Book Review, Graphic Novel: WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA

In WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA, a young woman named Danielle Wellys is caught by Batman after she has killed another man. Apparently Batman has been following her for some time and this is not her first victim. She’s eludes being captured by Batman and makes her way to the home of Wonder Woman (Diana Princess of Themyscira) whom she begs supplication. Diana agrees, not knowing of the deeds that Danielle has committed in the name of justice, but that were actually done with vengeance. Not long after, Batman arrives on the scene and Diana finds herself in a quandary. She has given her word to Danielle and sworn an oath, an oath that cannot be broken. On the other hand, Batman wants to bring Danielle to justice he intends to capture her, even if it means fighting with Diana, one of his oldest friends.

That is the plot, but the heart of the story is an examination of how Wonder Woman thinks. In addition it is a crucible of tempering between various opposing forces: Diana’s traditional beliefs versus her obedience to modern laws; the value of a promise versus the value of a dear friendship; the past versus the present; etc.

The story is virtually a Greek tragedy told in graphic novel form. The Furies are the Chorus and they appear throughout the story and occasionally interacting with it. Wonder Woman is the protagonist who finds herself in a difficult dilemma, brought about by a choice that she has made. Like all Greek tragedies, the entire tone and atmosphere makes it clear that this isn’t a story that’s going to have a happy ending.

There are a couple of negatives with WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA. First, is that the Diana portrayed in this story doesn’t fit with the standard norms of her character. Some of the basic scenery is there, but the woman behind the stage seems quite different from the Wonder Woman of tradition and comics past.

The second negative is that this is a far darker story than many Wonder Woman stories. Several people die and there’s quite a bit of blood. This fits in with the overall device of this story being a Greek tragedy. However, it’s another element that’s atypical of Wonder Woman tales and is likely to turn some fans away.

When I first read WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA, I didn’t like it. It was the Wonder Woman I was familiar with and it was far too violent for what I wanted to read. Recently, after having studied some Greek mythology and re-read some of the Greek tragedies, I re-read WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA and saw it in a completely different light. I actually enjoyed the story more the second time and had a far greater appreciation for it.

WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA is a good story. Wonder Woman fans will probably be evenly split between those who like it and those who hate it. Batman fans will be disappointed that his role is smaller than expected. Those who like comic books and Greek mythology, will probably enjoy the story. However, there are some who will be offended by the violence in the tale. It’s not the usual Wonder Woman fare, but it’s worth examining.

Book Review, Graphic Novel: THE RETURN OF THE SMURFETTE

Since her creation in Smurfs, the regular Smurfs have longed for the return of the Smurfette. THE RETURN OF THE SMURFETTE features her return to the Smurf Village and the chaos that ensues. The book features three longer Smurf stories, several one page stories, and one mid-length story.

The longer stories in this volume are:

“The Smurf Garden” – the Smurfs want to have a picnic. However, the picnic area is filled with bugs, the grass needs to be cut, and the swing and benches are broken. The Smurfs decide to come back the next day and clean the picnic area up. However, in the night Gargamel discovers the picnic area and sets a trap. The next day the Smurfs return, along with Smurfette and discover a garden that appears to be perfect. However, appearances are deceiving and it’s up to Dopey Smurf to save the day.

“The Handy Smurf” – Handy Smurf creates a drill and goes around making holes all around items in Smurf Village.

“Halloween” – the Smurflings play a Halloween prank on the Witch that gets Gargamel in trouble.

The mid-length story in the volume is “The Return of The Smurfette.” In this story, the Smurfs receive a letter from Smurfette informing them she will be returning to the village. They do everything they can to impress her and make her return special.

Some of the one-page stories are entitled “Romeos and Smurfette.” The other one-page stories are entitled “Smurferies.” The “Romeos and Smurfette” illustrate the different things different Smurfs do to win Smurfette’s heart. “Smurferies” features various day to day events in Smurf Village.

THE RETURN OF THE SMURFETTE is a welcome addition to the Smurf comics’ volumes. With Smurfette’s return things at Smurf Village become even more interesting than before.

