Reviews by spiegalr

I always knew elephants were bad news

Posted : 8 months ago on 11 March 2009 09:49 (A review of Footfall)

And they are like, invading Earth or something. Footfall is the story of an alien invasion in the mid 1980s and the broad cast of characters it affects. The concept of the aliens (who look like baby elephants, apparently) is interesting; they genuinely believe that invading Earth is their “divine right”, although this is never expanded upon as fully as I would’ve liked. I was recommended this book by a friend and having never heard of it I think I set my expectations a bit too high. Whatever, it’s a sci-fi alien adventure. Nothing particularly special, just something to pass a Saturday afternoon.

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Black Jack, Vol. 1 review

Posted : 1 year, 1 month ago on 1 October 2008 09:18 (A review of Black Jack, Vol. 1)

A year or so ago, I read the first few chapters of Black Jack by scanlation since the original Viz editions are impossible to find. I was immediately hooked, so when I found out Vertical had licensed a re-release I put the first volume on pre-order right away.

This volume of Black Jack contains twelve one-shot stories. Most interesting are the "origin" stories of Black Jack himself: the origin of his career as a surgeon and an unusual tale of lost love. Tezuka’s medical knowledge comes in handy throughout; technical terms are constantly used and the surgeries are depicted fairly graphically. Although some of the storylines are a bit improbable (a supercomputer in 1970?), each offers an honest glimpse of humanity at its best and worst. Black Jack ultimately demonstrates Tezuka’s incomparable scope as a writer. It may not be the “best” Tezuka per se, but it’s definitely my favourite.

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Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You review

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 15 July 2008 02:03 (A review of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You)

Where does one start with Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You? It seems like the author couldn’t decide which plot points to develop and as such none of them came to a satisfying conclusion. All the more disappointing is that Someday had the potential to be so much better. The story starts out promising enough; the narrator, James Sveck, is a witty and relatable character in the vein of Holden Caulfield. But after the first few chapters, it felt as if Peter Cameron had gotten out his dartboard, covered it with randomly generated plot ideas and started throwing. Not a complete waste of my time, but a pretty jarring reminder of why I tend to avoid the Young Adult shelves.

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Rock On: An Office Power Ballad review

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 19 May 2008 02:36 (A review of Rock On: An Office Power Ballad)

It’s anyone’s guess exactly why I found myself in the nonfiction section of the library (let alone the music biography shelf) but somehow I managed to pick up Dan Kennedy’s gem of a memoir, Rock On. Good thing, since it was straight up my alley.

Kennedy is an awkward, thirtysomething slacker who lands a gig at a major record label despite being totally clueless towards just about everything. This is summed up in a nutshell when his first note written in his first board room meeting is “Who is/are Fat Joe?”

Throughout his narrative, Kennedy treats us to his quirky brand of humour, abiding love of music, and ridiculously hilarious lists. Reading this book in public places garnered me many strange looks when I would spontaneously start laughing.

Need any more reason to read Rock On? Besides the insight on the current music industry, consider chapter titles such as “When It Began, or The Twenty-Nine-Year-Old White Guy from Orange County, California, Tells You About Soul Music”. And the “office stuff” shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue is classic.

The only thing that brought this book down for me was the slightly melancholy meditations on life and change, etc. that became increasing common towards the conclusion. I have no problem with this subject matter in other circumstances, but it felt a bit out of place here.

That said, Rock On may quite possibly be one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Anyone interested in an amusing take on the music industry should definitely check this book out.

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Mushishi, Vol. 01 review

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 21 April 2008 04:54 (A review of Mushishi, Vol. 01)

Finding my personal manga library to be extremely lacking, I went over to Amazon and ordered the first couple volumes of Mushishi. I had no idea what to expect and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

Mushishi is a series of mostly chapter contained stories linked by Ginko (who is basically the awesome), a wandering Mushishi, or Mushi master, who travels from village to village studying the creatures known as Mushi and helping people with Mushi-related problems. There are many different types of Mushi, and they can live in eyes, ears, dreams, or take forms in nature (one appears as a swamp).

Each chapter has an ethereal feel to it made more so by the sketchy inking. The only peeve I had was that the drawing of hands and faces was clumsy at times. That said, Mushishi 1 was an enjoyable read that I’m happy to add to my collection.

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Iron Chef America: The Series review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 7 April 2008 11:25 (A review of Iron Chef America: The Series)

Nowhere near the greatness of the original Iron Chef. Without the campy dubs and Japanese pop icon tasters, the show is dull and lacking in its original charms.

Sorry America, but you fail (again).

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I Finally Get It

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 27 March 2008 10:05 (A review of Apollo's Song)

I admit that I’d never “got” Tezuka. Sure, I’d perused my local library’s graphic novel section often enough, reading Metropolis, Ode to Kirihito, and Phoenix: A Tale of the Future. Still, I couldn’t fully comprehend what all the fuss was about. Then I read Apollo’s Song.

First published in 1970, Apollo’s Song is the story of Shogo Chikaishi, a sadistic, love hating teenager whose psychological issues stem from an estranged childhood. Brought into the mental ward of a hospital, Shogo begins a series of visions (that soon become reality) in which he is forced to love one woman eternally, “but before the two are united in love, one shall perish.”

The only gripe I had with this manga is the misogyny that is not uncommon among Tezuka’s works. I understand that the Japanese have a very different stance on gender roles, but the feminist in me found the situations involving rape nearly intolerable.

Feminist rant aside, I truly did enjoy this manga. Epic, generation spanning, and heart wrenching, Apollo’s Song is everything modern comics should be.

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