This book was pretty amazing. I can't quite explain it. There are different timelines, novels within novels and a whole bunch of other stuff that served to confuse me as much as intrigue me. Unfortunately for me, graphic novels aren't the quick read I expected. Even though there is probably 1/8 the text as a regular novel, there are plenty of pretty pictures to distract me. I guess the best part of this book is just the realistic take on what super heroes, or "Masked Adventurers" would be like if they actually existed. Rather than being aliens from other planets, they are mostly just athletic people with personality disorders who are sick of injustice and like cos-play. Perhaps it's not quite as groundbreaking almost 30 years later, but it is certainly worth reading. I haven't seen the movie yet so I guess that is next on the list. In other news, I'm becoming addicted to Legos and have developed quite the backlog of those..
KEITH BACK IN THE HOOOOOUUUUUSE!
ReplyDeleteThe movie is great.
ReplyDeleteAh, man... loved this book... and I hate to be "that guy", but the book is far better than the movie. The way the novel is all diced up, you're able to learn about the characters' backstories in really interesting ways - sorting through personel case files at the beginning of every chapter. Plus, the movie failed at delivering the story's great twist ending. The book slowly builds on this notion that artists and scientists from all around the world are being abducted to a mysterious island for some unknown reason. You learn at the end that they're designing the carcass to some giant alien life-form that will fulfill Ozymandias desire to bring about world peace via - what I like to call - "The Independence Day Effect" (the whole world stops fighting and unite in the belief that they must destroy a common enemy to preserve the human race). The movie never really touched on this. Instead, I think it was an atomic bomb or something used as the catalyst for Ozymandias' desire to eventually bring about a utopian society from destruction?
ReplyDeleteThe book is far more memorable and groundbreaking in its storytelling methods than anything the film accomplished. By now, I've forgotten so much of the movie besides those slow-motion fight scenes and brief glimpses of a blue penis. Those still haunt my dream...
And by haunt, I mean those are the best dreams I've ever had.