Book Review, Graphic Novel: THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 4: THE HEART'S DESIRE

Taking place immediately after the events of the previous volume, SAFETY BEHIND BARS, WALKING DEAD, VOLUME 4: THE HEART’S DESIRE collects issues 19-24 of “The Walking Dead” comic books. The book opens with a prologue of sorts and features a hooded woman with katanas and a couple of chained jawless zombies behind her following the sound of gunshots. The shots come from Hershel’s son Otis, who remained on the farm to take care of the animals, but is now headed towards the prison for safety. He’s surrounded by zombies, but with the woman’s help, they are able to fend them off. The woman is Michonne and she will become a major character in the ongoing storyline.

Meanwhile, back at the prison, Dexter, one of the former prisoners, has given Rick and his crew an ultimatum: leave or be shot. However, Dexter’s companions aren’t as intelligent as he is and they didn’t close and lock the prison doors after getting weapons from the armory. That forces Rick’s group and the prisoners to join forces to fight back the swarming zombie hordes. In the confusion of the firefight, Rick shoots Dexter in the head. Tyreese sees this happen, but keeps silent. Shortly after, Otis and Michonne arrive at the prison and Michonne asks if she has earned a place with the group. Rick agrees, but only if she agrees to temporarily give up her katanas and kill the zombies on chains. The rest of the book deals with the drama that has been boiling up among the group for several issues back. This volume concludes with a hard-core fight between two core members, a changeup of the group’s leadership, and the declaration that the real walking dead are actually the living humans.

THE HEART’S DESIRE moves at a slightly different pace than the previous volumes in “The Walking Dead” series. There’s not as much action as in the other volumes and, like SAFETY BEHIND BARS, almost the entire story takes place at the prison. The overarching story arc is focused more on the interpersonal relationships of the characters and there’s a lot more soap opera-type drama that happens. The main thing that makes THE HEART’S DESIRE stand out is that it is the volume that introduces Michonne.

Overall, THE HEART’S DESIRE contains more drama and not as much action as the previous volumes in “The Walking Dead” series. However, despite the soap opera feel through much of the book, the introduction of Michonne and the fight between two of the characters makes the book a worthy entry into the series.

Best Books I Read in 2011

10.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us
by Robert Kirkman, et al.

I started reading some of "The Walking Dead" graphic novels after watching the first season of The Walking Dead on AMC in the Fall of 2010. I found the show so fascinating, that I had to see how close the story was to the comics. The first volume is fantastic, but the second volume in the TPB collections, Miles Behind Us is even better. The premise of "The Walking Dead" is centered around a zombie apocalypse. However, the books aren't about the zombies are fighting the zombies; they are about people and their relationships with each other and how those people react and what happens to those relationships in the most extreme circumstance.

9.

And Then There Were None (Also known as Ten Little Indians)
by Agatha Christie

In preparation for directing the play, I did a lot of research. Besides reading the play several times, the start of my research began by reading the novel he play is based upon. And Then There Were None is one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels. I really enjoyed the book, until the end. Christie has this annoying habit of making it impossible to figure out who the killer or villain is. Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be able to figure out most of the stories that Christie wrote because she doesn't provide enough evidence for one to figure out the case. This can make for entertaining reading and is probably closer to real-life than most mysteries. However, when you like solving puzzles, it can be really annoying, too. However, despite my annoyance, I loved the book.

8.

Mint Condition

by Dave Jamieson

I collected baseball cards from 1985-1990. Until I read Mint Condition, I didn't know that I collected during the boom of the hobby right before it busted because of over exposure. The book was a fascinating read that provides a history of the hobby as well as recognizing some key (mostly unknown) figures who made the hobby more than just a hobby. I also picked up on some trivia I didn't know before. For example, the first baseball cards were made not long after the Civil War.

7.

Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

I am partly a child of the 1980s. Ready Player One is a book that references all kinds of things from that decade: movies, books, songs, video games, and cultural fads. It's set in a dystopian future where most people in the world spend their time living in a virtual on-line world that is completely interactive. In this world, you can be and do anything. Most of the world's populace has become addicted to this fantasy world and do everything they can to stay engaged to it. The plot of the story revolves around a puzzle and an enormous treasure. The book is well-written and fairly easy to follow once you get pass and understand the exposition.

