Anne Rice and Westeros

My fave author, Anne Rice, referenced Game of Thrones in the recent LA talks with her son Christopher, during the promotion of her latest book in the Vampire Chronicles, Prince Lestat. In the talk, she replied to Christopher's question that generally books like Harry Potter, Vampire Chronicles, the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larssen, tap into some general struggle or journey and that without it, there is not much "meat" for the story to latch on to and thus not make it engaging for readers. Anne said that generally that is true but Game of Thrones broke the mold for having a singular hero undergoing a journey. She said that because the hero whom we thought to be in Book 1/Season 1 was apparently not. I wonder though, if Ned Stark, is George RR Martin's statement on idealism? That it's risky to be seeing life through rose colored glasses in this cynical and practical and at times, user-friendly world that we live in.

Truly Ned for all his faults as a king, was honorable and perhaps even faultless in the eyes of his supporters. And that whatever information he withheld or altered to suit the need for secrecy concerning Jon Snow's true lineage is definitely something he needed to do. I wonder too if in this day and age, Idealism is dead. Has everyone started to become jaded about everything and everyone else. And anyone who holds that kind of thinking or viewpoint will ultimately be sacrificed and thrown into the fire, because for the sole reason that what the majority wants and deems right and proper, matter. That the majority always would rule. And anyone who is not conforming to that should be silenced or learn to keep their views to themselves. Anything else is fodder.

What do you think?

Sharing the video clip of that talk too here. Enjoy and keep writing.

Catching up on Fury's Big Week - Avenger's Prelude

I usually stay away from prequel stories leading into the cinematic versions but given that this copy was on sale, I figured why the heck not. Plus this is all about Fury and all the background scenario that happens from Iron Man 2 up to the beginning of the Avengers.

All this is told from Fury's point of view, from monitoring the progress of Tony Stark following his offer about the Avengers Initiative at the end of Iron Man to Stark's drunken fit from his condo in Iron Man 2 to the recruitment of Clint Barton, aka. Hawkeye in Thor as well as Natasha Romanov's confrontation of Dr. Samuel Sterns in his lab in Hulk 2 after Banner storms thru the streets of New York battling the abomination General Ross has created.

As not everything can be told or divulged in the movie versions or even in the bonus scenes, the comics are the best medium to provide additional material that will complement and enhance once's knowledge of the Marvel cinematic Universe and equally provide a little more character insight into our favorite heroes.

Fury has got his hands full with keeping the peace in different situations that stem from one Marvel movie to another and he doesn't need a man like General Ross on his hands either who remarked the best line of this graphic novel for me.

Ross - "The World needs people like us Fury. I'm out on the battlefield killing our enemies and you're safe behind a wall protecting all the secrets that everyday citizens can't handle. You're the SHIELD and I'm the SWORD."

Fury - "You're not sharp enough to be a SWORD, General."

This may be an Avengers Prequel graphic novel but most of the solo films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are a way of building up to the Avengers itself and so its only natural that the flow of 4-issue graphic novel be of the same vein.

So is there Continuity in this graphic novel? YES

Is there a fair amount of exposition for our characters? YES

Do other secondary but equally important characters like Coulson, Sitwell, Selvig and others make an apperance? YES

Should you at least borrow or get a copy?...........(in full FURY mode) ....Hell YEAH!

Winter Soldier 4: The Electric Ghost

What a fortuitous event to have found this at Book Sale yesterday after coming out of the cinema following my first day viewing of Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier.

While the movie deserves more than a two thumbs up and certainly ups the ante for Marvel in terms of their Cinematic Universe, reading this volume as a part of a bigger and collective work pertaining to the ever unfolding events of the Winter Soldier himself, make me regard the book as something that is best read in its entirety along with the other volumes. This being Volume 4, after all and collects Issues 15-19. This then had me for a mad scramble to look for the first 3 volumes.

Hope other Book Sale branches would have them. Wish me luck.

This 4th volume marks the departure of Ed Brubaker from the creative team and has Jason Latour at the helm. Reading this certainly makes me even more curious for the other compilations and henceforth with this volume, I will certainly be on the lookout for more. Winter Soldier, or he who I will not name (don't want to spoil Muggles), has gone thru a lot and I wait for more compilations to turn up to further enhance my history of this tragic and broken character.

Redemption is indeed possible. That is is if one is aware on how to tread the road for it and if one is brave enough to get on it.

And while you are at it, go catch the Winter Soldier currently playing in local theaters now. Let's see if this whets your appetite for curiosity. :)



If you're happy with that, here's the official first 4 minute preview. Then we talk. :)

Welcome to the Diabolical

Another brilliant addition to my TRESE collection from the master, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. Filipino urban fantasy, dark noir at its best.

If you have not read any volumes of TRESE, this could be a good way to start as the original prequel of a story, "One Last Drink at the Diabolical" is included. But if you already are familiar and love TRESE, the Kambal and those back stories what we never gotten around to read about, then this first compilation is for you; or rather for us.

My fave story in this Volume is "The Usual Spot". The senti and hopeless romantic in me is so touched by this story and makes me wonder if Master Budjette foresees a love angle for our beloved heroine in the near future? And since this is the first collection, I am hoping for more back stories involving TRESE and her sidekicks, the Kambal as supernatural protector of the city.

But for now, you gotta get this and add to your TRESE collection. Or better yet. Read them all again. :)

ARROW- Year One

Although I'm not a fan of the art but definitely great writing by Andy Diggle. I wonder if the Diggle character in the series Arrow is purposely named to pay homage to this writer, but nonetheless a little different from the origin story we've seen played out over the CW.

Oliver Queen still is the same spoiled rich kid who finds himself betrayed and left for dead after being thrown overboard his own ship. He washes up on an island and it is here where his mettle is tested and is faced with the hard truth about life, survival and friendship. If you have not watched the tv series, I suggest you do ASAP after reading this or let the series supplement what you would discover about Ollie upon reading this reworked origin story.

He may be not my favorite DC character, but ya gotta admit, it does have heart. And that matters much when you wanna be pulled into reading something of value and substance.