Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #9 - Comic Review

I'm going to be honest at the start of this review, I've found that Star Wars: Bounty Hunters has been my least favourite of the current Star Wars comics. I think it might be because a lot of what happens in this book doesn't seem to really connect much to the rest of the Star Wars universe, and other than featuring some bounty hunters fans will recognise it's kind of off doing its own thing. This isn't necessarily bad, as it's adding more to the universe and expanding things, but I prefer it when the comics connect to the bigger story, even in tiny ways.

But I think that's why I really actually enjoyed this issue, and found it to be the best one of the series so far, as Valance heads off to rescue a lost Rebellion convoy. It might not have any of the bi heroes on it, and it doesn't seem to be making reference to bigger events, but by him coming in and helping to save a group of the good guys it just instantly feels more like the Star Wars that I love.

The issue begins, much like the last one did, with a flashback to Valance during his time at the Imperial Academy, where he was training to become a TIE pilot. After being shot down his squad leaves him behind, and he's forced to try and survive in the ruins of this hostile world. Not only does this flashback further flesh out Valance, as well as giving further insight into why the Empire sucks, but it shows that he knows about camaraderie, and going against orders when the rest of his squad, including a young Han Solo, return to rescue him.

This is something that I think very much informs his actions during the rest of the issue, when he's putting himself in danger to help a group of people who really don't trust him. The rebels don't really want him around, and the commander even throws him in the brig, refusing to let the bounty hunter get them out of a no win situation. It would have been easy for Valance to simply give up, or just leave all together, but instead he keeps throwing himself in danger to do the right thing and help these people.

It's something we've seen from the character before, taking the much harder path because his conscience won't let him take the easy way out, but I think this is one of the better examples of it. It's easy to get a morally grey character to do the right thing when it's to protect a kid, as we'd seen in earlier issues, but when it's like this, when he's pushed back against and told no over and over, where he could walk away guilt free, it means something more for him to stand up and be a hero.

We also get some development with the villains of this issue too, as we see that the rebels are under attack from the Ohnaka Gang, though Hondo himself isn't around. Whilst it's great to see the Ohnaka Gang are still around and doing some dodgy things during the time of the Empire I'm glad that Sacks made the smart choice of not including Hondo here, instead having the pirates under the command of another Weequay, Skaag. Hondo has always walked a fine line of hero and villain, and his time on Star Wars: Rebels has definitely made him walk closer to the hero side of things, so I'm pleased that he's not here attacking the Rebellion as it would have felt a bit wrong for him. The pirates are also joined by Dengar, another iconic bounty hunter; which I think now means that all of the bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back have had a chance to feature in the book.

The issue also has a short interlude on Ruusan, where it's revealed that T'Onga, the bounty hunter from the first story arc of the series, didn't perish as we'd all been led to believe. Not only is this a good decision to bring her back because it allows her character another chance to shine, but also brings back one of the few openly queer Star Wars characters. At the time of her 'death' it felt like another slap in the face to queer Star Wars fans, especially after that pathetic 'first lesbian kiss' thing that happened with The Rise of Skywalker being overly hyped yet a 'blink and you miss it' moment that meant nothing. I'm hoping that this is perhaps a small way of making it up to the queer fans of the franchise.

Overall I really enjoyed this issue of Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, and thought that this was one of the better showings for Valance as both a decent person and a competent fighter, especially when he got to take an X-Wing out for a spin. Fingers crossed that this quality will continue through the rest of the story arc.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Another 5 TV Shows Based On Books!

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When I did research for 5 TV Shows Based On Books I ended up having enough for a second list. Well, it turns out I had even more, and needed to share with everyone else, so here’s the third entry in television shows that started life as books!

Fresh Off The Boat (2015 – 2020, ABC)

Fresh Off The Boat is an American sitcom series centred around the lives of a Taiwanese-American family. Loosely based on the life of chef and food personality Eddie Huang, the series takes inspiration from his autobiography of the same name. The show is set in the 1990s, and follows the Huang family as they relocate to Florida to start a new life and open a restaurant.

The series stars Randall Park and Constance Wu as Eddie Huang’s parents, with Hudson Yang playing Eddie. The cast was rounded out with two younger brothers and a grandmother, as well as Chelsey Crisp and Ray Wise as the family’s friendly neighbours. The series marked the first prime-time American sitcom with an all Asian main cast since 1994, and is the only series featuring an all Asian American cast to reach more than 100 episodes.

