Comics Wrap Up - The Line Between Hero and Villain

This week, my comic reading seems to have gone along in a sort-of theme. Maybe it's just me, and what I've been reading into things, but it seems like all the comics that I've read this week have been focussed in some way on the line between heroes and villains - and the uber-fuzziness of said line.

Maybe it's just Marvel in the modern age (and we all know I love me some Marvel,) trying to draw attention to the complex moral issues (woo! go Marvel! gotta love complex moral issues!)

So, this week, I read a Panini-published UK compendium (under their Essential X-men title;) this collected Uncanny X-men #19 (USA) and #20 (USA) (of the modern, Marvel Now run,) with Guardians of the Galaxy #13 (USA.)

These are very good comics - but my God, when we start faffing around with multiple disrupted timelines, two of several characters running around, and Jean Grey having a whole Phoenix/wtf-is-going-on? moment again, even seasoned Marvel girls like myself can get a little in over their heads.

If you do want to take a running leap at these ones, then just accept the madness and move on. It's just easier that way.

I personally think the whole direction that Marvel have recently taken regarding Cyclops and the battle for mutant rights is quite brave - Cyclops has, after all, been labelled a terrorist, and Mystique and the brotherhood et al. (in these comics at least,) are faffing about in a newly-established Mutant state in Madripoor (and my God, are there moral issues to burn here.)

Taking a step back in X-men history, this week I also read X-men Unlimited #40 (US link.) This is a 00's comic with stand-alone X-men stories from a variety of artists. This issue has villain stories - featuring Mystique, Sabre-tooth, and Juggernaut.

They're great - with a beautiful set of artwork and some really thought-provoking story lines. Though I have to say, I wasn't a fan of 'Slam,' the last story in the issue, which kind of felt like a filler story/what the hell is going on? story.

On the non-mutant side of life, Daredevil: End of Days #1 of 8 (USA,) is simply sublime. The artwork is fantastic - almost painterly, with a twist of the noir for flavour. Matt Murdock, the Daredevil, is dead. But what happened? And has he taken one more secret along with him?

This comic asks a lot of pertinent questions - not least when a hero stops being a hero, and the role of the media in news events. And isn't that what comics have always done? They take the world, and they reflect it back at us. They make us ask the questions of ourselves that we don't want to ask, and they do it with style.

Are Target Audiences Holding Books Back?

It plays to the favour of the folks in the publishing industry, as well as, of course, the retailers and the authors, to have a definite audience in mind when they're busy flogging the latest bestseller. But does this favour the reader? Or does it limit the sort of book we end up buying, reading, and, ultimately, enjoying?

The Covers

We've all heard the saying 'you can't judge a book by its cover.' But we do, don't we? Because a lot of the time, you can.

If the cover is bright pink, has a bit of glitter, and some sort of fashion accessory or woman's silhouette, then it's likely to be chick-lit. If the people on the cover have no or very little clothing (and this is particularly true of books where the man has a shirtless torso and/or no face,) there is likely to be a lot of sex. If there's a foreboding mountain and a tank, then it's about soldiers and/or war, and likely to be aimed primarily at middle-aged men.

I can think of absolutely tons of books that take advantage of their attractive covers to reel in readers (Twilight, anyone?) A popular book instantly spawns a flurry of copycat covers, and slogans like 'if you liked x you'll love y!'

And all of this is designed to control our spending habits - with the knock-on effect, of course, of controlling our reading habits.

The Internet Recommendations

We're used to the Internet choosing our books for us: Goodreads, Amazon, even the targeted ad banners. As soon as we let the all-seeing net know what books we've enjoyed in the past, we're bombarded by suggestions from hungry publishers and book-sellers.

But does that narrow our reading? If we're only given suggestions based on what we've already read, surely there's a chance that we'll fall into the trap of only reading books of a particular type or genre.

How are we going to read widely, and experience all that the written word has to offer, if we aren't aware of what books are out there?

The Stereotyping/Social Pressure

Where is it written that a straight man can't enjoy reading Jilly Cooper or Sophie Kinsella? Yet I honestly wish well any such person who has the gall to read chick-lit books - frilly covers and all - on the train (or any other public place.) If I were in their position, I'm not sure I'd be brave enough.

Because, while we shouldn't give a sh** about what people think, you can't help but notice when people are judging you. I should know, some of the looks I get at my esoteric library selections are quite unnerving.

