Chadzilla ROARS!!! (The Official Blog of Chadwick H. Saxelid, Writer)

Star Trek: New Frontier #12: Being Human - by Peter David

The Excalibur may have been rebuilt, but its original crew remains fractured.  Shelby is now in command of her own ship, the Trident, and Ambassador Si Cwan has gone with her.  Xyon, the child of Burgoyne 172 and Dr. Selar, is up to amusing, albiet also irritating, rambunctiousness.

And Zak Kebron's suspicions regarding Mark McHenry's paranormal abilities, suspicions that were aroused when McHenry proved capable of warding off one of Q's pranks, are confirmed when the goddess Artemis, McHenry's one time childhood friend, and former lover, arrives to claim him.

It was bound to happen, eventually.  After gulping down eleven New Frontier adventures I finally read one where I felt completely lost.  The reasons for that are quite simple, really.  While I have, to date, only read the "numbered" books in the series, there have been several ancilliary and/or crossover adventures as well.  I have not read any of those books.  But the events in those unread books shade and color the decisions and actions of numerous characters and, because of that, like I said, for the first time I felt as if I had missed something important.  

Author Peter David did a good job of filling me in, making references to past events and such, but, nonetheless, my not having read the Captan's Table, Double Helix, or Gateways crossover books caused more than a bit of consternation and confusion for me.  So many new characters, and new conflicts between them, have sprung up out of "nowhere" for me that, as I said, twice before, I felt lost in the series for the first time since I started it.

Like a great many books in the series, Being Human reads like a chapter in a longer, ongoing work and not at all like a stand alone novel.  Many conflicts and confusions arise, or have arisen, but most, if not all of them, are not resolved in anything approaching a satisfying manner.  The TO BE CONTINUED tag makes it clear that any and all resolutions will be forthcoming in future installments of the New Frontier saga.

But that is not to say that the book is entirely without resolution.  Far from it.  All the various soap opera subplots orbit around a compelling and, to quote a famous Vulcan, fascinating central story.  The secret behind Mark McHenry's paranormal abilities is revealed, and that secret goes all the way back to an Original Series second season episode, Who Mourns for Adonais?

Because the very first New Frontier story that I read was the IDW comic book mini-series Turnaround, I knew that Mark McHenry was fated to undergo some rather interesting character development.  This development is nicely introduced and threaded throughout the entire Trek mythology with David's usual style, panache, and intelligence.  What makes the story work best is that David not once treats his characters as talking props, but as real beings with emotions and belief systems that, if not all that easy to relate to, are easy to understand.

So, despite my feeling of having missed an important episode or three, I still enjoyed and recommend the book.  I also, as always, am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Gods Above.

Fallen Angel #22 - 26

"What, then, is the heroic journey?"

A troubled young boy named James sleepwalks into Bete Noire, where he is confronted by various nightmarish scenarios and beings.  Fleeing a fierce back alley battleground, James seeks shelter inside a nearby church.  There he meets the kindly Jude.  He also witnesses the beginning of a war...

With the Magistrate of Bete Noire able to wield the power to shape the world, for better or for worse, it is not at all surprising that there should be a governing body to not only monitor what the Magistrate is doing, but to also make "suggestions" for courses of action for the Magistrate to undertake.  That governing body is the Hierarchy.  

While the Hierarchy has been amused by some of the entertainments that Jude has brought to Bete Noire (i.e. such things as Church services and trials by jury) they are not at all pleased with the job that Jude has been doing as Magistrate.  The Hierarchy does not like that Jude has been trying to make the world a better place for the opposing team.  So a hostile takeover is, um, undertaken.

It is time to say good-bye to some familiar faces as the status quo of Bete Noire and Fallen Angel is given a shake-up worthy of a snow globe.  The war brings a new boss to power, and he is not at all friendly.  It's the demon lord Moloch, housed in the body and spirit of Jude's insanely jealous half-brother Jubal, who gets a rather unpleasant lesson in the truism of always being careful of what one wishes for, because you just might get it.

And, as I said, some people get got real good in this story arc.  There is not only a new magistrate, there is also a new Chief Examiner, someone literally loses his head, and Furors may or may not be closed for renovations.  As you can guess from that spoiler filled comment (these issue are three years old, at least, so the spoiler expiration date has come and gone) the battle for Bete Noire is not much of a war.  It's more of a one sided ass whooping for Team Jude.

That means the true war for control of the City That Shapes the World has only just begun to be fought.  Which also explains why, as interesting and exciting as the events in this story arc were, the conclusion left me feeling unsatisified and eager for some payback. 

I'm sure that will happen, in time.

Fallen Angel #20 - 21

Jude, the new magistrate of Bete Noire, and the child of the former magistrate, Dr. Juris, and the Fallen Angel, struggles through the first four stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, and despair) before finally reaching and embracing the fifth and final stage: acceptance.

What causes all of Jude's struggles are the voices in his head and the weight of the entire world bearing down on him.  For Bete Noire is the city that shapes the entire world...

And to be able to shape the world implies that one can control the world.  Right?  Part of Jude's acceptance is a small test of that shaping ability upon a certain reviled dictator named Antar Yyv (an obvious stand-in for the likes of Kim Jong Il, Muammar Gaddafi, and others.)

Fallen Angel issues 20 and 21 tell what seem to be two very different stories.  But the two stories are really two halves off a larger and more complex story that, when those two halves finally clicked together, did so in a dramatically satisfying and thematically significant way.  At first I was more than a bit confused by the supposed switch in story lines, as issue twenty charts Jude's battle in short, albeit tightly connected, vignettes that are titled with whatever stage Jude is currently struggling with in the story.  

Issue 20 also ends with Jude completing the fifth and final stage, thanks in very large part to his conniving half-brother, Jubal.  Jude's half-brother had hoped for a different outcome than Jude's acceptance of the role of Magistrate.  In a nice storytelling flourish, issue 20 ends with a title card showing Jubal "entering" the first stage of grief: denial.  Jubal's denial being that he will not accept that his older half-brother is the Magistrate of Bete Noire, for that is what Jubal yearns to be.

With a close like that, I cracked open issue 21 expecting to read about Jubal's struggle with the four stages of grief before coming to terms with the reality of the situation and accepting it.  Foolish me, thinking that writer Peter David would be so quick to resolve a conflict filled with so much dramatic potential.  David wouldn't, so he doesn't.

Instead he begins with Jude in a confessional, telling of his sinful conduct in shaping the world and dealing with the brutal (yet somehow tragically sympathetic) dictator Antar Yyv.  When the story began I thought that David was going over ground that he had already covered: Jude trying to force light into the darkness at the heart of Bete Noire.  But I thought wrong, for as the story progressed it became obvious that Jude was not trying to "fix" or "cure" the world by fighting against Bete Noire's power.  This time he was using the city's power, instead of fighting against, in his role as Magistrate to try and shape the world into, one would hope, a better place.  

Whether or not Jude is successful remains to be seen.  He has absolute power and, as we all know, absolute power can corrupt absolutely. 

Fallen Angel #17 - 19

"Do you think she knows she is damned?"

Lee awakens from a nightmare, angry at God and in need of a drink.  She walks the same road to Bete Noire that she has always walked, but finds herself in a Japanese community named Yellow Springs instead of the night cloaked city that shapes the world.  Her inquiries as to who is in charge of the town lead her to the palace of one Izana-mi.  But Lee is warned that there is one who has attempted to usurp the power of the local leader.

Meanwhile, on the flip side of issue #17: Ana Ishikawa (a.k.a. Shi) is visited by Jesus Christ (the real Middle Eastern skinned Jesus, not the one that has been made, in His words, to look like an "idealized white anglo-saxon protestant") who commands her to go to Yellow Springs to excise, the way a surgeon would a cancer, a certain individual named Yurei...

Which is how the Fallen Angel and Shi come to meet.

