Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite

GN 29. Umbrella Academy Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way. Illustrated by Gabriel Ba and Dave Stewart. 192 p. Published July 2008.

The introduction probably puts it best: “It begins, in the best way possible, with an atomic flying elbow…” In an unprecedented wrestling match, “Tuslin’ Tom” Gurney knocks out the space squid from Rigel x-9 and 43 children are simaltaneously born around the world. Reginald Hargreeves, an inventor and millioniare, does his best to collect these children, and adopts seven of them in order to save the world.

Raising them in the Umbrella Academy, these children grow to show extraordinary abilities, and work toward protecting the world from evil. Their first mission: stop the Eiffel Tower as it rampages across Paris.

Twenty years later, long after the Academy had disbanded due to the death of Number 6, these heroes return for the funeral of their adopted father. Spaceboy, formerly the leader of the children, exiled himself to the moon after a terrible accident left him with the body of a large monkey. Allison, known as The Rumor, is now a mother herself. The Kraken – Diego – works in espionage while Seance does little but pamper himself. Vanya, Number 7, known for her complete lack of a gift outside of the violin, finds she is still not welcome, while Number 5, recently returned after disappearing into the future, warns of a great disaster.

These siblings, despite their derision for one another, are drawn into battle when the funeral is confused for the reunion of The Umbrella Academy. Meanwhile, Vanya, upset at the lack of welcome, decides to join an orchestra composed of musicians bent on destroying the world. But this effort to find a purpose seals her fate, and possibly that of the world.

Written by Gerard Way, the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, The Umbrella Academy was heralded as one of the premier series of 2008, even winning an Eisner. While the story begins in a rather strange manner, the characters soon begin to draw the reader in while the artwork offers a colorful backdrop. As such, this reads more like one of the old comics – where the reality of the story is so far from our own that it must begin with certain base assumptions and work from there to explain the rest. Despite this, Way pens a writhing monster of a story, capturing the reader in his vision.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Batman: The Long Halloween

GN 28. Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb. Illustrated by Tim Sale and Gregory Wright. 368 p. Published November 1999.

The Long Halloween poses a fascinating question: what ever happened to all those gangsters from Batman: Year One (the origin tale by Frank Miller)? In a breathtaking noir fashion, Long Halloween sets about telling the story of Batman and the end of mobster-controlled Gotham.

Confronted by a rising mob problem, Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent bind together in a secret pact to rid Gotham of its Dons – Roman Falcone and Salvatore Maroni. But it appears someone else has the same idea, as a new serial killer begins to strike against mobsters, marking his crime by striking only on Holidays.

Faced with deciphering who Holiday is, Batman must investigate while dealing with the repercussions of Holiday’s attacks. Cofnronted by gangsters with grudges, freaks jealous of Holiday’s popularity, and even the loss of one of Gotham’s finest, Batman is soon overwhelmed. Will he be able to contain the theat and stop Holiday in time to save what is most precious or will Gotham be lost in the growing violence.

In true noir style, appearances by some of the more famous characters and villians tie Long Halloween together in an intriguing glimpse of Batman’s humanity. This was a truly inspired project, originally published in 13 issues, this tale began on Halloween and commemorates each subsequent holiday’s theme until the following October – a truly long Halloween. With a driving story and fantastically vivid illustrations, this version of Batman is one of the greatest – glimpsing a world of moral ambiguity, where there is no right decision – not even for the hero.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Preacher: Until the End of the World

GN 27. Preacher vol. 2: Until the End of  the World by Garth Ennis. Illustrated by Steve Dillon. 264 p. Published January 1997.

In this second volume of Preacher, we come to uncover the backstories for both Custer and Tulip. The two are caught by a pair of men from Custer’s past and the Preacher is shocked to find that his powers don’t work on them. Forced to return to where he was raised, Custer must confront his gandmother, the evil head of his family, or else end up like his parents.

Yet even when Custer and Tulip manage to escape, they find bigger enemies to worry about. Hunted by an ancient orginization bent on controlling the world through Custer, the pair meet up with Cassidy and together try finding a way out of trouble. But they won’t escape unscathed.

I found the most interesting partsof Until the End of the World to be the ones without any of the main characters. The story of Custer’s parents and the motivations of the secret organization serve as the real meat of this volume, providing a captivating image of how dark yet human this world can be. With subject matter not for the faint of heart, Until the End of the World succinctly ties up the past while propelling the series toward a greater plot.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Sky Doll

GN 26. Sky Doll by Barbera Canepa and Alessandro Barbucci. 144 p. Published November 2008.

