Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire - Volume 01

I am not a big fan of Manga.  I'm not particularly fond of the art style, and quite frankly, I have a difficult time transitioning from left to right reading into right to left.  I have read very few Manga over the years, and I own even fewer (The Dreaming being a rare series that I have, and that is done in American-style so that it reads from left to right).  So, when I first saw that Viz Media was coming out with a Resident Evil series, I was a bit leery.  I absolutely love Resident Evil - the books, the movies, the games.  So I debated, and with a coupon for Barnes & Noble, I decided to give it a chance.

I'm going to admit, it was a bit of a struggle at first.  I knew that you read the book starting at what we, as Americans, traditionally think of as the "back" of the book and work your way to the "front" - but I didn't realize that on each page, you also had to read starting with the right panel and work your way left.  I was actually three pages into it before I realized that was the reason the dialogue wasn't exactly making sense - duh!  But, once I got a handle on that, the more pages I read, the easier it became.

This first volume of the series is pretty much a set up for the story.  Someone has released the infamous T-Virus at the Marhawa School.  University professor Doug Wright and his nephew, Ricky Tozawa head to the isolated school when Wright is contacted by the headmistress, who is an old friend.  But Mother Gracia has changed greatly since Wright first knew her, and she is more interested in protecting the school's reputation than the students, which doesn't sit too well with Wright - particularly after Ricky is bit by an infected zombie!

The art is not what I would call "typical" Manga art.  There are no cutesy-little drawings of midget-size people waving their arms with big eyes.  There are no panels with huge exclamation points or other symbols around the characters' heads.  Rather, the people look like people (rather attractively drawn people at that!) and the settings are very detailed.  The zombies are grotesque (as they should be) without being caricatures, and while there are only a few scenes in this first volume with zombies, they definitely powerful enough to set the tone for the series.

It's great to see Chris Redfield back in action, even though he is only in a few pages.  He appears to have a new team (or perhaps I just don't recognize them, as I haven't kept up with the games lately).  Regardless, can't wait to see them arrive at the Marhawa School in time to fight some zombies.  I'll also be curious to see who exactly is behind this particular outbreak.

Definitely a number of subplots set up, and with only five volumes in the series, there's no doubt the plot will move fast and the action will be wild.

RATING:  9 blood-stained zombies out of 10 for providing a great Resident Evil fix while I wait for the next movie to come out!

Doctor Who, the Glamour Chronicles Book 3 - Deep Time

'Forever is a long time,' said the Doctor. 'But for things like the Glamour, it is seldom long enough.'

I've gotten a little behind in my reading due to the play that I am assistant directing, but this book was well worth the extra time.  Trevor Baxendale provides a very satisfying conclusion to The Glamour Chronicles trilogy in Deep Time.  In this book, we finally learn the origin of the Glamour, what it is, where it comes from, and the lengths it will go to in order to survive.  This time around, the Doctor and Clara join an expedition in the far future, as a group of humans are set to venture into the last Phaeron road, each with their very own agenda (including the Doctor)!  There is adventure, there is humor, there is danger, there is sadness, and there is a mad rescue at the last possible moment - quite literally, a Doctor Who adventure through and through.

Baxendale doesn't disappoint in the least with this tale.  I've only read one other book by him, a Torchwood novel, and it was actually one of the better ones in that series.  So, it comes as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the Doctor.  Baxendale captures the essence of Peter Capaldi's Doctor - serious, yet playful, and a take-charge, somewhat grumpy guy who pretends to be oblivious to the human condition, all the while manipulating them with their very nature.  Clara, well - Clara is Clara.  As much as I don't liker her as a companion (and I am so glad they removed her from the equation in the television series), I give the author credit.  He nails her character pretty good in the story.  It felt pretty much like I was watching an episode as I read the book.

