Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tobin_elliott's reviews
526 reviews
OLD TOO SOON by Brian Bowyer
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Geez. I kinda don't even know where to begin with this one.
Maybe with a signature phrase I think I've read in all three of Bowyer's books that I've read? "Let me hit that whiskey."
Someone else has already said, if you've read any Bowyer, you know what to expect. That's mostly true. You're going to get an awful lot of psychopathic behaviour, and characters who have lost all sense of morality. Bowyer tends to write one of two types of characters...those who kill, or those who will be killed. There's virtually no one in between.
Bowyer writes some really bleak, nihilistic, violent horror. He's Jack Ketchum with absolutely no conscience or morality.
And please do not take any of this as negative statements, none of it is meant that way. Bowyer is a sadistic Hemingway who writes the sparest prose I may have ever read. His killers are dispassionate in the extreme. I don't think anyone else writes like this, and I'm sure I could pick out Bowyer's writing anywhere.
I will say, having read his biography, this one reads very much like an alternative universe Brian Bowyer, as I recognized a lot of the situations from the tales he told of his own life.
This is one mean motherfucker of a book. I don't read a lot of this stuff because, quite honestly, it bothers me. But I do make the exception for Bowyer.
Maybe with a signature phrase I think I've read in all three of Bowyer's books that I've read? "Let me hit that whiskey."
Someone else has already said, if you've read any Bowyer, you know what to expect. That's mostly true. You're going to get an awful lot of psychopathic behaviour, and characters who have lost all sense of morality. Bowyer tends to write one of two types of characters...those who kill, or those who will be killed. There's virtually no one in between.
Bowyer writes some really bleak, nihilistic, violent horror. He's Jack Ketchum with absolutely no conscience or morality.
And please do not take any of this as negative statements, none of it is meant that way. Bowyer is a sadistic Hemingway who writes the sparest prose I may have ever read. His killers are dispassionate in the extreme. I don't think anyone else writes like this, and I'm sure I could pick out Bowyer's writing anywhere.
I will say, having read his biography, this one reads very much like an alternative universe Brian Bowyer, as I recognized a lot of the situations from the tales he told of his own life.
This is one mean motherfucker of a book. I don't read a lot of this stuff because, quite honestly, it bothers me. But I do make the exception for Bowyer.
Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Maybe I've read too much Moore lately. Maybe it was a mistake to read this right after his run on Miracleman. Maybe I'm just discovering that I'm not as much a Moore fan as I thought I should be.
This wasn't terrible. Not at all. But I didn't find it as earthshakingly good as everyone (including Len Wein, the guy that created the Swamp Thing in the first place) says.
Let me explain...
Way way back in the late 70s, somewhere around late 77 or early 78, we'd just moved to a very small town in the middle of nowhere. I knew no one, and I was bored. I had to wait for my mother who was doing...something...so I walked down to the local variety store, looking for something to grab my attention. I tried the paperback selection on the spinner rack, but there was nothing there that I wanted. I moved to the comic book spinner rack and again, it was slim pickings. However, there was this thicker comic..."The Original Swamp Thing Saga" that caught my eye (mostly due to the gorgeous Bernie Wrightson art). I paid the ungodly amount of fifty cents and went back to where I was waiting for my mother, and I started reading this collection.
...and it blew my fifteen year old mind.
The art. The story. The actual writing. The art!
I couldn't tell you how long the wait was for my mother, but I can tell you I probably read that book cover to cover at least three times, and enjoyed it more every time. I continued to collect those reprints, that eventually covered the first ten issues and I loved them all.
So, yeah, Moore? He had big shoes to fill. And so did any artist who was brave (or foolish) enough to follow Wrightson.
Moore's big claim to fame was the separation of Alec from the Swamp Thing. Okay. Fine. I can take that, but it felt like it also drained much of the pathos from the story as well. Instead of this tortured man in monstrous form, now we get...a monster who sleeps in a swamp and lets the rain fill in his eye sockets? We get a very confident monster who calmly reattaches his arm and punches someone with it? We get...a basic hero?
