Review - Hellboy : Into the Silent Sea

Yet again Mignola does not let us down with another Hellboy tale.  Actually, I found this story to be better than previous HB stories due to the artwork. The art was what enthralled me and made me want to read through this story as quickly as I did. The art has an engraving/woodcut look to it that reinforces the time shift that HB experiences.

The use of nautically themed poetry adds to the mystery of HB's seemingly self-discovery trip of him wandering the world. The reader is reminded of how he quit the agency to do some soul searching at the beginning of this tale. 

Where he ends up is the main part of the story and one in which I cannot spoil for you. But this was well worth reading. I really enjoyed revisiting this character, and the outcome of the tale was satisfying as well. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, and recommend it for fans of Mignola's works.

Review - Aleister & Adolf (NSFW)

I came across this either as a recommendation or while browsing for graphic novels to read. But the title caught my attention. I have had an interest in the occult since being a teen, and of course, hearing about Aleister Crowley from so many rock sources such as Ozzy Osbourne, and Led Zeppelin, etc. Who hasn't heard the song Mr. Crowley? Below is a YouTube video if you have never heard it :x

But alas this is a review about the graphic novel Aleister & Adolf, and not Crowley. I will admit that I am not a big fan of black and white comics. And this one did start out kinda weird, disjointed and slow to start. But I kept on reading it, and it grew on me. The basic idea behind this is that Crowley being a mage, and master of the occult was sought out to work against Hitler. With the use of icons and semiotics the tide of World War II could be turned. Being skeptical and thinking this was just for the story I researched this and yes this was based on a true story. I had heard that the occult was something Nazi Germany was researching but didn't realize just how deep they were into it. Realizing this was based on a true story and getting a glimpse into the mysterious Beast along with the surrealistic/psychedelic artwork I was hooked. 

So as you can see from the above sample of the artwork this is a mature title. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this title and rated it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you are into historically based on true story graphic novels then this is where it's at. Or if you are into trippy art and or the occult you may enjoy this too. 

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Review- All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

This is probably one of the most trending books in the SFF (Science Fiction & Fantasy) community. It seems like almost everyone has read this or wants to read this. It starts out so interesting and captivating that I read it in big portions. This was definitely a page-turner in the beginning. We get a strong sense of the main character, Murderbot. Quirky, and kinda chill and seems to be okay not getting involved in the affairs of its caretakers or renters I should say. It and I refer to with no gender as it is never defined as being anything other than a machine. It would rather spend its time watching serials in the feed than do the job it was made to do which is security. 

This story was so fast paced that a mystery soon develops after the introduction to the rest of the mission party. And shortly after this, the climax falls right into limbo. The events then flow so fast and seemingly so rushed as if the author did not really flesh out the story but rather plowed through an idea. The reader is hastily introduced to the antagonists and their intentions become even vague as the story then takes on a full action mode where any details about these villains and their plans for the mission team are anyone's guess. Before you know it the story is over, and I had to go back a few pages to see if perhaps I had skimmed or missed something. I really felt like there was no real resolution to the climax of the story. 

The winner of numerous awards, such as the 2018 Hugo award for best novella. NY Times and USA Today bestseller. By the end of this, I felt like it was just another Pinochioesque story. Or one in which the main character is kinda heading that way but isn't 100% sure. Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy this short story and want to read the rest of the series. But I felt that this was hastily written and could have been a bit more developed. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you have yet to read this check out the link below to get yourself a copy.

 

Review- Galaxy of Terror (1981)

So it's that time of the year (Fall) to watch horror films in anticipation of Halloween. So I know it's not October yet, but I figured why not get in the spirit and watch an old cheesy sci-fi horror classic. I remembered this movie from when I was a kid in the 80's...yeah my parents let me watch R rated movies. It's been a very long time since I had seen this so I had to give it a re-watch. 

The stars in this film I'm sure drew a crowd. After all, Joanie (Erin Moran) from Happy Days starred in this as one of the female leads. Ray Walston, from Popeye also starred in this. While this is not a cinematic masterpiece it did feature some up and coming stars of the horror film world, such as Robert Englund known for his role as Freddy Kreuger in The Nightmare on Elm Street series. The yet to be known Sid Haig, who is from Rob Zombies films had a minor role. 

