This mini anthology series based on Neil Gaiman's short stories is a real treat for fans of the author. Here's our review...
Showing posts with label Neil Gaiman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neil Gaiman. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Saturday, 31 October 2015
Scary Books To Read This Hallowe'en
The evenings have drawn in, the leaves are falling from the trees, the shops are already stocking Christmas stuff... it must be Hallowe'en again. So how should you spend your time scaring yourself silly at the witching hour? Gorging on sweets while watching the latest slasher film? Psh! From the Hallowe'en-themed reading I've done this month, might I recommend these four tomes of terror, each guaranteed to give your Goosebumps book collection goosebumps. Read on... if you dare.
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Review: Trigger Warning
Trigger Warning: this post contains a review of Neil Gaiman's latest short story anthology Trigger Warning.
The title of Neil Gaiman's third short story collection comes from the internet trend for articles to preceded by a warning of what's to come. Apart from allowing the writer in his introduction to muse on if such an idea should be adopted for fiction, it is a perfect title for an anthology of Gaiman's work. Part of the thrill of diving into one of his short stories in particular is that, due to the wide range of genres and tones he adopts, you never know what you are going to get. Be warned, the title tells us, I'm not going to tell you what you should be warned about, but I think you should be on your toes.
In Trigger Warning, Gaiman delivers fairy tales and ghost stories and sci-fi and fantasy adventures, as well as new spins on familiar characters and love letters to the likes of Ray Bradbury and David Bowie. Many of these stories might be familiar to Neil Gaiman devotees, but the quality of each is that you certainly won't mind owning them more than once. Besides, having them tied together with other wildly different pieces brings out something new in them. The twelve micro fictions that make up 'A Calendar of Tales', for example, brilliantly compliment and juxtapose with each other.
Likewise, two of my favourites - now don't say you didn't see this coming - are Gaiman's takes on Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. They represent contrasting takes on famous fictional heroes and their worlds. 'The Case of Death and Honey' is a genre-bending tale which presents an elderly Holmes undertaking the greatest, and the longest, investigation of his career. It is mournful and touching and quite unlike any other Holmes story out there.
'Nothing O'Clock', however, is a fun-loving adventure story that is bouncing with invention, as it sees the Eleventh Doctor and Amy facing a clever new take on the alien invasion. It is fantastic to have another Gaiman-penned entry into the Whoniverse and a must-read for anyone who loved 'The Doctor's Wife' (and thought 'Nightmare in Silver' could have been better).
Yet my absolute favourite is surely 'Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains...', a story as atmospheric and opaque as the mist that surrounds the island that the protagonists journey to. Apparently based on an old Scottish folk tale (as Gaiman's fascinating in-depth story notes tells us), it is a bleaker piece than most of the writer's other work, where death and danger are more often than not met with some light and humour. Nonetheless, it is an engrossing read and showcases Gaiman's storytelling and prose at its peak.
But then my other favourite is the fantastically feminist 'The Sleeper in the Spindle', or perhaps the brilliantly bonkers 'The Return of the Thin White Duke'. Or 'Orange', a tale told entirely through answers to unseen questions. Or the creepy epistolary 'Feminine Endings.' Or maybe 'Black Dog', a new story set in the American Gods universe.
Each story in Trigger Warning is better than the last. That is the only forewarning you need.
The title of Neil Gaiman's third short story collection comes from the internet trend for articles to preceded by a warning of what's to come. Apart from allowing the writer in his introduction to muse on if such an idea should be adopted for fiction, it is a perfect title for an anthology of Gaiman's work. Part of the thrill of diving into one of his short stories in particular is that, due to the wide range of genres and tones he adopts, you never know what you are going to get. Be warned, the title tells us, I'm not going to tell you what you should be warned about, but I think you should be on your toes.
In Trigger Warning, Gaiman delivers fairy tales and ghost stories and sci-fi and fantasy adventures, as well as new spins on familiar characters and love letters to the likes of Ray Bradbury and David Bowie. Many of these stories might be familiar to Neil Gaiman devotees, but the quality of each is that you certainly won't mind owning them more than once. Besides, having them tied together with other wildly different pieces brings out something new in them. The twelve micro fictions that make up 'A Calendar of Tales', for example, brilliantly compliment and juxtapose with each other.
Likewise, two of my favourites - now don't say you didn't see this coming - are Gaiman's takes on Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. They represent contrasting takes on famous fictional heroes and their worlds. 'The Case of Death and Honey' is a genre-bending tale which presents an elderly Holmes undertaking the greatest, and the longest, investigation of his career. It is mournful and touching and quite unlike any other Holmes story out there.
'Nothing O'Clock', however, is a fun-loving adventure story that is bouncing with invention, as it sees the Eleventh Doctor and Amy facing a clever new take on the alien invasion. It is fantastic to have another Gaiman-penned entry into the Whoniverse and a must-read for anyone who loved 'The Doctor's Wife' (and thought 'Nightmare in Silver' could have been better).
Yet my absolute favourite is surely 'Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains...', a story as atmospheric and opaque as the mist that surrounds the island that the protagonists journey to. Apparently based on an old Scottish folk tale (as Gaiman's fascinating in-depth story notes tells us), it is a bleaker piece than most of the writer's other work, where death and danger are more often than not met with some light and humour. Nonetheless, it is an engrossing read and showcases Gaiman's storytelling and prose at its peak.
But then my other favourite is the fantastically feminist 'The Sleeper in the Spindle', or perhaps the brilliantly bonkers 'The Return of the Thin White Duke'. Or 'Orange', a tale told entirely through answers to unseen questions. Or the creepy epistolary 'Feminine Endings.' Or maybe 'Black Dog', a new story set in the American Gods universe.
Each story in Trigger Warning is better than the last. That is the only forewarning you need.
 |
| P.S. Has anyone thought about the potential meaning of the wounded-looking wolf on the cover? Perhaps he has been shot? If so, does he represent the piece of writing, made innocuous by the addition of a trigger warning? |
Friday, 1 May 2015
Top Five Immortal Characters
Immortality has always been a popular
trope in all forms of fiction, as it's a perenially fascinating topic.
As such there are many great fictional characters who never shuffled off
this mortal coil - and here are some of my favourites.
To keep things interesting I've banned myself from putting any Doctor Who characters on this list (really, I could fill the whole lot up with Who folks - The Doctor, Captain Jack, the Master, the Cybermen...). So read on for a who's-who-and-also-not-in-Who of immortal characters. Hurry up, before we all die of old age...
Vampires
Fiction is full of vampires tortured by their immortality, so I've bundled them all into one for the sake of variety (and to represent them I've chosen one of the world's more underappreciated vampires; the Count from Sesame Street. Not enough evil undead give their eternal lives to teach young children arithmatic). They come in different groups. Many like to spend eternity causing bloodshed - Dracula. Some like to spend it righting wrongs - Genevieve Dieudonne who fights the aforementioned Prince of Darkness in Anno Dracula. And others like to switch between both - such as TV vampires Hal York and Spike. Whatever the type, though, you can rely on a vampire to spark an interesting discussion on the nature of immortality.
The Hempstock Women
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is really the story of two ancient forces battling each other with a small ordinary boy caught in the middle. While the terrifying Ursula is vehemently on the side of the bad, the Hempstock women serve as the boy's saviours and prove that immortality doesn't have to make you tortured - it can just make you wise. The three Hempstocks (almost personifying the stereotypical three witches) and the nature of their long shelflife is well dealt with; we know they were around at the time of the Domesday Book and beyond but we never really find out who or what they are. The Hempstocks tell us that, yes, we don't understand all the mysteries of the universe but sometimes it's better not to.
Peter Pan
It is an oft-discussed notion if one would choose immortality. Certainly, most of the characters on this list would call it a curse. But Peter Pan, the Boy Who Never Grew Up, chooses to be immortal rather than face the terrors of adulthood. At first, just as Peter does, many of us would love to be carefree children forever but there's tragedy in Peter's decision, as ably presented in the surprisingly good 2003 film and messed about with in Steven Spielberg's Hook, as he cannot do such grown-up things as reciprocate his feelings for Wendy. Ultimately, though, it's up to you whether Peter's life is a blessing or a curse, making him one of the most interesting immortal characters around.
Edward Scissorhands
I was going to put Frankenstein's monster on this list but then remembered that immortality is not really an attribute of Mary Shelley's original creation, more of the films that it spawned. So instead Frankie's gothic cousin Eddie takes his spot on this list. A cross between the monster, the Beast and Tim Burton himself, Edward is an innocent who, just like the monster, is corrupted by the outside world. Unlike Frankie, he's also one half of a doomed romance, partly made impossible by his immortality. Edward serves as a warning that it's no fun to be different.
Tithonus
While others on this list might not have enjoyed their immortality, they at least had the comfort of being frozen in time, never ageing. Unfortunately, Tithonus, one of the unluckiest figures in Greek Mythology, learnt the hard way that your should always check the fine print when wishing for eternal life. After falling in love with this lowly mortal, the goddess Aurora pleaded with Zeus to make him immortal - unfortunately, she forgot to ask for everlasting youth. Thus, Tithonus grows into a withered husk of a man - who his immortal lover eventually grows tired of. Tithonus is the epitome of all immortal fictional characters as he embodies the idea at the heart of all of them; we might all wish for longer lives but you have to be careful what you wish for.