Sorry. Yawn.
I will say that I did enjoy Moore's take on at least one of the predictably silly villains DC is famous for. The Floronic Man was slightly less silly. But when Moore took on Jack Kirby's The Demon—that I can see Moore totally loving because he gets to write his dialogue in rhyme—it just felt...chaotic. It didn't do much for me. Add to that a kid who's constantly spelling things out, and I just kept thinking...yep, here goes Moore, becoming all Moorey as usual.
And, side note: did the original Wein/Wrightson series not have its share of silly villains? Sure it did. But somehow, Len and Bernie made it work. It was entertaining, instead of being dark for dark's sake.
Like I said, it's probably me burning out on the curmudgeon that everyone seems to adore, but overall, I found his incarnation of the Swamp Thing to be far less relevatory than the original Wein/Wrightson version.
And it didn't help that I really disliked the Bissette/Totleben artwork, with the preponderance of heavy parallel line shading that seemed to obscure more than delineate, and characters' faces that seemed to change from panel to panel with no consistency. As well, the colouring—which should have helped clairify the muddy artwork—seemed to muddy it up even more.
Overall, I can see how, in the mid-80s this might have felt groundbreaking, but to me, it just changed the entire shape of Swamp Thing, and ruined it for me.
This wasn't terrible. Not at all. But I didn't find it as earthshakingly good as everyone (including Len Wein, the guy that created the Swamp Thing in the first place) says.
Let me explain...
Way way back in the late 70s, somewhere around late 77 or early 78, we'd just moved to a very small town in the middle of nowhere. I knew no one, and I was bored. I had to wait for my mother who was doing...something...so I walked down to the local variety store, looking for something to grab my attention. I tried the paperback selection on the spinner rack, but there was nothing there that I wanted. I moved to the comic book spinner rack and again, it was slim pickings. However, there was this thicker comic..."The Original Swamp Thing Saga" that caught my eye (mostly due to the gorgeous Bernie Wrightson art). I paid the ungodly amount of fifty cents and went back to where I was waiting for my mother, and I started reading this collection.
...and it blew my fifteen year old mind.
The art. The story. The actual writing. The art!
I couldn't tell you how long the wait was for my mother, but I can tell you I probably read that book cover to cover at least three times, and enjoyed it more every time. I continued to collect those reprints, that eventually covered the first ten issues and I loved them all.
So, yeah, Moore? He had big shoes to fill. And so did any artist who was brave (or foolish) enough to follow Wrightson.
Moore's big claim to fame was the separation of Alec from the Swamp Thing. Okay. Fine. I can take that, but it felt like it also drained much of the pathos from the story as well. Instead of this tortured man in monstrous form, now we get...a monster who sleeps in a swamp and lets the rain fill in his eye sockets? We get a very confident monster who calmly reattaches his arm and punches someone with it? We get...a basic hero?
Sorry. Yawn.
I will say that I did enjoy Moore's take on at least one of the predictably silly villains DC is famous for. The Floronic Man was slightly less silly. But when Moore took on Jack Kirby's The Demon—that I can see Moore totally loving because he gets to write his dialogue in rhyme—it just felt...chaotic. It didn't do much for me. Add to that a kid who's constantly spelling things out, and I just kept thinking...yep, here goes Moore, becoming all Moorey as usual.
And, side note: did the original Wein/Wrightson series not have its share of silly villains? Sure it did. But somehow, Len and Bernie made it work. It was entertaining, instead of being dark for dark's sake.
Like I said, it's probably me burning out on the curmudgeon that everyone seems to adore, but overall, I found his incarnation of the Swamp Thing to be far less relevatory than the original Wein/Wrightson version.
And it didn't help that I really disliked the Bissette/Totleben artwork, with the preponderance of heavy parallel line shading that seemed to obscure more than delineate, and characters' faces that seemed to change from panel to panel with no consistency. As well, the colouring—which should have helped clairify the muddy artwork—seemed to muddy it up even more.
