Ms Marvel - TV Review

 

I'd not had any experience with Ms Marvel before the start of her MCU television series. I've dipped in and out of Marvel comics over the years, and mostly stick to X-Men stories, so have never really seen anything with her in it (other than an older alternate universe version in Exiles). As such, I was coming to the show pretty fresh, with no real expectations. I knew that she was an Inhuman, had stretchy powers, and was beloved by readers. And I guess only one of those things is true for her live action counterpart now.

The story of the show introduced us to Kamala well, and I liked how the first episode was filled with little asides, and how we got to see inside her head and how she thought of the world with the big doodles and graffiti like stuff that would drop over the screen. Whilst this didn't stick around for the whole show, or at least wasn't used as much or made so prominent, it was a good way to get to know this super hero obsessed teen.

Kamala and her best friend, Bruno, are trying to go to Avenger Con, to celebrate their love for the Earth's heroes with other like-minded people; but Kamala's parents don't want her to go without adult supervision. As such, the two of them sneak out with a plan to get their, win the cosplay competition, and get home. Part of the plan involves the beautiful bracelet that Kamala received in the post from her grandmother. When she puts it on, however, it unlocks amazing powers within her, and Kamala is able to produce hard light, crystal-like constructs.

When Kamala uses her new powers to save someone she spreads across the internet; which grabs the attention of a government agency who want to track her down because of her unregistered use of super powers. Not only that, but a group of mysterious, powered individuals are also after Kamala and her bracelet.

I enjoyed Ms Marvel, but if I have to be honest, the super hero part of the show was the stuff I found least interesting. It was still entertaining, and it was great to see Kamala discover her powers and figure out what she is; but it felt a like stuff that I've seen before in other shows, films, and comics. The series did little to make her heroics feel different or interesting. What made the show stand out, however, were the characters.

I absolutely loved Kamala. She was such a sweet, enthusiastic, and lovable kid. There's an energy about her that makes her instantly likeable, and you can't help but to start rooting for her. Iman Vellani has something to her that just lights up every scene she's in. When Kamala is smiling and having fun you can't help but get sucked into it too, and end up smiling along; but she also did well with some of the weightier scenes, and really sold the feeling of being a teen with a family that doesn't always get you.

Speaking of her family, they might be my favourite characters in the show, and some of the best family representation in the entire MCU. I'm not Pakistani, nor am I Muslim, so I don't know what it's like growing up in a family that is, but I do have some Italian relatives, and I saw a lot of my family in Kamala's. Her family are big on tradition, hold family to be important, and can sometimes be stifling and overbearing, though in a way that comes from love. I've been in some similar situations to Kamala, and know the frustrations that come from a family that don't give you the freedoms that you want, that don't ever seem to fully trust you, and who can love you in ways that feel like the exact opposite.

I also loved how much their culture and faith was a part of the show, and how it was a celebration of Muslim and Pakistani lives, traditions, and culture. Some of my favourite scenes were when the family went to the mosque and spoke to the Iman there, or when they celebrated Eid with their friends and family, and when Kamala's brother got married. It was wonderful to see Muslim and Pankistani people getting to not just be on television, but to be the focus, for their culture to be given centre stage and get the chance to show off it's beauty. 

The show did take a look at some of the issues that come from being Pakistani Muslims too, and I liked that the show didn't gloss over those moments, and made them part of the story. The show didn't shy away to the experiences of being Muslim in the US, and the scenes where the government came into the mosque made a point of the fact that that wouldn't have been the first time law enforcement barged their way in, that the people there understand that some white people look at them with unjust suspicion. It's a topic that you don't expect to see in something that's really just light entertainment, but its sadly an important part of life for some people, and you can't just ignore it.

We also get to take a look at this history of Pakistan as the show focuses on Partition; a particularly awful part of history that is often left out of education. The episode that featured the flashbacks to Partition was my favourite episode of the show, and it felt like it flew by in no time at all. I loved that the show got the chance to take some time out and slow down to explore this important part of its story, and also an important event in the lives of so many families. If anything, it felt like not enough time was spent on this, and I'd have loved to have seen more of it.

Looking back at the show now that it's done I can say that Kamala and her family were the best part of the series. Their regular lives, their relationships, and their personalities were absolutely the highlight, and the main draw. Her father is one of the sweetest guys, and his talk with her on the roof at the end of the final episode was just the best. Her mother started out being overbearing and disapproving, but became one of her biggest supporters by the end, going so far as making her costume for her. And her brother just randomly turning up in the school to help them out because he's her caring big brother was so sweet in its silliness. Her family were the best, their acceptance and support of Kamala were wonderful, and her community rallying around her at the end was the the perfect encapsulation of what the show was about.

