The Quatermass Perpetual Book-Reading Blog

[Quatermass]

BOOK 190

Tokyo Ghoul: re volume 3, by Sui Ishida.

After a brilliant first volume, the second volume of Tokyo Ghoul: re, while not actually bad, was something of a minor disappointment by comparison. But would the third volume hold up better? Let’s find out…

The assault on the Ghoul Auction has gone from bad to worse. Dealing with the forces of Aogiri Tree is bad enough, along with the brutal Ghouls known as the Nutcracker and Big Madam. And the Quinx Squad is in danger of falling apart, especially with Urie determined to make his own way, no matter what the cost. But another ghost from the past is about to make an appearance. A deranged Ghoul affiliated with Aogiri Tree attacks the CCG forces…and scarily enough, he was once one of their number. Seidou Takizawa has become a One-Eyed Ghoul, and he’s got his eyes set on Haise!

Okay, well, there was no real improvement in quality here. The story is bypassed in favour of a series of running battles between various CCG groups and the various Ghoul factions. In addition, Urie should die a slow painful death.

That being said, Seidou becoming a crazed One-Eyed Ghoul, while a shocking swerve for the character, is a rather tragic twist, and a surprisingly welcome one. In addition, we have some surprising insight into Haise/Ken, the Nutcracker, and Juuzou. The latter even gets his own one-shot story at the end of the volume.

Overall, while a very enjoyable volume and keeping up the good quality of the Tokyo Ghoul franchise overall, this volume of re just doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the initial volume…

****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 191

Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, by Kathryn Harkup.

Frankenstein is one of the seminal novels of science fiction and horror, influencing countless adaptations and media. On a whim, I decided to try out this book. But would I like it?

Making the Monster is a look at the genesis of the famous book Frankenstein. Combining an examination of Mary Shelley’s life with an analysis of the novel, this book gives some insight into the context of the story. In addition, the historical precedents and discoveries that formed the basis of the science and horror of the book are explained.

Now, I have to say, ‘Science Of’ or ‘Science Behind’ books generally don’t interest me. And to be frank, this book does go a little into too much onerous detail about the story and the science and philosophies behind it. Not to mention that the biography of Mary Shelley is perhaps a bit too exhaustive, with issues of pacing throughout.

But, for all that, the actual style of the prose interested me. So too did the content, for the most part, with the details of Mary Shelley’s life mostly interesting. Plus, it was interesting to see all these philosophies and scientific disciplines examined for their context in the novel.

Making the Monster, then, was an enjoyable way to kill time. It was fairly engrossing and informative.

****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 192

Future Diary volume 1, by Sakae Esuno.

I’ve been avoiding reading and reviewing ebooks for these book-reading threads. However, given that I am on the verge of burnout when it comes to Tokyo Ghoul, and my recent discovery of the anime series Future Diary, I decided to give the manga a shot. Given that it’s out of print, the only easy way to get it is as an ebook via iTunes or the like. All of which means that I have purchased the manga as an ebook, though time will tell if I regret that…

Yukkiteru ‘Yukki’ Amano is an introverted, withdrawn teen whose only friends are imaginary: the Lord of Space and Time, Deus Ex Machina, and Deus’ assistant, Murmur. His only activity in life is noting things down in a diary on his mobile phone. But Deus is very real, and converts Yukki’s diary into one that can predict future events. And his is not the only such ‘Future Diary’: Deus has given this ability to eleven other people in all, in varying ways, all of them contestants in a battle to the death, to take Deus’ place. Unfortunately, Yukki’s best ally may very well be his stalker, Yuno Gasai, another Diary Holder, and between a serial killer and an infamous mad bomber, Yukki will be hard-pressed to emerge from the game alive…

I have to say, reading the manga after watching the anime…well, there’s something lacking, hard to define. Then again, maybe it’s because some of the visual elements of the series look better on the screen, and in colour. Plus, with the small amount of time given here, well, I feel less invested in Yukki than I did in the anime.

That being said, the story shown so far, even though I’ve watched the anime version already, is pretty engrossing. Yuno, surprisingly, is more endearing in Sakae Esuno’s artwork than she is in the anime, despite the whole yandere angle, and the story, while derivative of earlier works, still works to draw me in. Plus, some little moments are present in the manga that are lingered on more than in the anime.

Overall, the first volume of the Future Diary manga was an enjoyable enough start.


****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 193

Dark Shadows: The Visual Companion, by Mark Salisbury.

I have to admit, I know very little about Dark Shadows. I was aware of the Big Finish audio adaptations of the series, and, of course, the Tim Burton film. So, on a whim, I decided to read a book about said film…

Dark Shadows: The Visual Companion is a look at the making of the Tim Burton adaptation of the supernatural soap series. From its genesis as a pet project of Burton and Johnny Depp to the post-production, this book looks at the filming of the movie. And it is illustrated throughout with both behind the scenes photos and production drawings.

