![]() Book name: Harleen Author: Stejpan Sejic Genre: Comics, Graphic Novels Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link Harleen is comic/graphic novel by Stejpan Sejic published under DC comics black label imprint which takes a fresh look at some of classic DC heros and villains from a fresh perspective. The novel tracks the origins of Dr. Harlene Quinzel and her transformation into Harley Quinn who first made her Debut in the Batman Animated series. In many of her portrayals she is usually presented as the love interest of the Joker who is infatuated with him. The novel takes a fresh look at this character and fleshes it out giving more depth and complexity to the character. While The novel is told from Harley's point of view and tracks her journey from a struggling psychologist, her chance encounter with The Joker, and her work at Arkham Asylum and the psychological and emotions challenges she faced. As a psychologist who comes to work at Arkham Asylum she mild fascination with the Joker grows into an all consuming obsession where the Joker starts inhabiting her dreams and every waking moment and you are never really sure how much of what you are seeing is happening for real or things she is imagining given her struggles with insomnia, alcoholism, and a deep seated need to prove herself. The author stated that he modeled him on the Androgenous look of David Bowie and so the The joker has never looked this seductive and its not hard to imagine how Harley could have fallen for the Joker. The story of Harley is also interspersed with that of Harvey Dent and his transformation for Two Face While Batman is very much playing a side role and is reduced to a few scenes, when he does appear its always with a bang and is a memorable moment that is conveyed so impactfully through the art work. It is also interesting that what distinguishes Batman from the rest is he is the only character who remains who sees hope in Harley to written to the right side of the law which mirrors the Joker's belief that anyone who has a bad enough day can crossover the line to darkness. The novel does not require alot of prerequisite knowledge about Batman and his rogue gallery and is quite accessible even to someone who has a very vague idea of the characters, fans of the comics can also appreciate the little references and cameos made by many of the characters from the Franchise. Overall really enjoyed this one and quite recommend it.
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![]() Key Details Author: Alison bechdel Genre: Memoir/ Biography Goodreads : Link This is a memoir of the authors childhood which particularly focuses on her relationship with the father. The title might be familiar to those who saw the Tony Award Winning musical based on the novel which was performed in Sri Lanka a couple of years back. One challenge with reading memoirs in prose form is its diffcult to keep track of time jumps and non lineary story telling which tends to be common. But graphic novels have an advantage in that they have a visual component which offers a shorthand to do such things without having to set up too much context. The art style which is influenced by the authors background as a cartoonist contrasts with the serious subject matter of the book and the literary subtexts which form an integral part of the story and which also offers a challenge to readers. While the subject matter deals with serious topics, I also like how the author has used little inserts of some dead pan humor which alongside the various familiar scenes from childhood like dressing up, camping trips makes it relatable and an engaging read. One aspect I felt the novel could have been improved upon is felt it had not made full use of the Graphic novel format where the layout and design of the images could have been used to better emphasise certain pivotal moments in the character story. Apart from that, would quite recommend the book and I would be very interested in reading her followup novel which focuses on her relationship with her mother Key Details Title: Templar Written By: Jordan Mechner Illustrated by: LeUyen Pham & Alex Puvillard Year of Publication: 2013 Goodreads: Link A brooding not so pious not so brave knight? Check A colourful cast of side characters providing comic relief and daring rescues? Check Sword fights, chase scenes & hidden treasure? Check Check and Check This was a random graphical novel that I picked up at the Big Bad Wolf sale which I thoroughly enjoyed. The story is set during the late 13th Century after the Siege of acre in 1291 where the Crusaders lost their last substantial foothold of the Holy land and follows the events leading upto the dissolution of the Knight's Templar the most famous crusading warrior monks of the time who are the centerpiece of the story. The story follows the antics of Martin; a not so pious and not so brave Templar and his band of Misfits who come together after the dissolution to locate the fabled treasure of Solomon which is supposed to have been uncovered by the Templar's in the Holy Land and was the main motive of the Phillip IV; the King of France who was deeply in debt to the Templars to dissolve the order. The novel is in the tradition of a crazy heist caper al la Ocean's Eleven, The Italian Job where Martin & Co have to band together to locate and steal the treasure literally under the noses of Chancellor Nogaret who is the chief antagonist of the novel. Throughout the novel, there are some good character developments and attempts to challenge some of the typical stereotypes of the genre such as Madame De Chalancon who is Martin's love interest who is the main (and only) female lead in the novel who is a strong character who stands her ground in a strongly patriarchal society. I was also surprised by the role of her brother who is a Bishop and where alot of the religious authority figures tend to get alot of the negativity from authors writing a few centuries down the line, it was interesting to see how his character was treated. In terms of the book, don't be fooled into thinking this is a light read due it being a graphical novel and is in fact a mammoth book with over 400 pages. Having said that the pacing of the story is good where the buildup and planning of the heist is dealt with in great detail while the action sequences deliver the punches effectively. The art style is reminiscent of other illustrated stories of Robin Hood and the artwork during some key moments really does shine through. Overall, If your a fan of the Tales of Robin Hood or Walter Scott novels like Ivanhoe this is definitely the book for you Martin & Co getting ready to embark on their heist Some of the great artwork in the novel which is keeping with the tradition of the medieval adventure novels