So yeah this is kinda cheesy in comparison to sci-fi classics from this period due to its low budget. But that doesn't mean it wasn't worth watching. This was one of the many horror/sci-fi films in the 80's. Not as cinematically pleasing as Alien or The Thing. For instance, there is a scene with a very similar looking alien type creature. Before Event Horizon we had Galaxy of Terror. The special effects are not terrible and can be a little gruesome at times. Be mindful that there were quite a few head explosions and corny laser gun sound effects. Check out the trailer below. If you have an Amazon Prime membership you can watch this for free. Believe it or not, they actually made a sequel to this called Forbidden Planet that I will have to check out later.

Review: Abe Sapien Vol. 1 The Drowning

I've read a ton of Hellboy trades and a few BPRD books but I had never read this miniseries featuring one of my favorite HB sidekicks. Of course being that it's the merman, Abe Sapien this was Aquatic themed from the start, and he goes on a special mission that requires his aquatic abilities. The mission takes place in a small fishing village off the coast of France, and one that has a dark past. It turns out as do all of these Mignola tales that something sinister is afoot.

This was my first time reading an Abe solo story and wasn't sure how it would go, and the funny thing is that the title character feels and has similar doubts because he usually tags along with HB.

This read like a movie and it flowed beautifully. There were no dull moments with this first volume. I do not regret checking this out and honestly was not aware of this series until recently. Like I said it was action packed and of course paranormally packed too. I rated this 4 out of  5 stars on Goodreads and would recommend this to any fan of the Hellboy series.

                                                              

Review: I Hate Fairy Land Vol. 2 Fluff My Life

It has been quite a while since I have updated this blog and an even longer time since I had read the first volume of I Hate Fairy Land. So I had to look up my review of the first volume, and I was surprised that I hadn't done a full-on blog posting about it, because I really enjoyed it. So I discovered that I had just done a quick review on Goodreads...I have decided to leave that review below so you can read what I thought of that volume before reading my thoughts on the second one.

"This may look all cutesy and techno-colored safe for kids......But it's not. Gertrude enters Fairyland much like Alice and she has been stuck there a very long time. She's mad and just wants to go home. This was like if Dr. Suess had written more like a "muffin fluffer" trucker...subtle cussing. I've always enjoyed Skottie Young's art and this has to be his best work yet. I would recommend this to fans of Rat Queens or any violent and highly inappropriate book." Okay. Now that we have gotten that out of the way let's get on with the review of Fluff My Life. So picking up from the events of the first volume Gert is now the queen of Fairy Land. I know you're probably thinking "oh no"...right? And you would be right in thinking the Shtuff will hit the fan..lol.  I have to admit that when I read these books I always hear Angelica from Rugrats as the voice of Gert.  The second volume still keeps up with the perfect blend of off-color remarks while censoring itself by making them other words.  And of course, it still has the perfect blend of shenanigans to make it exciting and page-turning as always. She is still trying to get the fluff out of Fairy Land, and failing miserably....and that is one the most charming things about this series. We have to remember that Gert is not really a child but a 30 yr old woman who has grown up in this make-believe world and just wants to go home.  I loved this second volume just as much as I did the first one. I rated this 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. Get your copy by clicking the link found below. Thanx for reading and Get the fluff out there and read this book!

Review: Dark Knights Metal

I received a review copy for a fair an honest review. Upon reading this trade I feel that this was much better than the prior Road to Metal. This was way more structured and in retrospect, I wonder if Road was mashed together at the last minute to make this series seem more complete. I do have to say at times I really enjoyed the metal(rock) theme, but sometimes the font was a bit hard to read due to it being too jagged and rock looking.

Right off we are introduced to the action as the Justice League are battling on War planet and in an almost Voltron moment they build a giant robot to save the day. 

