The Quatermass Perpetual Book-Reading Blog

[Quatermass]

BOOK 18

Naruto volume 20: Naruto VS Sasuke, by Masashi Kishimoto.

I thought originally I would take a break from reading Naruto. However, I decided to get into reading the 20th volume, which is the beginning of the end of this era of the series, taking it in a far darker direction. So, how would I like it?

Tsunade has agreed to become the Fifth Hokage, but after healing Sasuke and Kakashi from the aftereffects of Itachi’s brutal Tsukuyomi illusions, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi soon learn that Sasuke’s wounds to his pride are still festering. In a brutal rooftop fight, Naruto and Sasuke almost kill each other, and Sasuke feels that he cannot remain in a village where he is being surpassed. And soon, he is visited by the Sound Four, the elite soldiers of Orochimaru, who have a shocking proposal. As Sasuke grapples with one choice, crippled shinobi Rock Lee must face his own choice: a risky operation that has a fifty percent chance of success…or his death.

As usual, Naruto falls into the shounen manga problems of action over story. But this volume is one of the better ones in that regard. We have some significant story development, particularly over Sasuke’s increasing darkness and ruthlessness, with foreshadowing of the last major arc before the upcoming timeskip.

This volume actually tries and succeeds in developing a number of the characters, including ones we may not have given as much thought to. However, the centre of this is the darkening rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke, with Sasuke beginning to show more vicious and even evil tendencies. We also have the introduction of the sadistic Sound Four, which intrigues me for future developments.

Overall, this volume of Naruto was interesting enough for me to want to continue. Here’s hoping it stays that way…


****


FIRST WORDS: Konoha’s changed.

LAST WORDS: Let’s go.

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 19

RoboCop: The Definitive History, by Calum Waddel.

One of my earliest, if somewhat vague, memories is of trading cards I received as part of Halloween trick or treating. I remember being given trading cards of RoboCop 2 as part of it, which is odd, given that, even if they were part of a confectionary promotion, RoboCop 2 was an R-rated film. I’ve never had much of a desire to watch the films, but even so, on a whim, I decided to give a book looking behind the scenes of the films a shot.

RoboCop: The Definitive History is a look at the franchise, from the beginning, all the way up to the recent remake. It looks at the making of the films, with anecdotes from behind the scenes, and examining the sometimes-troubled productions of the franchise. It also looks at the various merchandise and spinoffs of the movies, and looks at the popularity of this action-packed franchise…

It was moderately interesting reading this book, I have to admit. There were some interesting anecdotes and perspectives on the RoboCop franchise. There were a number of intriguing behind the scenes photos, and it was all right to read, I guess.

But books like this are frequently a triumph of style and gloss over substance, and frankly, there wasn’t much of substance here. I have no more desire to watch the films than I did before, and the behind the scenes stuff wasn’t as substantial as I had hoped. It’s a crying shame, really, given that this is a badly-wasted opportunity.

Overall, while not bad, this book was nonetheless not really great. I wish there had been more to it, but sadly, that wasn’t the case…

***


FIRST WORDS: “Welcome to Hell”

LAST WORDS: Out.

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 20

The Star Wars, by JW Rinzler and Mark Mayhew, based on the rough draft screenplay by George Lucas.

While not a fan of Star Wars per se, I nonetheless am somewhat interested in the famous science fiction franchise. And I’ve been meaning to read The Star Wars, an adaptation of the very first rough draft screenplay by George Lucas. But would I enjoy it? Ah, that is indeed the question…

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the New Empire is rapidly gaining strength. As they launch an assault on the planet Aquilae, Annikin Starkiller and his father return there to help General Luke Skywalker defend that world, and the royal family. But as the New Empire seeks to subjugate Aquilae, can a small group of rebels win the day?

