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Absolute Sandman: Volume III

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Darren

All things must end. I have to admit appreciating this volume a lot more reading through it again. It’s odd that the penultimate volume in a collection should reward repeated reading more than the early editions, but so it is. All-in-all, the collection is possibly the weakest of the four, but only barely. It’s still a damn good read and an excellent chapter in a compelling saga.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: absolute sandman, absolute sandman: volume 3, absolute sandman: volume iii, arts, brief lives, Cain and Abel, comic books, Comics, dc comics, Destruction (DC Comics), dreams, Endless, Gaiman Chubut, graphic novels, morpheus, neil gaiman, orpheus, review, Rowan Atkinson, sandman, worlds end | Leave a comment »

Absolute Sandman: Volume II

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Darren

I finished the second Absolutevolume last night at about 1am. It’s a little disappointing to think I’m already halfway through the epic, but that’s life. I can always read it again. And – for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on – I think that the second collection might be my favourite of the four. I don’t know what makes it slightly better and more compelling than the other three, but I can hazard some guesses.

Dream at the Helm...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: a game of you, absolute sandman, Absolute Sandman: Volume 2, Absolute Sandman: Volume II, American Gods, arts, classic, comic books, dc comics, dream, dreams, Gaiman Chubut, graphic novel, hbo, Marco Polo, morpheus, neil gaiman, review, sandman, season of mists, Short story | Leave a comment »

Absolute Sandman: Volume I

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Darren

I’m supposed to say that Sandman is a comic for people who don’t like comics. It’s not. It’s a comic for people who like stories.

Neil Gaiman created a series that ran for the bones of a decade following the resurrection and revival of Morpheus, the King of Dreams. DC Comics cleverly repackaged the entire collection as four slipcase Absolute Editions. I own all four and have read them cover-to-cover once (and occasionally going back and revisiting particular threads from time-to-time). I’ve decided to re-read the entire collection again from the very beginning. So, how does the first volume hold up?

"Mister Sandman, bring me a dream..."

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: absolute death, absolute edition, absolute editions, absolute sandman, Absolute Sandman: Volume I, comic book, Comics, dc comics, death, dream, dream country, graphic novel, morpheus, neil gaiman, preludes & nocturnes, sandman, the doll's house, the endless, the sandman | Leave a comment »

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

Posted on August 2, 2009 by Darren

Released in a Deluxe Edition hardback format to compliment Neil Gaiman’s farewell to the Caped Crusader, this collection of Alan Moore Superman stories is a pretty cool purchase, and one significantly better than the Batman equivalent it is published alongside. A fond goodbye to the Silver Age of Superman (and comics as a whole), it reads fantastically well in retrospect as a goodbye in many ways to the innocence of the earlier superhero four-colour tales. The fact that it’s accompanied by arguably an even better Superman story is just icing on the cake.

"I can't stand to fly..."

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: alan moore, batman, clark kent, classics, comic books, dave gibbins, dc comics, for the man who has everything, Legion of Super-Heroes, neil gaiman, Perry White, review, superman, Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, watchmen, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? | 3 Comments »

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Darren

I guess… I guess I always knew that this was how it was going to end. That we didn’t have him forever. That one day someone would say, ‘Hey, Jim. Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader?’ I’d tell them. ‘Pretty much what you’d expect. He’s dead.’

I just didn’t think it would be today.

– Commissioner James Gordon

I actually quite enjoyed Neil Gaiman’s Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?, even if I wasn’t overly in love with it. The prospect of doing a final, definitive Batman story – one not anchored in a particular event, but designed to encapsulate the history of the Dark Knight – must be daunting. Even Alan Moore’s sensational Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? served as a fond farewell to one particular iteration of the Man of Steel. Gaiman’s “last ever” Batman story is a tad more ambitious, bidding goodbye to alliterations of the character. I’m not entirely convinced that it succeeds, although it makes a more than valiant effort.

Clowning around!

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: alan moore, andy kubert, batman, batman r.i.p., batman rip, comic books, Comics, dc comics, grant morrison, joker, Martha Wayne, neil gaiman, review, riddler, superman, the riddler, whatever happened to the caped crusader | 8 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Coraline

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Darren

I checked out Coraline in 3D on Friday night there in Cineworld. While I have my own thoughts on the format that I will talk about next week, I have to say that the film is – in one word – magical. The better half completely agreed with me here. I think it may be the best stop-motion production that I have ever seen – and this is from a guy who counts The Nightmare Before Christmas as must-watch seasonal entertainment. It really was one of the cinematic highlights of the year.

Cute as a button...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: 3d, coraline, henry sellick, neil gaiman, non-review review, review, sandman, stop-motion | 3 Comments »

Opening This Week: Coraline

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Darren

There’s a relatively small movie opening in Irish theatres this weekend alongside Star Trek that might be worth a look for those who can’t tell their Romulans from their Klingons. It’s called Coraline and it’s a stop-motion fairytale from the guy who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas (that’s Henry Selick, not Tim Burton – contrary to popular believe) and from the pen of Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, Mirror Mask).

Coraline opens tomorrow

I’ve yet to see it – the summer blockbuster season is becoming as crowded as the January awards season, dammit – but the reviews are hugely positive, pointing to a sleeper hit that will likely develop a cult following. From what I hear, if space battles and franchise reboots aren’t for you, this could be worth a look.

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Coraline is a stop-motion fantasy film directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach), starring Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives, Tomorrow Never Dies), Jennifer Saunders (French & Saunders, Friends), Dawn French (French & Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley) and Dakota Fanning (Push). It was released in the US on the 6^th February 2009, and opens in the UK on the 8^th May 2009.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: coraline, henry selick, neil gaiman | Leave a comment »

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