Book Review - Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka

I've been a huge Tezuka-sensei fan since I first picked up his science fiction trilogy (The Lost World, Metropolis, Next Word) and Astro Boy. He never ceases to amaze and impress with his wide range of genres and incredible amount of output.

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of comics book stories. It is available in paperback.

The Good

Miraculous Conception. This story felt like a classic science fiction story from the mid-20th Century. A human and a robot are isolated in space, get married, and miraculously have a child. The story examines the fallout of such an event. It wasn't a great story but was interesting.

A Clockwork Apple. This story was really enjoyable and had a lot of meat. It reminded me of the classic Tunnel at the End of the World. It is about a world that isn't what it seems to be and what happens to an individual who figures that out. The story took a unique spin on a familiar tale, and the execution was well done.

Night on the Bypass. This story involves a conversation between a cab driver and his passenger and the secrets they each have. Short, but really intriguing.

Sack. This was an interesting story about split personalities and medical conditions that can change a persons identity. Not a lot to the story, but an interesting concept.

The Bad

The Execution Ended at Three O'Clock. This was the fist story, but not a great start. It's a generic Nazi-like army killing Jew-like innocents. The only unique point was the secret formula and how it backfired on the main character, which was mildly interesting.

Yellow Dust. This story was very dark about a hostage situation that went very wrong.

Showtime with the Devil. This story is about political intrigue, assassination, and betrayal. It was pretty standard fare. Not a bad story, but not a particularly standout one either.

Homecoming. This is a revenge story about an STD from space. More bitter than clever.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

It's an anthology with more good than bad, so I can't complain.

Overall

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of dark short stories covering horror, war, crime, science fiction, and just plain weird. All the stories are well done (like most things Tekuza-sensei does) with some being more clever than others. There were some interesting twists on familiar stories that were enjoyable, but there were some that were pretty standard fare. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Movie Review - Dumbo (2019 Live Action)

I hate Dumbo. I hate the story. I hate the Disney animated film. When I heard about the live action remake, I looked to the heavens and said, "Why?" Then I heard Tim Burton was directing it and suddenly got very excited and decided to see it opening night.

Dumbo is a 2019 live action family film. It is rated PG and is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

The Story. The story was solid. There was

The Characters. The actors did such a great job portraying their characters, and the script gave them plenty to work with. Everyone (minus the children) was unique and likable.

Visual Feast. This movie was gorgeous, and as it progressed it only got more and more gorgeous with incredible sets, costumes, and cinematography. Tim Burton is a master of the visual.

Weirdness. The original cartoon had several bits of weirdness (pink elephants, singing elephants, mouse guide, magic feather) that barely made sense in the cartoon. Somehow the filmmakers were able to incorporate all of those in a way that not only worked but added to the movie.

Pacing. The movie moved at a great pace. I was never bored checking my watch, but the movie still moved at a gingerly pace allowing the audience to really absorb what was going on and to feel the emotions with the characters.

The Bad

Ending. The ending wasn't as well thought out as it could have been. It was too easy and preachy.

The Children. The children were very stiff, generic, and predictable. They weren't particularly likable.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the ending had been better thought out and not the obvious, easy, preachy ending seen all too often.

Overall

Dumbo is a gorgeous, well written, well acted family film. The visuals from the sets to the costumes to the cinematography are feast for the eyes--Tim Burton is a master of the visual. The story was solid filling in a lot of explanation and motivation. The script gave the actors a lot to work with, and all of them (minus the children) gave a great performance. The pacing gave the film lots of room to breath without ever feeling slow or boring. The ending wasn't as well thought out as it could have been being too easy and too preachy. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Book Review - WildStorm Summer Special (2001)

I wasn't a fan of WildStorm or Jim Lee back in his heyday, but after he sold his company to DC, a few titles caught my eye and I decided to get my feet wet in the WildStorm world.

WildStorm Summer Special is an anthology of comics book stories from Gaijin Studios. It is available as a 48-page Prestige Format comic book.

The Good

Orbital. This story by Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner, Karl Story, Brian Stelfreeze, and John Costanza is basically Jack Hawksmoor going for a jog across different cities on different continents using a "magic portal" type device. The words are narration in his head. While there isn't much plot, there is a lot of story exploring Jack and his view of his life and job. The art is really nice, and the format is different for a comic book.

Apple Read. This story by Brian Azzarello, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, and John Costanza is a fun experiment in storytelling. The art evokes Oriental brushwork in a black, white, and red palette. The words are written in poetry, with the plot being as simple as Zealot buying an apple but the story containing much more. This is another fun experiment in storytelling.

Behind the Scenes. This section was the most interesting for two reasons. One, I didn't even realize there was such a thing as Gaijin studios and two of my favorite artists were part of it, and two, I love behind-the-scenes material. It's the reason I used to buy so many DVDs.

The Gallery. The gallery had some nice pinups of various WildStorm characters from several different artists that were fun to look at.

The Bad

Cover. The cover by Adam Hughes has some pretty colors that make it stand out, but otherwise is kind of a mess. There's no rhyme nor reason. Other than featuring a few characters from the stories, it has nothing to do with the issue. It's not particularly well drawn, and the design is poor.

