Reviews of graphic novels and comic book collections every Tuesday and Thursday.


Please Note: All Amazon prices are current the day of the review. Prices may change without notice.

 
Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins
I just finished reading Road to Perdition (2002, Pocket Books, $11.20 from Amazon) by Max Allan Collins, the graphic novel that the movie is based on. It was a decent read. Nothing too deep and a lot bloodier than I expected, but still entertaining. The art work leaves a bit to be desired. Between the black and white drawings and the digest-sized format, at times I had a hard time distinguishing the characters and what exactly was happening. I do think that it will be a good movie though and I am looking forward to seeing it.

Road to Perdition 3 stars (out of 5)
Originally reviewed August 7, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 10:15 PM

 
Swamp Thing: The Curse and A Murder of Crows by Alan Moore
Written in the mid-80's, Swamp Thing: The Curse (2001, DC Comics, $13.97 from Amazon) and Swamp Thing: A Murder of Crows (2001, DC Comics, $13.97 from Amazon) are quite different from the comics that were published during that time. DC and Marvel were really the only games in town and they mostly published superhero comics. Swamp Thing, while sometimes falling back on superhero conventions, is more in the horror genre than anything else. These two collections, published by DC's Vertigo imprint, advance the Swamp Thing mythos by having the title character discover more about his nature through the guidance of John Constantine, a mysterious character introduced by Moore.

The art can seem crude in many of the chapters, but as always, Moore's writing is filled with layers. While this comic has always been concerned with nature, Moore's take on nuclear power is original and not overplayed. Some other weighty issues are handled well also. The horror aspects range from ghost and vampires to the end of the world by a Lovecraftian-type entity. Not bad for a comic book about a walking plant.

Swamp Thing: The Curse and A Murder of Crows 4 stars each (out of 5)
Originally reviewed April 8, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 11:18 AM

 
Cages by Dave McKean
Most reviews of Dave McKean's Cages (2002, NBM Publishing, $35.00 from Amazon) include the word ambitious, probably because this hefty graphic novel comes in at just under 500 pages. The ambitious comment could just as easily come from the themes that McKean tackles as he writes and draws the lives of Londoners living in the same apartment building.

McKean is primarily known for his work as the cover illustrator on Neil Gaiman's Sandman. His work on that series, familiar, yet somewhat disturbing, is a conglomeration of styles. At times created from common everyday objects, to paintings and sketches, the covers added to the sense of mystery in Gaiman's work on storytelling. In Cages, McKean primarily uses a black and white ink sketches with a muted gray/blue background for most of the story narration. It is when he leaves that style to tell stories-with-stories, illustrate allegories, that the novel becomes interesting. He uses photography, abstract art forms, colors, and other art techniques to make points.

The nominal plot of the story is of a painter who has moved to a new place in order to overcome a block in his creativity. Once in his new apartment, he encounters a famous, reclusive writer, a jazz musician/poet, a botanist who becomes his lover, and a handful of eccentric characters and one black cat who is more than he seems. As McKean follows these characters around, he meditates on creativity, art, love, religion, and identity while not being afraid to expand the stories past these characters into allegories and some metaphysical tales. At times serious and at other times funny, Cages has just the right pacing. There are moments of uncomfortable silences that mirror reality and pages you want to rush through to find out what happens next.

While the art can take some getting used to and there are moments where McKean seems a tad bit over his head with the story, Cages is a thought-provoking, impressive, intelligent, and yes, ambitious, graphic novel.

Cages 4.5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 3:13 PM

 
Tom Strong by Alan Moore
Another Alan Moore title, Tom Strong (2001, DC Comics, $12.57 from Amazon) is the adventures of Tom Strong, a "science-hero" in Millenium City. Moore has created an entire century of background for this character, and this series picks up in media res, with an entire existing rogue's gallery and supporting cast already in place. This allows Moore to do some interesting things in flashbacks, such as playing with genre and different styles (old stories are told in comic form from when they happened, so a story in the 50's is a monster story, while Tom's origin takes place at the turn of the century in an adventure style). Of course, Moore is too smart for just a typical super-hero story, so there are a bunch of surprises. Definitely worth picking up for comic book fans.

