Ink Chronicle

Penguin Launches Book Truck! This is an absolute delight to...

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:15:24 -0400

Penguin Launches Book Truck!

This is an absolute delight to see books being toted around to people even if it is a limited effort. To see a world where books are plentiful and people run out their front doors for a chance to buy a book from a passing stand like ice cream, well, let’s just say that would be a marvelous and happy world indeed.

"They’ve done a good job making people believe that those hippy refugees in the zoo are normal..."

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:03:21 -0400

“They’ve done a good job making people believe that those hippy refugees in the zoo are normal giraffes. Next you’ll tell me that they’ve got long necks so they can reach high leaves! Nothing to do with waving the bloody skins of their victims like flags, of course.”

- Conductor Jones (Un Lun Dun, pg. 58, by China Mieville)

Book Review: Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:56:08 -0400

By Rafael A. Hernandez

End of the world. Though society continues with its strives through the decades, humanity seems to be acclimating itself to a world where they would be for want of the commodities in common life. None can predict if an apocalypse is on the horizon but many have begun to theorize how it may come about. Perhaps now a staple of modern culture, the zombie apocalypse story stands above all other forms of human termination. Zone One by Colson Whitehead attempts to take the familiar zombie tale and fuse it with pensive and insightful sensibilities, not merely the survival horror story that has been used far too often.

Zone One takes place in Manhattan where teams known as sweepers, on orders from a surviving government body in Buffalo, traipse through buildings in the major metropolitan area and clear them of residual zombies known as “skels”. The main character, known only as Mark Spitz, ironically named after the famous Olympian, is followed as he and his team climb floor after floor, eradicating skels locked in the forsaken nooks of the city. The resounding note of ease in humanity’s survival provides a premature triumph for the characters. Reader’s are foregone the tribulations of going through the outbreak. Instead they deal with the mundane function of a world’s reconstruction. Keen streams of consciousness are Zone One’s greatest success. Though the novel spans only three days in real time, the major content is comprised of recollections of major characters, namely Mark Spitz. These thoughts touch on moments of the characters’ pasts, their sentiments on the present and the way they cope in their reclaimed world.

But this unique undertaking is not without its errors. While Whitehead does manage to create great segues into humanity’s deepest thoughts, even those without precedent, he often fails to maintain the attention of his readers. This is partly because of the novel’s three chapter separation and partly due to the story’s disregard for standardized progress. Musings about a past relationship, or a comrade’s unfortunate demise at the jaws of a skel, meddle with the pacing of this story, motioning the reader to lose interest or simply write off the narration as irrelevant. To a seasoned reader, these narrative refrains have implicit significance, thus take a keener eye to perceive. But casual readers may find these series of tangents bothersome and unhelpful to the whole story.

Not unlike a masterful work of art, Zone One has qualities that are both substantial and philosophical. Sadly, these qualities can easily be viewed as overbearing. Those looking to find a story of survival with dashes of horror and suspense will find only meager traces. What they will find is the shining gleam in the darkness, the beacon in humanity that calls them to survive while not forgetting the truth of their origin. Zone One provides a glimpse of a world where man exists despite its ill fate, trying to attain a foothold as extinction remains ever present.

…and it was you, the one that would be breaking my...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:55:59 -0400

…and it was you, the one that would be breaking my heart…

Thor! One of my favorite Marvel characters coming to the big...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:09:27 -0400

Thor! One of my favorite Marvel characters coming to the big screen for his third time around.

An excellent interview with Alan Moore about his work’s...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:09:27 -0400

An excellent interview with Alan Moore about his work’s impact on politics, popular culture and his own feelings about the legacy he has left for countless readers

An Ideal Self Existence

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:40:52 -0400

By Rafael A. Herbandez

The true desire residing within is the want to absorb text without limit, so all knowledge and ideas are mine to share and enjoy; to see worlds not my own and understand strange wonders beyond the realms of our restrained thoughts; then to take these gifts and fold, mold and refine them so a new frontier may be explored. Then when this is done, I hope someone is driven by this same desire so the cycle of discovery and creation continues, to perpetuate for all eternity.

