I picked up this series after reading Vaughan's "The Escapists" and "The Runaways." He's quickly become one of my favorite author...moreI picked up this series after reading Vaughan's "The Escapists" and "The Runaways." He's quickly become one of my favorite authors. His stories are often straightforward at first and then hit you over the head with some twist or revelation. I felt as though this was better than the last deluxe edition. What made this particularly enjoyable was the last story arc. Vaughan and Harris both break the fourth wall and give readers a story that helps recover from any missteps earlier on. This is assuming that there are missteps and in fact, there are none. It was a bit strange to see Hundred meet with one very important religious leader, but it was also handled well. I'm really looking forward to the final volume, albeit a little sad it's going to be all over soon.(less)
Tommy Taylor is not just a fictional kid of magic. He's modeled after the author's real son...more“Stories are the only things worth dying for.”
Tommy Taylor is not just a fictional kid of magic. He's modeled after the author's real son Tommy Taylor. Up until recently Tommy has had to live in the shadow of his fictional clone. Things begin getting strange when a woman approaches Tommy at a convention and suggests that his entire childhood and past is made up.
I first heard of this series from an article found on Relevant (here) and, as an English teacher and proponent of great storytelling, my interest was piqued. After spending the summer reading up on one J.R.R. Tolkien and his thoughts on fairy tales (of which I highly recommend), I thought this was going to be a venerable goldmine of literary treasure.
I wasn't disappointed, but felt a little underwhelmed by the story. Did I build up my own anticipation for reading it? Perhaps, but it felt like the first arch was over almost as soon as it began. One shining moment was a companion piece in the back that follows Rudyard Kipling as he must deal with an Illuminati-type organization that will either make or break him. He gains popularity by writing pro-imperialistic propaganda and once he refuses to live under the Illuminati's might, his writing becomes still born. It isn't until his son dies that he's able to pick up the pen and begin crafting animal tales as a metaphor to his disenfranchisement. Along the way he has a few run ins with Mark Twain and not-so-directly with Oscar Wilde. I think you can now tell which part I enjoyed the most.
Great read and a good beginning to a promising tale. I do have the second volume and will read it as soon as I'm caught up with grading or just can't wait any longer--whichever comes first.(less)
I read this based on the first portion of the Essex County trilogy and an interview with Jeff Lemire. This was... interesting. I could see a lot of ...moreI read this based on the first portion of the Essex County trilogy and an interview with Jeff Lemire. This was... interesting. I could see a lot of Lemire's style (albeit changed a little) that carried over from Essex County. The story was intriguing enough for me to want to continue reading the next chapters. In the interview I heard, Lemire commented that this will be a finite series a la Y the Last Man. My wallet's thankful for that; however, I still don't see myself picking this up monthly. It was a great read for a trade and didn't take too long to get through.(less)
I loved the first Hellboy movie. I had a college friend who told me she had collected every Hellboy trade paperback. I began thinking, "Why don...moreI loved the first Hellboy movie. I had a college friend who told me she had collected every Hellboy trade paperback. I began thinking, "Why don't I have any of these?" So began my journey to collecting all of the stuff published by Mignola and crew that had the B.P.R.D. and Hellboy brand. I've collected all of the trades and anxiously await each new collection that gets published. This volume of B.P.R.D. was a great read compared to the confusing recent Morrison JLA book I read. The story involves the second part of the Scorched Earth Trilogy, which deals with the Bureau's ongoing war with the frogs. The story here is more ancillary to the main story involving the war on frogs, nevertheless it provides some important background surrounding Liz and Memnan Saa and why he kidnapped her (see previous B.P.R.D. stories). The art by Guy Davis is something that I wasn't too sure about when I began reading volume 1, but it is now hard to imagine anyone else doing the art for this book. John Arcudi and Davis create a great story that matches with all their previous ones while giving readers a couple of *gasp* moments. Great stuff!(less)
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