But I love Wolverine. If there is a f**king Wolverine graphic novel that I want to read, I will add it to my selection of crime, historical fiction, paranormal romances, and whatever else has caught my eye that day - regardless of the snooty looks I get when I'm checking out.

And the not-so-confident reader? How are they feeling, as they clutch something that is considered inappropriate for their age group, gender, sexual orientation, race, class, or any other factor?

But, I hear you cry, Cee, what has this to do with the marketing of the book? Surely that's society's fault, not the marketers?

Well, yes and no. Sure, there's a hell of a lot to blame society for here. But there's also a lot to blame the marketers and retailers etc. for. They perpetuate stereotypes to the point where they end up creating the stereotypes. They manipulate consumer behaviour to produce sales, with little concern as to where that behaviour leads. But narrow-minded marketing, in the end, can only lead to people staying in the boxes pre-established for them - and both individuals and society miss out on the benefits of a wide range of books in the process.

Reviewing the Evidence! - The First Man by Gavin Frankle

Title: The First Man. (US Link.)
Author: Gavin Frankle.
Genre: sci-fi, fantasy.

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

I'm a bit of a rebel me. So a novella (it's just a touch too short to call a novel,) with as bold a premise as this was always going to catch my eye - and I'm kind of glad that it did.

Hold on tight folks, I've got a lot of ground to cover.

Premise:

You think you know about Adam and Eve? The truth of the serpent and the tree? What you know is a lie. Eden was a prison, and Adam escaped.

World-weary, and close to immortal, Adam spends his modern-day life trying to avoid contact with the humans he created. But his past is about to catch up with him, in the form of someone he hoped never to see again.

Best bits:

It is undeniable that Mr Frankle has talent. He adopts a confident and impressive tone, and makes use of sharp and sparse prose (and my regular readers will know how much I love me some well-done sparse prose.)

For all the flaws of this book (discussed in just a sec,) Frankle can write. It flows exceptionally well, and there are hints of that spark - that rhythm, lilt, and weave of words - that only a writer of real talent can evoke. There is something here - something that's worth bringing out into the light.

And of course, anyone who has the gumption and bravery to take on such a bold and ambitious concept is well worthy of my praise - push the boundaries folks!

This book is also great for discussion - I guarantee that everyone will have something to say about it (Lord knows that I'm rabbiting on enough about various talking points,) and that can only be a good thing.

Oh, and I love the character of Kaliyah - he just rocks. End of.

Not so great bits:

It probably goes without saying that this book is going to be offensive to a lot of people. You start messing around with Bible stories, and people get p**sed off pretty quickly; this is not your book if you are a devoted Jew, Christian, or Muslim, and/or are easily offended. I will remind people however that this is a work of fiction - it's an exploration of an idea: not an attack on your personal beliefs.

There's a lot of blood and unpleasantness in places that some readers won't like.

There are references to, and sort-of-scenes of, rape - not overly graphic, but will be distressing to some readers all the same. And there are references to child abuse.

I also have to mention the poop. Frankle has a thing about poop. I get that sh** is a metaphor - but, really? I got the point - you don't have to keep repeating it!

An argument can be made that the plot doesn't always seem to fully be in Mr Frankle's control (I still have no idea what the sentinels and scions were really about.) Granted, this is always a danger when being ambitious.

 

The characters feel a touch underdeveloped - not least Eve (I understand that she's batsh** crazy, but after centuries I would expect some level of in-depth motivation, or maybe just a hobby.) Adam though, while relatable, is also more than slightly immature for an immortal(ish) fella.

Verdict:

OK, so it has some issues. But there is something about this book - some undefinable thing that makes you read on, and think about what you're reading. For that reason, I refuse to dismiss it out of hand. This is one to get the brain cells whirring.

What Makes a Good Book Review?

It's a tricky question, that of reviews. The thoughts swishing around my brain suggest that if you have a books blog, reviews are like the foundation stones. A lot of people may disagree with me. And that's fine. I'm an open-minded kind of gal, and one of these days I may change my mind on a whole host of things.

But what makes a good review?

I actually really like reading reviews which are well-written, sometimes humorous, and/or thought-provoking.

A good review is readable, as far as I'm concerned, for its own sake, whether or not you have any real interest in the book that's being reviewed. That, in itself, means that I might consider a book, after reading a review, that I wouldn't have considered previously. And that's pretty awesome.

I also like reviews to do a little more than just give me a synopsis, a blurb, a plot-line, whatever. I can flip the book over and read the back for that. I can get hold of it on any number of websites - Goodreads, Amazon, whatever - what I want is a review.