Now, I know that the show has changed some things about Kamala, one of which being her powers. As I said, I'd never read her in the comics, but know what her powers were. And I can understand why they might want to change them. Marvel are planning to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU, so probably don't want another stretchy person; and stretchy powers just aren't that interesting either. Kamala was able to use her hard light powers to do some of those things, making her big hands, and embiggening, but her new powers also let her do cool new things like shields and platforms to jump across. I felt like the change made sense, looked pretty, and gave her better powers; though I know a lot of people will disagree with me on that point. I also understand why they've changed what she is, making her a mutant rather than an Inhuman. 

Let's be honest. No one really cares about the Inhumans, and the one they probably care about the most is Kamala. They were given the big push in the comics because Disney didn't have the film rights to the X-Men, and so they wanted something similar. The Inhumans gave them that. All you need to do is look at the last decade or so of Marvel Comics and you can see that their stories have been shaped by the films, with certain characters and status quo's being pushed because it's what's going on in the movies. But, now they can bring the mutants into the MCU, and why not start with Kamala? Plus, in interviews since it looks like the creators of the character in the comic wanted her to be a mutant back when she was first created too; and knowing that Marvel were pushing Inhumans back them because of the X-Men film rights issue I wouldn't be surprised if that were the reason she was ultimately changed to be Inhuman instead.

Overall I had a lot of fun with the series, and it felt like a great introduction to a character I didn't really know. I'm certainly a lot more excited for The Marvels now too, as it means we'll be getting more of Kamala and her family. Hopefully we can get more seasons of the show too.

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Multiversity: Teen Justice #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

One of the things I remember fondly when discovering comics at my local library as a kid were the Elseworlds books; tales of strange worlds similar to the one we knew from DC, but very different in a lot of ways. Because of this, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for these alternative takes in the DC universe, and am glad to see that we're still getting stories set on other Earth's in their multiverse.

Multiversity: Teen Justice is set on Earth 11, a world where the genders of characters have been flipped. There are more subtle differences than that, but for the most part you have Batwoman instead of Batman, Superwoman instead of Superman, and Wonder Man instead of Wonder Woman.

This new title follows the exploits of a teen hero group similar to the Teen Titans. Their members include Robin, daughter of Batwoman; Supergirl, daughter of Superwoman; Aquagirl; Donald Troy, aka Wonder Lad; Kid Quid, non-binary nibling to Jessie Quick; and Klarienne the witch girl.

The story starts with the team already together, though still figuring out how to work with each other. There are some personal issues and clashes of personalities to work through; though they do work well together when things are bad.

Over the events of the book we learn that Sister Blood has formed a church in New York City and is trying to recruit young people into her following. There's also a break in at STAR Labs that may be connected. The two separate cases are brought together by Raven, who brings it to the group that have been trying to recruit him. And we get a surprise reveal in the last few pages that I genuinely did not see coming, and am very excited to see more of as its a version of one of my favourite characters.

The story of Multiversity: Teen Justice seems pretty decent so far. It feels a lot like other teen tram books, it has a decent beginning of a good story, the team feels like a good mix, and I'm interested in seeing more of this alternative Earth.

I like the characters, both the way that they're written and in their designs. Part of the fun of this book is seeing characters we know in completely different ways than we have before. They all feel similar enough to their Earth 0 counterparts to not feel completely alien, but give us plenty of new things. I also really like several of the character designs, especially Supergirl, Robin, and Raven.

The issue also gives us reprint of the original Teen Justice short story that appeared in a previous anthology; giving new readers a chance to see where the characters originated.

I was unsure whether I was going to enjoy this title or not after being introduced to the team in DC Pride 2022 (a full review for which can be found on my blog) but had a lot of fun with this issue. It's definitely in the pile of stuff I'm going to be looking forward to each month.

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Poison Ivy #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Poison Ivy is a character that's been through a lot of changes over the years, the biggest one being her going from a regular villain into something of an anti-hero. The strangest thing about this change, however, is that she herself has changed very little. Instead, they way people see her has changed.

We live in a world where climate change has caused some serious damage for the planet. Temperatures are out of control, weather is going wild, and multiple species are dying. We're facing what is fast becoming a certainty that humanity is not going to survive these changes. As such, a character who fights against deforestation, pollution, and the destruction of the planet is absolutely going to look like a hero.