Really excited for this new original graphic novel to be...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:35:14 -0400

Really excited for this new original graphic novel to be released by Marvel this year. Entitled Endless Wartime, the story is reported to involve threats from the pasts of certain Avengers. With Thor and Captain America as prime characters, you can count me aboard.

Book Review: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:28:57 -0400

By Rafael A. Hernandez

There are no crawling texts across the screen to proclaim an expansive galactic civil war. The human race does not mindlessly probe the nether of the universe for glory or discovery. Orson Scott Card’s science fiction classic deals with the deepest instinct of the human condition: survival. In Ender’s Game the planet Earth is in a state of unease as they prepare for an impending war with the aptly named Buggers, an extraterrestrial civilization resembling insects. Taking place several decades after two sequential invasions perpetrated by the Buggers, the people of Earth have banned together through loose treaties and called for a unified fighting force, the International Fleet, to take the fight to the Bugger home world. In the midst of this grand scheme to thwart their enemy is our protagonist, Andrew Wiggin a.ka. Ender, a genetically commissioned child prodigy enlisted into serving the needs of the International Fleet.

Card does an excellent job from start to finish in pacing the development of young Ender’s trials. Focusing on critical moments in the young man’s growth while using subtle time skips as segues makes the narrative experience of Ender’s Game brisk but thorough. The first major act of the novel, taking place at “Battle School”, shows Ender hone his skills as a space marine with children his own age, each a genius in their own rights. Unlike previous novelizations about children in adult environments, this story leans toward adult personification of children. Ender and his fellow classmates at the Battle School act more like grown ups than kids, giving their interactions and performances during their training a dark irony. As human beings, the natural inclination is to deem adults ready for war and death so that children may forfeit such horror, but not in this world. Often by his own validation, Ender is thrust into violent, calculated and unjust situations simply so he can prove his intellectual and survivalist superiority. As the story progresses, the line between adult and child is blurred to the point of invisibility; children have become soldiers and are shown no quarter or sympathy, especially Ender.

Seen as a standout among his peers, Ender is thought to be the only one capable of commanding the fleet already en route to the Bugger home world. Readers see Ender do away with his own sense of self enjoyment or childhood, thinking only of the games and simulations through which he is constantly laundered. At the peak of his performance as an army leader in Battle School, Ender is taken to the next level of his training on the asteroid Eros, where Command School awaits. Here, Ender thrives and masters the difficult task of beating insurmountable odds as he runs through simulations of Bugger assaults. It is here that Card, through a use of effective misdirection, has pulled the wool over the readers’ eyes as the final revelation of the novel strikes with extreme prejudice.

Ender’s Game explores murder, survival and morality in a way that shakes the paradigm of human behavior. Through this narrative proxy, the reader sees how capable humans truly are, what potential still remains untapped while also seeing the cost of such evolution. Through unnatural manipulation, humans may conceive children born with abilities beyond any before them. Politics and philosophy take a turn for the unprecedented in the form of Ender’s siblings who fashion themselves as social voices in an innovatively devoid society, with Ender as the pioneer of salvation for the human race. Once the dust settles and all simulations have been completed, readers are left to consider whether evolution will remain a natural stride or take an unnatural turn toward utter success but bitter reprisal.

"Because it will be hard for me to say these words face to face, I want you to know that Mother may..."

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:07:27 -0400

“Because it will be hard for me to say these words face to face, I want you to know that Mother may have given me life, but you taught me how to live.”

