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.
This is a stand-alone prose novel, situated right after “Chain of Command” Parts One & Two episodes from ST-TBrilliant idea for a Star Trek novel!
This is a stand-alone prose novel, situated right after “Chain of Command” Parts One & Two episodes from ST-TNG and before “Emissary” from ST-DS9.
Captain’s Log:
The USS Enterprise-D is assigned to arbitrate the negotiations between the Cardassian Union and the Bajoran Provisional Government, after the unexpected annoucement by the Cardassian Civilian Detapa Council ordering to release the planet Bajor and all its population in that world and any other world in the Cardassian Union, along with retiring all military personnel. The diplomatic talks are celebrated at Terok Nor, an uridium ore processing space station orbiting Bajor.
The USS Oceanside, a California-class starship, is assigned to support assistance to the Enterprise-D in the additional mission of giving maintenance to the Terok Nor station and bringing medical help to the Bajoran population at the surface.
Senior Staff:
Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Commanding Officer) Cmdr. William T. Riker (First Officer) Lt. Cmdr. Data (Operations Manager & Second Officer) Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Troi (Ship’s Counselor) Lt. Worf (Chief Security Officer) Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (Chief Engineering Officer) Dr. Beverly Crusher (Chief Medical Officer)
Capt. Tamiko Hayashio (Commanding Officer) Dr. Tropp (Chief Medical Officer) Cmdr. Sarah McDougall (Chief Engineering Officer)
Guest Stars:
Constable Odo (Terok Nor Chief Security Officer) Kira Nerys Garak
LOST CHAPTER
This is indeed a “lost chapter” since this prose novel gives a link between ST-TNG and the beginning of ST-DS9 since it’s situated right after Capt. Jean-Luc Picard was tortured by Gul Madred during the events of Chain of Command and before that Terok Nor would become a Starfleet administered station and be called Deep Space Nine, which I think it’s a great idea for a prose novel in the Star Trek universe.
Where you have the introductions of known characters of Deep Space Nine before of taking their roles, along with reading about the decision of Chief O’Brien of leaving the Enterprise-D but also old minor characters of The Next Generation will return doing priceless cameos, and even character from the “future” of expanded universe prose novels.
PEACE SOMETIMES IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN WAR
After the debacle at Minos Korva where a Cardassian fleet was stopped by the strategy of Capt. Edward Jellico (at that moment in command of the Enterprise-D) the Civilian Detapa Council in Cardassian gives a totally unexpected order of retiring all military presence of the Cardassian Union in the Bajoran system and liberating all Bajoran population in any other Cardassian sector…
…however that order isn’t comply as smooth as you could hope, since the Cardassian Central Command gives indications of damaging all possible Bajoran resources and any Cardassian technology left behind…
…but the worse is that there are secret labour camps in other planetary systems where the liberation order will be changed to extermination process.
It’s up to the Enterprise-D and Oceanside crews to do their best in repairing Terok Nor station, finding the source of a provoked decease in Bajor’s surface, but also finding out about one of those secret camps where an old friend of Ro Laren is kept captive along with many other Bajorans.
Capt. Picard will have his hands full not only dealing with Gul Dukat but also with the now Legate Madred, a very uncomfortable reunion right after their previous torturing meeting. I would wish to have more presence in the story by Ro Laren, and while she does pivotal things in the novel, still I’d love to have her in a more relevant role.
Also, while Garak is on the cover along with Picard, they didn't share any scene and Garak isn't doing really much in the story. (I'd prefer a photo art cover instead of this artistic representation that I guess they don't need to pay to the actors to use them in the cover)
This is a The Next Generation novel but you will have the birth of Deep Space Nine too. Highly recommended for fans of both spin-offs of Star Trek....more
This a self-contained prose novel which is part of the “Fear Street Relaunch” book series
AWESOME COVER
It’sAnother great success by R.L. Stine!
This a self-contained prose novel which is part of the “Fear Street Relaunch” book series
AWESOME COVER
It’s said that you can’t judge a book for its cover but certainly this novel has an awesome cover that matches with its awesome story.
Usually the books by R.L. Stine have cool covers appealing to read them, but I think that this one can be one of the coolest covers that I’ve seen in the library of R.L. Stine.
