I bought this in its printed version but I didn’t find that edition here on GR, so I had to use this Kindle edition that I found
This Doom endures!
I bought this in its printed version but I didn’t find that edition here on GR, so I had to use this Kindle edition that I found
This is a Giant-sized (64 pages) one-shot comic book.
Creative Team:
Plot, Script & Art: Sanford Greene & Jonathan Hickman
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg with Sanford Greene
Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Art: Sanford Greene & Matthew Wilson
DOOM VS GALACTUS…’NUFF SAID!
I didn’t choose to buy this comic book but actually the guy in charge of comic books in the geek local store where I buy comics, he was the one who chose it for me, he told me that I need that comic and well…
...he was right!...
…in fact the comic book became in demand getting more value, which I don’t complain at all.
The first thing that got me off guard, it was that it’s not the Earth-616 Doctor Doom, since some Doctor Doom in the multiverse, where in his Earth, all heroes and villains faced Galactus…
…and they lost!...
…even space characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Nova Corps, the Shiar Imperial Guard, everybody lost too!...
…only surviving Doctor Doom and Valeria Richards (that’s why it’s impossible to think about this Doom as the one from Earth-616.
Aaah! But Doctor Doom doesn’t survive…
…Doctor Doom endures! (his words, not mine!)
Galactus is on a frenzy hunger and everything in the universe is in peril…
…and obviously the only hope to stop Galactus is Doctor Doom, whom lost the first round but he is still alive (barely thanks to his magic knowledge), but Valeria Richards looks foor him and everything is set for second round!
Something that I found kinda unfair, it's that I noticed that this comic book got so many attention due the involment of Jonathan Hickman (which obviously is one of the best comic book writers in the industry, in special about Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom) and certainly I'm sure that he indeed collaborated in the project, but I think that the real "father" of this comic book was Sanford Greene, since you can notice that he was involved in all departments to make this comic book.
This comic book is highly recommended to any fan of Fantastic Four, in special of Doctor Doom, Valeria Richards and/or Galactus. Also, I have no doubt that this one-shot was published to start to make current boost to the characters of Doctor Doom and Galactus that both are expected to be relevant in the incoming phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I’ve chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better ovThe Ultimate Universe lives again!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I’ve chosen this TPB edition to be able of making a better overall review.
This TPB edition contains “Ultimate Invasion” #1-4 plus one-shot “Ultimate Universe” #1.” event.
Creative Team:
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrator: Bryan Hitch
ULTIMATE BRAVE NEW WORLD
The original Ultimate Marvel Universe, back at the beginning of the millenium was one of the best events ever made by Marvel, and even in the whole comic book industry, becoming best-selling titles and even the model for the eventual Marvel Cinematic Universe, like the thing that Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury was before in the comic of The Ultimates.
But as all things, the original Ultimate Marvel Universe came to an end, dying that universe, erasing everything there…
…BUT…
…two characters were able to escape to the destruction of the original Ultimate Marvel Universe…
…one hero…
…one hero turned villain…
…Miles Morales…
…and Reed Richards, and it’s this last one who now known as The Maker, one of the most dangerous villains in the whole Marvel multiverse, was confined in a prison, but he ha done goal in mind…
…getting back the Ultimate Universe, but shaping it at his own desire!
The original Ultimate Marvel Universe was the Earth-1610 but it was no more, therefore, The Maker after making an ingenious escape from his prison (and even inviting Miles Morales to go with him, but that one refused), he travelled to the Earth-6160 to make crafty manipulations here and there, to avoid many heroes to born (like Peter Parker isn’t bitten by a radioactive spider)…
…but even the Maker wasn’t able to stop certain events like Bruce Banner becoming The Hulk, and he doesn’t know where is the frozen body of Captain America…
…however the Tony Stark from there (he wasn’t Iron Man but his dad), discover The Maker’s plans and tried to stop him, but only to be considered as a terrorist by the general population.
And that’s only the prologue! And certainly I didn't spoil all the stuff, plenty more to read!
Because the new Ultimate Marvel Universe is just beginning!
Essential reading if you want to engage into the new Ultimate titles like Ultimate Spider-Man (I am reading this one!), Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Black Panther, so far, but I am sure that they’ll be more.
This is the comic book issue #8 of the event “Batman: White Knight”, which it will be a miniseries of 8 issueBatman: White Knight comes to an end!
This is the comic book issue #8 of the event “Batman: White Knight”, which it will be a miniseries of 8 issues.
Creative Team:
Writer & Illustrator: Sean Murphy
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Todd Klein
ONE BIG EPILOGUE
Joker might have been responsible for terrorizing Gotham, but you weren’t necessarily making it better.
Due Batman: White Knight has been such a rush during the previous months, I expected something better for the final issue…
…since it was like an “automatic pilot” issue, where everything runs as expected according to how the story was left in the seventh issue…
…also it was dissapointing that the conclussion was forced to get back to the status quo, at least about The Joker…
…but I have to admit that there were some good changes in how the things were being done in Gotham City from now on (in this parallel universe)…
…and certainly, due stuff exposed in previous issues and a key sentence here, you can figure it out about what will be about, the next volume…
…since I am sure that Sean Murphy (the author) will return to his great new Batman universe, that I read that it will be included into the incoming DC Black Label line of stories.
