District 14, Season 1

Every once in a while, I come across a work of fiction that I can't help but gush about in a shamefully fan-boyish fashion, while at the same time I also can't help but feel a bit jealous of its creator(s), simply because its exactly the kind of work I wish I had come up with myself.
The french comic District 14 (or Cité 14 in original) written by Pierre Gabus, drawn by Romuald Reutimann and published in English by Humanoids, is exactly the kind of work I'm talking about.

Dear reader, welcome to District 14; a city-state populated not just by regular human beings, but also by anthropomorphic animals, aliens and even the occasional superhero. Our introduction to this bustling community comes through a newly arrived immigrant, an elephant, who has been forced to leave his homeland due to certain circumstances. Given the new name, Michael Elizondo (due to a linguistic misunderstanding), our pachyderm friend soon finds a job as an assistant and bodyguard to the investigative reporter, Hector  McKeagh. As the duo chases after the next big scoop, they soon find themselves caught up in a mystery, one which will net them a bunch of powerful and ruthless enemies.

Gabus and Reutimann have created a very detailed, living world, populated by a rich and varied cast of characters. Gabus' writing does an excellent job at making each character seem as if he or she has their own elaborate back-story waiting to be uncovered. The plot is also well-told and grows more intricate, with many twists and turns, as it evolves. As for Reutimann's art, I can't think of much to say about it (you may notice that I don't talk a lot about the artwork when I review comics for some reason; mostly because I prefer to let the panels I post speak for themselves), except that I found it very enjoyable to look at and that it fit the story perfectly.

I should point out that by the end of the first volume/season a lot of questions regarding the plot remain unanswered. Without spoiling to much, I can however say that we get to learn why Michael had to leave his homeland, his real name and why he needs to drink that disgusting tea he's always brewing. A lot of the other plot-points will hopefully be answered in season 2, which I'm looking forward to read.

In case it hadn't been clear by now, I absolutely loved District 14 and urge everyone with an interest in quality comics to give it a try.

A Somewhat Negative Post

You may have noticed, dear reader, that this blog tend to skew more towards the positive side of things, which is exactly how I want it. You see, as fun and enjoyable it can be to watch or read a review that tears a bad work of fiction to pieces, I personally prefer to focus on the stuff I enjoy and if I happen to make other people interested in checking out said stuff, than that's an added bonus. That said, for the sake of variety I thought I'd write a bit about two things I watched recently that I did not like. Here we go:

First out we have BlazBlue Alter Memory, a twelve episode anime series. This show was my first foray into the BlazBlue universe. Prior to watching it, here's what I knew about BlazBlue as a whole:

*Its a series of fighting games that are quite popular.
*There are two characters named Hazama and Relius. They are villains and one of them belongs to the manipulative trickster school of villainy.
*There's a girl who is some sort of half-human half-squirrel hybrid. Maybe she is supposed to be a reference to Marvel's Squirrel Girl or something? I honestly don't know.

Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes, the show itself. Well, I watched the first three episodes out of twelve and I won't be watching the rest. Why? Well, to be honest, it's because I found BlazBlue Alter Memory to be utterly fucking terrible: The characters are cliched and annoying, the plot is vague and failed to capture my interest and to top it of, the fight-scenes are unexciting, which is a pretty big flaw for an anime based on a fighting game. Maybe it gets better, but there's simply nothing about the show that makes me want to stick with it and find out if that's the case. Frankly, there are plenty of other anime out there that I'd rather spend my time on.

As for the actual games. Well, I haven't played them (obviously) but they have to be better than this. At any rate, I can hardly see them be worse.

Next we have Tetsuo: Iron Man, a Japanese cult-film from the 80's. Now, this movie actually starts out promising, being grotesque and creepy in a way that really made me sit up and take notice. Unfortunately, the length of the film work against it. Had Tetsuo been a short-film, at about 20-30 minutes, my impression of it would likely have been much more positive. Unfortunately, this is a full-length film and after awhile, I found myself bored with it, wishing for a movie that offered a more substantial story and characters that were actually interesting.I'm sure there are people out there who find this brilliant, but I'm not one of them.

So, there you have it. To end things on a more positive note, I recently began watching Agent Carter and so far, its been really good. Here's hoping it doesn't get cancelled.

