine by me. I already have a deep rooted appreciation for anything post-apocalyptic and Claremont and company really nail it. Again, aside from a few complaints about dialogue, DOFP is one of the great stand-out X-Men tales I've read.
The final story involves Christmas and while that’s all well and good in playing to my inner Christmas fanatic, it was in a tough spot having to follow the book’s title track.
If you’re interested in brushing up on the original source material for Marvel’s upcoming X-Men big screen presentation, pick this book up and skip everything else inside. DOFP is the only thing worth checking out here.
Worrying about starting a family but afraid that your eventual child may die upDo endless nightmares got you down?
Still fretting over Captain Trips?
Worrying about starting a family but afraid that your eventual child may die upon birth because they're not immune to the terrible disease that nearly brought about the end of the human race?
Well, have we got some news for you! We're pleased to announce the grand re-opening of Las Vegas! That's right, take your mind off the end of the world and pamper yourself with some well deserved "me time".
You didn't think a pesky thing like the apocalypse could keep the entertainment capital of the world down for long did you? Oh, but this isn't your father's Vegas, no sir. Here's some new features that is sure to blow you away!
* Tours of our new weapons division - Experience first hand the growing power of the Las Vegas army!
* Fireworks daily by our own pyrotechnician, Donald "Trashcan Man" Elbert. - "Trashy" (as he likes to be called) can produce explosions the likes of which you've never seen!
* Public Crucifixions!
* And so much more!
I bet you're wondering how much an extravagant trip like this would cost? $1000? No. $2000? NO. $5000? Not even close. What if I told you this amazing trip would leave your wallet untouched? That's right sir, this is FREE** Book your trip now!***
**Entrance into Las Vegas requires your endless and limitless support of Randall Flagg (a.k.a. "The Dark Man", a.k.a. "The Walkin' Dude", a.k.a "The Tall Man"). Visitors must sign over their soul for all of eternity. Re-entry not permitted. Visitors must stay on the grounds at all time.
*** Offer not extended to residents of the Boulder Free Zone.
I really enjoyed this final volume. I was worried that too much was left for the last book but it certainly didn't feel that way. I was really interested in how they were going to present the ending. It's certainly a unique situation and having seen the mini-series version coupled what I envisioned while reading King's actual book, Perkins art really nailed it.
I must say I'm impressed with how Marvel handled the comic adaptation. Gives me hope for their Dark Tower books. Once I finally finish that series, I plan on giving those a try....more
In No Man's Land, Harold's turn to the dark man has come full circle as his plan comes to fruition. With Nadine by his side, Harold enlists the power In No Man's Land, Harold's turn to the dark man has come full circle as his plan comes to fruition. With Nadine by his side, Harold enlists the power of explosives to attempt to bring about the demise of the Free Zone Committee. Meanwhile, the search for Mother Abigail continues as her mysterious disappearance causes several of the townsfolk to worry about her ability to survive the elements.
This is a pretty important volume. So much happens within these 136 pages and surprisingly, it moves along at a brisk pace without feeling cramped and rushed.
Obviously, a lot is lost here when you're transferring an incredibly long and detailed novel into a story telling medium that relies so heavily on one person's depictions of events and characters. Luckily, they've chosen an excellent artist who really works well with facial expression and body language.
I felt that Harold's turn to evil was handled well, especially after his penultimate moment and the way he presents himself to Nadine - some chilling stuff there.
The final volume is obviously going to be very heavy on Vegas and Flagg's camp so needless to say, I'm excited. Flagg is probably my favorite literary villain and I'm excited to see how this crew manages to depict the ending....more
I flip-flopped back and forth between what to rate this but ultimately decided on a 4. In fact, I think 2012 has been the year that I've awarded the mI flip-flopped back and forth between what to rate this but ultimately decided on a 4. In fact, I think 2012 has been the year that I've awarded the most 4 star reviews. I guess that's what happens when you stay within the lines of what you're primarily expected to enjoy.
Finally, we've arrived in Boulder and a new United States of America beings to slowly take form. Many are beginning to be made aware of a growing army within Nevada, ruled by The Dark Man, so preparations must be made. In this volume, Aguirre-Sacasa concentrates mainly on the formation of the ad-hoc committee in Boulder as everything from corpse removal to restoring the power must be organized before winter sets in.
Harold Lauder starts to slowly turn to The Dark Man for acceptance and guidance as his hatred flows through him into the pages of his secret ledger. However, Harold isn't the only rotten apple in town as Nadine Cross shows signs that her faith may not be within Mother Abagail but rather that of Randall Flagg.