Don’t get me wrong, since Batman: White Knight is without a doubt one of the best things that you can read about Batman.
My complain isn’t about the whole storyline, but about the necessity of this eighth issue that I think it could be fit (with some editing) and making the miniseries in a seven-issue thing.
Merged review:
Batman: White Knight comes to an end!
This is the comic book issue #8 of the event “Batman: White Knight”, which it will be a miniseries of 8 issues.
Creative Team:
Writer & Illustrator: Sean Murphy
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Todd Klein
ONE BIG EPILOGUE
Joker might have been responsible for terrorizing Gotham, but you weren’t necessarily making it better.
Due Batman: White Knight has been such a rush during the previous months, I expected something better for the final issue…
…since it was like an “automatic pilot” issue, where everything runs as expected according to how the story was left in the seventh issue…
…also it was dissapointing that the conclussion was forced to get back to the status quo, at least about The Joker…
…but I have to admit that there were some good changes in how the things were being done in Gotham City from now on (in this parallel universe)…
…and certainly, due stuff exposed in previous issues and a key sentence here, you can figure it out about what will be about, the next volume…
…since I am sure that Sean Murphy (the author) will return to his great new Batman universe, that I read that it will be included into the incoming DC Black Label line of stories.
Don’t get me wrong, since Batman: White Knight is without a doubt one of the best things that you can read about Batman.
My complain isn’t about the whole storyline, but about the necessity of this eighth issue that I think it could be fit (with some editing) and making the miniseries in a seven-issue thing....more
This is the TPB collecting the issues #1-8 of the comic book event “Batman: Beyond the White Knight” plus the two-parter of “BatmIt’s Beyond Time!
This is the TPB collecting the issues #1-8 of the comic book event “Batman: Beyond the White Knight” plus the two-parter of “Batman: White Knight presents Red Hood”.
Creative Team:
Writer & Illustrator: Sean Murphy
Writer for Red Hood two-parter: Clay McCormack & Sean Murphy
Illustrators for Red Hood two-parter: Simone Di Meo & George Kambadais
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Colorists for Red Hood two-parter: Dave Stewart & Simone Di Meo
Letterer: Andworld Design
STILL A MASTERPIECE BUT…
While this third entry of the White Knight is still a masterpiece compared with many other stuff in the comic book market, and as you could see I gave it a full 5-stars rate, it’s the one that I found more stuff to critize or that I’d like to be handled differently.
This is where Batman Beyond (the Murphyverse version) enters and I was expecting that Terry McGinnis would shine to the top but the story (including the complementary two-parter) keeps wasting time on Jason Todd and frankly that doesn’t add anything of value to the main story, even you can take out Jason Todd of the equation and basically you get the same story.
On the side-story book about Harley Quinn, set between Curse and Beyond, Bruce Wayne shows that not matter he was on prison, he still keeps tabs on anything relevant happening on Gotham City, however, here Bruce Wayne is totally ignorant that Derek Powers took over Wayne Enterprise and even rename it, along with not knowing about how the lives of his “family” were doing all this time, and I felt that it was like a continuity issue, since not matter he asked that nobody would visit him anymore at the prison, he is Batman after all, and Batman always knows what is happening in Gotham City.
Derek Powers is one of the best managed characters in the story, but I didn’t need that he’d become Blight, while logical to the evolution of the character, he was more interesting and intimidating as a ruthless and smart CEO than a radioactive monster.
Duke Thomas took the mantle of Robin and while it was an idea of Sean Murphy since the first book that he didn’t implement then, I think that now in the third book where the character is way old, it’s kinda weird to be a Robin, in my humble opinion and it’s not like he is cooler just because becoming a Robin, since Duke Thomas is a cool character on his own.
And while Jackie, Harley and Jack’s daugher has a prominent role in the story, Bryce is left aside not doing anything relevant here.
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
Bruce Wayne has been on prison for like 10 years and now the GTO is keeping the peace using police state protocols even causing a separation from the GCPD, putting Commander Dick Grayson and Commisioner Barbara Gordon in opposite sides of how to uphold the law, there wasn’t a Batman for all that time…
…and now Gotham City will have TWO!!!
Terry McGinnis is being manipulated by Derek Powers to find a special Bat-suit, the “Beyond” suit, that Powers need for “The Project”, and once Bruce Wayne found out that what was his company now it’s managed by Powers, he got out from prison using another Bat-suit (one that uses low-tech and not electronics becoming kinda invisible for the city’s futuristic sensors).
However, Bruce Wayne won’t be alone…
…since a microchip on his brain will bring it a holographic Jack Napier!!!
That it will be quite useful in this now high-tech Gotham City, since this new Jack is having one heck of hacking habilities.
In the middle of that, Harley’s daughter, Jackie found out the truth of how Jack died and she goes in a teenage rampage that it will be stopped soon enough by Derek Powers, manipulating her for his own agenda.
And Sean Murphy already set key elements for the fourth entry of this White Knght saga, expanding the Batman universe to the rest of DC universe but in Murphyverse style.
This is the TPB collecting the issues #1-8 of the comic book event “Batman: Curse of the White Knight” plus the one-shot oThe Murphyverse expands!
This is the TPB collecting the issues #1-8 of the comic book event “Batman: Curse of the White Knight” plus the one-shot of “Batman: White Knight presents Von Freeze”.