To keep things interesting I've banned myself from putting any Doctor Who characters on this list (really, I could fill the whole lot up with Who folks - The Doctor, Captain Jack, the Master, the Cybermen...). So read on for a who's-who-and-also-not-in-Who of immortal characters. Hurry up, before we all die of old age...
Fiction is full of vampires tortured by their immortality, so I've bundled them all into one for the sake of variety (and to represent them I've chosen one of the world's more underappreciated vampires; the Count from Sesame Street. Not enough evil undead give their eternal lives to teach young children arithmatic). They come in different groups. Many like to spend eternity causing bloodshed - Dracula. Some like to spend it righting wrongs - Genevieve Dieudonne who fights the aforementioned Prince of Darkness in Anno Dracula. And others like to switch between both - such as TV vampires Hal York and Spike. Whatever the type, though, you can rely on a vampire to spark an interesting discussion on the nature of immortality.
The Hempstock WomenThe Ocean at the End of the Lane is really the story of two ancient forces battling each other with a small ordinary boy caught in the middle. While the terrifying Ursula is vehemently on the side of the bad, the Hempstock women serve as the boy's saviours and prove that immortality doesn't have to make you tortured - it can just make you wise. The three Hempstocks (almost personifying the stereotypical three witches) and the nature of their long shelflife is well dealt with; we know they were around at the time of the Domesday Book and beyond but we never really find out who or what they are. The Hempstocks tell us that, yes, we don't understand all the mysteries of the universe but sometimes it's better not to.
It is an oft-discussed notion if one would choose immortality. Certainly, most of the characters on this list would call it a curse. But Peter Pan, the Boy Who Never Grew Up, chooses to be immortal rather than face the terrors of adulthood. At first, just as Peter does, many of us would love to be carefree children forever but there's tragedy in Peter's decision, as ably presented in the surprisingly good 2003 film and messed about with in Steven Spielberg's Hook, as he cannot do such grown-up things as reciprocate his feelings for Wendy. Ultimately, though, it's up to you whether Peter's life is a blessing or a curse, making him one of the most interesting immortal characters around.
Edward Scissorhands I was going to put Frankenstein's monster on this list but then remembered that immortality is not really an attribute of Mary Shelley's original creation, more of the films that it spawned. So instead Frankie's gothic cousin Eddie takes his spot on this list. A cross between the monster, the Beast and Tim Burton himself, Edward is an innocent who, just like the monster, is corrupted by the outside world. Unlike Frankie, he's also one half of a doomed romance, partly made impossible by his immortality. Edward serves as a warning that it's no fun to be different.
Tithonus While others on this list might not have enjoyed their immortality, they at least had the comfort of being frozen in time, never ageing. Unfortunately, Tithonus, one of the unluckiest figures in Greek Mythology, learnt the hard way that your should always check the fine print when wishing for eternal life. After falling in love with this lowly mortal, the goddess Aurora pleaded with Zeus to make him immortal - unfortunately, she forgot to ask for everlasting youth. Thus, Tithonus grows into a withered husk of a man - who his immortal lover eventually grows tired of. Tithonus is the epitome of all immortal fictional characters as he embodies the idea at the heart of all of them; we might all wish for longer lives but you have to be careful what you wish for.
Friday, 23 January 2015
Scribble Creatures Spotlight: Return to Oz
It's the new year (well, it's January anyway) so there's no better time to start a new regular feature for this blog! From now on, once a month I will put a spotlight on something - be it book, film, television series, fictional character or otherwise - that goes under-appreciated in the big wide world but I think deserves your attention. This month, we kick off this new feature with a trip to a magical world. And you and you and you'll be there...
I've always been fond of the Oz books. If memory serves, I believe they were the first of the classic children's fairy tale fantasies - the Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan - that I read. Equally, everyone's favourite 1939's The Wizard of Oz was watched over and over again. But my favourite story set in the marvellous land of Oz was definitely Wizard's often misunderstood younger sibling, Return to Oz. While its predecessor is forever lauded, Return is often consigned to 'Weirdest Movie Sequel' Lists. Weird it may be but, rather than being a failing, that is really one of its charms.
Six months after her first journey to Oz (but actually made 46 years after Wizard), Dorothy has been having trouble sleeping so she is taken to Dr Worley's asylum to be cured by electrotherapy. But a storm one night saves her from the horrible place and puts her back in Oz which once again desperately needs Dorothy's help...
For starters, Return makes a cleverer move than most film sequels by actively aiming for something new. Unlike the passable Oz: The Great and Powerful, Return to Oz does not just leech off the original, instead translating elements of the classic film to suit its own purpose. One of the most striking ways in which it does this - at least for a child - is by literally bulldozing through the unhampered gaiety and joy of Wizard's Oz. The shining Emerald City is reduced to ruins and all your favourite characters - the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion - have been petrified into stone. From the off, the film makes sure we know we are in a different kind of Oz.
Possibly the film's most famous attribute is its scares, with many claiming it to be too scary for children. Personally, I wouldn't agree with that as I think its scares are one of the great delights of watching this as a child as well as underlying an important message. There is something sinister at every turn in this film - Nurse Wilson and the screams in the asylum, Princess Mombi's severed heads and, of course, the cackling, creaking Wheelers - yet like all the best fairy tales, this is offset by the knowledge that it will get better. Through the course of the story, Dorothy bands together with some new allies (who could be boring analogues of her more famous friends - Tik Tok = Tin Man, Pumpkinhead = Scarecrow - but they have enough of their own personality to set them apart) and is sure that she will be able to restore everything to the way it should be.
The reason Return to Oz is, I think, unfairly compared to Wizard is because people expect it to be full of songs and cheer. Instead it is a completely different beast, an alternate take on the same ideas. A wonderful, dreamlike film, it emphasises the questionable nature of Oz as a real place or a hallucination by the use of its surrealistic, offbeat stylings. The Wizard of Oz may be a delightful daydream but this is the scary yet meaningful nightmare that never leaves you.
More Like This:
Tin Man
Return to Oz is by far from the only subversion of the popular Oz image. A few years ago there was this SyFy mini-series remixing of the Wizard of Oz story which employed more overtly fantasy genre elements. Starring Zooey Deschanel, it saw Kansas girl DG sent by a storm to the other world of The Outer Zone to stop the evil witch-queen Askedelia. It's a strange idea, to take one of the very first fantasy novels and redo it with modern fantasy clichés but if you can accept the premise it is a likeable runaround with comic relief coming from Alan Cumming's Glitch, a man missing part of his brain (you don't have to go see the Wizard to have the brains to guess who he's based off).
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
It would be easy to assume that Return to Oz was inspired by Tim Burton's own gothic fairy tale films, if it wasn't for the fact it came out before he was around. While many of his works have a similar tone to Return, the closest film to it in his oeuvre would be Alice, another creepier retelling-cum-sequel to a classic children's fantasy story. It is certainly inferior to Return but it is far from as bad as the critics say, featuring a likeably spirited Alice in Mia Wasikowska and, as ever from Burton, an eye-catching visual style.
Coraline
It really wouldn't surprise me if Neil Gaiman was a fan of Return to Oz, as his work and the film share a similar 'scairy tale' tone. The crossover between the two is no more evident than in Gaiman's Coraline. Both feature capable young girls thrust into a nightmarish other land containing twisted versions of people they know in the real world. The finale of Coraline always reminds me of the climax of Return in that they both feature the villain letting the girl play a game to find an object which will save her loved ones.
I've always been fond of the Oz books. If memory serves, I believe they were the first of the classic children's fairy tale fantasies - the Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan - that I read. Equally, everyone's favourite 1939's The Wizard of Oz was watched over and over again. But my favourite story set in the marvellous land of Oz was definitely Wizard's often misunderstood younger sibling, Return to Oz. While its predecessor is forever lauded, Return is often consigned to 'Weirdest Movie Sequel' Lists. Weird it may be but, rather than being a failing, that is really one of its charms.
Six months after her first journey to Oz (but actually made 46 years after Wizard), Dorothy has been having trouble sleeping so she is taken to Dr Worley's asylum to be cured by electrotherapy. But a storm one night saves her from the horrible place and puts her back in Oz which once again desperately needs Dorothy's help...
For starters, Return makes a cleverer move than most film sequels by actively aiming for something new. Unlike the passable Oz: The Great and Powerful, Return to Oz does not just leech off the original, instead translating elements of the classic film to suit its own purpose. One of the most striking ways in which it does this - at least for a child - is by literally bulldozing through the unhampered gaiety and joy of Wizard's Oz. The shining Emerald City is reduced to ruins and all your favourite characters - the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion - have been petrified into stone. From the off, the film makes sure we know we are in a different kind of Oz.
Possibly the film's most famous attribute is its scares, with many claiming it to be too scary for children. Personally, I wouldn't agree with that as I think its scares are one of the great delights of watching this as a child as well as underlying an important message. There is something sinister at every turn in this film - Nurse Wilson and the screams in the asylum, Princess Mombi's severed heads and, of course, the cackling, creaking Wheelers - yet like all the best fairy tales, this is offset by the knowledge that it will get better. Through the course of the story, Dorothy bands together with some new allies (who could be boring analogues of her more famous friends - Tik Tok = Tin Man, Pumpkinhead = Scarecrow - but they have enough of their own personality to set them apart) and is sure that she will be able to restore everything to the way it should be.