 

6.

The Dragon's Tooth

by N.D. Wilson

The Dragon's Tooth is the first in a series of books about a trio of siblings who are fighting to keep united while discovering their parents were actually members of a super secret society that is dedicated to preserving knowledge and keeping "light" (as in goodness) in the world. A lot of the story takes place in a town called Ashtown, thus the subtitle. As for the story, think Indiana Jones crossed with all those conspiracies about Illuminati and other groups trying to rule the world and then add a dose of the supernatural. I liked this book even better than the first two Harry Potter books.

5.

The Red Suit Diaries

by Ed Butchart

 A memoir from a man who spends his retirement playing Santa Claus during the year. His own story of how he became Santa is touching, but that story becomes even more significant as he regales the reader with tales about the people he has met and the lives he has touched (and those that have touched him) as Santa. Also, though this is a book about a man who plays Santa Claus, it's not just a Christmas-time book.

4.

Primetime Propaganda

by Ben Shapiro

There is a severe liberal-progressive bent in the media. Middle-America has known it for years. Those in positions of media power usually deny that. Primetime Propaganda is the book that displays (with loads of personal first-hand accounts from the power makers as well as all kinds of statistics) the truth.

3.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

by Donald Miller

I've been a fan of Donald Miller's writing since I read his first book, Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance back in 2000. The guy's a gifted writer and storyteller. I don't always agree with his conclusions, but when reading Miller, I usually find myself re-examining my own life and checking myself with what the Bible says. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is the latest book from Miller. It's been out for a couple years now, but it's still relevant. The premise of the book is that our lives are a story and as the central character in our story, it's up to us to live the best story possible. I just wish I could have the resources to do some of the things that Miller does in this book (it's just not feasible for everyone to be able to take off and travel to South America or spend three months riding their bike from one coast to another).

2.

The Reading Promise

by Alice Ozma

A librarian single-father wants to instill a love in reading in his youngest daughter. They make a deal that they will read together every night for 100 nights. After 100, why not 1,000? And so, they continue reading every night together for over 9 1/2 years until the daughter is all grown up and moves away to college. It's a fascinating book that's not just about books, good stories, and a solid education. At the heart, the book is about the relationship of the daughter to her father and The Reading Promise is a love letter to him.

1.

Words Made Fresh

by Larry Woiwode

Words Made Fresh is a series of collected essays that tackles everything from guns to John Updike to Christianity to Shakespeare. Some of the thoughts are reminiscent of things you might have heard or read once upon a time, but those things are now restored in a different setting. Other ideas are completely new. The writing is captivating and the words are full of power. Words Made Fresh is the best book I read in 2011 and I highly recommend it.

TV Shows and Moral Contexts

"When TV shows move us to sympathize with a hero who may be an outlaw or may take the law into his own hands, they're doing something dangerous. They may teach us sympathy; they may teach us not to judge people or their actions too quickly. But they may also teach us it's okay to believe what we feel like believing in one moment, only to change our minds and believe something else in the next. We need to be careful."
  
Charlie W. Starr, "Cop Shows and moral contexts", The Lookout, April, 22, 2012, p. 14.

Book Review, Graphic Novel: THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 3: SAFETY BEHIND BARS

At the end of MILES BEHIND US, Rick Grimes and his group of survivors come across a prison. Rick firmly believes that once it’s cleared, this place behind bars can be their new home. Featuring issues 13-18 of the “Walking Dead” comic book, the book begins where the last issue left off. Rick’s group is outside the prison, making plans on how to make the prison safe. They begin by clearing the outer fence of the prison. Once this is accomplished, the group moves inside and begins clearing and cleaning up. They discover the cafeteria has been barricaded by a police baton. Upon bursting in, they discover not a room full of zombies, but four men. The men, it turns out, aren’t guards, but former prisoners who have been trapped inside for over a month since the outbreak. There’s some tension at first, but the group forms an uneasy alliance as they work together to clear the prison and make a home. However, a horrendous crime destroys the fragile bound between the groups and Rick and his group discover that the biggest threat to their survival isn’t the walking dead, but other people.

