Kirkman, the man responsible for at least one excellent apocalypse (Walking Dead, for the uninitiated) is back with another. This time on a much smaller scale, he spared the world and partially obliterated the one city that one might argue is ripe for fictional obliteration. And he has done so through science.
   While no one may know why his dead walk the earth, the reason the spectacular megafauna of Oblivion works, is because someone somewhere goofed up while messing with parallel dimensions. Now it’s here, it’s wild and its hungry.
     Most people who were able to get out, did so ages ago, some remain trapped in the (play the theme song) danger zone. And then there’s one man deadest on saving and bringing out as many people as possible out of it, a man driven by a desperate desire to find his deadbeat brother he believes might still be alive in there. Nathan, a man of secrets, the most devastating of which you don’t find out until book two, so stay with it.
       Which brings us to the next question…should you stay with it? For me, it’s a yes, because I enjoy apocalyptic fiction, graphic novels and creature features. It isn’t a super excited jump up and down on the couch yes, because it isn’t all that original or all that engaging and I don’t care for the art…and also couches are just not meant for that sort of abuse.
      The art might be the main drawback here…bum dumtz. It’s weirdly offputting, weird faces, weird angularity. It’s perfectly serviceable and, unlike his zombie books, got technicolor on its side, but it leaves a lot to be desired. But overall, it just never enters the greatness territory, though it makes itself comfortable with just good.
       Am I reading more? Absolutely. Because it’s there and I am interested enough. Stay tuned for reviews of volumes two and three.

​     Well, this was interesting. Too complicated of a read to simply define as good or otherwise and a pretty striking amount of content crammed into such a slender volume. Like many books these days this one is about race, specifically black experience in the 1920s and 30s in one neighborhood of Bramble Patch.
     It’s so busy and attempts to span so much, that it requires its own personae dramatis. And still, it’s difficult to follow at times all of the numerous characters and all of the terrible things that befall them. There’s the ever prevalent evil of general racism, but also on a smaller scale evil personified as a local pimp of vicious appetites.
     Because the novel goes for the complete and almost documentary approach, it also features interviews, articles, etc. pertaining to Bramble Patch denizens and their descendants and, because the author obviously has very high literary aspirations, the narrative tends to have a dreamy, well nightmarish, really, poetic tone to it, combined with gothic atmosphere…well, it’s a lot.
     Kudos to the author for (mostly) making this wildly ambitious project work, but for how bleak and tragic this book is and for how notably busy it is in shuffling its characters and events, it isn’t an easy book to read, like or recommend. It’s interesting, indeed, and a quick read. The rest is up to individual preferences.

​    For the kind of a killer vacation one may never get to go on, this book seemed magical. It’s all about the waves, from title to cover to contents. And about one man who has made chasing and riding the waves his entire life. Joe Sharkey, the perfectly named protagonist, is a sort of aquatic animal with a sole purpose to his life. A purpose he has pursued for decades to great success, but now he is his 60s and a tragedy makes him pause and reflect on his life.
    And we, the readers, get dragged along for the ride.
    It hasn’t always been smooth surfing for Joe, he struggled to fit in with the local islanders from the time he was just a young white boy there, a military brat, an outsider. Eventually he discovered surfing and never looked back. It became his entire life. And a good life, too, as he became an accomplished wave rider, with sponsorships and fans. A comfortable life too, with a financial cushion from his parents to have as a safety net. An easy and a mostly happy life of a man who has been fortunate enough to follow his bliss for most of his years.
     It made Joe an easy going, relaxed local fixture, popular with everyone, including the ladies. Now his current squeeze, a woman 24 years his junior, seems to be a more serious presence in his life than most of her predecessors and she finds Joe at his absolute lowest following a vehicular crash in which he kills a man, a drunken bum on a bike, or so it seems.
     The guilt wrecks Joe and nothing in his life seems to go right afterwards, so he sets off to find out who the man was, in an effort to put things right, to honor the dead.
      So the book has three acts, present day Sharkey, Sharkey childhood to present day and Sharkey playing the guilt driven detective.
      It also has plenty of surfing. Tons of surfing, really. It’s as close as one can get to surfing without getting their feet wet.
       Overall, it’s a good read, it’s certainly a compelling one. The thing is, it’s quite long. And it reads long too. Sure, it’s meant to span an entire life, 6 plus decades, but it’s also very leisurely paced.
      Sharkey’s a likeable protagonist, the essential cliché of an aged wave rider, seasoned, waterbeaten old timer, a yarn spinner extraordinaire, who’s never read a book, but lived and traveled well and widely. Sharkey carries the book as easily as he does his surfboard, though his story doesn’t quite speed along the same way he does through the water.
     Theroux is a very good author and he’s had plenty of practice perfecting his craft, so his writing is smooth and easy, but it’s also indulgent and pays for it in dynamics.
      And Sharkey, for all his immediate likeability, may not be the most layered, original or sympathetic of characters when you analyze him critically.
      It’s a perfectly decent read and a very credible armchair surfing experience, but it isn’t an easily recommendable book and certainly won’t work for everyone. Thanks Netgalley.

