Book #47: Mockingjay

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins.

Ending things is hard: ending TV shows is hard, ending movies is hard, ending novels is hard, and ending novel series is especially hard. But Suzanne Collins has managed to end her Hunger Games trilogy well, with a pretty good final novel.

My favorite part about this series is that the books were not carbon-copies of each other, and Mockingjay certainly stands out from the first two. While The Hunger Games is an action-adventure movie in a vaguely political setting, and Catching Fire is a political thriller with action-adventure elements, Mockingjay is flat-out a war movie. It is about strategy and tactics, and ends in the inevitable confrontation.

I appreciate this genre change, as the characters remain consistent from book to book to book. The changes that Katniss, Peeta, & Gael experience in this final novel are reasonable, given where they started, and how we've seen them mature and change over the first two novels. There is a moment at the end that was totally unexpected to me, but was true to Katniss' character. And I took that moment as a very interesting political commentary, one that young people would do well to learn.

And now that I have finished the book trilogy, I can move into watching the movies with a clear conscience.

Adapting Holmes: New Paradigm Comics

The first two issues of the new comic book series Watson & Holmes have recently been released by New Paradigm Publishing. Created by Branson Perlow and Paul Mendoza, the issues are written by Karl Bollers, with art by comics veteran Rick Leonardi and Mendoza.

This is another "modern take" on the character, with two distinctive features. First, the main character is Afghanistan War veteran Watson, now working at an inner-city clinic. Holmes is merely a supporting character. And second, the pair are African-Americans living in Harlem.

I have not read these issues, but Derek Coward of the Indie Comic Noise podcast has. In episode #327 of the show, he talked about the book. He was generally positive, about both the art and the story. I encourage anyone who is interested in the comic to check out that episode of the podcast, on his site or in iTunes.

As Derek pointed out, the strength of Doyle's creation lies in the fact that it can be presented in so many different forms and versions, many of them entertaining.

The comic is available in a wide range of digital formats, and. I am hoping that it will come out as a trade paperback at some time, at which point I would definitely be interested in reading it.

Podcasting Updates!

The little podcasting network that my daughter and I started up 6 weeks ago has found a little bit of success. We have put out nine episodes ouf our three separate shows:

The Quarter-Bin Podcast. This is my solo show, covering cheap comic books, that I paid no more than 25 cents four. I have released 4 episodes of this.

Uncovering The Bronze Age. This is my daughter's solo show, covering comics from waaay before she was born, the 1970s. The has released 2 episodes of this.

Shortbox Showcase. This is our joint show, where we talk general comic book comics. Our three episodes have covered comic book continuity, alternate universes, and the various "ages" in comic book history.

The episodes are available at the podcast website or via iTunes.

If you are interested in audio, and in comic books, check out the shows.

Adapting Holmes: Baskervilles Graphic Novel

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, retold by Martin Powell (writer) and Daniel Perez (artist).

I reviewed graphic novel versions of A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four earlier in the year, and I must point out that this adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles is not in the same series. There is a version of Baskervilles in that series, but I chose to look at a different version.

This one is targeted for a younger audience, and is nearer in tone to the "Wishbone" version of the story than the original neo-horror story that Doyle wrote. There are credits to a "librarian reviewer," a "reading consultant," and a "guided reading level," as well as a pronounciation guide. All of this leads me to believe that that this book is designed for school library use. And for what it is attempting to do, this much-abridged version of the story is mostly effective.

The key plot points are all here, including the mysterious bearded man telling his cabbie that his name was Sherlock Holmes. Watson dictates much of the action to Holmes via letters. The excaped convict and the disappearing shoes are present, as are the deceptive family connections. Although extremely shortened, Martin Powell manages to tell the basics of the story in a coherent manner. And Daniel Perez' artwork, although simplistic, is clear and adds to the strength of the storytelling.

There are a few odd moments in the introduction and the backmatter. The "cast of characters" page clearly refere to "Dr. Henry Watson," and although there is a Henry Baskerville in the story, Watson's first name is John. The "about the author" and "more about Sherlock Holmes" pages at the back of the book both refer to Doyle having written 56 Holmes stories. And although there were 56 short stories written by Doyle, he also wrote four Holmes novels -- one of which is The Hound of the Baskervilles.

For a book that is clearly positioning itself for the education market, these mistakes need to be pointed out.

Welcome Back, Mister Tony

One of my favorite podcasts is back, after its annual two-month summer hiatus. Since it is a daily show, I actually kind of like taking a few months off every year. It gives me a chance to catch up on my other shows, or audiobooks, or just have a nice family vacation or two.