Creative Team:
Writer & Illustrator: Sean Murphy
Illustrator for Von Freeze one-shot: Klaus Johnson
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Andworld Design
THE LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE!!!
After the huge success of The White Knight by Sean Murphy, opening the path to the new line of DC Black Label and fans talking about a “Murphyverse”, it was only logical to have a sequel and due the first one was so good, it was understandable if the second one wasn’t that good…
…BUT…
…it was the same as good!
Sean Murphy showed in the first White Knight his love for Batman, the Animated Series and Batman ‘89, still keeping that, in this second volume of the saga, he showed his influences of the rest of 90’s Batman films but also the 90’s comic book event of Batman: Knightfall, clearly showing his modern influences about Batman, making him a banner in a new generation of writers/artists for the universe of Batman.
Which one is better? Well, I think that’s losing time and enjoy both stories, since it’s like saying that “Empire Strikes Back” is better than “A New Hope” but you can’t have “Empire” without “New Hope”, you need one for the existence of the other, and while it’s clear that the whole Jack Napier thing in the first White Knight was managed awesome and you could say that the new antagonist isn’t that well psychologically developed, the bets in the second story are higher, Sean Murphy isn’t afraid of doing what’s needed for the whole picture of the story, taking true advantage that he has his own comic book universe, and the status quo in the Murphyverse is shaken so much that you have to recognize that Curse of the White Knight is as enjoyable and well written than the first entry of this modern masterpiece of the comic book industry.
KNIGHTFALL REIMAGINED
The Joker is back in prison and Jack Napier is inside of clown’s mind again, however Jack Napier did so much and exposed so much in the first entry of the story that Gotham City can’t be the same anymore…
…and that’s something that the rich elite can’t afford so The Napier Initiative needs to be stopped and if Batma doesn’t cooperate…
…well, he will need to be stopped too!
ENTER: AZRAEL aka Jean-Paul Valley
However, Sean Murphy reimagined this and offers a better solution to the eternal problem of Knigthfall…
…why Bruce Wayne chose a total stranger like Jean-Paul Valley as his successor over better choices like Dick Grayson?
And Sean Murphy did it quite easy, since the idea of a new Batman isn’t taken by Bruce Wayne but the very rich elite that needed a better pawn to keep Gotham City under their leash.
However, that it will the peak of the iceberh since the very existence of Jean-Paul Valley means to Bruce Wayne more than he ever imagined since in this reimagination, Jean-Paul Valley isn’t a stranger to the legacy of Gotham City!
Bruce Wayne, Harleen Quinzel, Jack Napier, James Gordon, Barbara Gordon and the entire Gotham City won’t be the same after the shaking events of this monumental story.
Also, you’ll get in this TPB a great chapter about the past of Victor Fries’ father under the regime of the Nazi Third Reich.
This softcover TPB edition collects “Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” #1-5.
Creative Team:
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Illustrator:It’s kaiju time!
This softcover TPB edition collects “Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” #1-5.
Creative Team:
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Illustrator: Freddie E. Williams II
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Before I have read several Power Rangers comic book stories but so far, it has been thanks that my brother lent me his comic books, but this one is my first Power Rangers material that I bought for my own comic book collection.
I am fan of Godzilla since I was a kid and recently I became Power Rangers fan, so it was logical to get this story involving both franchises.
I think that while Godzilla is well managed in the story, you lose some impact of it since it’s a comic book and not a live-action film where you can hear his roar and watching moving the monster, because since it’s a kaiju that you don’t know what he is really thinking or hearing his thoughts, watching him in a comic book is quite less impacting.
A WORLD WITHOUT POWER RANGERS…BUT…
Rita Repulsa, archnemesis of the Power Rangers got a gemstone called the “Multiversal Focus”, letting her to go to any alternate reality that she wants, and obviously she is seeking for an universe without the existence of the Power Rangers…
…BUT...
…she got a world where Godzilla exists!
I don’t know you, but I would prefer to stay in the universe where she only has to deal with Power Rangers and not with the King of Monsters!
In the story, the creative team cleverly uses the Xilliens that they are an enemy alien race featured in the Japanese live-action film Godzilla: Final Wars and it’s indeed a great idea, since they are an alien race able to conjure kaijus to cause havok for their world conquering goals.
However, the Xilliens can’t control what the kaijus would do, and that’s something that Rita Repulsa finds quite inneficient once she makes a forced alliance, since obviously her monsters, small or big, always are under her control.
Obviously at the beginning of the story, it’s the usual crossover clash where heroes don’t know each other, so the Power Rangers asume that Godzilla was just another enemy monster to beat, and Godzilla thinks that the Power Rangers’ Zords are just other kaijus to smash.
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
LITERARY CLOThe end of an era… finally concludes!
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
LITERARY CLOSURE
In this Coda trilogy, three different authors, Dayton Ward, James Swallow and David Mack wrote each a book, and without a question they are part of the best authors of expanded universe in Star Trek, however in my personal taste, it was a bummer that Peter David didn’t write any of those three entries, since he is my favorite Star Trek author, where easily five of my personal top ten favorite Star Trek novels were written by him, curiously the odd numbers if I define them in order or preference, but also I understand that Peter David has been too focused on his own Star Trek spin-off New Frontier, so it’s quite logic to select authors more involved in the big picture of the expanded universe of Star Trek that it’s given a closure in this Coda trilogy.