This three part story is a sequel of sorts to the one that just ended, wherein the reader met Lin, the woman "enforcer" that attempted to clean up the out-of-control streets of Bete Noire before Lee's fall from grace.  It's a caustic, raunchy and funny tale.  Caustic from the sarcastic and bitter swings at various theologies throughout the story, with the ending invoking the Star Trek original series season two episode  Who Mourns for Adonais?  The raunchy stuff comes from Lee pointing out how Shi's wardrobe choices put her "wares" on open display (a nice swipe at how sexualized most feminine heroes are in comic books) and the running gag of Lee's continued refusal of Shi's supposed sapphic seductive behavior.  Best line in the story:  "Unless you're waiting for me to give you a pap smear, close the legs and robe, okay?"  Love it!  The funny?  Lee just does not take a single moment of her forced team-up with Shi seriously.  She just want to get to Dolph's bar and have a drink.  Great stuff.

If the Yurei name drop rang a bell in your mind, then you remembered that he was the crime lord that Lin took down in the previous story.  It also means that you have a better memory than I do, and I read the previous story last week.

Everything builds to an apocalyptic finale that reveals how all the various gods of the world's many different theologies not only try and look out for one another, but how they also resent humanity for "outgrowing" and "discarding" them.  This story arc is another wonderful example of just how much smart fun Fallen Angel can be.

Star Trek New Frontier #11: Restoration [Excalibur Trilogy, Book Three] - by Peter David

On a primitive, isolated and arid world known as Yakaba, a mysterious and violent man in the grip of a feverish delirium staggers out of the desert and into the lives of Rheela and her son, Moke.  The strange man's name?  Mackenzie Calhoun.

In another section of the galaxy, Elizabeth "Eppy" Shelby has been promoted to Captain and given the command of the U.S.S. Exeter.  Her first assignment, however, shows that she has taken up the late Captain Calhoun's annoying habit of bending (or just flat out ignoring) the Prime Directive for the greater good.  Something that does not sit well with her by the book crew, and the irony of that fact does not go unnoticed by Captain Shelby.

I figured that the believed dead Captain Mackenzie Calhoun would have to rise from the dead at some point in the Excalibur trilogy, for I doubted that the popular series would give its central character what was tantamount to an off screen death.  The explosion that destroyed the original U.S.S. Excalibur occurred after the end of Dark Allies and well before the start of Requiem, and the details of that event were sketchy, at best.  But not for a moment did I ever truly believe that Calhoun was truly dead.

While Peter David gives Calhoun a rousing and action packed return worthy of his tough-as-nails and plays-by-his-own-rules character, Calhoun's return seems to have more in common with the novels of Louis L'Amour or the movies of Sergio Leone than with the 24th century set future of Star Trek.  Then again, the original series Star Trek was, far more often than not, pretty much a western set in outer space, and the genre story template boots still fit rather nicely this time around.

I think that I just might have mixed some metaphors there.  So it goes.

Calhoun's adventure while marooned on Yakaba is indistinguishable from the type found in Shane or Pale Rider (which is pretty much a remake of Shane anyway) or High Plains Drifter.  A mysterious figure wanders into town and becomes embroiled in the conflicts that are simmering there.  Those conflicts revolve around Rheela, a woman gifted with an ability to create rain, and those in the nearby town that resent or want to exploit her power.  This all builds to a violent western style showdown right out of High Noon, where lasers and bodies both fly.

Shelby's side of the novel as her enthusiastically doing the Calhoun Maneuver around the Prime Directive to help a supposedly pacifistic society that is mulling over whether or not to join the Federation of Planets.  While Shelby's decisions and actions  make sense and work out in the long run (of course) the short term reactions to those decisions and actions cause friction with her crew.  It make for an interesting twist on the series formula.

My only complaint with the book was how long it took for the cliffhanger from the previous book was resolved.  Rather than weave that story line around the two primary ones, David instead waits until the well past the mid-section to pick up where the middle book of the trilogy left off and then rushes through those events in a surprisingly clumsy fashion.  Other than that minor narrative misstep, though, the book is a satisfying conclusion to the Excalibur trilogy.

Fallen Angel #14 - 16

"I want my life back!"

Lin, a violent patient housed in a mental institution, believes that she has been cast out from the city of Bete Noire, although those who are taking care of her claim her memory of both the city and its inhabitants are a delusion caused by her mental illness.  Despite being told repeatedly, Lin refuses to accept that Bete Noire and its inhabitants are an hallucinatory fiction of her troubled mind.  She proves her captives wrong by forcing herself back to Bete Noire by sheer willpower.  Once there, Lin learns of why she was called to Bete Noire and how she was eventually cast out it...

Once again it has been two years since my last review of a Fallen Angel story.  I do not know how that happens.  I set the book aside to catch up on other things, or deal with some personal issues, and, next thing I know, it has been two years since I last cracked open an issue.

This little three parter was arguably the perfect point for me to pause in my regular reading of the Fallen Angel series, for the tale can also serve as a perfect jumping on point for new readers.  The arc allows both the reader and the disinterested title character to learn a bit more about the history and the supernatural undercurrents of Bete Noire, the city that shapes the world.

No one knows who Lin is, or where she came from.  Not even Lin herself knows.  Granted the amnesiac learning the terrible secrets of his or her dark past (Falling Angel, anyone?) is nothing new.  But author Peter David makes this boilerplate mystery structure work because he allows it illustrate the influence and power Bete Noire, not as a cheat for an attempt at a "Gotcha!" twist ending.  What happens is Magistrate Juris becomes overwhelmed by the unwanted responsibility of overseeing and guiding the city, and Bete Noire's darker elements all but take over.  The city and the world it is shaping literally begin going to Hell...

And that is when Lin, a mysterious and almost unstoppable woman of great arrogance and power, arrives from nowhere and begins setting things right.  Or setting them in a closer proximity to right, at least.  She comes into being simply because Bete Noire needed some correcting and, since the Magistrate was refusing to do what needed to be done, the city was doing some self correcting.

The attempt at self-correcting works, at first.  But Bete Noire has a bad effect on any and all who live inside of it.  Not even Lin herself is capable of withstanding the corrupting power of the city's darker element and her tale takes a Nietzsche style turn for the absolute worst, which is where it begins.

To find out where and how her tale comes to an end, I suggest that you read the story.  I think that you will be glad you did.

Star Trek New Frontier #10: Renaissance [Excalibur Trilogy, Book Two] - by Peter David

The middle book of Peter David's Excalibur trilogy concerns itself with matters of the heart.

Selar leaves Burgoyne, taking their child, Xyon, back to Vulcan to raise him.  Burgoyne, however, refuses to give up on Selar and their child.  The Hermat fights for hir right to be there for hir child, and to be beside hir beloved mate.

Meanwhile, in another sector of the universe, Robin Lefler reluctantly agrees to go with her mother to a posh resort for some rest and relaxation and, the latter emphatically hopes, some much needed romance.

What they all forget is that it is best to be careful of what one wishes for; for you just might get it...

Although the action centers around emotional and domestic matters, Peter David keeps the pace brisk and the action (and yes, there is plenty of action) exciting.  Although the story seems, at first, to be light on the larger than life bombast that Star Trek fans expect, David does not disappoint.  Even better is how richly developed his cast of characters has become.  All of them, even those taken from the original series, seem like real people that are capable of living outside the confines of the printed page.  No matter which planet or culture the character may, may not, call home, each and every one acts in an easy to understand manner.  The reader may not agree with some of the decisions that are made, but there will be no confusion as to how or why those decisions came to be made.

Renaissance, like the book that came before it, can almost be read as a stand alone novel.  I say almost because this entry features a cliffhanger that is almost, but not quite, as explosive as the one that concluded Dark Allies.  There is also the unanswered question of what tragic fate might have befallen a particularly cherished original series character, one that shows up to make Morgan and Robin's vacation a tad more interesting.  That mystery is left unresolved, although I seriously doubt that Paramount would allow Peter David to kill the character off.  In books like this, it is the supporting cast of new and unfamiliar faced red shirts that need to worry about getting killed off, not the familiar faces that fans have come to know and love.  