So how do you keep someone like that from becoming a fully fledged hero and keep them in the grey area between hero and villain? I suspect this is what the new Posion Ivy series is going to attempt to do.

The first issue opens with Ivy having killed off cattle with a strange fungus. When she's approached by the farmers, she lashes out at them too, killing them with the same fungus. Through narration that she's leaving in the form of a letter we begin to learn that there's something wrong with Ivy, that she might be sick in some way, and is heading to Seattle.

Along the way Ivy uses the fungus to kill more people, thinks about the physical changes she's been through recently, and laments at the end of her romantic relationship with Harley Quinn.

It's not clear what's motivating her at this point, why she seems to have started hurting more innocent people, but I suspect that there's more here than there first appears. Ivy doesn't seem herself at all, and I suspect that she's being affected by the fungus in some ways too.

Poison Ivy #1 has a tone that's much more in line with the horror titles DC are producing, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this become an out and pit horror title. Which might be the perfect direction to take things. It'll definitely keep the character interesting, and make it more than just a series where we don't end up rooting for the villain.

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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – Throwback 60

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

For most people the name A Clockwork Orange will conjure images of the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film, and thanks the the striking imagery of the film being so ingrained in popular culture, a lot of people may have only ever experienced the story in that medium, unaware that it was originally published as a novel in 1962 by author Anthony Burgess.

The novel, which has appeared on dozens of top 100 lists and has been called a ‘must read for teens’ follows Alex, a fifteen-year-old boy in a future dystopian city. Alex is the leader of a gang of criminals called droogs, a group who commit petty crimes and violent assaults seemingly for the sheer pleasure of doing so, thriving on the pain and terror it brings to their victims. In the early stages of the book readers follow the gang as they drink drug-laced milk, break into homes and assault residents, and as Alex drugs and rapes pre-teen children.

When the gang enter the home of a wealthy old woman they brutally attack her, and when they hear approaching sirens Alex is betrayed by one of his gang and knocked out, left for the police to find. Learning that the old woman died from her injuries, Alex is sentenced to fourteen years in prison. During his sentence, Alex is blamed for a brutal beating and is offered a new form of aversion therapy in exchange for having his sentence commuted. Alex is drugged, and forced to watch violent films until he comes to hate his own violent impulses.

Once Alex is released from prison he begins to try to put his life together, but eventually comes to the decision to end his own life. When he fails to take his own life he discovers that he has actually managed to break his conditioning, allowing his violent urges to return. In the final chapter of the book an older Alex finds that his violent actions are bringing him less pleasure, and begins to contemplate giving up his criminal life to become a productive member of society.

A Clockwork Orange is not a book that will be for everyone, due in large parts to the violent nature of the material it contains. Anthony Burgess doesn’t shy away from portraying Alex and his gang as thoroughly violent and brutal young men, capable of disturbing acts. It’s because of this content that the book gained a reputation for ‘glorifying’ violence and sexual assault, and was subsequently banned and restricted in multiple states in the US.

Part of the reason why the book may have been seen in this light is the fact that the final chapter, the one that shows Alex reconsidering his life and his violent actions, is actually omitted from the US printing, thus leading to an end where Alex becomes cured from his conditioning and is free to engage in brutal acts once again. As you can imagine, this would indeed lead to a very different conclusion to the ending that Burgess actually intended. This is the same ending that appeared in the movie, as Kubrick didn’t even learn about the final chapter until working on the film.

Whilst it would be easy to dismiss the book as being purely about glorifying violence, that would be a rather simplistic and ill thought out conclusion. For one thing, the thing that inspired Burgess to actually write the story was how his first wife, Lynne, was brutally beaten by American servicemen stationed in Britain during World War Two; an attack that would cause her to miscarry. As such, it’s hard to believe that Burgess would every glorify such actions considering the fact that he saw the devastating effect violence can have on someone close to him. But A Clockwork Orange isn’t about violence, but rather an exploration of free will, by asking the question ‘is it better to choose to be bad than to be programmed to do good?’

Outside of these difficult moral questions and lurid descriptions of violence the book should also be praised for its artistic and linguistic achievement. Burgess incorporated a whole new form of language in the book, with the youth of the novel speaking in a slang dialect called Nadsat, which was influenced by the Russian language. Whilst the inclusion of Nadsat has been reported to have made some people feel unable to access the book, along with the violence, its inclusion makes the novel a lot more interesting for sure.