Sky Doll is the flagship in Marvel’s new line of comics imported from Soliel, a premier European publisher.

Noa is a life-like android, known casually as a “Sky Doll.” With no rights or freedom, Sky Dolls serve the needs of the state – no matter how lascivious or depraved. Knowing nothing but a life of such service, most dolls comply. But not Noa; she dreams of more. And the arrival of two missionaries, Roy and Jahu, proves to be her ticket out.

Hoping to escape her slavery, Noa stows away on their ship. But these agents of Lodovica, the Holy Mother, are not all they appear to be, and Noa is taken across the stars, an unwitting participant in a war between religions.

Sky Doll is a masterpiece. Beautifully detailed artwork and fantastic coloring are perfectly partnered with a thrilling plot line and a truly immersive world. Each chapter reveals something new about the characters and how their hidden pasts all weave together. Ending with a real promising hook (and stunning state-side sales), Sky Doll promises that its eventual continuation is well worth the wait.

Please note that both the artwork and material of Sky Doll is for mature readers only.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Seeing Redd

57. Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars) by Frank Beddor. 371 p. Published August 2007.

This second novel follows immediately after The Looking Glass Wars. Alyss has taken her place as Queen of Wonderland but still worries after her aunt Redd, whose daring dive into the Heart Crystal – the source of all imaginative power – provided a last minute escape. Doing what they can to piece the queendom back together after Redd’s disastrous rule, Alyss and her advisers often end the day in exhaustion, a fact that King Arch of the neighboring Borderlands is willing to exploit. Sending an attack of Glass Eyes, a weapon salvaged from Redd’s army, Arch inflames fears of Redd’s return and uses the Diamond family to get Molly, Alyss’ bodyguard, to unwittingly trigger a devastating explosion in Wonderland’s primary transportation system, the Looking Glass.

Meanwhile, Hatter Maddigan, who has taken a short vacation to mourn the passing of his beloved, stumbles upon proof that Molly is, in fact, his own daughter. He rushes back to Wonderland in hopes of finding her, but is too late, the young girl taken back to King Arch under the guise of a third party’s kidnapping. Hatter follows her into the Borderlands, neglecting a direct order from Alyss.

Redd, who had spent the intervening months on earth to gather an army, finally returns to Wonderland in hopes of navigating her long-neglected Maze and gain full control over her own powers of Dark Imagination. Alyss is hard pressed on all sides, knowing that her country cannot survive a fight on two fronts, and is forced to make a decision that will change the face of Wonderland forever.

From the start it was obvious that, unlike the first book, Seeing Redd couldn’t rely on the novelty of retelling Alice in Wonderland. Instead, Beddor begins to build upon the story, making it his own. On the one hand, he does a marvelous job, developing a sense of realism in the characters. At the same time, much of Seeing Redd came across as monotonous, spending too much time delving into motivations and machination and the story only begins to pick up towards the rear of the book. Ending with a cliffhanger, Seeing Redd leaves a lot for the third and final novel.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Foundation

56. Foundation (Valdemar: The Collegium Chronicles) by Mercedes Lackey. 340 p. Published October 2008.

This is the latest book in Lackey’s Valdemar Series and starts to catalogue how the Collegium is founded (hence the title) through one of its earliest pupils, Mags. An orphan, Mags is raised to work in a mine, digging jewels out of the rock from dawn till dusk and fed the meagerest of meals. He and the other orphans do their best to keep their heads down and out of trouble, knowing that there is little hope outside of simple survival. But when a Companion appears, accompanied by a Herald, things change in ways Mags never imagined.

Taken to Haven, Valdemar’s capital, astride his very own Companion, Mags is enrolled in the newly founded Collegium to train his gift of Mindspeech. But the college is so new that all of its buildings are still in construction and the housing shortage places Mags in the stables. As he adjusts to life as a Herald-trainee, Mags makes friends among the trainees from the other colleges (Healers and Bards) and in the city. Soon enough, thanks to his particulawr gift, Mags is buried in intrigue and political subterfuge. But when a overwhelming blizzard burries the campus, one of his friends goes missing, and Mags must do all he can to save the life he’s grown to love.