Peter David both knows and understands this, which is why he treats his supporting cast of characters with the same amount of reverence and care as the series characters they are sharing the stage with.  That is what makes the New Frontier series so special.

Star Trek New Frontier #9: Requiem [Excalibur Trilogy, Book One] - by Peter David

Nothing ever goes as planned.

About midway to three quarters of the way through Requiem, I decided not to review the book as a stand alone novel.  I thought it would be better to read the Excalibur trilogy as if it were a single book, then review it as such.  My decision was based on my experiences reading the previous eight books in the New Frontier series, all of which had not read as stand alone novels, but as chapters in a much longer narrative.  I figured that the various plot lines that Peter David was threading through the novel would not be resolved in a satisfying manner, and that the book would end with a cliffhanger that would have me eager to crack open the next book in the series, A, S, A and P.

Well, I was half right.  The book did end in such a manner that - despite my longtime habit of cleansing my reading palate by reading something, or someone, very different from whatever it was that I had just finished reading - I immediately started reading Renaissance, the next novel in the New Frontier series.  But I was also somewhat surprised, and very pleased, in fact, to discover that the two primary stories in the book were complete and self-contained.  Requiem read like a stand alone novel.  After being strung along through eight books and what seemed like story lines that would never be resolved in a satisfying manner, it was quite refreshing.

Requiem picks up a short time after the cliffhanger ending of Dark Allies, which had the starship Excalibur exploding.  No explanation is given as to how the entire crew of the Excalibur, with the  lone exception of the Captain, managed to escape the explosion, or even what caused it.  The primary characters just show up at a San Francisco bar to pay their final respects and say their final good-byes (yeah, right) to each other and to the respected (if not beloved) memory of the believed to be dead Captain Mackenzie Calhoun. 

Last good-byes said, the crew breaks apart and goes their separate ways, to begin their separate adventures:

The emotionally and intellectually conflicted Soleta returns to Vulcan to visit with her father, only to learn that she must hunt down the Romulan that had raped and impregnated her mother.  Because the Romulan that Soleta refuses to think of as her father has sent a message.  One that may or may not be a threat.

Zak Kebron and Mark McHenry go undercover to learn who, or what, has been tormenting and abducting the inhabitants of a technologically primitive planet.

A secondary story has Si Cwan's sister Kalinda, who is still very much in tune with the souls of the departed, receiving a horrifying vision that sends a revenge thirsty Si Cwan hunting for a ruthless murderer.

Peter David keeps the pace brisk, throwing out numerous plot twists and cliffhangers to grip the reader's attention and keep said reader turning the pages quickly.  There is also plenty of humor, just to keep the situations from becoming too dour.  The end result is an entertaining and satisfying read in what has become my favorite book series.

Star Trek New Frontier #8: Dark Allies - by Peter David

The old justification "the enemy of my enemy is my ally," which is a saying far too often used to justify partnering up with undesirable, or outright despicable, allies in battle, is put to good use in the eighth book in Peter David’s popular Star Trek New Frontier series, Dark Allies.

A seemingly indestructible and unstoppable planet and star gobbling entity known only as the Black Mass is heading to the home world of the Redeemers, the mass murdering sect that has caused the crew of the Excalibur no end of grief. Knowing that simply asking Captain Mackenzie Calhoun for help is not enough, the Redeemers hold an entire planet hostage in order to make certain that Calhoun and his crew do everything in their power to stop the Black Mass from destroying the Redeemers.

Peter David uses that blackmail to wring some fine moments of dramatic tension between Calhoun and the Redeemers, but that is not the only conflict making the book an exciting and entertaining read. Xyon, the son of Mackenzie Calhoun, and Kalinda, the sister of Ambassador Si Cwan, two characters introduced in the equally exciting and entertaining book that proceeded Dark Allies, The Quiet Place, are having difficulties of their own, albeit those of a more intimate and far less life threatening kind (until Si Cwan discovers them, that is).

And since things (both good and bad) seem to like to come in threes, Burgoyne 172 and Dr. Selar are having a very difficult time handling the physical and emotional discomforts brought upon by the rapidly approaching birth of their child.

That is a lot of story activity to juggle and David does it with illusive ease. He keeps the action and revelations moving at a brisk clip and it all builds to a satisfying conclusion, albeit one with yet another cliffhanger that insures my picking up the next book in this fun and addictive series.

Star Trek New Frontier #7: The Quiet Place - by Peter David

TO BE CONTINUED?!?!  I cry foul!

After tearing through The Quiet Place, eager to find out what would happen next and what it will all mean to the characters in the story, I am "treated" to an anti-climax that resolves nothing that has come before it and then handed a jaw-dropper of a cliffhanger that, somehow, left me begging for more?  I must be some kind of glutton for literary punishment. 

Or maybe I just like some good storytelling.  The Quiet Place, despite its frustrating to the point of almost being infuriating non-ending, is one the best I have yet to read in the New Frontier series.  It moves at a gallop and there is not a moment of narrative waste to fatten it up and slow it down.

Si Cwan is dispatched to a backwater planet named Montos in the former Thallonian Empire on a diplomatic mission.  He arrives just in time to witness an attack by the dreaded Dogs of War, a pack of genetically engineered were-warriors.  The Dogs seek someone on Montos that is plagued by sanity challenging dreams and visions of something called The Quiet Place.  Both the mysterious seer and the even more mysterious Quiet Place are linked to Si Cwan's past.

While the Dogs of War seem like an almost cartoonish threat at first, they show their villainous chops (literally as well as figuratively) shortly after their first appearance and they make for a memorable and fearsome villain.  As cruel and bloodthirsty as the Dogs are, they are no match for the returning danger of the religious sect known as the Redeemers.  Something that is brutally illustrated in the delight that the Redeemers Overlord takes in the needless torture of one particular character.

Recalling that particular piece of nastiness, I think that is what was I found most disappointing about the novel's anti-climax ending.  There was no pouring out of some industrial grade whoop ass by Si Cwan, Zak Kebron, and newcomer Xyon upon those that most deserved it.  Whether or not that pouring out is waiting in what is no doubt this story's second half in Dark Allies, book eight of this oh-so-addicting space opera series, remains to be seen.

All I know is that I will be reading it... very, very soon.

Star Trek New Frontier Book Six: Fire on High - by Peter David

Fire on High picks up pretty much where Martyr left off, with the crew of the starship Excalibur still struggling with the aftermath of the previous story's events even as new problems come crashing down on them.

The two biggest surprises are the discovery of a strange and apparently sentient machine hidden beneath the soil of Ontear's cave and a message from another world that reveals to Lieutenant Robin Lefler that the mother she has long believed to be dead is, in fact, very much alive, and running from something.  Although no one knows it, both of these discoveries are linked.  The machine beneath Ontear's cave is one very similar to the powerful, and quite seductive, super weapon that Morgan Primus, Robin Lefler's believed to be dead mother, is unwittingly tracking down.

But there is more, as should be expected with a series with such a large ensemble cast as New Frontier has.  Dr. Selar and Lieutenant Burgoyne 172 have far more emotional, not to mention physical, baggage from their Pon farr induced affair than both had originally anticipated, and the question of what is causing the strange power fluctuations in the warp drive is answered in a nightmarish fashion.

That's a lot of story for only 272 pages, but author Peter David fits it all in by keeping the pace quick, the plot nuances direct and to the point, and the banter light and witty.  Although there are some dramatic moments sprinkled throughout, for the most part the novel's sole purpose is to entertain, and that it does.  Quite well.

Star Trek New Frontier Book Five: Martyr - by Peter David

Martyr is the first self-contained novel in the still ongoing Star Trek New Frontier series and it is an entertaining and exciting read, albeit a tad darker and more violent one than I have become accustomed to in regards to the Trek franchise.

Picking up shortly after the finale of End Game, Martyr has the increasingly tall tales describing how the Thallonian Empire’s home planet cracked apart and was destroyed during the birthing of the mythic being know as The Great Bird of the Galaxy and the U.S.S. Excalibur’s short battle with it spreading rapidly. These events just so happen to coincide with the prophecies of an ancient planet and Captain Mackenzie Calhoun is believed to be their Savior. Their Messiah.

