Midprice-editie van deze prachtige liefdesverklaring aan de literatuur.
Walter Moers ontvoert de lezer naar het betoverde rijk van de literatuur, waar lezen een avontuur is, waar boeken hun lezers niet alleen op een spannende manier vermaken en aan het lachen brengen, maar ook tot waanzin drijven of zelfs ombrengen.
De stad van de dromende boeken is een avonturenroman met de vaart van een thriller, een horrorverhaal vol romantisch uitvergrote creaturen en een bijzonder leuke parodie op de wereldliteratuur. Tenminste, als je om grappen over Goethe en Shakespeare kunt lachen. Of net niet.
Rumo lijkt nog het meest op een hondje met hoorntjes. Zolang hij als jonkie op de boerenhoeve van de Verrenzandse dwergen verblijft, wordt hij door iedereen vertroeteld. Maar de cyclopen doen een inval en voeren alle bewoners in een zak af naar een grot in de Duivelsrotsen. Daar groeit Rumo op en leert hij praten, waarna hij samen met de haaimade Smeik hun ontsnapping beraamt. Vervolgens voert de zilveren draad die hij met zijn innerlijke oog waarneemt hem naar de stad Wolperting, waar hij naar school gaat, vrienden maakt en de mooie Wolpertingse Rala leert kennen. Bij wijze van liefdesgeschenk wil hij een kistje voor haar vervaardigen van hout uit het beruchte Nurnenwoud, maar terwijl Rumo het bos in trekt, worden al zijn Wolpertingse vrienden tot slaaf gemaakt van Gaunab, de krankzinnige dwergkoning. Rumo en de zijnen moeten alles op alles zetten om Gaunab te verslaan, een strijd die tot een hoogtepunt komt in het Theater van de Schone Doden, en die maar één winnaar kent
Rumo & de wonderen in het donker is een fantastische ontwikkelingsroman, een heldenepos en een liefdesgeschiedenis, geschreven in een onderkoelde stijl en met fi jnzinnige humor.
The Improving X-men: Is there hope for mutant kind?
Comic comments on Sodacomics Blog By "The Ace of Knaves".
The Improving X-men:
Is there hope for mutant kind?
By "The Ace of Knaves"
Yes folks, it's time for a situation update. Is "Uncanny X-men" still
crap? Yup, but the franchise is showing more improvement. X-men legacy
is becoming intriguing (Mr. Sinister and a boy Xavier cannot be anything
but intriguing). And "Get Mystique" was a smashing Wolverine storyline
(NOOO! Don't take Jason Aaron away!!!!). Also hopeful was the inspired
"free comic book day" X-men issue by Carey and Land. You
could argue that it was a rip-off of classic issue #143 (1980), but it
had the same feeling of Claremont's X-men and that has been missing
for a LOOOOONG time. Keep it up lads! Even the much lamented (by me
at least) "Wolverine: Origins" has finally made some sense after 25 issues.
Congratulations. What a convoluted development! (Though I can't say I'm
enthusiastic about Way tackling Deadpool in the upcoming series ).
Still the pick of the mutant litter has to be X-force, now featuring
the return of Archangel. That's right: ARCH-angel. And Kyle and Yost actually
manage to use this re-metamorphosis in a scientifically sound way to tie
up some loose ends of the implausible return of Angels original wings
and his "healing blood", by creatively tying everything to the "blood
of Apocalypse" storyline (seems obvious now really). It's not retconning,
it's actually using continuity to clear up a past mess, and that's probably
a first for Marvel. Kyle and Yost: 10 points!
Yeah, eindelijk nog eens een leuke Terminator gezien. Toen de eerste film uitkwam in 1984 was ik nog net geen 10 jaar. Pas enkele jaren later op tv gezien. Ik stam nog uit de tijd dat er nog niet in elk gezin de Video-speler standaard deel uitmaakte van een huishouden. Den 2 was ook zekers ok, maar den 3 ben / heb ik nog niet gezien. Wou eerlijk gezegd geen bejaarde Schwarzenegger zien. Zoveel lovende kritiek heb ik toen ook niet gehoord.
En dan komen ze met een tv-serie. Waarom me dat wel prikkelde ...?? Heeft het iets te maken met de staking in Hollywood of gebrek aan iets anders. Ben blij dat ik het in ieder geval wel heb gedaan.
Momenteel houden ze een summer-break en volgt episode 10 ergens in september. Misschien dat ik den 3 toch eens een kans geef.
Trust No One Certainly no machine but maybe you can trust ...
