Review: DC Comics - The 75th Anniversary Poster Book

Featuring a collection of the most memorable DC comic covers from their history, this collects an amazing variety and wealth of comic art in one book. From the first appearance of Superman – much copied, and the most expensive comic ever sold at auction – in Action Comics # 1, 1938, to Batman’s first swooping appearance in Detective Comics, and further ‘tights and capes’ character introductions, to the relative innocence of Falling In Love, the creepy House of Mystery, Mr District Attourney, up to 100 Bullets, Ronin, and the Vertigo titles, this covers the evolution of artwork, characters, development of themes, introduction of ‘social comment', the taboo-breaking Swamp-Thing and Abby falling in love, and much more, for 500 comic covers.

Wow! As books go this has to be the most stunning looking book I have received since I started this blog, and at 36cm by 28 cm it is certainly the biggest. Whether you are a DC fan, a Marvel fan, or just a fan of comics in general then this is a book that you could spend many hours looking through, admiring the quality of the various comic covers within.

I came quite late to US comics. As I mentioned back in March when I had a graphic novel themed month on the blog, I grew up reading The Beano, then moved on to Marvel's Star Wars Weekly and then the re-launched Eagle. Comics from the DC and Marvel stables were only read whilst waiting to have my hair cut at the barber and the occasional Spiderman or Batman annual received as Christmas presents. I was always aware of the rivalry between the two companies, and also enjoyed the various cartoons and TV series such as Wonder Woman, Batman and Spiderman (which as they were made in the 1970s were all very high camp). I honestly couldn't tell you who my favourite superhero was back then, although I do remember that I always favoured Batman over Superman.

And then....... in 1989 Tim Burton released his movie version of Batman and not long after I discovered Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, and then many years later the incredibly awesome Hush (still my favourite Batman story to date) and from that moment on I knew exactly who my favourite 'superhero' was. However, this did not bring with it a sudden conversion to DC devotion and even today I do not takes sides in the seemingly neverending DC vs Marcel debate, but I do tend to read a lot more of DC's output than that of Marvel, either in comic or graphic novel form. I think my main concern is that when I pick up a Marvel publication I always feel that I am jumping into the middle of a story, and that I am disadvantaged by not having been buying the comics for years; a little like discovering Lost on TV part of the way into season two I guess.

Since this defining Batman moment I have definitely read far more publications from DC than from Marvel. I love the Hellblazer series and the cynical John Constantine, and Neil Gaiman's The Sandman stories have become a firm favourite since I discovered them. Add Watchmen to the list and Marvel doesn't really get a look in. I know this may cause no small amount of upset for all the Marvel devotees out there, but c'est la vie. I may as well also upset DC fabs whilst I am at it though, just to retain impartiality - I am still not a Superman fan at all.

This book contains the covers of all of these and many, many more. There are covers of the first issues of The Sandman, Hellblazer, Watchmen and V for Vendetta. There is the cover of Swamp Thing #34 (showing Swamp Thing embracing Abigail Arcane), The Dark Knight #1, and the very different Batman: Year 100 #1 cover. With 100 larged sized poster pages there are far too many to mention them all individually and so far I have just focused on some of my favourite stories, but with 75 years of output there are obviously far more. The images are arranged in chronological order, so start with the likes of the now legendary Action Comics #1 and then progress through the decades, including less well known publications such as The House of Mystery, Strange Adventures and Weird Western Tales. On a personal note, as a teacher of graphic design it is also fascinating to see how the styles have changed over the years as fashions changed or new and innovative artists joined the DC role of honour.

If you were so inclined you could also remove each of these poster sized pages as they all have perforations to aid this, but I just couldn't bring myself to do such a thing to this stunning book. It would also rob me of the brief commentary on the rear of each of these 'posters', where comic expert Robert Schnakenberg discusses the historical importance of the cover in question or the story it packaged. Many of these brief commentaries are also accompanied by anecdotal comments from the artists themselves, as well as smaller images of related comic covers.

This book will have huge appeal to fans of comics old and young, and I know it will go down well in the school library (despite all my efforts the boys seem to prefer looking at pictures during their break times). Even die hard Marvel fans may find this an attractive addition to their collection, if only for its stunning portrayal of the art form, rather than the characters that are depicted within it. My huge thanks go to the publisher, Quirk Books, who very generously sent me a copy for review - I almost feel like buying a second copy so I can frame some of the posters. The book is due to be released on 18th August.

*** Interview with Alex Scarrow (author of the TimeRiders series)

For me, TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow is one of the best new series of boy-friendly books out there at the moment. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and the second one blew me away. I was therefore really chuffed when Alex Scarrow said he would take part in an interview for The Book Zone, and even more flattered by the kind comments he made about this blog at the end of our little Q&A session.

How would you describe the TimeRiders series to a potential reader?

Terminator meets Torchwood! It's one big hi-octane time travel thriller that spans nine books.