Sadly, there isn't enough time to really get to know the other characters, so there are some stereotypes at play.  There's the egotistical jerk with a personal agenda that could endanger them all.  There's the old-guy mechanic who's always talking about the old days.  There's the ship's captain who sacrifices himself and goes down with the ship.  There's the scientist who seems oblivious to all dangers when it comes to investigating new life forms.  And so on, and so on.  Perhaps it is the number of characters that prevents further character development, or just the length of the tale, but I think with more pages, Baxendale could have created some really interesting, fully dimensional characters.

The aliens - the Phaerons - are some rather intriguing life forms.  Baxendale teases the reader with glimpses here and there, never quite giving you the full satisfaction until the time is right for the big reveal.  We learn bit by bit as the expedition team is confronted by them, or as the Doctor deems fit to reveal facts about the creatures.  Are they good?  Are they bad?  Are they indifferent and unfeeling?  Are they the saviors or the ultimate destruction?  You never quite know until the climax, which keeps things interesting.  Would definitely love to see these characters brought to life on screen.

But none of that stops the book from being a great read.  And, as with the other two books in this trilogy, it is a stand alone story that does not necessarily need to be read with the other two in order to be understood or enjoyed.  Looking forward to more stories from this author, and hope that BBC gives him more to write in the future.

RATING:

DC Super Hero Girls: Wonder Woman at Super Hero High

When DC Comics first announced this new marketing of female super heroes, I was excited.  I mean, for far too long, the female line of heroes at DC (and Marvel, for that matter), have had little attention.  While Superman and Batman have carried multiple monthly titles for decades, poor Wonder Woman has struggled with just one (only in recent years has Sensation Comics been revived, only to be quickly cancelled).  So the fact that DC was marketing a whole line of toys, books, etc. with the female heroes from the DC Universe, I was hyped.

First came the cartoon shorts online, featuring the female heroes as youngsters, going to school at Super Hero High, where Amanda Waller is the principal and the familiar faces of Supergirl, Hawkgirl, Stargirl, Katana, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, and more are students.

Then came the dolls and action figures.  They are a bit on the "kiddish" side, but then, they are aimed at a young audience - although, no doubt, there is a large market of adult collectors who are buying them as well.

Now comes this book.  I was hoping that it was just the first in an ongoing series of books based on these characters.  It is bound in a nice hard cover, and with 237 pages and 29 chapters, I thought it would have plenty of space to flesh out a great story.  Wonder Woman at Super Hero High - the Amazon princess comes to man's world as a young girl to join this prestigious school that trains the next generation of super heroes.  Only, the school is not quite as easy as she thinks.  She begins receiving messages telling her to leave the school and constantly harping on how un-heroic she is.  Then she makes one mistake after another, whether in class or social settings.  The harder she tries to fit in, the more of an outsider she feels. She finally gets the opportunity to prove herself, to her mother, her fellow students, and herself - at the 100th annual Super Triathalon, where a select group of students from SHH will complete against heroes from other schools in contests of strength and will.

The premise and plot are rather fun, and Lisa Yee's writing certainly makes for a smooth, easy read.  The characterization is pretty close - Barbara Gordon is a tech whiz; Poison Ivy is shy but has a passion for plants; Harley Quinn is simply bonkers; Killer Frost is one cold cookie; Katana is as sharp as she is serious; and Wonder Woman carries an air of innocence about her.  The thing that bothered me, though, throughout the entire story, is the fact that the characters have no names outside of their super hero names.  Wonder Woman is not Diana.  Ever.  Even her own mother called her Wonder Woman.  Hawkgirl is never Shayera.  Poison Ivy is never Pamela.  Bumblebee is never Karen.  It's as if they have no real names.  Which makes for some clunky dialogue at times, when a mother is talking to her daughter, or a teacher is talking to a student, and they repeatedly have to refer to her as "Wonder Woman."

That aside, however, it was a fun read, so who could ask for anything more.  Plus, with some cameos by Amethyst, Black Orchid, and other lesser-known heroes, it's a fan's Easter Egg special. And with the last page of the story bringing into the fold a certain Maid of Might with the tagline "To Be Continued..." one can only assume that a next book is planned.  Whether it actually sees the light of day remains to be seen.

