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2.82 AVERAGE
2.82 AVERAGE
I need this thing explained to me. It felt like I got LOST'd. In the build-up, I was thrilled. I had a questions, I noticed overlaps, I had little things brought forth, but then it was suddenly the end and everything got philosophical when something more concrete was needed. By the final page, I felt as though I had read the cliff notes of a much larger book. It was inscrutable with certain details and then would skip over parts I considered necessary. Four murders in four different times is an intriguing plot, if you tell it well. If you only do that half the time, it can't be solved by the reader.
4.5 stars
This may be the one that breaks me of looking at GR ratings. Yes, I realize I should have been ignoring them all along in favor of reviews, but it's hard! Reviews on this book are all "I don't understand! (1 star)" "I was confused! (2 stars)" "I was expecting something simplistic because comic book how dare this be moderately complex! whaa!"
Ok, maybe that last one is unfair, but I really don't feel that these comics are worthy of those ratings. Sam's review nails this one, though I liked the ending, so read that.
I really think the trouble here is expectations. The cover art is not indicative of any of the internal art, though I think that is a cop-out because that is the case for almost all comics. There is a heavy dose of scifi/fantasy/something that comes on unexpectedly and plays a central role in the whole thing. If one was expecting murder investigations covering 200 years to follow our reality, one may find things off-putting. And, of course, it is fairly complex compared to your average comic.
But there's the warning. This is involved, doesn't tell you everything, has a strong dose of wtfery throughout, and is really quite good. Now I need to see what else I've put off reading due to its low GR rating.
This may be the one that breaks me of looking at GR ratings. Yes, I realize I should have been ignoring them all along in favor of reviews, but it's hard! Reviews on this book are all "I don't understand! (1 star)" "I was confused! (2 stars)" "I was expecting something simplistic because comic book how dare this be moderately complex! whaa!"
Ok, maybe that last one is unfair, but I really don't feel that these comics are worthy of those ratings. Sam's review nails this one, though I liked the ending, so read that.
I really think the trouble here is expectations. The cover art is not indicative of any of the internal art, though I think that is a cop-out because that is the case for almost all comics. There is a heavy dose of scifi/fantasy/something that comes on unexpectedly and plays a central role in the whole thing. If one was expecting murder investigations covering 200 years to follow our reality, one may find things off-putting. And, of course, it is fairly complex compared to your average comic.
But there's the warning. This is involved, doesn't tell you everything, has a strong dose of wtfery throughout, and is really quite good. Now I need to see what else I've put off reading due to its low GR rating.
You go through all 4 timelines and the result of the mystery is that?
For the full review please visit If These Books Could Talk
Set across four time periods, four different detectives have a seemingly identical crime to solve, all in the same area of East London. The body of a man has appeared in the street, tortured, an eye removed, with sinister markings carved into his wrist. It’s up to the separate detectives to find the perpetrator, slowly unravelling the mystery, while at the same time dealing with the social issues of the time and area they live in.
If you were to go simply by it’s premise, then ‘Bodies‘ should be a critical success; a stand-alone series that combines secret sects, violence, plenty of illicit sex, with a reality bending crime to solve should be one that gets people’s interest. It certainly got mine. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold it for long, and it’s clear from the start where the problem lies – it’s simply too ambitious for such a short series. The plot is pretty basic – four eras, four cops, same crime – but the surrounding storyline for each of the characters is so convoluted that you either lose track or cease to care. It’s almost impossible to empathise or connect with any of the characters as there’s no subtlety to their arcs.
I can genuinely see what Spencer was aiming for, and it’s very much the Alan Moore school of storytelling. But when Moore did it with the likes of the fabulous ‘From Hell’, it was over a far greater amount of issues (and seven years), allowing him to develop both the characters and the story to such a level of depth and detail, that 26 years later it’s still held in such high regard. You simply cannot replicate that in eight issues and less than 200 pages of story.