Lackey is an amazing wordsmith, her descriptions of the world as vivid as the characters she populates it with. But Foundation, while starting a new chapter in the Valdemar universe, fails to provide anything of real substance. This growing-up-with-magic tale, while engrossing, just doesn’t compare to the vivid and inspiring books that compose the rest of the world. Frankly, it comes off as an attempt at hooking some of the growing young adult audience.

The books of Valdemar are some of my favorite from High School, and while Foundation doesn’t do them justice, hopefully the following novels in the Collegium Chronicles will rise to the challenge.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Storybook Love

GN 25. Fables Vol. 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham. Illustrated by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha. 190 p. Published May 2004.

Storybook Love is composed of four tales which, while separate, weave together to provide a glimpse of Fabletown. First comes Jack, the lovable rogue of beanstalk, candle, and every other get-rich-quick scheme. Looking to gain some prestige, Jack joins the South in the American Civil War, and flees when the war turns sour. After winning a magical bottomless sack from the Devil, Jack finds a rich lady abandoned to die in her house. Attracted by her wealth and beauty, Jack vows to trap Death himself in order to save her, as always neglecting the consequences.

The second story, now back in the present, reveals a threat to Fabletown as an overzealous reporter threatens to expose the Fables, mistaking them for a nest of Vampires. Using a complicated plot involving Sleeping Beauty, who’s spell of sleep spreads like a contagion the longer she rests, Bigby Wolf calls upon Prince Charming, Jack, and Bluebeard to scare the reporter into submission. But when Sleeping Beauty won’t wake to Prince Charming’s kiss, an unexpected savior must rise in the form of Flycatcher, the Frog Prince.

The third tale heralds the return of Snow White after her ordeal on The Farm. But Bluebeard and Goldilocks, seeking to seize power of Fabletown, have a different plan. They bewitch Bigby and Snow, forcing the pair to take a vacation out in the wilderness where they’ll be vulnerable. Goldilocks, armed with her proven marksmanship, follows them with murder on the mind. But things are never so simple, and as Bigby and Snow waken from the enchantment, the tables begin to turn in their favor. Meanwhile, Bluebeard looks to seize control of Fabletown, but is foiled by Prince Charming, who proved his ability adjudicating the tribunal after the Farm’s revolt.

Returning to time of the Fables’ exile, The Lilliputians are the focus of the final tale. Looking to join the war against The Adversary, a ship full of these tiny warriors set sail. However, arriving in the old country, they soon realize what a disadvantage their size is in battle. Unable to return home, the Lilliputians join the other Fables in exile with one additional problem – no female Lilliputians. With only Thumbellina for all of them to pine over, one of the Lilliputians sets himself a quest: to return to the old country and retrieve the magic seeds that birthed her kind.

In this third volume of Fables, we learn what love means to the Fables. To the Liliputians it has become a challenge of both their vigor and loyalty to the cause. For some like Jack, it is a foolish and fickle thing of greed and lust. For others, such as the Frog Prince, it is pure, honest, and unrequited. And for Snow and Bigby, Love is a thing that cannot be denied, no matter how much they try.

Storybook Love is the volume I’ve been waiting for. With most of the character generation and world building finished, and a solid plot history to stand upon, this volume really shines. Plot twists, humor, and subterfuge abound, providing a truly marvelous experience. While closing the stories of some characters, this volume offers plenty of intrigue to promise an exciting fifth volume.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews of Storybook Love: Fyrefly’s Book Blog

Animal Farm

GN 24. Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham. Illustrated by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha. 128 p. Published August 2003.

This second volume of Fables continues where the first left off, as Jack and Rose begin their community service. While Jack is stuck cleaning, Rose must tag along with her sister Snow White as penance. When communication to The Farm is cut, Snow must investigate. The Farm is the Fables’ upstate property used to house those Fables who aren’t able to move among humans. Snow takes the opportunity to bring Colin, one of the three little pigs, back to the Farm, but along the way find strange signs of trouble.

When they arrive, Snow and Red find themselves behind enemy lines. The pigs, along with Goldilocks and her bear family, have sparked revolution in the hearts of the Farm Fables. Armed to the teeth, they prepare to descend on the City Fables and wrest away control of Fabletown. Seeing an opportunity, Red joins the revolution, leaving Snow to flee for her life.