The reason Return to Oz is, I think, unfairly compared to Wizard is because people expect it to be full of songs and cheer. Instead it is a completely different beast, an alternate take on the same ideas. A wonderful, dreamlike film, it emphasises the questionable nature of Oz as a real place or a hallucination by the use of its surrealistic, offbeat stylings. The Wizard of Oz may be a delightful daydream but this is the scary yet meaningful nightmare that never leaves you.
More Like This:
Tin ManReturn to Oz is by far from the only subversion of the popular Oz image. A few years ago there was this SyFy mini-series remixing of the Wizard of Oz story which employed more overtly fantasy genre elements. Starring Zooey Deschanel, it saw Kansas girl DG sent by a storm to the other world of The Outer Zone to stop the evil witch-queen Askedelia. It's a strange idea, to take one of the very first fantasy novels and redo it with modern fantasy clichés but if you can accept the premise it is a likeable runaround with comic relief coming from Alan Cumming's Glitch, a man missing part of his brain (you don't have to go see the Wizard to have the brains to guess who he's based off).
Alice in Wonderland (2010)It would be easy to assume that Return to Oz was inspired by Tim Burton's own gothic fairy tale films, if it wasn't for the fact it came out before he was around. While many of his works have a similar tone to Return, the closest film to it in his oeuvre would be Alice, another creepier retelling-cum-sequel to a classic children's fantasy story. It is certainly inferior to Return but it is far from as bad as the critics say, featuring a likeably spirited Alice in Mia Wasikowska and, as ever from Burton, an eye-catching visual style.
CoralineIt really wouldn't surprise me if Neil Gaiman was a fan of Return to Oz, as his work and the film share a similar 'scairy tale' tone. The crossover between the two is no more evident than in Gaiman's Coraline. Both feature capable young girls thrust into a nightmarish other land containing twisted versions of people they know in the real world. The finale of Coraline always reminds me of the climax of Return in that they both feature the villain letting the girl play a game to find an object which will save her loved ones.
Friday, 9 January 2015
Monthly Mini-Reviews: December - Christmas Special
Well, it's that time again. Christmas has come and gone and it's literally only just turned New Year...
Oh, I can't lie. I'm afraid there's been a technical mishap here at Scribble Creatures HQ. This post, my Monthly Mini-Reviews Christmas Special, should have gone out in the first days of January but that doesn't seem to have occurred. I do apologise - I've no idea how that happened. It seems there is a Ghost of Christmas Past in the machine...
And speaking of ghosts in machines:
Black Mirror: White Christmas
It was only natural that Charlie Brooker's techno-paranoia anthology series would get a Christmas special. After all, what says Christmas more than a reminder that the future is just around the corner? Acting as the series' usual trilogy of stories all in one, this feature-length episode serves us three interconnected tales from a chilling near-future (all based around Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall who both give terrific performances). First and foremost, Brooker's writing is once again on top form - the bleakness and the strangeness are cleverly ofset by the razor-sharp wit and satire that runs throughout. The second segment is the weakest and I have to say I saw some of the twists coming but that does not take away from the... enjoyment seems like the wrong word to attach to something so grim. So was it a white Christmas, after all? No, No, it was black. So very black.
Good Omens (radio series)
Following on from the terrific radio series of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere it was a no-brainer to adapt Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's comedy about the end of the world as a festive treat.
The story - a distinctly British way of approaching the apocalypse - transitions well to the medium, ably helped by the drama's amazing cast. Comedians Peter Serafinowicz and Mark Heap are great choices for the roles of angel/demon partnership Aziraphale and Crowley (though I imagine many are still holding out for Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston if the story ever makes it to film) and are well supported by Merlin's Colin Morgan, Paterson Joseph and Louise Brealey amongst others. Overall, I may have preferred Neverwhere but this was still a wonderful slice of alternative Christmas entertainment. Well, you can't get more 'alternative Christmas' than the Antichrist.
The Golden Compass
I've been avoiding The Golden Compass for years now due to its lacklustre reputation for being a poor adaptation of Phillip Pullman's popular His Dark Materials books. This Christmas, however, I gave in and gave it a go. Sadly the general consensus is right. Clearly made in an attempt to create another Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter franchise, the film has neither the flair nor confidence of those films and on top of that struggles to adapt Pullman's plot to the screen. That said, there are some pluses- if the script and direction are a bit lacking the visuals are terrific as Lyra's alternate world is brought to life with a vivid psuedo-Steampunk feel. Likewise, Nicole Kidman exudes icy evil as Miss Coulter and Dakota Blue Richards makes for quite a good Lyra. Despite these successes, though, The Golden Compass is not quite pointing in the right direction.
The Sleeper and the Spindle
Leaving behind the Christmas viewing, we turn to something I was lucky enough to get for Christmas - Neil Gaiman's latest book! In it, Gaiman weaves together two traditional tales to form an original feminist fairy tale. As the book's blurb says 'no one is waiting for a prince to appear on his trusty steed here' - it is a queen who risks life and limb to save the sleeping beauty in this story. Gaiman's prose is as crisp and as evocative as ever but in truth the book belongs to both author and illustrator as Chris Riddell's illustrations, beautifully rendered in monochrome and gold, are as equally impressive as the writing. I have been a fan of Riddell since reading The Edge Chronicles when I was younger so am over the moon he is now Neil Gaiman's resident illustrator. A true piece of art, The Sleeper and the Spindle is a proper old-fashioned storybook that takes us back to once upon a time...
Oh, I can't lie. I'm afraid there's been a technical mishap here at Scribble Creatures HQ. This post, my Monthly Mini-Reviews Christmas Special, should have gone out in the first days of January but that doesn't seem to have occurred. I do apologise - I've no idea how that happened. It seems there is a Ghost of Christmas Past in the machine...
And speaking of ghosts in machines:
Black Mirror: White ChristmasIt was only natural that Charlie Brooker's techno-paranoia anthology series would get a Christmas special. After all, what says Christmas more than a reminder that the future is just around the corner? Acting as the series' usual trilogy of stories all in one, this feature-length episode serves us three interconnected tales from a chilling near-future (all based around Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall who both give terrific performances). First and foremost, Brooker's writing is once again on top form - the bleakness and the strangeness are cleverly ofset by the razor-sharp wit and satire that runs throughout. The second segment is the weakest and I have to say I saw some of the twists coming but that does not take away from the... enjoyment seems like the wrong word to attach to something so grim. So was it a white Christmas, after all? No, No, it was black. So very black.
Good Omens (radio series)Following on from the terrific radio series of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere it was a no-brainer to adapt Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's comedy about the end of the world as a festive treat.
The story - a distinctly British way of approaching the apocalypse - transitions well to the medium, ably helped by the drama's amazing cast. Comedians Peter Serafinowicz and Mark Heap are great choices for the roles of angel/demon partnership Aziraphale and Crowley (though I imagine many are still holding out for Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston if the story ever makes it to film) and are well supported by Merlin's Colin Morgan, Paterson Joseph and Louise Brealey amongst others. Overall, I may have preferred Neverwhere but this was still a wonderful slice of alternative Christmas entertainment. Well, you can't get more 'alternative Christmas' than the Antichrist.
I've been avoiding The Golden Compass for years now due to its lacklustre reputation for being a poor adaptation of Phillip Pullman's popular His Dark Materials books. This Christmas, however, I gave in and gave it a go. Sadly the general consensus is right. Clearly made in an attempt to create another Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter franchise, the film has neither the flair nor confidence of those films and on top of that struggles to adapt Pullman's plot to the screen. That said, there are some pluses- if the script and direction are a bit lacking the visuals are terrific as Lyra's alternate world is brought to life with a vivid psuedo-Steampunk feel. Likewise, Nicole Kidman exudes icy evil as Miss Coulter and Dakota Blue Richards makes for quite a good Lyra. Despite these successes, though, The Golden Compass is not quite pointing in the right direction.
The Sleeper and the SpindleLeaving behind the Christmas viewing, we turn to something I was lucky enough to get for Christmas - Neil Gaiman's latest book! In it, Gaiman weaves together two traditional tales to form an original feminist fairy tale. As the book's blurb says 'no one is waiting for a prince to appear on his trusty steed here' - it is a queen who risks life and limb to save the sleeping beauty in this story. Gaiman's prose is as crisp and as evocative as ever but in truth the book belongs to both author and illustrator as Chris Riddell's illustrations, beautifully rendered in monochrome and gold, are as equally impressive as the writing. I have been a fan of Riddell since reading The Edge Chronicles when I was younger so am over the moon he is now Neil Gaiman's resident illustrator. A true piece of art, The Sleeper and the Spindle is a proper old-fashioned storybook that takes us back to once upon a time...
Saturday, 8 November 2014
Top Five Fictional Female Villains
Last week, there was a shocking reveal at the end of the penultimate episode of this year's run of Doctor Who. It turned out that - oh, it's been a whole week now, I can say it - the mad Marry Poppins-esque Missy who has been terrorising the Doctor is in fact... the Master!
