Dan Brown Times Two

Recently, twyls and I got a couple of Dan Brown books as a gift from a friend of mine. We’ve been meaning to read some of his stuff for some time, so we dove right in. For the record, Angels and Demons (2000), is about a plot to destroy the Vatican with an anti-matter bomb and The Da Vinci Code (2003), is about a race to uncover the Holy Grail.

Without further ado, here is one of our patented double reviews…

Jrob16: So, Dan Brown. What’s up with that guy?

Twyls: Dan Brown is a pop artist. He writes for the masses, but I think he really digs his subject matter. He just got lucky in that his subject matter intrigued the popular audience when it did. He was a little too mediocre for me, however. He reminded me of Michael Crichton, actually.

Jrob16:  How so?

Twyls:  Very poppy. His writing seems almost intimidating, but it’s the subject matter that is tough, not the writing style. He brings it down to a level where the less experience reader might feel stretched

Jrob16:  What genre would you call it?

Twyls:  Suspense.

Jrob16:  That’s too generic, I’m think I’d call it a religious thriller. No, how about a theological thriller?

Twyls:  I like theological thriller, though I would lean more towards conspiracy thriller, myself.

Jrob16:  Well, it’s definitely new territory. Or, at least it was when he started getting popular in 2000.

Twyls:  True enough. I somehow doubt it was entirely new, but it was at least timely. People were probably looking for conspiracies then. I think people like Dan Brown’s writing because it feels accessible, but it also makes you feel like you’re figuring things out. Not just in the book, but in the world. Of course, that can be dangerous.

Jrob16:  Well, that’s were I have a problem with it. I like his stories, but they’re definitely fiction with real-world settings used as window dressing.. Now, I’m smarter than the average bear (Leonardo da Vinci is one of my favorite historical persons), so I can call Brown’s BS pretty much immediately, but someone less knowledgeable could easily think all the crazy conspiracies he references are real.

Twyls:  Exactly! Even someone who just doesn’t care about that particular area of interest might have problems distinguishing fact from fiction.

Jrob16:  Didn’t take umbrage with the “FACT” pages from the front of the books…
Or was that me?

Twyls:  Yeah, that they are both annoying and entirely misleading. I especially like the one about how all the artwork is described perfectly.

Jrob16:  You mean it wasn’t?

Twyls:  After reading his description of Madonna on the Rocks I looked it up. It looks NOTHING like he described!

Jrob16:  Well, I liked that he referenced some great works of art that some people might not know about. I thought it was educational..

Twyls:  Yes, if only they were as accurate as he described. Looking up the one picture made me skeptical of all of his “facts”.

Jrob16:  Ok, let’s go into the individual books. You can pick which one to start with.

Twyls:  Overall thoughts of Angels and Demons?

Jrob16:  This one was just okay to me. I didn’t like the anti-matter bomb plot device because it seemed too hokey. I did like the race around Rome, though.

Twyls:  I liked this book much better than The Da Vinci Code. We talked about how Brown gets tired by your second reading of him. I read Angels and Demons first, and you read the Da Vinci Code first.

Jrob16:  Yes. I liked The Da Vinci Code much better. The plot was less action-oriented and much tighter. And I think it came together much better in the end. What were your thoughts on Angels and Demons?

Twyls:  I had no real problem with the book as pure entertainment. I actually had some fun reading it.

Jrob16:  Well, what were your favorite parts?

Twyls:  I liked the characters, though I did think Langdon was a little too easy to like.
I’m not huge on the flawed hero thing, but it felt like Brown’s characters were a little flat
I really liked the girl, Vittoria.

Jrob16:  Yeah, Sophie (from the Da Vinci Code)  was pretty much just a cypher for the reader.

Twyls:  What do you mean?

Jrob16:  JShe was there just so Robert Langdon could give background information and explain everything to the reader. Like a sidekick.

Twyls:  Yep. She was a plot device. That annoyed me.

Jrob16:  Ok, enough about the women, what about the villains. What did you think of them?

Twyls:  You mean the Albino and the Hassasin?

Jrob16:  Well, them, and the masterminds too..

Twyls:  Let’s start with the Albino and the Hassasin. I much preferred the latter.

Jrob16:  You think he was a better villain or a better character?

Twyls:  Both, to an extent. I could understand his motivation. The Albino you either felt sorry for because he seemed to be driven insane, or you simply hated him because of his religious zealotry. He didn’t appeal to me. At least the Hassassin was an interesting take to me.

Jrob16:  Nah, he was just a regular psychopath to me. I liked the Albino because at first I didn’t like him, but at the end I felt sorry for him. There was also a little more background to him that rounded out his character more.

Twyls:  I felt like Brown was trying to manipulate my emotions at the end with the Albino. At least with the Hassassin I was interested in the history of his people.

Jrob16:  Hmmm, we’ll have to disagree on that one. What about the masterminds and conspiracies?

Twyls:  I prefered the big twist villain at the end of Angels and Demons. I won’t give away the ending, but I really didn’t see it coming. I know you did…

Jrob16:  Maybe that’s because Brown kinda follows the same pattern as in the Da Vinci Code. It’s always someone you trust!

Twyls:  Yeah.

Jrob16:  So, what about the conspiracies? Where they gripping, realistic, silly? Interesting?

Twyls:  Silly. He has a way of sucking you in while you’re reading, though, so they didn’t feel as unrealistic at the time as they did looking back.

Jrob16:  See that’s why I’d have to say he’s a good writer. He can definitely get the reader hooked. It’s just the bombastic nature of the plots that goes over the top. And the fact that he tries to present it as fact and not fiction.