If you’ve seen the film and feel inspired to check out the original material, or have seen the book feature on lists of ‘must reads’ but have never actually picked it up yourself, perhaps the 60th anniversary might be the right time to give this classic a read.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi – TV Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When the prequel films were first released they were not well received by some Star Wars fans. These fans disliked the tone, the script, some of the casting, and even engaged in hate campaigns that saw actors and behind the scenes crew retreat from the public eye. Over the years since, opinion on these films has changed, due also in part to The Clone Wars expanding upon this era. Now, the prequel films are beloved by fans, and seen as an integral part of the franchise. Even I went from disliking the films to it becoming the era of Star Wars I love the most.

A big part of the prequel films, and The Clone Wars, was the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). Master and apprentice, friends, brothers, these two were a duo who could do anything, and were galactic heroes; yet their relationship was doomed to end in pain, betrayal, and misery. Their fight on Mustafar has become one of the most emotional moments in the entire Star Wars universe. Obi-Wan Kenobi might have changed that though, as we pick up on Obi-Wan and his story ten years later, and get one of the best stories in Star Wars.

Obi-Wan Kenobi takes viewers to the desert world of Tattooine, where former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (living now simply as Ben) lives in a cave, works a dull job, and watches over the son of his best friend from afar. The Obi-Wan we meet has lost his connection to the Force, having shut it away. He’s miserable, walking through life without any real meaning. However, his solitude is broken when Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) reaches out to him for help; his daughter, Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) has been kidnapped, and only Obi-Wan can help to get her back.

Obi-Wan has sworn an oath to watch over Luke Skywalker (Grant Freely), but his sister is just as important, just as worthy of Obi-Wan’s care. So, Obi-Wan digs up his lightsaber and heads out into the galaxy once again to save the daughter of Anakin Skywalker. But little does Obi-Wan know, the kidnapping has been orchestrate by an Imperial Inquisitor, Reva (Moses Ingram), who wants to lure the former Jedi out for her own evil machinations.

One of the best things that Obi-Wan Kenobi did before its release was to keep information tight. We were told that Ewan and Hayden were back, that we’d get to see Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Beru (Bonnie Piesse) again, and that there would be Inquisitors, but we were given very little information on the plot, other than when director Deborah Chow said that it would feature the ‘rematch of the century’ between Obi-Wan and Vader. There was speculation as to why Obi-Wan would leave Tattooine, but bringing in a young Leia was the perfect way to do this, and was such a pleasant surprise.

There’s a lot to praise about Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Vivien Lyra Blair is easily top of that list. This young actress does a phenomenal job at capturing the essence of Leia. She has the passion, strength, and sass, that fans came to love from Carrie Fisher. You can’t watch this series and not fall in love with this version of Leia. Blair is perfect in every scene she’s in, and the relationship she forms with Obi-Wan over the course of these six episodes became one of my favourites in the Star Wars saga. It now makes complete sense why she names her son Ben, and why her Lightsaber looks like Obi-Wan’s.

She’s not the only great new addition to the series, however. Moses Ingram’s Reva is a wonderful, and fascinating character. When she’s introduced she seems very one dimensional. She’s an Inquisitor with a short fuse, and a single-minded obsession with Obi-Wan. But, as the series unfolds, and we learn more of her history and her motivations, she becomes the most fleshed out, well written, and engaging Inqusitor that there’s ever been. Ingram is an amazing actress, and some of her scenes in the latter half of the season are some of the best in the show. I hope that she becomes a character that we see more of, whether in other shows, comics, games, or novels, as she’s a character I think there could be some interesting stories with.

Indira Varma also steals a lot of the show with her portrayal of Tala Durith, an Imperial who has turned her back on the Empire after seeing the cruelty they’re capable of. It’s a character arc we’ve seen before in many characters in the Star Wars franchise, and it’s one that I do really like. She’s a wonderful addition to the story, proving to be an important ally for Obi-Wan, and Varma is fantastic in the role.

The best acting in the series, however, goes to Ewan McGregor. This version of Obi-Wan goes through so much over the course of the six episodes. He begins as a broken man, having lost everything and everyone he cares about, lost his connection to the Force. He’s more beaten down than we’ve ever seen the character, and McGregor plays it with the cold, empty, almost zombie-like detachment that really hammers home how lost he is. But over the course of the season he learns to become the man he was once again. His connection with Leia is one of the big parts of this, and the way he warms to this little girl as the episodes go on is simply delightful. She teaches him to hope again, to find something to live for, and you can see that in the quiet, subtle moments in Ewan’s performance. As a fan of the prequels, who loves the character, it’s a wonderful journey to watch.