So to coincide with the return of the Doctor's greatest adversary in a very different form, I thought it time to look at the most despicable women from the halls of fiction, an illustrious category that the Master now belongs to. In no particular order, I give you the most terrible, terrifying and iconic female villains.
Appeared in: The legends of King Arthur
I'm something of an enthusiast of the legend of King Arthur. I don't claim to be an out-and-out expert but I appreciate the tales as something like the founding fathers of British storytelling and always enjoy dipping into the wealth of interpretations of the stories (although I was never that fussed about the popular BBC series Merlin, oddly enough). The legends, of course, have brave heroes in King Arthur and Merlin but also have a great villain in Arthur's half-sister, Morgan Le Fey (sometimes called Morgana) who acts as the main antagonist in most modern versions. Lusting after the throne of Camelot, Morgana will stop at nothing to end Arthur's reign, including using her own son, Mordred, to kill his uncle (and sometimes father) in battle. She's been hounding King Arthur in various forms over roughly a thousand years - you don't get much more of a determined villain than that.
Appeared in: 'A Scandal in Bohemia' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and numerous film and TV adaptations and literary pastiches.
Technically, Conan Doyle's original character from the Sherlock Holmes canon was not a true villain - Holmes was against her in the case but her only crime is a dalliance with a European royal in her youth. In most adaptations, however, her character is extrapolated to become a proper criminal. Much like Catwoman is to Batman, she and Holmes tend to work on opposite sides of the law but nevertheless harbour an affection for each other, sometimes this is unspoken, sometimes it is a fully-fledged love affair. This version of the character has been explored recently in both Sherlock and the Robert Downey Jr films but in Elementary, the character was taken further. The presumed dead ex-love of Sherlock, Irene turned out to be a female Moriarty in disguise. Changing a male master criminal into a woman - I'm sorry, Moffat, I think someone beat you to the punch.
Appeared in: Coraline by Neil Gaiman.
Neil Gaiman's Other Mother from his exquisitely creepy children's novel Coraline is less of a villain in the femme fatale mould of Morgana and Irene and more of a walking nightmare. A creature from a realm of her own devising, like a spider in its web, the Other Mother lures children into her lair to feast on their souls. To entice the children, rather than use a house made of sweets, she acts as a loving parent... just one with buttons for eyes. The Other Mother is an utterly terrifying creation, playing off the inherent childhood fear of adults you trust to look after you turning out to do the opposite. As well as the simply intrinsically scary image of people with buttons for eyes. something which resides firmly in the uncanny valley.
Miss HavishamAppeared in: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
As a creation of Dickens, the claim that Miss Havisham is a cast-iron villain is a less clear one than with others on this list. The woman has a sympathetic backstory and eventually repents her wickedness, but she is still the greatest thorn in Pip's side as he tries to woo the love of his life, the icy Estella. Having been jilted at the altar, the ageing bride-to-never-be forever wears her ragged wedding dress and plans to use her adopted daughter, Estella, to break the hearts of men everywhere like her's was broken. Miss Havisham is someone whose own debilitating heartbreak and thirst for revenge has blinded her to how her actions affect others. Firstly, not only does she torment Pip merely to wallow in his pain but, more importantly, she raised Estella to be nothing more than her foot soldier, to go and act out her wish to destroy all men for her. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', indeed.
Dolores Umbridge Appeared in: the Harry Potter novels by JK Rowling and its film series, played by Imelda Staunton
The most despicable character in the Harry Potter series. Yes, Voldemort killed Harry's parents. Yes, Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black but neither of them wore such an alarming shade of pink.
Outwardly twee, Professor Umbridge harbours a deep lust for power and a sadistic streak as great as the Dark Lord's own, shown in the gruesome punishments she dishes out in detention and her placement at the head of the Ministry of Magic's witch-hunt (sorry, muggle-hunt). From her prissy, condescending nature to her more despotic tendencies, Umbridge is unlikeable to the core. In fact, Umbridge is so repulsive you can hardly stand to look at her photograph. That's why I've put her last, so you don't have to look at her for too long. And that's the truth because, as Umbridge herself likes to brand people with, I must not tell lies...
'Death in Heaven', the Doctor Who finale, is on tonight at 8.00 pm on BBC One.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Monthly Mini-Reviews: September - Young Adult Novel Special
Despite how it may look on this blog, I haven't simply spent the last two months watching the new series of Doctor Who non-stop (you have to do something in the time that it takes to load the next episode). I've also been reading, and the following post will focus on the Young Adult titles I have consumed of late.
There's always something of a debate going on between literary people about whether adults should read Young Adult books or not. Personally, I'm a big advocate for the former as I have no idea why you would close yourself off to such an imaginative and all-consuming range of books. Something these mini-reviews will hopefully demonstrate...
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar ChildrenThere's always something especially alluring (at least for me) about books that are quirky and indefinable, and Ransom Rigg's hit début novel Miss Peregrine... definitely fits this bill - a light sci-fi/fantasy novel, it is inspired and illustrated by old photos of peculiar children. As fascinating as the images are - and the book itself is a beautiful thing to behold - the story is also engaging, featuring lots of great ideas. For a British reader, I noticed a few Americanisms slip through into the Wales-set story but that is not enough to detract from the well-disseminated mystery plot, with a brilliant monster and, on occasion, unexpected depth. Apparently, that old master of the macabre, Tim Burton is set to direct a film version and, after enjoying the book as I did, I'd say he could have something very good - but certainly peculiar - on his hands.
Sometimes things in the world just don't make sense. When the first book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series - sporting the fabulous premise of an undead detective caught in a war against the forces of darkness - was released I was the perfect age to read it... but I didn't. Several, years later, I'm now playing catch-up. The first book is, as one would expect, a fun adventure with great snappy dialogue and a enjoyable apocalyptic plot. It's one that feels familiar but writer Derek Landy uses this to his advantage, to spend more time filling out the bare bones of the characters (and, yes, that pun was definitely intended), most notably the skeletal Skulduggery and his new teenage sidekick Stephanie (or Valkyrie, as is her preferred name). After the experience of reading this one, I look forward to the rest (I'm told that the latest, final, book is absolutely heart-breaking). As for why it took so long for it to occur to me to read the books, that is still a mystery. In fact, I might need the services of Skulduggery himself to investigate it...
A Monster Calls
Whereas the previous two books I've looked at have been popular series-starters, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a very kind of book. From an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who sadly passed away before she could write it, this story sees Conor, whose mother suffers from cancer, being visited by a giant, story-telling monster every night. It's a very moving and heartfelt book and, again, supported by gorgeous illustrations from Jim Kay (I'm loving this trend for well-designed books - I wonder if it's a stand against the rise of ebooks?). Ness handles the sensitive material well, making the tale a very human story with elements of fantasy rather than the other way around. If a monster comes to your window tonight to tell you a story, you wouldn't go wrong if you asked it to tell you this one.
No, I can't go a whole post without mentioning Doctor Who. I'm well aware I have a condition and I'd thank you not to mention it. Harrumph.
For the 50th anniversary last year, BBC Books brought together eleven of Young Adult fiction's finest writers to pen a story for each of the eleven Doctors (aw bless, only eleven) and this chunky compendium is the result. As all anthologies do, the collection has its highs and lows. Some authors, sadly, while no doubt talented, do not quite connect with the world of Doctor Who enough to pen a proper Doctor Who tale. However, applause must be given to Malorie Blackman, Charlie Higson and our old friend Derek Landy for some of the best stories in the collection. Rather predictably, my favourite was Neil Gaiman's effort featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy fighting the chilling monsters, old enemies of the Time Lords, the Kin. If Mr Gaiman ever writes for the show again (and he'd bloody better do) here's hoping he brings the Kin with him to the smallscreen.
Typically, just as I have purchased this, the BBC are about to release the collection with an extra story starring the Twelfth Doctor. To make sure this doesn't happen again, I think I'll hop a few years into the future and grab the 25 Doctors 25 Stories version.
If you are interested in reading more, then please visit my run-down of the 10 Best Moments of Series 8 So Far. For every view it gets, one pound is given to the British Whovian Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping Doctor Who fans deal with their terrible life-long affliction. Thank you, every little helps.
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Monthly Mini-Reviews: July - Animated Film Special
Our running feature Monthly Mini-Reviews is back for July - and it's a little more lively than usual. Lively? you ask. Well, imaginary reader, I say, it's lively because this month is dedicated entirely to animated films. So if you're a fan of all things not-real, put your hands together and read on. Although if you are anything like the characters from our first film, you might need to put your hands on first...
The Lego Movie
In the highly successful first cinematic outing for the age-old popular toy franchise, ordinary Lego Man Emmett discovers that he is the prophesied Special, the one who will stop the evil Lord Business from ending the world.
As has been said elsewhere, The Lego Movie is breathless fun. The cameos of favourite characters in Lego form proved to be one of the highlights of the film, everyone from Stars Wars to Superman made an appearance with, in my eyes, Lego Batman even stealing the film. However, The Movie's greatest achievement is surely the fact that it completely makes you forget that you are essentially watching an hour and a half advert for a multi-million dollar corporation by delivering a hilarious adventure with heartfelt themes of imagination and individuality. In other words, it could be said that all the pieces of The Lego Movie come together to form a wholesome family film.