Hannibal (2013 – 2015, NBC)

It’s probably easy to tell from the name, but this series is based upon the Hannibal Lecter series of books, Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising by crime author Thomas Harris. The series is focused on the relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen).

Whilst Hannibal Lecter is a known criminal and killer in the novels and their film adaptations, the series has Lecter’s cannibal identity a secret, and instead focuses on his relationship with Graham as he tries to push him closer to becoming a killer himself. The series was well received with fans and critics. Despite this, the show was cancelled after three seasons. There have been a number of campaigns and petitions to revive the show, and series stars have said that they would be eager to return, but so far there is no sign that Hannibal will make it back to screens.

Sherlock (2010 – 2017, BBC)

Sherlock takes the classic Arthur Conan Doyle mystery novels from the 19th century and gives them a flashy, modern spin in this BBC series. Produced by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatis, the series would go on to achieve huge acclaim with the public and make stars of series’ leads Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

There’s a lot that can be said about this show, about how it takes different elements from the original stories and makes them almost unrecognisable, about how it seems to not understand any of the characters, or about how the show seemed to implode and lost most of its fans by the fourth series – but you can read that elsewhere on the site! Despite not being the best version of Sherlock Holmes by any means, the series did make the fictional detective popular with a whole new audience.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 – 2017, The CW)

Based upon the L.J. Smith series of the same name, The Vampire Diaries is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, a town full of supernatural history. It follows teen girl Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) as she falls in love with centuries old vampire Stefan (Paul Wesley). Over the course of the series viewers learn more about the mysterious past of the town and its inhabitants, as well as getting to see the heroes deal with other supernatural threats such as ghosts, witches, and werewolves.

Despite having the highest watched series premiere of all time on the CW (until Arrow took the title) the show didn’t do particularly well when it first aired, but ratings improved over time. The series was popular enough to last for eight seasons, and even received a spin-off series, The Originals, which would last for five seasons itself.

The Man In The High Castle (2015 – 2019, Amazon)

The Man In The High Castle premiered in 2015 to much fanfare among Amazon viewers. The show is based upon Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel, where the allied powers lost World War 2, and the US is now under occupation of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan, who have divided the country in half.

The series follows members of the American Resistance as they fight against the fascist powers, when they discover old film reels that show an alternate history where the Allies won the war. The show diverged a fair bit from the original books, mainly due to lasting for 4 season. It still proved to be popular with fans of the original work, and received a number of award nominations across its run.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Don Vega by Pierre Alary - Book Review

 

'The year is 1849, and the future state of California is under the control of former soldiers from the Mexican-American War. Their leader, General Gomez, is busy buying up the locals' land for pennies on the dollar, so that he and his cronies can maximize their profits from the coming gold rush. But he and his men are dogged by a series of masked, would-be avengers all calling themselves Zorro. They are an almost laughable annoyance, simple peasants living out the fantasy of a local legend. Until one man shows up and starts picking off Gomez's men one by one, as stealthy as a fox. He brandishes a sword which he uses to carve the letter Z into his victims' cheeks... Could this be the true Zorro?'

I feel like we don't get enough books featuring Zorro. He's one of the first masked superheroes, yet we don't get many stories with him. I remember growing up and occasionally seeing re-runs of the 1950's television series, and there were the films with Antonio Banderas in the late 90's and early 2000's, but other than that I never really got to experience much of the character, despite him seeming to be one of those pop culture figures that everyone knew.

Zorro seemed to be a figure bigger than his books or his films, where people who have never read or watched anything with the character know about him. They might not know who he is under the mask, or what motivates him, but they know he's a masked swordsman who cuts the letter Z into things as his symbol. So when I saw that Europe Comics were releasing a new book that would be telling a Zorro story I was extremely excited to get my hands on it.

Don Vega makes the smart decision to tell its own Zorro story, instead of directly trying to adapt the books written by Johnston McCulley, who seemed to take a rather slap-dash approach to the stories, where there were wild inconsistencies or contradiction between entries. Here, the story begins in 1849, where California is under the control of former soldiers from the Mexican-American War. The book begins with General Gomez having already stolen much of the land he can find, using his men to drive out the rightful owners, using the law to claim the land from the Mexican owners.

