Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by Brian Azzarello, J.T. Krul (Goodreads Author), Jimmy Palmiotti, Peter Milligan, Eduardo Risso (Illustrator), Mikel Janin (Illustrator), George Pérez (Illustrator), Fernando Blanco (Illustrator) , Scott Koblish (Illustrator), John Dell (Illustrator), Joe Bennett (Illustrator)

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by Brian Azzarello

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is even darker than the Flash volume!  Batman isn't the Batman we know and love. He's a much more driven, more morally compromised version.  What would happen if a man's child was killed in front of him and he was powerless to prevent it.  The Joker is probably even more twisted, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you.  That's just the Batman story.

Then there's the story about the biggest jerk in the DC-Verse, Deathstroke, and his crusade to find his lost daughter.  I can't call him a hero, because he's not. He's ruthlessly selfish and murderous.  I feel bad for anyone who throws in with him. He's not a man I'd trust as far as I could throw him.  This is non-stop action, a world in which the seas have become a lawless place of pirates, and the Atlanteans kill humans with impunity.

The story about Dick Grayson and his family tells us how things might have gone if Bruce Wayne had not been there in his life after the death of his parents. Also shows a Europe that has been decimated by the Atlantean-Amazonean war, and where various DC-verse figures have become freedom fighters (even ones who were once villains).

My least favorite was Secret Seven. It was pretty gruesome and twisted, and while I see the point of it all in terms of the Flashpoint story arc, I didn't really appreciate the story at all.

I would still give this four stars because I thought it was pretty interesting, and frankly, nightmarish.



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Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring The Flash by Sean Ryan, José Marzán Jr. (Illustrator), Sterling Gates (Goodreads Author), Adam Glass, Scott Kolins (Writer/Illustrator), Ig Guara (Illustrator), Oliver Nome (Illustrator), Rodney Buchemi (Illustrator) , Joel Gomez (Illustrator)

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring The Flash by Sean Ryan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I will confess I watched "The Flashpoint Paradox" Justice League movie prior to reading this, and let me tell you, I was blown away at how dark this story arc is.  This is like "What If?" on steroids.

The movie goes into some explanations I won't get into, and I tried to forget I knew that, because I haven't read The Flash, Vol. 2: The Road to Flashpoint yet, which I think is probably the backstory.  All I know is, I don't want this life for any of the DC characters I know and love.    One of the interesting things is seeing what this crazy world does to the various characters as you know them.  Villains end up on the other side.  Sometimes, they stay just as villainous. Sometimes, they are worse, unchecked in a world where the Justice League as we know it never existed or has fallen by the wayside.  Where Wonder Woman has become an autocrat who leads ruthless, murderous Amazons who delight in killing humans. 

This one isn't for the kiddos. Very violent and has some disturbing imagery.  Probably the most disturbing in the story about Gorilla Grodd, who has pretty much taken Africa and claimed it for his own, and it ain't pretty.  I couldn't look away.  I'm starting to wonder why AU seems to be so dark and dreary. Maybe so that the reader will repeat, "It's only a book. It's only a book. It's only a book," and wipe their foreheads.  While the first story is about Flash, this is really more like an anthology featuring different characters from the DC verse in the aftermath of Flashpoint.

Flash is a cool character. I like him more all the time.  Interesting that this is my first official solo Flash graphic novel. I'll be reading more.



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Justice League, Volume 5: Forever Heroes by Geoff Johns

Justice League, Vol. 5: Forever Heroes by Geoff Johns

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In my opinion, this is the best volume in this run of Justice League.  I feel after volume two, they just got better, but this is definitely the best so far.  The strength of it is telling the story of the dark versions of the Justice League.  They are absolutely bone-chilling.  I think that horror is not always supernatural aspects, but delving into the psychological heart of darkness.  In this care, seeing what an Evil Clark Kent/Superman, Batman, and others would be like. What if the Justice League was merely a syndicate of super-powered, super-evil villains who have plenty of agency to do whatever they want?  That is not a world we want to live in, trust me.  Unfortunately, the Crime Society have gotten a foot into our world.

