Getting smarter and stultification have hardly ever been that deep
Freaking first person POV trip More an introspective journey than a real novel, the wGetting smarter and stultification have hardly ever been that deep
Freaking first person POV trip More an introspective journey than a real novel, the work uses thoughts and thereby the manifestations of the mental capacity of the protagonist to illustrate the consequences of upping and downing IQs. Part of that is not just the razorblade sharp mind getting tarnished to the not brightest candle on the cake until the mental light goes out, but
The ingeniously used language and inner monologues Without that, it would maybe just be another tragic tale, but by having both extremely sophisticated and intellectually reduced passages, the reader gets a hardcore dive deep into the protagonists' feelings.
Inspired by real life Keyes got the idea through a mixture of personal issues with his parents and working with students with special needs. Already the real life action is heartbreaking enough to make sensitive readers sad, but how Keyes reinforced the impact by increasing the intelligence gap is even more disturbing.
Morals of medicine How to treat mentally sick and backward people is a topic that shouldn´t be touched with a pitchfork. When the book was published decades ago, the circumstances in mental asylums, the ways medical research was done, the psychiatric dogmas, etc. were so wacky and inhuman that it freaks the heck out of 21st century people. Also a reason why this book has sometimes been put on the index, because it´s pointing the fingers at some problems that still haven´t been solved. Nowadays chemical mace is certainly better than physical torture, isolation, unprofessional electroshock therapies, and lobotomies, but it can only be the magic bullet until scientific and medical progress provide better medication and minimally invasive brain surgery or implants.
Getting smarter and stultification have hardly ever been that deep
Freaking first person POV trip More an introspective journey than a real novel, the work uses thoughts and thereby the manifestations of the mental capacity of the protagonist to illustrate the consequences of upping and downing IQs. Part of that is not just the razorblade sharp mind getting tarnished to the not brightest candle on the cake until the mental light goes out, but
The ingeniously used language and inner monologues Without that, it would maybe just be another tragic tale, but by having both extremely sophisticated and intellectually reduced passages, the reader gets a hardcore dive deep into the protagonists' feelings.
Inspired by real life Keyes got the idea through a mixture of personal issues with his parents and working with students with special needs. Already the real life action is heartbreaking enough to make sensitive readers sad, but how Keyes reinforced the impact by increasing the intelligence gap is even more disturbing.
Morals of medicine How to treat mentally sick and backward people is a topic that shouldn´t be touched with a pitchfork. When the book was published decades ago, the circumstances in mental asylums, the ways medical research was done, the psychiatric dogmas, etc. were so wacky and inhuman that it freaks the heck out of 21st century people. Also a reason why this book has sometimes been put on the index, because it´s pointing the fingers at some problems that still haven´t been solved. Nowadays chemical mace is certainly better than physical torture, isolation, unprofessional electroshock therapies, and lobotomies, but it can only be the magic bullet until scientific and medical progress provide better medication and minimally invasive brain surgery or implants.
In a matriarchal world The character evolution and team building options are endless because of the unused fantasy hComplex dark magic worldbuilding
In a matriarchal world The character evolution and team building options are endless because of the unused fantasy horror potential of a female cast. With mixed teams or pure alpha male fight and magic squadrons, there simply isn´t as much potential for character development under a female perspective. In a
Very complex world the main protagonist struggles Both with the conflict between humans and other fractions and her inner demons. To add a bit of ethical class seminar to the mix, there is slavery, the cruelty of war, and, for the depth and subtility, the mentioned female rule. All mixed together lets one imagine
Tons of plot potential for the other parts of the series What will be especially interesting is not just the protagonist and the high fantasy concept world, but how war, diplomacy, and social norms will evolve. By having a matriarchy to decide about it, one can imagine so many other options than the usual good/ bad, black/white solutions that are an often seen, established standard in many fantasy works. It also opens an option to imagine how the real world could be run under a gender mixed or feminine government.
In a matriarchal world The character evolution and team building options are endless because of the unused fantasy horror potential of a female cast. With mixed teams or pure alpha male fight and magic squadrons, there simply isn´t as much potential for character development under a female perspective. In a
Very complex world the main protagonist struggles Both with the conflict between humans and other fractions and her inner demons. To add a bit of ethical class seminar to the mix, there is slavery, the cruelty of war, and, for the depth and subtility, the mentioned female rule. All mixed together lets one imagine
Tons of plot potential for the other parts of the series What will be especially interesting is not just the protagonist and the high fantasy concept world, but how war, diplomacy, and social norms will evolve. By having a matriarchy to decide about it, one can imagine so many other options than the usual good/ bad, black/white solutions that are an often seen, established standard in many fantasy works. It also opens an option to imagine how the real world could be run under a gender mixed or feminine government.