​   A positively mesmerizing feminist horror novel isn’t a descriptor I would normally use. And yet it seems to be the most apt one. To merely define this novel by its genre or its theme would be reductive for it glows as brightly as it does precisely because of its striking combination of both.
    It may seem like yet another one of those insanely popular estrogen driven thrillers that are so prevalent on the market right now, but it’s only kinda sorta like it, in its split narrative structure, in its serial killer themes. At its beating bleeding heart, this is very much a feminist manifesto wrapped in the skins of a serial killer thriller.
     And if manifestos aren’t your thing, because let’s face it, they are often too preachy, too heavyhanded, too moralistic, well, rest assured this novel has enough going on to offset all that. Also, to potentially terrify you.
      I’m always wary of message driven fiction, for it does tend to overwhelm the story, and so many, many kudos to the author, who got the balance so right fresh out of the gate. This is a very impressive debut all around. I’m not sure how it would have worked for general public prior to MeToo, it certainly is the book that rode it on the wave of new feminism, but now that it’s here, it’s a powerhouse.
      And it isn’t the message that won me over, potent as it is, right as it is, it’s the writing itself. Since it is, after all, a work of fiction, timely or otherwise.
      The basic plot involves a mother/daughter story, both of whom come to brush up against an unspeakable evil. The evil is male and oppressive, but its representations vary, from institutionalized to criminal, it’s ubiquitous and pervasive and it preys on the female of the species.
       This is a supernatural thriller, though the kind that toes the line between plausible and impossible so cleverly that not until the very end will you know what’s really going on. The writing’s excellent, this is very much a work of literary dark psychological fiction, it’s character driven and exciting. But the real star of the show is atmosphere, its relentless bleakness is rendered so perfectly, enough to disturb even the most seasoned of genre fans. Dark as night, it amplifies every thump, every creak, every scare. Excellent, really.
       May all ideological manifestos be dressed up as cleverly and as expertly in fiction. This was a really good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

​      Crime Writers Association (proving that crime does pay, at least so long as you get published) since 1953 is an esteemed organization.  And genre establishment, really. And as such they have their own awards, The Daggers, given to the best of the best in crime fiction. This is an anthology of those Dagger deserving tales and it is absolutely excellent.
       This collection is arranged chronologically, and, to be fair, it starts off kind of unimpressively with two gimmicky Sherlock pastiches, but then it pivots dramatically and from the terrific third story on…it’s pure magic.
        I never seem to remember the story titles, so I figured I’ll try to memorize the numbers of the stories, 3, 5, etc. but soon I realized there’s no need to do that, there are simply too many good ones in here. The quality is so uniformly great that this collection can be reviewed as a single body of work.
        There are some widely recognizable names in here, but the majority are authors I’ve never heard off and because the anthology (at least the Netgalley provided ARC) doesn’t come with author’s bios, I’m still in the dark as to who they are. But then again, the dark isn’t such a terrible place to be when reading crime fiction, in fact it’s perfectly appropriate and editor recommended. Suffice it to say in this instance the name recognition mattered not at all, the unfamiliar names provided stories every ounce as good if not more so than the well known ones.
        Right now, the market is all about mystery thrillers, they are everywhere, often sacrificing originality at the altar of commercial success, so it’s easy to just think of the entire genre as those formulaic works and yet crime fiction is so much more inclusive. It can be simply fine works of dramatic literary fiction, just so long as they feature crime is some way, shape or form.          This collection reminds you of that so nicely, by offering such a terrific variety, by offering such terrific writing. Because those ubiquitous mystery thrillers sometimes don’t take the time to actually craft the narrative, so long as they ply the formula. You take away the formula and sky’s the limit and this anthology takes it to the clouds. Such great stories, such interesting, original, compelling, fascinating, psychological tales of lives marred, altered and sometimes enhanced by crimes.
       Whether crime is a lucrative proposition or not may be up for debate, but it certainly pays to check this terrific crime fiction collection out. This…this is how it’s done.  Reader beware, the daggers are drawn, business ends out. An absolute must read for all crime fiction fans. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