Hardcases concentrates in the development of the opposing civilizations with the promise of battle on the horizon. Flagg, while a known evil, seems to have happier followers whereas those in Boulder are not without conflict.
I really enjoyed this collection but annoyed that I've now caught up and have nothing else in the series to read. The remaining installments cannot come fast enough. Then again, it's not like I'm not aware of how this ends or anything....more
Nick Andros continues on his trek across America, stumbling across Tom Cullen, a mentally handicapped survivor of the plague. While the two aren't exaNick Andros continues on his trek across America, stumbling across Tom Cullen, a mentally handicapped survivor of the plague. While the two aren't exactly compatible at first, they soon realize that they're important to one another after two near death experiences. We're also catching up on Larry Underwood's journey as he meets up with Nadine Cross and her much younger companion.
Stu Redman collides with Frannie and Harold as they're on their way to Vermont. Harold holds his ground as he's not exactly willing to trust a stranger but an event later on brings the group closer together.
Not exactly a focal point this time around, the Dark Man's influence and appearances in the character's nightmares still lingers in the background. However, word is spreading that he's assembling an army.
Volume 3 is a good bridging gap between the installments. There are a few important developments but nothing quite as jarring as a few scenes from the first two volumes. I will say that the gore is certainly in full force this time around - especially during a violent confrontation involving Frannie, Harold and Stu as they face down a roadblock created by murders and rapists.
With 3 volumes left and a hell of a lot story to tell, I am a little worried with how they're going to bring it to us, the constant readers. With how well they've adapted the story so far, it's hard not to have faith....more
Picking up where part one left off, American Nightmares further showcases the already established characters dealing with the aftermath of Captain TriPicking up where part one left off, American Nightmares further showcases the already established characters dealing with the aftermath of Captain Trips while still introducing new players in the story.
Stu Redman contemplates escape from the CDC while Larry Underwood meets up with another woman as they begin their slow trek out of New York City. We're also thrust back into the life of Frannie Goldsmith as she meets up with Harold Lauder, a childhood friend and next door neighbor. Frannie and Harold decide to head to Vermont and the CDC, trying to find answers to the horrific disease ravaging mankind.
Oh, and The Trashcan Man debuts!
Loved the artwork yet again. Mike Perkins nails a lot of the scenery in New York, especially one of the more tense scenes in the story - the journey through the Lincoln Tunnel. I can still remember how tightly wound I was as Larry made his way through it, bypassing bodies and abandoned vehicles.
Randall Flagg lingers is in this issue as he begins assembling his army. His interactions with Lloyd Henreid were spot on and his sporadic appearances in the nightmares of a select few were creepy and unsettling - just the way I like it!
I'm really enjoying this adaptation and feel it's easily doing my all time favorite novel the justice it deserves. Big things are still yet to come but the crucial scenes that have already happened were executed perfectly - I have no reason to doubt the author and illustrator moving forward....more
The first five issues in Marvel's adaptation of Stephen King's famous novel The Stand, are contained within the first collection, Captain Trips. A virThe first five issues in Marvel's adaptation of Stephen King's famous novel The Stand, are contained within the first collection, Captain Trips. A virus is let loose from a top secret government facility causing people to exhibit symptoms in line with the flu. However, this strain is 100% fatal. Following the lives of a few select individuals who appear to be immune, King lays the groundwork for the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa does a fine job adapting the source material. The story moves along well considering the length of book. It's been two years since I originally read it but I'm not really getting the feeling a whole lot is being left out.
The characters match up pretty well with how I envisioned them, which is always a nice touch when moving from a novel to a more visual medium. A lot of credit to Mike Perkins and Laura Martin for their excellent artwork which I really enjoyed.
I'm eagerly anticipating the arrival of Trashcan Man the most so hopefully I can get my hands on Volume 2 a lot sooner than I hope....more
The Dog Stars is a strange book in the sense that it has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. Not taking anything away from Peter Heller, the mThe Dog Stars is a strange book in the sense that it has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. Not taking anything away from Peter Heller, the man is an accomplished non-fiction writer with countless best sellers. It’s just the fact that this is his first foray into the fiction realm is somewhat surprising. He crafts a well paced, interesting and fresh novel that exists in a genre that has been done to death.