Every once in a while you find yourself reading a comic book that really
blows your socks off. Recently, countdown 6-5 had this effect on me (even
though what followed was nothing but I disappointment). I hadn't figured
on getting an even bigger thrill out of a back-issue of Batman 520
(Jul. 95), Written by Doug Moench and drawn by Eduardo Barreto.
Just to situate the issue in Batman chronology: Bruce had just returned
to being Batman after Dick Grayson had replaced him for a short while
following Knightsend, but Gotham hadn't been hit with the plague yet.
Regular artist on the series was Kelley Jones and to be honest
I wasn't very impressed with his art. Letter columns from the time emphasise
that it was but a small portion of the fans who would agree with me in
this, but that aside, I still find fault with it. His "costumes" were
perfect, and his mega-long eared Batman is an inspired rendition of the
most gothic and dark batman, just falling short of parody, so no complaints
there, but his "uncostumed" characters look ridiculous. Fortunately he
has evolved since then, because his current art on "Batman: Gotham
after midnight" still has the great gothic feel, but at least now
he's also able to produce a recognisable Alfred (Instead of the bald moustachioed
Walter Matthau that he used to draw instead)
So I guess that the switch for issue 520 to Barreto was part of the charm
as this issue focuses heavily on supporting cast officer Harvey Bullock,
and I cannot imagine Kelley Jones at the time rendering it so beautifully.
And the art really is beautiful, not just in the drawing, but also in
the page lay-out. Moench and Barreto manage to get the pace of the story
and of the panels just right, so that when the unexpected and shocking
climax comes, it just blows you away. I don't think I've ever seen the
murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne illustrated in such a gripping way as
the similar murder in this issue, which gets blended into the story in
a perfect reminder of why Gotham need the Batman. If you can find it as
a back-issue, buy it, because it really is the medium at its best,
combing all elements of story and art to maximum effect.
Classic stuff!
Which reminds me, looking at the date of this issue, it was also around
this period that printing switched from classic "newspaper paper" to the
glossy kind. I really miss the old paper. Sure, the colours are much fresher
with the modern printing, but old back-issues still have that real comics
smell and feel. Especially the smells, which to me bring back all the
excitement of the comics stand in the newspaper story (by the way: Are
the Dutch translated versions still being printed on this paper? Because
they used to be even when the American ones had switched to glossy).
Marvel's still got it!
(But they don't advertise it so much )
By "The Ace of Knaves"
It's a very weird thing: Marvel Comics still publish great comics, but
for the past few years their promotional activities have tended to focus
on the not quite so good stuff. While marvel was hyping the in my view
disappointing and uninspired "Civil War" and "World War Hulk" they were
doing absolutely great stuff on the other end of the galaxy. Literally
on the other end of the galaxy, because Annihilation and Annihilation
Conquest did an absolutely smashing job of creating a viable storyline
for Marvel's Cosmic Cast.
These guys were often featured as overkill baddies or guest stars, but
they really work best when they're all thrown together. Who cares if you're
cosmically powered if the other characters in the series also are? This
nicely balances out the characters and prevents them being just "all powerfull"
but allows the story to be more about the Person than about the Power.
Other really good stuff produced by Marvel includes Ghost Rider, the Twelve
and "Avengers: Initiative". Hardly the most famous characters in the Marvel
universe. And it's still continuing; you can go for the "Infiltration"
deal, but I would tip you to ignore some of the infiltration spin-offs
and pick up a "Nova" or "Guardians of the galaxy" instead. They feature
some really great work by Dan Abnett (who writes awesome SciFi novels
too!). In my opinion "Guardians of the galaxy #1" is a serious contender
for best comic of the year. Really! Check it out!
However the pick of the litter has to be "Invincible Iron Man #1". After
having tried for a few years to damage Tony Stark (Civil War was a PR
nightmare!) and make Iron Man a tarnished hero they've finally turned
around. Using the momentum of the equally excellent movie, they finally
present Iron Man in a way that we haven't seen since the early eighties.
There's hints of "demon in a bottle" "armor wars" and all the great Iron
man tales from in between. And it features probably the best quote of
the year: " cotton and spandex.
Three for $9.99. Got 'em at target. 'L-A-M-B-O-R-G-H-I-N-I.' " (You'll
have to read it to get it).
Sterling stuff! This series looks like it's going to have everything that's
been missing from the "director of shield", so as a long time Iron Man
fan, I can only say that I think I'm in love!
Het is eindelijk zover, mijn eerste bescheiden mini-EXPO
loopt van 24 mei tot 21 juni te Mechelen.
Wat is er te zien?
Pentekenigen, schilderijen en originele strippagina's.
Waar precies?