Reading through The Star Wars will seem very familiar for some people, and to be fair, it is a somewhat fresh way of looking at the story. The artwork is beautiful, and a lot of care was put into this adaptation, though given that Rinzler has worked on making-of books for Star Wars, this is hardly surprising. There’s even some elements that I thought could have made it into the films, like Prince Valorum as a surprisingly complex Sith. It was enjoyable enough to read through.

Sadly, though, this adaptation did fall through based on one simple fact: this was based on a rough draft script. The story, despite being rich with ideas, is uneven and clunky, and with many elements you probably won’t see in today’s works, with this version of Leia, frankly, being an utter cow, and the love story coming out of nowhere. It’s a bit of a mess, and I am grateful that George Lucas went to the trouble of rewriting the story to make it better.

Overall, The Star Wars is a moderately interesting piece of cinematic history. Somewhat clunky, but ultimately, enjoyable enough, if only to compare with the finished product.

***½


FIRST WORDS: Until the recent GREAT REBELLION, the JEDI-BENDU were the most feared warriors in the universe.

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 21

Naruto: The Official Character Data Book, by Masashi Kishimoto.

My interest in Naruto has grown since I first heard about it, and began reading it. But even as I come to the final volumes of the pre-timeskip part of the manga, I decided to read a book that has character profiles. How would I like it? Let’s find out…

Naruto: The Official Character Data Book is the third such volume released, concentrating mostly on the post-timeskip stage of the manga. Character profiles, jutsus, and the results of Japanese reader polls all make up part of this book. From the ninja of Konoha to the rogue warriors of Akatsuki, this is a comprehensive work covering much of Naruto.

That being said, it’s not as comprehensive as I’d like. It skips over a lot of stuff relating to the first part of the manga, pre-timeskip, with there being immense spoilers for many pivotal events of the post-timeskip timeline. And some of the additions, especially the opinion polls of readers, while nice, feel somewhat irrelevant.

Even so, this book is rather chock-a-block. I did say it wasn’t as comprehensive as I’d like, but for a certain part of the series, it is pretty damned comprehensive, and enjoyable and interesting enough. Indeed, it shows a surprising amount of care that Masashi Kishimoto puts into the manga series, or at least into its later stages. I have to admit, I was surprised at the quality here.

Overall, this was an enjoyable enough book. Nothing truly spectacular, and certainly of no interest to non-Naruto fans, but it’s an interesting book that will appeal to Naruto fans.


****


FIRST WORDS: In the shadows of a turbulent world walked one hundred thirty-two shinobi whose tread left not a trace.

LAST WORDS: To each and every person who was involved in the making of this book, thank you very much!

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 22

How to Talk to Girls at Parties, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, adapted from the short story by Neil Gaiman.

I have to confess, if there’s a comic book writer who I admire above all others, it is Neil Gaiman. Not that he does only comic books: I’ve also enjoyed his novels and the episodes of Doctor Who he has written. When I heard of a comic adaptation of his short story How to Talk to Girls at Parties, I thought I’d give it a whirl…

Enn and Vic are two teenaged boys. While Enn finds it hard to understand them, Vic is a would-be Casanova who thinks he has them figured out, and intends to crash a party to pick up girls. Sadly, the two boys don’t know it, but the girls at this party have come from further afield than they thought…

If I had to pick a complaint about this story, it’d be that it’s too short. Other than that, there is little to complain about, really. Gaiman’s lyrical prose still shines through. It’s funny, poignant, heartwarming and heartbreaking, and perfect as a short graphic novel.

The art design is odd, but manages to suit the story. True, some of the impact of Gaiman’s prose is lost, but some of it is enhanced. Overall, it feels just right, with only a few minor quibbles.

Overall, I enjoyed this adaptation of How to Talk to Girls at Parties. I only wish it was a bit longer, but that’s the way it goes…

****½


FIRST WORDS: Come on.

LAST WORDS: …And would never be able to repeat.

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 23

The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side B, by Syunsou Porori, translated by M Kirie Hayashi.