​     Wow. I can’t remember if I ever binged a comic series like this. I read all three books back to back in one day. Frankly, I’d continued reading them but there’s only three out right now. And the way those publication dated were spaced out, no idea when the next one will be out. But wow…what a ride.
      This series combines Tim Burtoneque gothic grotesque undertones with the profound character driven darkness of The Dark Knight trilogy and then puts its own spin on it for good measure. Mind you, Batman movies have always stood out among the typical superhero fare for being that much darker than the rest. It’s always gloomy in Gotham City. The adaptations that forget it, tank, no matter how many nipples you stick on a batcostume or how many muscles you stick under it.
      This version is just right. In my review of book one I referred to it as riveting…that stands. It’s difficult to put down, bingeable, mesmerizing.
       This volume reimagines Two Face, throws in everyone’s favorite catburglar (though not loving that costume) and absolutely emotionally devastates Bruce, among other things. The next book promises the greatest of all Batman’s foes, The Joker himself. Very exciting.
       But seriously, this was excellent. Moreover, it was genuinely thrilling and exhilarating. Much like a well done superhero movie would have been.
        So here are some of the things this book got perfectly right…
1.Facial expression. They are present. Prominently featured. So much so that mask or no mask, you can always see people’s eyes. It makes a huge difference. It humanizes the characters to a relatable degree no matter what sort of super things they are up to.
2. The writing. Johns really gets it. It seems so many superhero comics rely on the late great Stan Lee’s model, which is overwrite, overwrite, overwrite. If you read those old comics, it looks like they got paid per word. Every panel is overwhelmed by text and overexplained to death. It’s tedious and, frankly, it nearly defeats the purpose of graphic novel. A format specifically designed to convey the story in both art and text, with heavy reliance on visuals. Johns does this right, there’s just the right amount of text, never overpowering Gary Frank’s excellent visuals.
3.The tone and the city. It was never meant to be a happy story. It was never meant to be a simple story. Johns takes it all the way down to the murky bottom, making Gotham mythical, bestowing Bruce with a dark inheritance of his ancestors. And the rest of the characters…they struggle to cope with the demands of a violent world around them, to find their place within it, to just make it through the day.
Gotham wounds them, scars them, kills them. Gotham turns a bright eyed bushy tailed cop into an alcoholic, upright law driven politicians into madness, moral detective to immorality and back. Gotham is a force, a character in itself, the darkest ugliest version of a metropolis comics can render. Making it all the more difficult to live in, to fight for, to save. That’s what makes for such an interesting and compelling story dynamics.
So yeah, this was awesome.  I’m glad I checked it out, had no idea I’d ended up liking it this much, would definitely read more.  Recommended.

​    I read this immediately after finishing book one. That should tell you how much I liked book one, how much I’m enjoying this series. I should have known if there was ever to be a traditional superhero comic written seemingly with me in mind, it would be this guy, the brooding Batman, the man who can buy and sell Gotham many times over and instead chooses to save it.
     This time he’s off to battle The Riddler. While also continuing to struggle with finding his way and balance between heroic deeds and vigilantism. This is especially prominent in his relationship with Alfred, with the way their ideologies differ…on ongoing theme in this series.
      More familiar faces show up, including a surprising awesome new ally of reptilian variety.
      Good, great, excellent. On to book three.