Stripwinkel de Stripkever, Bruul 79, Mechelen (kleinwinkelcentrum). Boven de
stripwinkel is er een ruimte beschikbaar voorjong strip en ander
talent.
Wie heeft daar nog geexposeerd? Brecht Evens en Randall C., Simon
Spryut en meer van dat geweldig volk.
Iedereen is welkom op de vernisage,
23 mei en die start om 20.00u. EXCLUSIEFAANBOD: De nieuwste strip van mezelf
is te koop op de vernisage en je krijgt er een gratis poster bij. Ook de
receptiedrank wordt gratis aangeboden. Gratis alkohol en mooie tekeningen, een
combinatie die niet te missen is.
"Faces" and "Going sane": two great
Legends of the Dark Knight coming in TPB.
By "The Ace of Knaves"
I was quite happy to see the announcement of "Faces" and "Going sane"
in TPB, as these are two excellent story arcs from "Legends of the Dark
Knight" which I just recently read as back-issue comics. "Faces" (by Matt
Wagner) was published originally is issues 28-30 (march to may 1992) and
contains a solid Two-face story. I can't really find myself in the "army
of deformed super-powerful slaves" blurb used in the promotion of the
TPB, as the to me the story seems to be more about the balance between
interior beauty and exterior deformity (and vice versa) rather than about
any "super-powers". Not every deformed body has a deformed soul and not
every beautiful body has the soul to match. Quite ironic that Two-face
has to learn this lesson in this arc. The art by Willie Schubert is absolutely
spot-on for this theme. If you liked Tod Browning's movie "Freaks", you're
going to love "Faces". I know I did.
"Going Sane" (by De Matteis) appeared in LOTDK65-68 (nov 1994-feb 1995)
and features a quite tragic story about how Batman and the Joker are doomed
to each other. I don't want to give away too much, but I do want to say
that it contains some heart-breaking scenes when the Joker's fragile recovering
sanity is once again broken. In fact at this point in the story the roles
seem to reverse: whereas normally you'd be angry at the Joker for disturbing
Batman's peace, here Batman seems to come close near the villainous part
as he (probably involuntary) draws the Joker back into their eternal dance
of death and insanity.
I can only hope that this heralds the appearance of more LOTDK TPB's,
as there are some other marvellous story arcs from this period really
deserving the treatment, such as "Prey" (LOTDK 11-15) featuring the always
wonderfully unstable Hugo Strange.
We're
on "well deserved" holiday from 05-05 untill 13-05. The
shop stays open for orders, but they will be shipped starting from
16-05. There could be delay on posting the preorders for May, so
please forgive me ; )
Please
Note:
Deadline
for this month's previews is closing on monday 22u.
Count-down, Let-down The oldest trick in the book ...
Will the REAL Wolverine please stand up?
Count-down, Let-down The oldest trick
in the book (and how I fell for it)
By "The Ace of Knaves"
Damn! As it turns out DC WAS kidding when they called their big event
"final crisis". After my lavish praise for their bold plot and excellent
storytelling for countdown issues #06-05, they followed up with a Disappointing
Cheat in issues #04-03.
Once again it's the "biggest announced event of the
year" where actually nothing much really happens.
Sorry folks! Wrong universe! It was the oldest trick in the book and I
fell for it. Turns out it was "universe 51" that was totally destroyed
and not the mainstream one. I should have been suspicious by the lack
of continuity with the ongoing series and by the sudden absence of the
twin globes in the top left panels which usually announce which dimension
stuff is happening in. I don't now if I'm angrier with myself for falling
for this or with such excellent writers as Dini and Giffen for choosing
they easy way out. I guess I was spoilt by the absence of parallel universes
in DC recently, so I forgot that "it only happened in a dream/other universe"
was the easiest way to chicken out. Still it wouldn't have been so bad
if issues 04-03 were up to par with the excellent writing of 06-05. But
all the emotional stuff was absent in overstuffed action issues. Only
Holly and Ray seemed to care that the "heroes" just screwed up and let
a world die. The others didn't give a rats arse. "Hey, it was just some
other dimension right? Not like those people there matter!" I would expect
this behaviour from Jason Todd (can someone please bring out the crowbar
again!) but not from Kyle or Donna. They should have been devastated.
The rest of these issues was also un-involving as now it was my turn not
to give a rats arse about Mary Marvel or Jimmy Olsen. I liked Piper and
Trickster. They were B- level villains but they really shined. Mary Marvel
as "bad girl" just doesn't work. I felt sorry for Jean Loring when she
was eclipsed, but I couldn't care less about "the corruption of Mary Marvel".
Bring back Black Adam! And as for Olsen taking centre stage: What a revoltin' development! 'Nuff said!