However, there's one piece of land he's desperate to own that he can't yet, that of the Don Vega family. The land contains a gold mine that the general is desperate to legally own, but because the Don Vega family are American citizens he can't just take it the way he has everything else. Instead, he's devised a plan to lure the son of the Vega family home from Spain, so that he can get him to sign the land over to him. Unfortunately, Gomez is also having to deal with rebellion from the locals, where the people have started to take on the mask of Zorro, a legendary figure, to fight back. Whilst these poor and weak people are no match for Gomez things take a turn when the real Zorro appears to arrive on the scene, and begins to challenge Gomez and his men.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book is the way that Zorro is a well know figure before the book even begins. With Gomez taking over everything and the people ground down under his boot ordinary citizens have begin to wear black masks, leaving painted symbols around, trying to use the idea of Zorro to instil fear in their oppressors. It's just a shame that none of them are a match for Gomez and his small army, so any time anyone does manage to stand against him it always ends in failure.

This is the place that the real Zorro finds himself, in a community that is close to breaking point, where people have been using his image as a way of striking back, but have almost lost their faith in the real Zorro ever coming to help them. 

I loved this set-up, not only because it shows how beloved a figure Zorro is, but made it feel weighty, that this isn't just someone putting on a mask to do good, but a statement of defiance, a legacy that needs to be earned by the man wearing the mask. To anyone who's familiar with the Zorro mythology it's obvious that this real Zorro is Don Vega, having returned to help his people and take his family home back from Gomez, but it still works so well, even knowing that. The book doesn't rely on having Zorro's identity a mystery, and instead makes it about Vega's journey. One of the best moments of the book was when he learns that his own father was the Zorro before him, and gets to put on his father's mask, the mask that is more familiar to Zorro fans; though I'd have liked this moment to have come earlier in the book so that we could have seen him take down the villain wearing his father's mask.

That's one of my biggest criticisms of the book, that I didn't get enough Zorro. The book is pretty short, and for what it is it's brilliant, and I loved every moment of it, but I wanted more. I would have been happy for the book to have been twice as long, for readers to be able to spend more time with Zorro, and Don Vega outside of the costume. 

The story moved at a decent pace, and we got time for some great action sequences, as well as character development. I just hope that this is a first book, and that we'll get more to come later because this book help me to remember just how amazing Zorro is, and I want more from the character now.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Excalibur #17 - Comic Review

 

Following on from the events of X of Swords the Excalibur team are still left searching for Betsy, whilst in another reality Betsy finds herself as both Captain Britain and the Queen of England.

One of the best things that the Excalibur book has been giving readers is an X book that feels really different from the other parts of Dawn of X, without it feeling completely disconnected. Tini Howard has done a great job at merging together the new mutant status quo with the Captain Britain and Excalibur mythos to create something that feels fresh and new, whilst also connecting into things that longtime fans of the title will enjoy.

Now that Apocalypse has been taken off the board, thanks to the events of X of Swords we get to see how the Excalibur team are operating without him pulling the strings in the background, or him being able to step in when they're in trouble and bailing them out. This new, more dangerous time for the team is only compounded thanks to Betsy being lost somewhere in the multiverse. Not only because it means they're down their leader, but also because it's bringing them extra conflict.

The issue starts with Coven Akkaba learning that both Betsy and Brian are gone, and this seems to be driving their fear and hatred of mutants to new heights, as they decide that without a Braddock to stop them now is the perfect time to strike against Excalibur and take over the lighthouse, aiming to burn the Krakoan gate within. This means that Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, and Richtor, along with the help of Pete Wisdom, have to stay and protect the lighthouse, leaving Betsy to find her way home alone.

Thankfully, Betsy has actually ended up in a pretty good situation. After waking to find herself in a reality quite different from her own she learns that not only is she Captain Britain in this new world, but also the Queen. Luckily this means that not only has her counterpart prepared for any kind of dimensional mishaps that could result in this kind of body swap, but Betsy has allies on this world to help her out.

I liked how Howard lets the reader think that Betsy is going to get help from that worlds version of Angel, and that we get to see the two characters interacting together and Betsy dealing with her own history with Angel on Earth 616, but pulls the rug out from under us at the last minute by introducing another character who'll be helping Betsy get home; Kwannon.

