From A Library – Wolverine: Agent of SHIELD

Issues 26–32 by Mark Millar, John Romita Jr and Kaare Andrews

This collection is the second half of Millar's run on Wolverine (the first half of which I enjoyed). It starts with the origin of the villain of the piece, Gorgon, in an effort to hype up his bad ass-ness. Then we are shown Hydra and the Hand are kidnapping, killing and resurrecting supervillains, even after SHIELD have warned them to stay in hiding. They also steal Northstar, just to balance out Millar's killing him off in the first trade. Meanwhile, Wolverine is being deprogrammed, in a nice idea of run simulations but loses cohesion when you think about it: how can the deprogrammer be talking to Logan if they're doing millions of simulations per second? The timescale doesn't work out.

SHIELD are attacked by the Hand-controlled supervillains, led by Elektra and Northstar (which provides an opportunity for a great double-page spread by JRJr, as they all descend on the base). Because they are in such trouble, they release Wolverine to do his thing, which is the entire point behind the series: justify and permit the Beserker Rage by directing it in a 'good' way. That's what we want, after all – ultraviolence that we can feel good about.

With Fury down and SHIELD incapacitated, Logan is out to kill as many of the bad guys as possible. Well, except for Northstar – he feels guilty for killing him in the first place. Ahh, isn't he nice? Anyway, he has a plan: three sentinels to annihilate the rest of the bad guys, because there is only so much evisceration you can fit into six issues.

Next, Logan goes after the Hand's secret city with a sentinel and finds Elektra in their temple with the top brass, only to discover she's deep undercover (she's been resurrected so many times, they can't brainwash her anymore), and they slaughter everyone (aren't kids comics just like when you grew up? Who says their violent?), before attacking Hydra. They're after Gorgon, and end up fighting him (who seems to suffer no ill effects from Wolvie's claws and Elektra's blades), only for him to turn the tables, divining the location of Fury. Gorgon goes after him, Logan goes after Gorgon, and finally kills him by the most stupid plot twist in the book: Wolverine's claws are able to reflect Gorgon's Medusa stare back on him, thus turning him into stone. Sigh. So silly after all the 'normal' death in the book (how many people die in this story, by the way?). How does it even work? It makes no sense.

This is enjoyable blockbuster comics: Millar writes fun modern superheroics and JRJr draws big action scenes with aplomb (although I don't particularly enjoy his style in this story, which I talked about in the my thoughts on the first trade). These issues are contrasted with the final issue, where Millar thinks he is channeling Will Eisner with a story about Logan during the second world war, where he seems to have spent a lot of time in a concentration camp. I thought Logan was doing lots of espionage/action stuff on the front; apparently, he spent it tormenting the camp commandants in a single location in Poland until they killed themselves, which seems a very slow and long-winded way to achieve positive goals. Surely, especially after the previous six issues, Logan just slaughters people with his claws? What a waste of his skills and training. This is very silly, if well illustrated by Andrews, and it is made worse by the afterword from Millar where he talks about the time he met Eisner and Eisner gave him advice on the story; the self-congratulatory nature of this leaves a bad taste in the mouth after the rest of the book.

From A Library – Checkmate: A King's Game

Issues #1–7 by Greg Rucka (1–5), Rucka/Nunzio DeFillipis/Christina Weir (6, 7), Jesus Saiz (1, 2, 4, 5), Cliff Richards (3, 6, 7)

Even though Checkmate revives a previously used concept in the DC Universe (of which I have almost no knowledge apart from the John Ostrander Suicide Squad), these new stories are really an excuse for Greg Rucka to bring his masterful ability with espionage stories in his creator-owned Queen & Country to the colourful world of superheroes. This applies the 'real world' politics and spying in the context of keeping control of the world's super-powered individuals who get out of line. Or, as the books says: a 'UN chartered metahuman monitoring force'.

After the events of The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis, the UN reorganises Checkmate to control the balance of power in metahuman communities. The organisation is run on the 'rule of two' for those in command (the 'royal family') – for every individual with power, there must be a non-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of authority. This is based on the chess motif inherent in the title: the White King is Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern; the White Queen is Amanda Waller; the Black King is Taleb Beni Khalid; the Black Queen is Sasha Bordeaux (originally created by Greg Rucka back when he was writing Detective Comics, but who has become a cyborg since then); and so on down the ranks, including bishops and knights. This is a very interesting set up, and Rucka passes on this information as clearly and succinctly as possible in what is a tough job in the first issue.

