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Gun Machine
Gun Machine by Warren Ellis Published: 2013 I really did not like Crooked Little Vein, Warren Ellis’ first novel, but I love his comics, so I decided to give his second novel a try. I’m happy to say he improved enormously this time around. My main complaint with Crooked Little Vein was that it had virtually no plot. It was just a series of bizarre fetishes he found on the Internet, strung together with a silly secret government treasure hunt. This novel actually had distinct characters, a story, conflict – you know, all those things that novels need. Gun Machine is a hard-boiled detective novel set in New York City,…
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller Illustrated By: Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Published: 1986 Publisher: DC Comics This has been on my shelf for years. The Dark Knight Returns is hailed as a major turning point in comic writing, and is generally at the top of any must-read list, but for whatever reason I kept putting it off. I’m surprised to say that it largely lives up the the hype. Bruce Wayne is in his 50s now and hasn’t made an appearance as Batman in a decade. Crime has run rampant in Gotham City, and this miniseries chronicles his return to the mask. The story is quite…
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Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter
Richard Stark’s Parker #1: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke Format: Hardcover Graphic Novel Published: 2009 Publisher: IDW Publishing When I ordered The Hunter, I didn’t realise this was originally a noir crime novel from 1962, although in retrospect the title probably should have been a clue. That book also has three film adaptations, including Payback starring a pre-meltdown Mel Gibson. All I knew was that this was on a lot of random people’s best of the year lists for 2009, so I figured I’d check it out. The main character is Parker, a criminal in 1960’s New York City, who was betrayed and left for dead by his partner and…