Favorite Novels

Ever since I was really young, I've always loved to read. Therefore, I thought it might be appropriate to make a list of my favorite novels. Well, some of them at least, listing all the novels that I love would take way too long and you'd probably be bored. Anyway, before you scroll down, there are some rules I applied to myself when composing this list that I thought you should know. They are as follows:

-No Non-Fiction. There are certain novels on this list that involve real-life figures or events, but these are all fictionalized, straight up non-fiction is out.

-One work per author. This was done in order to insure that the list possessed some degree of variety.

- No Graphic Novels. I thought about including a few, but I'll save them for an eventual post on my favorite comics.

And now, without further ado, I give you; my favorite novels:

The Deptford Trilogy  (Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders) by Robertson Davies

If I had to pick my favorite literary trilogy than there's a pretty huge chance that I'd pick The Deptford Trilogy. In this masterpiece, Robertson Davies tells the tale of a group of people whose lives were all changed by something as seemingly insignificant as a thrown snowball. From this humble beginning, Davies weaves an intricate tale filled with twists and turns and populated with unforgettable characters. An excellent read which I revisit regularly.

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart

I've already written in detail about this novel set in an ancient China that never was (but should have been), so for now, I'll just say that Bridge of Birds is one of the greatest works of fantasy I've ever read. The fact that it doesn't seem to be more well-known is a crying shame.

Flashman and the Redskins by George MacDonald Fraser

It wasn't easy choosing which novel should represent MacDonald Fraser on this list, but for now, I'll go with Flashman and the Redskins. In this, the longest novel in the series, the Victorian Era's greatest scoundrel is still stuck in the US following events of its predecessor, Flash for Freedom. If its well-researched, thrilling historical fiction you want and if you can stomach spending time with a deplorable yet fascinating protagonists, than George MacDonald Fraser is the author for you.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Perhaps more than any other work on this list, Blood Meridian has an epic feel to it. When I first read it, I felt as if I was reading the western/horror genre equivalent to The Iliad or The Odyssey. Be warned though, that Blood Meridian is not for the squeamish; it features both scenes of horrifying violence as well as one of the most terrifying creations in all literature: Judge Holden. However, if you can handle those things, I definitely recommend giving this masterpiece a try.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson

Basically, the perfect adventure novel. Sure, there are no significant female characters, but other than that, Treasure Island is pretty much flawless. Plus, it features the best pirate in fiction; Long John Silver. This book has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and will remain one, no matter how old I get and if that ever changes, you may present me with the black spot, matey.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carré

The greatest spy in literature is a gray, middle-aged man, whom you probably wouldn't look at twice if you saw him on the street. Although George Smiley had been introduced in some of Le Carré's earlier work, it was in Tinker Tailor... that the character really comes into his own. In this novel, Smiley is called out of retirement to track down a mole inside the Circus (British spy-department), Le Carré's skill at portraying the world of the secret agent with its secrets and lies are pretty much unsurpassed. When you're done with the novel, be sure to check out both the 1970's mini-series with Alec Guinness and the 2011 movie with Gary Oldman.

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

One of the best science-fiction novels I've read; The Stars My Destination is Bester's take on the classical revenge-story in general and Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo in particular. Set in the 25th Century in which people have learned to teleport (or "Jaunt" as its called here) themselves, the book focuses on Gully Foyle, a man who is left to die and becomes obsessed with the thought of avenging himself on the ship that abandoned him. Aside from being a great read filled with memorable characters and ideas, The Stars My Destination is also the tale of a man who fulfills his long dormant potential and becomes truly great, but for all the wrong reasons. Any fan of Science-Fiction should participate in Gully Foyle's odyssey at least once in their life.

The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough

I recently learned that Colleen McCullough passed away and so, as a small tribute, I thought I'd include the first book in her Masters of Rome series here. The first three books in this series, the ones that focus on Sulla and Marius are among the greatest works of historical fiction that I've read and should be required reading for anyone with an interest in ancient Rome.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Last but not least, here's one of the great classics. You know what? I honestly can't think of anything to say here. I mean, its Don Quixote, its one of the founding works of western literature, that's all that needs to be said, right? Let's just say that Don Quixote is one of those masterpieces that deserves its reputation and leave it at that.