Having read the first part of The Essential Evangelion Chronicle, I found myself enjoying it, but also a little disappointed. But it’s about time I went to try and look at the second volume, which covers the second half of the series. But how would I find it?

The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side B is the second volume of a compilation digest of a partworks series done in Japan about Neon Genesis Evangelion. Covering not only key characters, but locations and concepts, along with episodes 14-26 of the TV series, along with The End of Evangelion, it purports to be a definitive guide to the series. With information, analyses of key moments in the episodes, and even guides to merchandise, it is meant to be a companion for the keen fan of Evangelion.

This book, like the previous one, had a number of spelling problems, probably due to the translation. And in truth, this book, like so many others of its ilk, is more style over substance. It certainly offers little new that a hardcore Evangelion fan wouldn’t already know about. Indeed, I wanted a bit more behind-the-scenes stuff, rather than the admittedly exhaustive and comprehensive analysis of the episodes.

Despite this, it still manages to be an informative and very well-presented book regardless. As mentioned above, there is also a significant amount of analysis in this book that highlight points that even hardcore fans may have missed. It was certainly enjoyable to read in that regard.

Overall, this volume of The Essential Evangelion Chronicle, while with its faults, nonetheless was an enjoyable enough work. I just wish there was quite a bit more.


****


FIRST WORDS: THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS/MOVEMENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.

LAST WORDS: With a new movie coming out in September 2007 as well, the journey of Evangelion continues.

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 24

Naruto volume 21: Pursuit, by Masashi Kishimoto.

With Naruto finally entering the last story arc before the timeskip, I felt that things were starting to heat up a little. But even with that promise, I couldn’t know how well this arc, detailing Sasuke’s defection and the attempt to retrieve him, will go. So, time for me to find out…

Sasuke makes his choice to defect to Sound, and to its leader, the vile Orochimaru. The only witness is Sakura, whose heart is broken by Sasuke’s departure. Tsunade, in one of her first acts as Hokage, summons Shikamaru for his first real mission as a chunin: retrieve Sasuke. Unfortunately, Shikamaru can only have four comrades to take with him: Naruto, Neji Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzaka, and Choji Akimichi. And sadly, that may not be enough to face Orochimaru’s elite warriors, the Sound Four, each with their own lethal powers…

Compared to previous volumes, this volume has been something of a disappointment. This is partly because there’s less plot and character development. Sure, there’s some action, but not as much as I wanted to be, frankly.

That being said, there’s some surprising and welcome development in both Shikamaru and Choji, with the latter especially having significant screentime, so to speak. The battle against Jirobo was also interesting, I have to say, in Shikamaru’s strategy in dealing with it, as well as Choji’s desperate battle. And we have more hints of the Sound Four’s frightening ability.

Overall, while disappointing compared to the high standard the series achieved in recent volumes, this volume of Naruto still managed to keep my interest. Let’s hope it continues to do so…

***½


FIRST WORDS: !

LAST WORDS: UNFORGIVABLE!!

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 25

Doctor Who: Big Bang Generation, by Gary Russell.

It’s been a while since I read and reviewed a Doctor Who book, hasn’t it? So I decided to go onto one of the New Series novels. Although I generally don’t like that line, Big Bang Generation appealed to me not because it was set in Sydney, but because it had Bernice Summerfield, an archaeologist who travelled with the Doctor long before River Song did, and characters from the Big Finish audios in it. But would that be enough?

On the planet of Legion, the Doctor is told by an old friend about mysterious postcards, postcards that have an invitation for him to come to Sydney, Australia in 2015. Said invitation has come from his former companion Professor Bernice Summerfield, who, along with her son and her friends, have ended up in Sydney due to mishaps that happened on the planet of Aztec Moon, a mishap involving the mysterious Pyramid Eternia, awakening the terrifying power of the Ancients of the Universe. The situation, however, is worse than they thought, and the Doctor, along with Bernice and company, have to deal with a conman, a petulant archaeologist, and one of the deadliest assassins in the universe, in order to prevent all time and space from being destroyed…

I have to confess, the story was somewhat obscure and hard to understand. We didn’t have enough background explanation for the Ancients of the Universe, and while I usually get the time-travel bits, I didn’t get them this much this time. In addition, the ending, frankly, was a bit of a deus ex machina, like something out of Star Trek in many regards. In truth, this, like many of the New Series novels, doesn’t have enough meat on the story in my opinion.