What inspired you to write the series?

Blimey....that's not an easy one to answer! It's a combination of all the really cool books I've read, films I've seen, games I've played....it's the culmination of too many classroom hours I spent as a kid imagining how excellent it would be if I could really mash-up history.

How much time do you spend carrying out research for your books?

Several months before hand just reading factual and fictional stuff set in the era to get the feel of it. It's too tempting to over research though. You do that and you're in danger of writing a textbook instead of a thriller.

Do you have a favourite period in history? Will the TimeRiders heroes be visiting this period at some point?

I have several favourite eras in history; WWII, the Roman Empire, Victorian times, the American Civil War....and yes, those and many more are going to get a visit from me.

Did you have fun creating the new species of dinosaur in Day of the Predator?
Sheeesh! Did I? Does a bear.....uh, anyway...yes! I loved writing from the point of view of these hominid creatures. I loved creating this frightening thing, then trying to put it's case across to the reader.

There are some fairly violent scenes in Day of the Predator. How do you gauge the right level of violence in your writing?

I don't think I consciously determine what is acceptable to the audience and what is unacceptable. I think it's a gut instinct thing. Certainly, when it comes to the really grisly stuff, I'm a firm believer in keeping it 'just out of shot'....a reader's imagination can produce a far more gory picture than I would ever be allowed to write!

Of your three main characters Sal has played the smallest part so far. Will we see her character develop more in the future?

Yes. Sal has a VERY important part to play in the story. I can't say much more about her for fear of dropping a spoiler in here.

Where did the inspiration for the Bob/Becks character come from?

Well, the obvious first point of reference is the T1000 model Terminator from the movies. But also there's something of Frankenstein's big, dumb, childlike monster in there too. I love the fact that they're both lethal killing machines, yet, also naive children, in a way.

Writing about time travel can be a pretty complicated task. Do you put a lot of thought into how you deal with issues such as the time travel paradox?

Plotting for time travel tales can be a potential nightmare! In actual fact, there really aren't any time travel stories out there that you can't identify a plot hole in. It's just the nature of the paradox thing. And if you try and get too close to the actual 'science' of time travel you'll end up twisting yourself up in knots trying to make it all work. Which is why TimeRiders is perhaps more about the characters than it is the tech.

How will you keep track of all of the little plot threads you are creating in each book to ensure that they are all eventually tied off?

I have a series bible. And it's getting thicker and thicker every day!

Are you a fan of science fiction yourself? Do you have any favourites?

Yes. I loved a series of books called Riverworld, which featured this world on which one day, every human who has ever lived suddenly wakes up after they've died on earth. It's not heaven, that's for sure. And it's a compelling thriller, mystery that features a cast of famous historical characters.

What made you start writing for young adults? How different is it from writing for adults?

Way...way....more fun to write.

Do you read many books for this age group yourself?

I read some. I prefer the 'cross over' YA books out there that tend to appeal to adults as well as teens. And this is what I intended Timeriders to be, a series of thrillers that, say, a forty-five year old bloke wouldn't be embarrassed about pulling out to read on the train.

Which books/authors did you enjoy reading as a child/teenager? How do you think they compare to the childrens/YA novels available today?

I used to read adventure books by Willard Price when I was eight. And lots of Asterix and Tintin! I think today's YA fiction is more self conscious of the fact that many, many adults enjoy the genre too, so it has a decidedly more mature and less naive tone to it than the books that were around when I was a kid.

Do you have any ideas as to how we can get boys reading for enjoyment?

I suppose books that feed into, or feed from interest areas for boys, such as computer games and football are a good way to try and coax them into the book habit. For example, TimeRiders has deliberately drawn some imagery from big blockbuster movies in order to tap reluctant readers this way.

I know that Day of the Predator has only just been released but can you give us any hints as to what we can expect from the next book in the series? Robin Hood is mentioned as a teaser at the end of the book....

Yes...I can add a little more to that. Crusades. Holy Grail. Conspiracy theories. There you go! Make some sense of that!

A while ago it was announced that there would be nine books in the TimeRiders series. Have you plotted out the storylines for these already?

Pretty loosely, yes. I know which nine periods of history we will be visiting, and I know the major story arc....and I can tell you this, so long as you keep it to yourself...it's going to involve.....aaaaghh, nearly let slip!

If you could time travel when/where would you go to and why?

65 million years ago. I want to see the KT event that wiped out the dinosaurs. Super volcano or mega asteroid, either way, it must have been horrifyingly spectacular.

If there is one question you would love an interviewer to ask you about your work, what is it? And what would the answer be?

Do you like writing? And my answer would be....sometimes I LOVE it, sometimes I HATE it. I get days when I know I've written a brilliant chapter and I feel on top of the world, and days when I write such awful sludge, I wonder how the he'll I ever managed to get published.

