Lex Thatcher's Comic and Literature Reviews

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Published in September 2005, and recommended to me repeatedly since 2006 I have finally come around to reading this book. 15, almost 16-year-old Liz Hall wakes suddenly on a boat in the middle of nowhere only to discover that she has died in a bicycle accident when a taxi cab made a hit and run. She soon arrives at Elsewhere with her other shipmates, where she meets up with the grandmother she never knew, who, curiously, looks a lot like her mother. She is told that everyone is Elsewhere ages backward and when she becomes just 7 days old she will be sent down the river, (literally) to be born again as a baby on Earth.

Outraged that she will never grow up to live a real adult life Liz must learn to cope with her new surroundings and make the most of her 15, almost 16 years of death.

This book was inspired, insightful, and carries a great outlook on life, (and death) for the teen reader.

 I Killed Adolf Hitler by Jason

The story of a hitman who is commissioned to go back in time and kill Adolf Hitler. Upon his return with the body, it seems Hitler did not in fact die, but took a bullet through a copy of Mien Kampf he had been keeping in his breast pocket, (talk about struggle! Ok.. I'll nix the history jokes.) In turn, our hitman is to find Hitler in a new century where world war II never happened.

The plot sounds good, but over all it's pretty lackluster on the page.

 Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Let me first say that I will be reviewing a lot of YA and J books in the next few months due to a workshop.

This is possibly the first time that I've really felt connected with a character. Deanna was thirteen when her father caught her in the backseat of her brother's best friend's car with seventeen-year old Tommy Webber. The following day Tommy had made the entire incident into a joke. It would be one that follows Deanna through her high school career branding her as the school slut, even if Tommy was the only man she'd ever been with. By her sophomore year, Deanna only has a handful of people she can count on: her brother, Darren and his girlfriend, Stacy, and her two best friends Jason and Lee. Her father still cannot look at her through the shame, and her mother makes excuses for him.

When Deanna decides to get a summer job so that she can move out with Darren and Stacy, and their new baby, April, Deanna is once again confronted with Tommy's presence. Her gig at the local pizza parlor forces them to remain in sometimes overly tight quarters. But at least her boss, Michael, a middle-aged gay man, seems nice enough and willing to keep an eye out got her. 

Deanna is also conflicted by her best friends' relationship. Lee is pure and sweet in that way that Deanna will never be seen as again, and Jason is, well, would have been, the perfect guy to have lose her virginity to -- to make her feel safe and warm and secure. 

This novel is the exception to a generation of literature. Most Young Adult titles have a central focus and rarely break focus from that point, however, Zarr skillfully crafts a young girl's conflicting emotions on every aspect of being true to yourself and overcoming, and facing your own mistakes and hardships. Really, a great read.

 Wonder Woman: Love and Murder

Jodi Picoult, Wonder Woman

   This was really a quick, and amusing read. It deals with, like most novels intended for young adults, the tumescent obstacles that high school life demands one, especially as one who doesn't quite fit in, must endure. The characters are endearing, and realistic. The only stipulation for everyday readers, is that it is much easier to empathize with, and fully understand the characters if you have a very basic knowledge of comicbooks, or thier writers. Neil Gaiman ( www.neilgaiman.com ) and Brian Michael Bendis ( http://www.myspace.com/brianmichaelbendis ) are both referenced frequently. Over all enjoyable.

Cover Art from www.fanboyandgothgirl.com

 Batman: Thrillkiller Writer: Howard Chatkin Penciller: Dan Bereton

It is 1961. JFK is in the White House, Elvis just left the military and the Beatles aren't famous. The Dynamic Duo of Gotham is Batgirl and Robin. That's right. Brabara Gordon and Dick Grayson. Detective Bruce Wayne, (whose parents were killed for a few dollars by thier butlers, and who lives alone in an apartment after selling stately Wayne Manor to Babs.) is assigned to reveal the identities of these masked trouble-makers and have them imprisioned. It's an interesting story, which a strange twist ending. I'm not sure if Barabra being the leader is a femenist view, or just happens that way because she has monetary power. 

Either way, Gotham fans should read it.

  Superman/Shazam! : First Thunder Writer: Judd Winick Penciller: Joshua Middleton

Ok, I am not a fan of Superman and I don't know what made me pick up this particular trade, but I did and it is only fair to review it.

I think the reason that I don't like Superman is that he's too extraordinary. He is a child's hero. I suppose that's why this story flew. Captain Marvel's reality is the life of a homeless young (11 or 12 year old) boy with powers bestowed upon him with the utterance of a single word, "Shazam." More or less, the two team up, not knowing secret identities, (I trust you all know Superman is really Clark Kent, an alien who works as a journalist for the Daily Planet; if not, I just told you.) Captain Marvel does some cute hero-worship, and then tragedy hits, and resolves in understanding.

An okay read for a rainy day, but not worth $12.99

The Abstinence Teacher: a novel by John Perrotta

 Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

This is probably the first piece of fiction, much less a thriller, that I've been addicted to in a few years. This series is the inspiration for the Showtime drama Dexter; Darkly Dreaming Dexter, is in fact the basis for the entire first season.

Dexter Morgan works for Miami P.D. as a blood splatter analyst, despite his revolution for blood and his complusive casual side-job of being a serial killer. He was raised by his foster-father, Harry; an accepting man who knew Dexter for the lovable monster that he is -- if he has a heart, it would surely be made of gold -- and taught him a Code to control his killings, and not to get caught in a way that only a cop could. Dexter's foster-sister, Deborah, is very much in the dark about Dexter's homicidal hobby, but also works for Miami Police, like her father. When a series of murders occur Deborah sees this as her big break to make the jump from Vice to Homicide, with the help of her brother's uncanny "hunches" for this "type of thing." Dexter, however, is enamored with this new killer's work, and is quite in awe.  As the case unfolds, more is revealed than just the mysterious killer's identity, but how Dexter came to be the sympathetic sociopath that he is.

