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Book/Comic/Movie/TV Recs, as of 2/3/11
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 08:46 amIn books:
The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1), by Rick Riordan: It could be just be that this book is fresher in my mind, but I think I like this better than the original Percy Jackson series. Riordan has introduced new characters who are appealing and quick-witted, and tackles thornier issues than the previous works did. (For example, if a mystical force screws with your memory in order to disguise the fact that a person is a demi-God, and you realize your vision of reality is skewed, how do you reconcile the two realities?) Characters from the original series appear, too, and it's interesting to read about them from other characters' perspectives. The conflict in this series is more unified and the stakes are higher than before. I'd recommend this to fans and new readers alike.
In comics:
The New York Five, Issue 1, by Brian Wood (words)/Ryan Kelly (pictures): I wasn't completely sold on this work in its first incarnation (last blogged about here.) This new series continues the story mostly where things left off: our heroines are living together (at least, it appears that way, except that most of the time, they're off in geographically separate places, each pursuing their own plot lines) and trying to fix various problems that threaten to mess up their lives. There's a greater attempt to clean up some of the weirder plot-lines and flesh out the two characters who got sidelined in the first installment. Of the two characters, Merissa fares better as we discover that she's not, in fact, chasing boys all the time, but trying to manage an increasingly unstable and violent brother. Lona, on the other hand, still never makes it beyond 'creepy' as we see the process of her stalking her ex-professor. I'm torn on this title: I want to like it. It's a real pleasure to see a title with all female characters, and Ryan Wood's artwork is very good, detailed but not distractingly busy. But all of the main characters are focused on men, men, men. The story barely passes the Bechdel test; the closest it comes is when Merissa talks to a homeless girl outside the apartment (who I suspect will become the fifth member of the group.) For a comic that's ostensibly about four girls and their first year of college, we know an awful lot about the guys they're involved with, but very little about them personally. I hope future issues of this story will work to resolve this problem, and at the very least, give us a scene where the main characters sit down and talk together, without resorting to griping over boy troubles for plot purposes.
At the movies:
True Grit: I actually saw this a few weeks ago, and hoped to do a movie vs. movie vs. book style entry on it (since I've heard that the earlier version is quite good, too, but takes the story in a different direction.) But I've forgotten that when there's a baby in the picture, all bets are off on doing this sort of protracted viewing and reading exercise. Ah well, no matter: I enjoyed this movie very much (and hopefully I'll be able to write that movie/movie/book entry someday.) The landscape was so beautiful and spare and I was astonished to read in the credits that it had been filmed in New Mexico and Arizona; I had figured that an untouched wilderness like that would only exist in Alberta, Canada these days. The plain setting reflects the characters perfectly: 14-year-old Mattie Ross is determined to bring her father's killer to justice, and she figures that Rooster Cogburn is the man to help her do it. The two characters are sketched in quick, meticulous strokes: Mattie talks her way into getting her father's possessions and money back and won't take no for an answer (ever); Rooster drinks his way through nights and days but is ruthless when cornered. As they travel together, it becomes clear that each is good for the other, but neither one of them will ever admit it; they speak to each other through actions rather than words. There's some amazing acting in this movie, and I hope the Oscar voters notice and reward it. It's well worth seeing on the big screen, too.
On TV:
Community: What an awesome little comedy, with a stellar cast and great writing! I look forward to seeing how they handle AD&D tonight; just seeing Ken Jeong dressed up as a Dark Elf in the promo's was enough to sell me on the plot.
The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1), by Rick Riordan: It could be just be that this book is fresher in my mind, but I think I like this better than the original Percy Jackson series. Riordan has introduced new characters who are appealing and quick-witted, and tackles thornier issues than the previous works did. (For example, if a mystical force screws with your memory in order to disguise the fact that a person is a demi-God, and you realize your vision of reality is skewed, how do you reconcile the two realities?) Characters from the original series appear, too, and it's interesting to read about them from other characters' perspectives. The conflict in this series is more unified and the stakes are higher than before. I'd recommend this to fans and new readers alike.
In comics:
The New York Five, Issue 1, by Brian Wood (words)/Ryan Kelly (pictures): I wasn't completely sold on this work in its first incarnation (last blogged about here.) This new series continues the story mostly where things left off: our heroines are living together (at least, it appears that way, except that most of the time, they're off in geographically separate places, each pursuing their own plot lines) and trying to fix various problems that threaten to mess up their lives. There's a greater attempt to clean up some of the weirder plot-lines and flesh out the two characters who got sidelined in the first installment. Of the two characters, Merissa fares better as we discover that she's not, in fact, chasing boys all the time, but trying to manage an increasingly unstable and violent brother. Lona, on the other hand, still never makes it beyond 'creepy' as we see the process of her stalking her ex-professor. I'm torn on this title: I want to like it. It's a real pleasure to see a title with all female characters, and Ryan Wood's artwork is very good, detailed but not distractingly busy. But all of the main characters are focused on men, men, men. The story barely passes the Bechdel test; the closest it comes is when Merissa talks to a homeless girl outside the apartment (who I suspect will become the fifth member of the group.) For a comic that's ostensibly about four girls and their first year of college, we know an awful lot about the guys they're involved with, but very little about them personally. I hope future issues of this story will work to resolve this problem, and at the very least, give us a scene where the main characters sit down and talk together, without resorting to griping over boy troubles for plot purposes.
At the movies:
True Grit: I actually saw this a few weeks ago, and hoped to do a movie vs. movie vs. book style entry on it (since I've heard that the earlier version is quite good, too, but takes the story in a different direction.) But I've forgotten that when there's a baby in the picture, all bets are off on doing this sort of protracted viewing and reading exercise. Ah well, no matter: I enjoyed this movie very much (and hopefully I'll be able to write that movie/movie/book entry someday.) The landscape was so beautiful and spare and I was astonished to read in the credits that it had been filmed in New Mexico and Arizona; I had figured that an untouched wilderness like that would only exist in Alberta, Canada these days. The plain setting reflects the characters perfectly: 14-year-old Mattie Ross is determined to bring her father's killer to justice, and she figures that Rooster Cogburn is the man to help her do it. The two characters are sketched in quick, meticulous strokes: Mattie talks her way into getting her father's possessions and money back and won't take no for an answer (ever); Rooster drinks his way through nights and days but is ruthless when cornered. As they travel together, it becomes clear that each is good for the other, but neither one of them will ever admit it; they speak to each other through actions rather than words. There's some amazing acting in this movie, and I hope the Oscar voters notice and reward it. It's well worth seeing on the big screen, too.
On TV:
Community: What an awesome little comedy, with a stellar cast and great writing! I look forward to seeing how they handle AD&D tonight; just seeing Ken Jeong dressed up as a Dark Elf in the promo's was enough to sell me on the plot.