As I already commented in previous reviews of the first two books, I am truly glad that the Star Trek expanded universe didn’t lose totally its canon status but technically deviate to a reality happened in an alternate timeline, that honestly is a better option than turned them into “legends” as happened with the expanded universe novels of Star Wars, since “legends” sound like something that didn’t occured per se.
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Many heroes have fallen (no, I won’t spoil which ones) and many others are falling here in this final entry, and nobody is safe since the crews of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine (there are very few characters of Voyager due the way that that spin-off ended in its own expanded universe saga) come to the grimm conclusion that their reality isn’t meant to continue that there is a “prime reality” with bette chance to survive, therefore, they will do anything in their power to save that “prime reality” even if that means that they won’t continue to expand anymore (certainly a powerful and creative way to give sense why the new TV series have different events than the ones evolved in the expanded universe novels).
They will die to give a chance to survive to the TV & Film timeline.
However, the Devidians are insidious enemies and it won’t be easy to find a way to defeat them, since now they aren’t the only foes to be worry about but also…
…THE BORG!!!
Since, they find out that their “literary” timeline “expanded” due the events on Star Trek: First Contact, where the events after that in Insurrections and Nemesis plus the active TV series back then happened relatively the same, but obviously right after Nemesis, the “prime” TV & Film reality and the literary expanded reality started to deviate in huge proportions and now only the TV & Film reality is the one with a fair chance to survive.
Obviously, in the book they don’t refer those realities as “TV & Film” of “literary”, I am choosing to refer to them in that way, since it’s a lot easier to understand. I am truly glad that William Riker is “cured” and getting back as a hero instead of an antagonist, since he is one of my favorite characters and I wouldn’t enjoy to have him as foe in the final book of the expanded universe.
What I find sad is that the USS Enterprise-E didn’t play a role in this third book since, again, it’s the final entry of the expanded universe, so having Captain Jean-Luc Picard using another starships is kinda bummer.
However, in general, it’s an exciting book that gives (along with the other two novels in the trilogy) a respecful closure to the awesome expanded universe that many outstanding authors wrote giving to the universe of Star Trek an amazing bunch of adventures meanwhile there wasn’t any project on air during those many years.
This is the fourth book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that itThe final chapter!
This is the fourth book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that it was published in four separate parts to sell them in a lower price each. Later it was re-published in an omnibus edition.
The story is set at the beginning of Buffy’s freshman year at UC Sunnydale. (Season 4)
THE BOOK EVENT COMES TO AN END
Buffy Summers has been 5 years in the future dealing a dark scenario where Giles is king of the vampires controling all Sunnydale and several of her friends and allies are no more, even the supposed main villain Camaztoz, the Mayan god of the bats has fallen against this Vampire King Giles.
Vampire King Giles is by far, one of the best villains ever conceived in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, therefore, maybe my only complain in this final part of the story is that the heroes will be dealing with him like in the second act of three, where the climax would be getting back with Camazotz again in the present, obviously is something logical, but nevertheless this “god of the bats” not matter how powerful is and not matter how enhanced are his minions, a new kind of vampires, faster and more vicious, you can’t avoid to feel that once the arc of Vampire King Giles is resolved (I won’t say how), the hype of reading falls a lot since the “cool” threat was Vampire King and Camazotz is like a second banana compared to a Giles turned evil.
Refering to the whole story, the four parts, definitely is very cool novel, totally recommended to any Buffy, the Vampire Slayer fan where you have a dark future tale (someting always cool in any series) where familiar character like Willow and Xander are portraited having to deal with roles that aren’t typical of them but required to the story and where is really awesome to read about them.
Also, the story shows how important is the friendship of Buffy and Willow, where they are stronger together and where they argue for small things is where a mistake can be made causing fearsome repercusions.
Even, you’ll have a new Slayer around that I won’t say much but always a new girl answering the call of the Slayer is something cool to have in any Buffy story.
This is the third book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that itThe darkest future!
This is the third book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that it was published in four separate parts to sell them in a lower price each. Later it was re-published in an ómnibus edition.
The story is set at the beginning of Buffy’s freshman year at UC Sunnydale.
THE MOST FEARSOME ENEMY
Buffy Summers never faced such terrible villain, so far she had faced enemies such as The Master, Spike & Dru, Angelus and the Mayor…
…BUT…
…she never thought to have to face her own mentor!
In the previous two parts, Buffy and gang met a new kind a vampires, stronger and more vicious, led by Camazotz, known by the Mayans as “the god of the bats”. While they posed certainly a new level of threat, Buffy trusted to find a way to deal with these new vampires, however she is ambushed and Giles is captured. Buffy guessed that he was used as bait or hostage but Camazotz had other plans for the watcher, turning him into a vampire!…
…BUT…
…it was a terrible miscalculation by Camazotz since Giles resulted in the most cunning vampire ever, and soon Giles took control of Camazotz’s clan, meanwhile Buffy met an entity known as The Prophet that took her consciousness into her ownself five years in the future, finding out that she has been prisoner in a cell during all those five years, in a future where Giles is king of the vampires, reuniting a vast army of regular vampires along with the new kind of vampires, having total control of Sunnydale and beginning now to make moves to do the same on Los Angeles city.
