Scan barcode
A review by elusivity
Masked by Lou Anders
3.0
1. Cleansed and Set in Gold - Matthew Sturges. 3 STARS. The unglamorous story behind one reluctant hero.
2. Where Their Worm Dieth Not - James Maxey. 4 STARS. An exploration of the realities of being a comic book hero in a comic book universe.
3. Secret Identity - Paul Cornell. 3 STARS. In the closet, backwards and up-side-down.
4. The Non-Event - Mike Carey. 3 STARS. Serviceable story about a bank heist from the villain's point of view.
5. Avatar - Mike Baron. 2.5 STARS. A superhero story as it might happen in real life.
6. Message from the Bubblegum Factory - Daryl Gregoty. 3 STARS. THE superhero, from another villain's perspective, this time with Freud mixed in.
7. Thug - Gail Simone. 2 STARS. Life story of a low-intellect, latently sadistic, henchman. The story is written "in character." Sigh.
8. Vacuum Lad - Stephen Baxter. 2.5 STARS. Very straight forward story, verging on cliche.
9. A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows - Chris Roberson. 3 STARS. Superhero a la Mexican mythology. Interesting details, but fairly straight forward plot.
10. Head Case - Peter David & Kathleen David. 3.5 STARS. Angstful, post-modern superheroes as people who happen to have super powers.
11. Downfall - Joseph Mallozzi. 4 STARS. Finally, this collection moves toward realism, as in, this story feels like it's about a real person. A son seeking father, a man with something to lose. The super power is just background information...
12. By My Work You Shall Know Me - Mark Chadbourn. 3 STARS. Well-written, interesting, with a twist to the ending that I unfortunately foresaw about 2 pages in.
13. Call Her Savage - Marjorie M. Liu. 5 STARS. Intense, gripping, an edge-of-your-seat glimpse into a window of a much wider world at war. Love, comradeship, despair, dark pasts and truths revealed layer by layer and organically, no wasted exposition. Excellent! I will seek more from this author.
14. Tonight We Fly - Ian McDonald. 2.5 STARS. Geriatric super hero's last hurrah.
15. A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe - Bill willingham. 5 STARS. An excellent, creative way to narrate a rip-roaring tale of battles between heroes and villains. An updated METAMORPHOSIS...
2. Where Their Worm Dieth Not - James Maxey. 4 STARS. An exploration of the realities of being a comic book hero in a comic book universe.
3. Secret Identity - Paul Cornell. 3 STARS. In the closet, backwards and up-side-down.
4. The Non-Event - Mike Carey. 3 STARS. Serviceable story about a bank heist from the villain's point of view.
5. Avatar - Mike Baron. 2.5 STARS. A superhero story as it might happen in real life.
6. Message from the Bubblegum Factory - Daryl Gregoty. 3 STARS. THE superhero, from another villain's perspective, this time with Freud mixed in.
7. Thug - Gail Simone. 2 STARS. Life story of a low-intellect, latently sadistic, henchman. The story is written "in character." Sigh.
8. Vacuum Lad - Stephen Baxter. 2.5 STARS. Very straight forward story, verging on cliche.
9. A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows - Chris Roberson. 3 STARS. Superhero a la Mexican mythology. Interesting details, but fairly straight forward plot.
10. Head Case - Peter David & Kathleen David. 3.5 STARS. Angstful, post-modern superheroes as people who happen to have super powers.
11. Downfall - Joseph Mallozzi. 4 STARS. Finally, this collection moves toward realism, as in, this story feels like it's about a real person. A son seeking father, a man with something to lose. The super power is just background information...
12. By My Work You Shall Know Me - Mark Chadbourn. 3 STARS. Well-written, interesting, with a twist to the ending that I unfortunately foresaw about 2 pages in.
13. Call Her Savage - Marjorie M. Liu. 5 STARS. Intense, gripping, an edge-of-your-seat glimpse into a window of a much wider world at war. Love, comradeship, despair, dark pasts and truths revealed layer by layer and organically, no wasted exposition. Excellent! I will seek more from this author.
14. Tonight We Fly - Ian McDonald. 2.5 STARS. Geriatric super hero's last hurrah.
15. A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe - Bill willingham. 5 STARS. An excellent, creative way to narrate a rip-roaring tale of battles between heroes and villains. An updated METAMORPHOSIS...