As far as the art goes, it’s a pretty similar story. Each era is illustrated by a different artist, which in itself is a great concept, giving continuity to the characters, but each artist suffers the same fate as the story. So much has to be crammed in to each issue, that often panels are messy and confusing, with little delineation between objects and people. Don’t try to work out what characters are waving at each other, because you won’t. That mystical object that people are trying to stop? Nope. No idea. Even worse is when a character’s motif is extremely obvious throughout their arc, but then disappears during the denouement, meaning that you miss them completely.
If you like your comics to take the ‘sledgehammer’ route to plotting and characterisation, then ‘Bodies‘ will suit you fine. If you’re after something innovative and thought provoking, that doesn’t leave you wanting that last hour back, then look somewhere else.
Set across four time periods, four different detectives have a seemingly identical crime to solve, all in the same area of East London. The body of a man has appeared in the street, tortured, an eye removed, with sinister markings carved into his wrist. It’s up to the separate detectives to find the perpetrator, slowly unravelling the mystery, while at the same time dealing with the social issues of the time and area they live in.
If you were to go simply by it’s premise, then ‘Bodies‘ should be a critical success; a stand-alone series that combines secret sects, violence, plenty of illicit sex, with a reality bending crime to solve should be one that gets people’s interest. It certainly got mine. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold it for long, and it’s clear from the start where the problem lies – it’s simply too ambitious for such a short series. The plot is pretty basic – four eras, four cops, same crime – but the surrounding storyline for each of the characters is so convoluted that you either lose track or cease to care. It’s almost impossible to empathise or connect with any of the characters as there’s no subtlety to their arcs.
I can genuinely see what Spencer was aiming for, and it’s very much the Alan Moore school of storytelling. But when Moore did it with the likes of the fabulous ‘From Hell’, it was over a far greater amount of issues (and seven years), allowing him to develop both the characters and the story to such a level of depth and detail, that 26 years later it’s still held in such high regard. You simply cannot replicate that in eight issues and less than 200 pages of story.
As far as the art goes, it’s a pretty similar story. Each era is illustrated by a different artist, which in itself is a great concept, giving continuity to the characters, but each artist suffers the same fate as the story. So much has to be crammed in to each issue, that often panels are messy and confusing, with little delineation between objects and people. Don’t try to work out what characters are waving at each other, because you won’t. That mystical object that people are trying to stop? Nope. No idea. Even worse is when a character’s motif is extremely obvious throughout their arc, but then disappears during the denouement, meaning that you miss them completely.
If you like your comics to take the ‘sledgehammer’ route to plotting and characterisation, then ‘Bodies‘ will suit you fine. If you’re after something innovative and thought provoking, that doesn’t leave you wanting that last hour back, then look somewhere else.
i don't know how i feel about this. i think i disliked it more because i was expecting something and got something else completely differente. and not in a good way. i think the ending was rushed and shallow. it this was bigger maybe it would have liked it better because the story would have more space to be developed. right now, my only thought is "wth did i just read?"
a thinly veiled christ parable that manages to be familiar and a little obtuse all at the same time.
I think it just had too much going on to try to pack into one miniseries. This could be a great platform for a spinoff series following John Bull as he does his weird time-traveling, self-martyring, saving the world thing.
I think it just had too much going on to try to pack into one miniseries. This could be a great platform for a spinoff series following John Bull as he does his weird time-traveling, self-martyring, saving the world thing.
2.5*
This is... Weird. Half really cool, well-done, the other half is WTF? And sadly not in a good way.
This is... Weird. Half really cool, well-done, the other half is WTF? And sadly not in a good way.
A big concept with writing that veered into Alan Moore territory. In the end the MacGuffin felt a little disappointing, but then most MacGuffins are.
Disguised as a murder mystery, this is actually a love letter to England and its citizens' battle for acceptance. Four wonderful artists create four distinct versions of London, all with their own palette and beauty. Our four protagonists are also incredibly unique from one another, but go through similar hardships that they react to in different ways. Frankly, I would love for some current politicians to have to read this.
Interesting idea. However, the plot was a little all over the place and it was pretty confusing.