Willow had to take lead of the gang along with new allies during those five years where close friends and allies fell or got missing.
Now, Buffy needs to find a way to stop this dark future if possible, along to get back her mind to her present.
This is the fifth and final novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
EVERYTHING COMES TO AN END
Lucy Carlyle iThe epic solution to The Problem!
This is the fifth and final novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
EVERYTHING COMES TO AN END
Lucy Carlyle is once again working with Lockwood & Co., along with A.J. Lockwood and George Cubbins, keeping on payroll to Holly Munro and even adding now Quill Kipps.
In the last book, the story leaves a cliffhanger where they need to check out the grave of Marissa Fittes, a legendary heroines of the early days about The Problem, but as the book’s title hints, the Marissa Fittes’ coffin is empty.
However, our heroes now have to deal with Penelope Fittes but she and Marissa’s fate is tighter than they ever suspect.
Therefore, the humble Lockwood & Co. will have to fight against the Fittes Agency and all its resources and influence in London, so they soon will have to look for the possible allies even the unpredictable Whispering Skull.
Easily the darkest novel in the series (that after all, the series is quite dark already) and our heroes will have to be alert because the perils are the highest here!
Everything you wanted to know about how The Problem originated, and the foggy family past of A.J. Lockwood will be revealed here, so definitely, if you were reading the previous entries in the series, you need to read the epic conclusion!
This is the fourth novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
THE COUNTRY, FULL OF FRESH AIR AND… GHOSTS!!!
Lucy Carlyle is no Ghosts everywhere!
This is the fourth novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
THE COUNTRY, FULL OF FRESH AIR AND… GHOSTS!!!
Lucy Carlyle is no more with Lockwood & Co. and she’s trying to pay the rent as a freelancer, even with big companies like Rothwell Agency, but it’s clear that maybe that’s a big company but that doesn’t mean better personnel and she has to emply all her cards to keep herself alive in the job.
Lucy deals with the illegal traffic of Sources that they were supposed to be destroyed but they end in the black market, and in the middle of that, she lost her most valuable paranormal possession, the Whispering Skull!
Lucy is missing her days at Lockwood & Co. but she won’t need to do that anymore since A.J. Lockwood himself presents at her door asking for her freelance services, and while she doesn’t know what to feel to work again with her friends, she accepts the offer.
Lucy then joins A.J. Lockwood, George Cubbins, Holly Munro, along with Quill Kipps, to go to a small town with big ghost troubles, where it’s clear that Rothwell Agency is doing some kind of mischief.
The biggest ghost there is The Creeping Shadow giving title to the novel.
Along with paranormal issues, they will face a nasty corporate war, where some of the leading ones aren’t who they supposed to be.
I won’t get deeper in the story since it would spoil the ending but I can tell you that the fourth book is as good as the previous ones in the series and definitely I recommend it!
This is the third novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
NETFLIX DECIDED FOR ME
I wasn’t sure to engage the third book,The stakes got bigger!
This is the third novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
NETFLIX DECIDED FOR ME
I wasn’t sure to engage the third book, not because I wasn’t enjoying the book series, but because it was possible that if I read the book, I wouldn’t get any surprise when I’d watch the second season of the Netflix TV adaptation, however…
…Netflix decided to cancel the series!
I don’t know why they take such decisions, since terrible TV series get more seasons but a cool and engaging TV series like Lockwood & Co. is canceled. At least, unlike other interesting TV series like Archive 81 that got canceled too, in this case I can find out what happens next thanks to the original book series.
Still, books or not, I am still sad of not being able to watch the next seasons of what could be a wonderful TV series.
SOMETHING BIG IS COOKING AT CHELSEA
A.J. Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle and George Cubbins are quite busy with cases all around in London but curiously enough while there is a major ghost outbreak at Chelsea, they hadn’t been asked to participate yet by DEPRAC there, however since they are barely been able to handle all their cases, their residence is suffering of poor attendance and Lockwood decides to hire a new assistant, not matter that Lucy is against the idea.
ENTER: Holly Munro
She is the first book canon dark skinned character while in the first (and seems only one) season of the TV adaptation there were several afro-american portraits of characters.
She was supposed to take care of the operations at the house but soon enough Lookwood asked her to help them at the field.
Lucy is quite jealous of her, since she seems to be all that Lucy would want to be. It doesn’t that the Skull in the jar enjoys to tease Lucy about Holly.
George is noticing that the quantity but also the intensity of the ghost cases that they are handling is quite unusual and it’s clear that all are connected to whatever is happening at Chelsea…
…and you can guess that he isn’t wrong since something really BIG is cooking at Chelsea, in a building that it was the center of several massive deadly incidents but there is something else boosting the intensity of the ghost activity, something familiar to Lookwood & Co. but is a larger scale.
In a side-story, Lockwood finally showed to Lucy and George what was behind a locked door in their house (AJ Lookwood’s family house) and it’s connected to a very personal Lockwood’s family tragedy linked to a ghost attack. (I’m not get into more details to avoid real spoilers)
The third book is as good as the two previous ones and definitely I recommend it!