Isolation. This story by Paul Jenkins, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story, Brian Stelfreeze, and Kathleen at Fishbrain is very disappointing, and this from a big Paul Jenkins fan. The art is fine, but the story reads like a bad erotic novel with no real point.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

For an anthology, this really had everything you could want.

Overall

WildStorm Summer Special is a really fun artistic experiment. It contains three stories of three different characters from the WildStorm Universe, with each story told in a different style both in format and approach. Two of the stories are great successes with beautiful artwork by Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze. The pinup gallery and behind-the-scenes materials are great additions. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander

I remember the first time I discovered 300. I had walked into a comic shop, and they had a short bookshelf with graphic novels and comic book trade paperbacks on it. I was instantly drawn to a book that looked like a children's storybook but for adults. It was by Frank Miller, someone who I knew from his run on DareDevil. I was instantly a fan. I had never seen a more beautifully rendered comic book story.

Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander by Frank Miller and Alex Sinclair is a collection of 5 comic book issues that were always meant to be collected in a widescreen hardback. It is available in Hardcover and digital formats.

The Good

The Art. The art is some of Frank's loosest, but it is still really beautiful, especially with Alex Sinclair's colors making it look painted.

Narration. This story is mostly narration, a storyteller telling the overall story of Darius, Xerxes, and Alexander with pauses for a few specific events. The narration is some of Frank's best. It's quick, it's clean, it's clever, and it includes the Greek gods in a really clever way.

Color. The colors in the first issue are a little overdone, but by issue three they just sing.

The Bad

Disjointed Story. Frank began this story years ago completing two issues before moving on to other projects and then finally returning to complete it, and the story shows. The first two issues are a completely different style and story than the last three. They read like comic books telling a sequel to 300 while the last three issues feel like a storybook that gives a brief overview of the events from Darius to Alexandre.

Large Brush strokes. 300 told a tale that lasted a little over 3 days. This one covers decades and so tells the story with large brush strokes leaving out so many of the smaller stories and characters and character developments fans fo the first story were expecting.

Loose/Shaky Art. Frank's art has always been loose and shaky, but it's gotten near intelligible in some parts. His sense of design isn't as strong as it used to be, but it still light years ahead of most current comic book artists.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the story had continued like the first two issues to tell a story instead of a broad overview of history the last three issues painted. I also wish the art in the first two issues had been as strong as the last three.

Overall

Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander by Frank Miller and colors by Alex Sinclair is a visual delight with epic narration. The art is some of Frank's loosest and ranges from nearly indecipherable images to gorgeous designs. The story is a bit disjointed with the first two issues reading like a comic book sequel to 300 while the last three issues feel like a storybook that gives a brief overview of the events from Darius to Alexandre. While not as good as the first, it's still a beautiful volume to look at and a lot of fun to read. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Movie Review - Alita: Battle Angel

I read some anime, but Alita is one I was aware of but knew nothing about. But the trailer looked interesting enough I decided to give it a whirl.

Alita: Battle Angel is a 2018 cyberpunk science fiction anime action film. It is rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

The Action. The action and fight scenes were really well done. They were fun, furious, and exciting.

The Characters. The characters were surprisingly strong and interesting. The point of the movie wasn't world building or action, but the interaction between characters and them facing their pasts and choices they made.

3D. Normally I don't like 3-D in movies, because it's little more than a gimmick. But in this film they made great use of 3-D using it to enhance the scope and size of the world. When characters were high up looking to the ground, I felt like I was high up. The 3-D also helped make the scenery seem larger and more enveloping.

Scenery. The scenery and environments, while not totally new and original, were really well done and felt like a world that could exist.

The Bad

Pacing. This movie was a little slow. The exciting parts weren't as exciting as I'd hope they would be.

Story/Concept. One thing I love about manga and anime is how original and fresh and different it is. This movie felt very western. Nothing in it was new or something I hadn't seen before. The movie was pretty straight forward and predictable.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the movie had been a little more original and had pushed the boundaries a little more story-wise and concept-wise.

Overall

Alita: Battle Angel is a solid film with a good, linear story, great characterizations, and nice backgrounds. The action is a lot of fun. The pace is a little slow and the movie follows the typical film formula with no real surprises or anything new or unique, something I really look forward to in anime. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

  

Movie Review - Searching

I heard about this movie and thought the concept was unique, but I wondered how could they sustain an interesting story without ever leaving a computer screen?

Searching is a 2018 thriller drama. It is rated PG-13 for language and intensity, but is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

The Concept. This entire movie takes place on a computer screen, usually the father's laptop, but other screens, including security camera footage, is used. It's a really unique way to tell a story, and the filmmakers pulled it off. Everything made sense. Everything worked.

The Story. The story was amazing. I was hooked from about five minutes into the film. It moved quickly, yet never became confusing. I really felt for all of the characters. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming. I was at the edge of my seat until the end.

The Twists. I'm really good at predicting "twists" in movies. Most murder mysteries I know who it is from the first introduction of the guilty party. But this movie had twists I didn't even know where coming, let alone know what they were.