RATING:  7 golden lassos out of 10 for spotlighting some of the greatest characters in the DC Universe who definitely deserve more limelight!

Finding the Lost Treasure - a Lost Treasure Series book

In my recent trip to the Tampa Bay area, I stopped in at Haslam's Bookstore over in St. Petersburg.  While they carry a number of old children's books, I rarely find any that I need or want.  This time around, however, I stumbled across this little treasure (pun fully intended) in dust jacket and since it was on sale, I figured what the heck.  I mean, with a title like Finding the Lost Treasure, it sounded like a decent enough mystery, and the cover with the man and woman running up to the man lying on the ground, there was enough to interest me.  (And just to give you the heads up - the photo in this post is actually from my book - I could not find an image of this cover anywhere on the internet, which was quite surprising!)

So I bought it.

I'm not sure who Helen M. Persons is, or whether she wrote any other children's books ... and yes, I realize this was published back in 1933, so it was written during a completely different time period when people acted and thought differently ... but to be honest, as I read this story, I got the very real sensation of reading a V.C. Andrews novel (and anyone who has read any of Andrews' books will know where I'm going with this).

The story centers around the four Wistmore children - John (18 - referred to throughout the book as "Jack"), Desire (14), Priscilla (9), and Rene (5), who are direct descendants of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, characters in the poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish, by Longfellow.  The children's parents die, leaving them to fend for themselves. When their home is foreclosed upon, they are left with nothing but a mysterious code (W-1755-15x12-6754) and a few worldly possessions.  A family friend, who drives a big covered wagon common to Nova Scotia at the time (basically, a general store on wheels) is injured and allows the children to take over his business while he recuperates, as a means of earning money for themselves.  The book follows the trials and tribulations of these four youngsters as they set out to make their way in the world.  Jack has given up his dream of going to college, Desire has had to forego her wish to go to high school, and the two younger children must learn to grow up fast and take on responsibilities for the good of the family.

While there are some similarities to the Bobbsey Twins (the two older siblings taking care over the two younger siblings), oddly enough, there are stronger similarities to Flowers in the Attic.  Left to their own devices, these four children create a unique family, with John as the "father," Desire as the "mother," and Priscilla and Rene as the "children."  What's worse is that the author portrays Jack and Desire as having a very close relationship - too close, for my taste.

p. 11 - "Now Dissy," said the boy, laying his hand affectionately over hers, "let's have the inspiration."
p. 38 - "You're a good little soul," answered Jack, with an affectionate good night kiss. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
pp. 79-80 - Desire nodded, burying her face on her brother's shoulder ... "I hardly think so dear," replied Jack, stroking her curls.

And so it goes, chapter after chapter, Jack and Desire acting more like husband and wife than brother and sister, referring to each other incessantly as "dear" and "darling."  In fact, on page 70, one of their customers mistakes Desire for Jack's wife; and, quite frankly, if she were reading the same book as I did, I can see why she would think that!

Now, as far as the mystery of that strange code goes - well, it's basically nothing more than bookends for this book.  It is mentioned at the beginning, giving the reader hope that it will be a central part of the story ... then it gets mentioned at the end, when suddenly, and with no warning, Desire comes across a metal box buried beneath the small house where they are staying - a box that, quite conveniently, is buried west of the house, back in the year 1755 - 6954 is the number of the deed, 15 is the depth of the hole, and 12 is the distance from the edge of the lot where they are living - and thus, the house where they are staying is found to legally belong to them, and they now have a permanent home.  All's well that ends well.  Except - there is absolutely nothing throughout the entire book that leads up to this sudden realization and discovery, making it, quite possibly, one of the most unrelated, sudden discoveries to wrap up a mystery ever!