This is the second novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
FROM PAGE TO SCREEN
This second book was adapted into the first seHere we go again!
This is the second novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
FROM PAGE TO SCREEN
This second book was adapted into the first season of Netflix TV series, most specifically in the episodes 4 to 8 (therefore episodes 1 to 3 were the adaptation of the first book).
While the first book was quite accurate adapted into the TV series, the second book got some differences in its adaptation but nothing deviating too much from the general impact, even including some new elements giving a little more of richness to the action.
Some differences (and without making any spoiler, don’t worry) are that like the character Albert Joplin in the book is treated as a female character in the TV series with the name of Pamela Joplin, but essentially the same character; Flo Bones has a more excentric personality in the book than in the TV series (at least that’s my personal perception), there is a new character exclusive from the TV series (at least he doesn’t appear in the first two books, maybe later I don’t know yet) known only as The Golden Blade; Lockwood & Co. engages into a wager against Kipps’ team but in the book is less impacting where if some team loses they have to publish an add giving acknowledge of the superiority of the other team while in the TV series they put in risk keeping on business (if I am remembering well), that after all, the wager isn’t of any consequence in the narrative anyway.
SKULLS & BONES
The book begins where the short story The Dagger in the Desk left off but you get enough info the second entry about the initial situatio, therefore isn’t necessary to read the short story to understand the beginning of the second novel of the book series.
Lockwood & Co. ends his job at the private school but needing the assistance of Quill Kipps and his team from Fittes Agency (most prestigious Ghost Hunting agency in England).
After that Lockwood & Co. got a job at a cemetery (that I can tell you isn’t any fun to do Ghost Hunting in a British cemetary during “The Problem” since almost any tomb can unleash a dangerous ghost if his/her death was violent), where they have to deal with a corpse that there isn’t record of why he was buried there and most important the ghost is a very dangerous type and in possession of a dark mirror (becoming a high profile target for relic hunters from all London). The mirror is lost from custody and the quest for it becomes a large part of the narrative, where Lockwood contacts a friend of his named Flo Bones, a ghost-related rlice hunter, but also they clash against the Winkmans, a extremely vicious and dangerous relic hunter marriage.
Lucy is able to hear a skull in jar (hence the title of this second book) that George got from his previous job at Fittes (not that they are aware of that) and the skulls is a high level ghost with astonishing intelligence and ability of communicating (but only Lucy due her “listener” gift is able to hear him) and the skull becomes a crutial help to the investigation but keeping at their toes since Lockwood & Co. knows that they just can’t trust in him.
This second book is also as good as the first one and I totally recommended it.
This is a short story of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series, set between Book 1 and 2.
SPOOKY SCHOOL
This is a short story betweeCool short story!
This is a short story of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series, set between Book 1 and 2.
SPOOKY SCHOOL
This is a short story between the first and the second book of the Lockwood & Co. series and while it’s after the events of the first book, I think that if somebody isn’t sure to engage into reading the series, they can try this short story since it’s a typical case and everything you need to understand what’s happening there, it’s explained well enough.
Also, there is a glossary of ghost clasifications and even a sneak preview of the first chapter of the second book.
This tale isn’t covered in the Netflix first season adaptation, it still to be seen if they’d show it in a following season.
In the same way than the first book (and I guess it will be the format of the whole series), the narrative is told from the point of view of Lucy Carlyle.
Anthony Lockwood, Lucy and George are hired to deal with some ghost in a private school that even on the day (that that it’s really rare) there are paranormal incidents like appearing flying daggers (hence the story’s title).
I won’t spoil the case, but as I told you, it’s a typical (but quite entertained) case in the universe of Lockwood & Co. that if you are already fan, you’ll enjoy it quite a lot, and as I told already too, if you don’t know anything about the series, it’s a cool option to read something short and decide if you want to engage into the whole series.
This is the first novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
STREAMING STAIRCASE
I already knew about this book seriWho you gonna call…in London?
This is the first novel of the “Lockwood & Co.” book series
STREAMING STAIRCASE
I already knew about this book series before of the streaming TV adaptation by Netflix, but I didn’t start to read the book series until now.
I liked a lot the first season that it’s an adaptation of books 1 and 2. I think that maybe they aren’t sure to reach five seasons, so they merged two books into the first season, and I guess to reach three seasons at least for the entire series, also taking in account that the following books are thicker and therefore harder to adapt two novels in just one TV season.
So, since the book series is already finished and it isn’t so extensive, I think that it was a good idea to engage into the book series while the second season would come out, hopefully soon and hopefully that Netflix would adapt the entire saga and don’t get cancelled before.
From what I read in the first book, it was quite well adapted in the streaming TV series, so both formats are recommendable to engage.
THE PROBLEM
In London, there is a problem that they call… “The Problem” (they didn’t scratch their heads too much, mmh?) that since 50 years ago, ghost began to appear at night and if you are touched by them you die! Soon enough it was discovered that many children had talents to hear, watch and feel ghosts, but when they reached maturity, they lost those talents. Agencies are formed all around England to deal with The Problem, using kids as field agents and adults (usually former kids with talent) as supervisors.
It’s developed a vast arsenal of tools and weapons to deal with the ghosts, like iron chains, iron filings, iron swords, silver nets, salt bombs and magnesium incendiary explosives, where the key tactic to eliminate the ghosts is to find “The Source” some artifact left behind when they were alive and that they remained attached.