Technically, the Tony Kornheiser Show is not a podcast -- it is a local radio show, based out of Washington, DC. There are many ways to listen to the show -- it is streamed live, it is released by the local radio station 24 hours after as a podcast, and a few "unofficial" ways to download the show sooner than the 24-hour delay. For sports and news talk, a day late can make a big difference.

Kornheiser mostly talks about sports, although pop culture, music, and politics all find their way into the show. His rotating panel of co-hosts include former Washington Post colleagues (David Aldridge) and political professionals (Torie Clarke).

I am glad that Mr. Tony's show is back.

New 52 Review: World's Finest, Volume 1

NEW 52 Review: World's Finest,  volume 1: The Lost Daughters of Earth 2, paperback collection of issues  0-5, by Paul Levitz, George Pérez, and Kevin Maguire.

I had heard that this title was among the stronger of the second-wave of titles in DC's New-52 initiative. After reading this volume, I concur.

On an alternate world (known in the comic book world as Earth-2), Apokolips won the war with the heroes. During  the battle, Robin (the daughter of Batman and Catwoman) and Supergirl (Superman's mysteriously younger cousin) are thrown to the "standard" DC version of Earth (Earth-1). They become Huntress and Power Girl, respectively. Power Girl's alter ego (Karen Starr) is a billionaire industrialist, using her role leading Starr Labs to bankroll their crime-fighting, and to research ways to discover a way for them to return home.

Earth-1 is eerily similar to the planet they had left, but with plenty of dangerous and new elements. This gives the story a nice "stranger in a strange land" feel, as well as containing dynamic fight scenes and nice character moments.

The current version of this story takes place five years after their arrival on Earth-1, while much of their backstory is filled in through flashbacks, as well as the entire issue #0.

The artists do some very funny things with Power Girl's uniform, playing with on the history of her infamous uniform in the prior DC continuity.

In terms of sales, this title usually lands right in the middle of DC's sales list. I hope that it levels out at that level, and never falls into the "risk of cancellation" zone.

Source: public library.

August Reading List

46. The Shambling Guide to New York City (pb), by Mur Lafferty
45. The Hound of the Baskervilles (ua), by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
44. Guild of the Cowry Catchers: Book 4 (ua), by Abigail Hilton
43. The Big Cat Nap (ua), by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
42. Free (ua), by Chris Anderson
41. Iron Man: Legacy of Doom (gn), by David Michelinie,
40. The She-Hulk Diaries (pb), by Marta Acosta
39. Elizabeth the First Wife (Nook), by Lian Dolan


Earlier in 2013:
38. The Maze (nook), by Jason Brannon
37. The President's Vampire (ua), by Christopher Farnsworth
36. The Pope Who Quit (pb), by Jon M Sweeney
35. Memoirs of Sherlock Homes (ua), by Arthur Conan Doyle
34. More or Less (ua), by Jeff Shinaberger
33. Blood & Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter (pb), by various
32. The Children of Hurin (ua), by J.R.R. Tolkien
31. Atlantyx, (pb), by Chase Dalton
30. Callahan's Secret (ua), by Spider Robinson
29. Take Four (ua), by Karen Kingsbury
28. Skull-Kickers, Treasure Trove volume 1, by Jim Zub and various artists
27. The Dalek Generation (pb), by Nicholas Briggs
26. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (ua), by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
25. The Areas of My Expertise (pb), by John Hodgman
24. The Skin Map (ua), by Stephen Lawhead
23. Catching Fire (ua), by Suzanne Collins
22. Quitter (ua) , by Jon Acuff.
21. The Bone Bed (ua), by Patricia Cornwell.
20. Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart (hc), by J.D. Greear
19. Left Behind: The Kids #28 (pb), by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye, & Chris Fabry
18. Left Behind: The Kids #27 (pb), by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye, & Chris Fabry
17. Left Behind: The Kids #26 (pb), by Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye, & Chris Fabry
16. Time Travelers Strictly Cash (aa), by Spider Robinson
15. The Devil's Company (ua), by David Liss
14. Deadly Straits (ua), by R.E. McDermott
13. Doctor Who: Paradise Towers (ua), by Stephen Wyatt
12. DC Universe Secret Origins (gn), by various writers and artists
11. The Gods of Mars (ua), by Edgar Rice Burroughs
10. Craving Grace (hc), by Lisa Velthouse
9. The Sign of Four (ua), by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
8. DC Dead (ua), by Stuart Woods
7. A Study in Scarlet (ua), by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
6. The Hunger Games (ua), by Suzanne Collins
5. Take Three (ua), by Karen Kingsbury
4. Mary Through The Centuries (hc), by Jaroslav Pelikan
3. Roil (ua), by Trent Jamieson
2. The Devil You Know (ua), by Mike Carey
1. Ender's Shadow Ultimate Collection (gn), by Mike Carey