Coraline
Neil Gaiman's modern classic of a children's novel Coraline - which sees the uniquely-named little girl stumble into the otherworldly lair of the button-eyed Other Mother - could potentially be a hard one to adapt for the big screen: how scary should it be? How kid-friendly? Thankfully, in the hands of Henry Selick (director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach) this stop-motion film is a triumph and should entertain viewers young and old without sacrificing the weird heart of the original story. With all the elements of production working, the voice acting, the music and not least the wonderful animation (stop-motion films have long been a love of mine), Coraline presses all the right buttons and is definitely the finest adaptation of Gaiman's work. Here's hoping Selick and Gaiman team up again some time in the future.
Frozen
I'm a little late to the party with this one (actually, I'm so late the party's already over and I'm the only one there surrounded by the vestiges of a fun time I never experienced, all alone without - ahem, that's enough with the painful reminiscing). In fact, the only experience I'd had of the once-ubiquitous 'Let It Go' song was this parody version by Doctor Who Arthur Darvill. This month, however, I finally caught up with everyone's new favourite film Frozen - and was left a little cold. I applaud its attempts to - potential spoilers ahead - invert the usual Disney tropes of 'true love' but generally had more fun watching the House of Mouse's last fairy tale effort Tangled (despite Frozen's endearingly chirpy snowman Olaf) and did not get invested in the characters as I much as in my favourite Disneys (The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, if you're wondering). So while many are calling this the Second Disney Renaissance, I'm putting that idea on ice until we see what happens next.
Princess Mononoke
On the exact opposite end of the scale of animated films from the syrupy Frozen we have Hayao Miyazaki's at-times unflinchingly violent Princess Mononoke; while Olaf the Snowman's head may come off I don't recall it doing so with quite the level of viscera displayed here. An epic fantasy in terms of both the scope of the story and the breathtaking visuals, the film is set in feudal Japan as an ancient war is brewing between Gods, Demons and Humans for control of nature -and on the front line is feral child San (to whom the title refers), raised by the Wolf God. While it's long running time results in the occasional loss of momentum, the grand sweep of the film makes for a beautiful spectacle with a serious environmentalist message, leaving Mononoke one of Studio Ghibli's absolute best.
In the highly successful first cinematic outing for the age-old popular toy franchise, ordinary Lego Man Emmett discovers that he is the prophesied Special, the one who will stop the evil Lord Business from ending the world.
As has been said elsewhere, The Lego Movie is breathless fun. The cameos of favourite characters in Lego form proved to be one of the highlights of the film, everyone from Stars Wars to Superman made an appearance with, in my eyes, Lego Batman even stealing the film. However, The Movie's greatest achievement is surely the fact that it completely makes you forget that you are essentially watching an hour and a half advert for a multi-million dollar corporation by delivering a hilarious adventure with heartfelt themes of imagination and individuality. In other words, it could be said that all the pieces of The Lego Movie come together to form a wholesome family film.
CoralineNeil Gaiman's modern classic of a children's novel Coraline - which sees the uniquely-named little girl stumble into the otherworldly lair of the button-eyed Other Mother - could potentially be a hard one to adapt for the big screen: how scary should it be? How kid-friendly? Thankfully, in the hands of Henry Selick (director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach) this stop-motion film is a triumph and should entertain viewers young and old without sacrificing the weird heart of the original story. With all the elements of production working, the voice acting, the music and not least the wonderful animation (stop-motion films have long been a love of mine), Coraline presses all the right buttons and is definitely the finest adaptation of Gaiman's work. Here's hoping Selick and Gaiman team up again some time in the future.
FrozenOn the exact opposite end of the scale of animated films from the syrupy Frozen we have Hayao Miyazaki's at-times unflinchingly violent Princess Mononoke; while Olaf the Snowman's head may come off I don't recall it doing so with quite the level of viscera displayed here. An epic fantasy in terms of both the scope of the story and the breathtaking visuals, the film is set in feudal Japan as an ancient war is brewing between Gods, Demons and Humans for control of nature -and on the front line is feral child San (to whom the title refers), raised by the Wolf God. While it's long running time results in the occasional loss of momentum, the grand sweep of the film makes for a beautiful spectacle with a serious environmentalist message, leaving Mononoke one of Studio Ghibli's absolute best.
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Monthly Mini-Reviews: May
Yes, it's back! That old regular feature of this blog, the monthly selection of four mini-reviews (oh, I know, it's nothing but pizazz on this site), has returned - and, boy, are you in for a treat. Here's a bumper crop of assorted goodies for you to... muse over my analysis of a certain example of modern storytelling. What better way could there be to party your way into the next month?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season Seven)
Me and BTVS have a peculiar relationship. About a year ago, we were having a good time, enjoying each other's company - it showing me what it could do, everything from playing with genre conventions to strong character drama, and me very much enjoying it - until one day we simply parted, without even a goodbye.
This was the case until I recently remembered I had not seen the show's final season, something I speedily put to rights. Said season sees the Slayer and her scoobies (try saying that three times fast) prepare for the end of the world at the (incorporeal) hands of the ancient entity known as 'the First Evil.' As a whole, it has its ups and downs but, thankfully, its downs are never too damning and its highs are very strong. Particular mention must be made to the season finale which rounds the televisual lives of our heroes off with aplomb. Now, there's no more left. You know, I think I remember why I put off watching the final series in the first place...
V for Vendetta
Any story by comic book supremo Alan Moore is notoriously difficult to adapt to the big screen - with the big, bearded man famously hating many of them. However, the film version of Moore's dystopian thriller V For Vendetta manages to be an entertaining and thought-provoking effort. It delivers much that deserves praise, most prominently the well-realised horrors of a future fascistic Britain and the consummate central performance from Hugo Weaving - the actor makes us feel like we know the Guy Fawkes-flavoured V, one of my favourite comic characters for his charisma but morally dubious crusade, despite never seeing his face. Although the film makes missteps, notably the superfluous inclusion of a romance between V and his 'freedom fighter' protégé Evey, I see no reason why a film as daring and deftly-executed as this should ever be forgot..ten.
Marvel 1602
One of my favourite things about Neil Gaiman's writing is his ability, when tackling a popular fictional universe, to celebrate that specific storytelling world, something he did for both Batman and Doctor Who. Another fine example is this skewering of Marvel comic characters which asks; 'What if the Marvel universe was set in Elizabethan England?' 1602 sees royal spy Sir Nicholas Fury, daredevil Matthew Murdock, Javier and his band of 'witchbreeds' plus sorcerer Dr Strange team up to stop nefarious villains despot Otto Von Doom and the corrupt Grand High Inquisitor and his brotherhood from reaching the secret weapon of the Knight Templar - which will apparently bring about the apocalypse. While this all sounds a heady mix and even a little alienating for comic newbies, Gaiman weaves a tale about the nature of heroism that manages to get to the heart of its many characters, making us realise why they have been so beloved from their creation in the sixties right up to now. And including the 1600s, of course.
The Simpsons: 'Brick Like Me'
Though I still love that overbitten yellow family as much as ever, I rarely make a special case to watch the latest offerings. However, this month, I made an exception as the series reached its 550th episode and was celebrating in a most eyebrow-raising way; an entire episode made/filmed/animated (I'm uncertain of the appropriate term) with Lego. It could have been a cheap gimmick to attract viewers and sell a few Lego sets but thankfully it managed to be one of the funniest Simpsons in years (when king of slapstick Homer can fall apart without harm, you know that's going to be exploited) and, just like the good old days, greatly touching as Homer realises the pluses of living in a Lego world; that 'everything fits together and no one gets hurt.' It's delightful to know that, even after twenty-five years, The Simpsons can still build itself back up again (pun intended) to its best. It's just as I remember, in fact. A show where everything fits together and no one gets hurt.
You can read my own efforts to celebrate The Simpsons' quarter-centenary with my countdowns for both Homer's and Bart's greatest moments.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season Seven)Me and BTVS have a peculiar relationship. About a year ago, we were having a good time, enjoying each other's company - it showing me what it could do, everything from playing with genre conventions to strong character drama, and me very much enjoying it - until one day we simply parted, without even a goodbye.
This was the case until I recently remembered I had not seen the show's final season, something I speedily put to rights. Said season sees the Slayer and her scoobies (try saying that three times fast) prepare for the end of the world at the (incorporeal) hands of the ancient entity known as 'the First Evil.' As a whole, it has its ups and downs but, thankfully, its downs are never too damning and its highs are very strong. Particular mention must be made to the season finale which rounds the televisual lives of our heroes off with aplomb. Now, there's no more left. You know, I think I remember why I put off watching the final series in the first place...