But hold tight kids we have even more intensity when we meet the evil versions of Batman from the multiverse who serve the dark lord, Barbatos (see first pic above). This really made this trade enjoyable for me. I love alternate versions of my fave comics heroes. Each evil Bats has his side to the story, and why they are doing what they can to assist in unraveling the universe. The payoff for this book was so much better than the lead up to this. I do think they should have combined what I think may have been the other stories to make 2 more volumes fo this storyline into this book. It seemed to rush through to the end rather quickly just as I was getting into it. I really enjoyed this and rated it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you are an alternate universe fan this will be the series for you to check out. I am looking forward to reading the other 2 volumes in this storyline and hope they are just as good as this if not better. 

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Review: Dark Days - Road to Metal

I do not read monthly issues as I prefer to wait and read stories in trade paperback format. But a few of my friends who do read single issues raved about this storyline so much that I just could not wait for it to be released in trade paperback. I'm extremely thankful that Netgalley gave me the opportunity read and review this series for a fair and honest review.

So my anticipation for this series was at the peak. Upon reading the introduction to the series I am kind of not sure what to think. I mean new story....new content, and a whole new world, right? But first off I'm not sure if this was planned years or months ago or if it was a spur of the moment change in the continuum. I say this because this collects a lot of portion of different storylines that they are suggesting elude to this main storyline. Some I can say sure I see a connection but others seem to be a stretch. For instance, the crisis of the multiverse is a portion of this collection along with some other Batman stories that had me wondering and shaking my head. I felt this didn't really run cohesively the transitions between linked stories was very rough. The Bruce Wayne lost in time story makes sense to be a part of the greater storyline. But the Endgame and the Joker poisoning Gotham had me baffled. Don't get me wrong this isn't a bad collection as I did reading the original new story that ties this all together. I hope that s the series goes this will flesh out that way it should and be a great story that my friends raved about. I decided to rate this introduction trade 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. 

Review: The Gravediggers Union Vol. 1 by Wes Craig

I saw this book come up as a suggested read on Goodreads, and I'll admit that the title had me intrigued. I wasn't exactly sure what this book was about but I had my suspicions that this was a supernatural book just by the title alone.

Right from the start, we see the action and what the Gravediggers Union's main purpose is....to protect the living from the undead! We see them fight back hordes of zombies and vampires. We later learn just what kind of sinister world this is which is overseen by the rich who are in league with an evil cult called the Black Temple(sounds like the Illuminati, right?). These people hope to bring the dark gods back to earth so that they may reap their rewards. Typical selfish rich people...ya know. We also see the origins of the supernatural in this world which features Lovecraftian creatures...Cthulu anyone? Kinda like 2001 Space Odyssey with the monkeys and aliens...just plain weird and fun shit going on in these panels. 

It's kinda obvious that this is a horror comedy and not a super serious plot....if compared to a tv series I would compare it to Ash vs  Evil Dead. This book is kinda campy. If you are looking for a more serious horror/supernatural title I would check out Nailbiter or Harrow County. 

First off I was super impressed by the artwork of this and the use of color. Toby Cypress is the artist for this series. I kinda liked the sketchy way the figures are drawn and really liked the splash of color randomly placed on certain scenes which kinda gave this a 60's/70's horror vibe. To be honest that was the strong point of liking this book...that and it's campy horror vibe. Now I know that this is not a series for everyone. The ratings for this are not too high and I hope they do not cancel it before it really gets going. I myself rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, and am looking forward to reading more of this series. 

Movie Review: Goodnight Mommy

This film has been on my watch list for quite some time, and I just recently got the chance to watch it. For those who have not heard of it; it is an Austrian film about twin boys awaiting the return of their mother from the hospital after she has had plastic surgery. it's never explained why she had surgery, but that is not really important for the flow of the story. She returns and is acting differently than before, such as taking photos out of the family album and walking in to search the boys' room.  There is also one scene which is featured in the trailer where she walks out into the woods to disrobe.

Odd behavior that normal people just do not do, such as going for naked walks in the woods and ripping photos out of the family album. So the boys question whether she is their real mother or someone who has taken her place.