That being said, the highlight of this story was the interaction between the Doctor and Bernice, as well as most of the characters. It’s certainly a delight to see the Big Finish characters from the Bernice Summerfield spinoff interact with the Doctor. And it’s a wonderful celebration of the character.

Big Bang Generation was disappointing, but still enjoyable enough. I just wish the story was a bit more coherent, as the character interaction was what carried the story…

***½


FIRST WORDS: ‘You sent postcards?’

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 26

Naruto volume 22: Comrades, by Masashi Kishimoto.

What have I got to say about the latest volume of Naruto? Well, I’ve got no pithy comments. So, let’s get down to it…

Chouji Akimichi has prevailed against his Sound Four opponent Jirobo, but at a terrible cost to his health. And when Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru and Neji catch up to the remaining three members of the Sound Four, it is the spider-like Kidomaru who steps up to the plate. Soon, it’s Neji versus Kidomaru in a battle to the death, one where the weakness of the Byakugan is exposed, and one where Neji may not come out alive…

Once more, the series falls prey to the shounen manga problem of action over plot. Indeed, very little went by that we haven’t seen before, and plotwise, it was thin on the ground. More than a little disappointing to say the least.

That being said, we see how far Neji Hyuuga has come since his antagonistic debut, and the battle between him and Kidomaru is actually very well thought-out, with both opponents working to outwit each other in an excellent manner. We also have some tantalising hints of the immediate future for the series in a new adversary, Kimimaro, as well as Orochimaru finally switching bodies, albeit not with Sasuke as he wanted. In short, it was an interesting volume, despite the lack of plot.

Overall, Naruto as a series has fallen a little in quality, but maintains enough of my interest for me to want to continue. Let’s hope it stays that way…


***½


FIRST WORDS: UNGH…

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 27

The World of Vikings, by Justin Pollard and Michael Hirst.

Lately, sex and violence-laden historical dramas seem to be all the rage on TV at the moment. One of these is Vikings, created by Michael Hirst, who also wrote the two Elizabeth films, along with creating The Tudors and producing The Borgias. I had some mild interest in the program, which was why I read this book. But would it tickle my fancy?

The World of Vikings is a look into the making of the historical drama series. It looks at historical sources, interviews with cast and crew, and the folklore of the Vikings to give an insight into how the series was made. It also includes anecdotes in character from the various characters of the show.

Books like these are frequently a triumph of style over substance, as I say so wearily often. And this one is not only no exception, but in truth, it is even less substantial, despite having three seasons of the show to draw upon. It is sadly lacking in a lot of what I would have desired, which was both more anecdotes from behind the scenes, and historical facts about the Vikings.

However, it has to be admitted that the book was presented very well, and the in-character anecdotes, while not as numerous as they could have been, are enjoyable. And what facts and interviews are presented are also enjoyable enough. Indeed, reading about how they adapted admittedly fragmented and contradictory histories was intriguing.

Overall, while not bad, The World of Vikings could have been better. As it stands, it’s an intriguing but insubstantial work…


***½


FIRST WORDS: Experience has taught me that fact is stranger than fiction.

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 28

Naruto volume 23: Predicament, by Masashi Kishimoto.