But there is another religion in the region that will accept no other Savior/Messiah than theirs, so the assassination of Captain Calhoun is ordered.

Although the planet(s) might be different and the names of the religions have been changed, it is easy to see the comparisons author Peter David makes to Christianity/Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism in Martyr. Not content to reenact the Israel/Palestine conflict within the context of a space opera plot, David also tosses in a metaphor for the Crusades, just for some additional seasoning. While it might not add up to the most subtle of socio-theological commentary (this is a Star Trek novel, after all) David does keep it from becoming too heavy handed. While there is clearly a serious undercurrent to all the symbolic intrigue and derring do, David keeps the pace quick and the comedic banter between the various characters (one of Peter David’s authorial trademarks) helps to lighten the novel’s overall dark mood.

The end result is a quick and satisfying read that also gives you something to think about when all the fighting is done.

Star Trek New Frontier Book Four: End Game - by Peter David

Thanks in large part to DVD and Tivo, I can watch a fair amount of TV shows without suffering the hassles of having to watch broadcast TV.  I can also pick and choose when to watch an episode of a show, according to my own personal schedule, rather than having to adjust my schedule to catch an episode of a show that I do not want to miss.  I am also old enough of a show to remember even those pre-VCR days, when, if you missed an episode of a show, you could really and truly miss it; for it might not be rebroadcast, much less released for syndicated reruns.

While these changes in technology are a distinct improvement over my viewing options of old, I can still fall behind and miss out on "my shows," losing track of the serial threads running through the various characters and story arcs.  Which is what I discovered to have happened when I started tearing through End Game, the concluding chapter in Peter David's four part serial introduction to his popular, and ongoing, Star Trek TNG tie-in spin-off series, New Frontier. There were moments when I was just lost amongst all the political backstabbing and skullduggery, for I had allowed far too much reading time to elapse between installments. This really is a series that would be best enjoyed as one book, not as four separate ones.

The definite highlights in this chapter were the scenes involving Si Cwan and Zak Kebron in captivity.  I must admit that Kebron the Brikar has become my favorite character in the series.  The low points were the tiresome arguments over that pesky Prime Directive of non-interference (and the non-surprise that whether or not it should be invoked as a reason NOT taking action is an entirely subjective one, rather than an objective one) and the rushed and oversimplified manner in which the hostage situation that was The Two Front War's cliffhanger was resolved.

Then again, the book's climax features what appears to be a giant Anti-Matter Space Buzzard.  Something that David dubs The Great Bird Bird of the Galaxy.  It is impossible for me to dislike, and thus not recommend, a book that features a one-two in-joke.  Although I doubt that Peter David intended to make any reference to The Giant Claw. Or did he?

Fallen Angel: Down to Earth - by Peter David (writer), David Lopez (penciller) & Fernando Blanco (inker)

Lee goes to extreme lengths to acquire the shard for Sister Mary Catherine.  Lengths that are not at all appreciated by the devout nun.

The hows and whys of what first brought Lee to Bete Noire are also revealed.

According to my last posted review of a Fallen Angel story, it has been almost two years since I last cracked open what remains one of my favorite comic book serials.  Although, due to issues far too personal to be discussed here, I drifted away from reviewing comics regularly for the last year or two, I have not stopped buying them.  I have a really nice pile of Fallen Angel comics that I am flat out going to love getting caught up on.

But before I get to cracking on that marathon catch-up session, however, I thought it would be best to take a look at the second volume of the series DC era, Fallen Angel: Down to Earth.

Man, I forgot just what a dark and delicious book this is.  Dark in that author Peter David is not the least bit afraid to take Lee into the shadow cloaked corners of Bete Noire and let the monsters, both figurative as well as literal, come out to play with her.  Delicious because David lets his trademark wry humor glitter in that darkness and during those exciting confrontations.  The mixture makes it feel real, as if these other worldly figures were actually flesh and blood people and not just constructs of words, pencils and ink. 

For every question that is answered in this Volume, there are several more that are asked for the upcoming (and, and as of this writing, apparently uncollected) issues to deal with.  Since those issues have not been gathered together in a third volume to close out the 20 issue run of the series DC era, it looks like I am going to have to invest in some serious back issue purchasing.  Ouch.

Star Trek New Frontier Book Three: The Two-Front War - by Peter David

Si Cwan and Zak Kebron fight to escape the deadly snare that has entrapped them.  Calhoun is distrustful of the generous offer made by a scavenging species.  Dr. Selar demands a special favor from Soleta.

The third part of the four book set that launched Peter David's popular Star Trek New Frontier series bubbles with action, excitement, and healthy doses of the author's trademark humor.  It's terrific reading, if taken as part of a larger whole, which it is.  But the book is as far removed from a stand alone novel as it could get.  So any and all newcomers to the series will be hopelessly lost if s/he should choose The Two-Front War as the book to start the series with.  Stuff happens, you know?

That having been said, David breaks in some of his supporting cast members with some rousing action set pieces (the Si Cwan/Zak Kebron section) and more than a few intense emotional fireworks displays (the Dr. Selar/Soleta section).  The former, as entertaining as it is, is pretty much your average buddy action movie arc.  Si Cwan and Kebron dislike each other intensely, but eventually learn to work together and even manage to bond...a little bit.  Although he has not, to my somewhat limited Trek knowledge, appeared in any "canonical" Trek adventure (i.e. in an actual episode or film) Zak Kebron is fast becoming one of my all time favorite Star Trek characters.  The dude is awesome.

Then there is the emotional journey that Dr. Selar and Soleta undertake.  For all of their supposed unemotional aloofness, Vulcans always seem to be struggling with some serious repressed emotional issues.  Still waters running deep, I guess.  Deep and murky.

It all "ends" with yet another series of life and death cliffhangers for Calhoun and his crew.  Come now, you didn't think that any plot threads would be tied up just yet, did you?  There is still one more book to go.

I should be cracking it open in a week, perhaps two.

Star Trek New Frontier Book Two: Into the Void - by Peter David

Captain Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur embark upon their humanitarian mission of mercy into the void left by the collapse of the Thallonian Empire.

If I tried to write anymore detailed of a plot synopsis than the above sentence it would probably take me more time to do so than it took me to actually read the book.  House of Cards, the first novel in the New Frontier spin-off series, was all introduction and set-up, climaxing with a rather frustrating cliffhanger.  Because the story seemed to have finally gotten started when the book "ended."

Into the Void introduces several more characters and set-ups plenty of dramatic conflict, but this time all the exposition unfolds in a fast moving storyline that ends on yet another cliffhanger.  The difference  between the two is that the first one felt like a chapter break cliffhanger, while this one is a stronger section break cliffhanger.  The kind that usually caps the ending of a Book One or Book Two section, not just a chapter break in a far larger and complex story.  Void's "How the hell will they survive long enough to get themselves out of this mess?" closing curtain had me charging over to my bookcase to place Book Three of the series (The Two Front War) at the top of my Next On Deck short stack.

I really can't give the book a higher compliment than that.

Star Trek New Frontier Book One: House of Cards - by Peter David

The Thallonian Empire has collapsed and the worlds it once ruled with an iron fist are in chaos.  Refugees from the former Empire flood the Federation outpost Deep Space Five and the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, has been ordered into the region to both assist in the care of the refugees and to help facilitate the bare beginnings of peace neogiations.

With the situation rapidly deteriorating in the former Empire - tribal hatreds causing civil wars on some planets, confused leaders arguing to the point of deadlock on others, and numerous would be tyrants brutally attempting to seize control on the rest - the Federation representatives reluctantly agree that a starship, but only a single starship, should be sent into the wreckage of the former Empire to investigate, report, offer humanitarian aid where needed, and, if requested, assist in the rebuilding process via peaceful means.

The only question remaining is who will command this starship?  Captain Picard believes he knows the perfect man for the job..

