false 663836 1582407665 9781582407661 145 28 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176905940m/663836.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/663836.The_Nightly_News 356424 Jonathan Hickman 218 39 3 0 false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 16 12:09:50 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 16 12:59:30 -0800 2009
This book looks amazing. Stylistically, it's like nothing I've seen before. Every page is a feast for the eyes. The story is also just the sort of thing I like, blending Fight Club-subtle political discourse with a wicked sense of humor and wish-fulfillment violence against "the man."

The trouble is, it left me feeling pretty empty. The characters don't have much depth and are often difficult to tell apart. The intricate design work, while fascinating to look at, doesn't always make for the clearest reading. There isn't enough of a plot to hang the message on, and what there is doesn't reach any satisfactory conclusions. Maybe if I was still more of an Angry Young Man I could overlook the storytelling flaws in favor of the fight-the-power sentiment. But telling me that a handful of giant corporations own the media is only a first step. You then have to do something interesting with that information beyond just putting bullets into members of said media.

The potential here is obvious, and I look forward to seeing more from Hickman. This one, while entertaining, just didn't hit all the necessary notes with me.]]>