“The Gospel of Loki” by Joanne M. Harris (Gollancz)

An excellent, modern take on the beloved Trickster

“Loki, that’s me.

“Loki, the Light-Bringer, the misunderstood, the elusive, the handsome and modest hero of this particular tissue of lies. Take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s at least as true as the official version, and, dare I say it, more entertaining.

“So far, history, such as it is, has cast me in a rather unflattering role.

“Now it’s my turn to take the stage.”

With his notorious reputation for trickery and deception, and an ability to cause as many problems as he solves, Loki is a Norse god like no other. Demon-born, he is viewed with deepest suspicion by his fellow gods who will never accept him as one of their own and for this he vows to take his revenge.

I’ve mentioned before how Loki seems to be everywhere, these days. From comic books to blockbusters, the Trickster is just growing in popularity. Now we have The Gospel Of Loki, Joanne Harris’s first fantasy novel for adults. Unsurprisingly, given Harris’s well-established gifts as a writer, this is a well-written, engaging novel. It’s quirky, amusing throughout, with an undercurrent of darkness and menace. This is a lot of fun.

New ZENESCOPE Titles (September)

As part of my new approach to individual issues, here’s my round-up of recent Zenescope titles of note. It’s a pretty busy season for the publisher and the Grimm Universe, with a lot of connected stories unfolding (the various Wonderland-related titles, the Grimm Fairy Tale titles) and also some stand-alone series continuing, nearing conclusion, or coming to their ends.

Overall, this is a decent selection of issues, with only a couple of them suffering from Zenescope’s usual pitfalls (cliché or canned dialogue, telegraphing issues, and of course artwork that makes even Catwoman look demure and realistic… – and yes, I have a lot of comments like this throughout this post). That being said, three of them are certainly among the best I’ve read from Zenescope. As a whole, though, I find myself becoming more frustrated with the increased rate of cross-over that doesn’t align chronologically and actually offers up spoilers. I think the publisher will need to take a look at this in the future, in order to not annoy their readers.

Reviewed: Bad Girls #2, Godstorm #0, Grimm Fairy Tales #76 & 77, Irresistible #2 & 3, Jungle Book #5, Myths & Legends #19 & 20, Waking: Dreams End #4, Wonderland #2, Call of Wonderland #3 & 4

Comics Round-Up (Jul.18)

Things are finally getting back to normal after the terrible (comparatively short) era in which a Virus Ate My Computer. This means the weekly comics round-ups should start appearing as before (except for the occasional week when nothing available catches my eye). And this week, it’s a rather nice mix.

Reviewed: Cobra #15, Danger Girl & G.I.Joe #1, Extermination #2, Grimm Fairy Tales #75, GFT – Myths & Legends #18, Irresistible #1, Jungle Book #4, Star Wars: Darth Vader & the Ghost Prison #3, Wonderland Annual, Wonderland #1

Comics Catch-Up: Zenescope

Another post in which I catch up with a selection of releases from a specific publisher. Zenescope produce some of the more interesting comic adaptations and twists on fairy tales and folklore. They don’t always work perfectly, but some of these series have really grown into their own, offering up some intriguing interpretations. I’m also particularly intrigued by the start of the “new” Grimm Universe, as laid out in the Annual and Angel #1. Things look like they are about to get really interesting for Zenescope’s titles…

Reviewed: Call of Wonderland #2, Grimm Fairy Tales #74, GFT: Angel, GFT: Annual 2012, GFT: Myths & Legends #17, Jungle Books #3, Waking Dead: Dream’s End #2

Comics Round-Up (Mar.28) the Second

A great collection this week, as more of the DC New 52 move into their seventh month – Batman throws down with Bane, more 19th Century Gotham adventures, the rise of the Vampires, and Superman squares off against a new villain and troubles in his ‘day job’. A handful of Zenescope titles continue in fine form. Zombies in London. And Marvel’s series-spanning mega-event finally kicks off.

I’m going to be adding more images from the previews available for many of these issues, in order to give people a better idea of what the artwork is like – I’m starting to wonder if the limited vocabulary I have to accurately and appropriately describe some of the artists’ styles isn’t broad enough. So, a bit more of a work-in-progress, but I’m still trying to figure out the best way to do these round-ups.

Reviewed Herein: All-Star Western #7, Avengers vs. X-Men #0, Batman: Dark Knight #7, Grimm Fairy Tales #70, Grimm Fairy Tales: Myths & Legends #14, I Vampire #7, Jurassic Strike Force 5 #3, Justice League Dark #7, New Deadwardians #1, Superman #7

Comics Round-Up (Mar.7)

Today I bring you an eclectic bunch of comics. A lot of great ones, too: military action and adventure, a beastly retelling of a fairy tale, more superheroes-gone-bad, real housewives of superheroes, ninja turtles, and fantasy. This was a very enjoyable selection to read.

I’ll be doing another comics round-up later in the week, after I’m able to get hold of some new Marvel, DC, Vertigo, and Image comics (list at the end).

Reviewed herein: G.I.Joe #11, Grimm Fairy Tales: Myths & Legends #13, Irredeemable #35, Supurbia #1, Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, Valen the Outcast #4

Comics Round-Up (Feb.8): Zenescope

I’ve only recently started reading Zenescope titles and so far have been impressed with everything they have to offer. This is a big week, so I wanted to look at as many of the new releases as possible. This meant catching up with some of the shorter series (such hardship…!).

Reviewed herein: Alice #2, Grimm Fairy Tales: Myths & Legends #12, Grimm Fairy Tales: The Library #1-4, Jurassic Strike Force 5 #0-2, Neverland: Hook #1-3