The series is filled with moments like this, times where the action slows down and we get to focus on the characters. Whether it’s Obi-Wan feeling hope again, Tala standing defiant in the face of a fascist regime, or the cold terror when Obi-Wan learns that Anakin is still alive, these moments stand out as some of the best performances in the franchise. There’s a few in the final episode that I can’t go into for spoiler reasons, but they have become two of my favourite moments in Star Wars, and literally reduce me to tears watching them.

I guess one of the big questions about Obi-Wan Kenobi will be, ‘Do they deliver on the rematch of the century claim?’. Yes. Yes, they absolutely do. If you like Darth Vader this series will be for you. Vader has never been more menacing, more threatening than he is here. There were moments where I felt myself curling up in my chair because his presence on screen was that intense. I’ve never seen Vader as actually frightening until this series. And, the series gives us what is in my opinion the two best fights Vader has ever had before. I hate putting them above his confrontation with Ahsoka in Star Wars Rebels, but for sheer spectacle this show has his best moments by far.

Obi-Wan Kenobi received some harsh criticism by some fans as it aired, with some folks being unhappy with it whatever it did. But, much like the prequels I think that many of those critics will change their mind as time goes on. This has been one of the best series the franchise has produced, with the best acting, some of the best action, and some amazing lore-building. As someone who loves the prequel era and those characters this felt like a love-letter to those films.

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Aquaman: Andromeda #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Aquaman is a character I've not had a huge amount of experience with. I've read a handful of his solo stories, but mostly I've read him as part of a team. And I've found that Arthur can be very different depending on who's writing him. He can be powerful and kingly, or a pointless buffoon (the recent Bendis run of Justice League was terrible for this). But one thing I've not really seen done with the character is horror; which considering how frightening the sea is, is a big surprise.

Thankfully, Ram V seems to be going in that direction for Aquaman: Andromeda. And this is an are where Ram absolutely excels.

The story of Aquaman: Andromeda follows a small group of scientist and military personnel on board the Andromeda, an advanced sub that's making its way into a desolate part of the ocean to investigate what might be a crashed alien spaceship.

Whilst below the waves the military vessel above, disguised as a tanker, is attacked by a giant, tentacled sea monster. With the ship destroyed, the Andromeda have no support, and can't turn back without being caught by multiple navies. Forced to go on, the crew worry about what might be waiting for them as they near their target.

We get brief moments of Aquaman, who intervenes to stop the monster, and Black Manta, who has been hired to retrieve the data on the alien ship. By the end of the book the pieces have been set on the board, and things feel sufficiently eerie.

So far, the story this issue most closely resembles would probably be Sphere. An unknown ship in the bottom of the ocean, dark and spooky atmosphere, a small team of scientists, and what might be people's imaginations coming to life. Its not clear yet exactly what's going on, if the member of rhe Andromeda crew reading a story about a kraken made a sea monster appear or not, but I'm certainly interested to find out.

The story is definitely more complex than the standard super hero stuff, and it seems to be relying on character drama and tension rather than showy action in order to keep the reader interested. I guess this is why it's part of DC's Black Label rather than a regular book.

The art on the book really helps sell that this is something different too, and it feels eerie and strange a lot of the time you have to look twice to really see what you're supposed to be seeing. It's great art, and is a perfect example of the art and the writing coming together to tell a story well.

I was disappointed when the issue came to a close, and and excited for the next one.

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Superman: Son of Kal-El #12 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

I've been loving Superman: Son of Kal-El, and it's quickly become one of my favourite series along with Nightwing. The connecting factor is that both are written by Tom Taylor, and have the same kind of sense of hope, and messages of goodness in them.

This issue continues the story of Jon trying to find a way to take down the corrupt dictator of Gamora, who's turning people into super powered killers under his control.

We get some good developments to the story here, with a great infiltration of Lex Corp thanks to the help of Dick Grayson (I love how he and Jon just keep appearing in each others books, and the friendship that they're forming).

This issue also sees the return of Kyrpto, and who doesn't like Krypto? He's back from space and he's here to be the goodest boy there is. It was delightful to see him breaking through Justice League defences just to get to his humans and be told he's a good boy. This is the kind of Kyrpto I like, where he's almost an unstoppable force of nature, and you're left thanking God he's a nice dog.

