Tag Archives: Review

April 22, 2017 · 12:25

The Expanse Origins: James Holden

The Expanse Origins 01 - Boom StudiosThe Expanse Origins: James Holden (The Expanse Origins #1)
BOOM! Studios, februari 2017

Story by: James S.A. Corey, Hallie Lambert, Georgia Lee
Art by: Huang Danlan, Triona Farrell

Before James Holden was a member of the crew of The Rocinante, he was a lieutenant in Earth’s navy on board the UNN Zheng Fei. When their ship met an unidentified belter cargo vessel suspected of OPA ties, Holden faced a choice that would come to define his time in the navy.

Allt som har med Expanse känns som en god idé att slänga sig över, här får vi alltså en bit till i pusslet som är James Holden. Vi får följa hans tid ombord UNN Zheng Fei och bakgrunden till att han fick lämna marinen. Vi följer med en något yngre Holden, hur han är kring sina kollegor, hur han hanterar situationer med sina överordnade och tja händelsen som ledde till att han så småningom mönstrade på the Cant.

Det här var tyvärr en riktigt besvikelse. En väldigt kort berättelse som helt ärligt inte ger oss någon direkt ny insikt i vem James Holden är. Vad vi ser är faktiskt samma karaktär, det är samma gamla (eller i detta fall yngre) Holden som har svårt för auktoriteter och hamnar givetvis i onåd pga. sina handlingar (även om i detta fall så hade han “rätt”). Inget nytt under solen, eller tja stjärnorna.

Teckningarna är definitivt inte heller i min smak, om jag skall vara brutalt ärlig, de är rätt oinspirerande, på tok för enkla och med en avsaknad av detaljer så blir de inte särskilt minnesvärda.

Antar att jag bara kan rekommenderar The Expanse Origins #1 till dig som är en die-hard fan av allt Expanse och inte vill missa det minsta lilla om den världen.

—
gbWell, this was a letdown.
A (very) shot story that don’t really give us any new info about Holden.
I was looking forward to some insight in his life before Rocinante and his time in the navy. But all we got was the same old (or in this case younger) Holden, him not taking things serious (despite the fact that he’s on a military ship), and of course he’s total lack of respect towards authority och chain of command. So no new insights there.
To top that off, to be honest the art was also a bit of a letdown, it has a “simple” feel in style and the lack off details makes it a bit uninspiring.
No, sad to say, but this was not my cup of tea.

Story: ★★
Art: ★★
Overall: ★★

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Filed under Comics, Digital Comics, Georgia Lee, Hallie Lambert, James S.A. Corey, Science Fiction

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September 12, 2012 · 19:54

Zombie summer

This summer has been about all things Zombie. I revisited the excellent TV-show The Walking Dead, season 1-2, dived right in to Cherie Priest Boneshaker and finally got around and picked up the graphic novel version of The Walking Dead.

To be honest I do love my zombies on the big as well as the small screen, but I never really been that into the literary version of zombies, if you don’t count early Anita Blake (oh, the scene in the Laughing corps when zombies attacking her in the bedroom and the end result is Zombie-part all over her stuffed penguin collection, that’s legendary!).
oh well that was years ago, now The Walking dead, well I did like the first volume, Days gone bye, so there is no other way than to have a go at the second installation, Miles behind us.

Miles behind usThe story begins with a short flashback of Lori and Shane and then jumps back just a couple of days after the end event in volume 1, we se the group get in the RV and takes to the road. In this volume we get introduced to some new characters, some a bit more interesting than others. I find Tyrese practically interesting, he kicks some serious ass! I so hope he will survive!

As in the first volume, the zombies are more in the background, although quite deadly and before the story ends there will be more deaths among our survivors. But if you are looking for a lot of gore and violence, well then you have to look elsewhere. This story is all about people, what may happen to our humanity when the worst comes to worse, our ability to rise above ourselves or fall on our selfish egos. In Miles behind us we will see more of who our survivors really are.

When I got to the final pages, what can I say, I just wanted more! The story gets more and more interesting by the minute and you start to care a lot for some of the characters (and then again not so much for others). I’m so looking forward to read volume 3, can’t wait.
And just one more note, please, please let the zombies eat Lori, I just can’t stand her, what an annoying and irritating character. Thank you very much! *fingers cross*

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The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles behind us
By Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore (cover)
Published 2004, by Image Comic

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August 6, 2012 · 23:08

Vintage Anita – in a different package

Holidays are great, for then there suddenly is time to have a go at all of those books that you just haven’t come around to read, yet.

So Anita Blake – the first death.

Anita Blake – the first death1      Anita Blake – the first death

This is really back to basics, old vintage Anita, set in time just before the first novel, Guilty Pleasures.

This is the story of how Anita came to work with the police, her first meeting with Jean-Claude and not to forget the reason she ended up as an ally to Mr. Death himself. It is a fast tale Laurell K. Hamilton along with her husband Jonathon Green is serving us. The pace is steady, writing quite basic and the illustrations is really what drives the storyline forward.

It starts with Anita at the murders scene of the latest victim to what appear to be the result of a serial killer. The trail eventually leads toward a rouge vampire group and after some life and death situation Anita manage to put all the badies to the ground, with a little help from Mr. Death. Along the ride we meet some of the people at Animators Inc, like Manny and Bert, at Guilty Pleasures there is Jean-Cleade and yes then there is Edward.

It’s more of a short story and you finish it rather (to) quickly. As an (former) Anita Blake fan, well there are worse storys that Ms. Hamilton has penned. When it comes to the graphic parts, the illustrations feels a bit like Witchblade or the Darkness (which in my book is ok).
I sort of liked the interpretation of Anita, Jean-Claude and Edward, but Storr and Sebrowski, well not so much. But then again the illustrations is competing with pictures made up in my head from reading the novels and to be honest that has nothing to do with this graphic novel.

So who will appreciate it?
I think fans of Anita Blake will probably enjoy a new story, as graphic novels goes, well it’s not that impressive, not bad, just ok.
And if you are expecting more of the new incarnation of miss Blake, then you have to look elsewhere, not a sex scene in sight 😀

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Anita Blake – the first death
Laurell K. Hamilton, Jonathon Green and Wellington Alves
by Marvel Comics,  2009

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