Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Asterios Polyp is a graphic novel that tackles some deep topics through the eyes of its eclectic main character. The book was written and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli and published by Pantheon Books. It was released in 2009.

Asterios Polyp has interior art that is comprised of only yellow, pink, purple, and blue shades. The cover has some black but it is predominately in the same color palette. The book is 10.5” x 8” in size and is 344 pages in length. I am reviewing a hardcover copy that I bought from Lee’s Comics in San Mateo.

-== What I Like ==-

The main story is comprised of deep layered topics which are explored through the life and beliefs of the main character, Asterios Polyp. Some of the major topics covered in the story include fate, death, art, and love. In each case Asterios brings light to these in his own analytically minded fashion.

Asterios Polyp is wonderfully intricate in its simplicity. The story is told through several threads that start and stop at various points in his life. After having described the narrative as jumping around through time you might think that this would make the book hard to read. In fact the narrative is so masterfully crafted that instead it feels fluid and natural.

Everything about the story, artwork, AND physical presentation of Asterios Polyp has meaning. in 344 pages there are no wasted panels. The way the scenes are drawn evokes Asterios’ state of mind at the time. For example, when someone is upset or fearful they may take on a shaky sort of outline. The dust jacket has Asterios Polyp on front cover facing the spine. On the back cover of the jacket is the ghost of his brother staring back across the spine. Also the dust jacket does not cover the front surface of the book. It leaves parts of the cover exposed which allows it to move around in a sort of disconcerting way. For some reason even the ill fitting cover reminded me of Asterios.

Asterios Polyp has many memorable moments which I can vividly recall months after reading it. The initial pages and last few pages are really memorable. These pages hook you into the story, make you read it to the end, then really makes you want to go back and revisit those moments with a reread.

The artwork in Asterios Polyp is comprised of simple lines with little shading but it is executed to perfection. I would stare at the simple lines trying to divulge some deeper meaning. It reminded me of the story…intricate in its simplicity.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

Maybe my only complaint is that the story can be a bit “heavy” at times. If you want a quick read where you can turn your brain off at the door this is not the book you want to pickup.

-== Summary ==-

With Asterios Polyp David Mazzucchelli weaves a masterful tale that is detailed and utterly unforgettable. I need to give credit where credit is due. I found this graphic novel based on a recommendation from Blair Butler who hosts G4′s Fresh Ink. Here is a link to the video review that tipped me off that Asterios Polyp was something different and great. Boy Blair was right on this one. Please go buy Asterios Polyp and see how graphic novels can tell compelling stories. This might be the best graphic novel that I have ever read. Go buy this sucker right now and read it. When you get done come back here and thank me.

Amazon has Asterios Polyp for sale at this URL for a paltry $19.77.

I give it 10 out of 10 paws.

Summary

Doesn’t everyone love reading about product awards!?! Well at least I do. Thus I decided it was time to start my own yearly awards event. For lack of a better name I will call it the Lair Awards. (If anyone can come up with a better name that would be great…and no…”The Beasties” is out. )

Here is how the Lair Awards will work. There will be three categories: Best Anime, Best Read, and Best RPG. To be eligible for an award the product must have been reviewed in the last calendar year by me on the blog. There were a TON of great products released last year but if I did not review them they don’t count. Also note that I often review products that are quite old. A product is eligible for an award if I reviewed it in 2010…period…it does not matter when the product was actually released.

NOW…on to the 2010 Lair Awards!

Best Anime – Batman: Gotham Knight

The anime award came down to a two product race between two 10 out of 10 releases with colons in their names…namely Batman: Gotham Knight and Highlander: The Search For Vengeance. Batman: Gotham Knight took the edge with its powerful images, masterful storytelling, and varied art styles. The image of Batman holding a pile of guns staring up out of the sewers from the 5th story, Working Through Pain, is iconic. That single shot will stick with me for quite some time.

Best Read – Pluto

The award for Best Read was the easiest to select. I read and reviewed the fantastic manga called Pluto by Osamu Tezuka and Naoki Urasawa. The storytelling is visionary and the character artwork is detailed, fluid, and real. The robot police office Gesicht is deep and rich. This is one hell of a manga series.