Overall, I can see how, in the mid-80s this might have felt groundbreaking, but to me, it just changed the entire shape of Swamp Thing, and ruined it for me.
Blackrock High: Into the Night (The Blackrock High Trilogy: Book One) by Ashe Woodward
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
DNF, so no rating.
I will state right up front that this is absolutely a well-written and well-paced book, and I can see it's building to something. Honestly, in this case, it's not the book, it's me. Maybe I didn't clue in that it was angled more to teens, I don't know. But for whatever reason, it's just not my type of book.
So, no slagging whatsoever. The right audience for this will adore it.
I will state right up front that this is absolutely a well-written and well-paced book, and I can see it's building to something. Honestly, in this case, it's not the book, it's me. Maybe I didn't clue in that it was angled more to teens, I don't know. But for whatever reason, it's just not my type of book.
So, no slagging whatsoever. The right audience for this will adore it.
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I had a feeling this one would be a polarizing read for many, and I do kind of get a kick out of the ones who say "I'm done" because there's nothing new happening...when Butcher took a chance, burned his entire series to the ground, and then reset it with this one.
Is this the best book of the series? Well, no. That (so far) is the book before this one, CHANGES. And I will admit to being irritated with some aspects of this (especially Molly's multiple Star Trek characters on the Enterprise bridge...it just went on far too long). But, at the same time, some of the supporting characters really punched it up this time around. I expected it to be Murphy, but instead, it was Mort, Butters, and especially Molly.
I expected the tone to change with this installment, and I was nervous of the change, but for the most part, Butcher pulled it off. It's going to be interesting to see how the next book goes.
Is this the best book of the series? Well, no. That (so far) is the book before this one, CHANGES. And I will admit to being irritated with some aspects of this (especially Molly's multiple Star Trek characters on the Enterprise bridge...it just went on far too long). But, at the same time, some of the supporting characters really punched it up this time around. I expected it to be Murphy, but instead, it was Mort, Butters, and especially Molly.
I expected the tone to change with this installment, and I was nervous of the change, but for the most part, Butcher pulled it off. It's going to be interesting to see how the next book goes.
Dracula by Georges Bess
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
This has got to be the definitive graphic novel adaptation of Stoker's most famous work. Bess's linework here is absolutely stunning, and his adaptation of the work—with minor variations from the original—is incredible.
Bess takes care with every single character, choosing perfect faces for each, while also subverting what we're used to. I will say, I love that he chose to make Renfield look exactly like Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones (in the back of the book, you can see he flirted with both Mick Jagger and Richards, before settling on Richards).
And finally, the 15-page back up of the original opening of the novel, later published as a short story, "Dracula's Guest" is lovely bonus.
I cannot recommend these adaptations enough (his Frankenstein was also very well done), and I'm very much looking forward to his version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Bess takes care with every single character, choosing perfect faces for each, while also subverting what we're used to. I will say, I love that he chose to make Renfield look exactly like Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones (in the back of the book, you can see he flirted with both Mick Jagger and Richards, before settling on Richards).
And finally, the 15-page back up of the original opening of the novel, later published as a short story, "Dracula's Guest" is lovely bonus.
I cannot recommend these adaptations enough (his Frankenstein was also very well done), and I'm very much looking forward to his version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
When I Look At the Sky, All I See Are Stars: Author's Preferred Edition by Steve Stred
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.25
Well, wasn't this a nasty little tale?
This was my first taste of Stred's writing, and it won't be my last. This is a horrible little tale that starts out deceptively calm, before Stred puts the pedal down and hits the reader with unrelenting horror.
It's gross, it's gory, it's profane, it's perverted...exactly what it needs to be for the story being told.
And that's the thing...Stred, I think, hit the exact right balance here. It's a fine line in horror stories, telling a story and delivering exactly enough horror, enough off-putting scenes without going too far, without stepping over that fine line into excessive, gratuitous violence or gore. Stred walks that line here.
The included story, "Claustrum" is a bit less successful, only because, I think, there's an entire history being packed into the 20 short pages for that story. It didn't feel like it hit with exactly the same emotional punch of the main story, but it's still absolutely a good read.
