James Review -- Gotham: City of Monsters

This week I decided to review Gotham: City of Monsters by Jason Starr. 

First, a short recap of where things stand in the beginning. Hugo Strange was working on creating a number of superhuman monsters, and many of them managed to escape when Strange’s nuclear last resort was disarmed, and the city has put dead-or-alive bounties on the heads of the escaped monsters. James Gorden killed the murdering mayor of Gotham but has been released from prison and become an anti-monster bounty hunter. Also, Alferd Pennyworth has taken Bruce Wayne to Switzerland because of the monsters running loose in Gotham City.

The story begins with a bank robbery, with Selina Kyle as part of the robber team, that turns bloody with the two monsters on the team lose control and an off-duty cop tries to intervene. James Gorden starts hunting a monster named Nip but soon discovers Nip has a lover named Tuck. He narrowly manages to defeat the couple. Eventually, the story reveals that bank manager Clarissa Morgan was forced to help in the robbery to save her life, and that of her boyfriend Eddy who owes fifty thousand dollars to loan sharks. Morgan meets Gorden, who begins to develop feelings for her, but she soon finds herself on the run when the mastermind controlling the monsters from the robbery unleashes them on their human accomplices, killing Eddy. And soon, Gorden finds himself in a desperate battle as an enemy believed to be dead returns and takes Morgan hostage…

There is also a subplot showing part of Pennyworth and Wayne’s trip to Switzerland. Pennyworth wants to keep his young charge there for safety, but the two soon find themselves fighting for their live when a man with a grudge against Pennyworth from before Pennyworth began working for the Wayne family finds them…

I give this book 8 out of 10. I liked the characterizations a lot but I feel there were places that could left have room for interesting stories in future novels if the author hadn’t ended these threads, and I don’t feel all of these threads ending benefitted the story. Also, the Switzerland plot was far too short for my taste. If it had been longer I think I would have enjoyed it much more, but as it is, the subplot just feels like padding. In my opinion, it had little or no connection to the Gotham City plot, and I don’t think we really needed to see what Pennyworth and Wayne were up to and that their activities could have been left to the mention of them having departed that was in the main story with no harm.

Movie Review -- Wonder Woman

Today we have what is hopefully the vanguard of a new generation of female comic book movies. It is Wonder Woman. Is it worth your time? Let's find out.

The story begins in present day Paris before transitioning into a flashback to Diana Prince's (Gal Gadot) younger days, first as a child in Themyscrira, the island of Amazons, and then as a young adult. One day, an American pilot named Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes his plane in the waters outside Themyscrira. Diana rescues him, but there's no time to celebrate because almost immediately the island is invaded by homicidal Germans. Steve helps the Amazons fight them off, but at great cost. He then explains about all the killing going on in the first World War as a result of chemical weapons being developed by crazed German Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya) and her superior Ludendorff (Danny Huston). Diana, convinced this is the work of Ares, the god of war, disobeys her mother and goes with Steve to London to vanquish the evil god. 

This won't be easy, especially since they don't know where Ares is or what he even looks like. Furthermore, in order to find him, Diana and her ragtag band of allies must brave the battlefields of Europe to root out the source of all evil. Along the way, she must face the ultimate question: Will killing Ares really end the madness, or are humans themselves irredeemable?

After the universal panning Batman VS Superman received, superhero movies need a savior. Well, I'm happy to report that savior is Wonder Woman. It's a thoroughly enjoyable romp oozing girl power from every pore. After male-led comic book flick after male-led comic book flick, Wonder Woman is a breath of fresh air. Director Patty Jenkins has crafted a film ladies everywhere can be proud of, one that appeals to both sexes. I'm really hoping this paves the way for more heroines to hit the silver screen. There's a long list of gals I'd love to see in leading roles (can we finally get a proper Catwoman movie, please?)

Bottom line: Go strike a blow for women's rights and see Wonder Woman.

Book Review -- Heroine Complex

Today we have a recent release from Sarah Kuhn. It's the girl power superhero(ine) novel Heroine Complex.

The story takes place in modern day San Francisco. 26-year-old Evie Tanaka grew up with her best friend Annie Chang. But after an attempted demonic invasion of the city one day led to people getting superpowers, Annie found her true calling: superhero. Adapting the pseudonym Aveda Jupiter, she trained rigorously, honing her body into a deadly weapon. Ever since then, she's been fighting demons with the help of her loyal assistant Evie (and looking great while doing it!).

As the story opens, Evie is helping Aveda fight off a battalion of demon cupcakes at a local bakery. During the battle, Aveda injures her ankle, forcing her to take an extended leave of absence. Being the good friend that she is, she strong-arms Evie into taking her place with a magical illusion that will make everyone see her as Aveda while the latter recuperates. Despite wanting no part of this, Evie goes along with it and, despite some hiccups, manages to do a decent job of impersonating her friend. But it isn't long before Evie reveals her own superpower: fire. She can generate fireballs and incinerate enemies. While this seems cool to everyone watching her, she is actually terrified of the power and desperately wants to get rid of it. Fortunately for her, Aveda is all too happy to take it off her hands using a potentially dangerous spell.