Twyls:  It’s true. But I wouldn’t say he’s good because it doesn’t hold up. I couldn’t re-read the books. He’s good at what he does, but I have trouble using the term good and writer together with him.

Jrob16:  Well, it’s very entertaining and easy to read, unlike some books I’ve read, so you can’t just dismiss his skill.

Twyls:  I don’t know. Maybe I’m just stuck on snob mode tonight. Tell me, how you would sum up Dan Brown’s style to someone who hasn’t read him yet?

Jrob16:  Well, he takes legends and rumors from the real world and makes a fast-paced thriller out of them.

Amanda:  You forgot to mention conspiracies! You know something we haven’t really talked about, though? The way I believe Brown uses his narrative to speak out against the Church, while having his protagonist, Langdon, relatively neutral.

Jrob16:  Okay, go for it.

Amanda:  This is perhaps what gets under my skin the most with his writing. It’s subtle because he never really says anything using his main mouthpiece, Langdon, against the Church. He uses his plot to speak for him. I’m not Catholic, but the somewhat deceptive way he manipulates his audience really annoys me.

Jrob16:  Or it could just be that the Catholic Church is such an easy target. When you need a group that has a global level of reach, there’s not a lot to choose from in the real world.

Amanda:  It just seems underhanded. I guess if he didn’t want to go the obvious route with terrorists or evil governments, evil religious folks are a good way to go.

Jrob16:  Yup. Well, we better wrap this up one more time before it gets too long. Would you recommend his books? Do you want to read his new one, the Lost Symbol?

Amanda:  I do want to read Lost Symbol, but not until after a long break. I would recommend his books to those who like their books light and don’t necessarily want to put a lot of thought into them – those who just want to be entertained.

Jrob16:  I agree. They’re fun to read, but I don’t think they’ll become classics. And just be sure that you don’t believe everything you read.

Romancing the Horror

I want to talk for a moment about the Supernatural Romance genre. Most people, when you say pair the words “supernatural” and “romance” think of girls/guys falling in love with vampires/werewolves such as in the Anita Blake or Twilight series of books. While I am definitely not a fan of that type of mushy story, I would describe the genre in its more traditional sense – as an attempt at ‘humanizing’ the ‘other’ by examining their society and the goals of the individuals it comprises. Which brings me to my next book…

To Charles Fort with Love (2005), by Caitlin R. Kiernan, is the first of three books from Subterranean Press which I intend to review. I picked this trio up from the library (along with half a dozen others) a while ago, and it was a happy coincidence that they were all published by the same outfit. There are 13 short stories in this tome, and here is what I thought of them…

Valentia – A paleontologist visits the site of an ancient fossil bed that was recently vandalized, prompting strange visions of an alien world. This story has a very strong Lovecraftian set-up, but the ending is too predictable.

Spindleshanks – A séance in New Orleans goes awry.

So Runs the World Away – Dead Girl, a member of a ghoul clan in Providence, Rhode Island, schemes to leave the group with the help of her young sidekick.

Standing Water – A mysterious puddle behind a bookstore forms in the middle of a heatwave. I liked this story a lot. The introduction of the mysterious into the mundane is very well done.

La Mer Des Reves, or “The Sea of Dreams” – I’m not even really sure what this one was about. There’s some people in a boat in the middle of a stormy sea, a queen of the underworld, and some strange visions of a hospital. Altogether, a very unsatisfying story not even worth the effort of reading.

The Road of Pins – The dark paintings of Albert Perrault (think fairytales with big bad wolves) stir up feelings of dread in a reclusive writer. Then, she becomes haunted by a strange film about a marauding werewolf in the French countryside. Again, the set-up is interesting, but the plot doesn’t go anywhere.

Onion – A couple, Frank and Willa, both experienced strange visions of another world during their childhoods, and now help each other cope with a shifting reality. Since this story the 2001 International Horror Guild Award for Best Short Fiction, I expected it to be very good. I was sorely disappointed.

Apokatastasis – is a genuinely creepy story about a ghostly dog that haunts a hallway, a picture which subtly changes, and growing dark splotch on the wall. This was one of the better stories in this collection, in that it sincerely creeped me out.

La Peau Verte, or “Green Skin” – an artist/model serves as the guest of honor at a very strange costume ball.

The Dead and the Moonstruck – this is yet another story about the life of the ghouls in Providence, Rhode Island. A Cuckoo (a human child stolen by ghouls) named Starling Jane must pass a final initiation in order to join the group. While I don’t necessarily like the characters, at least something happens in this story, so it’s one of my top recommendations so far.

The next three short stories are tied together by a common location, and Kiernan refers to them as her Dandridge Cycle. Let’s see how they hold up…

A Redress for Andromeda – A woman is invited to a party at the old house by the sea to perform a strange ritual to keep a portal to the other side from opening up.

Nor the Demons Down Under the Sea – Two women visit the old house by the sea and encounter something strange along the way.

Andromeda Among the Stones – And finally, we get the complete story of the old house by the sea. Apparently, old man Dandridge built it on top of a portal to the other side, but must sacrifice his family in order to prevent the end of the world. This story is a bit choppy (it skips around in time a lot) but I did like it.

The problem with most of these stories is that nothing happens in them. There’s a lot of good buildup and creepy happenings, but then… poof! It just ends and I’m left confused on what exactly happened. Another bad habit (though much less aggravating) the author has is of combining words likethis that just interrupts the flow of the text for me.

One of the saving graces of the book, however, was the amount of extra material that Subterranean Press provided. You get an introductory essay from the author, plus notes on each story afterwords. This helps the reader get a sense what the author is trying to do, and where she got the ideas for the stories.