I think that I really liked this volume because it's so high on character development. It shows how Earth 3's version of Batman, Owlman is really like the evil side of Batman. He has all Bruce Wayne's strengths, but also a twisted, sick lack of morality that allows him to make methodically evil choices.    You really don't want an Owlman when you can have a Batman.  Same to be said for Kal-Il/Clark Kent/Ultraman. That's a case of nurture versus nature. Both sets of parents were evil, if not twisted.  Kal-Il received all the teachings of his father as he traveled to Earth-2, and they were about the worst conditioning you could give a child, unless you want them to be absolutely twisted morally.  Teach a child to hate weakness and to believe that strength is everything, that strength allows someone to take whatever they want with impunity.  Earth 3's version of the Green Lantern is rather like the flip-side of the whole ideology of the Green Lantern Corps.  Instead of being powered by will, how about your fears and pain being used against you to power the ring? And let's not talk about Johnny Quick and Atomica, a pair of thrill killer/criminal lovers who happen to become super-powered when they are about to commit suicide after a botched escapade. One shortcoming is that we don't learn much about Superwoman, other than she's a piece of work.  I am intensely curious about her, and I hope that we get her backstory in the next volume. 

This whole adventure is narrated by The Grid, the computer virus/AI consciousness that takes over the super-powered machinery of Vic Stone, Cyborg and expels his human part.    I like the way that Vic deals with The Grid and the group of unlikely crime-fighters he recruits.

"Forever Heroes" left me wanting more of this series.  High on adventure, suspense, and character development, it was a page turner.







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The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I listened to this book on audio, and it was definitely a distinctive read.  I have to say that while I enjoyed it, it was challenging to listen to. I found it hard to visualize some concepts.  I honestly have no brain for mechanical concepts, so listening to descriptions of the mecha devices was difficult for me. I decided to stop analyzing and go with it. Not worry about trying to get a crystal clear image of those parts of the story, but just enjoy what I could understand. The ideas were interesting, but I was a bit clueless about what exactly made Clare what he was, and the exact interplay between his physiology and his abilities. At the end, I determined that he was heavily depending on the continual processing of information for his well-being, but he could think too much and end up in trouble. Perhaps he also has some enhanced sensory abilities which also make him susceptible to different environments.

While the magic system was very intriguing, it took me a long time to understand it or get a handle on it.  I absolutely loved some parts. They were darkly beautiful.  They inspired a deep sense of unease with the arcane natures of the magical acts and the beings perpetuating them, but also a sense of awe. While I have no real life interest in magic whatsoever, I do love reading about magic in this kind of fictional setting. And I thoroughly enjoyed the fact magic is so intrinsic to the fabric of Great Britain in this novel. It was very cool that the present monarch is a host for the spirit of Britannia.  I haven't encountered that concept before.

As far as characters,  Emma really came to life for me. She's such a complex person.  She's a mix of good and bad, and her manner of interacting with others can inspire winces as often as wows.  I loved how vigilant and fierce she was. She took her role as a Prime sorcerer very seriously, and her vow to protect Britain. And it often cost her personally.  The scene near the end brought shivers down my spine.  I also loved Mikhail.  He was luscious.  The way the moderator spoke his parts was utterly appealing. Especially the way he spoke to Emma and called her Prima.  It sounded like a verbal caress.  I was surprised at the direction that the author took with Emma's relationship with Mikhail. It added to the complexity of her character.  I wish I had more answers about what Mikhail is.  I have to be honest that he is a big draw for me right now, although I also find Emma very appealing as a heroine, although not always laudable in the way she acted towards some characters.  Clare was interesting. I enjoyed his deductive reasoning and analysis of the very strange situations he encountered after being recruited by Emma as the sole surviving unregistered mentath.  As I mentioned earlier, I didn't always 'get' what he was doing and how it affected him. I hope that will change with later books.  I also liked Valetinelli.  I have a fondness for roguish characters who are insanely good at being lethal. That's definitely him.  The moderator made his voice very fun. He spoke with a blatant Italian accent that was lyrical and appealing. 