Truthfully, I was expecting more from Animal Farm, but with dozens of new characters and an unfamiliar backdrop, there is too much world building going on for much of the story to shine through. However, the parts that make it through the clutter – Goldilocks’ relationship with the bears and the heroism of Reynard the Fox being good examples – are priceless.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Other Reviews of Animal Farm: Fyrefly’s Book Blog

Ordermaster

55. Ordermaster (Saga of Recluse) by L.E. Modesitt. 494 p. Published January 2005.

In the direct sequel to Wellspring of Chaos, we find Kharl functioning as the wizard of Austra. Hardly settled into his newly granted lands, Kharl sparks a civil war after executing a traitor in the presence of the court. The resulting war, with the rebels funded and armed by Hamor, spreads quickly. Kharl, with what minimal training he can muster, must set out to defeat the Hamorian chaos wizards before they destroy the countryside. The resulting battle changes Kharl and marks him as one of the strongest Order users in generations.

Yet Austra’s new peace bodes ill for Kharl’s home of Brysta, to which Hamor has already shifted its gaze. And so Kharl, newly trained in law and etiquette, is sent as Austra’s envoy. What he finds is not the city of his birth, but one of a subdued people, penned into their homes by fear. The youngest son of Lord West, the same which forced Kharl’s exile, has begun to amass a secret army. As Hamorian troops in the guise of Brystan guard roam the streets, Kharl sets to finding the loved ones he was forced to leave behind and finds only tragedy. When the rebellion finally makes its move, Kharl is forced into combat, and this time he faces a far more resourceful foe.

While I enjoyed Ordermaster, I honestly felt that it was a little dry. The wit and ingenuity of Modessitt’s previous novels is overtaken by pages of battles and strategy, losing much of the character that imbues this world. I will not go so far as to express disappointment, but I can’t help but feel that this read was not as enjoyable as its predecessors.

Rating: 2 out of 5

The Looking Glass Wars

54. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. 358 p. Published September 2006.

I first heard about The Looking Glass Wars when I stumbled across a spin-off comic book series, Hatter M.

This is the true tale of Alice in Wonderland. Alice is, in fact, Alyss Heart, princess of Wonderland. Able to twist reality through the use of Imagination, the royalty of Wonderland serve to permeate ingenuity and inventiveness throughout the galaxy. On Alyss’s birthday, while all the people are celebrating and Alyss is with her dearest friend Dodge, her aunt Redd stages a surprise attack on the palace. With both her parents murdered, Alyss is swept up by her mother’s top-hatted bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, and taken through the Pool of Tears to Earth.

Presuming that Alyss is dead, Redd Heart sets to rule Wonderland with wicked abandon, her twisted decrees torturing the citizens and darkening the land’s splendor. A small force of freedom fighters work against Redd, but their hopes dwindle with each passing year.

Meanwhile, Alyss, seperated from Hatter Madigan, is left alone in London, stripped of her powers of imagination, and adopted by a loving family. The only problem is that Alyss refuses to release her memories of Wonderland and confides in Dodgson, a family friend. However, when he twists her stories and publishes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alyss’s sense of betrayal is overwhelming. Resigned to her fate, Alyss becomes Alice Lidell, and soon comes to disbelieve her own past. Alice grows to become a stunning beauty and soon is engaged to wed Prince Leopold, youngest son of Queen Victoria.

Hatter Madigan, having landed in Paris without Alyss, searches the world over for her. After 13 years, he finally finds a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandand storms Buckingham Palace in an attempt to reach Alyss. He is wounded by the palace guard and flees back to Wonderland, where he is discovered by a now-grown Dodge. Dodge delivers Madigan to the resistance and goes to Earth himself to retrieve Alyss. However he is followed by Redd’s agents, who have come to learn that Alyss yet lives. As the agents crash Alice’s wedding, Dodge rescues her and the two return to Wonderland. Yet now, with years of disbelieving her own past and lacking her control of Imagination, Alyss must confront a primed Redd and win back her queendom.

With The Looking Glass Wars, Beddor modernizes Carroll’s classic tale without losing any of it’s dark majesty. Integrating the tale behind the book (Carroll is a pen-name for Dodgson, who based the character on a real live Alice Lidell), Beddor creates an ingenious realm of fanciful imagination and populates it with an array of rememberable characters, each a not-so-subtle allusion to Carroll’s.

Despite being geared to a younger audience, The Looking Glass Wars possesses enough pace and plot to satisfy an adult. Frankly, I found many of the scenes required added effort on behalf of my imagination simply because I’ve matured - never an excersize I regret. I will admit, some of Beddor’s characters are a bit shallow, but adequate for the intended readership.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Other Reviews of The Looking Glass Wars: Fyrefly