Unfortunately, I didn’t care for this collection very much. I like my stories to come together at the end and I like my monsters scary, not angsty. If you’re a fan of Supernatural Romance you should give it a try, otherwise you should find something with a little more meat to it.

Reading List: July and August

While on vacation in South Bend last week* I had a chance to finish two books, One For the Money, by Janet Evanovich, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Both were a bit of a stretch for me, meaning I had plenty of ideas what I was getting into, but no idea how I’d feel about them. I enjoyed both quite a bit.

Since being home, I’ve managed to fit in a couple of books, too:

The Women of Nell Gwynne’s, by Kage Baker, was recommended by JRob, and turned out to be a very quick, rather fun read. Hind’s Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hunard, was an exceptional read. The writing was not as smooth as it could have been, but for an allegorical tale, it worked wonderfully. I found myself submitting more to Christ, which is what the author intended.

Those four July reads aside, I am now facing the dilemma of what to read next. Here are my plans thus far:

Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown – with the goal of reading The Da Vinci Code this year. We were given these two from a friend during our vacation, and I’ve had The Da Vinci Code on my reading list for a little while.

The Supernaturalist, by Eoin Colfer – we bought this awhile back, because it’s Eoin Colfer, and I haven’t gotten around to reading it.

Two for the Dough, by Janet Evanovich – I picked this up (along with the third in the series and the next book on this list) at the used bookstore today, lured in by a sale.

The Vampire Diaries (The Fury and Dark Reunion), by L.J. Smith – I loved Smith as a young teen, and her novels have held up surprisingly well now that I’m an adult. I think it’s too funny that these beloved books have been recast as a TV series.

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, by Cory Doctorow – We picked this up at some sale or another, knowing I loved Little Brother and hoping I’d love other books by this author.

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld – I just checked the library web site and found out that Leviatan, which I’ve been waiting on since I’m guessing March, has been shipped. It will be ready to pick up within a week at my local branch. Yay!

Those books should round out my next five weeks of reading. Of course, with my schedule shifting a bit this summer, who knows how fast I’ll read. That may just last me a couple of weeks. This is an extremely light list, and after this, I’ll be ready to dig into some heavier non-fiction and classics.

twyls

*OK, so one doesn’t technically vacation in South Bend. JRob and I were there for a family reunion.

Mouse Guard Part Two – Review

I read the first two Mouse Guard books in an hour or so sitting in my favorite coffee shop – La Vida Java in Louisville, Kentucky. I breezed through the first book thinking I could take my time with the second one. How was I to know that I would want to devour the both in one sitting, like so much delicious espresso?

JRob has covered the first of the books in his review of Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, by David Petersen. I’m here to take a look with you at Mouse Guard: Winter 1152. When JRob gave me the choice of which to review, I jumped on the chance to take this one.
Winter 1152 takes place just where Fall 1152 left off. From the introduction to Chapter One:

“The Fall of 1152 left the Mouse Territories unprepared for winter. The malcontent, Midnight, raised an army to breach the gates of Lockhaven and kill Gwendolyn, the Guard’s matriarch. As the seasons changed, underlying problems with food and medicine threatened the Mouse Territories themselves.”

The book opens with Kenzie, Saxon, Sadie, Lieam, and Celanawe, who are on a mission to Sprucetuck, another Mouse city, and back to Lockhaven, the home of the Mouse Guard. They fight the snow and a nasty predator – a vengeful owl – to return home, but are separated when Saxon, Sadie and Kenzie fall into a tunnel. The book takes turns following the two groups as they face struggles to return to Lockhaven, with brief glimpse of the troubles within the Mouse Guard safe hold.

The great promise of this book comes with the characterization of the mice. Particularly endearing (to me as well as JRob) is Lieam, who shows potential to be a great hero in this series. Also promising are the story questions brought up in Fall 1152. Is Celanawe the mythical Black Axe? If so, how has he survived so long? And what are his real motives?

Weasel cities, bat hordes, ice storms and another traitor in Lockhaven all served to keep me sipping coffee from the start of this book to the finish. The seamless combination of literary and artistic story-telling make Winter 1152 a delight to read through. The writing is tight enough to keep an entirely serious, life-or-death tone to the story. I can see that this would be tricky, given that the book is, after all, about mice. The art is atmospheric and textured. I particularly enjoyed the ice storm scenes, where I could feel the weight of the glittering ice pulling down on the characters.

One of my favorite pages comes in the epilogue, but it typifies why I love this series. As Gwendolyn recounts the winter in a journal, we see scenes of the summit in a room with a large table and a huge stained glass window behind. The stained glass depicts a mouse in armor plunging a sword into a snake’s jaws. Such a seemingly insignificant detail created such an awe in me. The artist may have simply needed something to fill in the background, but it seemed like a gorgeous bit of world-building that could have been overlooked by a quick scan of the story.

Overall, Mouse Guard as a series deserves a coveted five stars from me. I only give five stars to books that I sincerely wish were in my library and that I hope to read again. I would recommend Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 to mature comic readers who appreciate a well told story where all the elements work together seemlessly.

Many thanks to Beth, who mentioned the series just often enough to pique my curiosity and send me looking for it.

Mouse Guard, Part 1

Recently, twyls picked up a pair of interesting books from our local library – Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mousegard: Winter 1152 by David Petersen (actually, I should say two graphic novels). Since I share twyl’s affection for rodents of all kinds, and I’m always looking for good comic book stories, I decided to read them too. We both liked the series so much we chose to do another split review. Since I picked the first book to review, so I will get things started.