Once more, I come to read the next volume of Naruto. Sadly, I don’t have any further comments to make on the series. So, with that in mind, let’s get to it…

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kiba have managed to catch up with the surviving two members of the Sound Four, Sakon and Tayuya. But they soon learn that not only is Sakon fused with his brother Ukon, but the Sound Four used to be the Sound Five…and its fifth member, the cold and driven Kimimaro, has been sent to ensure that Sasuke gets to Orochimaru. While Shikamaru fights against Tayuya, and Kiba and his dog Akamaru face off against Sakon and Ukon, Naruto pursues Kimimaro, whose ability to use his own bones as weapons gives him an edge…

Once more, Naruto falls into the shounen manga trap of action over story. And this volume, sadly, has a lot more of that than before. Indeed, it seems to be little more than action with turnabouts and twists thrown in just because. That makes this volume very disappointing indeed.

And yet, there is enough here to keep me going. Certainly the battle between Tayuya and Shikamaru is interesting, as is the grotesque bone-weaponry power of Kimimaro. The fights are interesting enough, even if they don’t have enough substance.

Overall, this volume of Naruto was disappointing, to say the least. I just hope the next few volumes pick up the pace…


***


FIRST WORDS: Doesn’t waste any time, does he?!

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 29

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, by Alan Dean Foster, from the screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, JJ Abrams, and Michael Arndt.

An interesting fact about the original Star Wars film was that the novelisation, while credited to George Lucas, was actually written by Alan Dean Foster from Lucas’ screenplay. It’s rather appropriate, then, that Foster wrote the novelisation to the seventh instalment of the film series, which itself could be seen as a redo of the original film in many ways. But how would the novelisation go?

Three decades after the destruction of the second Death Star, the fledgling New Republic is struggling against the First Order, an organisation that has risen from the ashes of the old Empire. Leia, leader of the Resistance against the First Order, has sent one of her best men, Poe Dameron, to track down the information leading to the last known whereabouts of Luke Skywalker. Poe is soon captured by Kylo Ren, but is helped to escape by a defecting Stormtrooper dubbed Finn. But their escape goes wrong, and Finn is forced to team up with scavenger Rey to escape with the information the First Order seeks. It is a journey that will bring them into contact with legends…but with the First Order and Kylo Ren snapping at their heels, can they save the galaxy from the ambitions of the First Order?

The main problem with this novelisation is really a problem from the original film. The story is basically a polished-up and revamped version of the original Star Wars film. And while it’s a nice little action romp, stylish and enjoyable, it also lacks some substance.

That being said, it’s by no means a bad story. And one thing the novelisation does well is that it explains a few things that weren’t made clear in the original film, such as Kylo Ren’s reaction to his supreme act of evil in the film, and why the First Order arose in the first place. It also gives more to the characters’ motivations, not much, but enough to help paper up the cracks in the movie.

Overall, this was an enjoyable novelisation of an enjoyable, if flawed, film. Kudos to Alan Dean Foster for doing well with it…

****


FIRST WORDS: She needed him.

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 30

Naruto volume 24: Unorthodox, by Masashi Kishimoto.

So, I come to the final volume of Naruto before the climactic battle between Naruto and Sasuke, before the timeskip. The previous volume disappointed me, but I decided to persevere. Hopefully, I made the right choice…

Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba are struggling against the remnants of the Sound Four and their former leader, the sickly but lethal Kimimaro. However, Rock Lee’s recovery frees Naruto to pursue Sasuke when the treacherous shinobi’s transformation has finished. And soon, the embattled Konoha ninja get back-up from the most unlikely of sources: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, once the enemies of Konoha, have come to help them to repay the debt they have incurred. But will it be enough?

Those who are following my reviews will probably be sick and tired of the same criticisms being levelled over and over again at Naruto, but they must be said. Shounen manga have a bad habit of prioritising action over plot, and this volume is little exception. There’s less of the imbalance in this volume than the previous one, true, but it’s there. And the arrival of the Suna shinobi to save the day is a bit of a deus ex machina.

