A Ripper of a good yarn...

Historical fiction mash-ups can be quite fun, especially when handled as a fun read, playing fast and furious with history, reality and the imaginary, and doing away with the burden of hidden codes and ancient conspiracy theories, which is an easy pitfall that is usually handled more sloppily than not. Robert Masello shoots for the fun and crafts a tale around a “What if…?” solely grounded in reality when he discovered that the play The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde opened on the same night as Jack the Ripper’s first murder. Creepy, eh? Hence, the “What if…” found in The Jekyll Revelation. What if… Robert Louis Stevenson was involved with the Jack the Ripper investigation?

The Jekyll Revelation bounces between a present day California park ranger and Stevenson’s journal from the late 19^th Century. Loaded with introductions and characterizations, from both timelines, the first third is slow build-up – and unnecessarily slow at times as the remainder of the novel accelerates to orbital velocity levels. Masello, however, does create good, recognizable characters, albeit on the cliché side for those California players. The true delight is watching the story unfold, in both centuries, through Stevenson’s journal.

Masello postulates with the time-honored literary tradition of men playing God and the results of such dealings. Stevenson takes on the unlikely role of a reluctant action hero, but he’s Scottish so it’s all cool, as does his park ranger American contemporary who must deal with the crimes of the past in the present resulting in fisticuffs and bullets all around. American storytelling at its best, eh?

An enjoyable read that gets moving after a heavy start. Most of all, this is fun. Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the advance copy and the magic contained within.

As Always,
theJOE

CAGE needs more Power, Man

Marvel has had a successful outing on Netflix, and the latest, Luke Cage, certainly has all the makings of a another hit by the numbers. Critically speaking, this is the most disappointing of Marvel’s three series. By no means is Luke Cage  awful, rather, lacking at best and, for two episodes anyway, even downright boring.

Huge props to Mike Colter who plays the titular hero with swag, class and charm. This series has definitely shown that not only is he a good actor, but he can definitely lift the lifeblood of a show on his large, 2XL-shoulders, something that was questionable during his guest-star appearances on Jessica Jones.

What Luke Cage was lacking was an intense, and let’s face it, better-written villain. Mahershala Ali’s Cottonmouth had the potential to be something great – a Kingpin for Harlem, a character that has good intentions, but uses questionable means for execution – but was dispatched entirely too early for the inevitable rise and fall. Erik LaRay Harvey’s Diamondback was an ill-fitting substitute antagonist; a cliché comicbook villain with a one-note revenge scheme and an invisible moustache to twirl.

Marvel has been doing its best to ground these Netflix heroes, but in doing so, should have looked to past, counter to what Pops always told Luke, and instead of creating a super-powered force for the big street brawl, and maintained a Lou-Ferrigno-as-the-Hulk beat-down of goons with guns while smashing through walls. Sweet Christmas, that would have shown some power, man.

As Always,

theJOE

John Constantine, Cell-blazer

Prison is a dirty place. You know the whole “Abandon All Hope…” warning Dante immortally etched over the gates of Hell? I’m sure a lot of prisoners in the American penal system would agree that sentiment parallels their condition. After all, prison is the ultimate bogey-man – in both society and its invasion in popular culture, which contains a king’s ransom worth of prison dramas and prison breaks. So it only makes sense that the pop/counter culture king of dirty, hopeless places arrives to deal with said bogey-man and stakes a claim as his own.

Hellblazer:Hard Time has John Constantine stripped of his trademark overcoat and thrown into an American prison – for reasons not explained until deep in the ultimate chapter, and even then the reasoning is more set-up than answer – courtesy of American crime writer Brian Azzarello. And Azzarello doesn’t pull any punches showing prison life as a hard, dirty, hopeless place. Even smart-talking Constantine begins to have his grasp slip as he falls into nicotine depravity.

Richard Corben’s art is something of an acquired taste. Whereas his cartoony technique works perfectly for the likes of Hellboy, his approach is definitely a deviation from the established styles of artists from previous runs, such as Will Simpson, Sean Phillips, and Steve Dillon. Corben, however, is a master of showing, heat, dirt, sweat and oppression.

Hard Time sets up Azzarello’s successful and defining run on England’s bad luck, con artist magician that will place him firmly on American soil for a while. At times, Azzarello can be explicit and gratuitous, a style that will grow weary as his run continues, but brother, such an edge fits exceeding well for this story.

As Always,

theJOE