I enjoyed my time in Stred's hellish world. I'll be back for another ride.
This was my first taste of Stred's writing, and it won't be my last. This is a horrible little tale that starts out deceptively calm, before Stred puts the pedal down and hits the reader with unrelenting horror.
It's gross, it's gory, it's profane, it's perverted...exactly what it needs to be for the story being told.
And that's the thing...Stred, I think, hit the exact right balance here. It's a fine line in horror stories, telling a story and delivering exactly enough horror, enough off-putting scenes without going too far, without stepping over that fine line into excessive, gratuitous violence or gore. Stred walks that line here.
The included story, "Claustrum" is a bit less successful, only because, I think, there's an entire history being packed into the 20 short pages for that story. It didn't feel like it hit with exactly the same emotional punch of the main story, but it's still absolutely a good read.
I enjoyed my time in Stred's hellish world. I'll be back for another ride.
The Golden Age by Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very much as he did with Sandman, Gaiman steps into the ring and sidelines the title character, instead showing the new gods' influence on others around them.
Interesting to see a casually tossed off Moore line of dialogue turned into a full story, but overall, the feeling I got from this is that Gaiman didn't really know how to do anything with the MiracleMess Moore left behind, so set his sights on avoiding it completely.
At least at the start. There's apparently an entire planned out story...
Then, of course, decades later, we got the much-publicized and highly-touted return of Gaiman and Buckingham to Marvel...and then the much-publicized and ongoing Crash of Gaiman...
...so, once again, the book is in limbo.
At this point, Marvel needs to bring in another really good author/artist team who are capable of hitting deadlines and staying out of trouble, and let them re-Moore this entire thing one more time.
MiracleMan is a very good character with a rich history. Too good to be sidelined by mortal failings.
Interesting to see a casually tossed off Moore line of dialogue turned into a full story, but overall, the feeling I got from this is that Gaiman didn't really know how to do anything with the MiracleMess Moore left behind, so set his sights on avoiding it completely.
At least at the start. There's apparently an entire planned out story...
Then, of course, decades later, we got the much-publicized and highly-touted return of Gaiman and Buckingham to Marvel...and then the much-publicized and ongoing Crash of Gaiman...
...so, once again, the book is in limbo.
At this point, Marvel needs to bring in another really good author/artist team who are capable of hitting deadlines and staying out of trouble, and let them re-Moore this entire thing one more time.
MiracleMan is a very good character with a rich history. Too good to be sidelined by mortal failings.
All You Need Is Ears: The inside personal story of the genius who created The Beatles by George Martin
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Yeah, I'm a Beatles freak. I'll pretty much read anything Beatles-related.
And, having said that, I have no idea how a book from Sir George Martin escaped my notice for so many years. Once I found out this was out there, I had to read it.
I've noticed others expressing disappointment in how much technical detail Martin goes into, and how much less Beatles info there is than they expected. Personally, I was delighted with this book.
The sense I get about the person George Martin was, was that he was exceptionally capable, very good at what he did, yet was also incredibly humble about it for the most part. He worked in the field for a long time prior to capturing lightning in a bottle (lightning in the Beatles?) with the band that made his name, and he continued to work his magic long afterward. He got the recognition and the accolades he deserved, and he accepted them graciously.
So, the tone and feel of this book reflects that. Yes, he talks about the Beatles, but he also talks about all the other stuff around those crazy eight years, as he should. Personally, his philosophies on what a producer does, how he problem solved, his outlook on what sound is, how various instruments come into it, and how he helped paint sonic pictures...? All of if was enlightening to me.
This is a fascinating and informative glimpse into the mind of the one guy who said yes to the Beatles, but who also gave us a lifetime of incredible sounds.
And, having said that, I have no idea how a book from Sir George Martin escaped my notice for so many years. Once I found out this was out there, I had to read it.
I've noticed others expressing disappointment in how much technical detail Martin goes into, and how much less Beatles info there is than they expected. Personally, I was delighted with this book.