Best RPG – The Esoterror Factbook

This award was by far the hardest to select. Four products tied this year with 9 out of 10 reviews. I gave 9 out of 10 reviews to Savage Worlds: Explorer’s Edition, The Ghostbusters RPG, Busytown: Eye Found It!, and the The Esoterror Factbook. I went back and reread the reviews, thought about the products, then decided that the The Esoterror Factbook supplement was slightly ahead of the rest. That’s right…a supplement is taking the award. I think reason this product gets the nod is due to the fact that it does what every game supplement tries to do…it tries to make the product it is supporting better. The Esoterror Factbook does that in so many ways. As I mentioned in the Summary at the end of the review, “If you are going to buy The Esoterrorists save your money until you can both the main rulebook AND this one.”

That wraps up the 2010 Lair Awards! See ya next year!

-== What is it? ==-

Mezolith is the story of a Stone Age boy named Poika and his journey to manhood. The story was written by Ben Haggarty and the art was done by Adam Brockbank. Haggarty is known as a master storyteller in England. Brockbank has experience doing story board work on films. He is best know for his work on the Harry Potter movies. Mezolith was released in hardcover form in 2010 by David Fickling Books.

The book has a color cover and interior. Mezolith is 8.5? x 12? and is 95 pages in length. One page is an advertisement for other products from the publisher. I am reviewing a hardcover copy that I bought online.

-== What I Like ==-

The story in Mezolith is rich and powerful yet still tender. Poika becomes an adult and an active member of his tribe through various encounters that are both enchanting and terrifying. Like all good coming of age stories there are ups and downs.

There are some mystical elements which are sometimes scary but they really just serve as gravy for the meaty story. On the back cover of Mezolith it is billed as “Stone Age Horror” but I really think the horror elements are not the focus. There is little to no bloodshed but there is some violence. I think it would be fine to read to children ages 10 and up.

The artwork is superb. The use of color is particularly well done. Brockbank uses colors to shows shadows in background instead of having them in stark black and white. The entire color pallet is muted and similar on a page which gives the user a feeling of reading a cave painting. Mezolith is flat out beautiful and the large 8.5″ x 12″ format really allows it to show.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

For some the story might be too slow and simplistic. Personally I liked the pacing and detail of Mezolith but others may not.

Even though the interior artwork is so special the cover is just fair. It does not have the same impact as the internal material.

It can be difficult to find copies of the book. You can pick up a copy through Amazon resellers (see the link below). If you have trouble try the David Fickling Books site at this URL. Copies are available at the Random House Books UK store at this URL for ?8.99.

-== Summary ==-

Mezolith is one of the best graphic novels I have read in a very long time. Alex Shiekman recommended this one to me and it does not disappoint. (Got anymore like this one Alex? My gosh…great stuff.) I’m even investigating other books from David Fickling Books based on the strength of this single title.

You can pickup a copy from Amazon resellers at this link. Prices start at a low of $12.60.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Pluto is a science fiction manga that weaves a tale of what happens when human emotions collide with robotic artificial intelligence. The collection was written by Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka and is published by Viz Media in their Viz Signature line of manga. Pluto was released in eight volumes from February 2009 through March 2010.

The story of Pluto is inspired by the classic Astro Boy story “The Greatest Robot On Earth”. This story was written by Osamu Tezuka in 1951. You read that right…1951. The Astro Boy manga became so popular that in 1963 it was turned into the first weekly animated series in Japan. Both the manga and TV series are iconic. Naoki Urasawa, the co-author and artist of Pluto, is considered a modern manga master so his take on such a classic story adds to the importance of the collaboration.

The eight volumes have color covers with intricate portrait spines. Each book is 5.75? x 8.25? and is roughly 200 pages in length. Volume 8 of Pluto is actually a bit longer at 256 pages. The first 10 pages of each volume are in color and the rest are black and white. At the end of each book is an editorial by a noted manga artist or author. I am reviewing print copies that I purchased.

-== What I Like ==-

Pluto is visionary storytelling. It is science fiction at its very best. It asks very difficult questions then answers them from several perspectives. Some of the tough questions that Pluto addresses include what it means to be human, what means to “feel”, how far hatred can go, and when does it end?

Characters are beautifully detailed and real in Pluto. Gesicht, the robot artificial intelligence detective, is so well crafted that his story will make you cheer, hate, then cry. (Gesicht is on the cover of the first volume.)