The first book in Peter David's long running New Frontier series is all set-up and no payoff.  The book does not end, it just stops, tacking a somewhat irritating To Be Continued tag at the bottom of the closing cliffhanger.  It's also a book best suited for those with solid knowledge of the Star Trek universe; something I do not, so I felt lost for short stretches of time.  But none of those complaints can keep me from looking forward to cracking open the next book in the series.  Peter David is not only a gifted storyteller, but he also has the enviable gift of being able to bring characters that are not his own to three dimensional life.  I just wish that Pocket books had released the first few books in the series as one novel, rather than as a smash and grab serial.  It would have made for more satisfying reading, I think.

Battlestar Galactica: Sagittarius Is Bleeding - by Peter David

FTL jumps have become death traps for the rag tag fleet, because the Cylons have managed to get the exact location of each jump before it is made.  How are they doing it?  President Laura Roslin is troubled by violent dreams and hallucinations featuring the pregnant Cylon, Sharon Valerii, and the cryptic statement, Sagittarius Is Bleeding.  A young boy, one who is considered a friend by most of Galactica's Viper pilots, sneaks in to see Sharon and is discovered talking with her, leading to accusations of him being a Cylon.  If all that weren't enough, an End Times theological cult from Sagittaron has begun to plead its case to become recognized as the Fourteenth Colony.

Just another week on the Battlestar Galactica.

Peter David has done it again.  He has taken characters and situations that are not his own and used them to construct a suspenseful and entertaining novel that not only captures the dramatic rhythm of the show his book is spinning off from, but that can also easily stand on its own merits as an original novel.  Even if you're not a fan/viewer of the new Battlestar Galactica (and you really should be, the show is excellent) chances are very good that you will still enjoy Sagittarius Is Bleeding.

Like the show upon which it is based, Sagittarius Is Bleeding contains several story lines that, as they unfold, not only become tightly intertwined, but also function on different levels.  Author Peter David also doesn't shy away from the show's pointed political commentary.  The illegal wiretapping of the Galactica is an integral part of the story and, just as it happens on the show itself, both sides of the moral/ethical argument are presented.  What results from that action, of course, is completely different from the goal Adama and Tigh had originally set for themselves.  Nothing in the new Battlestar Galactica is ever as simple as good and evil, black and white.  It's a morally muddled world, which is fertile ground for interesting stories.  Right now, I can only hope that Sagittarius Is Bleeding is but one of many more to come.

Fallen Angel #13

"This is all your fault!"

While Jude is determined to hold a trial to prosecute Asia Minor for his crimes, the citizens of Bete Noire (including the Angel herself) are less than supportive of the idea.  In fact, some of the powers that move and shake things are beginning to think that the city is in need of a far better Magistrate.

The events in Fallen Angel #13 take a pretty rough toll on Jude, as he is corrupted even further by the horrible curse of his position.  Jude does put up a noble fight to hold onto his rapidly crumbling sanity and is resolute that some form of justice will be brought to the corrupt Bete Noire.  But Jude can no longer think clearly and the only person that can help ease the pain of his ongoing transition is the very man that the new Magistrate intends to "bring to justice," Asia Minor.

But the cracking of Jude's mind isn't the only threat to the new Magistrate, there is also the issue of his soul.  The world of Bete Noire isn't one that conforms to the simplistic good/evil morality that Jude believes in.  This confusing new world order defies every step Jude takes to make it a better place, with every good deed creating an unpleasant blow back to emotionally wound the Magistrate.  Witnessing the slow, painful death of the well meaning Jude's mind and spirit really makes this reader understand why Jude's father was so eager to rid himself of the position and leave Bete Noire for good, or ill.

Of all the issues of Fallen Angel I have read, I think that number thirteen has to be the darkest one to date.  It has an aura of utter hopelessness and futility to it.  When I finished it and set it down, I found myself dreading what would come next, because it looks like it will be something very unpleasant for almost every one involved in this particular story arc.

And Jubal should really be careful about what he wishes for, he just might get it.

Fallen Angel #12

"I believe the saying is, "There's a new Sheriff in town."  Do you have a problem with that?"

Jude wants Asia Minor, Bete Noire's drug dealer, brought to justice.  Lee wants Asia Minor to help her find a cure for Ezil.  Mother and son are about to face each other from the opposing sides of a potentially nasty battle...

Jude continues his slow descent into whatever form of madness the position of Magistrate brings about.  A condition that Jubal and his mother hope to use for their benefit.  It's also none too subtly hinted at that Jubal's relationship with his mother is close enough to be considered Taboo.  Yuck.

But that isn't the only unpleasant revelation in Fallen Angel #12.  The amoral Asia Minor finally steps out of the shadows (this is his first sizable appearance in a story since the book made the jump from DC to IDW) and gets his slime all over Angel and Jude.  Angel is used to it, but Jude, who is becoming more and more distracted-confused-overwhelmed by the voices of Bete Noire that are now filling his mind and robbing him of much needed sleep, is not, and Asia Minor is a very seasoned predator that knows how to find prey.  Minor knows about the voices that are plaguing Jude.  I'm sure Minor will be making an offer to "help" Jude get some much needed sleep in the future.  I think you know what kind of help that is.

Then there is the still unresolved issue of the drug Glory and its vampirism side effects.  I'm certain that Angel will be dropping by to discuss that issue with Jude and Asia Minor in the very near future.

Fallen Angel #11: The Long, Slow Seduction of Jude, Part One

"I...I was just trying to help him..."

After Ezil and Dolf are assaulted by a deranged junkie in the alley behind Furors, the Angel discovers that a powerful new (and possibly designer) drug named Glory is responsible.

I cannot say it enough: I love this book.

As its title suggests, the central theme of this story's opening chapter is Jude's losing battle with the burden of being Bete Noire's magistrate.  Jude is undergoing a rather drastic change of character, not at all unlike the one that the Glory destroyed junkie that gets the story proper started underwent.

In fact, each scene in this issue is intricately meshed with another, with unfolding events gaining a subtextual meaning (and power) because of their strong thematic link with the scenes before or after.  Maura's parting shot at Angel, Angel's decision to help Dolf and Ezil, and the two very different fates that await Ernie and Keith: it all ties in with Jude's slowly eroding innocence, and the temptations he both knowingly and unknowingly faces because of it.  In retrospect, the issue's most powerful moment is when the Angel responds to Ezil's above quoted comment, "From now on, you help nobody."  In a city like Bete Noire, it is sage advice.  It's too bad that Jude isn't around to hear it, because it is advice he desperately needs to hear.

The Long, Slow Seduction of Jude is looking to be Fallen Angel's best story yet, which is saying a lot.  Read it.

Fallen Angel #10: A Sad Song for Terry May

"A tale that will cure you of believing in fairness."

In the aftermath of Sirocco's church bombing, while Eddie "Violens" Schultz struggles to stay alive, the Fallen Angel tells Jude and Mariah of a special man with a special talent that she tried to help.

Peter David has done it again, delivering a tale that is every bit as humorous as it is dramatically potent.  (How does he do it?)  In trademark David style, the humor acts as a distraction, diverting the attention so that, when the gloves come off, the hits are potent enough to be breathtaking.  The story also puts the "what really happened is the reader's choice" ending to very good effect, it could be used as a textbook example of how to do it for beginning (or struggling) writers everywhere.

J.K. Woodward's art once again perfectly captures the emotional nuances of the story.  The use of black and white to illustrate the Fallen Angel's recollection of Terry May gives that part of the story a dream like quality, while the irony of what really happened differing markedly from how the Fallen Angel describes it are laugh inducing moments.  But, again, those jokes are just a calculated distraction from the drama building behind the scenes.  It is when Terry first sings, the denial of her fallen tears, and the tragic end of the Fallen Angel's story that the book comes truly alive, and reading it is like looking through a window into another world.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Volume 1: Derailed - by Peter David (Writer) & Mike Wieringo and Roger Cruz (Pencils)

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Volume 1: Derailed gathers together the first three stories of the newly launched book.