The sense I get about the person George Martin was, was that he was exceptionally capable, very good at what he did, yet was also incredibly humble about it for the most part. He worked in the field for a long time prior to capturing lightning in a bottle (lightning in the Beatles?) with the band that made his name, and he continued to work his magic long afterward. He got the recognition and the accolades he deserved, and he accepted them graciously.
So, the tone and feel of this book reflects that. Yes, he talks about the Beatles, but he also talks about all the other stuff around those crazy eight years, as he should. Personally, his philosophies on what a producer does, how he problem solved, his outlook on what sound is, how various instruments come into it, and how he helped paint sonic pictures...? All of if was enlightening to me.
This is a fascinating and informative glimpse into the mind of the one guy who said yes to the Beatles, but who also gave us a lifetime of incredible sounds.
Always, in This Nightmare by J. E. Erickson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm just going to say this right up front in all caps, in case the right people happen to see this: J.E. ERICKSON DESERVES A MAJOR PUBLISHING HOUSE CONTRACT BECAUSE YES, HE'S THAT FRIGGIN' GOOD.
Agents? Publishers? You listening? You should be.
<ahem>
On to the book. This ithe fourth novel of Erickson's I've both read and enjoyed the heck out of. He can always be counted on to bring the horror, and he absolutely does.
"I breathe nightmares and speak torments. I know fear, Ella. And I know your fear best."
Mara, one of the two main characters says that. But it could just as easily be Mr. Erickson speaking to his readers. I firmly believe this man breathes nightmares and speaks torments. And he knows all our fears.
But what makes his horror visceral is that it's entwined into the soul of each of his characters, and spreads its tendrils between the various characters. Ella and Mara. Ella and Jerome. Ella and Mara and Jerome.
Erickson excels at characters who live and breathe, who share the same wants, needs, and fears as you and me. Ella's a hot mess, but she's a hot mess that we understand. We've seen her. We've worked with her, been friends with her. She's our sister or our mother or our daughter.
And for the most part, this book could have been written without any supernatural content, just a thriller about a love triangle with two women broken in different, but similar ways, and the man who dares involve himself in their lives. It could have been that, and it would have been both a well-written love triangle, and one seriously amazing thriller.
But the supernatural element only serves to heighten the horror, to increase the emotions, and to raise the stakes.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: In the indie world of horror, while there's many, many incredible authors doing incredible work, Erickson is absolutely at the top of my list as the best of them.
Read this book.
Agents? Publishers? You listening? You should be.
<ahem>
On to the book. This ithe fourth novel of Erickson's I've both read and enjoyed the heck out of. He can always be counted on to bring the horror, and he absolutely does.
"I breathe nightmares and speak torments. I know fear, Ella. And I know your fear best."
Mara, one of the two main characters says that. But it could just as easily be Mr. Erickson speaking to his readers. I firmly believe this man breathes nightmares and speaks torments. And he knows all our fears.
But what makes his horror visceral is that it's entwined into the soul of each of his characters, and spreads its tendrils between the various characters. Ella and Mara. Ella and Jerome. Ella and Mara and Jerome.
Erickson excels at characters who live and breathe, who share the same wants, needs, and fears as you and me. Ella's a hot mess, but she's a hot mess that we understand. We've seen her. We've worked with her, been friends with her. She's our sister or our mother or our daughter.
And for the most part, this book could have been written without any supernatural content, just a thriller about a love triangle with two women broken in different, but similar ways, and the man who dares involve himself in their lives. It could have been that, and it would have been both a well-written love triangle, and one seriously amazing thriller.
But the supernatural element only serves to heighten the horror, to increase the emotions, and to raise the stakes.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: In the indie world of horror, while there's many, many incredible authors doing incredible work, Erickson is absolutely at the top of my list as the best of them.
Read this book.
Miracleman: the Original Epic by Peter Milligan, Mick Anglo, Grant Morrison, catherine yronwode, Alan Moore
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
3.75
Ah, The Original Writer...I mean...Alan Moore. I think he's trying to be as spiteful and tempermental as Harlan Ellison, but no one can out-Harlan Harlan.