For as long as I can remember reading X-Men books Betsy and Kwannon were one person, the mind of Betsy inside Kwannon's body in the form of the hero Psylocke. I never saw the two of them as separate beings, and due to a break in reading Marvel I only came back to reading X-Men comics after they were split again, so this is my first time seeing the two of them actually interacting with each other, and it's the content I didn't know I was waiting for. Yes, this might not be our version of Kwannon, but she makes for a perfect surrogate, and makes a good bridging step for Betsy, who is still working up the courage to really interact with the 616 version.

The scenes where the two of them are breaking into the facility that will get Betsy home are some of the best bits of the book, and the conversations that the two of them have are an important moment for Betsy, one that I can see driving her on to have these kind of conversations with the Kwannon in her home reality.

Excalibur continues to be a really enjoyable book, one that draws on the history of the title but manages to do new and exciting things with the characters. I'm not sure what's going to be coming in the next issue, but I'm sure whatever it is it's going to be an entertaining time.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Dreamy Days And Random Naps by Mawson Bear - Blog Tour

 

'Mawson Bear awakes and ponders on the art of creative napping. Scotland the Brave imagines doing great deeds. Professors Caddy and Bree hold the highest hopes for their visionary inventions. Samantha sees wondrous things all round her. The Seekers journey all the way to the edge of the world, being sure to return, of course, by bedtime.

'Flop down and relax awhile with Mawson and his drowsy friends. Refresh the soul in the tranquility of simple joys and innocent dreams.'

If you had to ask one of the things I wouldn't expect to be doing when I started reviewing books, reading an insightful picture book for all ages written by a stuffed bear probably wouldn't have been one of the first things I thought of, yet that's what I find myself doing today. The publishing industry is a wild, wild place.

Dreamy Days and Random Naps is the latest book written by Mawson Bear, a 'big-hearted, soul-searching Writer-Bear of little books with lots of heart', who lends his thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics across his books. This latest book deals with sleep, bedtimes, and naps.

The book is split into a multitude of short little, couple of page long tales, each one featuring Mawson and some of his friends. I was expecting a single story going into this, what with this being my first experience of his books, so was a little surprised to find that it was written in this style, but liked it. It reminds me more of short comic strips you'd find in newspapers, things like Garfield, where the characters would turn their thoughts to a specific topic or theme; and like those kinds of comic strips I found that the book is able to appeal to people of all ages.

Okay, so the book is filled with photos of stuffed toys getting into mischief and adventures that definitely appeals to kids, as well as some adults, but some of the topics covered and the pearls of wisdom that Mawson comes out with are a little more adult in nature, and require a little bit of thinking. I liked this about the book, and it strikes me as the kind of read where if a parent were reading it to a child they'd get something out of it too. I dare say an adult without a child to read the book to would get a fair bit out of it too.

Like I said, I went into the book expecting certain things, and found that most of my expectations were off the mark. Instead of finding a picture book purely designed for children I got to read a picture book that has something in it for all ages, a book that will take you by surprise, and get you to think a little. 

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Future State: Aquaman #1 - Comic Review

 

We've already been introduced to the new Aquawoman in Future State: Justice League, where we saw the hero working alongside the new version of the Justice League, but Future State: Aquaman takes a jump back in time, showing a key part of the origin of this new hero.

The issue opens with Jackson Hyde looking older and more grizzled than we've seen him before, trying to escape pursuit in some strange dark ocean, with people in pursuit. Despite failing to make it to freedom Jackson sees something in the water that causes him to laugh as he's captured. We then learn that he has been held prisoner by the Confluence, a group that he has tried to escape some three hundred times already. Brought before their leader Jackson begin to reveal his tale, filling in both his captors and the readers.

Years earlier, after having taken on the mantle of Aquaman from Arthur Curry, Jackson was swimming in the ocean with Andy, the daughter of Arthur and Mera, training her how to use her abilities. However, something strange happens and the two of them find themselves transported into a bizarre ocean neither of them recognise. This is the Confluence, a nexus in space where the oceans of different realities intersect. 

Jackson and Andy begin to search for a way back to their home, but travel from ocean to ocean, discovering strange new creatures, and having to fight for their survival.