Any story by comic book supremo Alan Moore is notoriously difficult to adapt to the big screen - with the big, bearded man famously hating many of them. However, the film version of Moore's dystopian thriller V For Vendetta manages to be an entertaining and thought-provoking effort. It delivers much that deserves praise, most prominently the well-realised horrors of a future fascistic Britain and the consummate central performance from Hugo Weaving - the actor makes us feel like we know the Guy Fawkes-flavoured V, one of my favourite comic characters for his charisma but morally dubious crusade, despite never seeing his face. Although the film makes missteps, notably the superfluous inclusion of a romance between V and his 'freedom fighter' protégé Evey, I see no reason why a film as daring and deftly-executed as this should ever be forgot..ten.
One of my favourite things about Neil Gaiman's writing is his ability, when tackling a popular fictional universe, to celebrate that specific storytelling world, something he did for both Batman and Doctor Who. Another fine example is this skewering of Marvel comic characters which asks; 'What if the Marvel universe was set in Elizabethan England?' 1602 sees royal spy Sir Nicholas Fury, daredevil Matthew Murdock, Javier and his band of 'witchbreeds' plus sorcerer Dr Strange team up to stop nefarious villains despot Otto Von Doom and the corrupt Grand High Inquisitor and his brotherhood from reaching the secret weapon of the Knight Templar - which will apparently bring about the apocalypse. While this all sounds a heady mix and even a little alienating for comic newbies, Gaiman weaves a tale about the nature of heroism that manages to get to the heart of its many characters, making us realise why they have been so beloved from their creation in the sixties right up to now. And including the 1600s, of course.
The Simpsons: 'Brick Like Me'Though I still love that overbitten yellow family as much as ever, I rarely make a special case to watch the latest offerings. However, this month, I made an exception as the series reached its 550th episode and was celebrating in a most eyebrow-raising way; an entire episode made/filmed/animated (I'm uncertain of the appropriate term) with Lego. It could have been a cheap gimmick to attract viewers and sell a few Lego sets but thankfully it managed to be one of the funniest Simpsons in years (when king of slapstick Homer can fall apart without harm, you know that's going to be exploited) and, just like the good old days, greatly touching as Homer realises the pluses of living in a Lego world; that 'everything fits together and no one gets hurt.' It's delightful to know that, even after twenty-five years, The Simpsons can still build itself back up again (pun intended) to its best. It's just as I remember, in fact. A show where everything fits together and no one gets hurt.
You can read my own efforts to celebrate The Simpsons' quarter-centenary with my countdowns for both Homer's and Bart's greatest moments.
Monday, 7 April 2014
Top Five Batman Graphic Novels
As our, ulp, very special guest established earlier, for one month only Scribbles Creatures is... Comic Creatures! To start our series of posts on everything comic, we're turning to that courageous Caped Crusader, that determined Dark Knight, that reliable Roving Rodent (that's not right, is it?), the Batman. While not as encompassing as my love for those other long-lasting heroes, the Doctor and Sherlock Holmes, I've been a Batman fan since watching repeats of the gloriously-camp 1960s television series as a kid. Though I'm much more familiar with on-screen exploits, I've also read a fair few Batman comics over the years and the following five are those I like to keep handy in my utility belt. Just in case I get a chance for a spot of reading while crusading at night.
Batman: Gothic
While not as well-known as the others on this list, this early comic from modern-day Batman writer Grant Morrison was one of the first Batman graphic novels I read - and it's rather stuck with me. The story starts with Gotham's mobsters being picked off by a mysterious stranger called Mr Whisper. As Batman investigates, he finds out this Mr Whisper, a man without a shadow, may be something more peculiar than the Penguin, more curious than Catwoman, something altogether more... gothic.
With allusions to the Faust legends and Matthew Lewis' classic novel, The Monk, this is a graphic novel that stands out for the strength of its literary illusions, taking the Bat from his usual superhero habitat and putting the Goth firmly back in Gotham.
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
Batman is dead and every one of his friends and foes has gathered in Crime Alley for his wake. And so has Batman. With a ghostly guide for company, Batman watches as various stories are given as to how he died. But which is the real one? Or is he even dead?
As strange and as lyrical as anything Neil Gaiman writes, this was intended to be a bookend for all the different versions of the Batman across the ages. Rather than pitting the Bat against a scheming villain, this sees Batman face up to his own subconscious, or maybe its something else. As a touching testament to the endurance of the World's Greatest Detective, WHTTCC? cannot be beaten. Much like the Dark Knight himself.
Batman: The Killing Joke
The Joker is far and wide the greatest comic book villain, a raging lunatic who's popularity has sustained as long as the Batman's own. As you would expect for such a popular character, he's featured in dozens of strips over the years but Alan Moore's The Killing Joke is certainly the definitive Joker story.
Detailing the two-sides-of-the-same-coin nature of Batman and his arch-enemy like never before, Killing Joke gives us a potential origin for the clown (but even the man himself isn't sure if its real), his most despicable crime (poor Barbara Gordon...) and the only time he's ever made Batman laugh (what does that ending mean?). An influence on both Nicholson's and Ledger's portrayals of the character, this is a deeply psychological, often grisly, look at what makes the usually-unfathomable Joker tick.
Batman: The Long Halloween
The Long Halloween is most probably my favourite story in a Batman comic. A proper whodunnit, it spans a year-long investigation of the serial killer known as 'Holiday' by the triumvirate of Batman, Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. As that name may have suggested, aside from an engaging mystery featuring appearances from all your favourite Bat-villains, TLH also details the fall of Harvey Dent and his transformation into Two-Face, one of the most interesting of Batman's rogues gallery. An expert blend of classic Hollywood film noirs and traditional Batman detective work, this is actually a sequel of sorts to another Batman storyline. I wonder which one...?
Batman: Year One
While it may be sacrilegious not to include Frank Miller's seminal graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns in a 'Best Batman stories' list... it's what I've gone and done! As previously stated, while TDKR is undoubtedly an impressive piece of work, an ultra-violent, tank-driving version of the Caped Crusader is just not my preferred idea of the character. Conversely, the quality of Miller's follow-up Batman: Year One, which details how the Batman came to be, is much harder to argue with. In a Gotham corrupt to its core, Year One follows its two true heroes, the fledgling Batman and rising cop James Gordon, as they attempt to clear up their beloved city, eventually coming together in an alliance. Year One is a perfect summation of what makes Batman so enticing a character; due to his terrible past, Bruce Wayne gives his life to guarding over the people of Gotham City. It's not just an act of pure vengeance but a dedication to a bigger purpose. Unlike many of his comic counterparts, Batman shows you don't need to be super to be a hero.
While not as well-known as the others on this list, this early comic from modern-day Batman writer Grant Morrison was one of the first Batman graphic novels I read - and it's rather stuck with me. The story starts with Gotham's mobsters being picked off by a mysterious stranger called Mr Whisper. As Batman investigates, he finds out this Mr Whisper, a man without a shadow, may be something more peculiar than the Penguin, more curious than Catwoman, something altogether more... gothic.
With allusions to the Faust legends and Matthew Lewis' classic novel, The Monk, this is a graphic novel that stands out for the strength of its literary illusions, taking the Bat from his usual superhero habitat and putting the Goth firmly back in Gotham.
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?Batman is dead and every one of his friends and foes has gathered in Crime Alley for his wake. And so has Batman. With a ghostly guide for company, Batman watches as various stories are given as to how he died. But which is the real one? Or is he even dead?
As strange and as lyrical as anything Neil Gaiman writes, this was intended to be a bookend for all the different versions of the Batman across the ages. Rather than pitting the Bat against a scheming villain, this sees Batman face up to his own subconscious, or maybe its something else. As a touching testament to the endurance of the World's Greatest Detective, WHTTCC? cannot be beaten. Much like the Dark Knight himself.
Batman: The Killing JokeThe Joker is far and wide the greatest comic book villain, a raging lunatic who's popularity has sustained as long as the Batman's own. As you would expect for such a popular character, he's featured in dozens of strips over the years but Alan Moore's The Killing Joke is certainly the definitive Joker story.
Detailing the two-sides-of-the-same-coin nature of Batman and his arch-enemy like never before, Killing Joke gives us a potential origin for the clown (but even the man himself isn't sure if its real), his most despicable crime (poor Barbara Gordon...) and the only time he's ever made Batman laugh (what does that ending mean?). An influence on both Nicholson's and Ledger's portrayals of the character, this is a deeply psychological, often grisly, look at what makes the usually-unfathomable Joker tick.
Batman: The Long HalloweenThe Long Halloween is most probably my favourite story in a Batman comic. A proper whodunnit, it spans a year-long investigation of the serial killer known as 'Holiday' by the triumvirate of Batman, Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. As that name may have suggested, aside from an engaging mystery featuring appearances from all your favourite Bat-villains, TLH also details the fall of Harvey Dent and his transformation into Two-Face, one of the most interesting of Batman's rogues gallery. An expert blend of classic Hollywood film noirs and traditional Batman detective work, this is actually a sequel of sorts to another Batman storyline. I wonder which one...?