Well, my lack of interest in Dark Shadows hasn’t actually been alleviated by reading this book. In addition, making-of books of this stripe are frequently triumphs of style over substance, but this one is lacking even more substance than usual. That makes this rather disappointing.

This isn’t to say the book is wholly without merit. What interviews and anecdotes from cast and crew are still enjoyable to read. And the presentation is very good.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t enough to truly do more than kill time. A shame, really.

**½

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 194

My Hero Academia volume 3: All Might, by Kohei Horikoshi.

So, here I am, about to embark on the next volume of My Hero Academia. But how will this one fare? Let’s find out…

The League of Villains’ assault on the USJ has just reached a turning point. All Might has come to the rescue, and he’s angry. But with less time to use his power than ever before, can he save anyone? Can Izuku help out? Or will they both fall to a weapon specifically created to kill All Might?

This is still going through the usual tropes and clichés of a shounen story like this. I’ve seen stuff like the UA Sports Festival happening before in previous series, and it is a bit of a major swerve to come to that from the more serious events in the USJ. In addition, I still think Katsuki’s character is obnoxious and should be discarded as soon as possible.

That being said, the action scenes are well done, and I have to confess, many of the characters are growing on me. We have some intriguing foreshadowing of the future, and as clichéd as the Sports Festival is, it does have some creative elements for the obstacle course. Indeed, the action for that sequence, along with the USJ fight’s climax, is well done.

Overall, this was a good new entry into this series. Here’s hoping the next ones are as good or better…

****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 195

DC Comics: Anatomy of a Metahuman, by SD Perry, Matthew K Manning, and Ming Doyle.


Oddly enough, while the Marvel comics films are the ones I prefer, I tend to know a bit more about the actual DC comics. So, on a whim, I decided to read DC Comics: Anatomy of a Metahuman. But would that work?

Batman has fought many foes over the years, and sometimes even his own allies. In a special book, he has compiled notes on superpowered allies and enemies alike. From the Man of Steel to the Martian Manhunter, from Darkseid to Killer Frost, he analyses the possible anatomy and physiology of the various superhuman beings he has encountered, and possible ways and means of countering them…

So, this book is basically a ‘science of’ book in very, VERY good disguise, but applying hard science to the logic of a comic book superhero is often a task doomed to failure. Plus, I have to admit, the selection of both heroes and villains is rather potted, with some of the better possibilities not included. It feels like it could have had more in it.

And that’s the crying shame, because for what it is, it’s very good. It was a well-presented book, and the writers (I am certainly familiar with SD Perry’s work on novelising the Resident Evil games) make a fairly good attempt at not only linking the powers of DC comicbook heroes to real life science, but also portraying Batman’s thought processes. In being a sort of science of superheroes books by stealth, it does its job very well.

Overall, this book, while not without flaws, was an enjoyable one. It was certainly a novel take on a rather irritating genre, that of ‘science of’ books…

****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 196

Berserk Deluxe volume 1, by Kentaro Miura.

After a disappointing reading of the first volume of Berserk, I found myself drawn back to the series, firstly through the movie and TV adaptations of the Golden Age arc, giving me a desire to go back and start the series anew. This time, I’m reading a recently-released omnibus of the series, which should have more of the story. But would I like this infamously dark and violent series?

In the kingdom of Midland, demons known as Apostles roam. Creatures that can disguise themselves as humans, and who were humans once, but prey on mortals with impunity. But there is a mortal they fear: Guts, the Black Swordsman, a ruthless, vicious warrior with a vendetta against the Apostles, and someone who doesn’t seem to care about the death and destruction he leaves in his wake. Accompanied by the elf Puck, Guts is single-mindedly driven to kill every Apostle he can, but is he any better than them himself?

As brought up in my previous review of the first volume, which is included in this omnibus, this is a very gruesome and dark work. A lot of people will be put off by the explicit horror, violence and sexual scenes. In addition, Guts is not a particularly likeable character at this stage in the story, with only the barest glimmers of humanity shining forth from his violent persona.

However, these bits of humanity, not as explicit in the first volume as they were in subsequent volumes, are enough to elevate this volume. In addition, reading these three volumes at once give a more coherent story, and there’s also the beginnings of insight into Guts’ traumatic past and how it shaped him. Plus, the action scenes are awe-inspiring, even if they are accompanied by truckloads of gore and viscera.

While a dark and off-putting work, this form of Berserk nonetheless engrosses me enough to want to continue it in future. Here’s hoping further volumes are better…

***½