Whilst I was hoping that this issue would give me more information on Andy this is really Jackson's story, his chance to shine, and it really does show off to people who might not be as familiar with the character why he's worth paying attention to. We get to see him the dual roles of protective mentor and defiant prisoner, as a man filled with hop, and one almost broken. The issue hows how big a journey he's been on, and even when he should be completely beaten down and ready to give up he's willing to stand and fight. Anyone who thinks Aquaman is a joke character still really gets shown how wrong they are in this story.

The issue felt like it gave enough set up to the main event, without getting too bogged down on the details. We get enough explanation of where Jackson and Andy are to understand the stakes, we see enough of their relationship to understand how it works, and it means that come the final pages readers are pumped to find out what's going to come next.

The comic has some gorgeous artwork from Daniel Sampere, who manages to breath a lot of life into the mostly empty oceans around the characters, making sure that each place and every creature we see feels different and unique. Colourist Adriano Lucas also plays a big part of that, and the instant you see that the ocean around them has changed a different, sickly colour you know that something's happened, that our heroes are in a bad situation. 

If there's one complaint I'd have to make about the book it's that the front cover, whilst gorgeous, really has you expecting a more lighthearted adventure, and doesn't quite prepare you for the stakes or the grim tone within it's pages; but that's not something that's completely bad, as it means the content of the book hits harder for the tone the cover.

If you're a fan of Aquaman this comic is sure to keep you entertained and get you pumped, and if you've never read anything of the character before this is a perfect jumping on point, one that shows just how amazing the series can be.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Brain Drain Part One by Pierre-Henry Gomont - Book Review

 

'Certain details surrounding the death of Albert Einstein are so outlandish as to sound like urban legend: namely, the theft of his brain by Thomas Stoltz Harvey, the pathologist who performed the eminent physicist’s autopsy. From these historical events, Pierre-Henry Gomont concocts a picaresque road trip of a tale by turns farcical and moving, whimsical and melancholy, sweeping up in its narrative whirlwind the FBI, a sanatorium, neurobiology, hallucinogens, hospital bureaucracy, and romance. In his dissection of friendship and the forging of scientific reputation, the nimble cartoonist serves up a slice of lovingly rendered Americana for the ages.'

One of the things I like most about the books that Europe Comics produce that intersect with true events is that I invariably end up learning something that I never knew before, and in this case it's that someone stole Albert Einstein's brain. Someone stole Albert Einstein's brain; how is that not one of the first things anyone learns about him? Why is it only now this amazing story is something I'm hearing about? Thankfully, Pierre-Henry Gomont is here to lead me along this story so crazy it shouldn't be true.

The story begins at the end of Einstein's life, the day he's found dead in his home and brought to Princeston Hospital for an autopsy, whilst crowds gather outside to learn how the smartest man in the world died. The autopsy falls to Thomas Stoltz, a beleaguered and harassed member of staff with a miserable home life and a desire to make an impact in the world of science somehow. After discovering that Einstein died of internal bleeding caused by a ruptured aneurysm the autopsy is supposed to come to an end, but Stoltz is driven by his desire to learn more about what creates a genius brain, and does the unthinkable. He steals Einstein's brain.

From here the story follows Stoltz as he attempts to sneak the stolen organ into his home, which seems to go well until he finds himself confronted by Albert Einstein in his basement office. Now, this is where the story starts to take a life of its own, goes in new and unexpected directions. From here Stoltz, through various mishaps, gets recognised as the man who stole Einstein's brain, and whilst attempting to find a way to convince the executor of Einstein's estate to legally sign the brain over to him for research purposes, ends up on the run from the FBI.

The story is a little ridiculous, especially as Stoltz seems to be aided in his mission by Einstein himself, who I at first thought was simply a hallucination, yet is able to be seen by other people, and interact with the world around him. It's something that I was truly never expecting from the story, and it adds a whole new level of anticipation for the next volume of the book. Not only am I looking forward to finding out what happens to Stoltz as he ends this volume on the run from the authorities, but I also want to know how they're going to explain this ghost, for lack of a better description, along on the journey.

It's obvious that Gomont has taken a lot of artistic license with this story, as from what I've looked into Stoltz never went on the run with the brain, and there were certainly no reports of a reanimated corpse of Einstein walking around, but stories that take real world events as the jumping off point and go and do their own thing make for some really fun books. It means that this isn't just a dramatisation of what really happened, but a story where you never know what to expect next, and where the end destination may be completely different from what we know.