This story, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152,  was originally published by Archaia Studios Press in 2006 as  a six issue series. While several characters are introduced throughout the book, I will outline the the three main protagonists. First up is Kenzie (the gray-furred one) – the mature, thoughtful leader of this particular Mouse Guard patrol. Next up is Saxon (the brown-furred one) – a brash but brave soldier who often clashes with Kenzie. Finally there is Lieam (my personal favorite) – the youngest member of the Mouse Guard and still learning the ways of the world.

What starts out as a routine missing person mission winds up getting the trio involved in a dark plot to overthrow the current leadership of the Mouse Territories. Along the way they meet Celenawe, who claims to be the legendary hero known as The Black Axe. The rest of the story is a race against time as the rebel army advances on the Mouse Guard headquarters, Lockhaven. And, of course, there’s the climatic battle scene at the end. While the members of the Mouse Guard defeat their adversaries, that does not mean that all ends well. But I’ll let twyls will fill you in on the rest of the story…

I have to admit, at first I didn’t think I would like this book. I’ve read plenty of stories with anthropomorphic characters, and dropping mice into a sword and sorcery tale seemed a bit too silly for me.  After reading it, however, I fell in love. The simplicity of the world is endearing. There’s no magic or grand backstory; it’s just a stalwart group of mice fighting against nature to survive. And you really get such a good feel for the characters that you almost forget they’re mice. The artwork is clean and straightforward, also, and the design elements are simple but evocative. The entire production has a timeless quality. Naturally, I’d highly recommend it for kids of all ages and anyone else who is young at heart.

P.S. – Interestingly enough, this is not the only comic book to featuring sword wielding mice. Another series, entitled Mice Templar, debuted just months after this one came out.  It’s published by Image Comics and created by Bryan Glass and Michael Avon Oeming. So if you can’t get enough of cute, little rodents acting like Conan the Barbarian you should check out that series as well. Let me know how you think it compares to this one.

Angel of Darkness – A Review

It’s time for another joint book review. This time around, JRob and I both read The Angel of Darkness, by Caleb Carr. This book by Carr is the second in a hopefully longer series that began with The Alienist. Set in the late 1800s, it follows Dr. Lazlo Kreizler and a group of fellow detective misfits. I call them misfits because each of the characters lacks a distinct place in New York’s crime-solving world. Starting with Kreizler himself – a psychologist, called an alienist, who helps hurting children and is called in to solve a murder, though most of society doubts his science – to the Jewish brothers who are not taken seriously on the police force, mostly because of their wild science that includes such out-there techniques as matching hairs under a microscope (shock!) to fingerprinting (gasp!) to taking notes at the scene (the horror!). Then there’s Mr. Moore, a newspaper man who wants the scoop, even if it means showing up to help; Sara, a secretary turned private eye; Cyrus, Dr. Kreizler’s loyal and respectable black servant, and, of course, Stevie.

In The Angel of Darkness it is Stevie who gets to be our narrator. At first this change in narration from the first book (penned by Mr. Moore’s hand) annoyed me. As I grew accustomed to the new voice, the book took off for me. In the end, I had a very strong, very emotional attachment to young Stevie. Rescued from a cruel fate in the New York prison system by Dr. Kreizler, Stevie flourishes as his personal servant. He proves a useful asset to Kreizler’s group of investigators.

This time around, the team has to find out who has kidnapped the young child of the Spanish diplomat. More may be at stake than the young girl’s life; since the book takes place on the cusp of the Spanish-American War, the tension between the nations is high. The chase quickly leads them to their villain. Libby Hatch is a particularly nasty bit of woman, and she proves remarkably difficult to catch. The story weaves from the chase to the trial and beyond. I couldn’t get enough of either the characters or the plot. Here, in conversation style, is a bit of question and answer from JRob and msyelf:

twyls: Who was your favorite of the main cast of characters?

JRob:
I guess Stevie, the narrator. He was a much more likable character than John the newspaper reporter from the last novel. The slang he used also injected more of a personality to the story.

twyls: And your favorite of the characters unique to this book?

JRob: The Filipino midget assassin, of course, because he came out of left field. Who do you think was the scarier villain and why?

twyls: Libby Hatch, hands down. I just didn’t feel like I cared much about the villain from The Alienist. I mean, I wanted him stopped, but other than that? Eh. I just wanted more of the protagonists. Libby, though… she was special. I spent a portion of the story feeling sad for her and most of the time wishing she were already behind bars. She made me very uneasy. There is a scene in the beginning of the book where Stevie and Moore are talking about Libby with severe discomfort. By the end of the book I found I was sharing in this unease, as if she could pop out of the story and come after me next.

What were your impressions of Libby Hatch as a villain?

JRob: I love how she was so much different from the last villain. She was more cerebral, just as pitiable, but even more deadly. One of the things I love about Carr’s books is that the villains are so well fleshed out, instead of serving as cookie-cutter monsters for the hero to handily banish at the end of the book. Do you like the insertion of historical figures in the narrative or think it detracts from the story?

twyls: I like the historical figures, and I think they add to the story. Of course, I could easily be swayed by a character that I feel is depicted poorly in a future book, and I do feel that it can be overdone. I don’t think it’s quite crossed that line, yet.

JRob: Did you think this book was faster or slower paced than the first one?

twyls: It was definitely a different book. To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of the details from the first book. From my indistinct impressions of each book, this book felt faster paced. I think this can be directly explained by my expectation of the story, though. This time around I fully expected the immense amount of character building that goes into a Carr book, and wasn’t as surprised. That alone made the book feel faster. Also, I really, really wanted to know how this one ended. Do you think there will be a sequel? Do you want one? They hinted at a story by Sara.