In fact, this is my second book in the line of Fear Street Relaunch where the first one, Gimme a K-I-L-L is one of my favorite books by R.L. Stine, and since I had such a blast with this other book of that book series, it seems that Fear Street Relaunch while it took some elements of previous books of the original Fear Street, certainly R.L. Stine make very good improvements, making them a good choice to read.
TRUST NO ONE!
Lisa Brooks is new on Shadyside, her family moved from Shaker Heights, but soon the tragedy hits her when her dad dies in a car accident where her entire family including herself were onboard, she was left with mental trauma and now she is suffering nightmares and scary hallucinations.
As a form of therapy, Dr. Shein, her psychiatrist recommends her as babysitter for Mrs. Brenda Hart, to take care of her sweet kid named Harry, everything seems good, but…
…the Hart Family lives on FEAR STREET!!!
So, obviously something wrong will be happening, especially when Mrs. Hart gives a pivotal instruction to Lisa that Harry can be still awake after 8pm…
…he can’t STAY UP LATE.
Her boyfriend Nate Goodman, and her best friends Saralynn O’Brien and Isaac Brenner are there for her, but…
…can she trust them? Especially when Summer Lawson (former girlfriend of Nate) is appearing eveywhere giving some warnings about Nate.
Does she can trust in anybody in Shadyside?
Since soon enough gruesome murders will start to happen in the front door where Lisa is babysitting, and the worse of all is that the Shadyside Police thinks that Lisa is totally wacko since she is watching horrible monsters walking around but nobody else is watching them.
This hardcover edition is a companion guide and artbook to “Invincible” Season 1 animated series” event.
CreaAwesome item to any fan of the series!
This hardcover edition is a companion guide and artbook to “Invincible” Season 1 animated series” event.
Creative Team:
Writer: Marc Sumerak
Foreword: Robert Kirkman (Creator of Invincible comic book and producer of TV animated adaptation)
ONE OF THE TOP 10 BEST AMERICAN ANIMATED SERIES
While the official title of the book is “The Art of…” and therefore you may think that it’s only a visual item to the series and while it isn’t a proper companion guide, certainly this gorgeous hardcover edition, large format, printed in prestige paper in full color, is quite more than just an artbook since it contains a lot of behind-the-scenes information about the whole Season One of the animated adaptation of Invincible.
You have separated sections dedicated to each episode of Season One, with inside comments about what they wanted to accomplish on each of those episodes including color boards…
…along with separated sections with spolights on each of the main characters of the season like Mark Grayson (Invincible), Nolan Grayson (Omni-man), Debbie Grayson, Atom Eve, Cecil, The Guardians of thee Globe, etc… moreover sections about the whole production process of the animated adaptation. Also, separating each major section, you’ll have beautiful landscapes used in the animation.
Of course, in the same way that the animated series is “R-Rated”, you may say that this book is too, since you’ll have here and there, drawings of gore moments of the action used in the season.
But, definitely, this is a priceless collector’s item (and quite useful too!) to any fan of the animated adaptation of the bestseller comic book series.
…or this novel is one of the most visionary sci-fi stories ever written…
…OR…
…Farfetched Sci-Fi Thriller!
GENETIC MANIPULATION
One of two things…
…or this novel is one of the most visionary sci-fi stories ever written…
…OR…
…is the one most farfetched ever written.
The topic is really good and clever elected. It’s the way that it’s developed that I had serious troubles to assimilate, since some stuff is like resolved too easily or just too quick. One injection and immediate results. Maybe those things could be overwatched in a comic book where science is quite quick to happen, but in a prose sci-fi thriller novel, I don’t know, I just could accept it so easily.
Also, there is a whole lot of legal themes that since I’m not lawyer, I don’t know if those are able to happen in US Legal Courts.
There is a company BioGen, and they are after the genes of Frank Burnet that it seems that he was able to get healthy from an aggressive form of leukemia, and most of the book, he is on the run avoiding to be captured by BioGen. No problem with that.
Where I have problems is about a chimpanzee and a parrot that they are genetically manipulated and suddenly they can think and talk, even the chimpanzee is able to go to school and people truly believed that he is a human with some false genetic disease!