First is the one-shot Web Log from Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5:  The pathologically self-centered Vanna just wants to be left alone, but Spider-Man always seems to be battling bad guys nearby.  Just who does Spider-Man think he is trying to impress?

Next up is the two-parter Masks from Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6-7:  Spidey thinks that the wrestling match in which he's agreed to face off against a luchador called El Muerto is simply for charity.  What he doesn't know is that a dark secret in El Muerto's past has raised the stakes far beyond a mere million dollar prize.

Closing out the collection is the three parter Jumping the Tracks from Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8-10:  This is a reality bending and time twisting tale, involving future events, alternate universes, and the insane daughter of a future Spider-Man that is determined to erase the web slinger from each and every time line he has appeared in.

When I found out that Peter David was going to be writing an all new Spider-Man book, one filled with villains old and new, I got excited.  Then I picked up the first issue and discovered that its story, The Other, would be part of a multiple book crossover event.  Instead of tripling my comic book issue purchases, I decided to just wait for the trade.  It was worth it, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is one fun book.

David's predominantly sardonic sense of humor is perfectly suited for the character of Spider-Man.  Each of the stories in this volume is packed with plenty of laugh out loud moments, but none of them ever drift into out and out comedy.  David manages to balance the humor with the drama so effectively that they enhance each other, rather than hamper.  Although I'm leery of picking up yet another month-to-month book (I'm buying more than enough, thank you) I just know that I'm going to be making a habit of picking up the trade collections of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.  It'll be time and money well spent.

Fallen Angel #9

"...The house always wins.  And Bete Noire is the house."

Sachs is determined to make Sirocco pay with her life for placing Ernie at Death's Door.  Meanwhile Malachi explains to an injured Jude that the Magistrate's "Protective Mark" only covers so much.

Fallen Angel just keeps getting better and better.  Writer Peter David slips in some intriguing revelations about the Magistrate, Malachi, and Sirocco during the plentiful action that fills issue nine.  The big reveal (one I happily refuse to disclose here) at the issue's end really opens up the intriguing plot potential for future arcs.  Although her actions were monstrous from the perspective of Jude, Sachs and Ernie, Sirocco just might be on the side of the Fallen Angel.  Her statements regarding the political use of religion to achieve selfish ends is a pretty timely commentary.  Just go to the local bookstore and read a few passages from David Kuo's book Tempting Faith.  I think you'll get a good look at Sirocco's point in action.

But Sirocco's ends don't really justify her means, not for Sachs, who just might lose Ernie, or the Fallen Angel, who is pretty damn pissed that her son was inside the church when it was blown up.  Finding out how the fallout from these events and revelations will play out in issue ten and beyond will no doubt make for some exciting reading.

Oh, and now that Jude has been knocked down a notch and Jubal has found an Achilles Heel in the Magistrate's Protective Mark, the new Magistrate had better start watching his back.

Fallen Angel #8

"What a bitch."

Jude is eager to start reshaping the world by making Bete Noire , "the city that shapes the world," a better place.  The first step he wants to take is to reopen the local church.  This is something that the Hierarchy, the true overseers of Bete Noire, aren't too pleased with.  If that weren't enough, Bete Noire is paid a visit by a sword wielding woman with a mysterious agenda all her own.

A smile of delight spread across my face when I picked up Fallen Angel #8 and saw that Sachs & Violens were adorning the cover.  I fell in love with the couple when they made their first appearance back in issues 19 and 20 during Fallen Angel's run at DC.  The story, even though the Angel herself did not make an appearance, did not disappoint.  Twenty years (story time and time passes differently in Bete Noire) spent living in the same place have Sachs beginning to feel stale.  Ernie, however, has never been happier.  Should she stay or should she go?  Would Ernie go with her if she left Bete Noire?  If Sachs knew what happened to Juris when he left town at the close of issue five, I don't think she would be in such a hurry to leave.  Both Sachs and Violens don't appear to have aged a day, but that could change once they pass the town limits.

The tension between Sachs and Violens is echoed in the tension between Jude and his jealous brother, Jubal, as well as the bitter resentment between Black Mariah and Dolf.  I liked the subtle irony in having Malachi's warning to Jude ("It will not end well") pretty much mirror the one Jude gave Jubal ("Actions taken against me tend to backfire.") at the issue's start.  I think the Furors' barkeep sums it up best during a conversation with Ernie, "Sooner or later...all tabs become payable and due."  Good stuff, that.

The tab for one of those conflicts comes due and forms what looks to be a noose around one character's neck.  Where is the Fallen Angel when Bete Noire needs her the most?  Issue nine couldn't get to the shelves fast enough for me.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11: I Hate A Mystery Part 1 (of 3)

"Instead of wearing a big spider on my back...I've decided to paint this big honkin' target."

While removing his mask and revealing Spider-Man's true identity to the world might have been the noble, or at least legal, thing to do.  It has nonetheless made Peter Parker's once quiet life a thing of memory.  Hounded by press and protesters, Parker seriously considers resigning his teaching position.  His biggest fear, one shared by a crowd of protesting parents outside the school, is that his now public identity will put his students at risk.

That fear is not only justified, but prophetic.  One of Spidey's famous enemies wastes no time starting a fight at school...

I've kind of avoided the whole Civil War thing, it's just doesn't really interest me all that much.  But, what with a new Spider-Man movie coming out and Peter Parker now having to adjust to a new way of life where everybody knows who their Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man really is, I decided to take a risk and pick-up one of the many Spider-Man books out there.  (Does it seem like there is something like 112 different Spider-Man books to choose from, or is just me?)  There were other factors in my decision, of course.  It was a light release week, it's Peter David's book, and the line seems to have only a tenuous connection with that whole Civil War thing.

I could not have picked a better Spider-Man issue to read.  I Hate A Mystery Part One offers an intoxicating mix of big laughs (and I'm talking the toss your head back and laugh at the ceiling kind) and suspenseful action.  Peter Parker definitely picked the wrong day to quit his job.  Yesterday would have been a better time to do it.  Now things are going from bad to worse, and they're just getting warmed up.  Because it's Mysterio Spidey's dealing with this time around, nothing is as it seems to be and I am sure that plenty of surprising plot twists are in store for both Spidey and his readers.  Big laughs, too.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Imzadi - by Peter David

Admiral William Riker has never recovered from the sudden, unexpected death of Deanna Troi.  When Riker, now in his seventies and in self-imposed exile, returns to Deanna's home planet of Betazed, to take care of Lwaxana Troi's estate, his visit stirs up the bittersweet memory of how he first met, then bonded with, his cherished Imzadi.

But that story is only the beginning.  Commodore Data shares with Riker a stunning development he had witnessed at Forever World, the home planet of the Guardian of Forever.  It seems that Deanna Troi's death has created two separate time lines.  Riker is convinced that Deanna Troi was never meant to die, that she had been murdered by someone wishing to create a far different future.  Riker becomes determined to go back in time and save his Imzadi...

Peter David's Imzadi is the fourth Star Trek the Next Generation novel that I have read.  I think that this creates a rather unique milestone, for I believe that I have now read more Star Trek the Next Generation novels than I have seen actual episodes of the show itself.  That will change, in time, of course.

Imzadi seems to be a rather highly regarded Star Trek the Next Generation novel by both fans of its writer, Peter David, and of the show itself.  All I can say about that is that the book certainly lived up to its hype.  Imzadi works both as a potent love story and as a Trek adventure that crackles with action packed excitement.  Every moment in the doomed relationship, from when Riker first sees Deanna Troi, up to the sad ending of their romantic relationship, rings true emotionally.  The race between Riker and Data to either save Deanna Troi, or to ensure that the established time line is not tampered with, gave the book a nail biter of a conclusion.  I could not tell if Riker would be successful in his queat, or if he would fail.  The other thing that impressed me was how David was able to present the pre-existing characters as real people, with real emotions.  Even though I have read a lot of tie-ins and novelizations for various franchises, I have seldom come across one that is as emotionally powerful as Imzadi.

Fallen Angel #7: All Fall Down

"...kill me if you can."