Gomont also provides the art for the book, and has a style that really suits the story. It's a little wild in places, and helps to show the strange thoughts going through Stoltz's head, and how his actions aren't normal. This wildness is contrasted in scenes where things are much more 'normal' and the art takes on a more subdued and traditional style. He also makes Einstein instantly recognisable when he turns up, and the image of him having to hide the top part of his head being missing under a furry hat is a pretty fun one that makes the book more memorable.

Brain Drain Part One proves to be an engaging and interesting first volume, and I'm interested to see what happens with our two wanted men in the next part, and what Gomont does to this amazingly weird story.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Future State: Batman / Superman #1 - Comic Review

 

Future State: Batman / Superman is one of the few Future State books that feels the most like the regular status quo for the DC universe, mostly due to the fact that it seems to be the earliest placed of all the books, set at the very beginning of the Magistrate's time in Gotham City.

After saving a teenager from taking their life in Metropolis Superman discovers that there's a new drug on the street, one that can change a person's head into that of an animal. Whilst it's only supposed to last as long as the delivery device is attached to the person's neck the effects are lasting longer than they should, and resulting in people's faces retaining some animal features. Determined to get to the bottom of things and help the kid he travels to where the drug originated, Gotham.

This version of Gotham isn't at the point of the other Future State books yet, there aren't drones in the sky or robots hunting villains and vigilantes, but it's on its way there. Instead of doing his normal thing on the rooftops of the city Batman is left hiding in the Batwing on stealth mode, keeping an eye on things from above. This version of Batman, one who's determined to stay in the shadows to stay off the Magistrate's radar makes for a fun counterpoint to a Superman who's more out in the open then ever.

Teaming up a character who's all about making criminals afraid, and hiding in the darkness with a bright symbol of hope has always been good, but this comic shows them at their extremes, a Batman even more obsessed with hiding, and a Superman that's all about honesty and being open with people. The small conversations between the two of them on the topic are some of the better parts of the book, and it gives some good insight into the way that Superman in particular sees the world now that his identity is public.

The book is also packed with gorgeous artwork from Ben Oliver and Arif Prianto, who's pencil work and colouring come together to make one of the prettiest books in Future State. The book has an elegance to it that can sometimes be missing from comics, with neat, fine line-work and colours that not only sell the differences between Metropolis and Gotham, but the differences between the two heroes and their attitudes.

It's not a huge surprise to see that Gene Luen Yang is able to make Superman in this comic one of the best depictions of the character in the entirety of Future State, he wrote the amazing Superman Smashes The Klan last year, and that is one of the best Superman books in years. Yang is taking over Batman / Superman following the conclusion of Future State in March, and if this comic is any indication of how the series is going to be under his leadership it's going to be a title that I'm going to be very excited to read.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'A god will return, When the earth and sky converge, Under the black sun.

'In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

'Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.'

I first came across Rebecca Roanhorse when reading the anthology book A Phoenix First Must Burn, and was really impressed with her short story collected there. Later I saw that she’d contributed to the ongoing new Star Wars canon with Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, and thought she did great work within that universe. So when I saw that she had a new trilogy of books coming out, partly inspired by and based upon the Pre-Columbian Americas, I knew that this was going to be a project that interested me; and I wasn’t wrong, as Black Sun was an absolute joy to read.

The story follows a handful of characters in the weeks building up to the winter solstice, and the solar eclipse that will take place at the same time. There’s Naranpa, the Sun Priest in the city of Tova; a woman who has worked her way up from the bottom of society, both literally and figuratively, to become one of the four high priests of their society. During the build up to the winter solstice Naranpa has to deal with the machinations of the other priests, and discovers that there is a secret plot to try and remove her from power, by violent means if necessary.

Heading into Tova during this difficult time is also Xiala, a ship captain with mysterious magical abilities, who has been hired by a wealthy merchant to transport a very special cargo, making sure that it arrives at Tova before the eclipse. This cargo is another of our lead characters, Serapio, a blind young man, covered in ritualistic scars. But, there’s a lot more to Serapio than there first appears, and his arrival at Tova will mean not only the fulfilling of his destiny, but could change the world as we know it.

