Deadpool's Art of War
Peter David & Scott Koblish
ISBN: 9780785190974
Gleefully irreverent take on the Art of War, featuring the best 4th-wall-shattering disfigured merc.
Read July 2015
Deadpool is bored, and he's broke. He wants to make some money, so he needs to write a book. What better book could there be for this violent modern world than a guide to the best warfare manual ever written, the epic and detailed Art of War? In the process of writing, of course he has to see if the tips actually WORK, so he's drafted Loki (old-school Loki, thank you very much) to be the guinea pig who follows Deadpool's directions. That goes about as well as any plan involving Deadpool and Loki, and the world is summarily engulfed in mayhem and violence, with Deadpool floundering along trying to take back the reins of his headstrong manuscript before it puts someone's eye out.
Showing posts with label Loki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loki. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Monday, May 18, 2015
Movie Novelizations: MCU Phase One, The Avengers, Alex Irvine
I found this in the bookstore and couldn't resist the lovely cover!
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One, The Avengers
Alex Irvine
ISBN: 9780316256377
MG novelization of the 2012 movie, The Avengers.
To state the obvious first, this is an actual novelization of the film, and therefore has all of the scenes and events of the film in order, all the way to completion. This is not a "teaser" or a "movie storybook" with character bios or plot hints.
I was interested to see what sort of changes and omissions would be necessary to make The Avengers (overseas title: Avengers Assemble) into a MG-level book as far as content, and I have to say that I was impressed with the deft handling of the storyline, characters, and content.
I may possibly be a giant MCU fangirl, and so there were a couple of places where I have quibbles about the dialogue - please note that these aren't the places where certain not-so-PG comments are elided or rephrased, but other sections of dialogue that I felt were unclear or badly formatted. Dialogue is seriously difficult, and transcribing actual human speech, even in an environment as structured as a script, is even more difficult. It is impressive that Irvine got as much of Whedon's patter down in a manner I felt was satisfying, so the few bits I read as flubs sadly stood out quite a lot to me.
As far as the PG alterations, here's what I noticed:
1) Black Widow's introductory scene is handled beautifully by simply refusing to comment on her clothing.
2) In the scene with Barton, Loki, and Selvig, Loki's query as to what Barton needs garners a different response: "I need a distraction" he says, "and a biometric ID" instead of the slightly more disturbing comment in the film.
3) In related plot-developments, Loki doesn't gouge out any body parts in Stuttgart.
4) The Loki/Black Widow interrogation scene omits a certain nasty British imprecation.
5) Banner's despairing speech about Hulk's utter invincibility is left as an implication of suicide, with the actual description of his attempt left entirely out.
Now, oddly enough, despite all that, Cap still gets to call aliens "bastards" in the final battle, and I'm not sure if they just missed that one, or decided it was their single use and better make it a good one. It isn't like I mind language (although that it's CAP's language is especially amusing, given Ultron's running joke) but when it's the only instance in the whole book, it does become rather more noticeable and a bit jarring.
This one was super cute, and now I'm planning to hunt up the other ones.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One, The Avengers
Alex Irvine
ISBN: 9780316256377
MG novelization of the 2012 movie, The Avengers.
To state the obvious first, this is an actual novelization of the film, and therefore has all of the scenes and events of the film in order, all the way to completion. This is not a "teaser" or a "movie storybook" with character bios or plot hints.
I was interested to see what sort of changes and omissions would be necessary to make The Avengers (overseas title: Avengers Assemble) into a MG-level book as far as content, and I have to say that I was impressed with the deft handling of the storyline, characters, and content.
I may possibly be a giant MCU fangirl, and so there were a couple of places where I have quibbles about the dialogue - please note that these aren't the places where certain not-so-PG comments are elided or rephrased, but other sections of dialogue that I felt were unclear or badly formatted. Dialogue is seriously difficult, and transcribing actual human speech, even in an environment as structured as a script, is even more difficult. It is impressive that Irvine got as much of Whedon's patter down in a manner I felt was satisfying, so the few bits I read as flubs sadly stood out quite a lot to me.
As far as the PG alterations, here's what I noticed:
1) Black Widow's introductory scene is handled beautifully by simply refusing to comment on her clothing.
2) In the scene with Barton, Loki, and Selvig, Loki's query as to what Barton needs garners a different response: "I need a distraction" he says, "and a biometric ID" instead of the slightly more disturbing comment in the film.
3) In related plot-developments, Loki doesn't gouge out any body parts in Stuttgart.
4) The Loki/Black Widow interrogation scene omits a certain nasty British imprecation.
5) Banner's despairing speech about Hulk's utter invincibility is left as an implication of suicide, with the actual description of his attempt left entirely out.