Liandra, with the young girl Ayr at her side, rides to the desert stronghold of the murderous Inhaed Aen.  More than a simple, and quite bloody, dispensing of vengeance awaits Liandra there.

The second half of Liandra's first adventure on Earth comes to a satisfying, and blood soaked, conclusion.  It's not nice, nor terribly smart, to cross, or injure, the Fallen Angel or those she has chosen to aid.  But, if you have been reading Fallen Angel for any length of time, you'd already know that.

While the story is strong on action, it is equally strong in foreshadowing the possible fate that awaits all angels serving God.  This revelation, or hint of one, might not sit well with some readers of faith, but it picks up and weaves together the various threads that have run through the stories that preceded this one and makes them even stronger.

Not that this particular story is all gloom, grief, and grue.  There is a funny little gag involving an injured man's prayers that is even funnier if the reader knows what Lee told her son about God in the previous story.

Another great installment in a great book.  I don't think I'm capable of recommending it any more highly than I have in previous reviews.  Just read this book!  Please.

Giant-Size Hulk

Three gargantuan Hulk adventures:

Green Pieces:  President Clinton has arrived in Los Angeles to bestow upon the Champions the Congressional Medal of Honor.  The festivities are interrupted by an unforeseen visit from the Hulk.

Banner War:  Hulk and his Warbound companions (dare they be called friends) are resting after winning their freedom.  While Hulk sleeps, he dreams and in those dreams Bruce Banner pays a visit.  Can Banner regain control and escape the brutal world of Sakaar?  Unlikely, because the Hulk doesn't want to leave...

Hulk: The End - The atomic holocaust has finally happened.  All life on Earth has been destroyed, save for the Hulk.  Can a two hundred year old Bruce Banner convince the Hulk to finally let him die?

Each of the three stories contained in Giant-Size Hulk explores at least one of the many themes that makes the book such an interesting read.  For me, at least.  Green Pieces is the funniest (not surprising, considering it is written by Peter David) and, after all is said and done in the story, it touches upon how easily misunderstood the monstrous Hulk really is.  Because of the Hulk's destructive nature, his motivation can be difficult to understand.  All one need do, is ask.  Funny no one ever thinks to do so.  As the Planet Hulk arc unfolded, I found myself wondering when Hulk would calm down enough to let Bruce Banner slip through for an appearance.  This happens in Banner War, a surreal battle of wills between Banner and his alter ego while the Hulk is getting some much needed rest after the events that concluded Exile and just before the next Planet Hulk story, Anarchy, begins.  It's an entertaining romp through the Banner/Hulk's psyche that hints at some fierce inner conflict to come.  Hulk: The End is just that, the final Hulk story.  The Hulk has always wanted to be left alone, and now he is.  I'm guessing he never heard the old saying, "Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it."  It's a somber and tragic end for the fury fueled hero, one with a bitter irony rooted in myth.

Giant-Size Hulk is an entertaining book and, if you haven't read any Hulk books, a great place to start doing so.

Fallen Angel #6

"These days, my friend...I'm not certain of anything."

The guardian angel Liandra has been cast out, punished for killing a murderer of children in an act of free willed revenge.  Now human, more or less, and uncertain of the world and her place and impact upon it, Liandra awakens to find that she has been taken in by a banished Arabic tribe.  They believe that the newly fallen angel is the returning spirit of their centuries-dead leader, Tin Hinan, the Mother of the Tribe.  Because of a child's faith in her, Liandra plays along and attempts to help the tribe.

This act has consequences...

Lee's first adventure upon falling to Earth isn't a pleasant or upbeat story, but it does the important job of explaining where Lee got her distinctive clothing and how she learned the nature of, as well as mastered, her other worldly powers.  It also shows how the soft spot she has for children governs her decision making.  The next issue promises a glimpse of the first time that Lee wields those powers against those she seeks to punish.  I can't wait to see that.

Fallen Angel #5

"Because what rational creatures could possibly worship a being who keeps annihilating them by the thousands?"

Jude and Lee, both wet and cold from their near drowning in the waters off of Bete Noire, arrive at Furors, to dry off and talk.  Jude has an important question, or two, to ask his mother.  The sad thing is that Lee's answer to the really important question isn't what the priest was expecting to hear.  Truth hurts.

Wow.

I mean, really, wow. 

Peter David's writing and J.K. Woodward's art are both, once again, at the topmost part of the Notch.  Fallen Angel #5 is nothing short of brilliant. 

Even the theological revelations Lee made to Jude made complete and logical sense, both in the context of the story and the world that I live in.  Bete Noire is now an entirely new place, both Lee and Jude have a Grand Plan to accomplish, each bursting with the potential for richly textured and complicated stories, and, well, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Issue five is also, visually speaking, the darkest entry to date, or so it appeared to be as I read it.  J.K. Woodward's art is just breathtaking.  One of my favorite images is a heavily shadowed scene in the office of Doctor Juris, where the Magistrate and his wife, Xia, share a far too brief moment of quiet mutual solace.  It's just beautiful.  Also, Lee has never looked lovelier than on the pages where she is answering Jude's questions.  Then there's...oh, wait, that would be a spoiler.  I try to avoid those around here. 

Just read it.  It's all great stuff.  It's all classic stuff.

Fallen Angel #4

"I CAN!"

Malachi pulls Lee under the water before she has a chance to warn Jude about Magistrate Juris's actual motives.  As Malachi and the Fallen Angel battle beneath the waves, the reason for her Fall is finally revealed.

YOU GO, GRRL!

Oh, excuse me, that revelation just got me a tad excited.  The revelations don't stop there, of course.  Each one enriches the story in a unique way, especially in regards to Malachi and his motivations.  Seeing how it will all play out in the arc's concluding installment should prove most rewarding.

I also want to take a moment and compliment artist J.K. Woodward. The art in this issue is simply breathtaking in both its beauty and dramatic power.  I so want a framed print of this issue's final page to hang on my wall.  The truth of the old cliche saying that a picture speaks more than a thousand words is proved true, it's a perfectly communicated dramatic moment that conveys more emotional complexity than any cluster of words could ever hope to.  Though, to be honest, Peter David's dialog building up to it does as good a job of it as it possibly could.

I don't think that there is a better comic out there than Fallen Angel.

Fallen Angel #3

"Why would he do that to me?  He must have known how it would end..."

Malachi reveals to Black Mariah, his lover, the painful events that led to Lee's fall from grace.

Well, that was certainly unpleasant.  Understanding the depth of Lee's anger at "the boss" for allowing what happened to happen is far easier to understand, you think?  (Issue three only recently wound up in my hold box, but it has been out for quite some time.  I'm just going to assume most of you have read it and already know what I'm talking about.)  To hell with Free Will, there is supposed to be a Right and a Wrong, and what happened was very, very wrong.

It was an Evil kind of Wrong.

Evil is supposed to be defeated, vanquished...punished.  How could "the boss" allow this to happen?  Was it a test?  Was Liandra the Protector (a.k.a. Guardian Angel) purposefully put in a position that would force her into falling from grace?  Questions that, I have no doubt, will be answered in future issues of Fallen Angel.

Still the best comic book being published today, as far as I am concerned.

Fallen Angel Volume One - by Peter David

This DC Comics trade paperback of Fallen Angel contains issues one through six.

Bete Noire isn't like other cities.  Night comes early and stays late.  Dangerous things lurk in the shadows.  It's a place that the innocent should avoid, if they wish to stay either innocent or alive, that is.  What happens in Bete Noire doesn't stay in Bete Noire, either.  Everything that occurs there somehow effects the rest of the world.

Into this city comes Lee, whose nickname is "Fallen Angel."  She is angry, she is wounded, and she is very powerful.  She also protects the innocent.  If you seek her help and you are not innocent, then God help you, because she certainly won't.

After hearing Peter David discuss the, at the time, impending cancellation of his DC book Fallen Angel on Fanboy Radio and his plea for people to buy it, I decided to take his advice and pick up issue nineteen when it came out.  I fell in love with the book the moment I read it.  The characters, locale, and stories were fascinating and issue twenty left me wanting more, so much more.  I applaud IDW for giving the book a deserved second chance.