The Relevance. This movie is very much a 2018 movie with the social media platforms, but I think it will age well, because the real heart of the story is about a father who discovers he doesn't know his daughter and is shocked by his search to discover her. That is a timeless story that will reverberate throughout the ages.

The Bad

...

What I Would Like to Have Seen

...

Overall

Searching is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The concept of using only a computer screen to tell the story was brave but so well executed. The story was solid, exciting, and kept me at the edge of my seat. The twists were so unexpected and truly surprising. The heart of the story, a father learning he doesn't really know his daughter and is surprised by the revelations he uncovers is timeless and powerful. I give this film a solid 5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

       

Book Review - The Mask: School Spirits by Rick Geary

I never saw The Mask movie until nearly two decades after it came out, but I watched the cartoon every Saturday and thought it was great.

The Mask: School Spirits by Rick Geary is a story of The Mask disguised as a children's storybook appropriate for all ages (even adults will enjoy it). It is available in Hardcover and is one of three volumes.

The Good

The Art. Rick Geary isn't the best artist, but he perfectly captures the look and feel of The Mask and his zany adventures.

Fun This story isn't the most original, but it sure is a lot of fun.

Characters. The characters will remind you of people you've met and probably went to school with. While they aren't super original or fully fleshed out, they are developed enough that you get into the story

The Bad

Obvious. From the plot to the concept to the twists, this is not the cleverest nor the most original story I've read. Everything I saw coming from the beginning, and nothing surprised me.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the story had been more clever and The Mask had done more zany things that would have been fun to read about and look at.

Overall

The Mask: School Spirits by Rick Geary is a graphic novel disguised as a children's storybook from Dark Horse Comics. It's a lot of fun with solid art and a solid story that is appropriate for all ages. Even adults will find something to like in it. It's not the most original story, and the twist at the end is very obvious. The Mask also isn't as zany and one would like. But it's still an enjoyable read. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - Will Eisner's The Spirit: The New Adventures HC

I was late boarding The Spirit train. I was aware of the character, but never had any real interest in him until the Frank Miller film. Despite popular opinion, I loved it and have watched it dozens of times. I purchased a trade paperback of Spirit stories and loved those. That lead me to purchase one of DC's Archive Editions. I was so disappointed by it, I didn't pick up another Spirit story. Until Things From Another World had an incredible sale...

Will Eisner's The Spirit: The New Adventures is a collection of Spirit stories published by Kitchen Sink Press that weren't written or illustrated by Will Eisner. It is available in Hardcover.

The Good

The Most Important Meal. This takes place during the last supper of one of The Spirit's greatest foes talking to another of his greatest foes. It's an interesting variation on the origin of the characters. It's by Allan Moore and Dave Gibbons, two people whose work I don't normally enjoy, but they knocked this trilogy of stories out of the ballpark.

Force of Arms. This is another story that plays with the origins of the characters, especially the Spirit's archfoe.

Gossip and Gertrude Granch. This is the third in a trilogy of origin stories that explores the fate of a minor character.

The Return of Mink Stole. This is very meta about screenwriting for movies.

Sunday in the Park with St. George. The art is atrocious, but the story is a lot of fun if not a little too convenient.

Sphinx the Jinx in The Game of Life. This is a high concept story that feels like it came from Will Eisner's newspaper work. Probably the most "classic" of the collection.

Ellen's Stalker. This feels very much like The Spirit newspaper strips, but not as concise and clever.

Dr. Broca Von Bitelbaum. This wasn't great, but kind of fun.

Cursed Beauty. This had an interesting twist, but the way it dealt with racism was very bland and overdone. It didn't feel like the writer really understood what he was talking about.

Swami Vashtibubu. The art was lousy, but the twist was interesting.

The Pacifist. The story was fine, but the concept was pretty strong, and reminded me a lot of the Rat-a-Tat story from the newspaper comics.

Sweetheart. This was one of the strongest stories from an original concept to strong art, to a tight plot, to a twist I didn't see coming.

Black Opal. This story wasn't in the original comic book series (probably because it was cancelled) but has great art and a pretty decent story.

The Bad

Last Night I Dreamed of Dr. Cobra. This is clever, but miserable to read. It reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey--it's a wonder of technical achievement but a complete failure in entertainment.

The Samovar of Shooshinpoor. This isn't a bad story, but the art is amateurish and the story very ordinary.

The Weapon. This was really boring, generic, and obvious.

Baby Eichbergh. The concept wasn't bad, but it was so dully executed I just couldn't care about the baby and what happened to him.

Golf Anyone? The concept wasn't that strong, and the execution did nothing to help it out.

The Ghost of Tiger Traps. The concept and plot were both really weak. And the art by Paul Pope was nowhere near his usual level.

Binding. This book looks beautiful, but started to fall apart on my second read thru.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Better binding.

Overall

Will Eisner's The Spirit: The New Adventures is a mixed bag that contains classic stories I have read and reread numerous times as well as stories I can't believe they wasted paper to draw and then print. But despite the less than stelar stories, each one was so different and unique and most attempted something pretty wonderful, so I give this book 5 out of 5 eReaders.