Batman: Year OneWhile it may be sacrilegious not to include Frank Miller's seminal graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns in a 'Best Batman stories' list... it's what I've gone and done! As previously stated, while TDKR is undoubtedly an impressive piece of work, an ultra-violent, tank-driving version of the Caped Crusader is just not my preferred idea of the character. Conversely, the quality of Miller's follow-up Batman: Year One, which details how the Batman came to be, is much harder to argue with. In a Gotham corrupt to its core, Year One follows its two true heroes, the fledgling Batman and rising cop James Gordon, as they attempt to clear up their beloved city, eventually coming together in an alliance. Year One is a perfect summation of what makes Batman so enticing a character; due to his terrible past, Bruce Wayne gives his life to guarding over the people of Gotham City. It's not just an act of pure vengeance but a dedication to a bigger purpose. Unlike many of his comic counterparts, Batman shows you don't need to be super to be a hero.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Monthly Scribbles: The Adventure of the Three Sherlocks and Capaldi's Coat
Welcome to a new series of posts on my blog: Monthly Scribbles! If that positively prosaic title was not clear enough for you, starting from this month I will write a round-up of, in Charlie Brooker's words, things that have been happening. Things like news bits and pieces and mini-reviews of things I've consumed within the month. Things like this:
Right at the beginning of January - if you can remember that far back - the stupendous Sherlock returned to our screens for a new run of three movie-sized adventures. Hyped for the two years since it's last series more than any other television show, it was feared that the result would not have been worth the wait. In the end, Series Three seems to have divided people far more so than the previous two, with many not being won over by its emphasis on character and humour as opposed to mysteries. Myself, while it did not quite reach the heights of the second series, Series Three was a fantastic run of television, with the definite highlight being 'His Last Vow' which saw the show at its most exciting, daring best. You can read my reviews of the episodes here or have a look at my favourite moments of the series over on Whatculture.
There was much talk about Series Four (which, as well as Series Five, Moffat and Gatiss apparently have all planned out) being broadcast at Christmas time but co-creator Steven Moffat has since said that seems rather unlikely. Personally, I don't mind waiting a while as long as the show is as good as it can be. Plus, this will be back in a few months...
The Clothes of the Doctor!Doctor Who fans everywhere went wild the other day when Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi's costume materialised in our dimension. Capaldi said on the costume: 'No frills, no scarf, no messing. Just 100% rebel Time Lord!'
There's a lot of fun to be had picking out the various inspirations from different Doctors. The lack of tie evokes Eccleston's laid-back style, the cardigan under the coat is similar to the Doctor's previous penchant for waistcoats (see Numbers Four, Six, Eighth and Eleven) while the coat itself has more than a whiff of the stylings of Pertwee, thanks to the red lining.
At this stage, though he does look dapper, I've yet to think of Capaldi as the Doctor but that'll surely change soon as filming of Series Eight is already under way. Not much has been revealed yet - plus I'm actively avoiding spoilers - but we do know that the first episode will return to the familiar Victorian setting of recent years as the new Doctor and Clara team-up once again with the Paternoster Gang. Take a look at some spoiler-free snaps below:
Doctor Who Series Eight is expected to air in either August or September. What to do until then? Well, there's always old stuff to read and watch...
The Simpsons (Season Three)In the wake of great new TV, I thought I'd re-watch a classic. I'm less familiar with The Simpsons' first few series, preferring the middle years of the 90s, but I'm thoroughly enjoying this season. Despite being three years in, the show was still finding its feet, with several characters not having developed their own personalities yet - for instance the endearingly dumb Ralph is often portrayed as an ordinary child - however, many episodes are real gems. 'Flaming Moe's' provides the groundwork for Moe, an up-to-then unimportant side character, while 'Lisa's Pony' must surely be one of the series' funniest ever episodes. As well as humour, the series also has that strong heart present in the show in the 90s which was sadly slowly replaced with cartoonish antics. Even now, The Simpsons isn't a bad way to spend half an hour but its good to look at its past to remember how good it once was.
For the last few months, I've been gradually working my way through Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics, the stories that made him famous. Focussing on the Sandman, Morpheus, the maker of dreams, it encompasses a vast range of myths and legends and literature and history all weaved together with Gaiman's consummate panache.
While I enjoyed the first two volumes - Preludes and Nocturnes and The Doll's House - they struck me as the work of a young writer still feeling his way around. However, with the four separate stories in this third volume, Gaiman seems on much surer footing. The rightly-lauded 'Midsummer Night's Dream', which sees Shakespeare give the first performance of his play to an audience of the real Titania and Oberon and their fairies, is a triumph of comic storytelling while 'A Dream of a Thousand Cats' is a surprising and quirky tale of the true story of felinekind. If it is not to bold a claim, I think it's the defining story about cats ever written. Purrrfect, you might say, if you were a 1960s Catwoman.
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Doctor Who's Greatest Moments - Part Five: The 10s (So Far)
In 2010, The Doctor regenerated. Usually on such occasions, viewers are eased through the change in the knowledge that even with a new Doctor, they are watching the same show. However, this time, Doctor Who itself regenerated. In as big a change as when the show returned to TV screens five years previously, it had an entirely fresh cast, headed by rising stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, and a all-new production team, led by newly-appointed head writer Steven Moffat. Anyone expecting this new incarnation of the show to continue on with Russell T Davies' Earth-rooted, often-angsty, 'proper drama' approach was in for a shock; Doctor Who was once again proud of its sci-fi status, with the stories becoming increasingly fantastical, and also its own history. The First Doctor's image can be seen a number of seven times in Series 5 alone, fact fans. In short, the Doctor Who of the 2010s (so far) has been 100% Doctor Who featuring some of the strongest characters and stories the show has ever seen. And, of course, some of its greatest moments...
10.Goodbye Idris - The Doctor's Wife
Regular readers of this blog will know of my love for Neil Gaiman's The Doctor's Wife so it was bound to feature in here somewhere. The most affecting scene of the episode comes at its close when Idris, the Doctor's TARDIS trapped in a human body (yes, you read that right), is dying. This scene could have easily been over-egged but Idris' last words paired with Matt Smith breaking down get this blogger every time. 'Hello Doctor, it was so very nice to meet you.' Oh, here I go again....
9. Which day would you choose? - A Christmas Carol
As if you needed more evidence that 2010s Who could do sad well no.9 goes to a touching scene from the triumphant 'A Christmas Carol'. Miserly Kazran Sardick has been keeping his dying love frozen in a box for decades, never releasing her knowing that they can spend but one more day together. This scene, and the episode as a whole, perfectly capture that Christmas sentimentality that you find in festive films such as It's a Wonderful Life, making this Who's finest Christmas special. Along with the scene above (although she was the TARDIS), this moment proves that Doctor Who even creates supporting one-off characters that break our hearts.
8. River's reveal - A Good Man Goes To War
However, this era of the show is far from just about sobbing, on the contrary, it has become known for its timey-wimey plotting - and it doesn't come any timeier-wimier than the story of River Song. Finally, after the unsuccessful Battle of Demons Run, Amy and Rory (not to mention us) find out who the mysterious Dr Song is; Melody Pond, their daughter. It's a fantastic reveal, being one of those 'spanner-in-the-works' moments that Doctor Who (and particularly this version of it) can do so well. The moment of River's reveal perfectly captures the sense of the roller coaster that watching Doctor Who is; you might not know where it'll take you but you know it's going to be one hell of a ride.
7. Clara was born to save the Doctor - The Name of the Doctor
As mentioned above, 2010s Who is very aware of its past, with references to all eras of the show appearing all over the shop. This reached its pinnacle in the opening few minutes of the Series 7 finale when the Doctor's companion, Clara, was seen bumping into every Doctor. Including, most excitingly, the First Doctor on Gallifrey at the very moment he ran away to see the stars. The contemporary series is the only incarnation of the show that would ever do something as audacious as literally delving into its own history in such a way and also putting on screen such a significant part of the Doctor's origins. Moments like this encourage us to remember that Doctor Who isn't just a television series that we like watching on Saturday teatimes, it's a continuing legend that's been running for half a century.
6. The Pandorica speech - The Pandorica Opens
The Eleventh Doctor is good at speeches. And, at Stonehenge, in front of a legion of Romans, he delivered a belter. Every villain or monster he has ever faced has gathered in the skies for the Pandorica, an ancient mythical prison buried beneath the Henge. To stop all out war breaking out, the Doctor reminds them who is guarding it. 'Remember every black day I ever stopped you,' he says. 'And then - AND THEN - do the smart thing - let somebody else try first.' It's a bravura scene showcasing the fear the Doctor distills in his enemies, something not too well-explored at this point but has since become a running plot point (it was why he wiped his name from the universe, after all). Making the assembled horrors of the universe run away; the Eleventh Doctor is definitely good at speeches.
5. Lake Silencio - The Impossible Astronaut
Once upon a time, Doctor Who season openers would feature babies made of fat or fun, frothy stories about body-swapping. Not anymore. Ten minutes into Series 6, millions of viewers were gobsmacked when, at a picnic in Utah, an impossible astronaut rose from the lake and killed the Doctor, stone dead. With out any breathing room, this shock plunges you into the heady mix of intrigue, questions and twists that is Series 6 with terrific assuredness and a true cinematic feel thanks to the overseas filming. Doctor Who nowadays doesn't just expect you to be in the room when its on, it wants you to be glued to the screen.