I love this series, I've come to love Jon as a character, and am really invested in the characters and story that Tom Taylor is creating and am looking forward to reading more.

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The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The Path of Thorns returns readers to the world of Sourdough, A.G. Slatter’s shared fantasy universe filled with magic, monsters, and women proving their power in the face of adversity. Set in the same universe as last year’s All The Murmuring Bones, Titan Books’ latest fantasy offering is a tense and layered mystery that will keep you hooked right up to the amazing conclusion.

The Path of Thorns tells the story of Asher Todd, a young governess who has recently been hired to teach the children at Moorwood Grange, a large estate nestled in the countryside. Asher has impeccable credentials, and perfect letters of recommendations, and seems to be the perfect fit to look after the three young Moorwood children. However, her documents are fake, and Asher is hiding a dark secret. Having come to Moorwood Grange for her own reasons, she begins to carefully manipulate the family, healing the eyesight of the fierce matriarch , Leonora, winning over the children, and forging friendships with key members of the household and local village. But can Asher walk this dangerous path without being caught, and what is her end goal?

People who like dark, Gothic tales are going to find a lot to enjoy with The Path of Thorns. This is a story that makes its home firmly in big family estates, dark haunted halls, spooky woodland, and hidden mysteries. The book feels like a Jane Eyre plot that’s accidentally had some pages from a horror story shuffled into it. We get the things we expect from a Regency era drama: a new member of a rich household staff figuring out their place in the internal power structure, family secrets and scandal, budding romance, and people trying to maintain appearances of respectability for the common folk. But as the story unfolds we begin to suspect that there’s something darker beneath the surface. There are portraits missing from the walls, names removed from the family tree, spectral figures walking the halls at night, and wolfish monsters prowling in the woods.

These elements are no surprise to those that have read Slatter’s work before, particularly those set within the Sourdough universe, where the ordinary and the monstrous meet at almost every turn. Whilst other books of Slatter’s, like All The Murmuring Bones, have more obvious fantastical elements, this book plays it quite subtle, and for the longest time you’re left wondering if there might not be anything supernatural at play, but things with a more mundane experience. But this is a fantasy Gothic story at its heart, and after a while those elements begin to become more and more interwoven into the narrative. It becomes a key part of the story and these characters, and you realise that Slatter is telling a story that feels at home amongst books by Bronte, but absolutely has its own sense of uniqueness.

Asher Todd is the central character and narrator for the book, and is a character that readers quickly learn has a few secrets hidden away. We’re dropped into the narrative with her having arrived at Moorwood Grange, so we don’t know what lies she told to get there, or what’s driving her on to infiltrate this household. As the story progresses we get several clues, and whilst it is a mystery the book never treats the reveal as a big moment.

We’re seeing the story from Asher’s point of view, so when she addresses the reason for her being there it’s not new information for her, and as such it’s a very understated moment in the book. I really liked how Slatter handled the various mysteries in this way. She had Asher lead us through this world carefully, slowly getting us used to things, and the fantastical elements that were new to us were treated just as calmly as the mundane. It meant that the story never felt like it was relying on shocks or twists to keep you interested, and simply let the characters and their tales keep you hooked.

And the book very much did keep me hooked. The tale that Slatter was telling was incredibly engaging, and I found myself reading on long after I should have put the book down to take a break, because I kept wanting to know what was coming next. Slatter was able to twist the narratives in directions that I wasn’t expecting, and asked some tough questions about how far you’d be willing to go to keep a promise, and what the right thing is. By the end of the book I struggled to know if there were any purely good people in this book, with so many of the characters having dark secrets and evil deeds in their past. It’s not a straight forward and easy read, and I loved that.

The Path of Thorns is a book that starts simple but introduces more and more complexity and depth as it goes on, expanding this small corner of Slatter’s universe in interesting ways. If you’re a returning reader I’m sure that you’re going to enjoy a lot of what’s on offer here, and if you’re new to Slatter and her work I suspect that you’ll come away from this wanting to read more. And you absolutely should. A wonderful read to get lost in on a dark and rainy night.

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Frank Lee: After Alcatraz by David Hasteda – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There are so many wonderful, amazing stories that exist in the world based on real events: parts of history that are rarely learnt about because they don’t affect the larger fabric of society, yet contain some of the most unbelievable events around. Sometimes these stories grab hold of people, they capture their imaginations and demand more answers. People want to know what happens next, what the solution to the mysteries are, and how events would continue on. And when this happens to writers they can often be inspired to tell their own stories, their own ‘what if’ accounts of these very real, very amazing tales. Frank Lee: After Alcatraz is one of these stories.