The three lead characters of Black Sun are a great collection of people, all of them outsiders in their own ways, all of them seen as different and undesirable by those around them, and all of them thrust into important roles in this story. The narrative will shift between the three of them, and a fourth character who plays a smaller role, and we’re provided with unique perspectives because of this, with each of them having very different outlooks on the world. Naranpa and Serapio are two of the most interesting, as their positions and the journeys that they are on should put them both at odds with each other, but Roanhorse never makes one of the other the hero or the villain, and its easy to identify with and agree with characters who should in theory be enemies.

Roanhorse manages to walk this line wonderfully throughout the narrative, and you find your opinions on characters and ideas shifting a lot during the course of the book. People that you thought were nice will end up looking like villains, and some people who are set up to look pretty bad early on are revealed to be more victims of circumstance who are demonised simply for having the will to survive. The narrative and the way you see the world of Black Sun feels so real because of this, and the book seems more grounded in reality because of its complex moral nature, despite the fact that it deals with magic and gods.

There’s also been a lot of love and attention given to the world beyond the characters, and the various locations we visit over the course of the book feel varied and different, yet still feel like part of the same world. Roanhorse has managed to craft a world with variety and wonder, but never goes to extremes that could draw you out of the narrative, and even when the amazing or wondrous happened I never felt like it didn’t fit. Even without the main narrative this is such a well crafted universe that you’d still want to read about it, to learn about the various peoples, their homes, and their histories.

The only downside to the book is that because this is the first part of a trilogy I came to the end and desperately wanted to jump straight into the next one – but instead I have to wait for the second book to come out! Other than that, there wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t enthralled by the journey, enchanted by the world, or falling in love with the characters. Black Sun is the start of a series that I know is going to do well, one that will win over a lot people, so make sure that you’re not one of the ones who misses out.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Future State: Superman Worlds At War #1 - Comic Review

 

What would a world without Clark Kent as Superman look like? This is the main question that drives the narrative of Future State: Superman Worlds At War, a book that despite featuring the hero prominently on the front cover doesn't really feature the hero much within its pages.

The story is set within the same world of Future State where Jon has taken over as Superman in Metropolis. Meanwhile, in Smallville, crowds have gathered to worship at the alter of the original Superman. This is a world where people have learned that Clark Kent was Superman, and his home town has turned into a giant tourist trap for fans, worshippers, and people who have come to get closer to the figure they worship like a god.

What's most fascinating about this is that despite people knowing who Superman was, knowing that he's a Kryptonian who came to Earth as a baby, was raised by the Kents, and was very much as human as them, at least in personality, they treat him like a mysterious figure. Despite being able to talk to people who knew him as a child, being able to see his old school records, a lot of the people in this book seem to be unable to accept that this was who he was.

They have theories that he's part of a race who travel the stars and come to less developed worlds to be worshipped as gods and remake the planet in Krypton's image. There's someone positing that he's transcended physical form, and is everywhere as energy, living as a 'righteous wind'. Another person puts forward that he never looked human, but was some kind of shape-shifter, who travels from world to world setting themselves up as a hero before moving on. 

The book shows how even when people have answers, even when they know what's real they feel the need to make things bigger, to try and see more in things than really exist. When you know who Superman really is and it doesn't meet the wild expectations you have you cant accept that truth. It strikes me as being similar to those people who have to come up with elaborate conspiracy theories to explain things, because they can't just accept that sometimes things are only as simple as they seem.

Despite this, there is someone who sees through the conspiracies and the wild theories, Sadie. Coming to speak with a group of people who were all saved by Superman she finds their weird theories and odd opinions to be missing the point of who he really was, about what made him special. Something that's summed up when she tells them it's not Superman who saved her life, it was Clark Kent. She seems to be the only one to understand that it's not the powers or the cape that made him a hero, but the human being he was behind it all.

The issue does have some Superman in it though, it's not just people talking about him, as we travel across the universe to War World, home of Mongul, where a captured Superman is being forced to fight for his life in a gladiatorial arena. It's a brief appearance for the hero, but one that not only sets up for a more action packed second issue, but also shows that even when he's been beaten down, enslaved, and forced to fight, he still has hope inside him; that the heart of Superman can't be beaten down.

Future State: Superman Worlds At War wasn't the book I was expecting it to be, and at first I wasn't even sure that it was a book I liked, but the more I thought about it, the longer I allowed the content to sit and mull over in my mind the more I realised that this book really spoke to the heart and soul of the character. It showed that it's not what makes him fantastic that makes Superman a hero, but what makes him a human.

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram