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Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit
Parker: The Outfit by Darwyn Cooke Format: Original Graphic Novel Published: 2010 Publisher: IDW Publishing This is the second Donald E. Westlake novel that Darwyn Cooke has adapted. The previous book was great, and this one is just as fun. Both follow Parker, who is essentially James Bond as a ruthless criminal. What could be better than that? Very little. In The Hunter, Parker was left for dead after being betrayed and spent the book hunting down those responsible. Since then, he’s recieved a new face through surgery and has been anonymously enjoying the rich life. Unfortunately, someone blows his cover and squeals to the Outfit, a mob-like organization he…
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The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out
The Walking Dead (Volume 14): No Way Out by Robert Kirkman Illustrator: Charlie Adlard Format: Trade Paperback Comic Published: 2011 Publisher: Image Comics This blog hasn’t been abandoned! I fell quite ill a month ago, even got to spend a couple of weeks in hopsital, and I wasn’t really reading or writing much during that period. I’m back home and settled now, and I’m feeling much better, so I’ll be catching up on the few books and comics I actually got through. Before I was sick, I read the latest installment of The Walking Dead. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this comic. The dialogue’s always been…
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Lost At Sea
Lost At Sea by Bryan Lee O’Malley Format: Original Graphic Novel Originally Published: 2003 Publisher: Oni Press Before Scott Pilgrim, Bryan Lee O’Malley wrote a stand-alone graphic novel about a girl who believes her soul’s been taken by a cat. It’s a coming-of-age story for Raleigh, a recent Vancouver high-school graduate on a road trip in California with three school peers she barely knows. As far as coming-of-age stories are concerned, I tend to love the Spielberg-esque child to teen variation and despise the overly-angsty teen/twenty-something to adult variation. This definitely leans towards the latter, and there’s no denying that it has its fair share of angst, but it is…
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Wolverine
Wolverine By Claremont & Miller by Chris Claremont Illustrated By: Frank Miller, Paul Smith Format: Trade Paperback Comic Collects: Wolverine #1-4, Uncanny X-Men #172-173 Originally Published: 1982/1983 Publisher: Marvel As a short, angry, hairy Canadian, I’ve always felt a special kinship with Wolverine. If there was ever a superhero I could relate to, it’s him. And if it wasn’t him, it might have to be Puck, and that would just be sad. I’m the best there is in what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice. Wolverine had been part of the X-Men for six or seven years at this point, but this was the first solo…
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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…
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Pax Romana
Pax Romana by Jonathan Hickman Format: Trade Paperback Comic Published: 2008 Publisher: Image Comics I’ve been hearing about Jonathon Hickman since I started getting back into comics. He’s was touted as a wonder child in the indie comic scene and has now been brought into Marvel. This is the first comic of his I’ve read, and I’m looking forward to picking through the rest. Pax Romana begins 40 years in the future, when the Catholic church has lost most of its followers. The Vatican has finally embraced technology and have managed to unlock the secrets behind travelling back in time. They decide, in typical churchy fashion, that they know enough…