In a matriarchal world The character evolution and team building options are endless because of the unused fantasy horror potential of a female cast. With mixed teams or pure alpha male fight and magic squadrons, there simply isn´t as much potential for character development under a female perspective. In a
Very complex world the main protagonist struggles Both with the conflict between humans and other fractions and her inner demons. To add a bit of ethical class seminar to the mix, there is slavery, the cruelty of war, and, for the depth and subtility, the mentioned female rule. All mixed together lets one imagine
Tons of plot potential for the other parts of the series What will be especially interesting is not just the protagonist and the high fantasy concept world, but how war, diplomacy, and social norms will evolve. By having a matriarchy to decide about it, one can imagine so many other options than the usual good/ bad, black/white solutions that are an often seen, established standard in many fantasy works. It also opens an option to imagine how the real world could be run under a gender mixed or feminine government.
In a matriarchal world The character evolution and team building options are endless because of the unused fantasy hComplex dark magic worldbuilding
In a matriarchal world The character evolution and team building options are endless because of the unused fantasy horror potential of a female cast. With mixed teams or pure alpha male fight and magic squadrons, there simply isn´t as much potential for character development under a female perspective. In a
Very complex world the main protagonist struggles Both with the conflict between humans and other fractions and her inner demons. To add a bit of ethical class seminar to the mix, there is slavery, the cruelty of war, and, for the depth and subtility, the mentioned female rule. All mixed together lets one imagine
Tons of plot potential for the other parts of the series What will be especially interesting is not just the protagonist and the high fantasy concept world, but how war, diplomacy, and social norms will evolve. By having a matriarchy to decide about it, one can imagine so many other options than the usual good/ bad, black/white solutions that are an often seen, established standard in many fantasy works. It also opens an option to imagine how the real world could be run under a gender mixed or feminine government.
Isn´t the best place to live But what setting could be better for a young Batman to earn his wings and show them whoA city run by crazy supercriminals
Isn´t the best place to live But what setting could be better for a young Batman to earn his wings and show them who is moth, typo, boss. And as if
The Joker, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy Weren´t already bad enough, there are some extra bonus baddies: A new, fresh mysterious serial killer after Holiday, The Hangman, and the mob war between Two Face and the Falcone clan with Sofia Falcone as boss. The combination
Of one murder case and exploring the world Is what makes it a fascinating look onto and into the world of early Gotham. While James Gordon and Batman do some thriller whodunit examination, the reader dives deeper into the characters and power struggles of a dark city that couldn´t be lighter with such a dirty, brutal past as its foundation.
Spider Jerusalem just doesn´t care about the conventions
Of avoiding religion, politics, and media Controlled by corporations. Instead, he goes to battSpider Jerusalem just doesn´t care about the conventions
Of avoiding religion, politics, and media Controlled by corporations. Instead, he goes to battle and provoke them in his infamous „I hate it here column.“ This has to result in
Freaking talking police dogs, stolen heads (thinks about that before getting too much into cryogenics) And an army of corporate killers and mercenaries trying to silence the grassroot journalist forever. This mix up creates a
Frightening realistic and hilariously dark humoured picture of a possible future Becoming more and more present in each moment. Because besides the fact that once cyberpunk technology is no futuristic fantasy anymore, the great sociological, economic, and political systems all around the world make perfect breeding grounds for all imagined dystopian perversions. And even maybe a bit more to top it, because nightmarish reality tops fiction each time.
While the Daughters of the Amazon keep hunting The extra depth and subtility of this extremist group, as of the whole Small towns can have big secrets
While the Daughters of the Amazon keep hunting The extra depth and subtility of this extremist group, as of the whole setting of the series, are amazing. They don´t just show that hate often leads to genocide, androcide in this case, but let one have some thoughts about gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, stereotypes, (sociological, psychological, economic, and ideological reasons lurking behind what girls and boys are and should be), and all the other male and female stuff. The combination of
Giggles, philosophical insights, and violence Make it extra entertaining. The tone changes and the rollercoaster ride of emotions lets the reader experience fun for both brain and heart. By adding the
Town run by ex convicts An extra innuendo and connotation level is added. Now there are the extremist feminists, the criminals with the big unknown question of why their town is so cozy, and the last man. Hardly an author might have thought so much about all the details of a male free utopia/dystopia/future (very depending on ideology what it is) as Vaughan did and he´ll certainly continue mindblowing, in the following parts, by reflecting on what implications it has for reality.