However, Evie comes to realize she has bigger problems than fire. A new breed of smarter, more evolved demons has begun invading San Francisco. And this time they seem to have a plan in place for conquering Earth. And if that wasn't bad enough, Evie must deal with more human problems such as her growing feelings for brooding scientist Nate, as well as Aveda's increasing demands and her responsibility as a big sister. Can Evie find the courage to face supernatural enemies? Will she embrace her power? And will she ever learn to stand up for herself?

Heroine Complex is a delightful adult (and I do mean adult) read. Sarah Kuhn has packed this story with a strong ensemble of colorful female characters. You'll meet every from super heroines to bitchy bloggers to tough lesbians and even a demon princess. If you like empowering female role models, this is the book for you. 

This book is also quite imaginative. I mean, where else are you going to find demon cupcakes? Kuhn has gone out of her way to create a colorful San Francisco that comes alive with refreshing characters and locations that are their own characters.

On another note, I'm glad to see an adult urban fantasy story. Not everything has to be family-friendly like Harry Potter. Evie alone drops enough F-bombs to level a small village, and I enjoyed every vulgar exclamation that came out of her head.

Bottom line: this is easily a five-star book.

https://www.amazon.com/Heroine-Complex-Sarah-Kuhn-ebook/dp/B016JPTP5U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470776422&sr=1-1&keywords=heroine+complex

Movie Review -- Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice

Today we have Zack Snyder's follow-up to 2013's Man of Steel. This time, multiple superheroes join the party for an epic beat-down. Should you go see it? Let's find out.

 

The story picks up nearly two years after Man of Steel. Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) was in Metropolis when Superman (Henry Cavill) duked it out with General Zod (Michael Shannon), and witnessed the carnage firsthand. People Bruce cared about were killed in the battle, giving him a great mistrust of Superman.

 

Early on, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) gets into some hot water in the Middle East and has to be saved by Superman. However, a betrayal makes him look like a villain, and the public begins to turn against him. Charismatic (or demented) billionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) takes advantage of this when he gets his hands on some Kryptonite and proposes weaponizing it (just in case).

 

But Bruce Wayne gets wind of this plan and decides to jack the Kryptonite for himself. He also views Superman as threat to mankind and becomes determined to get rid of him personally; this is a different Dark Knight than we're used to. Unfortunately for them, Lex has access to much more than Kryptonite, and proceeds to create a biological weapon to dispose of Superman in case Batman fails. And when mysterious Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) gets involved, you have a recipe for excitement. Let the battle commence!

 

Zack Snyder. Christopher Nolan. Hans Zimmer. David S. Goyer. When these four guys get together, awesomeness ensues, and Batman vs Superman is no exception. You have the fantastic directing of Snyder, Nolan's Batman experience, Zimmer's unparalleled musical score, and another solid script by Goyer which will make you question what it means to be a hero. Not to mention the stunning visuals. Simply put, this is everything you want in a superhero movie. It's at least as good as Snyder's previous effort if not better. Some people may be turned off by the suddenly homicidal Batman, but I appreciate this different aspect of his character. If you enjoyed Man of Steel, you're going to love Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.

 

But if you didn't like that one, this may not change your mind. And at two and a half hours, you may find your patience tested. I myself prefer to watch movies of this length at home where I can pause it and come back to it later. Also, there is one very confusing sequence which had me questioning my sanity and one I hope gets explained in the forthcoming Justice League movie.

 

Nevertheless, this is a stellar effort and I look forward to future entries in these various franchises.

 

"You don't owe this world anything."

Early Impressions -- DC's Legends of Tomorrow

This past week saw the premier of the CW's comic book crossover series Legends of Tomorrow. I thought I'd tell you what I think about this show so far.

 

The story centers around evil immortal tyrant Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) who was believed to have been permanently destroyed in recent episodes of Arrow and The Flash. However, it turns out that's not the case, as he has now used his ancient Egyptian powers to resurrect himself. And in the 22nd-century, he has amassed enough military might to conquer the world.

 

Desperate to stop him is Time Master Rip Hunter (Doctor Who's Arthur Darvill). Rip goes back in time to recruit six heroes (and two villains) from the DC universe to embark on a mission to stop Savage once and for all. But this is a ragtag group who don't necessarily get along. Can they get their act together to save the world? And just what secrets is Rip Hunter hiding that could jeopardize this mission?

 

I watched the premier this past Thursday and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has fantastic CG effects and the cast has great chemistry together. I really like seeing all the characters they've managed to include, and I feel they work well together. It's great that the CW has put so much into developing this universe. This dedication is already paying off in spades. If you've avoided delving into this universe until now, the time has definitely come.

 

Here's to a great run of superhero awesomeness on Legends of Tomorrow.