Well, there you have it dear reader; nine of my favorite novels. I hope I've made you interested in checking at least one of them. Oh, and I'd be very interested in knowing what your favorites are, feel free to mention them in the comments.

Berlin: City of Stone and City of Smoke

City of Stone and City of Smoke are the first two volumes in the Berlin trilogy, written and drawn by Jason Lutes. I borrowed the first volume at my local library recently and was so taken with it that I immediately ordered the second one.

It's 1928 and Germany is still recovering from its defeat in the Great War. Unemployment and poverty is sky-high and on the streets of Berlin, violent clashes between communists and national-socialists are a frequent occurrence. The days of the Weimar Republic are counted and the city, not to mention the rest of the nation, is about to change forever.

The two central characters of Berlin are Kurt Severing, a journalist with leftist leanings (though his political involvement is limited to writing articles) and Marthe Müller, a country-girl who has come to Berlin to study at the art-school. The majority of the action in the two volumes are seen through the eyes of these two, who meet when the story begins and will soon form a relationship. Lutes surrounds Kurt and Marthe with a huge cast of characters, including art-students, communists, entertainers and others and its a testament to Lutes' strength as a writer that each character in the comic comes across as a believable and recognizable human being.

On the art-side of things, Berlin is very good as well. Lutes does an excellent job at making the time-period comes to life and portrays both squalid poverty as well as the excesses of the nightclubs, with aplomb. He's also very good at facial expressions, to prove my point I present a scene from the second volume, in which a visiting African-American jazz band happens upon a poster meant to portray them. The look on their faces says more than a thousand words:

I strongly recommend Berlin to anyone who has either an interest in the time-period or just want to enjoy a truly great work of sequential art. My only real complaint (if it even counts as one) is that now I will have to wait for a long time until the final volume comes out. Still, as the saying goes; He who waits for something good can never wait too long.

Villain Songs

It's been awhile since I wrote something about villains, so I figured that it would be fun to dedicate my first post of the year to that very subject. In any media featuring musical numbers, the ones sung by the villain tend to be the most memorable. Below are some of my favorite villain songs, in random order.

No post like this is complete without at least one song performed by a Disney-villain and this one is my personal favorite. Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, may have been a kiddyfied adaptation of Hugo's book, but it was still a pretty dark movie, as evidenced by the Hellfire sequence.In it, the hypocritical and corrupt Judge Claude Frollo, sings about his lust for Esmeralda and how, if he can't have her, he'll kill her (you know, for kids). Probably the darkest scene in a Disney-movie and definitely the best one in the entire movie. I miss you, Tony Jay.

For a show which frequently has its characters bursting into song, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has been quite stingy with songs for its villains. Out of the major villains, the only one to get a her own song is Chrysalis, the Changeling-Queen (yes. I know that Discord got a song in season 4, but he wasn't really a villain in that episode, just a dick), This Day is divided into two parts, the first has Chrysalis - disguised as Princess Cadance - singing about her evil plans while Twilight Sparkle and the real Cadance rush to stop her. In the second part, Chrysalis, now in her true form, gloats over the invasion of Canterlot by her army. Taking both parts as a whole this is a great song, easily one of my favorites in the show. Plus, I find Chrysalis' evil laughter at the end to be absolutely adorable.

I'm not really familiar with Mefistofele, Arrigo Boito's Opera-adaption of the Faust legend, but this is a great song. It's pretty much the titular character singing about how he's going to destroy/corrupt God's creation and the joy he gets from doing that. It's pretty much the perfect song for the Devil (or one of the Devil's minions) to sing.

Like many children who grew up in the 90's, I was a huge fan of Pokemon, at least for awhile. However, I had no idea until recently that a Pokemon musical existed. Now, I haven't seen the musical (I think the entire thing is available on YouTube, for those who are interested), so I can't vouch for its quality. That said, It Will All be Mine is pretty awesome. The song has Giovanni singing about how he's going to take over the World and destroy all who oppose him. You know, typical villain-stuff. What I like the most about this song is how triumphant it sounds. Giovanni is so excited about this whole world-domination thing that it becomes infectious. One almost wants the guy to come out at the top in the end.