This film is very slow to get going and you the viewer mostly follow the twins around the estate doing what boys usually do. They explore and run through the woods near their home.  The mother does do some strange things and we see the boys start to question who this lady is. Is she a doppelganger? They even ask her at one point "Where is our mother?".  Is there something sinister going on? 

Not until the very last 10- 15 minutes of the movie do we understand what is really going on. I won't spoil it for you as this is the plot twist that gives you the aha moment where strange past scenes start to make sense. You may even want to go back and rewatch this after the ending so that things come out more clearly.  I'll admit I got bored at times with this film, but the end all I did enjoy it and rated it 3 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Injection by Warren Ellis Volumes 1- 3

I recently finished reading the third volume of this series which is weird, different and kinda great. In the words of Image comics taken from their site - "...there were five crazy people, and they poisoned the 21st Century. Now they have to deal with the corrosion to try and save us all from a world becoming too weird to support human life. It is science fiction, tales of horror, strange crime fiction, techno-thriller, and ghost story all at the same time." So yeah it's quite the mix of genres. 

The first volume introduces the concept of the Artificial Intelligence and how it is manipulating the world to create paranormal events, and we meet part of the team responsible for its creation. This was a great start for the series. I thought it was okay but it had enough to keep me interested and wanting to continue on with the series. The second volume introduces yet another member of this team and one who is kind of Hannibal Lector meets Sherlock Holmes kinda vibe. 

This story was way better than the first but left me feeling that the story did not live up to its expectations. The third and I'm assuming final volume (I assume final because the last issue was released in Nov. 2017 and there is no news about a follow up). Was very intense and I felt the story had finally reached its potential. Of course, the third volume ended on a cliffhanger, and I do not know if Ellis will ever finish this story. This last volume had the perfect blend of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and a nice nod to Dr. Who with a comment from a student about it not really being bigger inside.

I rated the first volume 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and the other 2 both 4 stars. I really hope that Warren Ellis picks this back up and continues on with this story because it would be bad to end this series just as it started to get good. I also called a few comics shops and there was no word of this very infrequent book coming back.  Below is the complete hardcover edition which features 3 volumes. 


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Review: William Gibson's Archangel

Review: Paper Girls Vol 4

I have to say I loved the first few volumes of this series as I really enjoy time travel stories. This is the 4th volume in the series, and things started to slow down momentum-wise in the last volume. I do know a lot of people have hopped on the hype train regarding this series just because the first 2 volumes feature 80's nostalgia. (To be honest, I don't understand why people who were not alive in the 80's are so obsessed with this time period as it wasn't the best in regards to fashion and music, etc. ) So for those people, the series may be a disappointment for them as this volume takes place in the year 2000. Which discusses the whole Y2K issues.

This volume did reveal more about the time traveler war such as their background and just how they influence the world. I do not care if they ever venture back to the 80's, and I am still interested in this series because it is about time travel and features big fucking robots fighting! Although I still enjoyed this I didn't feel it was a strong volume as the last few ones. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I will continue to read this series as I feel it has great potential and I have always enjoyed Vaughan's writing.

 

Review: Amazon Original Britannia

  

If you like Historical dramas like Vikings then this may be right up your alley. I really wasn't seeking this out and to be honest I had never heard of it until I was browsing Amazon's video selections. I liked the name well enough to not even bother reading the synopsis and was in for a great surprise. This series does not hold back on the action. The first episode starts out briefly introducing an outcast druid who has an omen and tries to warn the other druids. From that point on the series is explosive with action which is about the second Roman attempt to take over Celtic Britannia. I was so into this show that I binged it in one day. I did some research and discovered that the series is being renewed for another season, so after you watch this one be ready for season 2. 

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Review: The End of the Fucking World by Charles Forsman

I viewed and reviewed the Netflix/Channel 4 series of the same name back in January of 2018. I really enjoyed that and was super impressed so much that it was based on a graphic novel that I just had to read it.
First off I have to say that I base my reviews on the item/title in question and do not let my opinion(s) of previous work to influence my rating.  I say this because these are two separate animals. The filmed version is very different from the graphic novel it is based on. While this is the basis for the series this felt very plain, and quite honestly this was basic AF. Why do you ask do I say it is basic? Because it transitions from scene to scene very fast with no explanation of why things had changed or why the pair of teens are going in the direction that they are going. The TV series fills a lot of these plot holes and is a much better piece of work than this. I also felt that the art was also basic and plain and seemed similar to Charles Shultz Peanuts if he had drawn Charlie Brown as a runaway teen with issues.