Are added to the „I can totally relate to“ mix That´s the special focus of all of Andersens´work, just showing young adultSome longer forms and essays
Are added to the „I can totally relate to“ mix That´s the special focus of all of Andersens´work, just showing young adult life as it is, especially from the female perspective. That, besides some of the self criticism (too much narcissistic personality disorder in my case I guess), are the things I can´t really relate to, but
Procrastination, the joy of loneliness, loving animals, and crazy inner voices Are absolutely my thing. Besides general, nearly stereotypical thoughts and situations each young adult goes through, Andersen has some weird and unique ideas too that are combined and mixed with
Personal essays and illustrations These are nice extra gimmicks while the established focus of the first collected works is expanded, improved, and widened. Who would have guessed that reality without too much depth or fantasy elements could be that entertaining and creatively outstanding.
A curse, a poisoned mother, and a hyperactive amulet
In Kanalis, the fascinating city Full of mysteries, new friends like Leon Redbeard, and the beginnA curse, a poisoned mother, and a hyperactive amulet
In Kanalis, the fascinating city Full of mysteries, new friends like Leon Redbeard, and the beginning of a bonus rescue quest for a special fruit tree from
Demon Head Mountain A divided crew offers more plot options, so the settings, secrets, and plotlines get denser and more complex. These are the ingredients added to the steampunk knights magic mix with the
Core of Emily´s struggles with the amulet Without inner and outer demons, secret and uncontrollable magical Chekhovs and MacGuffins, and especially many unexpected and credible interconnections with the world and other characters, the fantasy universes would be so much emptier.
Get rich quickly by modifying physical appearance in
Great Cow races That make Barrelhaven more of a crazy fun hell than heaven. Grandma Rose is in thGet rich quickly by modifying physical appearance in
Great Cow races That make Barrelhaven more of a crazy fun hell than heaven. Grandma Rose is in the game too, just as the Mystery Cow and the sheer madness and hilarity of all of these elements is what makes the series so outstanding. Without
Perfectly balancing on that thin line towards too hardcore madcap, slapstick, and often just physical humor Smith could have easily crashed this series towards incredibility by über exaggeration. But somehow he manages to stay inside the comfort zone and creates a
Genre hopping rollercoaster ride Of ideas, trope busting, and a wonderfully easygoing continuation of the original idea. Some grains of mystery and love to get more character development in a mostly action and gag driven journey will certainly enlarge the fascination of the series in the following parts.
It´s pretty annoying if everyone wants to kill a part of you
That even you yourself can´t really handle But the bipolar schizophrenic dark horror optioIt´s pretty annoying if everyone wants to kill a part of you
That even you yourself can´t really handle But the bipolar schizophrenic dark horror options unfolding are totally worth it. For the reader, while it of course sucks for poor Maika. This could just be made better with
Some pirates and secret haunted treasure hunts While the main protagonist keeps struggling with her internal issues. Certainly also deep, philosophical, and full of innuendos, but we´re in here for the action too that´s accelerating and making it a much more dynamic read than the first part of the series. But there´s still also much character focus to learn more about
Kippa, Maika´s mother, Captain Ren, and many others It´s so well written that there´s no overkill and I guess the following parts will keep going the route of a complex, struggling main protagonist surrounded by a cool crew. And many fantasy aspects are seen from a fascinating, female writer perspective, which makes it more unique than the other, much more cynical male dark fantasy, science fantasy, and horror graphic novels out there.
