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tobin_elliott's reviews
539 reviews
Deathlok: Rage Against the Machine by Terry Kavanagh, Rick Leonardi, José Ladrönn, Joe Casey, Jim Cheung, Alan Davis, Andrew Robinson, Leonardo Manco
sad
fast-paced
0.25
See? This is what happens when you get old. You forget that you read stuff. Apparently, before I quit GR the last time, I read this and reviewed it.
And, in my humble opinion, I was bang on. Here's my review from September of 2021:
Come on Goodreads, there's gotta be a way to rate something with negative stars. Stars that the damn reading material owes me. (At least I can rate it a quarter star on Storygraph).
Because this steaming pile of pages owes me some hours of my life back.
I don't know who Joe Casey is, but hopefully he's found more meaningful work in an all-night variety store, because he can't plot a story worth a shit. And this new take on Deathlok? Yes, he clearly states it's a complete departure from the classic Deathlok, but this thing ain't even worthy of being a C-level supporting character, much less the headliner of it's own book.
We're supposed to believe that Jack Truman, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 18, is the best Manhunter they've got. Yet nowhere in the Marvel universe has he ever shown up prior to this, and when he does, he is a drooling maniac that just wants a good fight, and pretty much levels Hell's Kitchen to fight Cable, because, for whatever reason, he seems to think Cable's the ultimate match for him. He completely goes rogue, just like every single other S.H.I.E.L.D. agent under Joe Casey's keyboard. Seriously, does ANYone follow orders in S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Even better, this entire four-issue fight is drawn by some cheap-ass bargain-basement Kirby wannabe called Ladronn. I have two words for Ladronn's art. It sucks.
And then our hero Jack Truman turns into some cheap-ass, bargain-basement version of Deathlok, and suddenly becomes a lot less of a drooling maniac. Visits a sister for an issue, then she's forgotten. Fights a fucking clown.
A. Clown.
At least Ladronn was jettisoned, but then we got Leonardo Manco, who is a knock-off Jim Steranko/Paul Gulacy wannabe, who draws virtually every single male with the same face, and fills each panel with so much line work that it's impossible to determine precisely what is happening.
The Nineties were a dark goddamn time for Marvel.
I spent five entire dollars on this piece of crap, and that's at least ten bucks too much. Steer clear.
And, in my humble opinion, I was bang on. Here's my review from September of 2021:
Come on Goodreads, there's gotta be a way to rate something with negative stars. Stars that the damn reading material owes me. (At least I can rate it a quarter star on Storygraph).
Because this steaming pile of pages owes me some hours of my life back.
I don't know who Joe Casey is, but hopefully he's found more meaningful work in an all-night variety store, because he can't plot a story worth a shit. And this new take on Deathlok? Yes, he clearly states it's a complete departure from the classic Deathlok, but this thing ain't even worthy of being a C-level supporting character, much less the headliner of it's own book.
We're supposed to believe that Jack Truman, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 18, is the best Manhunter they've got. Yet nowhere in the Marvel universe has he ever shown up prior to this, and when he does, he is a drooling maniac that just wants a good fight, and pretty much levels Hell's Kitchen to fight Cable, because, for whatever reason, he seems to think Cable's the ultimate match for him. He completely goes rogue, just like every single other S.H.I.E.L.D. agent under Joe Casey's keyboard. Seriously, does ANYone follow orders in S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Even better, this entire four-issue fight is drawn by some cheap-ass bargain-basement Kirby wannabe called Ladronn. I have two words for Ladronn's art. It sucks.
And then our hero Jack Truman turns into some cheap-ass, bargain-basement version of Deathlok, and suddenly becomes a lot less of a drooling maniac. Visits a sister for an issue, then she's forgotten. Fights a fucking clown.
A. Clown.
At least Ladronn was jettisoned, but then we got Leonardo Manco, who is a knock-off Jim Steranko/Paul Gulacy wannabe, who draws virtually every single male with the same face, and fills each panel with so much line work that it's impossible to determine precisely what is happening.
The Nineties were a dark goddamn time for Marvel.
I spent five entire dollars on this piece of crap, and that's at least ten bucks too much. Steer clear.
20 Years of Rolling Stone: What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been by Jann S. Wenner
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Apologies...old guy story:
Way back in 1987, as Rolling Stone was just hitting its 20-year mark, I was a poor student, not quite 25 yet, finishing up my long-delayed college courses. At the time this book came out, I happened to have just started a four-month student placement on Your Money magazine in Toronto. I was lucky, most of the students were doing their placements for no pay. I was pulling down the princely sum of $100 per month. I don't think it covered the public transit fares I paid to go into Toronto five days a week. Getting up at 5:30 am to get in the car by 6:30 to get to the train by 7:00 to get to Toronto by 8:00, to get to the magazine by just before 9:00...then get home somewhere around 6:30 or 7:00 at night. No time for a part-time job.