Tom Strong 4 stars (out of 5)
Originally review March 30, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 5:25 PM

 
American Splendor - The Movie Wins at Sundance
A movie based on Harvey Pekar's brilliant comic book series American Splendor has been made and yesterday won the Grand Jury Prize for best drama at the Sundance Film Festival.

Somehow I missed that this movie was even being made. Last I had heard, the movie was still in preproduction. However, it has been made with Paul Giamatti as Pekar and Hope Davis as his wife, Joyce Brabner. Filmed in Cleveland and New York in 2001, the film is looking for a distributor for a theatrical release, which will probably be made easier as a result of this win. It was partially funded by HBO Films, so one can assume that it will be seen on that network at some point also.

I had my doubts about a movie being made because of the nature of Pekar's comic book. It is bits and pieces of Pekar's life with little to connect the pieces together. Although fascinating reading, filming these oftentimes short anecdotes didn't seem like the way to a successful film to me. The directors have taken a unique direction in making the movie: in addition to filmed bits with actors, they have also included videotaped footage of Pekar and animated sequences (based on the comics I assume).

Upon viewing stills of the movie, Giamatti looks like a ringer for Pekar as does Davis as Brabner (who I have only seen illustrated, but looks like that illustration). I am greatly looking forward to seeing this movie and will pass along more information as it becomes available.


posted by Sean McGurr at 2:04 PM

 
The Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Kim Deitch
A few weeks ago, I reviewed Kim Deitch's A Shroud for Waldo. At the time I thought it was a good if not great work. The artwork was frantic and detailed, but the story and the form (collected weekly strips) seemed a bit lacking. I was still impressed enough by Deitch's work to pick up The Boulevard of Broken Dreams(2002, Pantheon Books, $14.70 from Amazon) which is an excellent graphic novel.

Although Waldo the cat still plays an important role in the book, he is relegated to a hallucination or a demon (depending on your interpretation) who haunts various characters throughout this ambitious graphic novel. Covering most of the twentieth century through flashbacks, the focus of the novel (set in three distinct parts) is animator Ted Mishkin who creates a successful character who rivals Disney's characters during the heydays of animation in the 1930s. His character, Waldo the cat, is based on a vision that constantly haunts him and eventually causes him a nervous breakdown.

The readers jumps backwards to Ted's younger days working as an assistant to a vaudeville show that uses animation and live action in a stage show, and also forward to his comeback in the 1950s with his love, Lillian Freer, a suspected communist who was blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings and finally to the 1990s where his nephew tries to cash in on the money that Ted has made.

Throughout the book, reality is intertwined with fantasy (Waldo's appearances, Ted's breakdown, and the animated worlds that are created by the cartoonists) and by the end, Deitch has created a seemless blend between the two. The mixing of history and cultural events with the fictional characters he has created is brilliant and Deitch has also done a good job of interlocking the stories so that nothing is revealed too soon and the reader puts together all of the pieces to get the full story (similar to Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs).

Deitch's short essay at the beginning of the book both illuminates the ideas and the story in the book while at the same time obscures the line between fiction and reality. The intricate working of the plot, history, and artwork come together in a highly entertaining fashion.

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams 4.5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 12:20 PM

 
Top Ten by Alan Moore
Quick review of Alan Moore's Top Ten (2001, DC Comics, $10.47 from Amazon), part of the America's Best Comics line and one of a number of superhero comics, including Tom Strong and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, that Moore was working on concurrently. I picked up the collected edition of the first seven issues that is available in libraries and book stores.

Top Ten takes place in Neopolis, a city populated entirely of heroes, villains, mad scientists, gods and other beings with super powers. As with any city, Neopolis has its share of crime and Top Ten is the police precinct that serves and protects the city, investigating crimes, solving homicides, and tracking down the bad guys. Like everyone else in Neopolis, the cops have a variety of powers. There is Smax, an invulnerable, brooding bulk of a man; Toybox, a rookie cop with a box filled with mechanized toys; Caesar, the sergeant, who just happens to be a dog in an exoskeleton; and Synathesia, a psychic whose can taste sounds and smell noises.

Moore has set up the comic like a typical cop TV show. There are a number of characters with varying personalities introduced, partners focus on specific cases that tend to have some overlap, and we get to learn something about a few of the cops personal lives along the way and how that affects them on the job. The only differences is the superpowers.