Now, oddly enough, despite all that, Cap still gets to call aliens "bastards" in the final battle, and I'm not sure if they just missed that one, or decided it was their single use and better make it a good one. It isn't like I mind language (although that it's CAP's language is especially amusing, given Ultron's running joke) but when it's the only instance in the whole book, it does become rather more noticeable and a bit jarring.
This one was super cute, and now I'm planning to hunt up the other ones.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
The Gospel of Loki, Joanne M. Harris
The Gospel of Loki
Joanne M. Harris
ISBN: 9781473202351
Read Sept 10, 2014
Old Norse Mythological Cycle re-telling, possibly related to two novellas: Runemarks and Runelight.
The title itself is interesting, taking the flyting (think modern celebrity roast) poem "Lokasenna" and expanding it into a biased account of a larger narrative regarding the Aesir and Vanir of old Norse mythology.
Is it proper mythos? Nope. Anyone who reads fantasy novels to get actual real-world religious or mythological understanding really ought to know better. Not that they can't be read and enjoyed, nor that they can't be correct or insightful at times, but if this work is what you're basing your understanding of Norse mythos, or using to influence your personal way of life, or to establish your worship practices? Please just don't.
Is it mythic? Nope. The characters use odd and strangely dated slang ('chillax' would be the worst example, but there are many others, including a reference to a "teenage dirtbag" that literally made me roll my eyes). The mythic stories are hung into a vaguely chronological framework, and worked into episodes of a larger struggle (heralded by the "inevitable" approach of Ragnarok) between Loki and the Aesir and Vanir family and associates of his blood-brother Odin. The focus on family squabbles and individual mythic stories makes the whole seem much less epic in scope - even the eventual arrival and descent of Chaos (ie, Ragnarok itself) is framed as a personal struggle between Loki and the various people who have wronged him (the list is quite long at this point).
Is it fun? I thought so! It was a quick read, the stories themselves were familiar - Loki convincing Thor to dress up as a bride, the death of Baldur, Odin as the Wanderer, Loki's flyting episode - all were there, as well as many others that I've either forgotten or never learned (or were made up?).
Loki himself is the perfect unreliable narrator, his narcissism preventing him from ever making deep attachments or from casting himself as the eternal victim or from plotting over-reactive revenge for any slight. He reminds me of a family member, and I read the whole with a conflicting sense of exasperated affection and a burning desire to smack the shit out of him. That seems to be pretty accurate for the character.
Not earthshaking, not the best I've ever read, but for a very light-hearted introduction to the utter pompous asses of the Aesir and Vanir, and the utter self-absorbed vanity that is Loki, there are many worse things to read.
Joanne M. Harris
ISBN: 9781473202351
Read Sept 10, 2014
Old Norse Mythological Cycle re-telling, possibly related to two novellas: Runemarks and Runelight.
The title itself is interesting, taking the flyting (think modern celebrity roast) poem "Lokasenna" and expanding it into a biased account of a larger narrative regarding the Aesir and Vanir of old Norse mythology.
Is it proper mythos? Nope. Anyone who reads fantasy novels to get actual real-world religious or mythological understanding really ought to know better. Not that they can't be read and enjoyed, nor that they can't be correct or insightful at times, but if this work is what you're basing your understanding of Norse mythos, or using to influence your personal way of life, or to establish your worship practices? Please just don't.
Is it mythic? Nope. The characters use odd and strangely dated slang ('chillax' would be the worst example, but there are many others, including a reference to a "teenage dirtbag" that literally made me roll my eyes). The mythic stories are hung into a vaguely chronological framework, and worked into episodes of a larger struggle (heralded by the "inevitable" approach of Ragnarok) between Loki and the Aesir and Vanir family and associates of his blood-brother Odin. The focus on family squabbles and individual mythic stories makes the whole seem much less epic in scope - even the eventual arrival and descent of Chaos (ie, Ragnarok itself) is framed as a personal struggle between Loki and the various people who have wronged him (the list is quite long at this point).
Is it fun? I thought so! It was a quick read, the stories themselves were familiar - Loki convincing Thor to dress up as a bride, the death of Baldur, Odin as the Wanderer, Loki's flyting episode - all were there, as well as many others that I've either forgotten or never learned (or were made up?).
Loki himself is the perfect unreliable narrator, his narcissism preventing him from ever making deep attachments or from casting himself as the eternal victim or from plotting over-reactive revenge for any slight. He reminds me of a family member, and I read the whole with a conflicting sense of exasperated affection and a burning desire to smack the shit out of him. That seems to be pretty accurate for the character.
Not earthshaking, not the best I've ever read, but for a very light-hearted introduction to the utter pompous asses of the Aesir and Vanir, and the utter self-absorbed vanity that is Loki, there are many worse things to read.
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