I have to admit, I have a love/hate relationship with Moore, and it typically rears both heads within the same series.
- Watchmen? Loved most of it, hated the ending.
- From Hell? Well researched, not bad, but Moore truly defecates on the mattress at the end. Completely ruined it.
- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Absolutely loved this...until Moore decided to test the patience of his readers by getting more and more ridiculous.
I could go on, but you get the drift. It feels like Moore starts out with a great idea, and is gung-ho, pedal to the medal with writing like we've never seen before, being taken places we've never been before...
...and then...
...and then it feels like Moore either thinks, something along the lines of, "well, I got away with all of that, let's see exactly how much they'll take before the project falls apart" or else it's simply the case of, "no idea how to end this, so let's just through in some unexplained/really bizarre/left field stuff and walk away from the smoking ruins."
This starts out very well. It doesn't bring comics into a more dark, adult sphere of storytelling, it takes the entire genre and pretty much upends it. Which is good. And then Moore unleashes the darkest, unholiest hell imaginable with a truly unrepentant villain. Also good, though it's something can only be done occasionally.
And then, Moore gets weird. The Warpsmiths. The weird talking aliens. The long long long long long long long screeds of quasi-poetic word jumbles that really add nothing to the plot, but they fill pages.
And then Moore decides to paint in his new world as gods would remake it, which goes really hard with the heavy-handedness.
I guess what I'm saying is, in the beginning, Moore is there to show you his chops, and to entertain the heck out of you. But then he turns into that homeowner who's held a party but now decides he wants everyone out so he starts acting obnoxious and petty and loses all interest in entertaining you. Instead, he'll just annoy you until you leave.
So, yes, this was absolutely the game-changer everyone says it was, but then Moore...well, I guess the best way to say it is, he got Moored to the idea that he could do anything he wanted and we'd love it.
Some probably even do, but not this kid.
Four stars for the game-changing bits. And one star off for all the bits I had to basically skip over because they were dumb.
I have to admit, I have a love/hate relationship with Moore, and it typically rears both heads within the same series.
- Watchmen? Loved most of it, hated the ending.
- From Hell? Well researched, not bad, but Moore truly defecates on the mattress at the end. Completely ruined it.
- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Absolutely loved this...until Moore decided to test the patience of his readers by getting more and more ridiculous.
I could go on, but you get the drift. It feels like Moore starts out with a great idea, and is gung-ho, pedal to the medal with writing like we've never seen before, being taken places we've never been before...
...and then...
...and then it feels like Moore either thinks, something along the lines of, "well, I got away with all of that, let's see exactly how much they'll take before the project falls apart" or else it's simply the case of, "no idea how to end this, so let's just through in some unexplained/really bizarre/left field stuff and walk away from the smoking ruins."
This starts out very well. It doesn't bring comics into a more dark, adult sphere of storytelling, it takes the entire genre and pretty much upends it. Which is good. And then Moore unleashes the darkest, unholiest hell imaginable with a truly unrepentant villain. Also good, though it's something can only be done occasionally.
And then, Moore gets weird. The Warpsmiths. The weird talking aliens. The long long long long long long long screeds of quasi-poetic word jumbles that really add nothing to the plot, but they fill pages.
And then Moore decides to paint in his new world as gods would remake it, which goes really hard with the heavy-handedness.
I guess what I'm saying is, in the beginning, Moore is there to show you his chops, and to entertain the heck out of you. But then he turns into that homeowner who's held a party but now decides he wants everyone out so he starts acting obnoxious and petty and loses all interest in entertaining you. Instead, he'll just annoy you until you leave.
So, yes, this was absolutely the game-changer everyone says it was, but then Moore...well, I guess the best way to say it is, he got Moored to the idea that he could do anything he wanted and we'd love it.
Some probably even do, but not this kid.
Four stars for the game-changing bits. And one star off for all the bits I had to basically skip over because they were dumb.