All the same, the aforementioned insertion of the Suna shinobi is actually enjoyable, especially to see them school their opponents, though Gaara’s fight against Kimimaro is the more interesting, if only because of the difficulty he has in overcoming his opponent. Indeed, Kimimaro and his fights are the most interesting of this volume, with Rock Lee resorting to a form of Drunken Fist to stop him (albeit renamed in this translation as ‘Potion Punch’), and Kimimaro showing some rather grotesque and yet interesting powers with his bone-weaponry ability. It certainly raises the level of this volume above that of the previous one.

Overall, this volume of the Naruto manga managed to be better than the previous one. Hopefully, the next one, featuring the very personal battle between Naruto and Sasuke, will be even better than that…


***½


FIRST WORDS: HMPH…I GOTTA GIVE IT TO YOU…

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 31

Deva Zan: The Chosen Path, by Yoshitaka Amano, translated by John Thomas.

Yoshitaka Amano is perhaps best known for his ethereal art work. Having done concept and promotional art for the Final Fantasy games, as well as illustrations for Vampire Hunter D and The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, he also wrote his own fantasy novel, Deva Zan. But would I enjoy Amano’s foray into literature?

A climactic battle between the forces of light and darkness ends, and darkness has won. In another plane of existence, the samurai warrior Yoshitsugu finds himself looking for his true destiny, and with it, his true identity. For his true name is Zan, one of the Twelve Divine Generals who had served Mariu, the Goddess of Light. He must track down his former comrades, and lead them on a mission to save all creation from drowning in chaos and darkness. But between demons, traitors, and the inexorable march of entropy, can Zan and his comrades save the universe?

Okay, let’s get the bad crap out of the way. Deva Zan has two faults. Much of the time, it’s a surreal and hard to comprehend mess that I found myself unable to understand half the time. Where I could comprehend it, a good chunk of it was clichéd.

That being said, and those are pretty big flaws, one of the highlights is Amano’s beautiful artwork. Anyone familiar with his work will appreciate it. And the fantasy story, despite the combination of clichés and obscurity, actually is somewhat original in some concepts, mixing in Buddhist concepts quite well.

Overall, Deva Zan is a beautiful, but flawed story. A shame, really.


***½


FIRST WORDS: “How many times have I awoken?”

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 32

Naruto volume 25: Brothers, by Masashi Kishimoto.

Finally, I have come to the climax of Naruto’s first part, the battle between Naruto and Sasuke. But how would it turn out? Well, turns out that the battle’s being delayed by an examination of Sasuke’s past…

Sasuke coldly rejects Naruto’s attempt to retrieve him, and even as their battle commences, he thinks back to the past, of how his distant but loving relationship with his brother Itachi fell apart. As he reminisces, he thinks about Itachi being favoured over him by his father, and the night that tore his psyche to shreds. The scars that night left have a terrible bearing on the present, one which may lead to Naruto’s death at his friend’s hands…

After the rather average quality of the previous volumes, this volume of Naruto is a quantum leap, especially in terms of story. In fact, the main sticking point of this volume is that the flashback to Sasuke’s childhood does take somewhat too long. It also does seem a little jarring how heartless he is in the present, even in earlier volumes, compared to a more subdued but less cold character he is in these flashbacks, even after the Uchiha Massacre.

That being said, the flashback sequence is still very well done, showing the complex relationships in Sasuke’s family, trying to get attention from both his father and brother. And the actual action sequences in the fight between Naruto and Sasuke are amongst the best drawn in the series so far. After the average quality lately, it’s rather refreshing.

After a slight dip in quality, Naruto manages to rocket back up a few notches. Let’s hope that for the conclusion of the battle, it stays that way…

****½


FIRST WORDS: …

LAST WORDS: EYAAAH!!

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 33

Minecraft Essential Handbook, by Stephanie Milton, with Paul Soares Jr and Jordan Maron.