The heart of the book is the different layers to the stories as they progress, and the different levels of intrigue and political manoeuvring that occur: the UN resolution on Checkmate, Kobra's cyclosarin, the Chinese metaprogram, the location of the cyclosarin, the manipulation from Waller. Mix in a relationship between Bordeaux and the superhero Mr Terrific, and you have a lot going on in each issue, with Rucka doing a fine job of spinning all the plates and presenting everything in an understandable and entertaining fashion. There is a good mix of plot, talking and action (which includes the traditional superhero fighting, but done for the story rather than to fill a quota), and it fills you with a sense of happiness that intelligent comic books are still being produced.

Of the two artists who draw the book, Saiz comes off the better: sharper pencils, well-choreographed action, a good storytelling sense, and a pleasant aesthetic. Richards (who has an unfortunate name – I couldn't stop thinking of the ageing pop star) has a looser, sometimes sloppier style, which doesn't feel as sharp or focussed.

The first four issues set up the new Checkmate, with the fifth being a standalone story. The last two issues of the collection see the return of Suicide Squad members in a heist story that doesn't feel as cohesive as when Rucka was writing on his own. They are still enjoyable but it doesn't have quite the same appeal as the political/espionage slanted stories. However, it is still nice to see a West Wing style of comic book in the DC Universe and being done so well.

From A Library: Origin

Origin issues #1–6 by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, Paul Jenkins (plot), Paul Jenkins (script), Andy Kubert (pencils), Richard Isanove (digital painting)

If you've read this blog before, you might have picked up on the fact that I entered the world of mainstream American superhero comics via the X-Men, specifically Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men. I am not unique in this; this is a very common story for a lot of male superhero fans of my generation. The mix of superhero action and soap drama, with a hint of alienation to appeal to the teenager, provided a potent mix to lure the reader in and keep them. And one of the key characters was Wolverine.

Wolverine was never my favourite character of the Uncanny X-Men (that would probably be Kurt 'Nightcrawler' Wagner) but even I knew that he was the coolest character. The claws, the attitude, the mystery, the internal struggle with the beast within: Logan had it all. Well, except for an origin story. But, here's the thing: he didn't need one. There were hints about his age, about being in Japan, fighting in the second world war, all of which were part of the appeal. Admittedly, the Barry Windsor-Smith Weapon X was blatant origin stuff, but it was still enjoyable and didn't answer everything. Which left it to your imagination and kept the appeal. Again, I think, this is a commonly held belief. As is the following: Origin is completely unnecessary.

I've read this trade paperback three times, and I still find it hard to believe that this version of events is the agreed origin of Wolverine. Or, rather, James Howlett. The book just shouts: 'This is serious stuff with serious themes and serious thoughts.' It's one of the most bizarre books I've read from Marvel. The book reads like some Mark Twain story for the first half, then Old Man of the Woods for the second half. Even the art suffers from pretensions: the old-fashioned feel and excessive lushness is supposed to make it 'arty' but Kubert's style doesn't quite gel with the approach. I mean, look at the cover: does that look like it's telling you the story of what was once the coolest character in comics? Wolverine is probably the most recent new creation in the Marvel universe to continue and thrive on his own, yet you wouldn't think it based on this book.

The only aspect of the book that actually shows a hint of something behind it is the switch-and-bait of James Howlett, the boy who will become Wolverine, is a foppish and feeble son of wealthy plantation owners whereas the boy who you think is Wolverine as a boy is just the son of a man called Logan, the family groundskeeper. But that's it. Everything else seems forced in: the inclusion of a red-haired girl called Rose (for Wolverine's supposed obsession with Jean Grey), whose accidental murder by James is really, really stupid; Wolverine being given a book on samurai by a sailor friend, to infer his love for Japanese culture; the other boy coming back as a sort of Sabretooth character (what happens to Dog Logan, by the way? Is that covered in other stories?). It all feels so arch and inorganic. This is revealed by the long list of people involved in making this book, as well as the fact that an introduction in the trade reveals that Quesada said that the reason we have this book is because, if anybody is going to reveal his origins, it's going to be Marvel books and not a film. I think I'll treat this as a possible origin story; I prefer the mystery of not knowing, especially if it means I don't have to read this again.