This new Hard Case Crime title from Titan Comics begins by giving readers the very real story of the only people ever to escape from the world famous Alcatraz prison. On the night of June 11th, 1962, three men, John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Lee Morris, performed a daring escape from the island prison. Fashioning heads from papier-mâché, they set up decoys in their cells, and escaped into the tunnel system behind the walls through holes they’d spent months digging out behind vent covers. Escaping onto the roof of the prison, where they’d stashed their homemade oars, they descended to the shore and boarded a raft they’d constructed out of old jackets, and escaped the island.

In real life no record of them was ever found after their escape. Some believe that the three of them drowned in the bay, whilst others believe that they made good on their escape. Small pieces of evidence have been brought forward over the years that suggest they did survive their trip across the water, but no real answer has ever been found. And this is the story that captured the imagination of writer David Hasteda. This book focuses on Frank Lee Morris, and posits a possible series of events that happened to him after escaping Alcatraz.

In Frank Lee: After Alcatraz we follow the newly escaped Frank as he leaves the Anglin brothers behind and begins to make his escape through Muir Woods. Followed by search parties, and chased by tracker dogs, an injured Frank takes shelter in an old building in the small town of Bolinas. Frank attempts to stitch up the gash in his arm, but falls unconscious. When he comes to it’s been a few days, and he’s in the home of Francisco and Pam Leonetti, who have been taking care of him.

Francisco talks to Frank about why he was in Alcatraz, why a non-violent thief would wind up in the worst prison in the country, and sees that despite his past Frank isn’t a bad man. He offers Frank the opportunity to stay with them for a short while, at least until the cops stop looking for him. But as that short while becomes a long while Frank begins to make a life for himself in Bolinas, and with the Leonettis. The Leonettis tell everyone that Frank is their nephew, and he begins to become a son to the couple, who lost their own son years before. This begins a tale of how Frank starts to build a new life for himself, a new family, and the events that begin to unfold that put that new life at risk.

Frank Lee: After Alcatraz ended up being a rather delightful drama story about a man with a troubled past learning to start afresh. Despite being part of the Hard Case Crime label there’s very little crime that really happens in this book. I know that pretending to be someone you’re not to hide out from the authorities because you escaped from the most secure prison in the country is technically a crime, but other than that this is just a story about a man building a life for himself. Frank isn’t a bad person. He broke a few laws but he’s not a violent criminal, and this is one of those stories that has a more nuanced take on crime and criminals than just ‘breaking the law makes you a bad person’.

Frank proved to be an interesting man to follow. He’s spent so much of his life in prison and breaking out of prison that he really doesn’t know what to do with himself now that he’s out. He feels constantly on edge, waiting to be caught and dragged back to Alcatraz, because that’s all he’s ever really known. We get to see Frank learning to live a normal life, to settle down and build a home for himself, and it’s a really lovely journey.

He’s helped in doing this by the Leonettis, two of my favourite characters in the book. Older than Frank, Francisco and Pam see their son in the escaped prisoner. That’s even a big point of disagreement between the couple at first, and why Pam begins not wanting to help Frank out, because Francisco gives Frank their dead son’s clothes to wear. But as time moves on we see Pam warm to Frank, even ending up at the point where she’s so protective of him that she begins to fear he might suffer a similar fate to her own son. The Leonettis are a wonderfully warm and caring couple, and they come to see Frank as their own son. They don’t care that he used to be a criminal, they don’t care about his past other than wanting to protect him from it, and it’s their kindness and compassion that turns his life around. I came to care for the Leonettis pretty quickly, and loved the small family unit that they formed with Frank.

The art on the book is provided by Ludovic Chesnot, who has a look and style that feels very grounded at times, but also has a bit of flair to it that makes certain parts of the book feel a bit unnatural and stylised. I think this is perhaps a perfect approach to a story that is fictional, but grounded in reality. The art seems to reflect the fact that the events of the book aren’t real, that they are an embellishment by the author, yet could have happened. I liked the character designs, how instantly recognisable and unique everyone looked, as it helped to keep everything clear and simple and helped to prevent the story from getting muddled.

Frank Lee: After Alcatraz is an entertaining read, a fictional tale based on real events that tells a very human story with a lot of heart. I found a lot in this book to enjoy, and was genuinely disappointed when it was done as I’d have loved to have spent longer with these people and their lives.