So, I was broke.
And Rolling Stone puts out this gorgeous book that I wanted badly. By this point, I was a bit of a magazine freak, and read RS as much as I could. But this book was selling for a third of what I was being paid for a month's work. There was no way I could justify buying it, though I walked past a bookstore that displayed it prominently, every day. I heard it calling my name. I never bought it.
Flash forward 38 years, and a much older, now 62-year-old guy, slightly more flush, who never reads RS anymore because the magazine is just not fun anymore, is browsing through a used bookshop in cottage country.
Out of nowhere, my eye catches the "20 Years of Rolling Stone" on the spine. I pull the book down, and it's in pristine condition. I mean...come on...the damn thing was STILL calling my name. I bought it, for the princely sum of $15, or about the equivalent of paying about $5 in 1987 dollars.
It took forty years, but what a deal!
The question is...was the book worth the wait?
It was.
Reading through the thoughts of a mid-twenties Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson, a not-quite iconic Springsteen, the absolutely crazy Keith Moon five years before his too-early death, the not-quite-post-Police already-too-full-of-himself Sting, the strange ramblings of Brando, the relaxed vitriol of Jack Nicholson...fascinating stuff.
But there's the other side of Rolling Stone that they used to do so well. Hunter S. Thompson's ramblings about...well, anything. The story of Karen Silkwood, a year after her suspicious death, the walkthrough of the kidnapping, turning, then capturing of Patty Hearst, Ron Kovic's idealism crushed under the uncaring American bootheel, the terrifying glimpse into Charles Manson's thoughts.
And, the deaths. John Lennon. John Belushi.
This is the America that existed under Nixon and Reagan. The pre-9/11 America. The world before social media. There were still cover-ups (the Kent State shooting investigation, Silkwood), but there was also a greater sense of hope (Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock, Hunter S. Thompson's election coverage).
It was a different world, and one that I'd forgotten much of.
So, overall? I'm glad I got to read a snapshot of the glory years of Rolling Stone forty years after the fact. I think it gives the selected articles and interviews far more weight.
A great read.
Way back in 1987, as Rolling Stone was just hitting its 20-year mark, I was a poor student, not quite 25 yet, finishing up my long-delayed college courses. At the time this book came out, I happened to have just started a four-month student placement on Your Money magazine in Toronto. I was lucky, most of the students were doing their placements for no pay. I was pulling down the princely sum of $100 per month. I don't think it covered the public transit fares I paid to go into Toronto five days a week. Getting up at 5:30 am to get in the car by 6:30 to get to the train by 7:00 to get to Toronto by 8:00, to get to the magazine by just before 9:00...then get home somewhere around 6:30 or 7:00 at night. No time for a part-time job.
So, I was broke.
And Rolling Stone puts out this gorgeous book that I wanted badly. By this point, I was a bit of a magazine freak, and read RS as much as I could. But this book was selling for a third of what I was being paid for a month's work. There was no way I could justify buying it, though I walked past a bookstore that displayed it prominently, every day. I heard it calling my name. I never bought it.
Flash forward 38 years, and a much older, now 62-year-old guy, slightly more flush, who never reads RS anymore because the magazine is just not fun anymore, is browsing through a used bookshop in cottage country.
Out of nowhere, my eye catches the "20 Years of Rolling Stone" on the spine. I pull the book down, and it's in pristine condition. I mean...come on...the damn thing was STILL calling my name. I bought it, for the princely sum of $15, or about the equivalent of paying about $5 in 1987 dollars.
It took forty years, but what a deal!
The question is...was the book worth the wait?
It was.
Reading through the thoughts of a mid-twenties Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson, a not-quite iconic Springsteen, the absolutely crazy Keith Moon five years before his too-early death, the not-quite-post-Police already-too-full-of-himself Sting, the strange ramblings of Brando, the relaxed vitriol of Jack Nicholson...fascinating stuff.
But there's the other side of Rolling Stone that they used to do so well. Hunter S. Thompson's ramblings about...well, anything. The story of Karen Silkwood, a year after her suspicious death, the walkthrough of the kidnapping, turning, then capturing of Patty Hearst, Ron Kovic's idealism crushed under the uncaring American bootheel, the terrifying glimpse into Charles Manson's thoughts.