Bank Holiday Blog Review Blues

The dreariness of a bank holiday Monday in an English summer can have an affect on a person's mood. It certainly permeated through to my recent blogging attitude or, rather, my consumption of material. Don't get me wrong; I still enjoy comic books, films, comedy, books, but sometimes the product doesn't inspire me to write about them.

For example, I've read a lot of trade paperbacks from the library recently. I had reserved a lot of specific books (some of which I will review in due course) and this caused me to just pick up a selection of different books that I might not have done. I read Shadowpact: Cursed (collecting issues 4 and 9–13), because it was written by Bill Willingham. Surely a book about the likes of Detective Chimp, Ragman and the Blue Devil written by the man behind Fables would be interesting? Well, no, actually. I found it rather dull, uninspired and generic. It didn't warrant writing about.

Similarly, I picked up the second volume of Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. (collecting issues 0 and 9–14), mainly because I remembered that the James Robinson Starman had appeared in some issues. I knew it was early Geoff Johns work and, despite not being a fan, I thought it might be interesting. Again, although not completely awful, there was nothing that captured the imagination. I found Courtney Whitmore slightly annoying, the theme of history and legacy that Johns hammered home in JSA to be a little overpowering, and the art from Lee Moder and then Scott Kolins didn't do anything for me.

Other books went in one eye and out the other: Revelations, by Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos, was a piece of hokum about a Vatican conspiracy and murders and the devil, being investigated by a man who seemed like a Warren Ellis stand-in, rather than being written by Jenkins. The only thing I remember was the way the female character (who you know is going to sleep with our protagonist even though he is ugly and miserable and sin, and then die) goes from having a flat chest on a cover to having pneumatic breasts just before they sleep together. The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale got the closest to an emotional reaction in that I was slightly annoyed by it: overly elaborate plotting for the sake of the 'holiday' theme (and the definition of holiday being stretched to infinite elasticity) and the general silliness of the story. I read the two volumes of JLA: The Elite and I really don't understand why this was considered interesting enough to deserve its own miniseries after turning up in a fairly boring story in the JLA in the first place.

It got so I couldn't even finish some stories. I have the Lobo: Paramilitary Xmas book somewhere in the loft, so thought it might be interesting to see the recent Giffen/Grant/Bisley tales with the Authority in The Authority: Holiday Hell. It hurt my eyes to look at Bisley's art and the stories themselves sent me to sleep. I also read World War III (because I enjoyed 52 – I will get round to reviewing that) and felt slightly dirty after trying to read that, and slightly embarrassed for the creators involved.

So comic books had proved inconsistent in their entertainment values – I've always believed in reading as much as possible in the hope that I can give a reasoned opinion on what I write about – so I turned to film. I had always thought that being a film critic must be a great job, even if you have to watch things like Norbit, because somebody pays you to talk about film. The good critic can talk about the films that are neither very good or very bad with the same professionalism; I don't think I have this ability.

I have seen a selection of different films on DVD that have not touched me in a manner that caused me to write anything more than these few words. I waited for Jumper to turn up from my online rental DVD list for well over a month; although I loved the visual of the jumping in the film, the story felt very slight, as if there wasn't enough there to make it (and they didn't seem to bother to explain things, especially the history and financing of the Paladins). Eastern Promises was an interesting look at the Russian mob in London (even if Naomi Watts didn't sell the London accent) but the film (which seemed to stem from the idea of doing a film about the slave trade) didn't seem to have enough to it to see it through – the extra material on the DVD about the mob tattoos and the background seemed more interesting than the film.

I don't know why I though Hitman might be worth watching – I seem to have a bizarre fascination with strange adaptations of genre things like computer games – but it proved to be exactly what other people had said about it. I watched National Treasure: The Book of Secrets based solely on The Adam and Joe podcast, where they had a clip of the ridiculous accent and dialogue that Nic Cage used when pretending to be an Englishman and a flower arranger. Those bits were as hilarious as they made out, but the film wasn't and seeing that the first film wasn't much and nearly all sequels suffer from diminishing returns, you can work out what it was like. It wasn't as bad as Rise: Bloodhunter, which I watched because it was about vampires in it and starred Lucy Liu, but I should warn you that there is no redeeming value to it (don't believe what you might have heard about alleged sexiness between Liu and Carla Cugino, who is going out with the writer/director).