It's hard to say whether I would recommend this book or not.  It does have its moments, as there are times when the adventures of the Wistmore children resemble those of the Ingalls clan in the Little House books; but then, there are those cringing moments when Jack and Desire seem a LOT closer to one another than a brother and sister should be.  There is certainly a great idea for a mystery, but there is no execution in it, and its resolution comes so far out of left field as to leave the reader wondering why it was even there, except to give a convenient windfall at the end of the story so that the children could all get everything they wanted without having to work for it.

Stumbling Across the Lost Treasure - That We Didn't Even Know Was Lost would probably have been a more apt title for this book.

RATING:  4 wagon wheels out of 10 for leading me to believe this was going to be a great treasure hunting mystery, but providing me with a Little House in the Attic tale instead.

Dark Shadows Audio Book 33 - The Phantom Bride

Here's the second Dark Shadows audio drama I listed to during my recent trip to Tampa.  The Phantom Bride brings back Tony Peterson and Cassandra Collins (a/k/a Angelique), who have quickly become my favorite pairing in this CD series.  Jerry Lacy and Lara Parker bring these characters back to life with such relish, it's hard not to picture the two of them together, solving mysteries as they do.  A modern (sort of) take on Nick and Nora, or maybe even a kind-of Scarecrow and Mrs. King of the Dark Shadows realm.  Either way, these two play so well off of each other, and it works so naturally, it's a shame that the television show never picked up on it.

This time around, our detective couple is boarding a cruise ship to help the Captain discover what is causing the haunting by a vengeful spirit intent on destroying any newlywed couple's happiness.  Posing as husband and wife, Tony and Cassandra board the ship, and one it sets sail, they each try to solve the mystery before anyone else turns up dead and the Captain's ship is shut down permanently.

While the story definitely takes place away from Collinsport, there is nevertheless a true Dark Shadows-feel to the story.  We have Tony Peterson fighting to remain professional and put a stop to the killing spirit while starting to realize he may have feelings for a centuries-old witch; we have Angelique continuing to pose as Cassandra (Peterson, this time), acting human and experiencing human emotions, all the while utilizing her witchcraft and supernatural powers to bring an end to the hauntings; and we have a mean-spirited ghost that is hell-bent on destroying the happiness of anyone who dares to enter her stomping grounds,

It's so easy to get caught up in these audio dramas and forget I'm listening instead of watching.  My mind goes on automatic, and before I realize it, I'm "watching" the story unfold in my head just as sure as if I were watching it on a television set before me.  I can see Tony's tall, lean frame, his slicked-back dark hair, and his brown trenchcoat.  I can see Cassandra's dark wig, her wide sparkling eyes, and that evil grin of hers.  And I can see all of the other elements that made Dark Shadows what it was.  The cardboard sets and cheesy special effects that gave the show its charm.  The writer of this audio, Mark Thomas Passmore, definitely needs to stay on board (no pun intended) and keep writing more audio dramas.  He definitely has the feel for Dark Shadows.

RATING:  9 life-stealing succubi out of 10 for confirming the Tony/Cassandra pairing as my new favorite characters from the show!

A Haunted Mystery, Book One - The Crossroads

If the first book in this series is any indication of what I can expect in the future books of this series, author Chris Grabenstein definitely has a winner on his hands!  The Crossroads is, by far, the absolute best children's series book that I have read in a long, long time - - and I've read some good ones here and there, believe me.

The Crossroads tells the story of young Zack Jennings - a boy whose mother has died of cancer - - whose father has remarried - - whose step-mother seems to care for him - - and whose life is uprooted when his father decides to move his family to the small town in Connecticut where he grew up.  They move into a house at the corner of County Route 13 and State Highway 31.  A corner where, some fifty years ago, a horrible accident occurred involving a bus full of passengers, a hyped-up Thunderbird, and a police motorcycle.  All of the people involved in the crash died.  Except one...

Grabenstein brings all of the characters to life so vividly - from the main character of Zack to the supporting cast of his father, step-mother, new friend Davy, the cranky Greta Spratling, the not-so-bright Billy O'Claire, and readers even get a small taste of what Zack's real mother was like before she died of cancer.  While some of the characters are somewhat stereotyped, they are not so overly done that they become caricatures; instead, Grabenstein gives them just enough to cause readers to like, dislike, love, or hate the characters as you rightfully should.