And those are like the main cases, since another problem with the novel is that there are just too many micro-stories, truly disturbing being able to appreciate the main story.
It’s well written since it has a good narrative form, but I think that the sci-fi elements are too quick and too farfetched presented, along with some questionable legal issues (that maybe are real and possible, but I had serious issues to accept).
It wasn't easy for me, giving so low rating, since Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors, but honestly I just couldn't assimilate this story.
This is a tie-in novel of the numbered books from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” prose novel seriesThe first steps to develop a great character!
This is a tie-in novel of the numbered books from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” prose novel series.
Captain’s Log:
The USS Enterprise-D is ordered to send First Officer Commander William Riker to an away mission to the planet known as “Paradise” due his familiarity with a scientist family assigned there and that they need assistance with a problem of dangerous animals. This coincides with the ordered posting of Commander Quintin Stone as temporary first officer, since he is a loose cannon, with disrespect to authority and no other starship captain is willing to take him.
Senior Staff:
Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Commanding Officer)
Cmdr. Quintin Stone (Temporary First Officer)
Cmdr. William Riker (away on a mission)
Lt. Cmdr. Data (Operations Manager & Second Officer)
Lt. Worf (Chief Security Officer)
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (Chief Engineering Officer)
Dr. Beverly Crusher (Chief Medical Officer)
Wesley Crusher (Acting Ensign & Helmsman)
BEFORE MACKENZIE, THERE WAS QUINTIN
I wanted to read this novel since I was curious about the character of Quintin Stone since it’s clear that he was a prototype of the eventual Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of Star Trek: New Frontier, also created by Peter David.
And without a doubt, Quintin Stone was the first draft to the better defined and better developed Mackenzie Calhoun, even both have facial scars!
But, thankfully, Peter David did a better job with Calhoun, since Stone is interesting to read, I like better Calhoun.
FAIR ADVENTURE BUT NOT A GREAT MISSION
The book is a fair reading but nothing too awesome.
You have the Enterprise-D dealing with the reckless personality of Quintin Stone, and even sometimes I feel odd that the crew was so hostile to him keeping saying him in his face how good is Riker and how he would do the things better than Stone. I don’t think that the civilized and respectful crew of The Next Generation would act like that.
The other part of the story is Riker travelling to “Paradise” planet where a scientist family that he knows from his home at Alaska, and discovering that they were experimenting creating wild animals that become a menace to the research lab.
So, it’s well written (Peter David is my favorite Star Trek authot) but in this novel, there isn’t much exciting or epic challenges, resulting in a fair reading but nothing much spectacular.
Still, definitely it’s a relevant book, since it’s obvious that it was key to Peter David to play with the idea of the character and making the right adjustments for making it to work perfectly as Mackenzie Calhoun.
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 a prose novel which is part of the original “Goosebumps” book series
KINDA WEIRD ENDING BUT IT WORKS
Don’t worry I won’t sSpooky good tale!
This a prose novel which is part of the original “Goosebumps” book series
KINDA WEIRD ENDING BUT IT WORKS
Don’t worry I won’t spoil the ending, I just want to mention that it’s kinda weird (for not saying quite weird!) but in a Twilight Zone kind of weird, therefore, I think that if you give it a chance to the book, it’s very likely that you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.
Since I have to say that it’s totally unexpected (but once you know, you can notice some clever clues) and even there is a final twist left in the air that it adds even more spooky factor to the already entertained story.
At some moment, I thought that the cover was misleading about the quantity of Jack-o-lanterns monsters but don’t worry, since at the right time, you’ll have plenty of monsters, even more to the quantity displayed on the cover.
THE JACK-O-LANTERNS ARE COMING!
Drew Brockman has three friends, Walker Parkes and the twins Shane & Shana Martin, all of them love Halloween festivities but there are two characters that I have to say that they are two of the most unbearable characters that I have read in a Goosebumps story (so far), Tabitha Weiss and Lee Winston, and for two Halloweens in a row, they managed to ruin the fun of celebrating the season of carved pumpkins and free candies, making jokes of bad taste.
Drew and his friends have tried to take revenge but it has been impossible to have success.
