Zeroville

Vikar arrives in Hollywood in the late 1960s and is a devoted film buff. He is such a fan that he has tattooed his bald head with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. It's a strange sight and most people, even those working in film, mistake it for something else. Before long, Vikar, a strange childlike savant, finds himself working as a film editor. His odd approach to editing fits into the world of 1970s cinema, but people don't know if they love it or hate it. Through the course of the book he finds himself captured by Spanish rebels, living in a beachhouse in California, attending the Cannes film festival and being mistaken for one of the Manson family. It's an odd book, and the main character is even odder. There is punk rock and a missing movie that is hidden frame by frame in other films. There are the people who work in film, but don't know classic film. There is the transience of life and stardom.

Real and imaginary characters populate the book. The real films and characters are often not named, but hinted at. A hilarious early scene takes place during the filming of 'Love Story.' In a later scene, Vikar wins an award but is furious that they want to use his real name instead of the one he goes by. It's a pretty interesting sendup, but the ending is a bit strange and abrupt. I liked where it was going, but it felt a bit rushed. It was still very entertaining.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Umbral (Umbral, #1)

'Umbral' is a fantasy graphic novel that I found unexpectedly good. While the art is a bit looser than I like, there are still enough interesting characters and plot twists to keep it going.

Rascal is a young thief out to steal a precious gem. She is also friends with the prince. While she and the prince are having an adventure, an unspeakable evil visits the kingdom, putting Rascal on the run and finding allies in unexpected places. The Umbral are a strange, evil race that can possess anyone, so who do you trust? Every time she thinks she can take a breath, the Umbral are right at her heels, seeking the gem she stole. It turns out Rascal can't trust many people, but she finds a homeless guy who turns out to be more powerful than she thinks.

There are some pretty typical fantasy tropes in here, but it's a light enough read, and there are some interesting characters. I'm curious to know how the story will continue to unfold. Like I mentioned, the art is a bit loose. I found a couple characters a bit hard to distinguish. All in all, not a bad fantasy graphic novel.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Black Science, Vol. 1: How to Fall Forever

'Black Science, Vol. 1: How to Fall Forever' is a great read. Showing how pride and greed can lead to all kinds of problems. I really loved the book and can't imagine where it will go next, but the possibilities are worth thinking about.

Grant McKay has created a device called a Pillar. With the device, he can travel between dimensions. The only problem is, it gets triggered before it is ready, sending Grant, his kids, a group of scientists and a greedy company man careening off to who knows where. The book starts off in the middle of a chase and then catches the reader up. There are numerous flashbacks throughout the book to fill in gaps. Compounding things, the Pillar has decided not to work correctly, or perhaps was sabotaged, so when it activates, the team is not sure where they will end up. Things go from bad to worse like a slow motion car wreck. Alternate versions of people try to intervene to stop things and save the kids. You know it will end badly, but you can't stop reading.

The writing by Rick Remender is solid. The arrogance and danger had me wanting to yell at the character's stupidity in their choices. Art by Matteo Scalera is simply stunning. Gorgeous panels filled with strange alternate times. It all feels like the plot of a 1960s science fiction show like Lost in Space with a decidedly modern take. This is really good and I can't wait to see where it goes next.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this great SF graphic novel.

Mass Effect: Foundation Volume 2

'Mass Effect: Foundation Volume 2' is more graphic novel based on the best selling Bioware video game of the same name. Again, it's written by Mac Walters, who was lead writer on Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. I found this second volume to be more even and a bit easier to follow and I liked it more than the first.

This volume starts about where the prologue to Mass Effect 2 is. Matthew Shepard is presumed dead in the aftermath of the attack on the Normandy. Characters from the game are sent out to confirm it, and retrieve the body for better or worse. The character of Jacob is fleshed out more and he is shown to be compassionate to those considered to be collateral damage. Miranda just wants to get the job done at any price. There are a few different stories in the volume, but they just feel more fleshed out and complete this time.

The art gets spotty in places. There are some great full panels, but then the art degrades into almost pen sketches. It's a little inconsistent, so I found it disappointing. I wanted gorgeous art like we get in the game and it delivers for the most part. The writing, as I mentioned, is much tighter this time. Perhaps because the first volume was centered around the first game and Mac Walters wasn't the lead writer. Regardless, for fans of the game, it's nice to get more character story and this doesn't disappoint.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Grand Cru Heist

'Grand Cru Heist'is the second in the Winemaker Detective series and the first book I've read in the series. Originally written and published in France, it has been translated so that an English reading audience can enjoy it, and it's a pretty good book.

When wine critic Benjamin Cooker is carjacked and assaulted. He's lost his car, but more importantly his wine notebook has also been taken. He leaves Paris for Tours for a rest and to recover. While there he meets an interesting British man travelling with a striking Eastern European woman. When she ends up dead, he tries to help out, but the local police would rather not have his assistance. Who is the mysterious man he left and can he be responsible for this murder? Can it be linked to the mysterious theft of Angelus wine?

At first, I found Cooker to be fussy and a little annoying, but he grew on me. When he got back to Paris and had his assistant Virgile along with him, it got better. The mystery was interesting, but the wine culture is what made this book. It definitely falls into the "cozy" mystery genre, but it's a good addition. I'll be looking forward to reading more in this series.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Le French Book and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

Dark Shadows: Year One

'Dark Shadows: Year One' refers to the first year that Barnabas Collins was a vampire. It's not a bad story and the art is ok.

Pre-vampire Barnabas is engaged to be married. At the urging of his uncle he has a dalliance with a maid named Angelique. This sets in motion a curse on his family. First it will affect his uncle, then him and on it goes. It's a good, melodramatic story of a cursed family and the bad luck that befalls them. There are setups that have domino effects. It ultimately ends about where the tv series begins.

I remember the series and watched it occasionally. I didn't bother to see the dreadful looking movie. This seems more in line with the series and I found it to be a good, gothic story of tragedy.

I received a copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Super-Ego: Family Matters

'Super-Ego: Family Matters' features an interesting premise, a psychiatrist for superheroes. Unfortunately, the book dwells in parody rather than going in what I'd hoped would be a more thoughtful direction.

Superheroes are a bit screwed up. It takes someone with some issues to put on a suit and take justice in their own hands. When those heroes need help, they turn to Dr. Ego. He treats his patients by wearing a reflective hood over his face to reflect their faces back at him. His patients run the gamut of the familiar, but the story mainly concerns the all-too powerful son of a couple of major superheroes. This poor kid has daddy issues (and mommy issues), but he has the ability to destroy the galaxy. Then there is something strange going on with Dr. Ego's grandfather. There is some kind of secret he is keeping. Can Dr. Ego keep the kid from imploding and figure out what is going on with grandpa?

It parodies lots of existing comic book characters without naming them. This is fine, but eventually it pulls from the main story. Is the book supposed to be comedy or tragedy? Does it matter if the reader is trying to figure out who these other characters are supposed to be if they are insignificant to the ongoing story? It sounded like an interesting premise and maybe future issues will prove that out.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.