    I’ve been on a quest to find some traditional superhero comics I might enjoy. Nontraditional supers I absolutely adore, but the ones from the movies are a much tougher sell, too bland, too formulaic, etc.
    And then the idea bolt went off…why not try to less conventional of conventional supers, the guy with no superpowers to speak off outside of seemingly boundless wealth and matching determination. Et voila…this guy. The Dark Knight himself.
     I’ve seen all the movies, the good, the great, the corn, the flashiness…but until now have never read him in a comic form and what do you know…in Geoff Johns’ multitalented paws (seriously, this guy seems to have done every super, comics, tv, movies) Batman shines.
      This is a reimagined version of Bruce Wayne. It still featured all the familiar details and characters, but with a twist. Alfred is more of a kick ass butler of Gotham tv series. But more importantly, Bruce himself gets something of a makeover and reemerges as the brooding prince of Gotham City, eager to take on the injustice while customed and somewhat more reluctant to do so while tuxedoed.
      Still, he gets all the same terrifically evil characters to battle, Penguin in this volume. But much of a struggle is within Bruce, in finding acceptance of his mission, defining his morals, of trying to shed the man to become the legend. He is positively angsty in this volume, still devastated by the tragic death of his parents all those years earlier, but, of course, of course, you can already see the greatness to come.
         I found this book surprisingly riveting. And I say surprisingly purely because I didn’t expect this much out of a traditional superhero comic. It’s a great story, a classic really, well told and nicely rendered artistically. In fact, the art while being well within the parameters of conventional superhero comics I’ve read, is elevated by the expressive portraiture and terrific single panel action stills. Very striking. Eagerly on to the next one.

​

      Surprisingly, despite every potential to be a jar of processed cheese, this turned out to be the cutest, loveliest, most charming bestiality based romance.
      Beauty and the Beast got nothing on these two. Although, really, it’s all the bear. The girl is a prototypical millennial annoyance. The bear’s awesome. Everyone should have one.
     
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​   ​Spontaneous combustion is a pretty incendiary plot driver. DuhDum Dum Dunz.. But seriously, it’s a really freaky thing. There isn’t much exact science on it and what there is, Ian Fenwick knows. Because of his years as a firefighter earlier in life, because of his subsequent years operating a fire safety company and, primarily, because that was the way his wife died and thus it became a subject Ian has studied and researched extensively over the years.
So when there’s a death that appears to be SHC, Ian gets asked to consult the police. Except that the details are all wrong. And soon the body count increases and all Ian, his newly found love interest pretty blonde, green eyed detective and the rest of the cops can do is try to figure out what’s going on.
Turns out it’s infinitely more sinister than a random freak occurrence. Turns out it’s all to do with a master conspiracy plan of global domination for and by the mysterious beings referred to as The Visitors.
And so this supernatural tinged procedural must reckon with forces they were never trained or prepared to taken on, forces most refuse to even believe in.
There’s plenty of suspense and mystery and even a surprise evildoer reveal for thriller fans and also loads of freakiness for supernatural fiction fans, not to mention oodles of action and puddles of gore for both.
The romance is laid on kinda heavily, but it’s just that kind of a book. It wants to give you a complicated and beaten up by life yet thoroughly likeable protagonist and it wants to give him something to live for…a sexy younger lady, to be specific.
But this isn’t to say the entire production is cheesy or trite. Au contraire, it’s actually quite well done. For an indie from an author I’ve never heard of, especially. It’s well written, well edited, well paced, exciting and, above all, fun, just pure fun to read. I’d dare say…fiery. And that’s it for me and puns with this one. Apologies to all (those weirdos who don't appreciate a fun pun).
Wait, wait, wait, one more...a blazing scorcher to get fired up about. Right? Right? Ok, really done now.
But yeah, a very entertaining read this was. Maybe too much action and gore for my liking toward the end, but overall good. I liked it. Recommended to genre fans. Thanks Netgalley.