The two films that almost tempted discussion were 3:10 To Yuma and Planet Terror. I though James Mangold did a great job at remaking the film, and Russell Crowe and Christian Bale were very good in the lead roles (although I would like for Alan Tudyk to make it to the end of more films alive). I would recommend you watch that, especially if you like Westerns. The other was Planet Terror – Robert Rodriguez makes fun films that always show a love and enjoyment of the process itself, and Planet Terror was fun if a little silly, silly special effects, goofy characters. But at least it wasn't Deathproof, and Rodriguez hasn't disappeared up his own anus regarding his talent. Not brilliant but worth checking out on DVD, even if (like me) the grindhouse experience passed you by.

And that's all he wrote. Memories of entertainment is what this blog is all about, even if they might not be worth remembering, or even reading. I'm sure the Bank Holiday Blues will pass – there are always good things to view or read that are worth writing about.

Film Review - Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I was delighted when I heard that not only Hellboy was getting a sequel but that it would also be directed by Guillermo del Toro. Although the first film wasn’t a brilliant film, it was a brilliant adaptation of the comic book to film, with spot-on visuals and a perfect Hellboy. Now, with the whisper of ‘franchise’ being bandied around and a lot more money, things can only get better. Things do improve but we don’t get the Hellboy equivalent of Pan’s Labyrinth, del Toro’s much lauded masterpiece.

The story picks up shortly after the first film: Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and Liz (Selma Blair) are a couple but with difficulties inherent in a relationship being exacerbated by living in Hellboy’s messy living space in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BRPD) headquarters. BRPD are still ‘bumping back’ the dark things in the night, including the amphibian humanoid Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), and their boss Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) is still struggling to keep them a covert operation despite Hellboy’s posing for photographs while on a mission.

Meanwhile, the elfin Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) forcibly retrieves a piece of the crown of his father's kingdom from an auction house; he wants to break the truce between human and elves (as detailed in a beautiful pre-credit sequence performed with puppets) worked out by his father, and use the Golden Army, a host of goblin-made mechanical and indestructible soldiers, to return the balance of power to the elves. The remaining piece of the crown that will control the Golden Army is held by his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), who escapes to the human world.

The first taste of action for the BPPD is investigating the aftermath of the auction house attack – Nuada had released 'tooth fairies', demonic little creatures who devour humans from the teeth first. This is a wonderfully scary scene, with the horrific little imps a nasty threat, which leads to Hellboy allowing himself to be blown out through the windows and revealing his existence to the waiting television cameras. This leads to the government bringing in somebody to run the BRPD (and keep Hellboy under control): Johann Krauss, a German psychic who exists in a special suit in an ectoplasmic form. He is efficient and a leader, so Hellboy immediately dislikes him. He uses a tooth fairy corpse to lead them to the Troll Market, under Brooklyn Bridge. The scenes here are a visionary delight – the panoply of monsters and set design are magnificent, each one completely different, and you feel that del Toro is having a ball unleashing his creativity. Hellboy accidentally causes the death of Nuada's comrade, which causes Nuada not to kill Hellboy but to unleash an elemental to kill him (which it obviously doesn't) and doesn't bother to attack his sister for the remaining piece of the crown. This is not the definition of a good villain, if you ask me.

Having met Nuala in the Troll Market, they bring her back to BPRD HQ, only for her to reveal the extent of her connection to her brother, who can now find the HQ. Which he does, and fights Hellboy (who is drunk at the time; he and Abe have been get leathered, he over Liz and Abe over Nuala, even doing karaoke to Barry Manilow, which is not something I thought I'd see in a comic book movie), leaving a piece of his spear near his heart and telling them to bring the remaining piece of the crown to him, which Nuala has hidden in the library. This staggering lack of logic really clunks – the story, rooted in folklore and therefore more in keeping with the comic books, doesn't really flow smoothly. The plot mechanics are blocky and uneven, and the narrative slows down in places. The illogical nature of the antagonist doesn't help, either, which are just there to allow the wonderful set pieces – del Toro directs action scenes with brio and inventiveness, handling the blend of actors and CGI with real aplomb, and giving the fight scenes between extranormal characters panache, as they move faster and more fluidly than us mere mortals.