![]() Key Details Title: Batman Hush Writer: Jeph Loeb Artist: Jim Lee Year of Publication: 2002-2003 Goodreads - Link The caped crusader is hounded by an extensive line up of Villains from Batman's Rogue Gallery who are being manipulated by an unknown and shadowy new villain from Batman/ Bruce Wayne's past. Over the two volume novel, it features some intricate plots, memorable fight scenes and character moments, most notably is the relationship between Batman and Catwoman who by the end of the novel has wholeheartedly become and ally and more of Batman. The book doesn't disappoint in terms of pitting these villains against Batman which are brought to life in the powerful illustrations. Batman at times appears to be very muscular and larger than life which is reminiscent of the artwork of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns. At the same time Villains like Killer Croc appear to be particularly savage and the Joker appears insane as ever. The comic is dotted with great two-spread splash pages where the action seems to be spilling off the pages The 2nd half of the story also features members of Batman's extended family. The emphasis on Family which features even the reintroduction of minor characters such as Harold who worked in the Bat cave is a central part of the story and is a key factor in the villains identity. The artwork by superstar artist Jim Lee takes centrestage and is definitely the highlight of the novel with a number of memorable scenes which are richly illustrated. It is definitely worth getting a hardcover edition of the book purely for the artwork. The artwork is matched by the intricate plot crafted by Jeph Loeb which keeps the reader guessing as to the identity of the Villain. The novel also has a number of big revelations which has implications for the wider Batman Canon including the big one such as Batman's Identity being revealed to certain characters. While it is more predictable and over the top than Loeb's early work on Batman the Long Halloween (See my earlier review) While some of the plot is a bit over the top and filled with too many coincidences, the artwork of the novel and the many memorable moments makes it well worth it and fully deserves its status as one of the great Batman titles of all time. Batman: The Long Halloween is a graphic novel by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale is set out as a murder mystery where the caped Crusader and the authorities attempt to unravel the identity of a mysterious killer who strikes on public holidays. It introduces a more younger and idealistic Bruce Wayne early on in his crime fighting career as the novel describes his transition from a more idealistic crime fighter who puts his faith in the system and other individuals to something that is darker. What makes the Novel different is its primary focus being on the activities of organized crime element of Gotham and the socio-political machinations that takes place behind the scene.The portrayal of the Falcone family, its familial relations headed by its patriarch Carmine "The Roman" family is a very clear homage to Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather". In retrospect, Knowledge of the film and the power structure of the characters offers some clues to the ending of the Novel. The novel is one of the source material for Christopher Nolan's interpretation of the Batman Franchise and many of the elements relating to the role of organized crime, the evolution of Harvey Dents character, unexpected plot twists as well as some clear visual tropes are inspired by the novel The novel also features the usual cast of characters drawn from Batmans villain gallery including the Joker, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Solomnon Grundy. But they play more of a secondary role and are mainly there to add colour to the Novel. They also offer a contrast in terms of the order brought about albeit grudgingly by Organized crime syndicate as opposed to the chaos brought on by "super" villains. The novel and the Dark Knight film makes it clear that the mixing of the two worlds never ends well. A bigger focus of the Novel is the evolution of Harvey Dent and was one of the source material for the story arc featured in Christopher Nolan's Harvey Dent ( I believe in Harvey Dent is a common refrain echoed throughout the Novel by Batman). Also the Riddler who is typically sidelined in many tales of the Dark Knight is featured prominently and plays an interesting role. The artwork by Tim Sale compliments the tone of the novel, where for the most of the novel the artist has used limited colour tones while in the case of the actual murders that take place they are rendered in black and white except for some trinket that is left behind by the killer signifying the particular holiday on which the killer has struck. The artist also makes use of shadows very effectively where many characters faces are rendered in half black and half light signifying the dual natures and motives of many of the characters. The ending itself is quite unexpected and makes a lot of sense in retrospect and is quite satisfying. The title fully deserves to be ranked in lists of the top #10 Batman comics of all time. Book details - Good reads A Homage to Francis Ford Coppola's "The God father" The gallery of villains featured in the novel The graphic novel was one of the source material for Christoper Nolan's interpretation of the Dark Knight Similar themes particualrly with regard to the evolution of Harvey Dent are also explored in the novel Tim Sale's artwork fits into the mystery aspect surrounding the identity of the killer
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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