And when you've ravaged this book, and you're longing for the thrill of yet another kill, go pick up the sequel, Dearly Devoted Dexter!

Coverart provided by wikipedia.org

**NEW** Dexter in the Dark, the third in Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series, is now available in hardcover!

 

  Batman: Year One Writer: Frank Miller; Penciller: David Mazzucchelli

   Nightwing: Year One Writer: Chuck Dixon; Penciller: Scott BeattyAs a Dick Grayson/Nightwing fan-girl, I really do feel ashamed that I hadn’t taken the time to read this before. I suppose I thought that you learn so much from other fans and keeping up the with currents, what with all of the flash-backs and “remember when’s” that I didn’t really need it. I knew why Grayson left the wing of the Caped Crusader, and I knew his family roots. I knew how Jason Todd got his position. But I had never really read it; never taken the time to experience it like it was happening for the first time. That’s something that should never be taken for granted; it’s like never reading Romeo and Juliet because you saw the version with Leonardo DiCaprio. There’s not much to say, really. As you can probably guess it is the ‘origin story’ of Nightwing. From Bats firing him and training Jason Todd all the way to full acceptance of his new lifestyle. Naturally, there’s some Babs Gordan goodness in there too, as some examples of Alfred at his best. (How old is he now, anyway?)

   Batman and Son Writer: Grant Morrison; Penciller: Andy Kubert

  X-men: Bizarre Love Triangle Writer: Peter Milligan; Penciller: Salvador Larroca

  The Dead Guy Interviews: Conversations with 45 of the Most Accomplished, Notorious, and Deceased Personalities in History by Michael A. Stusser

This is truly a book of the ages, and perfect for both history majors as well as those who loathe the subject! Michael Stusser provides humorous theoretical interviews with various figures from beyond the grave, with a very Mel Brooks feel. Some of the interviewees include Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Buddha, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Catherine the Great, Sigmund Freud, Crazy Horse and Isadora Duncan. Stusser covers all of the questions that you may have wanted to ask these familiar names in modern terms -- that's right! These minds, dead as they may be, are all up on the current lingo. it is also made clear, that different as times may have been there were always personality flaws, and most certainly sex! (Oh, was there sex!) This book is truly hysterical; great for a dismal day that needs a new form of enlightenment!

The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket

As a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events I felt obligated to read this as well. If you have not yet read the Series, and intend to I advise you to stop reading now, as there may be PLOT SPOILERS. Reading The Beatrice Letters is by no means imperative to the Series, however it does allow you into a world of further communication methods and examples used by V.F.D. (A secret organization within the Series.) If you enjoyed Lemony's other work, I advise this, although the author would most certainly not.

Cover Art courtesy of amazon.com

OUT of SYNC: A Memoir by Lance Bass

Before I begin my review of this tedious, nearly unreadable work, let me take a moment to explain that I have nothing against boybands, astronauts or homosexuals. I still have all of my Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC CDs, and have been to and lead many meetings for the gay rights movements. I have no proof of my approval of deep space aeronautics, so you'll just have to take my word.

I will make this brief. What makes best-selling autobiographies actually sell is authenticity of emotions. Lance Bass makes his life very difficult to empathize with. Perhaps because he has done so much, in so different fields, it's near impossible. A pop star, and an astronaut, does not make him a writer. Perhaps, he should have left it to someone else. Countless interviews and a good author could have salvaged his story, probably. I am sorry Lance, but I would NOT buy this book or even attempt to reread the melodrama and whining within.

Cover Art provided by Amazon.com

My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith by Kevin Smith 

Writer and Director of films such as Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Mallrats, and Jersey Girl expresses his day-to-day life on a world-wide accessible blog (http://www.silentbobspeaks.com) so that his daughter Harley, (named after DC Comic's Harley Quinn) may have something to look back on and feel proud of her father, dick and fart joke-laden films aside.  You may have been chided against iconoclastic notions before with a statement of "remember, everyone gets up and pisses in the morning, even (insert famous idol here.)" or something of the like. Smith won't let you forget, I promise, as each entry generally starts with a notion of how he was awoken and the bathroom procedures to follow. But it's not all about that, don't be deceived; he also allows the reader entrance into his family life, and extended family of close co-workers such as Jason Mewes, (Jay, of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) Jason Lee, (Earl, of My Name is Earl) and other big-name encounters like Zach Braff of Scrubs. Covering everything from Mewes' recovery from addiction, to the recantation of his first shared 'fuck' with his wife, Kevin Smith's Diary-blog is intimate and entertaining in an honest sense; however, I advise any readers to remember that upon original publication via the world-wide-web, these entries were intended for stand-alone pieces, so reading many at a time may seem redundant and tedious. 

Cover Art courtesy of Amazon.com

Before I Die by Jenny Downham 

Tessa is a sixteen-year old girl with the wants and needs of any other. She wants to experience the excitement of travel, sex, drugs, and illegal activity; the only thing that segregates Tessa from her peers is the time she has to accomplish all of this. Suffering from leukemia, Tess has only months to live and achieve all that she wants to from her short-life. Not only is she faced with this terminal-sentence, but her friends and family who don't always seem to understand what she needs to complete herself.

Jenny Downham offers us a beautifully written and well-paced Young Adult piece of fiction for her first novel, with characters that are easy to empathize with. A wonderful portrayal of a young woman's vacillating emotions towards her own life and death.

Cover Art courtesy of Amazon.com