4. Touched by an Angel - The Angels Take Manhattan
The longest-running companions of the post-2005 series, Amy and Rory, bowed out from the show when, after an exhausting adventure with the Weeping Angels, they met a solitary angel in a graveyard who sent them back in time. Amy's heartbreak at losing her husband, meaning she is willing to leave behind all of time and space, and her best friend to be reunited with him, answers the big question of their relationship since their introduction; Amy really does love Rory as much as he loves her. Particularly due to the performances of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan (for my money, the greatest Doctor-companion pairing we've ever seen) this is one of the saddest companion exits.
3. 'A pile of good things and bad things' - Vincent and the Doctor
As already seen, as well as the big attention-grabbing moments, the series can still do quiet reflections better than anybody. After revealing to Vincent Van Gogh that he will be adored, Amy returns to her time hoping to find that they saved Van Gogh from killing himself. At finding out otherwise, Amy breaks down but the Doctor reminds her that they did do some good. 'Every life is a pile of good things and bad things,' he tells her. 'The good things don't often soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don't always spoil the bad things or make them unimportant.' Written by the versatile Richard Curtis, this episode deals with a troubled lonely man rather than alien invasions and in this moment talks philosophically about life in a way that would not alienate children.They say Doctor Who is a kid's show yet I guarantee very few post-watershed shows would feature a moment quite as mature as this one.
2. 'Raggedy Man, Goodnight' - The Time of the Doctor
Granted a new regeneration cycle by the Time Lords, the Eleventh (or should that be Thirteenth?) Doctor is dying. But before he goes, he has time to reflect on the nature of change. 'We're all different people all through our lives,' says the Doctor. 'And that's OK... so long as you remember all the people you used to be...' Now this one was always going to be tear-jerking but Steven Moffat really pulls out all the stops to make sure we're blubbing all the way through our mince pies. The Doctor's brave speech of acceptance PLUS the dream of Amelia telling him goodnight PLUS the bow tie dropping to the floor are all sad individually but put together and topped off with Matt Smith crying (surely no sadder sight exists) produce possibly the most heart-rendering regeneration that would make even a Cyberman weep. Yet in a flash, a silver-haired man is making you laugh by talking about kidneys. That's Doctor Who.
1. The Doctors Save Gallifrey - The Day of the Doctor
Regular readers of this blog will know of my love for Neil Gaiman's The Doctor's Wife so it was bound to feature in here somewhere. The most affecting scene of the episode comes at its close when Idris, the Doctor's TARDIS trapped in a human body (yes, you read that right), is dying. This scene could have easily been over-egged but Idris' last words paired with Matt Smith breaking down get this blogger every time. 'Hello Doctor, it was so very nice to meet you.' Oh, here I go again....
As if you needed more evidence that 2010s Who could do sad well no.9 goes to a touching scene from the triumphant 'A Christmas Carol'. Miserly Kazran Sardick has been keeping his dying love frozen in a box for decades, never releasing her knowing that they can spend but one more day together. This scene, and the episode as a whole, perfectly capture that Christmas sentimentality that you find in festive films such as It's a Wonderful Life, making this Who's finest Christmas special. Along with the scene above (although she was the TARDIS), this moment proves that Doctor Who even creates supporting one-off characters that break our hearts.
However, this era of the show is far from just about sobbing, on the contrary, it has become known for its timey-wimey plotting - and it doesn't come any timeier-wimier than the story of River Song. Finally, after the unsuccessful Battle of Demons Run, Amy and Rory (not to mention us) find out who the mysterious Dr Song is; Melody Pond, their daughter. It's a fantastic reveal, being one of those 'spanner-in-the-works' moments that Doctor Who (and particularly this version of it) can do so well. The moment of River's reveal perfectly captures the sense of the roller coaster that watching Doctor Who is; you might not know where it'll take you but you know it's going to be one hell of a ride.
7. Clara was born to save the Doctor - The Name of the DoctorAs mentioned above, 2010s Who is very aware of its past, with references to all eras of the show appearing all over the shop. This reached its pinnacle in the opening few minutes of the Series 7 finale when the Doctor's companion, Clara, was seen bumping into every Doctor. Including, most excitingly, the First Doctor on Gallifrey at the very moment he ran away to see the stars. The contemporary series is the only incarnation of the show that would ever do something as audacious as literally delving into its own history in such a way and also putting on screen such a significant part of the Doctor's origins. Moments like this encourage us to remember that Doctor Who isn't just a television series that we like watching on Saturday teatimes, it's a continuing legend that's been running for half a century.
The Eleventh Doctor is good at speeches. And, at Stonehenge, in front of a legion of Romans, he delivered a belter. Every villain or monster he has ever faced has gathered in the skies for the Pandorica, an ancient mythical prison buried beneath the Henge. To stop all out war breaking out, the Doctor reminds them who is guarding it. 'Remember every black day I ever stopped you,' he says. 'And then - AND THEN - do the smart thing - let somebody else try first.' It's a bravura scene showcasing the fear the Doctor distills in his enemies, something not too well-explored at this point but has since become a running plot point (it was why he wiped his name from the universe, after all). Making the assembled horrors of the universe run away; the Eleventh Doctor is definitely good at speeches.
Once upon a time, Doctor Who season openers would feature babies made of fat or fun, frothy stories about body-swapping. Not anymore. Ten minutes into Series 6, millions of viewers were gobsmacked when, at a picnic in Utah, an impossible astronaut rose from the lake and killed the Doctor, stone dead. With out any breathing room, this shock plunges you into the heady mix of intrigue, questions and twists that is Series 6 with terrific assuredness and a true cinematic feel thanks to the overseas filming. Doctor Who nowadays doesn't just expect you to be in the room when its on, it wants you to be glued to the screen.
The longest-running companions of the post-2005 series, Amy and Rory, bowed out from the show when, after an exhausting adventure with the Weeping Angels, they met a solitary angel in a graveyard who sent them back in time. Amy's heartbreak at losing her husband, meaning she is willing to leave behind all of time and space, and her best friend to be reunited with him, answers the big question of their relationship since their introduction; Amy really does love Rory as much as he loves her. Particularly due to the performances of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan (for my money, the greatest Doctor-companion pairing we've ever seen) this is one of the saddest companion exits.
As already seen, as well as the big attention-grabbing moments, the series can still do quiet reflections better than anybody. After revealing to Vincent Van Gogh that he will be adored, Amy returns to her time hoping to find that they saved Van Gogh from killing himself. At finding out otherwise, Amy breaks down but the Doctor reminds her that they did do some good. 'Every life is a pile of good things and bad things,' he tells her. 'The good things don't often soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don't always spoil the bad things or make them unimportant.' Written by the versatile Richard Curtis, this episode deals with a troubled lonely man rather than alien invasions and in this moment talks philosophically about life in a way that would not alienate children.They say Doctor Who is a kid's show yet I guarantee very few post-watershed shows would feature a moment quite as mature as this one.
Granted a new regeneration cycle by the Time Lords, the Eleventh (or should that be Thirteenth?) Doctor is dying. But before he goes, he has time to reflect on the nature of change. 'We're all different people all through our lives,' says the Doctor. 'And that's OK... so long as you remember all the people you used to be...' Now this one was always going to be tear-jerking but Steven Moffat really pulls out all the stops to make sure we're blubbing all the way through our mince pies. The Doctor's brave speech of acceptance PLUS the dream of Amelia telling him goodnight PLUS the bow tie dropping to the floor are all sad individually but put together and topped off with Matt Smith crying (surely no sadder sight exists) produce possibly the most heart-rendering regeneration that would make even a Cyberman weep. Yet in a flash, a silver-haired man is making you laugh by talking about kidneys. That's Doctor Who.
Many moments from the past four years could have made number one. The reunion of Rory with an older Amy in 'The Girl Who Waited'? The hilarity of the mismatched Doctor and Craig from 'The Lodger'? The Doctor's tale of the TARDIS at Amelia's bedside in 'The Big Bang'? However, the top spot had to go to this scene from the spectacular 50th anniversary special from last month; what could be better than all the Doctor's working together to save the most important day in all of their lives?
To save himself from destroying Gallifrey, all twelve of the Doctor's incarnations (no, all thirteen!) team up to save his home world from the might of the Daleks and shunt it into another universe. With all of his guilt relieved, the Doctor has a new goal. He is not running away from Gallifrey, as before, but running towards it. A celebration of fifty years of Doctor Who, intervening into its own past, taking the show in a brand new direction as well as carrying an emotional weight, this scene literally has it all.
Just like the moments in 60s Doctor Who inspired Steven Moffat and Russel T Davies to grow up and write for the show, maybe this moment and the preceding nine will enthuse a whole new generation of fans. Doctor Who is the reason for its own longevity simply because, although it constantly changes, as this series of posts show, in whatever incarnation it is in, Doctor Who is always supreme television delivering moments of drama, pathos and, most importantly, fun. And as long as its keeps on doing that, there's no reason it should stop.
Just like the moments in 60s Doctor Who inspired Steven Moffat and Russel T Davies to grow up and write for the show, maybe this moment and the preceding nine will enthuse a whole new generation of fans. Doctor Who is the reason for its own longevity simply because, although it constantly changes, as this series of posts show, in whatever incarnation it is in, Doctor Who is always supreme television delivering moments of drama, pathos and, most importantly, fun. And as long as its keeps on doing that, there's no reason it should stop.
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