Is still one of the main topics The deep cultural, socio evolutionary aspect of this is the most important topic that´s makiMs. Marvel vs Kamala Khan
Is still one of the main topics The deep cultural, socio evolutionary aspect of this is the most important topic that´s making it groundbreaking. Besides that we have
Wolverine, the Inventor, Lockjay And an increasingly complex, already known universe. It´s such a refreshing experience to have fewer male Marvel and DC superheroes that are mostly just focused on their ego driven trips toward defeating supervillains. They may have some relationship issues, PTSD, or narcissistic personality disorders, but no family and culture that
Deem their superheroeing too progressive and sinful As said, an ingenious concept, one could take any discriminatory, traditional, conservative, sexist, misogynistic, and outdated culture and make a female or LGBTQ hero who´s more haunted by the ones that should help her/him than by crazy, mass murdering criminals.
To hellish dimensions And expands the ideas of the first part of the series. As if the whole alternative history, daThe cleverly constructed plot grows
To hellish dimensions And expands the ideas of the first part of the series. As if the whole alternative history, dark fantasy, and black humor (that´s increasing in the second volume) weren´t enough outstanding elements, now there are more myths and monsters included such as
Baba Yaga, homunculus, vampires, and Hecate Of course, there is also the already known Rasputin, the wacky (or let´s say extra bonkers because of the already bat shit crazy whole Über concept) Nazi research, and all the other cases the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense has to deal with. The creator Mike Mignola had the ingenuity to combine a demonic antihero with well known legendary creatures to
Concoct a unique, dark brew of dark fantasy graphic novels It´s compelling for many different audiences, because it includes their favorite crazy antagonists and combines them with the big conspiracy, secret agency, and many fantasy tropes. Wisely it´s also (subjectively) never going too hardcore such as the extreme horror style graphic novels and is thereby the perfect read for the largest possible audience. Or I´ve become so used to enjoying gore that I have no subjectivity anymore. Yea, well, that might nail it more precisely.
While the league struggles and chaos breaks out On Mars, Earth, and inside the group. It´s not as if they woulSome gentlemen get nasty and go bonkers
While the league struggles and chaos breaks out On Mars, Earth, and inside the group. It´s not as if they would have been a happy go lucky dream team from the beginning, but now there is this
Other insecurity besides invasions and bioweapons Who is the (really) evil one who even doesn´t care about honor among thieves? The complex dynamic of these 3 questions, some conspiracy and alternative history uchronia action, and the sheer madness and brutality make it
As good as the first part But it seems to lose all its momentum with the third part. I haven´t read it, but the rating goes down to 3,5. So it´s possibly the best decision to end the series with this satisfying, crazy ride full of sadism and violence of all kinds. Hint: Especially because of the explicit sexual violence including rape, contrasted with normal love, it might not be the perfect pick for all audiences.
In a dark humor piece with a unique style Now that the characters are established, the witty fun gets much more compMore slacker relationship troubles
In a dark humor piece with a unique style Now that the characters are established, the witty fun gets much more complex. Maybe even a bit too dense, because one sometimes
Loses the overview because of quick cuts and new protagonists But that doesn´t really matter, what counts is the fun and the giggles. It´s not as if this should be deep and realistic characterization or something, it´s about guessing what the next crazy ex might be like, what small fantastic parts might come, how the present and past storylines correlate, and especially
The moral that overachieving isn´t necessary for a happy life Ok, maybe a bad ethics class, but that a real life loser like Scott gets all the girls and goes on all that adventures is the red line of the whole series. Also, character might be more important than money and power for some people in a relationship, although Scotts´character might subjectively be rated very differently.
The battle against seemingly unstoppable enemies continues
But is confusing because one needs the 1.5 in between partThe Night of the Owls That shouldThe battle against seemingly unstoppable enemies continues
But is confusing because one needs the 1.5 in between partThe Night of the Owls That should have been added to the first or second part. I realized the importance of it after reading the City of Owls. It might also be that I´m used to having the 1.5, 2.5, etc parts as extra bonus material without real story importance for the main series, but that doesn´t really matter because
Now a big fight continues A lone bat against an avalanche of powerful and evil old money supervillains. And as an extra goodie to that there
Are Mr. Freeze´ and Alfred's backstory extensions Which is nice for the ones already experts and new nerd power for the ones not so DC well read. Like me, although both Batman and Superman have so many confusing new and old interpretations that I´m losing overview, chronological orientation, and in universe logic. Not that it would matter, the more that is added, the bigger and better the whole thing becomes.