JRob: It’s probable that there will be a sequel; it’s a very good and very popular series of historical thrillers. The author writes a lot of other stories in the same vein as these novels (notably the further adventures of Sherlock Holmes). I think he’s doing a good job of spacing the novels out and not burning out on the characters too fast. How do you think the Dr. Kriezler stories compare with Sherlock Holmes, since they were both active during the same time (late 1890s)?

twyls: I think the Kreizler stories are much more character oriented, in that the characters are sympathetic. You want more of each story, more time with the characters. I feel like I want an entire book where things are going well for them, just to keep up with these old friends as they dine and gossip. Holmes, however, is all about the story. You want to know how he does it. I think fans of either series will enjoy the other, so long as they go in expecting a different feel.

One of my favorite things about the Dr. Kreizler mysteries are the subplots that end up intertwining so beautifully with the main plot. Did you think there were too many things going on in this book?

JRob: No, I didn’t have any trouble following it. I usually like plots where there’s a lot of things happening at once. It keeps my interest better that way.

twyls: I want to talk about the cover. It evoked such a strong reaction in me after getting to the heart of the book. What do you think of the cover? Would you have preferred something different?

JRob: No, I think the covers for this series are pretty awesome. That’s one of the first things that drew me in. They’re so stark, but evocative of the story. They do a good job of transporting you to that time period with just one picture. Has reading these books helped you get interested in the history of that era (New York City, Spanish-American War, etc.)?

twyls: I hate to say it, but not really. It’s inspired interest in the people of that era, though. I find I want to know more about Roosevelt, the Vanderbilts, and even Clarence Darrow (though Angel of Darkness left me feeling like I can’t say his name without a peculiar taste in my mouth.) This goes back to the story being character based.

And there you have it, folks. Are second ever joint book review. Feel free to check out either The Alienist of The Angel of Darkness. I definitely give them both five stars, which means I would read them again and they have a secure place on my bookshelves.

For both of us,

twyls

Iron Man… The Myth Versus The Movie

Recently, Marvel has begun printing a good portion of their hardcover Masterwork volumes (which reprint the earliest adventures of their classic heroes) in a cheaper, paperback format.

I’ve already tackled the Captain America collection, so here’s my review of a fellow Avenger – Iron Man. In this volume are 12 stories from Tales of Suspense, where our hero made his debut.

Tales of Suspense #39 – “Iron Man is Born”

Here it is, the dramatic origin. It’s pretty much just like in the movie, except the location was moved to Afghanistan instead of Vietnam and the arc reactor was actually a transistorized metal plate. The scene where Stark rises up for the first time in his new armor is very striking and memorable.

Tales of Suspense #40 – “Iron Man vs. Gargantus”

In this issue Iron Man battles a giant, robotic Neanderthal sent to conquer earth by extraterrestrials. It is notable only because it is also the first appearance of Iron Man’s gold armor. As an added bonus, however, we are introduced to Stark Patent No. 030: Motorized Roller Skates to speed up move troops.

Tales of Suspense #41 – “The Stronghold of Dr. Strange”

This story details what happens when Iron Man meets the dastardly Dr. Strange (not to be confused with the Master of the Mystic Arts). No, this guy is just your standard  ego-maniacal bozo with a secret island fortress stocked with atomic bombs. The fight scene is pretty weak, lasting a whole 2 pages, and at the end Dr. Strange just escapes (never to be heard from again). Also, be sure to check out Stark Patent No. 411: A machine gun that shoots artillery shells

Tales of Suspense #42 – “Trapped by the Red Barbarian”

Iron man is called into crush a Commie spy-ring led by the Red Barbarian. Stark Patent No. 672 figures greatly in this tale: a real-life Disintegrator Ray.

Tales of Suspense #43 – “Iron Man vs. Kala, Queen of the Netherworld”

Iron Man takes a trip to the Netherworld and has to prevent an Atlantean army from invading the surface. There were a lot of these types of characters showing up in early Marvel history (Mole Man for the Fantastic Four and Tyrannus for the Hulk), but they can’t all be winners. One highlight, though, is Stark Patent No. 502: Nuclear Clippers that can carve through solid rock.

Tales of Suspense #44 – “The Mad Pharaoh”

Iron Man goes back in time to ancient Egypt to protect Cleopatra from an evil wizard. Unfortunately, Marvel already had a much better Egyptian-themed villain in Rama-Tut (a time-traveling despot who sets himself up in Egypt as related in Fantastic Four #19). We do get a sneak peek, however, at Stark Patent No. 127: X-Ray Goggles that can see through stone.

Tales of Suspense #45 – “The Icy Fingers of Jack Frost”

A deranged scientist tries to steal the secret’s of Stark’s transistor technology, but is stopped by Iron Man. The doctor swears revenge, and goes on to invent an ice-suit that protects him from gunfire and allows him to project cold rays. Starting a trend that continues on for the next few issues, he swears revenge against Iron Man and starts attacking Stark Industry factories. Incidentally, this issue also serves to introduce us to two familiar members of the supporting cast – Happy Hogan and Pepper Pots.

Tales of Suspense #46 – “Iron Man Faces the Crimson Dynamo”

Those dastardly Commies raise their ugly heads again. This time around they send out the Crimson Dynamo (basically a Soviet knockoff of Iron Man) to sabotage Stark’s factories. Of course this backfires, and Iron Man even gets the guy a job at Stark Industries. This character, by the way, is who the main villain of Iron Man 2 was loosely based on.