If I'm going to read 250+ words about a book, then you need to write well.

You need to mention the good points, the bad points, and the points up for discussion.

In short, I need to feel like I'm getting your honest opinions about what's going on between front and back covers. I don't want you to just repeat what everyone else has said, or provide extracts that take up more than half the post. If you want to provide an extract, that's fine - but one or two paragraphs is plenty.

But, as with everything in this world, this is just one opinion (in this instance, mine.)

Just like there's no one-size-fits-all book, there's no one-size-fits-all book review. I just hope that some of the reviews you enjoy reading are mine ;)

Nerd Church - A Little Bit of Hope

The world can be a dark place. We've been reminded of that over the past few days with world events being what they are.

This post is not about the dark. This post is about the light within it. Remember that where there are demons, there are Shadowhunters. Where there is the Dark Lord, there is Harry Potter. Where there are super-villains, there are superheroes.

That's what we need, more than anything. We need to make sure that the things in the dark aren't in control of the light. The way to keep the light going? Believe in the good. Believe in the heroes. Believe in people who care about others. As any Avengers fangirl will tell you, Steve Rogers didn't need to be Captain America to be a hero, just to be acknowledged as one. Find the light, dear nerds, til the end of the line!

The Writer Diaries (or NaBloPoMo Week 2, Re-Cap)

The second week of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month - hosted by BlogHer,) was, I have to admit, a bit more of a challenge than the first. But I made it goddammit!!! With a good slosh of coffee, a fair pinch of luck, and a f**k load of typing, I made it! :) Yay.

Hopefully (she said, doubting her words before they're even spoken,) I won't have such trouble in the next two weeks - I'm half-way through after all! Posting every day for a month! I can do this! ...Probably. No. I can do this. Wish me luck!

Week 2 Re-Cap:

*A reminder that I write dates in the British/European format of dd/mm/yy*

Sunday 08/11/15

Nerd Church - A Reader Lives a Thousand Lives...

Monday 09/11/15

Books Everyone Else Seems to Have Read (But I Haven't)

Tuesday 10/11/15

Reviewing the Evidence Time - Exposure by Kathy and Brendan Reichs

Wednesday 11/11/15

The Bookish Rebel

Thursday 12/11/15

Comics Wrap Up - A World in Trouble 

Friday 13/11/15

Friday Fics Fix! (In Which There is Nothing but Smut)

Friday Fics Fix! (In Which There is Nothing but Smut)

Warning: Much adult humour and a smutty piece of fanfiction ahead

This week, I haven't been able to find anything that isn't truly filthy to recommend for this Friday's Fics Fix. So I gave up and just picked something that's so smutty my eyeballs might fall out - yet not as smutty or depraved as many of the things I've read online. Obviously, this fic is 18+ only I mean it - save yourselves.

A few things to mention before I give you the link. Firstly, a quick reminder that pretty much everyone in fanfiction has gay sex. Like, a lot of gay sex. Right, now I should explain a facet of the Avengers fandom that is the Thorki ship. As I've told you before, shipping is fantasised romantic relationships, usually between male characters, that is then usually given a shipping name of some sort. Thorki is... well, it's Thor and Loki having sex. I'm going to be honest. Luckily, they aren't biologically related - which dials down the creepy factor considerably; but they were raised as brothers, which is still weird. In no way is this the creepiest relationship in fanfiction (off the top of my head I'd have to say, excluding ships that involve real people, the creepiest is probably twincest. Twincest is from the Harry Potter fandom. And that is the most explaining I'm going to do about that.) Some people however will find Thorki too weird to handle - and that's ok. To those people I say: run, fast, and don't look back.

Thorki In Furs by BlackMorgan is a fairly tender Thorki fic - but not so much so that it pulls them out of character. It's also considerably less dodgy than the title suggests. The furs are blankets. It's nice, straight-forward, plot-lacking, erotic gay fanfiction - and doesn't involve the more extreme stuff that many fanfictions are rife with. It's also quite well written - again, assuming that fanfiction hasn't warped my perceptions to too great a degree.

There's also a fab line in this fic, that made me laugh (although, I'm not entirely sure it was meant to, it probably was though):

'Loki rolled onto his side, long legs tangling in the silver furs, skin aglow as he held out his hand in invitation. "Come Brother, the furs are warm but I am cold. I need to feel the sun." He lowered his gaze towards his brother's groin and smiled. "And I see that it has already risen."'

I'll try to come up with something more respectable next week. I promise.