One of the video game phenomena of recent times has been Minecraft. A Swedish-made sandbox game, it has since become a massive hit with all ages. I’ve never played it myself, but I’ve been curious about it, so I decided to read one of the handbooks involved…

The Minecraft Essential Handbook is a beginner’s guide to the world of Minecraft. In this book, those new to the world of the game can have a heads-up on what to do, and hints and tips on how to survive. And, of course, how to build and grow things in their world…

This is a handbook meant for kids more than anything else. While Minecraft has a universal appeal, the book is meant for all ages, and this gives it a kiddy feel. In addition, the book isn’t very substantial, weighing in at 79 rather small pages, and I was through it pretty quickly.

That being said, what there is is pretty well presented and informative. I have to admit to being interested, even by the insubstantial information on display. And I am sure that it would do well to help any novice to the world of Minecraft. It’s not just a game guide, but an introduction to a whole new virtual world.

Overall, while not really great, this book still managed to keep my interest for a time. I just wish it was more substantial, but we don’t get what we want.


***


FIRST WORDS: Welcome to the Minecraft Essential Handbook!

LAST WORDS: Poor cow!

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 34

Naruto volume 26: Awakening, by Masashi Kishimoto.

Well, the climactic battle is about to begin in earnest. But in the penultimate volume of the first part of Naruto, would it satisfy me? Let’s find out…

The clash between Naruto and Sasuke has begun. Sasuke intends to kill Naruto to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan, the ultimate form of his clan’s special eyes, while Naruto intends to bring back Sasuke, no matter how many bones he needs to break. Soon, both sides are forced to tap into their most dangerous powers, Naruto into the power of the Kyuubi, and Sasuke into the power of the Cursed Seal. But whoever prevails, things will never be the same again…

Okay, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. Most of this volume is just one big extended battle between Naruto and Sasuke, and the rest of the volume is the immediate aftermath. It’s mostly harrowing action with less plot.

But the plot that is there is absolutely vital. The action is a clash between two shinobi who are more similar than they had earlier realised, and there’s some wonderful sequences where they tap into equally monstrous powers. The aftermath works well, with the fate of the defeated character left up in the air for a time, as well as showing what happened to the other characters who fell during the attempted retrieval of Sasuke. There’s even a disturbing hint of the future.

Overall, while not exactly the last volume of this part of the series, it does leave things on a high note. It was most enjoyable…


****½


FIRST WORDS: It’s not insignificant.

LAST WORDS: I swear it!

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 35

Doctor Who: Whographica, by Simon Guerrier, Steve O’Brien, and Ben Morris.

I have been a fan of Doctor Who for over two decades, so naturally, I know a lot about the series. There’s always some book or other that comes out and purports to have a load of information about it. So it was with mild interest that I gave Whographica a go, if only to see if it had anything new…

Doctor Who: Whographica is an infographic look at Doctor Who, presenting the various information from the series in infographic form. From charts of all kinds to unusual graphic displays, we have a blizzard of information from one of the most famous science fiction TV series of all time. Colourful, unusual, and densely packed with facts, it purports to be a definitive compendium of facts in infographic form.

One of the problems I have with this book is that a lot of the information is already readily accessible to any diehard fans of the series. And this book seems to be about flashy infographics, some of which are more about graphic design (a lot of it quite abstract) than facts. And because of the way the infographics are designed, it can be a little hard to interpret some, even for those familiar with the series. Hell, a lot of the information presented is trivial even by pedantic Whovian standards: I’m not sure even I want to know how the Master’s height and apparent age changed over the years. There’s a real sense of information overload here.

That being said, it is a very well-presented book, and the infographics, when they’re not being all crammed into a single page, are well thought out and designed. The information here is pretty good when it isn’t stuff the hardcore fan knows, and it may interest those with a more casual interest in the series, as well as facts and figures. I just wish it was better, or at least had something fresh instead of reheated, prettied-up stuff I have read before.

Overall, while not a bad book by any means, and certainly something someone new to the series would appreciate, I cannot say that I truly got grabbed by Whographica. It’s a well-presented book that manages information overload in a way that isn’t as good as it could have been…

***½


FIRST WORDS: “I need more information.”