While not working on multiple levels like From Hell or Watchmen, Top Ten is an above-average graphic novel. If you are a fan of NYPD Blue or Hill Street Blues, you will like this alternate look at the police profession. The writing is crisp and the art is good. Despite introducing dozens of characters and creating a whole city of superheroes, the reader is not overwhelmed. This is probably due to the fact that the genre and format is familiar, so the reader doesn't have to figure out how to "read" that aspect of the story. Overall this is recommended for a good read that is much better than most superhero fare, but if you want something with depth, pick up Watchmen.

Top Ten 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Originally reviewed March 29, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 8:49 AM

 
300 by Frank Miller
I recently read Frank Miller's 300 (1999, Dark Horse Comics, $21.00 from Amazon), a graphic novel based on a true story about a group of 300 Spartans defending Greece from the Persians. It is a beautifully illustrated work, despite the graphic (e.g. bloody, violent) nature of the subject. With Miller, you don't always get the most thoughtful or deeply written works, but you never feel that he is writing down to you. So while his books may not work on as many levels as Neil Gaiman, or even Brian Michael Bendis, it is hardly the work of the hack and is still well worth reading.

300 4 stars (out of 5)
Originally reviewed July 7, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 8:35 AM

 
Jack Kirby's New Gods by Jack Kirby
In his introduction to Jack Kirby's New Gods (1998, DC Comics, $9.56 from Amazon), Mark Evanier writes, "What is the best-ever Kirby work? I think, for many, the answer dovetails with what was their first-ever exposure to Jack." I think that this is true for me. I look at Jack Kirby's work on The Fantastic Four as his crowning achievement. His iconic design of gigantic machinery, cosmic sceneries, and square-jawed heroes fit perfectly with Stan Lee's larger-than-life stories.

That innovative and instantly recognizable style of art is still evident in this collection of stories revolving around the battle between New Gods from New Genesis and Apokolips. The stories though don't seem to match the artwork. Perhaps this is because they don't feature iconic characters. Kirby has created a whole new cast of characters, none of whom are very interesting.

The stories themselves seem dated as well. Originally published in 1970 and 1971, New Gods tends to be a simplistic good versus evil battle. The stories are at their best though when Kirby tries to subvert this structure as in stories like "The Pact." Even then though, the stories don't have the dramatic complexity that many of today's comics have.

However, Kirby's artwork, as always, is spectacular. He is truly a giant in the field. This reprint collection is in black and white, so you get a good sense of Kirby's pencilling and layout work. It would be more visually dramatic with color, but the black and white reprints allow you to easily purchase a good chunk of Kirby's work at a low price.

Jack Kirby's New Gods 2 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 8:46 AM

 
New Graphic Novel Catalog
Last week in the mail, I received NBM's Spring 2003 catalog. While NBM tells you that everything in the catalog is on their Web site, I find it much easier to flip through the catalog. You can request a catalog from their site.

New items in the catalog that look interesting include the third volume of Stephane Heuet's adaptation of Remembrance of Things Past, Within a Budding Grove, vol. 2 (January 2003). Another adaptation is The Magic Flute by P. Craig Russell (April 2003).

A topical book by Ryan Inzana about a young man who gets involved with terrorists is Johnny Jihad (June 2003). And a thriller set on a warship The Speed Abater by Christophe Blain looks to be exciting.

Again, NBM is offering a buy 4, get 4 free on the graphic novels. I received some good books in my last shipment that I probably wouldn't have looked at otherwise.
posted by Sean McGurr at 1:02 PM

 
Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street by Warren Ellis
In Mao II, Don DeLillo has a character state something to the effect that writers do not have the power they once had. They can no longer make a difference in the world at large with their writing like Harriet Beecher Stowe did with Uncle Tom's Cabin or Upton Sinclair did with The Jungle. DeLillo posits that only terrorists have that power, however, he does allow that in a repressive society, a writer may have more power.

Along comes Warren Ellis in Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street (1998, DC Comics, $7.95 from Amazon) to give us that repressive society and a writer, Spider Jerusalem, who can make a difference with his writing.