Unlike the other songs in this post, this one is not sung by a villain, but about him. The Rains of Castamere tells the story of how a young Tywin Lannister put down the Reyne-Tarbeck rebellion. Without mentioning his name, the song pretty much tells you a very important thing about Tywin; That he's a ruthless bastard whose wrath you'd best not incur. Of course, you already knew that, right?

To round out the list, here's another opera-villain; Namely, Claggart from Benjamin Britten's adaption of Herman Melville's novella, Billy Budd. Claggart's aria is one of those songs that opens itself up to different interpretations. Why does Claggart want to destroy Billy? Well, the most obvious answer is that its because he represents evil and Billy represents good. However, one can also view Claggart as a repressed/latent homosexual who can't deal with the fact that he's attracted to another guy. Regardless, this is a great, chilling song, possibly my favorite and the perfect song to end this list with.

Merry Christmas

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas. Thanks for reading the blog and hopefully, I'll see you around.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Kaamelott

Over the centuries, the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table have been told and re-told countless times in pretty much every medium. The quality of these stories have varied strongly, from the truly excellent to the ungodly awful. In this post, we'll take a look at one of my own personal favorite takes on the Arthur-legend: Kaamelott.

In case you haven't heard of it, Kaamelott is a French TV-series which lasted six seasons (or books as they're called) and ran from 2005 to 2009. The series is the brainchild of Alexandre Astier who, aside from serving as the show-runner, also composed to music and plays the role of King Arthur.

The outline of Kaamelott: Arthur has been crowned the king of Britain and now seeks to unite all the squabbling, smaller kingdoms of the realm into one, using the quest for the Holy Grail as a pre-text. However, said goal is not an easy one since the king has to content only with outer enemies, but also with the general incompetence of his men, not to mention his father-in-law Leodagan, who regards Arthur's unorthodox ideas about democracy and abolition of torture with a skeptical eye.


One of the most interesting things about Kaamelott is the way the show evolved during its tenure. The early seasons are pure comedy; there's no story-arc to speak of and the short (2-3 minutes) episodes can be watched in pretty much any order. Eventually, a plot starts to take form, dealing with the falling out between Arthur and his greatest knight, Lancelot. Lancelot, being one of the few knights who knows what he's doing eventually gets fed up with the general ineptitude of his fellow knights and decides to strike out on his own, as a knight-errant. The conflict between Arthur, the democratically-inclined king and Lancelot, the knight who believes that the Grail-Quest should be reserved for the elite is what drives the plot of the show in the later seasons.

The biggest change though, comes in season five. Here the tone of the show changes drastically; what began as a comedy, now turns into a serious drama. Although, the comedic elements are still present, though not as much as they used to be. Personally, I liked the direction the show took in its final two seasons, not only did I find the transition from comedy to drama well-made, but the characters also gain more depth, which can only be a plus. The final season is a prequel, which takes place fifteen years before the series began and focuses on Arthur's youth in Rome.

Character-wise, Kaamelott features quite a large cast of characters, taken from Arthurian lore. From the childlike and naive (though surprisingly insightful at times) Perceval, to the scheming king Loth, who always has a (faulty) Latin quotation at times to justify his treacherous behavior.

Of course, since Kaamelott began life as a comedy, some of the characters are quite different from how they're usual portrayed. For example, the wise and powerful Merlin is portrayed as a largely inept druid.

As great as the supporting cast is, the heart of Kaamelott is Arthur himself. Alexandre Astier's portrayal of the legendary king is nothing short of brilliant: His Arthur is a complex, flawed indivudal who cheats on his wife (something that comes back to haunt him in the end), can be pretty rude and sarcastic at times and, as the series slips into darker territory, becomes more and more plagued with self-doubt. That said, despite these flaws, Arthur remains at his core a heroic figure who strives to do what's best for his kingdom and his subjects.

Like many successful shows, Kaamelott has also given birth to its share of merchandise. Among them a comic-book. However, I haven't had the opportunity to read the comic yet and so am unable to vouch for its quality.

The series itself ended on something of a cliffhanger with the promise that Arthur would soon once again become a hero. However, it's been disconcertingly quiet about since then. Word has it that Astier has been planning both a seventh season titled Resistance, as well as three movies. Alas, these projects seem to be stuck in development-purgatory.

Until then, we'll have to enjoy the six seasons we already have. So let's go to Kaamelott, it may be a silly place, but it's well worth a visit.