Don't get me wrong I take this for what it is and I did enjoy it but do not feel like so many of my friends on Goodreads that this deserves a 4 or 5-star rating. I rated this only 3 stars for the above-mentioned reasons. After having read this I really do not see there being a continuation of the Netflix series, but they did such a great job of writing it ...it is possible to continue on I guess.
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Review: Hellboy: Oddest Jobs

I totally thought this was a graphic novel at first, and it was a subtle surprise. I say this as I tend to avoid reading novelized books about comic book characters. Come to find out that this is the 3rd book of a trilogy of books about the title character. The fact that this was a collection of short stories really helped for me to get into and enjoy this book. Had it been one big novel about Hellboy I don't think I would have liked it that much. don't get me wrong I like HB, but like I said I tend to avoid those kinds of books. Of course, I rated each individual short story using a 5 point star system and came to an average overall rating for the collection based on those total sum ratings.

Each story was written by a known author such as Garth Nix, Joe Lansdale, and a few others who I had never heard of but after reading their tales of HB I may have to look them up. The story I enjoyed the most was by an author I had never heard of named Stephen Volk. His short story was called Monster Boy which was about a little boy who seemed to be in the spectrum based on his description who shared a common interest in movie monsters with his grandfather. The story I disliked the most was called Feet of Sciron by Rhys Hughes which featured a very strange character named Foggy Dicks. Apparently Foggy has an ectoplasmic power and he left the BPRD team to pursue a career in porn...yeah you heard me right....porn.

Each and every story could be read out of order, and I'm assuming the same could be said about the previous 2 volumes in this series. So I will have to go ahead and read the previous volumes. I rated this collection of short stories 3 out of 5 stars based on the above calculation. It is a decent collection of stories some of which I really enjoyed and some not so much. The majority I felt were just okay, but overall this book is worth checking out if you are a fan of the Hellboy series.

Review: The Vision Vol. 1 Little Worse Than a Man

The Vision was always one of my favorite Avengers long before the movie adaptation. For some reason, he dropped off the radar for a period of time but has returned and he now has another family??? I will admit I was very eager to read this when I saw it. But this was not what I had hoped for. I was hoping that this would have filled in the gaps as to where he has been and how and when did he get a new family? How were they created? We all know that the Vision is based on Wonderman, but where did the basis of his wife and children come from? This book even had an explanation for the dog, but not the rest of the family. Leaving all of this out and turning this into another murder/ someone knows what you did Pinnochio type story just didn't impress me. I thought this was okay for a debut self-titled series, but it left a lot of stuff in the dark. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. It's an okay mediocre read if you are looking for more info about this character but will not really answer anything if that makes sense.

 

Review: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

This is my first time ever having read this author. I only heard of this author because I recalled something I read about Stephen King and he had mentioned this author. Of course, I had seen a few films based on Ketchum's books. Which were not for the faint-hearted. One thing I learned about this book was that it was based on a real-life murder of a young girl named Sylia Likens. Upon completing this book the author writes his thoughts on this book and he wanted to bring attention to child abuse and how tragic it is. Warning this book is very graphic in detail....even more graphic is what the real girl had gone through.

Jack Ketchum's writing totally sets up the environment like no other author I have read. He really puts you there and you feel like you can really envision the place and people he describes. This adds to the horror of the abuse the girl suffers and as if you were not already sickened by the pure evil of an adult over a child. He also reminds you what it feels like to be a child and to be powerless because adults rule over them. You would never imagine that things of this nature are even possible, but they are and have happened. The author captures the feel of the time period and how a lot of people were not even thinking this can happen. This was definitely a page-turner and one that I couldn't put down. You are in shock and awe most of the time wondering and even when you know how it will turn out you are still caught like a deer in headlights. The scenes were very gruesome in details and how cruel the characters could be when they would torture an innocent girl were beyond shocking. If you cannot easily stomach things of a graphic nature I would avoid reading this or the original case notes. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars based on how well the author has with words and really capturing an event. I intend to read a few of the other books by him in which I have seen films.