And, the deaths. John Lennon. John Belushi.
This is the America that existed under Nixon and Reagan. The pre-9/11 America. The world before social media. There were still cover-ups (the Kent State shooting investigation, Silkwood), but there was also a greater sense of hope (Haight-Ashbury, Woodstock, Hunter S. Thompson's election coverage).
It was a different world, and one that I'd forgotten much of.
So, overall? I'm glad I got to read a snapshot of the glory years of Rolling Stone forty years after the fact. I think it gives the selected articles and interviews far more weight.
A great read.
The Mobius Door by Andrew Najberg
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
You probably can't tell from my reviews, but I really have enjoyed both the books I've read from Andrew Najberg. Last year, I read GOLLITOK and it had a lot going for it.
This novel feels like a more contemporary companion novel to GOLLITOK. Kind of like, if things went a slightly different way in this novel, we could have a GOLLITOK on our hands, sort of thing. At the same time, Najberg wins huge points from me for also writing a spiritual companion to John Langan's incredible "The Open Mouth of Charybdis" short story from his CORPSEMOUTH collection.
Reading some of the other reviews here, I would have to agree that Najberg likely stuffed a few too many characters into this story, when I feel it could have been a touch more impactful had he just stuck to Stuart and his immediate family. The reason I say that is, Najberg obviously loves his characters—and I'm stating that with all the respect and admiration it deserves—and none are written as throwaways or walk-on characters. However, it does tend to stack up a lot of people to carry in the readers' heads as they move through the story, as well as hold on to the fascinating details of their lives that Najberg imbues them with...often with them ultimately walking out of the scene (or dying) and never to be seen again.
That said, the writing is amazing and there are times I was truly struck by a simply gorgeous, brilliant observation here or there. The story is also fascinating.
So yes, while I'm critical of some of the elements of this one, I still really like Najberg's writing, and I'll absolutely read more of him.
This novel feels like a more contemporary companion novel to GOLLITOK. Kind of like, if things went a slightly different way in this novel, we could have a GOLLITOK on our hands, sort of thing. At the same time, Najberg wins huge points from me for also writing a spiritual companion to John Langan's incredible "The Open Mouth of Charybdis" short story from his CORPSEMOUTH collection.
Reading some of the other reviews here, I would have to agree that Najberg likely stuffed a few too many characters into this story, when I feel it could have been a touch more impactful had he just stuck to Stuart and his immediate family. The reason I say that is, Najberg obviously loves his characters—and I'm stating that with all the respect and admiration it deserves—and none are written as throwaways or walk-on characters. However, it does tend to stack up a lot of people to carry in the readers' heads as they move through the story, as well as hold on to the fascinating details of their lives that Najberg imbues them with...often with them ultimately walking out of the scene (or dying) and never to be seen again.
That said, the writing is amazing and there are times I was truly struck by a simply gorgeous, brilliant observation here or there. The story is also fascinating.
So yes, while I'm critical of some of the elements of this one, I still really like Najberg's writing, and I'll absolutely read more of him.
Kalevala: The Graphic Novel by Sami Makkonen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Why did I not look at the reviews before buying this?
Good lord, this is terrible. It may have actually set a new DNF record for graphic novels for me...300+ pages in this collection, and I was done by page 15.
Why? The art, while serviceable and often lovely to look at, was more a collection of pretty pictures than an attempt at coherent storytelling. Unfortunately, I've seen this before, where the artist is talented, but has not done their homework on how to properly assemble a consecutive series of images into something that tells the story. Look at almost any Marvel or DC comic and, even ignoring the words, the reader can pretty much figure out what the story is, with little trouble. Here? No, not so much.
But hey, there's words to help smooth those visual transitions, right? Well, sort of. The problem with this collection (and it likely adds to that images-not-telling-a-story issue above) is that there is no coherent story. Stuff...happens. There's no rhyme or reason to it, there's no motivation, there's no real consequnces (except one sister being sad at being given away so her brother can live). But there's characters showing up for a couple of panels, then disappearing. There's major events happening between one panel and the next that we're not privy to. And none of it makes a lick of sense.
This, sadly is a horrifying waste of time and a senseless killing of trees. DNF, no rating.
Good lord, this is terrible. It may have actually set a new DNF record for graphic novels for me...300+ pages in this collection, and I was done by page 15.
Why? The art, while serviceable and often lovely to look at, was more a collection of pretty pictures than an attempt at coherent storytelling. Unfortunately, I've seen this before, where the artist is talented, but has not done their homework on how to properly assemble a consecutive series of images into something that tells the story. Look at almost any Marvel or DC comic and, even ignoring the words, the reader can pretty much figure out what the story is, with little trouble. Here? No, not so much.