Jerusalem is a famous writer who has gone into seclusion in the mountains after the success of his books. When his editor informs him that he still owes the company two more books, Jerusalem returns to the city for inspiration. He is hired as a reporter and immediately gets involved in a seccession movement, a Gestapo police force, and a riot in the city.

There is a great deal packed into these first three issues of the comic. Ellis gives us bits and pieces of this near future and lets the reader try and figure it out. I am interested in continuing with this series to see how Ellis continues to portray Jerusalem. Will Jerusalem continue to have an influence on society through his words? How will he adapt to a world he left behind five years earlier? And will he question his profession and its relevance in today's society?

Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street 3.5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 8:40 AM

 
Gustav P.I.: Paranormal Investigator by Malcolm Bourne
A bizarre murder, the fourth in what looks to be a string, and the investigation by a typical group of cops starts of Gustav P.I.: Paranormal Investigator (1998, NBM Publishing, Amazon). But that is the only thing typical in this book involving torn-out hearts, vampires, and Gustav Klimt and his famous art work The Kiss.

Gustav is a vampire and former lover of London police chief Jackie McBride. McBride is investigating a string of murders including that of a well-known government official. Realizing that there may be more to the murders than a simple serial killer, she asks Gustav to help investigate. With Gustav's help, they track down the murderer who is known to Gustav from his past.

Bourne has created a book that is part NYPD Blue and part Interview with a Vampire. It may require two readings to get all of the details and piece together everything that happens in the book as Bourne uses the images to tell the story and doesn't rely on captions (there are none) or expository dialog. Instead as a reader, you are a fly on the wall, as evidenced in the first sequence.

Bourne's style of writing works because of Ken Meyer Jr.'s artwork, a combination of painted panels based on photographic images and models and some digital work. Meyer's work is realistic and allows for more emotion to be conveyed through character's faces than most graphic novels. I was interested to see that Brian Michael Bendis (Jinx, Torso) was a model for this work. His graphic novels also use this technique, but in black and white form. It was interesting to see full-color painted versions.

Overall, Gustav P.I.: Paranormal Investigator is a quality work that falls short of excellence, but should be intriguing to fans of horror, vampire, or crime genres.

Gustav P.I.: Paranormal Investigator 3.5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 9:09 AM

 
Sleepwalk by Adrian Tomine
I just finished a collection of short graphic stories titled Sleepwalk (1998, Drawn & Quarterly, $11.17 from Amazon) by Adrian Tomine that I can't recommend enough. There are sixteen stories dealing with relationships between lovers, sisters, family members, and sometime complete strangers. Underneath most of the stories is a dark current that Tomine uses to say something about our culture, modern life, and people in general. The reader is challenged by these stories and made to feel uncomfortable, which I feel is a sign of good fiction. And I hope that some of these are fictional, because some of the characters and situation aren't very likable. Many are told in an autobiographical way with narrators that look similar to Tomine's jacket photo.

Tomine's art is reminiscent in both style and subject matter of Daniel Clowes, author of Ghost World and Eightball. Another reviewer has even compared the art to Edward Hopper, which is also a good comparison. For an author and artist who is so young (22 when many of these stories were first written and published), Tomine has done first-rate work.

Sleepwalk 5 stars (out of 5)
Originally reviewed July 17 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 4:39 PM

 
Bughouse by Steve Lafler
I just finished reading Bughouse (Regent Press, 1996, Amazon link), a graphic novel by Steve Lafler. The crude artwork of anthropomorphic insect jazz musicians hides a cool story about music, addiction, friendship, and desire. Sit down and take it in all in one sitting to get the most our of this story that parallels that of many jazz musicians and even rock musicians. Sometimes the pacing seems a little off, and the artwork can sometimes be confusing, but the story itself makes this book.

Bughouse 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Originally reviewed September 29, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 1:32 PM

 
Dreamtoons by Jesse Reklaw
I usually don't remember my dreams, and when I do there nothing special. I have your standard being chased dreams, chasing dreams, dreams about work and school, but I don't have many surreal dreams.