Review: Happy! by Grant Morrison

First off I have to say this was on my radar, but it was a very long time before I had the opportunity to read it. I liked reading this author's works, and of course, this seemed interesting enough. My local library did not have any copies of this, and I was not sure I wanted to drop money on this book. I then saw an advertisement for the series on Syfy and knew I had to read this soon.

So I discovered my local library finally got a digital copy of this book and I checked it out. The reviews on this book are varied not many people can agree on whether it's good or bad. I will say that this miniseries about an ex-cop turned hitman in search of his daughter is sorta like a more gruesome and vulgar version of Taken....if it was a Christmas special. Having seen the Syfy series before reading the comic originally was something to get used to. As you would know if you have seen the miniseries it is really drawn and dragged out to make for like 8 episodes. The original book is much shorter and does not have as many scenes. Even characters have somewhat different names and looks. A lot of scene differences between the comic and the miniseries adaptation. Each is there own separate animal and when I did my review of this book upon completion I took that into consideration. Some hated this book and some loved it. I will say that the artwork is gritty and definitely leaves the reader feeling a bit of unease as they read it. 

This does have the gritty feel that Morrison is known for writing in his stories, and for that reason, and considering it is very different from its TV adaptation(which is much milder in comparison) I decided to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you have not seen the series and have read the book please be mindful that it was tamed down for syndication. 

Review: Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel

Okay, so I'm late to the party on this one, and I will admit when this book came out and everyone was talking about it I tried to avoid the hype for fear of being disappointed. But I couldn't resist when this book came on sale for Kindle at a very low price one that I couldn't say no to.

First off this is not the typical science fiction book. Why you ask? Because at least 95% of it is written as a transcript of interviews between some type of government agent and witnesses to the events that unfold in the book. Some people who have read this were critical of this because this writing style leaves very little room to develop characters, but the main point of this book is not the characters. The main point of the book is the event. So if you are a reader who wants character development driven stories this is not the book for you.

What is the event you ask? Giant Robots from Space! Fans of robot mechs and fighting robots rejoice. The book starts out by discovering a hand within an underground cavern and it slowly builds on the story and revealing just what this giant robot looks like and what it is capable of. Now I won't spoil any of the specifics because this was part of what made this story so interesting. The anticipation to see how it all comes together and how the reaction from those who witness it and what they learn along the journey.

I have to admit that I am pretty impressed by the writing of this "high school drop out". Being written the way it is this is a super fast paced read and one that doesn't leave you feeling that there is anything missing. Although I made sure to pace myself and read this at a slow pace so I could enjoy it. I really enjoyed this and will admit it did slow down a bit towards the end, but this has not deterred me from wanting to read more in this series. I will read book 2 in the series eventually, and I know that book 3 is due to release soon.(May 2018) I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I do have to say again that this will not be for everyone. If you get excited about things like Ancient Aliens, and Robotech, or Gundam this will be right up your alley.

 

Review: The End of The Fucking World TV Miniseries (Netflix)

I knew when I saw the title of this miniseries that I would be interested in watching this. Before I even watched the trailer for it.

I started watching the first episode and was hooked. Two teens with bad home lives meet and decide to go on  "Bonnie and Clyde" type road trip. What other reason would you need to watch this? They not only find comfort in each others company but quickly things go bad quickly. I will not give any details as to spoil this, but this has to be one of the best series I have watched in a very long time. After I binge watched all 8 episodes I did some research on this series. It's from the UK's Channel 4 and based on a graphic novel of the same title which I had never heard of until now. I really enjoyed this series and cannot wait to read the graphic novel it is based on. Although the last episode ended on what seemed like a cliffhanger I do not know if that was the end or if another series is due. I'm assuming that this is the whole series in its entirety.