The film is hampered by an almost teenage approach to emotional development: Liz describes Hellboy as 'the best man she has known' but he acts like an adolescent, drinking beer and eating chocolate bars, laughing at the chat show reactions to his unveiling, even though several fellow agents died in the auction house. He is petulant to authority, beligerent, temper prone and slightly racist towards Krauss. The love sick Abe is embarrassing and the handling of Liz discovering she is pregnant and her interaction with Hellboy just feels so out of tune with the rest of the film. These things get in the way; I'm not against emotion in comic book movies (even though Hellboy and Liz aren't a couple in the books, and I think that del Toro has made it a big part of the film for the sake of his 'this is a mainstream film' attitude he brings to his non-arthouse movies) but there are better ways of doing it – see Iron Man for Downey Jr and Paltrow interacting in an adult fashion. And don't get me started on the mis-step of Krauss and his silly German accent ... The film is visionary – del Toro has a unique vision and a brilliant scope to bring that vision to the screen – but the whole film doesn't hold together. The action scenes are amazing, the backgrounds are beautiful and the actors are absolutely perfect for their roles, but the emotion doesn't ring true. And any film that leaves you with a Barry Manilow song in your head is doing something wrong. It is certainly better than the first film, and I wanted to love it so much, but I couldn't despite all the positives.

Rating: VID and a half

Comic Book Review - Fables: 1001 Nights Of Snowfall

Written by Bill Willingham, art by various.

One of the magical (if you'll pardon the pun) things about comics is that they can do just about anything: anthropomorphised rabbit samurai in feudal Japan, a barbarian aardvark, a former preacher with the voice of God whose best friend is a vampire, three animals encased in robotic armour escaping from the facility that created them – you get the idea. What is even better is when a comic comes up with a great idea and then executes the concept just perfectly. In Fables, Willingham has hit on the fantastic idea as well as seeing it through to monthly entertainment.

Fables has been a deserved success for Vertigo, which naturally leads to spin-off material. This can sometimes be just cashing in, so one learns to be wary of them. They can still be told well and be entertaining but you are left wondering whether they really needed to exist. I knew I was going to buy 1001 Nights Of Snowfall (when it was softcover) but I still didn't know what to expect. The concept is simple enough: this is Willingham's Fables version of Arabian Nights (he even has his cake and eats it too by having Snow White actually meeting Scheherazade at the end of the story) – Snow White is held captive by the Sultan of Arabia and keeps him from executing her by telling stories. This conceit allows Willingham to tell stories of Fables that wouldn't fit into the monthly book so easily, and also allows each narrative to be drawn by different artists, so we can see different interpretations of well-known characters (even though Mark Buckingham is de facto Fables artist).

The real delight in this book is the fact that the stories are effectively 'origin' tales for our characters – revealing the transition from their own stories to versions we know from Fables book. So we have Snow White marrying Prince Charming and extracting her revenge on the dwarves, Reynard the trickster helping the animals of Fables escaping their lands, the truly tragic tale of Prince 'Flycatcher' Ambrose, the early days of Bigby, a curse on a rabbit soldier, Snow White and Briar Rose's escape and their meeting with Frau Totenkinder (as well as Frau's story, which features cameos from other well-known tales) and a noble story of King Cole and how he became mayor of Fabletown. These stories enrich the mythology of Fables and give resonance to the characters – if your heart doesn't break a little when you read Flycatcher's tale, then you aren't human – and provides wonderful nuggets of information.

The stories are illustrated in a variety of styles: Charles Vess in his inimitable style, John Bolton providing some beautiful painted work for Snow White and Prince Charming, the charming art of Tara McPherson and Jill Thompson, interior art by cover artist James Jean, a two-page vignette from the fine craftsmanship of Brian Bolland, and even space for regular artist Buckingham. With the combination of a reason for the stories to be told and as a display for such diverse artists, this anthology is well worth your time an money, especially if you're a fan of Fables.