Dreamtoons (Shambhala Publications, 2000, $8.76 from Amazon), a collection of comic strips by Jesse Reklaw, puts my dreams to shame. Reklaw draws (in four panels) dreams submitted by his readers. These dreams are surreal, strange, and often hilarious. There is the dream of a woman whose grandmother enters her in a teenage beauty contest even though she is 27 years old. When they get to the contest, they find out it is really a Chachi look-alike contest. Many of the comic strips deal with talking animals or inanimate objects. Others have famous people in them, such as when a dreamer is being hit on by Ponch from CHiPs. When she confronts him he states "Well you aren't wearing any pants."

While we aren't given any context for the dreams (did the dreamer just see Erik Estrada before falling a sleep? are the dreamers nervous about something in their life?) and we aren't sure how much editing Reklaw has done to distill the dream to four simple panels, the dreams are oddly entertaining. As a reader, you wonder about the life of the dreamer and why they dreamed what they did.

The voyeuristic dreams are also available on the website slowwave.com. Here you can order the book or see a new strip weekly. You are also encouraged to submit your own dream for illustration. Hopefully, my subconscious will becoming more interesting so I can submit something.

Dreamtoons 4 stars (out of 5)
Originally reviewed October 16, 2002 in Shepherding Nerfs
posted by Sean McGurr at 2:06 PM

 
Shutterbug Follies by Jason Little
A great graphic novel doesn't rely on words, but pictures to tell the story. If you find you are reading the exact same thing that you are seeing, then the author is trying to hard. Of course, you need a great artist who has a knack for storytelling to be able to accomplish in pictures what can be told in words. When you are reading a graphic novel murder mystery about photograph and pictures, this is even more important.

Shutterbug Follies (2002, Doubleday, $17.47 from Amazon) is an excellent graphic novel. Jason Little's story of a young photo tech named Bee who comes across some pictures of dead bodies that she finds suspicious is a well-paced, beautiful drawn suspenseful book.

Little has populated New York with a number of interesting characters, foremost of which is the protagonist Bee. She is smart, funny, and someone that you would want to be friends with. She is truly a hero you can root for. The secondary characters are fleshed out enough that they seem real and not simply constructs to interact with Bee.

Little's art has a cartoon feel and look, but with enough detail that you see a fully-rendered New York City. In a book that revolves around photography, it is appropriate that each frame seems like a photograph. All the detail is in each frame and you can tell that Little spent as much time thinking about the light fixture in the background as he did the character in the foreground. The color pallete is reminiscent of Daniel Clowes or Chris Ware where the colors really pop.

The pacing of the book is perfect. It takes its time when it needs to, but really picks up when the action gets going. This is helped by the unusual shape of the book (6 inches tall by 9 inches wide) and the smart layout of panels. This may also owe something to its genesis as a web comic (see his website). Whatever the case, Little has a good feel for his story.

This book is highly recommended for all readers and may be a good way to get that person who isn't sure about graphic novels reading.

Shutterbug Follies 5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 4:46 PM

 
Starman: Sins of the Father by James Robinson
Given a great amount of praise when it was originally published as Starman 0-5, Starman: Sins of the Father (1996, DC Comics, $10.36 from Amazon) stops short of being great for me.

The revamping of an old DC hero, Starman is reimagined as the original hero's son who reluctantly dons the mantle of the superhero Starman. While his reasons for becoming Starman aren't original (failed father, dead brother), Jack Knight is an interesting character. He is a "junk dealer," a collector of kitsch, in other words, he is what many readers of comic books are, self-obsessed in their world of stuff. The energy of the book comes from Jack's decision to become Starman, albeit on his own terms.

The story isn't overly special, although I have not read any of the older Starman books to know what a change of pace this retelling is. Tony Harris' art works most of the time, but seems oddly incomplete or rushed in a number of places that make the telling of the story awkward.

Oftentimes the first issues of a new series have these foibles though and I will continue to read Starman to see if it improves.

Starman: Sins of the Father 3 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 3:37 PM

 
Real Americans Admit: "The Worst Thing I've Ever Done!" by Ted Rall
Once while driving, a woman cut me off two different times within five minutes, the second time breaking numerous laws as she was speeding and cut across a turning lane into a straight lane. I honked my horn at her both times, but didn't think I would get any other satisfaction. By happenstance, she was turning into my neighborhood. I turned in a street further than she did, but circled back to where I knew she would appear. Why, I don't know, but sure enough, she came out where I was. When she saw me, she realized that I (sort of) followed her and I could tell that I scared her because she immediately turned into a driveway a sped off in the other direction while I was stuck behind a school bus.