Pluto is filled with fantastic artwork that is detailed, full of action, and not cluttered. Urasawa’s work is off the charts beautiful. The cover and spine artwork on the eight volumes depict different faces of the various main players. The picture wraps around the spine to the back of the volume. On the spine itself the face is lined up with the right eye of the character. It looks very dramatic on a bookshelf.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

There is very little not to like about the story in Pluto. My only complaint on the story, and it is minor, is that is can be a bit slow at times. For the most part it is done to make an impact later on in the chapter.

The cost for each volumes feels a bit high but I am not a frequent manga buyer. Each volume of Pluto has a cover price of $12.99. I would recommend waiting for a sale at RightStuf.com. Just add yourself to their newsletter then watch for a sale on Viz products.

-== Summary ==-

I have read various manga over the years and I can categorically state that Pluto is my all time favorite. Even if you are not a manga or comic book fan I encourage looking this one up. It had such a big impact on me that after reading the last two volumes I had to sit quietly pondering what I had read. Pluto is storytelling at a high level.

You can get the books at RightStuf.com for at this URL for $9.74. Here is a link to the first volume at Amazon.com. They sell it for $10.39.

I give it 10 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

The Hualapai Cycle is a collection of eight intertwined adult horror stories that take place in a fictitious version of the Black Rock Desert. It is written by Jason Walters and is published by BlackWyrm. Before I get into the review I wanted to mention a couple of disclaimers. First off, I am not a huge fiction reader and even less so of horror novels. I was given an advance reading copy by Jason at a local gaming convention. Jason is a friend of mine that I have gamed with in the past. I have also reviewed some of his other RPG works (i.e. Scourges Of The Galaxy by Hero Games which is excellent BTW). I will try to not let my friendship or the fact that I was given a copy of the book bias my review.

The book has a color cover and an entirely black and white interior. The book is 6? x 9? and is 173 pages in length.

-== What I Like ==-

Even though there are technically eight short stories in the novel each story contains at least one smaller narrative inside. While telling one story another character is introduced that impacts that story AND appears later in other stories. The way it is done is quite nice. You really want to see a how a character from one story is used in another. Even though you might think that this would disrupt the flow of a story it does not. One tale flows nicely into the next and characters move and distort as the book progresses. This technique shows a lot of craftsmanship.

The author has a great way of getting inside animal’s heads. This is done with horses, wolves, mutant dogs, and lot of other twisted creatures of the desert. I thought it was very fun.

The book shows how the harsh Black Rock Desert climate breeds survivors. Some of the characters are likable and others are twisted but all of them are tough. It really adds to the horror feel when someone you think is nice turns out to be just as twisted as everyone else.

The book is jam packed full of great lines like these…

“I am convinced that He does not play dice.” But most of the time Iverson was pretty sure that He did play dice. Or at least He did in Nevada.

One story that I particularly like is called Mexican Cowboy. It contains a character aptly name Lupe (think “Loopy” ) who has El Santo and Sid Vicious as guardian angels/devils. What a fantastic story. I also really enjoyed the story Crippled Stray which is about an old Jewish woman waiting to die at the hands of a pack of wolves. It is heartfelt and hard hitting at the same time.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The cover on the advance reading copy is not great. It is dark and hard to see. The title could use outlining to make is stand out. I also think the graphic could be changed to make it more interesting. I don’t want to give away too much but a picture of a desert landscape through a bullet hole in someone’s head might be better.

The title of the book, Hualapai Cycle, is a bit hard to understand until the end. I think it works but it was confusing to me at first.

The last story,Guerrero’s War, comes off as a bit “preachy” in parts. There are a few pages that explain the Bureau Of Land Managements roles in the area that can be taken as a bit of a soapbox. Overall it is not that bad as the information is needed to fully appreciate the story.

-== Summary ==-

In the introduction of Hualapai Cycle Jason explains that the book is a love story to his home and the Black Rock Desert. That is really what this is in a horrific and twisted sort of way. The tales meander to different people, places, and events giving the reader a bitter taste of this desolate place. Even though I know the Black Rock Desert would spit out my sorry ass in around 2 seconds flat after reading Hualapai Cycle I want to visit. In my opinion this is the best work of writing Jason has done to date. I don’t know the price but my rating assumes it is reasonable. You will be able to get from BlackWyrm, the Hero Games store, or Amazon.com soon.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.