Tales of Suspense #47 – “Iron Man Battles the Melter”

So you’ve just invented a ray that melts iron. Do you A) patent it and sell it to the highest bidder, or B) put on a fruity costume and swear revenge against the whole world? Well, if you’re the Melter you choose the latter option and end up getting beat up by Iron Man.

Tales of Suspense #48 – “The Mysterious Mr. Doll”

Mr. Doll’s evil schtick is that he makes a voodoo doll of you, then threatens to maim it if you don’t fork over your cash. Basically, he is a cheap imitation of the Puppet Master (from the Fantastic Four’s comic). This issue’s main claim to fame is as the first appearance of Iron Man’s more familiar red-and-gold armor.

Tales of Suspense #49 – “The New Iron Man Meets the Angel”

This is essentially an all-out fighting issue.. It seems that while flying over a Stark Industries factory, a nuclear test is conducted, and the Angel (from the X-Men) is turned evil by the radiation. Tony Stark feels like he’s to blame so he sets out to bring the now marauding Angel in. First the Angel beats up the entire X-Men team, then he goes toe-to-toe with Iron Man in the air. Needless to say, everything works out in the end.

Tales of Suspense #50 – “The Hands of the Mandarin”

This issue introduces us to the Mandarin, one of Iron Man’s most powerful and persistent enemies (and my hands down favorite for the 3rd movie villain). He’s basically modeled on Sax Rohmer’s yellow menace character Fu Manchu. Iron Man’s battle takes up a good 8 pages of the story, but you’re still left wanting more because it ends in a stalemate. For those not in the know, the Mandarin has ten power rings on his fingers, each able to shoot a ray with different effects.

I liked this collection a lot. The first six stories (13-pages each) utilize familiar tropes of old Tales of Suspense mold – alien races and menacing monsters. The second six stories (18-pages each)  finally enter into the new Marvel Age by introducing interesting challenges and memorable supervillains for our hero. It is fun to see the progression of the character, and all the changes just make you want to see what happens next.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Q&A

Finally, after a year of blogging (and 50 some posts) here is our first co-book report. Showing the different ways two people can react to the same work of fiction was the original impetus for creating this blog. Of course, since this is our initial offering, there

may be a few formatting problems, but we’ll work it out eventually. Anyway, this time around we’re covering the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This is a story about a portrait that reflects all the evil deeds of its subject has committed, becoming more and more degenerate as the years go by. The subject’s (the Dorian Gray of the title) real life body, however, remains unchanged and ever-youthful looking.

Twyls and I asked each other 5  questions about the book and then answered them separately. Here are twyls’s questions and my (jrob’s) answers…

twyls: Would you say this novel was more character- or plot-based? Why?

jrob: I would say the novel is definitely character based, because I remember the characters much more than I do the plot. Over half the novel is basically three main characters (Basil the Painter, Lord Henry, and Dorian Gray) standing around arguing over who’s more obnoxious!
twyls: You mentioned that you felt that the characters were all vain. Do you feel like Wilde was trying to make a point with his characters? Explain.

jrob: First off, you totally made that rhyme! Second, Wilde was quoted as saying something along these lines when asked about the characters, “Lord Henry is how people see me, Basil is how I really am, and Dorian Gray is who I’d like to be.” I don’t think Wilde wrote them as exceptionally vain, I just think that was his natural voice.

twyls: What would have made this book a better read for you?

jrob: Absolutely nothing; it was good enough as it was. The language was beautiful, the characters were interesting, and the plot came together in the end (which you know is one of my pet peeves). The edition I read even had footnotes, so bonus!

twyls: The most moving part of the book for me was the part about the young actress, Sybil Vain. What do you think of Gray’s treatment of her: was it a youthful sin that turned his life in a bad direction, or was this the first sign of his flawed character?

jrob: That’s a really good question; I think it was a little of both. It was definitely a silly thing to get so worked up about one little thing that seems so important at the time. But I think Dorian’s main flaw was that he continued to make those same kinds of errors. His outward appearance of youth was reflected by his inner mindset.

twyls: What did you think of the ending?

jrob: I liked the closure for all the characters. While most everyone was vain and superficial, there is a lot of poetic justice in their ends. Which is ironic, because Wilde said he hated simple morals to stories.

And here are my (jrob’s) questions and twyls’s answers…

jrob: Who was your favorite/least favorite character and why?

twyls: My favorite character was Sybil Vane, the young actress that caught Dorian’s heart in the beginning of the novel. I thought she was completely brash and naive, but romantic in her own way. My least favorite character has to be Lord Henry. I think he’s the absolute epitome of selfish carelessness. I would call him the true villain of the novel, though Dorian Gray wasn’t exactly a good guy.

jrob: What do you think was the overall moral of the story?

twyls: That is such a tough question. As the author says in the preface, “The artist is the creator of beautiful things… Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.” That said, the moral I got out of Dorian Gray is that a good life is better than eternal youth. That is overly simplistic, but it’s the best I can do.

jrob: What type of story would you call this (horror, fantasy, etc.)?

twyls: I’m not sure this is genre fiction at all. I would just call it literature, specifically classic literature. If I had to give it a genre, it would be psychological horror – the more subtle, creepy sort.

jrob: Would you want to read more of his works after reading this book?

twyls: I’ve gone back and forth on this question, but the more I think of it, the more I think I would like to read another Wilde play or poem. That is, once I get through all the rest of my reading list!

jrob: What was your favorite part of the book (the writing style, the characters, the dialogue, the plot, etc.)?

twyls: I would have to say the writing style was my favorite. I loved the almost leisurely pace and the descriptions that made me feel like I was walking through the garden with Dorian. I loved the very beginning chapters, where the garden and the artist are described. I also loved the slowly building tension, the sense that the reader is swept along into Dorian’s madness.