LAST WORDS: (If we’re still wrong, that’s our fault, not theirs.)

The next book to be reviewed, volume 27 of Naruto, will likely be the last for a couple of months or so. I need a rest...

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 36

Naruto volume 27: Departure, by Masashi Kishimoto.

Finally, I come to the very last volume of Part 1 of the Naruto saga. After this point, I intend to rest myself from that series, for at least some time. Everything in this part of the series is over bar the shouting, so let’s get into the final volume…

Preparations are made for the future, as Jiraiya and Tsunade begin to train Naruto and Sakura respectively, while Sasuke begins his tutelage under Orochimaru. With Naruto due to leave Konoha for his training trip with Jiraiya, things won’t be the same again. And in the past, a tale is told of a young Kakashi, his teacher the Fourth Hokage, and his two comrades, showing how a cold, aloof, elitist shinobi became the more laidback teacher he is today…

Only a couple of chapters are devoted to the present day Naruto storyline, disappointingly. So too is the mostly unlikeable character of Kakashi while he was young, though to believe otherwise defeats the purpose of the Kakashi Chronicles, which show his character development. It certainly would have benefitted from a slightly longer arc and more nuance with Kakashi, Obito and Rin.

And yet, the Kakashi Chronicles are one of the best things about this volume, giving some much needed history and perspective on Kakashi. We also have more on the Fourth Hokage, as well as introducing Obito Uchiha and Rin, characters who played a key role in Kakashi’s childhood, and may yet prove to have a role later in the series. The ending of the present day storyline is also hopeful enough for the future, and does promise some things.

Overall, the final volume of the first part of Naruto was good. It managed to show off much for the future, and some of the past, in just the right way…


****


FIRST WORDS: You know…I’ve been thinking.

LAST WORDS: (Not recorded due to spoilers)

This will be the last book I will be reading for this blog for a while, at least a month or so. Need a break...

 

[Quatermass]

Okay, after that hiatus, I'm back. A lot of the books I'm reading and reviewing, thanks to a big haul at the Lifeline Bookfest, will be Doctor Who novels. Fair warning...

BOOK 37

The EFG Bumper Book of QI Annuals, edited by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson.

If there’s one show I thought is the only good British comedy show of recent times, it would be QI. Standing for Quite Interesting, it’s a celebrity quiz show and comedy panel of celebrities, with Stephen Fry (at least until he was recently replaced by Sandi Toskvig) as MC and Alan Davies as a regular panellist. While many of its facts and minutiae are true mostly from a Kenobi-esque ‘certain point of view’, it’s nonetheless informative and entertaining. It has spawned a number of books that includes one that I’ve meant to read for these book-reading threads, but never managed to finish. But now, finally, I have finished this gargantuan omnibus edition of the QI Annuals…

The EFG Bumper Book of QI Annuals is an omnibus that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at facts, trivia, and minutiae, some designed to make one thing, and others designed to make one laugh. From cartoons and satirical discourse to some serious discussion of various topics, these books are jampacked full of information and humour. It is thus meant to be a supplement to the series.

Humour is very much something where some people may be offended by some jokes, and others may be offended by others. I certainly found some of the jokes and some sections rather unfunny, to be perfectly honest. Sometimes, the facts are too densely packed to be read through even at leisure, and other times, they are thin on the ground. And sometimes, things are portrayed as fact when it doesn’t seem verifiable, and I wish they’d put some references in.

That being said, this is, on the whole, quite an entertaining book, and an informative one. It’s also very well-presented most of the time, and quite fun and funny to read. While it misses some of the punchiness of the television show, it’s made up for by a depth of information that one would struggle to fit into the TV series. It’d certainly be a joy for fans of the series, as well as aficionados of trivia everywhere.

Overall, this book was quite interesting in of itself. Not stellar or superlative, but certainly an excellent story all the same…


****

FIRST WORDS: Stephen here!

LAST WORDS: Waiting for Mrs Godot.