Is there anything else you would like to say to readers of this blog?

Readers....I think this is quite possibly the best blog for young male readers out there! Seriously. It's laid out nicely and the reviews are original (as opposed to copy and paste jobs). And here's something else...if you've got a mate who's a reluctant reader, suggest TimeRiders to him! Those are the fellas I really want to reach out to! I want them to put down the playstation controller, stop messing around with Facebook, turn the TV off...and just give TimeRiders a chapter of their time. I guarantee they'll be hooked...and maybe one day thank you for getting them into the book habit!

~~~

Huge thanks to Alex for answering my questions, and for his kind words at the end there. If you are looking for some summer reading which is non-stop action in two very different eras then you really should give the two TimeRiders books a try.

Review: Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

ARTEMIS FOWL’S CRIMINAL WAYS HAVE FINALLY GOT THE BETTER OF HIM...

Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has summoned an elite group of fairies to Iceland. But when he presents his invention to save the world from global warming, he seems different. Something terrible has happened to him... Artemis Fowl has become nice.

The fairies diagnose Atlantis Complex (that’s multiple-personality disorder to you and me) – dabbling in magic has damaged his mind. And now the subterranean city of Atlantis is under attack from vicious robots and nice Artemis cannot fight them. Can fairy ally Captain Holly Short get the real Artemis back - ­­­before the mysterious robots destroy the city and every fairy in it?

It was with some sadness that I recently read that Eoin Colfer has announced that he intends to bid farewell to Artemis Fowl, with the latest outing for the his popular anti-hero, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex, being the penultimate book in the series. However, having since read this latest episode I am now of the mind that Mr Colfer is right to be doing this. The Atlantis Complex, in comparison with others of the genre, is still a good read and will be thoroughly enjoyed by the myriad young fans of the series, but in comparison with the rest of the series it is a relatively poor relation. I am left with the feeling that the series has perhaps run its course and now that Artemis is fifteen there are not many more places that the author can take his leading boy/man.

That opening paragraph may seem a little negative, but that is only because I have come to expect the very best from Eion Colfer, eagerly awaiting every new Aretmis Fowl adventure, and until now never feeling disappointed. I am still trying to figure out the reason why I am not so enamoured with The Atlantis Complex. I think it may be that this book feels a lot more grown up, and therefore some of the magic has been lost. We also do not see as much of the Artemis we have come to know and love as he is suffering from what we would term a mental illness, and what the fairies call Atlantis Complex. As such, Artemis has become paranoid (even to the point of distrusting the ever-loyal Butler), he is suffering from OCD (manifesting itself in a phobia-like avoidance of anything related to the number 4) and then his personality changes completely and he becomes the sickly nice Orion. Mental illness in a book like this is a rare thing, and even rarer to be treated with the sensitivity that the author affors this issue. Lesser authors would have had their character acting the fool and being ridiculed, but Eoin Colfer has us instead feeling like we are watching the decline and suffering of a close family member.

Things get pretty dark in this book if you read it at an adult level and maybe that is my problem - I was not reading it as a child. However, although I feel some of the magic has gone, this is certainly not the case for the Colfer trademark humour - there are just as many laugh out loud moments in this book as there were in its predecessors. The author knows exactly when to inject humour into a scene, whether it be to lighten a dark moment or to create rapport between characters, and the book is chock full of oneliners that will have your children giggling away.

The plot of The Atlantis Complex is also not quite as strong as in previous episodes. For me it just doesn't seem to flow as naturally as in these earlier books and there are elements that seem a little forced or over-contrived. Again, this is not something a young fan would notice or care about, but I personally expect more from this author.

Many of the characters that we have come to know so well are present in The Atlantis Complex, and they are just as colourful and funny as usual. There is a scene set in Mexico towards the beginning of the book where Butler has rushed to what he thinks is the aid of his sister Juliet which is amongst the funniest I have ever read from Eoin Colfer, and the banter between these two is a joy to read. We are also treated to more of Foaly than we have become used to in the past, with him now finding himself out in the field, and in his disdain at the Orion/Artemis personality issue he delivers many more classic oneliners.

As I have already mentioned, Eoin Colfer intends to write only one more Artemis Fowl novel, about which he has said "There's not going to be any huge battle, and going up the stairs to heaven, it's not going to be that kind of finish. There will be the big adventure, but the end will be in a little epilogue. End of story." Fortunately it doesn't therefore look like Mr Colfer intends to kill off his main characters; I do not know when this book will be published but I hope that it will end the series in a way that is satisfying to the thousands of Artemis Fowl fans out there. The full article from which that quote was taken can be found at The Guardian website.

Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex is a book that will be enjoyed by thousands of young readers and despite my criticisms it is a must-read for any young fan of the series but adult fans my find themselves feeling slightly disappointed. The book is published by Puffin and is available in stores right now. Thanks go to the generous people at Puffin for sending me a copy to review.