The story itself is extremely well-paced, and while I don't usually like authors to alternate points-of-view throughout a book, Grabenstein manages to do it in such a way that it not only flows smoothly, but it actually enhances the reading of the story.  You get to know each of the characters in their own way, rather than from the perspective of just the protagonist.  You ever gain some understanding as to why characters such as Greta Spratling do the things they do, making them a little less villainous and a bit more human.

And lest you think the "Haunted Mystery" title of the series is a misnomer, there is definitely a supernatural element to the tale.  From the very beginning, Grabenstein introduces ghosts - good, bad, and indifferent - as well as a fifty-year old thirst for revenge and the idea that a hatred can burn so strong it can become embedded in and tied to inanimate objects, such as a tree.  Grabenstein plays a bit loose with the idea of ghosts, and in some cases, the reader is left to wonder who is a ghost and who isn't (although all is revealed by the end of the story).  While there is death and a couple of murders in the story, there is no profanity, no adult themes, and quite frankly, I would have gobbled this up back when I was a pre-teen.

This book definitely has it all - mystery, supernatural, page-turning cliffhangers, touching moments, and sorrow and joy, all within the 325 pages of story.  Without a shadow of a doubt, I would recommend this to older children and adults alike, as it is a thoroughly enjoyable read that leaves me anxious to read the next book in the series (and pray that is goes well beyond just the four books that are currently out).

RATING:  10 pails of white roses out of 10 for a thrilling, spine-tingling, page-turning mystery well-worth the read!

Dark Shadows Audio Book 32 - A Collinwood Christmas

Although the last DS audio tale wasn't one of the best, it did spark my interest in the audio books again, so on a recent trip to Tampa, I took along a couple of CDs to enjoy on my way down there and back.

The first story was "A Collinwood Christmas."  Starring Jamison Selby as (who else) Jamison Collins and Lizzie Hopley as the gypsy, Ivanka, the story is set during a time when Elizabeth and Roger Collins are but children, having lost their mother, and with her, any hope and joy within the great house of Collinwood.  And before you ask, yes, Jamison Selby is David Selby's son, and it's amazing to hear his voice, for he sounds so much like his father (who DS fans will remember as Quentin Collins, the werewolf).

Well-written and well-read, this story has the real feel of a Dark Shadows tale.  Jamison is haunted by the death of his wife at Christmas, so while the town of Collinsport celebrates the holiday, Jamison and his two children remain in the brooding house, no lights, no decorations, no presents - no Christmas.  Until the butler quits, passing by the Old House to let the gypsy who lives there know he is leaving and asking her to help the children in the great house.  Ivanka begrudgingly heads up to the darkened house and forces her way in.  Jamison doesn't want her there, but gradually they form an uneasy alliance in an attempt to rid the house of its ghosts (including that of his late wife).  The only problem is, a villainous ghost is released and is intent on coming back to the world - a villain who previously appeared in the audio CD, "Dress Me in Dark Dreams."

And I loved it!

Selby and Hopley did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and actually making the listener care about them, despite their eccentricities.  When it is revealed what really happened to Jamison's wife, his actions suddenly begin to make sense.  And when the villain is revealed to be Redmond Van Buren, well, to be honest, I got rather excited!  The continuity among the audio CDs really gives them a continued feel of the original series, tying them together and bringing them to life all the more.  And what's even more fun is the fact that, as Ivanka and Jamison explore the house, listeners are treated to scenes from previous audio tales, only here, they are ghosts of times past in Collinwood's dark history.

This audio drama more than makes up for the less-than-stellar previous tale and revives my love of Dark Shadows even more.

RATING:  9 shattered mirrors out of 10 for utilizing the rich history of not just the television show, but the continuing story in the audio dramas as well.