Therefore the third is the charm, and Drew thinks that he figured it out the perfect joke but the thing is that you won’t know if the joke is oriented to the right people or even if it’s a joke at all.
I won’t say more, but if you’re looking for charming Halloween tale to read, this one is quite entertained, quick to cover and with unexpected ending.
This is one-shot comic book title “Hellfire Gala” which is the beginning of a major comic book event about the X-Men univNothing will be the same!
This is one-shot comic book title “Hellfire Gala” which is the beginning of a major comic book event about the X-Men universe called “Fall of X”.
Creative Team:
Writer: Gerry Dugan
Illustrators: Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, Russell Dauterman, Javier Pina, R.B. Silva, Joshua Cassara, Kris Anka & Pepe Larraz
Colorists: Rain Beredo, Ceci De La Cruz, Matthew Wilson, Erick Arciniega & Marte Gracia
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy
Cover: Phil Noto
LET’S PARTY!
First of all, I can’t remember a single comic with such large group of creative team, in a TPB couldn’t be such unusual but in one single comic book (even one which is a bit longer than your regular comic book issue(78 pages)) is quite…
…astonishing!
Second of all, it’s quite difficult to explain why this comic is so good and so relevant without falling in spoilers, but don’t worry since I won’t tell you any spoiler…
…just trust me that if you’re fan of The X-Men, you need to read this comic book and hopefully without any spoiler that it could ruin you the large bunch of surprises.
The X-Men universe won’t be the same after this single comic book.
The Hellfire Gala is an elegant party set in Krakoa (an island which is the new mutant nation having cutting-edge technology in teleporting, medicine, etc…) where all the VIP guests (X-Men, Avengers, important mutants and non-mutants) assist to vote and to elect the new roster of The X-Men. There has been other Hellfire Galas before and I don’t know how interesting were the previous ones…
…but you won’t want to miss this one!!!
One topic is that Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) is revealed as mutant, and since she was already an inhuman, it’s quite unusual to be both (not to mention that she died and due being mutant now, she is able to be ressurrected thanks to the uncanny new mutant technology). Cyclops and Emma Frost are quite interested that Kamala being widely recognized as mutant, while Kamala herself is still dealing with the news (being a mutant and being recently deceased).
This Hellfire Gala is where “The Fall of X” begins and I can’t tell you how, but indeed you can trust me that the X-Men universe won’t be the same and this incoming comic book event will be quite relevant to read.
If you’re gonna read this one, brace yourselves, it will be a bumpy ride. This isn't for the faint of heart.
This book is a tie-in prose novel of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”.
CANON OR NOT CANON
Always there is a gray area about the tie-iBajorans clash!
This book is a tie-in prose novel of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”.
CANON OR NOT CANON
Always there is a gray area about the tie-in novels in a franchise if those are canon or not, since at best what they do is writing stories that basically don’t contradict anything showed in the films or TV series, however, the problem arises when after being written the novel, something is developed in the films or TV series and it’s impossible to keep valid what was written in the tie-in novel. And even there is the situation when they make canon prose novels (or comics) and something written there complicates the continuity of some past tie-in novel.
AND believe it or not, it can also happen that a new film or TV series leaves some prose canon works, giving back the continuity of a past tie-in novel.
Hard to follow, right?
Well, there is the case of this very tie-in novel, due the situation of using a major guest character to Ro Laren (first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation, as a Starfleet officer and later she decides to join the Maquis, a rebel group against the Cardassians) that the initial plans were that the character will pass to then incoming Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and serving as first officer of the space station, but Michelle Forbes (the actress who portrayed the character) didn’t accept the offer and then the character of Kira Nerys was created to substitute her.
But the temptation of having Ro Laren in DS9 was quite a lot and this tie-in novel appears and everything goes well, until the “Relaunch” novels (DS9 novels then accepted as CANON in the future after the ending of the TV series, and there, they eventually put Ro Laren (again a Starfleet officer and now a captain) as commanding officer of DS9, but then it was stated that it was the first time that Ro Laren and Kira Nerys meet, therefore leaving this very novel as totally non-canon…
…BUT!!!…
…in Star Trek: Lower Decks was established that Kira Nerys is still commanding officer of DS9 and in Star Trek: Picard was established that Ro Laren is again a Starfleet officer, so the Relaunch novels were changed to be considered an alternate universe and THIS VERY NOVEL return to the merry gray area of tie-in novels that they aren’t totally canon but nothing there contradicts it… once again.