By giving fairy tale figures some dark characteristics That´s definitively not what one is expecting from the more easyTime for a fabulous revolution
By giving fairy tale figures some dark characteristics That´s definitively not what one is expecting from the more easygoing, real protagonists of many more or less bloody children´s books and storybooks. It´s tricky to guess
Which big dystopic novel, or real historic event, is satirized But it´s a freaking fun experience to see the characters go big, political, demagogic, and revolutionary. Depending on the side, the heroes or villains, freedom fighters or terrorists, struggle with the problem of how to best
Try to let no human in their backyard, the fantasy NIMBY standard Because as soon as the worst creatures imaginable, homo sapiens, enter the game and know about one's existence, peace is over. And one can just guess if one will be killed, used, and abused for experiments and research, or, with much good luck, put in a fantasy creature zoo for mass entertainment.
The history of the civil rights movement continues
With a focus on the period from 1961 to 1963 The cruelty and madness of the institutionalized racisThe history of the civil rights movement continues
With a focus on the period from 1961 to 1963 The cruelty and madness of the institutionalized racism and discrimination are shown in detail including murder, police brutality, imprisonment, and everything else the intolerant haters used against the peaceful protesters. It´s hard to imagine
That all of this happened just 60 years ago And that it was perfectly normal before to deem everyone not white and male inferior. Not just that, it was seen as an inherent right to suppress other ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. Especially regarding the slavery past of the United States and the American Civil War, it´s haunting how long such mental viruses and mass hallucinations can persist. And they sadly and embarrassingly are by far still not history, which shows the
Importance of any graphic novel dealing with historical, sociological, economic, and political issues In contrast to history books, the medium makes learning and remembering so much easier by simply adding the visual factor. Why they aren´t really used in school is another weird issue, but a more enlightened future will bring loads of these astonishing options to do both big and conventional history.
Accelerate the story while the complex plot unfolds As so often with graphic novels and especially mangas, the stor Lost helpers and a demonic big boss
Accelerate the story while the complex plot unfolds As so often with graphic novels and especially mangas, the story is amazingly complex, interwoven, and fascinating. So although the sidekick might have sometimes been annoying in the first part of the series
Nothing beats a good rescue mission Combined with very strange upbringing methods. That mixture alone is an example of the many great, creative, and probably sometimes even unique ideas the series shines with, just as the
Exaggerated evilness of antagonists and bosses By using the simple comedy tool of describing everything totally over the top and hyper extreme, Miura managed to create the uniqueness of this work. Other authors often fail when trying to satirize by bending the tropes until they break, becoming stereotypical, boring cliches, and thereby unintentionally ridiculing themselves while wanting to be deep and wise. But Miura had the ingenuity to intuitively understand how to mix it up into something unique.
Are combined in the amazing second part of the series The preacher wasn´t always such a mess, there iInner demons, childhood trauma, and partying hard
Are combined in the amazing second part of the series The preacher wasn´t always such a mess, there is a nurturing reason for why he is such a weirdo. Confronting himself with the keeping it in the family attitude, and originally and bloodily dealing with them, initiates the continuation of the highway to hell. Including the
Grey area possession issues Half angel, half demon, as if the poor guy wasn´t already torn enough inside. But this kind of antihero/superhero pimping style opens up nice plot options, for instance, when
Going wild with Jesus de Sade A disturbingly realistic depiction of what goes on in apocalyptic cults, sects, and other extremist organizations. It´s of course, as sick running gag, also linked with
The search for and existence of god Besides all the sex and violence, this is the deeper question of the series, especially influencing the struggling main protagonist. Although it´s seemingly blasphemous and heretical, the series isn´t just hardcore in its depiction of gore. But also regarding the deeper, philosophical, and theological questions.
That was definitively made and not born that way Just like most of the characters, she is simply struggling tEmancipation in the form of a black widow
That was definitively made and not born that way Just like most of the characters, she is simply struggling to survive in a dystopic nightmare city. Combining
Some connections and innuendos to the first part of the series Miller shows more explicit details and dives deeper into the red light district and how it´s interconnected with the sick ecosystem of one of the worst places to live in fiction (and nowadays hellholes in industrialized countries that are a topic mostly avoided because of the implications regarding the dysfunctionality of politics and economics). And extra bonus kudos to Miller for
Combining those perspectives to contrast the male and female point of view To make it a uniquely entertaining read. In a comic and graphic novel world that was mostly dominated by male heroes and stereotypical female heroes, he created an antiheroine that showed the inhumanity of the system from a somewhat even more terrifying perspective.
Mario the lone bookwolf
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