Well there it is, folks. Our first co-book report. Let us know what you thought, and whether you’d like us to change anything around for the next time!

Captain America… The Beginning of a Legend

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I have a moderately sized collection (about 3000 in all) of comic books. Unfortunately, I haven’t bought a comic book for the last 3 years or so. This past January for my birthday twyls decided to give me a $25/month allowance for the rest of the year so I could fill in some of the longstanding gaps of my collection. For the month of June, however, I decided to treat myself to a couple of TPBs I’ve been eying for awhile – Marvel Masterworks: Captain America Volume 1 and Marvel Masterworks: Iron Man Volume 1. And after finishing them up I’ve decided to share my thoughts with you…

Coming just six months on the heels of his reintroduction in Avengers #4, Captain America’s gets his own series of solo adventures (and gets to share the cover with Iron Man) in Tales of Suspense. This volume collects the first 23 ten-page stories from the 1960s.

For those commie-loving nogoodniks who don’t know who Captain America is, here is a quick recap: Captain America is Steve Rogers, who was originally rejected by the army, but became a volunteer for America’s first Super Soldier program. The experiment was a success and he went on to fight all kinds of menaces during WWII. After that, he was frozen in suspended animation, only to be revived in the early Sixties at the height of the Cold War.

The first four stories in this collection (Tales of Suspense #59-62) find Cap getting into improbable adventures against unnamed foes. In “Captain America” a bunch of nobodies decide to raid Avenger’s Mansion and Cap is on guard duty. In “The Army of Assassins Strike” Baron Zemo hires a – band of mercenaries to attack Cap at a conference he is speaking at.  In “The Strength of the Sumo” Cap is in Vietnam to rescue the little brother of an old army buddy from WWII. Finally, in “Break-Out in Cell Block 10” Cap is visiting a prison when the inmates decide to stage a break out.

The preceding tales are pretty forgettable. Flashy super villains are scarce, there is little setup for the stories, and absolutely no character development. About the best thing you can say (and which Stan Lee admits to in the introduction) is that there’s plenty of action.

Tales of Suspense #63 takes a break from the present with “The Origin of Captain America”. I believe this is its first retelling in the Silver Age. That segues into the next chapter of Cap’s adventures. I guess by this time Stan Lee decided to go with the strengths of the character and write a few flashback stories of WWII.

We begin in Tales of Suspense #64 with a tale of saboteurs in the early days of the war entitled “Among Us, Wreckers Strike”. Then, in Tales of Suspense #65-68, the Red Skull (one of Cap’s oldest and deadliest enemies) returns to menace our hero for the first multi-issue story arc. In “The Fantastic Origin of the Red Skull” we get just that while Cap is interrogated by the Nazi super villain. In “Lest Tyranny Triumph” and “The Sentinel and the Spy” we see the results of the Red Skull brainwashing the Sentinel of Liberty and sending him to assassinate a top commander of the Allied forces in Britain. The second multi-part WWII story takes place in Tales of Suspense #69-71, with Cap battling an English mad scientist allied with the Nazis.

These stories are entertaining enough, but don’t do much to distinguish Cap from the other Marvel superheroes. Luckily, in the next issue we switch once again to the Sixties, and Cap gets involved in what is to become his bread-and-butter storylines – fighting against Communist spies and Fascist saboteurs.

Tales of Suspense #72-74 concerns a doomsday plot of the Red Skull’s which he set to activate 20 years after the end of WWII. Cap has to battle a trio of dangerous robots called Sleepers in order to prevent Armageddon. This is definitely a step in the right direction for the character.

Then there is a two-part tale that follows when Cap inadvertently winds up in the middle of SHIELD mission, meeting Agent 13 (his future love interest) and battling Batroc the Leaper for the first time. A vial of Inferno 42, a serum that can set the entire city on fire with just a few well placed drops, is being transported and a nebulous group of villains wants to steal it for their own purposes.

Tales of Suspense #77 is yet another flashback tale, entitled “If A Hostage Should Die”, about a French freedom fighter that Cap falls in love with during the liberation of Paris. This interlude does a good job of adding some pathos to the character.

Tales of Suspense #78 features a long overdue visit with Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. The pair team-up to fight off a powerful android created by a secret cabal of terrorists called Them (which eventually becomes the group known as HYDRA). Fury offers Cap a job at SHIELD, but he declines because of his duties as the leader of the Avengers.

Finishing up the collection is a trio of tales that take place in Tales of Suspense #79-81. It seems the Red Skull has been revived 20 years after his seeming death in WWII by Them (in a story that parallels Cap’s own rescue by the Avengers). The Red Skull then goes about stealing the organization’s most powerful invention – The Cosmic Cube. And it’s up to Captain America to stop him. This story is significant because it is where I believe the Red Skull supersedes Baron Zemo (who was killed off in Avengers #15) as Cap’s main nemesis.

So in summary, in this volume we have twenty-three 10 page tales of the Star-Spangled Avenger. It takes a while for Stan Lee to get a handle on the character, but he eventually finds his groove. It’s an interesting progression to watch. And, of course, in the later stories there are several important characters and concepts that are introduced that will affect Captain America and Marvel Universe for years to come (such as Agent 13, Batroc the Leaper, the Cosmic Cube, HYDRA, and the Red Skull). So sit back and watch history as it unfolds before your eyes!