The private commercial agencies are supervised by a government agency called DEPRAC (Department of Psychical Research and Control).
GHOSTS ARE JOB FOR KIDS
“Lockwood & Co.” is an unique agency since it’s operated by teenagers without any adult supervision. The first book is told from the perspective of Lucy Carlyle, a teenage girl with the talent of hearing ghosts, but soon enough is discovered that she also can “feel” things while touching objects serving as Sources.
Lucy after having some troubles in her home town, she moved to London and got being hired by Anthony Lockwood (a little older than Lucy) and owner of “Lockwood & Co.” with the talent of seeing ghosts, where the third member of the agency is George Cubbins (also a little older than Lucy but a little younger than Lockwood) where he is expert in researching the necessary info about ghosts before engaging them.
In the first book, you’ll read about an early mission of Lucy and Lockwood where they caused a severe damage to a house and they are in the need to get soon a lot of money to pay the damages or the agency can be shut down by DEPRAC.
Therefore, Lockwood will accept a dangerous job in Combe Carey Hall (the most haunted house in England, that it possess that motto even before of the rising of The Problem!) where there is hidden a “Screaming Staircase” which it gives title to this first novel.
The setting of the saga is awesome, quite well established the rules of how this world works, the characters are well developed and you care for them, and certainly it’s totally recommended. Certainly I will read the rest of the saga, maybe not, one after another, but reading some other stuff in between, but I won't delay them too much.
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
EVERYBODY IS INVITEDThe end of an era… continues!
This book is the second one in the “Coda” trilogy. Each book is written by a different author.
EVERYBODY IS INVITED!
The saga giving a closure to the Star Trek expanded universe continues.
Certainly this trilogy is offering a better way to deal with the “canon” topic of prose novels to the Star Trek franchise than the decision made with Star Wars where they just relegated its prose novels (not all of them) to a status of “legends” leaving them totally non-canon, however in Star Trek cleverly they are using this very saga to explain that they exist in a different parallel universe, at least the books about the 24th century set after the events of the ending of the previous TV series and films, since nowadays with the existence of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Prodigy, even Star Trek: Lower Decks (in the case of Star Trek: Discovery isn´t affecting so far), the lives of characters like Jean-Luc Picard, Kathryn Janeway, Benjamin Sisko and their crews are now totally different in comparison with their adventures during the so-called “expanded universe”.
Another cool thing is that everybody is invited to this closure since in this second novel you get references not only to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager but also to Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Enterprise, along with even Star Trek: Lower Decks. Some elements are widely exposed, others are some brief reference, but all of them are there.
THE STAKES IS HIGHER AND HIGHER
The Devidians, villains that appeared in ST:TNG in the two-parter episode “Time’s Arrow” are proving to be one of the most dangerous threats ever faced by any Star Trek crew, since they are putting at risk the very existence of not only this literary universe at hand but also multiple parallel universes, even time-manipulating races like the Krenim aren’t able to stop the Devidians.
Captain Picard and Wesley Crusher aren’t getting the assistance expected from Starfleet Command so they are leaving with not other choice than dealing the menace of the Devidians themselves, becoming renegades, with the support of a small group of friends and allies, including Captain Sisko and his former crew…
…BUT…
…William Riker isn’t one of those friends or allies! Maybe this is the only one thing that I didn’t enjoy in this second book, since while there is an explanation of why Riker is acting that way, still I am not thrilled with the concept of having Riker as an antagonist in the story (not a villain, but certainly a fearsome antagonist).
Since this is the ending of the so-called “expanded universe”, in the first book many characters died, most of them were literary characters created during the expanded universe but there was one truly big and important of the characters from the TV series, and in this second book, the deaths continue, where you have even more characters from TV series dying and not limiting to characters but also iconic elements of the franchise are no more.
The stakes are higher and higher since this the end of a (literary) era!
This harcover TPB edition contains “Batman ‘89” #1 - 6.
Creative Team
Writer: Sam Hamm
Illustrator: Roberto Quiñones
BATMANIA
BaBatmania is back!!!
This harcover TPB edition contains “Batman ‘89” #1 - 6.
Creative Team
Writer: Sam Hamm
Illustrator: Roberto Quiñones
BATMANIA
Batman from 1989 was a pop culture revolution that year, people made lines to buy a t-shirt with Batman logo and certainly was the most popular movie then. People read articles in newspapers, months before its premiere, telling about the development of the film.
Polemic risen about if Michael Keaton should portrait Batman…
…and then the movie opened…
…and the polemic died and a pop culture icon was born.
I was lucky to watch that movie at theaters twice in a week. A friend got me from USA, the original soundtrack in cassette (yes, I still have it) and eventually I got the 90s Batman’s film collection first on DVD and later on blu-ray.
When I bought this TPB I thought that it was a following from the first film only, but it resulted that Batman Returns also ocurred, so the graphic novel is set after the events of the first two films giving an alternative continuation keeping Michael Keaton as Batman and Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent/Two-Face.
In the case of Pat Hingle’s James Gordon, you’ll find a dramatic change, showing a haircut and moustache to make him to look more like a comic book James Gordon. I would preferred having him to look more like in the live-action films, after all, the whole idea reading this kind of comic book projects is to watch the characters to look like their movie counterparts.