From A Library - Captain America: Winter Soldier vol 1

Captain America #1‒7 by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Michael Lark and John Paul Leon

I have read some Captain America comics in my time, as well as comics with Cap as a central character in a team, but I've never really connected with the character. For this reason, I didn't pick up this new version of Steve Rogers, even though Brubaker was writing it. Brubaker has written some great books (Scene of the Crime, Point Blank, Sleeper, Gotham Central) and continues to write excellent books (Daredevil, Immortal Iron Fist, Criminal), yet that wasn't enough to make me pick up the book. So, once again, thanks to the library for existing.

Even with my doubts about the character, this is a great read. It starts with a cracking first issue: a bout of intrigue in Russia with the Red Skull and General Lukin and talk of the Cosmic Cube, followed by setting up the threat of the Skull and the current status quo for Steve Rogers, and some wordless action where Cap takes down some terrorists (plus a little insight into Cap's emotional state). Then, with little preamble, and building up the Red Skull threat, 'KSSH' ‒ the Red Skull is shot through the heart by a mystery assassin working for Lukin, before he can use the Cube. Now that's how you write a first issue to make people come back for the next one.

Brubaker keeps everything grounded: Skull's DNA is checked (his body was a clone of Rogers) and there's nice stuff about SHIELD having to destroy any samples they take from Rogers in case it's used for nefarious purposes. In tandem, Cap is having flashbacks (with perfect art from Lark, his documentary style really capturing the feel of old war photos) that don't seem to make sense, and he and SHIELD are investigating. At the end of this issue, Jack Monroe (the former Nomad and sidekick) is killed by the same assassin with the metallic hand. This is linked to the history of the Captain America (with mention of two previous Captain Americas) and the second world war, showing Brubaker has done his research and is working from a masterplan.

Now, of course, we know that the assassin is really Bucky Barnes, who we all thought long dead, but was revived and brainwashed by the Russians, which is such a simple and brilliant idea I'm amazed nobody thought of it before. Brubaker is able to completely change my view of the character: 'The real secret of what Bucky was ... he was highly trained. He wouldn't've been out there with us if he wasn't.' I had always thought of Bucky as the chirpy, plucky teen sidekick, not a hardcore, well-trained killer. (Cap: 'Bucky did the things I couldn't.')

There are more flashbacks to an incident with the Red Skull and the Russians, where a village was completely destroyed (and where Lark makes The Human Torch and Namor actually look cool), and there are more mysteries, such as the classified document called Winter Soldier that Fury doesn't want Cap to know about.

With a visit to the island off the English Channel not on any maps, to the place where Cap 'died', and the return of Sharon 'Agent 13' Carter to recurring character duties, Brubaker is showing due care and attention. This is demonstrated in issue 7, illustrated by Leon, which is all about Jack Monroe, almost an apology for killing him in issue 3. It's an interesting little story, but it gets in the way of the main thrust of the narrative, and is annoying because it is the end of the book even if it isn't the end of the story. Combined with the surprisingly effective art of Epting (an artist I thought of as just an '90s Marvel superhero artist but who has graduated to much better work here) and the intriguing mystery that Brubaker has concocted, this has to be one of the best revival of a main character (matched perhaps with his joint updating of Iron Fist with Matt Fraction) in some time, and definitely one of the best resurrection of a character long thought to be officially dead. This story has changed my perceptions of what can be done in a Captain America story, and makes me eager to read the Death of Captain America story.

Books: Dead Man's Boots

By Mike Carey

This is book 3 of the Felix Castor series, and Carey is maintaining the quality in this adventure of the London exorcist. The setting and threat level is perfectly balanced; I was slightly worried when I read that Carey was taking the character to the US because it seemed so wrong for the character. But Carey allays my fears and the American sojourn is short and necessary, and Castor is back in London where he belongs.

One of the original London exorcists, Gittings, is dead, causing a meeting of the London-based exorcists. The widow asks Castor to stop the lawyer from preventing the burial and taking the body to be cremated; this is also because Gittings had shot himself and is now haunting his own home. Castor agrees because he feels guilty for ignoring Gittings' requests for help on a job. Meanwhile, the situation with Castor's demon-possessed friend, Rafi, is getting complicated because an old adversary, Jenna-Jane Mulbridge, wants to transfer Rafi to her facility to 'help him' but actually study the demon within. Add to this, Castor takes on a case of a woman who wants his help with her husband who is in prison but she believes that the killer is a woman who has been dead for 40 years: an American, Myram Seaforth Kale, who was the first female Mafia contract killer.