But hey, there's words to help smooth those visual transitions, right? Well, sort of. The problem with this collection (and it likely adds to that images-not-telling-a-story issue above) is that there is no coherent story. Stuff...happens. There's no rhyme or reason to it, there's no motivation, there's no real consequnces (except one sister being sad at being given away so her brother can live). But there's characters showing up for a couple of panels, then disappearing. There's major events happening between one panel and the next that we're not privy to. And none of it makes a lick of sense.
This, sadly is a horrifying waste of time and a senseless killing of trees. DNF, no rating.
House of Slaughter Vol. 5 by Tate Brombal, James Tynion IV
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This was okay. Nothing to write home about.
Honestly, if I didn't know the next volume will be the last, I'd have likely just decided to stop right here, but with only five issues (or one last trade paperback) left, I'll see it through, but I'm not expecting much. This one kind of ended with a bit of a twist, but mostly a thud.
Honestly, if I didn't know the next volume will be the last, I'd have likely just decided to stop right here, but with only five issues (or one last trade paperback) left, I'll see it through, but I'm not expecting much. This one kind of ended with a bit of a twist, but mostly a thud.
Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Did I know who was the "turn coat"? Yup. As soon as they showed up.
Did it lessen my enjoyment of the book? Nope.
Butcher's series just seems to grow in leaps and bounds now. He's found his soap opera rhythm of wrapping up a plot thread from an earlier novel, providing a full storyline for the current novel, while introducing an element that will play a role in an upcoming novel. Yes, "soap opera" is a dirty term, but hey, it worked for Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum/John Byrne in the glory days of the X-Men comic series, why wouldn't it work here?
Initially, when I started this series, I took on the next book just because I'd committed to reading them. But now? Now I truly look forward to the next installment with excitement. Butcher keeps raising the stakes, and a storm is very obviously coming.
Did it lessen my enjoyment of the book? Nope.
Butcher's series just seems to grow in leaps and bounds now. He's found his soap opera rhythm of wrapping up a plot thread from an earlier novel, providing a full storyline for the current novel, while introducing an element that will play a role in an upcoming novel. Yes, "soap opera" is a dirty term, but hey, it worked for Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum/John Byrne in the glory days of the X-Men comic series, why wouldn't it work here?
Initially, when I started this series, I took on the next book just because I'd committed to reading them. But now? Now I truly look forward to the next installment with excitement. Butcher keeps raising the stakes, and a storm is very obviously coming.
The Nightmare Factory: Volume 2 by Joe Harris, Thomas Ligotti, Stuart Moore
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Maybe it was the choice of stories this time around, maybe the two authors adapting the works were more comfortable with the stories, or maybe it was the addition of Bill Sienkiewicz as one of the artists...whatever the reason, this one went down a little better than the first volume.
It's not without its problems, and I'm beginning to believe that, to adapt Ligottian literature to the graphic novel format, a very unconventional team is required for both the art and the words. I don't thing either Stuart Moore or Joe Harris were the proper wordsmiths to use here. They could sling the words, but they could not summon the atmosphere.
And, of the eight artists between the two collections, I believe only Sienkiewicz was messed up enough to evoke Ligotti's mental images. Again, no conventional artist is going to do the work justice.
Still, I found myself falling a little deeper into the worlds this time.
It's not without its problems, and I'm beginning to believe that, to adapt Ligottian literature to the graphic novel format, a very unconventional team is required for both the art and the words. I don't thing either Stuart Moore or Joe Harris were the proper wordsmiths to use here. They could sling the words, but they could not summon the atmosphere.
And, of the eight artists between the two collections, I believe only Sienkiewicz was messed up enough to evoke Ligotti's mental images. Again, no conventional artist is going to do the work justice.
Still, I found myself falling a little deeper into the worlds this time.
Less Than Forever by Ever Hobbes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Can I just say, right off the top, that it's sad that this book—ten years old—has only a single rating of two stars on Goodreads, and that's it?
This is actually a very cool SF mystery, and the strength of the story lies in the well-observed and realistically logical tech that Hobbes infuses into the narrative. Is there negatives to this novel? Yes.
For the most part, the dialogue is very good, but there are sections where it does become rather stilted and awkward (mostly when the author uses it to deliver required information).
The pacing is good right up until about two-thirds, or maybe three-quarters of the way through. One of the characters is caught in a trap, and the next thirty-ish pages, while relevant and required for the story, tend to not be as exciting as what came before, so it's a bit draggy.
