Blu-ray / DVD Review - Batman: Soul of the Dragon

I am a fan of Bronze Age comic books. So when I heard DC was planning and animated movie set in that era in the Bruce Timm style, I said to myself, "Self, you should watch that movie." And I did

Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a 2021 animated martial arts film. It is rated R for violence and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Vibe. This movie has a great vibe from the visuals to the music to the action to the pacing that really evokes 70s martial art films and 70s TV.

Characters. This film has a great variety of characters form 1970s DC comics that either haven't appears before on the screen or have had very small appearances. The cast of characters had great chemistry together and worked together well.

Art Direction. The look and feel of the characters, backgrounds, vehicles, and action was very nostalgic while still feeling current and not retro. The look was unique while hearkening to a familiar era.

The Bad

Corner Cutting. My biggest complaint is the filmmakers didn't explore this world as thoroughly as they could. The plot was pretty simple and straightforward which is perfect for lots of side trips to explore the world. And while there were a few along the way, they weren't as fully explored as I would have liked, and there weren't enough of them.

 

What I Would Like To Have Seen

I wish the filmmakers had gotten a little more excited about this project and had put a little more energy and heart into it.

Overall

Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a 2021 animated martial arts film. This movie has a great vibe from the visuals to the music to the action to the pacing that really evokes 70s martial art films and 70s TV. This film has a great variety of characters form 1970s DC comics that either haven't appears before on the screen or have had very small appearances. The cast of characters had great chemistry together and worked together well. My biggest complaint is the filmmakers didn't explore this world as thoroughly as they could. The plot was pretty simple and straightforward which is perfect for lots of side trips to explore the world. And while there were a few along the way, they weren't as fully explored as I would have liked, and there weren't enough of them. I wish the filmmakers had gotten a little more excited about this project and had put a little more energy and heart into it. Overall it's a very enjoyable film. I give it 4 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

 

Graphic Novel Review - Tango Volume 1, An Ocean of Stone by Phillipe Xavier and Matz

I've always been impressed with European comics and graphic novels. They tend to be more grounded in the real world than American comics, they tend to have a high level of draftsmanship, and they tend to be sold in large volumes that contain an entire story.

Tango Volume 1, An Ocean of Stone by Phillipe Xavier and Matz is a tough guy drama graphic novel from Europe Comics. It is available as an eBook.

The Good

Characters. There isn't a lot of plot, but for this particular story there doesn't need to be, because the characters and their interactions are all so interesting. Each has a lot of character, each is unique and not just another troupe, and all have great chemistry with each other.

Art. The artwork is beautiful. Everything is so skillfully rendered, and yet this still looks and feels like a comic book and not illustrations or paintings. There is so much emotion communicated in the art, and the movement is so fluid and lifelike.

Multiple Stories Come Together. This story is actually the convergence of several stories that cross at one point. While they are independent, they come together in a very natural and enjoyable way.

Twist. I am really good at seeing twists early on in stories. It's rare I'm surprised by anything at the end. This book surprised me at the very end, and I was really glad for it.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was very satisfied.

Overall

Tango Volume 1, An Ocean of Stone by Phillipe Xavier and Matz is a tough guy drama graphic novel from Europe Comics. There isn't a lot of plot, but for this particular story there doesn't need to be, because the characters and their interactions are all so interesting. Each has a lot of character, each is unique and not just another troupe, and all have great chemistry with each other. The artwork is beautiful. Everything is so skillfully rendered, and yet this still looks and feels like a comic book and not illustrations or paintings. There is so much emotion communicated in the art, and the movement is so fluid and lifelike. This story is actually the convergence of several stories that cross at one point. While they are independent, they come together in a very natural and enjoyable way. I am really good at seeing twists early on in stories. It's rare I'm surprised by anything at the end. This book surprised me at the very end, and I was really glad for it. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review - Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall

Geography is a fascinating study that is largely overlooked. And in today's bitterly-political world, it's rare to find a real scholar who looks at the facts and does his best to ignore his politics.

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall is a nonfiction book looking at the current world situation, why it is like it is, what is most likely to happen, and why so many seemingly "good" ideas are actually impractical fantasies. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Scholarship. People misuse words like "science" and "scholarship" to justify and give credence to their existing opinions, but very few people actually apply scientific principles or strict scholarship when analyzing a situation. The author of this book does, and it is fascinating and explains so much. It also helps the reader to understand why so many policies in the past failed when they sounded like such good ideas.

Writing. While this is a very scholarly book, it is written in terms that normal, average people can understand and, even better, enjoy. This book never becomes slow nor boring.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was very satisfied.

Overall

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall is a nonfiction book looking at the current world situation, why it is like it is, what is most likely to happen, and why so many seemingly "good" ideas are actually impractical fantasies. People misuse words like "science" and "scholarship" to justify and give credence to their existing opinions, but very few people actually apply scientific principles or strict scholarship when analyzing a situation. The author of this book does, and it is fascinating and explains so much. It also helps the reader to understand why so many policies in the past failed when they sounded like such good ideas. While this is a very scholarly book, it is written in terms that normal, average people can understand and, even better, enjoy. This book never becomes slow nor boring. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Book Review - The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley

I am so sick of stories that use World War II or Nazis in their plot that I've pretty much stopped reading or watching them. I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, but I'm sure glad I did.

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley is a science fiction treasure hunt. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Characters. The characters were really likable and each had a good personality while the group had great chemistry.

Story. While this is a pretty standard "quest for the McGuffin"-type story, the path it took and the interactions with the characters were different and really compelling.

Scifi Twist. While this wasn't the first time I had seen this particular scifi twist, it was handled really well with a great build up and a satisfying payoff.

The Bad

Cliches. With the amount of thought and care put into the rest of the story, I think the author is capable of coming up with a villain other than the Nazis and a past other than World War II.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I was very satisfied.

Overall

The Last Monument by Michael C. Grumley is a science fiction treasure hunt. While this is a pretty standard "quest for the McGuffin"-type story, the path it took and the interactions with the characters were different and really compelling. The characters were really likable and each had a good personality while the group had great chemistry. The pacing was just right. While this wasn't the first time I had seen this particular scifi twist, it was handled really well with a great build up and a satisfying payoff. With the amount of thought and care put into the rest of the story, I think the author is capable of coming up with a villain other than the Nazis and a past other than World War II. I am so sick of stories that use World War II or Nazis in their plot that I've pretty much stopped reading or watching them. I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this book up, but I'm sure glad I did. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.