The setting for each volume of “The Walking Dead” has largely been in a different location. DAYS GONE BYE mostly took place in and around Atlanta, particular the survivor camp that Shane established. MILES BEHIND US mostly took place at Hershel’s farm. SAFETY BEHIND BARS begins a long stretch for the series with the prison setting. One would think that with a semi-stable environment, things would slow down for the characters, but the opposite occurs. The real threat for human existence isn’t really the zombies, but other humans. This is the lesson that Rick and company learn in SAFETY BEHIND BARS and (from what I’ve heard about the rest of the series) the conflict with other humans becomes the focal point of the series from here on.

The character development of the characters introduced in the first two volumes of the series continues in SAFETY BEHIND BARS. Rick’s character begins to change as the massive amount of stress of being the group’s leader begins to fully bear down upon him. His temper rises quicker and he’s not as careful as he was in the first few issues of the series.

In one of my college literature classes, the question of absolutes would often be raised as students would often say there’s no such thing as absolutes. I had a professor who whenever someone would say this would say, “Who here believes that babies should be burnt with cigarettes?” No one ever agreed with that statement and no one ever tried to justify how and when it would be okay to burn babies with cigarettes. That is an example of an absolute. SAFETY BEHIND BARS illustrates this concept even better. Despite living in a world gone mad where the dead wish to eat the living, there are things that are absolute. SAFETY BEHIND BARS examines some of these absolutes and ascertains between some that are truly absolute and some that are not. Rick and company arrive seeking safety behind bars, but by the end of the volume fully realize that there just might not be such a thing. It’s a riveting chapter that, like the previous volumes, ends on a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Book Review, Graphic Novel: THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US

THE WALKING DEAD, VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US collects issues 7-12 of the “Walking Dead” comic book. The first part of the story (DAYS GONE BYE) introduced us to Rick Grimes, a small-town police officer who awakens from a coma to find the world he knew has been replaced by a world ruled by zombies. Rick set out to Atlanta to find his family and actually succeeded in being reunited with them. After having their camp attacked by a roving group of zombies, the group decides it would be best if they left and searched for a better, more stable place. That volume ended with the shocking murder of one of the lead characters by someone completely unexpected.

MILES BEHIND US picks up shortly after the events of DAYS GONE BYE. The group is burying one of their members and Dale informs Rick that everyone in the group wants him to be their new leader. Later the group is joined by three stragglers, Tyreese, Julie, and Chris. Together they try to find a place to weather through the winter. Lori reveals to everyone that she is pregnant. First they believe they’ve found safety in walled subdivision called Wilthshire Estates. The next day they discover the place is overrun by lurking zombies and are attacked. The group barely escapes, but not without suffering casualties. Another featured member is shot by a hunter in the forest which leads to Rick’s group meeting up with the family of Hershel Greene on his farm. At first, Hershel’s farm seems like a perfect location to start a new life and rebuild society. However, Hershel is quite convinced the world has changed so much and the old barn on his property contains a secret.

Tyreese and Hershel’s family are an interesting addition to the group of survivors. Both men have similar personalities to Rick, but both men have some very different views and beliefs about particular things. For example, Tyreese is more forceful than Rick, but suffers from the same temptation as the Biblical Samson; women cause him all kinds of trouble. As for Hershel, the way he reacts and handles is much different than the way Rick and Tyreese and the other survivors do, but it illustrates how not everyone has reacted to the zombie outbreak in the same way. Both Tyreese and Hershel become key members of the group and the events that unfold in this volume have ramifications that influenced the series for dozens of issues.

I really enjoyed DAYS GONE BYE, but I felt that MILES BEHIND US was an even better volume. There are a couple of brutal zombie attacks/outbursts, but this volume even more so than the first, really explores the characters and their relationships with each other. Rick is now established as the overall protagonist, so the story is able to focus more on other characters. Also, I really enjoyed the introduction of the new characters, Tyreese and Hershel. Kirkman could have had the group meeting a couple of groups of evil survivors, but instead from the outset had these three groups of “good” survivors meet each other. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when they meet a group of “evil” survivors.