DESPERATE TIMES MADE UNUSUAL ALLIANCES
Bajor is attacked with a contagious plague that Bajorans soon enough started to call “The Wrath of the Prophets” and Kai Winn ask for help to Captain Sisko and the crew of DS9.
Then, while Dr. Bashir is quite busy trying to find a cure, a couple of unusual alliances are forged to find clues to the origin of the plague (that it was established that came to Bajor through infected generic matter to be used in tampered replicators)���
…Captain Sisko uneasly joins Quark to go to Orion space aboard the Defiant and find the illegal vendor who provides the matter and replicators…
…while Kira Nerys reluctanly joins forces with Ro Laren, on the surface of Bajor through old mates of Kira during the Cardassian occupation, to find the clues of whom bought the so-called compromised matter and tampered replicators which originates the deadly plague on Bajor.
Initially the plague was only affecting Bajorans but Morn (the usual client at Quark’s) is presenting the illness, provoking a new level of threat, one, not only Bajorans are susceptible to the virus, and two, DS9 isn’t quaratined anymore to the plague, leaving no place safe to go.
Ro Laren is one of my favorite Star Trek characters, therefore it was a really cool reading!...more
This is a novelization of the serial of the same title.
WHO
The Doctor:
The Third Doctor
CompanioEntertaining reading, just nothing extraordinary.
This is a novelization of the serial of the same title.
WHO
The Doctor:
The Third Doctor
Companion:
Jo Grant
WHERE & WHEN
Planet Spiridon. Exact date is not mentioned.
WHAT
The Doctor is injured due events of the previous adventure (he was shot by The Master in Frontier in Space) and he is in a kind of coma, so the Time Lords seemed to direct the TARDIS to the planet Spiridon (why the heck sending the TARDIS to a freaking world full of Daleks instead of bringing it back to Gallifrey, I just have no clue. I think that they could have better luck if Jo just pull some control randomly and landing anywhere else) which is a world conquered by the Daleks looking for the means to become invisible which is something that indigenous race learned to do.
Since the Doctor is out of commision at first, bravely Jo looks for help, finding a group of Thals (the first native species of Skaro before the creation of the Daleks), that they went there supposedly to deal with a small advance exploratory squad of Daleks but soon enough they realize that instead it was a vast army of ten thousand Daleks.
The Doctor wakes up (it’s curious that while the injure seemed to be quite serious, he was able to heal instead of just activating a regeneration) and since he found out that Jo went alone to look for help, he went too to look for her.
The Doctor is captured by the Daleks, and Jo is able to avoid capture thanks to the helps of one of the Thals. Once both heroes eventually find each other, they join forces with the remaining Thals and a rebel force of Spiridons to find a way to stop the Daleks.
The story is entertained and while it’s not one of the finest adventures of Doctor Who, you have several good things like counting with the charm and wit of the Third Doctor, the bravery of Jo, and the fact that any story with Daleks on it, well, it will be something cool to read....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 book is a tie-in prose novel of “Star Trek: The Original Series”.
GOOD BOOK BUT PREDICTABLE MYSTERY
This is a Star TElementary, Dear McCoy!
This book is a tie-in prose novel of “Star Trek: The Original Series”.
GOOD BOOK BUT PREDICTABLE MYSTERY
This is a Star Trek story but using a detective angle since Captain Kirk must investigate a couple of murders in not other than the Vulcan Academy Hospital…
…and the clock is ticking since Spock’s mother can be the next victim!
I enjoyed a lot reading this novel but since the beginning my prime suspect was at the end the real culprit (no, I won’t spoil it) and it’s not like I am such great detective but I guess that after reading Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot, a murder mystery at Star Trek wasn’t the challenge that I expected.