I am not sure if this is the worst thing I have ever done, but many stories much worse than this are collected in Ted Rall's Real Americans Admit: "The Worst Thing I've Ever Done!" (1996, NBM Publishing, $8.95 from Amazon). Short stories ranging from two panels to six pages are told in the first person and illustrated in Rall's distinctive style which I had criticized in an earlier review for not being appropriate for the material, but is dead on in these (mostly) darkly humorous stories.

While many are fun in a "I can't believe that happened" sort of way, such as the man who admits he grabbed a piece of dead man from a scene of an accident to give to a friend, but then his dog ate the piece of meat, some gain their humor because the narrator has done something many of us had the guts to do, such as a man who is upset with his loud neighbor and screws around with her television reception or the woman who tricks a harrasser at work into thinking he has won the lottery.

Some are simply good stories, even if they make the reader feel uncomfortable. The tale of a group of kids who try to stop a competitor in their lawn mowing business by locking him in a masoleum overnight and causing him psychological damage for the rest of his life seems fun until the consequences are realized.

Others are just sad when we see people use others, not consider the consequences of their actions, act selfish, or abuse animals. However, even these give us an insight into others and make us (or at least me) realize that the worst thing I have ever done isn't as bad as others.

Real Americans Admit: "The Worst Thing I've Ever Done!" 3 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 10:15 PM

 
A Shroud for Waldo by Kim Deitch
A Shroud for Waldo (1992, Fantagraphics Books, $7.95 from Amazon) is a collection of Kim Deitch's comic strip. Originally published weekly in alternative newspapers, A Shroud for Waldo is the frentic tale of Waldo, a cartoon cat (most definitely not Heathcliff), who may be Judas Iscariot reincarnated or a demon. He encounters Jesus along the way and may play a crucial role in the coming Apocalypse.

Deitch, an underground cartoonist who gained fame in the 60s, fills the large-form panels with horrifying and hilarious details while telling his bordering on blasphemous story of a drunken cat. I was entertained and could only imagine how readers encountering it once a week in a newspaper reacted to it.

A Shroud for Waldo 3.5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 9:27 PM

 
The Silent Invasion: Secret Affairs and Red Shadows by Michael Cherkas and Larry Hancock
Sometimes the germ of an idea is better than its execution. This is the case in The Silent Invasion: Secret Affairs and Red Shadows (1999, NBM Publishing, $16.95 from Amazon), a science fiction/paranoid conspiracy tale.

I was immediately intrigued by a graphic novel set in 1950s America focusing on a reporter searching for evidence of aliens based on an encounter that he had. When a secret group that controls the media and government is involved in the alien cover-up, and a sub-story dealing with the Red Scare and communist infiltration, I was sold. Lots of elements that interest me and furthermore, this comic was originally published in the late 80s, so it preceded The X-Files and the countless imitators that dealt with many of these themes in the 90s and today.

However, I was disappointed until the final chapter of this collection, when the pacing of the story gained steam and the storytelling (both words and art) finally came together. Cherkas' black and white artwork, which I have enjoyed in other comics, didn't quite work because the heavy inks and stylized artwork made it difficult to follow the numerous characters. The art does work for a story set in the 50s though and the detail work is appropriate.

Hancock's story takes a while to get rolling, but once it does, it is engaging. By the end of this volume, I was involved with many of the characters and looked forward to another volume.

There are aspects of the storytelling that I found distracting, such as the multiple shifts from first-person to omniscient narrator that hindered the flow of the story. While I am not against this device, it was awkwardly done in this volume, often in the middle of a page. The use of English spellings of "favour," "realise," and "honour" which I don't have a problem with when reading a British or Canadian book seemed out of place in a story set in America. Most of the use of humor (or "humour") falls short and distracts rather than adds to the story.

This volume is worth reading if you are a fan of the time period and the type of story popularized in The X-Files. Two other volumes Tarnished Dreams and The Great Fear are also available.

The Silent Invasion: Secret Affairs and Red Shadows 2.5 stars (out of 5)
posted by Sean McGurr at 12:30 PM