I think the major reason why I didn't give this a higher rating was that I had a hard time getting a grasp on the story to the extent that I desired.  I had a lot of questions.  As far as the writing having an appeal and impact on me, that was very well done.  Saintcrow has a way of bringing magical and arcane elements to vibrant life that stays with me. That imagery was very well depicted. As a visual reader, I could feel and experience the powerful magics that the characters employed, although some parts were just plain weird and my brain didn't know what to make of those.  I also give this book points on having such a distinctive heroine. Not always pure in her motives, but underneath, driven to do what is right. That's a hard thing to conceptualize in a novel without polarizing your audience.

I have to give this 3.5 stars because it was flawed in some ways, but in others a very good book.  I will continue this series with the hopes I will be enlightened on some of the world-building particulars and to explore more of Emma, Clare, and Mikhail, and not to mention, Supernatural Victorian Great Britain.

Recommended with reservations.



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Clementine by Cherie Priest

Clementine by Cherie Priest
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

What kind of book is this? Is it science fiction, alternate history, steampunk, or just madcap adventure? All of the above.

Clementine is is part of the Clockwork Century series, and I admit I cheated and read these out of order, starting with this book. The storyline was a huge draw, honestly.

I'm a sucker for Westerns, especially with a heroine at the helm. Maria Isabella Boyd is on the wrong side of the Civil War, as far as I am concerned, but I don't like her any less. She's a complex woman with her reasons for being a Rebel spy. Deep down, she's a decent human being. While I abhor slavery and all the injustice associated with it, it's a reminder that many on that side of the conflict weren't necessarily people who believed in the inferiority of black people and that they should stay slaves. Many believed in the right to maintain their way of life, and for their families. So, long story short, I still loved Maria despite her loyalties. When you're a young girl growing up, you often wish that Indiana Jones and The Lone Ranger had female counterparts. As a very grown-up girl, I still cherish the opportunity to read about larger-than-life heroines saving the day in a historical setting. Belle Boyd is for you if you are of a similar bent.

Similarly black children hear about the Civil War and think about how much it must have sucked to be deprived of your basics rights and to be treated as property. You want to hear about heroes with brown skin who fought for their own freedom and autonomy, and there are not enough stories about these heroes. It's disheartening to think that all blacks during that period were out of control of their own destinies and basically victims. Well, Captain Croggon Beauregard Hainey is for those kids. He's answerable to no man but himself. It's made him into an outlaw, but at least he can be treated as a man and not a 'boy' or property. He's steaming mad when a redheaded thief steals his very own hard-won airship. And he'll go to hell and back to get his Free Crow ship back. When he encounters Belle Boyd, they end up becoming temporary allies, because she's after the cargo on his ship, and he's after his ship himself. Maybe at one time they might have been enemies, but today is a different day. Hainey is a tough, fearless, strong-willed hero. Even when he does questionable things, I still rooted for him for his sheer force of will and determination.

Clementine is for adventure-loving readers who wonder about the 'what ifs', or how what happened could actually have been a little different then the way it's written in the history books. I probably missed a few key points, since I read this out of order. But it's not terribly hard to follow, overall. I get the idea that technology is more advanced than it would have been back in the actual period. It makes this sort of a low tech Steampunk Science Fiction, with an emphasis on the actual adventure. I really liked the idea of this book, more than the execution, to some extent. On the good side, I loved the manner in which Priest conveys this time period. I did feel like I was right there in the book as I read. My biggest issue with this book lies in the confusing descriptions of the workings and machinery of the hydrogen-driven airships. It was a little dry for my tastes. When descriptions get too technical, my eyes start to glaze. I could have done with a little less of that and more focus on the action and characters. However, I liked what was there. I also feel that more interaction between Captain Hainey and Belle could have enhanced the books. I'm not saying that Priest was going for a romantic entanglement, but the chemistry was certainly there, and I would like to see how that would have been handled in her alternate version of history. Maybe that will come along later. There's always that possibility. I can see the Captain and Belle meeting again someday. Not as enemies, but perhaps as allies once again.

I loved Dreadful Skin, so my bar for this author is set high. That's why I couldn't give this one a higher rating. At 3.5 stars, Clementine is an enjoyable book with larger-than-life main characters, despite its flaws. I'll be paying another visit to the Clockwork Century series in the near future.

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