HOLY ROADS NOT TAKEN, BATMAN!
A real treat for this story is having Sam Hamm as writer since he was the screenwriter of precisely the first two Batman films, and he wrote this graphic novel adapting ideas that he discussed with the very Tim Burton and those ideas could be indeed a third movie if Tim Burton would remain as director, so this TPB is a priceless chance to read what may looked like.
In this story is introduced an adult Barbara Gordon who is a GCPD Sergeant Detective (that at least in my opinion she has the lookalike of Sean Young (who was initially casted as Vicky Vale for the first movie but she had to quit due an accident while filming an early scene)) but it seems that the thought model for the character was Winona Ryder. I don’t know, the drawing for me still it looks like more like Sean Young.
Also, you have Robin, but it’s a new character named Drake Winston and drawn to look like a young Marlon Wayans. I think that if they were creating a new Robin, they should think in a whole different name (like Miles Morales in the case of Marvel’s Spider-Man). Tim Drake is the comics’ third Robin and even he was created in 1989. I don’t know, maybe, just maybe, it was initially a joint project, but since Robin didn’t get to appear in the first Tim Burton film at the final cut, the two ideas took different paths.
At the end, this TPB is highly recommend to all fans of Batman films since it’s a priceless opportunity to read an elseworld scenario of how may looked like a third Batman film if Michael Keaton and Tim Burton would remain for a third entry in the film saga.
This harcover TPB edition contains “Superman ‘78” #1 - 6.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Venditti
IllustratoYou’ll believe that a man can fly…again!!!
This harcover TPB edition contains “Superman ‘78” #1 - 6.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Venditti
Illustrator: Wilfredo Torres
MY FAVORITE MOVIE
Good stories are never behind you, Jimmy! They’re out front!
Superman the movie is the film that I watched always on my birthday (at least always since I got it on DVD and later on Blu-ray) and definitely is the movie that impacted me as a child since I was lucky of being able to watch it on theater when I was like 6 years old, and since I was a kid in an age where there weren’t much special effects movies around, my experience wasn’t to watch an actor performing a role in the middle of a fx scene, oh no, when I watch Superman for the first time in live-action, I was convinced that I was watching a man flying able to catch with ONE HAND a freakin’ helicopter while having rescued a woman with the other hand…
…for a 6 years old, you can’t give him something better than that.
I kept loving the movie during my childhood, and when I became adult I was able to appreciate his final speech to the prison warden showing a priceless moment of humility, which is Superman’s best trademark.
After all that, it was obvious that I was going to read this TPB.
The events are after of Superman the movie but taking a different path where next adventure of Superman isn’t battling against thee three super-villains from Kryptong but facing the menace of Brainiac which is cool since he’s one of the major villains of Superman but still lack of a live-action appearance in theatric films (not matter of having appeared on TV at least in Smallville and Krypton)…
…and while I enjoyed a lot the story in this TPB…
…I would love even more, if this concept of introducing Brainiac to the Christopher Reeve’s Superman could be made after the events of Superman II and instead of Superman III (since after all that film was about a super computer anyway) but also doing what it was originally meant where Helen Slater’s Supergirl would be introduced in the third film of Superman original saga…
…Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater together in the same movie…
…could be the only thing to be better than the first two movies of Superman,… still the story is cool and interesting and a fair divergent road after the first film of Superman.
However the artwork could be way better (at least it wasn’t something that I particularly liked) since while the characters are drawn showing recognizable enough facial features of the live-action actors, still looks like a tie-in comic book adaptation from the 80s or 90s, that it could be acceptable in those decades but in the new millenium one is used to have better artwork in this kind of tie-in illustrated adaptations.
BRAINS V. STRENGHT: DAWN OF DOUBLE MORALITY
Harm’s way is what I do.
I always find ridiculous that people never doubt that Lex Luthor or Brainiac are certainly super-smart but Superman is only about strength and physical power…
…sorry but Superman has the scientific acumen and the knowledge of dozens of worlds in the 28 known galaxies…
…in the movie he was educated while he was traveling as a baby aboard of the rocket ship and even if that all information kept dormant while he was a kid and teenager, certainly all that knowledge was re-activated during his 12 years on the Fortress of Solitude preparing him for his adult life.
I don’t know compared to Brainiac, but easily Superman should be far better instructed than Lex Luthor. Even Luthor not matter he was kept telling about brains over strenght, he admited that only he was able to have smart talks with Superman.
However, writers kept showing other characters like Brainiac and Lex Luthor (and here, there is another surprise character) that they are the smart ones and not Superman. I guess that people can’t deal with someone who can be as good in the physical area than in the brains area…
…but amusingly that seems to apply only with Superman since it seems that nobody finds objectionable that situation with Batman, since everybody loves that the Dark Knight is as intelligent than an Olympic-level athlete but when it’s about Superman is like people is terrified of that scenario. (and don't get mistaken, I am fan of Batman too (I have a shelf with action figures of Superman and Batman) but I can't ignore the irony about it)
At the end, not matter that I could love to have Helen Slater’s Supergirl in the story and also I would prefer a better illustrator for the comic, I definitely recommend this TPB to any fan of the Christopher Reeve’s film run of Superman....more
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