I appreciate what the author was doing at the end, though I'm not quite sure it was completely sold to the reader. But I did like what happened.
So, put this one down to a flawed experiment of a first time author, however, there's also enough here for me to not hesitate reading more.
This is actually a very cool SF mystery, and the strength of the story lies in the well-observed and realistically logical tech that Hobbes infuses into the narrative. Is there negatives to this novel? Yes.
For the most part, the dialogue is very good, but there are sections where it does become rather stilted and awkward (mostly when the author uses it to deliver required information).
The pacing is good right up until about two-thirds, or maybe three-quarters of the way through. One of the characters is caught in a trap, and the next thirty-ish pages, while relevant and required for the story, tend to not be as exciting as what came before, so it's a bit draggy.
I appreciate what the author was doing at the end, though I'm not quite sure it was completely sold to the reader. But I did like what happened.
So, put this one down to a flawed experiment of a first time author, however, there's also enough here for me to not hesitate reading more.
The Nightmare Factory Vol. 1 by Joe Harris, Thomas Ligotti, Stuart Moore
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I love Ligotti's work, and I mostly love the artists who took on illustrating four of his stories in this collection. I have no experience with any of the writers at all, but I'm going to count this one as a well-intentioned failure.
It wasn't necessarily bad, but if there's anything you can say about a Ligotti story, it's that each one drips with a sickening, dark, moist atmosphere of dread and despair and oceans of nihilism and doubt.
It takes a special writer to take these on, condense them to graphic novel dialogue balloons, and keep that idea going. Sadly neither writer succeeded, though perhaps the first story came closest. As for the art, each artist did try to get across that cloying, clinging horror, but none completely succeeded.
Fair attempts, but each unsuccessful.
Which is too bad, because, if someone was able to do Ligotti right in graphic novel form, that truly would be the stuff of nightmares.
It wasn't necessarily bad, but if there's anything you can say about a Ligotti story, it's that each one drips with a sickening, dark, moist atmosphere of dread and despair and oceans of nihilism and doubt.
It takes a special writer to take these on, condense them to graphic novel dialogue balloons, and keep that idea going. Sadly neither writer succeeded, though perhaps the first story came closest. As for the art, each artist did try to get across that cloying, clinging horror, but none completely succeeded.
Fair attempts, but each unsuccessful.
Which is too bad, because, if someone was able to do Ligotti right in graphic novel form, that truly would be the stuff of nightmares.
Paradise-1 by David Wellington
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
Typically, when I can get about halfway through a book, I'll rarely DNF it. Especially when halfway is something like 300 pages in.
But this? No. Just...no.
I read a lot of people who say this started out strong. I beg to differ. It started out cliched, and then was slightly better, until it got dumb, then dumber, and then doubled down on that dumb.
For me, there's far too many dream sequences...sorry, they are, as far as I'm concerned, a waste of time, yet Wellington jams two or three into an already overlong novel.
There's also a lot of explanation, of drawn out examples when a quick "explain and move on" would have worked so much better.
The three main characters are cookie cutter to the extreme. The disgraced cop, looking to salvage her reputation. The disgraced pilot, looking to salvage his reputation. The disgraced doctor, who needs to heal himself first.
The snarky, foul-mouthed AI robot was likely the best character there, but Wellington even managed to mess that up to.
I'm really bummed, because dammit, I used to LOVE David Wellington. His zombie series was all right, as was his werewolf series, but his vampire series was amazing.
But this? This is just all sorts of disappointment. DNF at 47%. No rating.
But this? No. Just...no.
I read a lot of people who say this started out strong. I beg to differ. It started out cliched, and then was slightly better, until it got dumb, then dumber, and then doubled down on that dumb.
For me, there's far too many dream sequences...sorry, they are, as far as I'm concerned, a waste of time, yet Wellington jams two or three into an already overlong novel.
There's also a lot of explanation, of drawn out examples when a quick "explain and move on" would have worked so much better.
The three main characters are cookie cutter to the extreme. The disgraced cop, looking to salvage her reputation. The disgraced pilot, looking to salvage his reputation. The disgraced doctor, who needs to heal himself first.
The snarky, foul-mouthed AI robot was likely the best character there, but Wellington even managed to mess that up to.
I'm really bummed, because dammit, I used to LOVE David Wellington. His zombie series was all right, as was his werewolf series, but his vampire series was amazing.
But this? This is just all sorts of disappointment. DNF at 47%. No rating.