A Taste of Southern Gothic…

Ever since twyls and I moved to Louisville, I have become more and more interested in the history of the South. And one way of  getting to know my new home is through its fiction and literature. I’m speaking specifically about its ghost stories, which brings me to my next review…

Haunted Dixie is an anthology of 14 ghosts stories from the American South. It was published in 1994 as part of the American Ghost Series published by Rutledge Press. And without further ado, here’s what I thought of them:

The book starts out with Lost Boys (1989), a short story by Orson Scott Card (better known as the author of Ender’s Game). It is written in a semi-autobiographical style, and it’s about a family who has recently moved to a new city and how their eldest child has a hard time adjusting. Until he meets some little ghost friends, that is. There are some interesting flourishes here, but it’s a rather predictable story, and I don’t think it really fits in with the Southern Gothic theme of the book.

The next story, What Say the Frogs Now, Jenny? (1983) written by Hugh B. Cave is a much better starting point. I’ve read a few of Cave’s stories in other anthologies, and they are always interesting. Apparently, he was a big time pulp fiction writer during the 30s and 40s, who came out of retirement in the 80s and continued writing until his death in 2004. Perhaps that’s why his stories have a timeless/urban legend quality to them.  This particular piece is about a truck stop waitress and the unfortunate events that occur after she buys her first car.

While there is a ghost or two in First Dark (1959), written by Elizabeth Spencer, this story is more about skeletons in the closet than spooks in a graveyard. Basically, a prodigal son returns to his Southern hometown after a lengthy absence and starts an unlikely romance with the daughter of the woman who terrorized him as a youth. Spencer does a good job of  illustrating a bygone southern culture with the many idioms and mannerisms she uses. This is the first story of the anthology that I would label as true Southern Gothic.

The Tree’s Wife (1950), by Mary Elizabeth Counselman, is a half-whimsical/half-macabre tale about the “hill folk” and their strange ways. I liked this story a lot, because it gives the reader an inside look at the way the hillbillies of yore lived, without disparaging them. Two teenaged lovers hastily conspire to get married despite their feuding families (mainly due to the girl’s pregnancy). During the wedding ceremony, however, the boy is killed.  In lieu of a husband, the disraught girl marries the tree under which her lover’s blood was spilled. Afterward, the tree starts to act strangely.

I would label the next piece, The Chrome Comanche (1990) by Alan Dean Foster, as more of a Weird Western than Southern Gothic. It takes place in the Old West, where a Texas farmer is on the verge of relocating his family because his land is haunted by ghostly indians. It features the character of Amos Malone, a sort of paranormal bounty hunter, who decides to help the homesteader get to the bottom of his problems. If you like this type of yarn then you should pick up Mad Amos, which is a collection by Foster of all the Amos Malone short stories he’s written throughout the years.

Toad’s Foot (1979), by Manly Wade Wellman, is next up. I’ve heard a great deal about Wellman’s weird fiction, but this is my first encounter with it. I’m glad to say that this story did not disappoint. It’s simple enough to describe the plot – a preacher arrives in town and confronts a local witch – but the true delight is in the way Wellman builds the atmosphere. He can quickly establish a sense of evil foreboding without being too explicit, much like H.P. Lovecraft.

The Ghost Whistle (1923), by Eugene K. Jones, is another “hill people” story about an obstinate moonshiner and his dealings with the local railroad that skirts his land. It’s a good enough entry in this anthology, but it is not a very memorable tale.

The Crocodile (1905), by Gouverneur Morris, is another clunker. It is a story about a southern gentleman mourning, who so mourns his dead wife that he neglects his only son.  While I liked the atmosphere it evoked, the story is a supposed satire on Edgar Allan Poe’s obsessively morbid protagonists, and that aspect didn’t really impress me.

The Jabberwock Valentine (1988), by Talmage Powell, is one of the more modern stories. It is a nice murder mystery about a world famous fashion model who visits her southern hometown once a year on her birthday. A family curse, dark voodoo, and a vicious serial killer are added to the mix to spice things up. This is definitely a highlight of the anthology.

Through the Ivory Gate (1905), by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews, is a tidy little tale about lost confederate gold buried on an abandoned plantation home. No collection of Southern Gothic tales would be complete without something like this. This is another solid entry, even if the plot sounds a bit cliched.

A Tragedy of South Carolina (1895), by Sarah Morgan Dawson, is a spooky tale of Southern justice. When the Colonel takes the law into his own hands and kills his trespassing neighbors, his gentlemanly reputation keeps him out of jail. But that doesn’t stop his victims from getting revenge from beyond the grave. This story doesn’t seem like much at first but it has really stuck with me, which is a good indication that it’s very well written.

The next entry is Sleeping Beauty (1958) by Robert Bloch. I have pretty much loved every story that I’ve read of his, and this is no different. In it, a tourist complains about how commercialized New Orleans has become, and wishes it was more like it was in the old days. Well, sure enough, he takes a walk on a mist shrouded night and get his wish in a totally unexpected way. Being history buff myself, I can commiserate a great deal with the protagonist.

The anthology concludes with the short story about a wrongly executed Confederate soldier how his ghost got his revenge on his accuser. It is entitled Two Military Executions (1906) and written by Ambrose Bierce. Because it was so short (only three pages long) it didn’t have much of an impact. Bierce is one of the more well known American horror writers of the 19th century, however, so I’m not surprised that one of his stories got snuck in.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful anthology, and I plan on getting its companion book, Dixie Ghosts, when I get a chance. It provides a good cross-section of excellent Southern Gothic storytelling by covering a wide variety of times, places, and people.

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