And then someone tries to kill Castor in a broken lift. And then there is Julie, the succubus brought to Earth to kill Castor in the first book, but now works with him in the same business. And there's also a deal with a devil he has to make when he finds out what is going on at the crematorium where Gittings' lawyers want to take his body ...

This is a great read: Carey has got Castor's voice perfectly, and it is a very enjoyable narration; the book is well researched, funny, enthralling and visceral, and the central character is an all-too-believable figure in a well-crafted world. Carey has a real winner in his hands with the Felix Castor book, which keeps up the high quality and enjoyment.

Empire: 100 DVDs You Must Own

To celebrate 10 years of DVD, Empire is doing one of its Features: The 100 DVDs You Must Own. As I've been away from the blogging game for a while, there's nothing like a list to ease oneself back into things.
Obviously, this is a list, which means that it's wrong before you even begin, and this isn't helped by the fact that it includes Showgirls in it, which is automatic disqualification from reality. There is also the fact that Empire tries to be everything to everyone, so there are some very strange choices thrown in to appease a diverse crowd. It's also about the DVD itself, not just the film, which certainly explains some of the inclusions.

The list is in alphabetical order. I've bolded DVDs I own, and of course made the occasional comment, as is my perogative.

1. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Special Edition)
2. Alfred Hitchcock Collection
3. Alien Quadrilogy
4. Almost Famous (Untitled)
My favourite Cameron Crowe film, with some great performances from Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Frances McDormand (naturally) and even Kate Hudson. And I don't even like 70s rock music. Also, a great DVD.
5. Anchorman / Wake Up, Ron Burgundy
I really want this special edition, and have waited until it comes to Region 2 before picking it up. Can't wait to have all those great comedy lines to savour over and over again.
6. Apocalypse Now (Complete Dossier)
7. Back To The Future (Collector’s Edition)
8. Batman Anthology (Region 1)
The first no-no on the list. There is no way any list apart from Worst Films of All Time can contain Batman and Robin.
9. Batman Begins
10. Ben-Hur (4-disc Special Edition)
11. Blade Runner (Final Cut: Ultimate Collector's Edition)
12. Brazil Criterion Collection (Region 1)
Will this ever come to Region 2? I want this very much.
13. Bringing Up Baby (Special Edition) (Region 1)
14. Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection (Region 1)
A partial bolding, because I only own the first three seasons; you know, when Buffy was good. Would like the complete set if only for Hush and The Body.
15. Casablanca (Special Edition)
16. Citizen Kane (Special Edition)
Yes, I like this film, and not just for film buff reasons.
17. Clerks (10th Anniversary Edition)
I love that this is next to Citizen Kane. Where else would that happen? A really, really good DVD package.
18. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition)
19. Die Hard (Special Edition)
The film that updated the action film, and still good.
20. Dr. Strangelove (Collector's Edition)
21. Eraserhead / Short Films Of David Lynch (Region 1)
I could never, ever own this: my experience of watching Eraserhead is not a good memory.
22. E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial Ultimate Gift Box (Region 1)
23. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Special Edition)
Love this film, and refused to get anything other than the special edition.
24. Evil Dead (Book of the Dead)
25. The Exorcist (Director’s Cut)
26. Fargo (Special Edition)
Great film, just not a very 'special' DVD.
27. 50 Years of Janus Films (Region 1)
What the hell???
28. Fight Club (Definitive Edition)
I'm sure it's legally ironic to own the DVD, based on the message in the film, but it's a great film on an amazing DVD package.
29. Ghostbusters
30. Gladiator (Extended Special Edition)
Partial: I only have the 2-disc at the moment. Ridley Scott does good DVD.
31. The Godfather Trilogy (Remastered)
Worth having the third film just for the commentary.
32. Goldfinger (Ultimate Edition)
33. Gone With The Wind (Collector’s Edition)
34. Goodfellas (Special Edition)
Well, obviously. Sheer perfection.
35. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Special Edition)
36. Grease (Special Edition)
37. The Great Escape (Definitive Edition)
No. This is a Bank Holiday Monday film and nothing else.