However, as I told you, this a very well written book, where you can appreciate it as a “sequel” to the events of the classic episode “Journey to Babel” and “Amok Time” where you can enjoy to read how Sarek is already comfortable with Spock’s decision to go to Starfleet but also how Kirk and T’Pau can understand each other after their lastest clash. Also it’s cool to have Dr. M’Benga at least as a minor character here (that since his cast role in Strange New Worlds, he became a popular character) interacting a bit with Dr. McCoy.
An Enterprise crewmember is mortally wounded and his only option is an experimental medical procedure at the Vulcan Academy Hospital and since the Enterprise will be on repairs for several weeks, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy take the crewmember to be attended there, but soon enough patients are starting to die at the Hospital and the unthinkable is happening…
…murders at Planet Vulcan!
And since Vulcan society isn’t used to have such violent crimes anymore, there isn’t any police force able to handle such kind of investigation, so Captain Kirk needs to become a detective.
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 book is a tie-in work and the first original prose novel of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”.
GOOD The human adventure…continues once again!
This book is a tie-in work and the first original prose novel of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”.
GOOD POINT TO SET THE STORY
The story is set during of the first season of the TV series, between the episodes The Serene Squall and The Elysian Kingdom, which I think it’s a great point to locate the book since it’s almost at the end of the season, therefore the characters have been already well developed and their interconnections have been well established, moreover the whole crew (main and recurrent) doesn’t have any change in its status quo yet, so all of them are available to be used in the story.
A STRANGE NEW WORLD INDEED
If you want a story to exemplify the title of the spin-off TV series, well, you couldn’t ask for a better one since the world in the story is without a doubt a “character” for the story to work, not just someplace where the characters landed, also it’s a new one since it’s a planet never used before and certainly it’s one of the most strange worlds to be created in the franchise (and that’s to say a lot).
And the coolest thing is that the world is the conception of the Skagarans, an alien species appearing in North Star, an episode of the third season of Star Trek: Enterprise. I always liked when an author finds a cool way to call back a species already used in the franchise but not exploited enough or in this case, only appearing once previously. Moreover, John Jackson Miller (a good sci-fi author with already other works in this franchise but also in Star Wars too) showed a good knowledge of the lore of the franchise using nods to other stuff in the franchise like movies but even making connections to his previous prose novels in the franchise which I always liked when an author made that.
TECHNOLOGY…NO MORE!
A key element in the Star Trek franchise always has been the technology, therefore when the USS Enterprise meet a world where the technology just doesn’t work, you can bet that the challenge to success will be high and quite complicated.
A landing party, made of Captain Pike, First Officer Una, Mr. Spock and Cadet Uhura, crashlanded and got separated, and they have to employ all their survival training but specially knowledge of the past when technology wasn’t so attached to the everyday life, to make their own journeys through a patchwork hostile world, to find themselves once again.
Moreover, the rest of the crew desperately need to find a way to help their lost crewmates, with the crutial dificulty that the starship can’t get near to the planet of they may suffer the same fate of the crashlanded shuttlecraft.
I think that, since I am not too fond about stories where the cast is separated, and one of the things that I love about Star Trek franchise is how the crews work together while trying to solve a problem, could be reasons to make me difficult to enjoy to the fullest this cool first prose novel of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, oddly enough once they got reunited again, I think that the story should be solved more quickly and it’s like lasting more than it should at the “climax”, but definitely is a really great book that a Trekker can enjoy fairly enough.
This review is bilingual. You will find first the review in English and after that, you will find the review in SpRocket Punch! – ¡Puños Atómicos!
This review is bilingual. You will find first the review in English and after that, you will find the review in Spanish.
Esta crítica es bilingüe. Usted encontrará primero la crítica en Inglés y luego de esta, usted encontrará la crítica en Español.
REVIEW IN ENGLISH
Since I bought this book on Spanish, I will do the review on bilingual. This reference guide is part of a line of Anime related reference guides, published by a publisher house in Spain.
Mazinger Z was (and still is) one of the most popular Anime series in my country, Costa Rica, that became a popular culture phenomenon back in the early 80s (the series is older but until then arrived to local TV channels). It’s the pioneer series showing a person piloting inside of a giant robot (until then they were remote controlled like Gigantor and Giant Robo) changing the game in Anime series about giant mechas and creating the path to following series such as Voltron (Lion Force & Vehicle Force) and Arbegas, but also Anime series about mechas not so big like Macross (Robotech), Gundam and Patlabor.