9 years after the combination of a super-flu virus and a deadly blood disease wiped out a good chunk of humanity, we're thrust into the lives of Hig and Bangley, two survivors. Spending their time living in an old abandoned airport, they're constantly fortifying their territory with extensive security measures. When not wrapped up in that, Hig often takes to the sky in an old 50s airplane he has dubbed "The Beast", visiting nearby communities and bringing aid to the sick.
Content to just stick to his new home and take out any intruders, Bangley lets Hig go off on these R & R trips with his dog, Jasper. Following an unexpected transmission received approximately 3 years prior, Hig often considers flying to its source.
Will Hig eventually seek out the voice on the other end and if so, will the journey be worth it?
Heller's prose was a little difficult to adjust to at first. I’ve only read a few authors that have ditched the ever reliable quotation mark (Cormac McCarthy and James Frey) and it never really sits well with me when I’m first diving into a novel. It's not that I have a hard time reading it, I just prefer when I can clearly separate dialogue in my head.
His protagonist, Hig, is quite the sympathetic character and Heller doesn’t really waste a whole lot of time in pulling at your heartstrings. When the outbreak happened, with the exception of his dog Jasper, Hig lost everything. While there are a few scenes of inner dialogue that really drive home just how lonely and depressed this man is, it never seems sappy or cliche, which is a plus.
His only friend, and Hig really wonders at times if they really are friends, is pretty much the exact opposite. While Hig shows empathy for families living outside their compound, Bangley would sooner kill them off. A tough, self-proclaimed gun nut, Bangley represents an alternative to Hig's peaceful ways - a good reason why the duo is still alive after all this time.
It may have something to do with the fact that I'm currently making my way through Firefly but I kept envisioning Bangley as portrayed by Adam Baldwin and Hig as Nathan Fillion. Both seem to fit the bill nicely but it may have something to do with this scene.
I really enjoyed this novel. While it's not perfect, Heller shows some promise for a first time novelist. I'm interested to see what he has planned next....more
I know, I should have expected that from the man who brought us Kick-Ass but I guess I just wasn't prepared for it. I eveHoly Shit.. that was violent.
I know, I should have expected that from the man who brought us Kick-Ass but I guess I just wasn't prepared for it. I even read Stephen's excellent review which doesn't play down or ignore the violence either. So, still.. why did this shock me? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's a Marvel release and while Marvel does have a lot of darker, more extreme stuff out there, nothing I've read even comes close to this.
The violence, while insanely over the top, doesn't distract from the story. Basically, we're being thrown 50 years into the future following a genocide of the superheroes. All the bad guys finally figured out that there were way more of them then their adversaries, teamed up and wiped everyone out. Well, everyone with the exception of what appears to be Hawkeye and our main character, Wolverine.
Only this Wolverine is not the Wolverine we're used to. No. Something horrific happened to him during that epic battle a half century earlier that transformed him into a passive farmer who resides in California with his wife and two kids.
When Hawkeye comes to Wolverine and asks him to be his guide on a mission to deliver an unspecified item from one coast to another (for a large fee, of course) Wolverine reluctantly accepts. Being behind on your rent doesn't exactly leave you with a lot of choices. Especially when your landlords are mutated offspring of The Hulk.
Millar presents us with a very dark vision of a world without superheroes. It's basically what you'd expect in that you have all these powerful super villains fighting over what remains of a destroyed and conquered land. The landscape is bleak and whole cities are destroyed. Very little hope remains for what's left of America.
While there were parts of this novel that were downright ridiculous and certain things weren't quite explained properly, I did manage to have a lot of fun with this one. Like Kick-Ass, the violence, while incredibly brutal, is entertaining and stylish. Wolverine is given some typically awesome one-liners and an insane plot twist is thrown in around the middle that had me reeling.
If your thing is violent, darker comics then this is right up your ally. However, I can see a few traditionalist Marvel fans kind of disgusted with what we're given here....more
Almost at the end of this series with only one book left to plow through.
So a lot happens in this volume. A lot. The Freakangels not only discover newAlmost at the end of this series with only one book left to plow through.
So a lot happens in this volume. A lot. The Freakangels not only discover new powers as well as enhancements of existing ones but a major ability is revealed. Getting this far into the series, it's almost impossible to talk about anything without giving away spoilers so you can understand that these reviews are proving difficult.
I will say that if you're just starting out on this story, it's worth sticking through as it shows no signs of weakening.
Some great overall stuff here from both Duffield and Ellis. You can really see Duffield's progression as an artist over these 5 books with some jaw dropping panels and splash pages. Ellis writes a pretty rousing speech from Luke that blows away a lot of his previous scenes....more