38. Halloween (25 Years of Terror)
39. Heat (Special Edition)
40. The Incredibles
41. The Indiana Jones Collection
42. Jaws (30th Anniversary Special Edition)
Another partial (I think I have an earlier special edition) but I don't need another copy.
43. Jerry Maguire (Collector’s Edition)
I'm still not sure why I have this in my collection.
44. King Kong (Region 1)
45. The Laurel and Hardy Collection
46. Lawrence of Arabia
47. Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1
48. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (Extended Version)
As if you could have any other versions.
49. M (Criterion Collection) (Region 1)
50. Magnolia
51. The Matrix (Ultimate Collection Box Set)
The first film, not the box set. The Matrix sired DVD; the sequels soiled DVD. No to the collection.
52. Memento (Special Edition)
53. Metropolis (Special Edition)
54. Modern Times
55. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Ultimate Edition)
Life of Brian is better, but this is funnier.
56. Moulin Rouge! (Special Edition)
57. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Special Edition)
58. 101 Dalmatians (Platinum Edition)
59. Platoon (Definitive Edition)
60. Predator (Definitive Edition)
Even though I own this, it shouldn't be on the list. I detect the hand of Chris Hewitt, long-time Empire chap, their funny guy in their vidblogs, but a man who loves this film too much.
61. Pulp Fiction (Special Edition)
62. Raging Bull (Definitive Edition)
63. Rocky (Definitive Edition)
64. Schindler’s List
65. The Scream Trilogy
66. Se7en (New Line Platinum Edition) (Region 1)
Another partial, because I own a loaded disc that is probably as good.
67. Seven Samurai (Criterion Collection) (Region 1)
68. Shaun of the Dead
69. The Shawshank Redemption (Special Edition)
70. Showgirls (VIP Edition) (Region 1)
71. The Silence of the Lambs (Definitive Edition)
72. The Simpsons Seasons 1-10
A partial, due to possession of earlier seasons, but I think this is pandering.
73. Sin City (Recut and Extended)
74. Singin' In The Rain (Special Edition)
75. Some Like It Hot (Special Edition)
76. Spaced (The Complete Series) (US Edition)
I own the two original DVDs of the series but will have to get this, damn it. I lurrrve Spaced and must have this. All that time mocking you Yanks for not having access to it and now you get the better version. That's not fair ...
77. Speed (Definitive Edition)
78. Star Wars Trilogy Episodes IV, V and VI
Who doesn't own these?
79. Strangers On A Train (Special Edition)
Why does this get a special mention when there is an Alfred Hitchcock collection?
80. Sunrise
81. Sunset Boulevard (Special Edition)
Yes, I like old films. I am sophisticated and classy.
82. Superman: Ultimate Collection (Special Edition)
83. Taxi Driver (Collector’s Edition)
I own this but don't watch it very often. Make of that what you will.
84. Terminator (Definitive Edition)
85. The Thing
This is accumulated via my girlfriend; I must get round to listening to the notoriously entertaining commentary from Russell and Carpenter.
86. The Third Man (Special Edition)
87. Titanic (Definitive Collector’s Edition)
Dear God, please no.
88. This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition)
89. Three Colours Trilogy
90. To Kill A Mockingbird (Special Edition) (Region 1)
I detect the choice of Reviews Editor Helen O'Hara, who I know to have a law degree.
91. Toy Story 1 & 2 (Collector’s Double Pack)
A partial because I own both films but not this version. Yet.
92. True Romance (Special Edition)
93. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Special Edition)
94. Unforgiven Special Edition)
95. The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)
96. Walt Disney Treasures (Silly Symphonies)
97. Withnail and I (20th Anniversary Edition)
I was a student, so I am legally obliged to own this.
98. Wizard Of Oz (Collectors Edition)
99. X-Men 2 (Definitive Edition)
Why does this get singled out (brilliant as it is) when the Batman anthology gets in? Doesn't make sense.
100. Young Frankenstein (Special Edition)

Wow. I thought I would have more. Not even 50 of them. Still, an interesting exercise nonetheless. Some very odd choices, but all part of the debate. Can anyone beat me for more DVDs owned on the list?

Holiday=No Blogging

After just taking unscheduled time off for a broken computer, this is a planned-in-advance vacation from blogging, where I practise Chen-style taijiquan for a week. So, if you don't like it, you should be too scared to do anything about it. Look after the Internet while I'm gone.