It was the debuting Anime series for creator Go Nagai making him a legendary mangaka with a vast gallery of series such as Getter Robo (the first one about combiner/transformer giant mechas), Devilman and Cutey Honey, along with its own franchise with entries such as Great Mazinger, Mazinkaiser, Grendizer, Kotetsu Jeeg, Shin Mazinger Z, Mazinger SKL, etc…)
In USA was known as “Tranzor”, BUT let’s just forget that, since it was a terrible idea changing a cool name like Mazinger to that.
Beside of being visionary and pioneering in its sub-genre, Mazinger Z is still one of the best examples of the giant mechas due its care about its robotic enemies, since while many other giant mecha series are also cool to watch, but their own mechanical monsters were quite generic, but in Mazinger Z there was an awesome detail to design memorable looking enemy giant robots helping to solidify its entertaining value.
Moreover, Mazinger Z passes through an evolution process, making it better and better, refitting it to make able to battle under water, to be able to fly thanks to an additional device, along with increasing its already vast variety in arsenal of weapons.
This reference guide is definitely the best one that you can get in Spanish, since it’s in full color, has a detailed episode guide (not even on Internet you can find easily a decent episode guide explaining much), complete guide to characters (heroes and villains), mechas, vehicles and locations. You won’t find a better book about Mazinger Z in spanish than this one. Highly recommended!
CRITICA EN ESPAÑOL
Ya que compré este libro en español, haré la reseña en bilingüe. Esta guía de referencia forma parte de una línea de guías de referencia relacionadas con anime, publicada por una editorial de España.
Mazinger Z fué (y sigue siendo) una de las series de anime más populares en mi país, Costa Rica, que se convirtió en un fenómeno de la cultura popular a principios de los años 80 (la serie es más antigua pero hasta entonces llegó a canales de televisión locales). Es la serie pionera que muestra a una persona pilotando dentro de un robot gigante (hasta entonces eran controlados a distancia como Gigantor y Giant Robo) cambiando el juego en las series de Anime sobre mechas gigantes y creando el camino para seguir a series como Voltron (Lion Force & Vehicle Force) y Arbegas, pero también series de Anime sobre mechas no tan grandes como Macross (Robotech), Gundam y Patlabor.
Fue la serie de anime debut para el creador Go Nagai, lo que lo convirtió en un mangaka legendario con una amplia galería de series como Getter Robo (la primera sobre mechas gigantes combinadores/transformadores), Devilman y Cutey Honey, junto con su propia franquicia con entradas como Great Mazinger, Mazinkaiser, Grendizer, Kotetsu JeegShin Mazinger Z, Mazinger SKL, etc…)
En EE. UU. era conocido como "Tranzor", PERO olvidémoslo, ya que fué una idea terrible cambiar un nombre genial como Mazinger por ese.
Además de ser visionario y pionero en su subgénero, Mazinger Z sigue siendo uno de los mejores ejemplos de los mechas gigantes debido a su preocupación por sus enemigos robóticos, ya que mientras muchas otras series de mechas gigantes también son geniales para ver, pero sus propios monstruos mecánicos eran bastante genéricos, pero en Mazinger Z hubo un detalle increíble para diseñar robots gigantes enemigos de aspecto memorable que ayudaron a solidificar su valor de entretenimiento.
Además, Mazinger Z pasa por un proceso de evolución, haciéndolo cada vez mejor, reequipándolo para que pueda luchar bajo el agua, poder volar gracias a un dispositivo adicional, además de aumentar su ya vasta variedad en el arsenal de armas.
Esta guía de referencia es definitivamente la mejor que puedes conseguir en español, ya que está a todo color, tiene una guía de episodios detallada (ni siquiera en Internet puedes encontrar fácilmente una guía de episodios decente que explique mucho), guía completa de personajes (héroes y villanos), mechas, vehículos y ubicaciones. No encontrarás mejor libro sobre Mazinger Z en español que este. ¡Muy recomendable!...more
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 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!
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