TWIB II-8: 11/19 - 11/25

[akujunkan]

Anyway, four books were read that week one long month ago.

1) Ojo - Sam Keith
I knew Keith from his early work in The Sandman, and I have to admit that that, coupled with MTV's incessant plugging of The Maxx made me skeptical at first. Then I actually bothered to read said title (which MTV unforgivably cocked up to make it "appropriate" for television—this, the channel of hip hop videos), and was an instant convert. Ojo resembles The Maxx in many aspects, not the least of which being the situation in which its main character finds herself, and how she chooses to cope. Other resemblances include the utterly authentic way in which Keith handles emotional turmoil and development, which are so honest and believable other authors need to sit up and learn. There may also be some magical realism. Neat stuff.

2) Until The End Of The World - Garth Ennis
The second Preacher collection finds Ennis hitting his narrative stride with the series in two stories that both provide important background and set the stage for fireworks to come.

3) Proud Americans - Garth Ennis
Volume 3 continues developing the narrative threads left dangling at the end of volume 2's massive cliffhanger. There's quite a bit of action and a fair deal of violence, and Ennis ups the ante considerably via some important revelations and even more momentous meetings between characters. He also takes a another dip back in time to provide some more background on another of Our Heroes the culmination of which is the revelation of said character's name: Pronsias. It's clearly intended to be a punchline of no small hilarity. I, however, quite like that name, and can think of one or two others coughcoughGarthcoughcoughcough far more laugh-worthy than the Irish pronunciation of "Francis."


4) Ancient History - Garth Ennis
Ancient History should be one of my favorite volumes in this series. The volume is composed of three "outtake" story arcs that provide more background information on some important secondary characters: the history of the Saint of Killers, an excellent homage to Wild West yarns, and the painfully sad story of Arseface, which features people you knew in high school. Unfortunately, the brilliance is quite literally shat upon by story #4: "The Good Old Boys," an exercise in overwrought juvenility so devoid of humor it's a wonder anyone ever agreed to publish it.

SBS: Nineteen in the Subterranean Fastness. It would have been even lower but for the three ARCs I received early this week. One-hundred thirty-six in the 実家. I think that actually went down.

That will be all

Comments

[pussreboots.livejournal.com]

Interesting set of reads.