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Squirrel Girl: Universe by Tristan Palmgren - Blog Tour

 

'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is on a wild cosmic adventure to save the galaxy, in a Marvel Heroines action novel that is totally out of this world!

'Squirrel Girl is in a pickle and a jam, a metaphor that mixes about as well as it tastes. She and her friends are lost in outer space, where there is a conspicuous absence of oxygen and, even more troubling, a shortage of squirrels. After hitching a ride on a passing space whale, Squirrel Girl and her trusty companions find themselves on a free-merchant space station and on the front line of a looming interstellar war. The stakes have never been so high, and trillions of lives are at risk! Luckily for the universe, Squirrel Girl is here to stand up against the odds and set things right across the galaxy.'

Even if you've never picked up a Squirrel Girl comic in your life there's a good chance that you'll have heard of the character. Whether it's her popping up in other books, or simply stories about how she's managed to defeat foes like Thanos and Galactus, a lot of comic readers will be familiar with the character. And as someone who had heard the tales, but never experienced a Squirrel Girl story I was very interested to see just what this character was like; and Squirrel Girl: Universe proved to be the perfect opportunity.

This story begins when strange anomalies begin to happen across New York, with space seeming to be folding in upon itself. It seems like the entirety of the super hero community is on the lookout to discover the source, but it's Squirrel Girl and her friends, including the heroes Coy Boy, and Chipmunk Hunk, who find the one responsible. The Mad Thinker has developed some technology that will rip the city out of its place on Earth, and send it into the furthest reaches of the universe.

Squirrel Girl steps in to save the day, and the city, but in doing so she, her friends, and the Mad Thinker, find themselves transported to a barren alien planet. With no way home, and dwindling supplies, survival looks pretty bleak. But when a sentient space whale arrives and offers them a ride to a nearby space station things begin to look up for the stranded earthlings; but little do they know that this will lead them to encounter some truly strange aliens, and a war that could change the very fabric of reality itself.

Squirrel Girl: Universe is not your normal super hero story. Other than the inclusion of some super heroes, I wouldn't even include it in that genre. Instead, Tristan Palmgren has tried to do something different, and has crafted a weird and wonderful science fiction story that at times feels like it has more in common with something like The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy than it does your average Spider-Man adventure.

A lot of this comes down to the the worlds and people that Palmgren fills this story with. We spend relatively little time on Earth, and the majority of the story is set out in space, meeting increasingly odd people. We come across an asteroid station where pirates are keeping people held captive so that some unseen power can steal away poets, and all commerce is made in lines of poetry. There are sentient space whales who change their name from moment to moment. There are aliens who narrate their lives in the third person and can alter reality around them based upon what they say. We get future and past echoes speaking to each other. It's all a bit weird, but quite often delightfully so.

And considering that this is all set around a super hero who has always been seen as a bit weird anyway, it works.I don't think that this story would have worked with a lot of the other heroes in Marvel; they'd be too serious and grounded for this to flow the way it does and not feel too ridiculous. But Squirrel Girl feels like the perfect fit here. It also helps that she's incredibly smart and has some extensive scientific knowledge that she's able to bring into play here to help the reader to keep up with some pretty big concepts. These are often given in the form of asides and footnotes that allow her to break the fourth wall in her story, and to give the reader some info-dumps that would otherwise slow the flow down a bit. These footnotes are sometimes used for comedic effect too, and we sometimes get interruptions from the books editor, the Hulk.

There are a few times that the book references other parts of Squirrel Girl's adventures, and they often come with footnotes telling you exactly which comics to check out. These can sometimes add a little bit of depth, especially in character interactions, but there are also times where it feels like you'd be getting more out of this story if you'd read her comics. It's clear that Palmgren has read the books, and they're going out of their way to include parts of it to appeal to long time fans and readers; and whilst I can't say whether or not fans of the comics will enjoy the book or not, I do think that you'll find a lot here that's familiar. This book doesn't have to stand on its own, and feels like it could be part of the rest of Squirrel Girls adventures.

As someone new to this character I found a lot of fun things to discover in this book. I got to get to know a character I'd heard about for years but never experienced. I learned about her extended cast of characters, their adventures, and got to discover a whole new part of the Marvel galactic stage. To me Squirrel Girl: Universe was a book of discovery, not just the amazing and wonderful things that the characters got to discover, but what I got to find too. There was never a dull moment reading it.

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