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Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter (or possibly multiple chapter for this one) of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
Last time was just the prologue. This time it’s the first actual chapter.
At least that’s one point in the novel’s favor, the way the chapters are done versus the original book. While it was more annoying due to this review format than anything else, I do prefer chapters that I can point to versus having to remember the time stamp and location. I am concerned that this book will share one mistake with chapters so short it’s hardly worth splitting into another chapter, especially when it feels to me that they could have been the same chapter because the events are so close together. I’m not sure, being more of a comic or short story writer than a novelist, how one goes about deciding when to put a chapter break in their story. I’m sure it’s probably different for each author and project, with no set-in-stone rule. Still, any novelists out there, I would love to see you post a comment about your decision making process.
I haven’t come across a too-short chapter yet, obviously, but I am expecting one given how many chapters are in this book and the last book’s switching chapters every time you changed rooms. This one is eight chapters, so it will work for me. With that, on to this chapter.
Chapter 1: Saturday, 10:30 AM, Moscow
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“Awww, my collection of international ketchup packets.”
Hardcase #5
Malibu Comics/Ultraverse (October, 1993)
“Friends & Enemies” part one: “The First Cut”
WRITER: James Hudnall
PENCILER: Scott Benefiel
INKER: Mike Christian
COLORIST: Moose Baumann
LETTERER: Tim Eldred
EDITOR: Hank Kanalz
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I haven’t had the best sleep this week. With any luck, the nap I took yesterday afternoon was able to fix things, but as I write this the day before you read it, I don’t know what shape I’m in. I also got a haircut and saw the eye doctor. I need new glasses, and I haven’t seen the eye doctor in years…mostly because of all the other doctors I’ve had to visit the past few years, but also not having money for new glasses. It’s cheaper to go through them so unlike going to Lenscrafters I’m going to have to wait a couple of weeks to get my glasses, but these work for now and I really need the money.
My sleep cycle also affected what I could do for decluttering, so I hoped this week’s Clutter Report would be a big win in clearing RSS feeds. I was not as successful as I’d like but I did a fair job. As to this week’s intended Jake & Leon comic, I’m not too bothered with missing it this week, because the best I could come up with is the various female Batman villains harassing Bruce Timm for saying they weren’t good villains. Of course he also put down the male villains in his attempt to defend the gender-swapped Penguin, but if that’s the best I could come up with, the only advantage to making the comic would be drawing practice. I could actually use that, but the end result otherwise really wouldn’t have been worth it for you guys. Hopefully I come up with something better this week. I am having some ideas of another “Herodude And Enemies” storyline that will finally use Doctor Monkeyface.
As I work that story out, this week is the official first chapter of Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Mirror Image for Chapter By Chapter. The Friday Blue Beetle comic reviews will be jumping ahead in Charlton’s Captain Atom comics in case we get the origin of Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle there. Like with Mystery Men Comics, we’ll return to that series in the full public domain retro comic reviews, but I do want to complete this series on pre-DC Blue Beetle comics that started when the movie came out. Plus we’ll continue the regular comic reviews and whatever topics work for the feature article of the day.
Have a great week, everyone!
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When Japan is threatened by evil giant monsters and robots, a larger than life hero comes to save the day. No, not those guys. Tonight we’re talking about Big X!
Based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka…you know, Astro Boy’s creator…this is the first anime produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, or TMS for short. While a number of the episodes have been lost to time, TMS has managed to recover some of their 59 episodes and this week they started releasing them with subtitles on their official YouTube channel. So let’s check out an early anime, which definitely shows in all the artifacts on screen. On the plus side for us English speakers, the first episode is available with subtitles, and you don’t even have to turn on closed captions to see them.
Akira Asagumo’s grandfather created a formula for the Axis during the war, but the war ended before he could perfect it. (Before you show this to your kids, the exposition flashback includes Hitler shooting himself in the head. Always fun to see, but maybe not for younger audiences.) Years later, a poor excuse for Neo Nazis, the “Nazi Alliance”, finds out that Akira’s dad was implanted with a card carrying the formula to Big X, which can make the user superdurable, super strong, super sized, and somehow his clothes turn into a costume with a cape and a helmet with little wings on them. That was some formula. In this somewhat goofy action show, Akira must use Big X himself to fight the Nazi Alliance and keep the formula safe despite being a small boy. And you thought child endangerment laws were too strict. Enjoy.
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I swear I’m not trying to turn this into Star Wars month. Blame Caroline again, because she linked to this on her site and I thought you guys might want to read it. Maybe she’s doing Star Wars month?
Every Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day we honor those who sacrificed that we might live free. In war and other tragedies both manmade and nature created those who sacrifice for others should be honored for it, even if they managed to survive and return. Writer Kathryn Zurmehly points out that one of the failings of Star Wars under Disney’s ownership of LucasFilm is that all the sacrifices of the previous media still in canon was basically for nothing and now the Star Wars Galaxy is worse off than it was when we were first introduced to it. It’s another reason the franchise is failing under the current regime.
