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Archive for the ‘Suspense’ Category

At a recent science fiction convention I found a treasure.  The creators of Code Name: Hunter – A Political Spell were promoting their book.  Imagine a world where magic has started to become more real and science less so.  Science had dominated most of the world – except for one small island nation run by a magical dictatorship.  That dictatorship includes a very feudal society with slavery still being an institution.

The main characters are two special agents in an agency that seems loosely based on fictional accounts of MI5.  “Max” Hunter is the lead agent with his partner Ruby.  Though they are not the most refined of agents, they are sent on a diplomatic mission to bring back a much needed mage to help with wild magics that seem to be cropping up.

Astoria, the feudal society, is divided and there is a lot of internal intrigue between different magical factions.  Some wish to bring their state into a more modern frame of mind, while others consider the small changes that have already occurred due to contact with Great Britain to be a threat to the survival of their nation.  A very talented young mage is sent to be both an asset to the British issues with magic and a spy.  Culture shock does ensue on all sides.

This graphic novel is filled with storylines for Ruby as well.  All is not as it seems with her - or why she is being sent to Astoria in the first place.  Of course, everyone starts focusing on Hunter as a key to the story since he is the chief in the duo.  I, for one, am anxious for the next graphic novel to get more answers.  (I’m trying to control my comic pull list!)

Code Name: Hunter – A Political Spell is an excellent graphic novel with fine art and story.  The creative team of Darc and Matt Sowers is one to watch for future entries in the field.

Mighty Love written and drawn by Howard Chaykin is a pleasant superhero crime thriller for adults. The main characters are a cop and a defense attorney with secret lives. Those secret lives involve spandex and fighting crime – each for their own reasons.

One day, after not bumping into one another for a very long time, they trip over each other because their daytime lives intersect at a crime scene. Soon we find them talking to their therapist about each other.

The story surrounding the romance is a standard noir crime story with the femme fatale, evil businessman, and the muscle being used to move the crime forward. Though Mighty Love is not all that original, it is an enjoyable read for an afternoon treat.

I thought I was going to read a pale imitation of David Brin’s Kiln People (The Kiln Books) (a great read) when I opened The Surrogates (Surrogates (Graphic Novels)) by Robert Venditti. I was happily disabused of this notion once I picked up the novel. This is a truly dystopian future where mankind has used technology to stagnate. Or, at least, that is what The Prophet and The Dread believe – and what inspires the villain, Steeplejack, to act in a manner to save humanity from itself.

First, yes, this graphic novel owes a great deal to Kiln People (The Kiln Books), but it is not a rip-off of the novel by any means. It is its own story that happens to use many of the same concepts that were originally addressed by Brin. The Surrogates (Surrogates (Graphic Novels)) takes another angle and holds up the darker side that so many of us wish to avoid perceiving. Wouldn’t it be better if we really never had to get out of our pajamas?

The story follows Greer, a police officer who has ridden out the transition between pre- and post- surrogate life. The police force has long chosen to use surrogates for active duty for the sake of safety, so when Greer’s surrogate is damaged, and, instead of getting a spare from the pool, he decides to risk his real skin on the case, the divide between The Dread (anti-surrogate) and the general populace (surrogate users) becomes focused in the struggles of a single police officer.

This is an enjoyable, but unhappy, read. The Surrogates (Surrogates (Graphic Novels)) is dark and reflects questions we are just beginning to come to terms with as technology changes the way we interact with one another and even experience life. I highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone seeking a tight, well-constructed story exploring technology as a perceived good that is twisted into a way to undermine what it means to be human.

I didn’t originally think this would fit the R.I.P. Challenge, but I really think this graphic novel meets the criteria on the dark fantasy and thriller fronts. As to the movie being advertised? DH got The Surrogates (Surrogates (Graphic Novels)) from the library before the commercials started.

If you want something a little less dark, I will also highly recommend the novel Kiln People (The Kiln Books) by David Brin.