Having read the first two issues of the IDW relaunch prior to this collection, I know a little bit more about Lee's back-story than is ultimately revealed in either the two stand alone stories or the four issue arc that comprised the first six issues of the short lived DC run.  That knowledge gives these stories a little extra shading that make the book even better.  Lee manages to be both sympathetic and frightening as she fights adversaries both human and not.  I don't think the artwork is quite as good as what J.K. Woodward is doing in the IDW book, but David Lopez and Fernando Blanco both did a fine job capturing the dark nuances of Bete Noire and the characters that live there.

Issue One: Darkness Falls introduces Lee in a somewhat straightforward noir story that gives the reader a brief glimpse of her considerable power.  It also does a marvelous job of introducing some of the primary characters, though the constant references to a dust-up between Lee and someone called Black Mariah made me feel like I had picked up the book mid-story.

Issue Two: Waning Moon is another crime story.  A local drug runner, Asia Minor, calls in a favor from Lee, asking her to watch over a valuable shipment of heroin, to make certain it isn't stolen by a competitor.  Said competitor shows up and the resulting battle allows Lee to reveal a little bit more of her power.  It also introduces another terrific character, the aforementioned Asia Minor.

The collection ends on a high note, with the four part Little Better Than a Beast.  Lee has a day job, evidently she teaches gym at a small college.  One of her students is ill with brain cancer and makes the mistake of sneaking out into Bete Noire for a clandestine meeting with a mysterious "Doctor" that promises a cure.  Of course it is a trap.  The girl is killed by a mysterious "force" that literally makes people explode.  But that is only the main story, there is a sub-plot or two to both strengthen and tie together some of the supporting cast.  Each thread weaves tightly together, creating an exciting and very gruesome Dark Fantasy story.

In either of its incarnations, Fallen Angel is a great book well worth reading.

Fallen Angel #2

"God's forgiven me.  How much does that suck?"

Now that Jude knows about Bete Noire, he wants to know about his mother.  When answers aren't forthcoming from the person that raised him, Jude has Slate take him to Bete Noire.  This is good, because the Magistrate is desperate to find him.  So desperate, in fact, that he is willing to try and kill the Fallen Angel to find out where his son has been hidden.

The biggest things in issue two (of a five issue story) are Jude's homecoming and a glimpse into Lee's past.  Neither of these seem to be particularly good.  Jude appears to be on the cusp of making some unpleasant discoveries about his genealogy and the story Lee tells the Magistrate about Rising Sun gives the reader some idea of what fuels her anger and pain.  There is a lot more going on than just those plot developments, though.  The motives behind at least one character's actions are not what they appear to be.

Most of issue two is focused on the characters dealing with the fallout from the revelations that occurred in issue one.  While it is a pleasure to watch the pieces fall into place, it doesn't really give me all that much to rave about without spoiling the content of the book.  (Something I hope to avoid in my reviews.)  Let me just say, once again, that Peter David's story is dramatically potent, J.K. Woodward's art is top notch, and that it makes Fallen Angel one of the best comic books out there.  If you aren't reading it, you're missing out on something truly special.

Fallen Angel #1

Lee, the Fallen Angel, returns once again to Bete Noire, as she does every night.  Although there is no one is seated at her table, seeking her help, the night will prove an eventful one.  Not only will Doctor Juris, the Magistrate of Bete Noire, be retiring at midnight, his son Jubal taking over the position, but someone from the Fallen Angel's past arrives with a message that could change her life forever.

Wow.

That's really all I can say at this moment, just wow.

I was a late comer to Peter David's book Fallen Angel, having only first heard of it during an early 2005 interview with the writer on Fanboy Radio.  During that interview he lamented how poor sales were sinking his beloved, and critically praised, book.  Curious, I strolled down to the comic book store I frequent and picked up the issue he recommended new readers start with, number nineteen.  The two issue arc of Sacred Cows was impressive enough to get me hooked on the book and to add it to my short list of must read titles.  Sadly DC canceled the book and issue twenty looked to be its last.

Enter IDW, which offered the creator owned book a new home.  Five months, and twenty years in the book, later Fallen Angel has returned, better than ever.

Oh is this a great book, one that deserves to thrive.  The characters are not only well drawn (figuratively as well as literally), but they live on the page.  I wouldn't want to meet Lee in either a darkened alley or a brightly lit room.  She's a violent and scary lady.  But one that, despite all her power, also seems almost sweet and vulnerable.  This makes her a fascinating and mysterious anti-heroine.  Who is she?  What is her secret?  Prepare to find out.

In a more recent interview, again on Fanboy Radio, David proudly stated that this relaunch of Fallen Angel is "The best thing I have ever written."  His pride in his creation is justified.  This book vibrates with an energy and soul that makes it addictive.  If you aren't reading it, then you are missing out on what is quite possibly the best comic book that is being published today.  Sure you might think I am just engaging in pre-release hyperbole, but I am not.  The book really is that good, and I haven't even mentioned J.K. Woodward's glorious artwork yet.

Woodward's painted illustrations perfectly capture the emotional nuances of David's story.  Within one or two panels it is clear why, as David told the radio program Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction, "This is the go to guy, so let's go to him."  Impressionistic in some areas, photo-realistic in others, Woodward makes David's words come to vibrant life.

I could gush on and on, but it would turn the review into a rant.  All I can do is implore you to support this book; it really is the format at its very finest.

The Incredible Hulk #87 - Awakening

"And you wouldn't like me when I'm spewin'."

The world has returned to normal.  Bruce Banner and Monica Rappaccini awaken in bed together, both wondering how they got there.  A misunderstanding with building security brings out the Hulk.  That is when the aboriginal tribesman calls to Banner/Hulk from the dreamtime, encouraging "Two Minds" to return to the outback.  The Hulk, at the request of both Rappaccini and the tribesman, brings Rappaccini with him.  What they do not know is that Rappaccini's daughter Thasanee is giving chase, preparing to launch a sneak attack to capture her mother.

Then the House of M went away.

Thank goodness, because I hate crossovers.  I understand the business aspect of it, a ten thousand issue spike in sales would have any publisher wanting crossovers left and right.  But I am a single dad with a limited income, so I carefully choose which books I read, and having other plot lines muscle in and distract from the book's primary plot, creating a jumble of plot lines that is difficult to follow, well that just makes me angry, and you...well, never mind.  My real frustration is with DC's Manhunter (which I will get around to reviewing some other time) and not with The Incredible Hulk, which benefited from Peter David's fun ride Tempest Fugit having just ended, so there was no story arc for House of M to get messed up with.

I'm not a capes and tights guy, horror is my thing.  The only super hero comics I'm reading are Manhunter and The Incredible Hulk.  I started on the former because I got a free copy of issue one, which I liked, and decided to stick with it.  So far it has had a solid run and I recommend it highly.  I picked up The Incredible Hulk for much the same reason.  I heard Peter David on Fanboy Radio talking about returning to the Hulk, because a writer (Bruce Jones?) had just left.  His story was set up so anybody could start fresh, with little to no prior knowledge of The Incredible Hulk.  Being someone that only knew the Hulk from the seventies TV series and the movie version, and a fan of David (who had no clue that he was comic book writer of renown - clueless, remember?), I decided to give it a try.  I was enjoying it until House of M because, as I said, I dislike crossovers.  I like deciding which comics I need to buy, thank you, and resent having a publisher trying to trick me into getting other books.  Not having any idea just who these characters are doesn't help, either.

My crossover rant over with, let me say that issue 87 is a fun little clean-up of the House of M mess, and my description is figurative, not literal.  Banner needs to be positioned for a new writer to take over, because Peter David's year on the Hulk has come to an end.  (That fast?)  It's a funny and action packed coda to the House of M story that, hopefully, will lure some of those extra readers into staying with the Hulk.

I know I will for a few issues more, at least.