- Damian Wayne (Batman and Robin #18)

It is a pleasant surprise to see celebrities’ knowledge of...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:53:44 -0400

It is a pleasant surprise to see celebrities’ knowledge of literature, especially when it is used against James Franco

…this will potentially be a fixture in my...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:51:18 -0400

…this will potentially be a fixture in my library…meaning, there is a second story of books to be had at the top

It’s that time again! The Academy Awards are today and I...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:39:56 -0500

It’s that time again! The Academy Awards are today and I am so excited because this is a year where I have in fact seen most of the Best Picture nominations. Even better, there is a ballot in my LA times so I can mark and compare as the winners are announced. Yes, I know, my inner cineaste is having a fit right now. As for my personal favorites, all my hopes ride on Silver Linings Playbook for Best Picture and Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Acor

…love, they say it heals all wounds…

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:52:09 -0500

…love, they say it heals all wounds…

Comic Review: Death of the Family by Scott Snyder

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:00:00 -0500

By Rafael A. Hernandez

(full spoilers to follow)

At long last, the epic saga of the return of Batman’s greatest foil and arch nemesis is over. The Joker, the clown prince of crime himself, has left quite an impression on the Dark Knight and the Bat-family as a whole. From the very first issue of this event, it is clear that the stakes are high and terrifying. Not only does Joker come sporting a new gruesome mug but his actions and motivations are equally chilling.

Issue 1 of this event starts off at full throttle with some of the most frightening panels seen in comic books of late. Snyder’s excellent writing shines immediately but the true hero was Capullo with his stunning use of light and dark as the Joker proceeds to slaughter officers in the GCPD headquarters. This issue has since been revered as a comic book equivalent to a horror film and with such pristine artwork that accolade is well deserved. The first chapter of this event gives readers a quick glimpse into the Joker’s intentions but does more to show exactly how much an unstoppable and formidable force he is- and does so in marvelous fashion.

After the shiver inducing first issue, the follow up gives readers (and Batman) the full view of Joker’s plot: his desire to rid Batman of his familiar ties and bring him back to his former glory. Warped logic aside, it is difficult to to argue with Joker’s case as he forces the reader to achieve a wicked sense of allegiance to this seemingly unhinged cause. Unlike the previous issue, #14 suspends the suspense of its predecessor and delivers a healthy dose of action. Snyder’s writing embodies a sense of horrid anxiety for the reader as one seems to grasp the full potential of Joker’s motivations, though Batman may not.

The tertiary issue of Death of the Family is a psychologist’s dream. The writing captures the torment and influence the Joker has over the bat-family and how it affects their actions and reactions. To see each hero within Batman’s circle question their leader’s integrity is a clear cut example of Joker’s ability to manipulate, no matter who it may be. Capullo’s cover art is both apt and ironic as it portrays the conclusive idea of Joker’s presence over Batman. And despite how impacting the issue is, it pales in comparison to the notion of Joker’s love for Batman in the final pages- disturbing and evident.

Nearly to a close, the penultimate issue following Joker’s return captures his madness and foresight in spades. Joker’s idealism toward Batman grows more twisted as readers see an ensemble of the Caped Crusader’s enemies gathered to welcome him to what many might see as his true realm, Arkham Asylum. Artistic rendition of the welcome party Joker has prepared is top notch. Prisoners of this maniacal plot are rendered in true torment and pain showing the full extent of Joker’s madness as well as Capullo’s artistic ability. With a cruel cliff hanger as the ending, this issue does an excellent job in enticing readers for the climax of this already amazing story.

And finally, the conclusion of Joker’s pathological pilgrimage to redeem his beloved Bat-King. Cinematic is the only way to describe this issue. As a medium, comic books are charged with showing off tone, sound, emotion and scope all within the confines of a two dimensional format; Batman #17 does this and more with its amazingly rendered colors and astute understanding of consequences between Joker, Batman and the bat-family. Though there is no physical “Death” as alluded in the title, there definitely is a sense of emotional demise between Batman and his loved ones as Joker succeeds in planting his seed of doubt. In a brilliant use of dramatic irony, readers discover the true essence of Batman and Joker’s relationship, though it is never conveyed to the rest of the family. In this vital withholding of information, the repercussions are immediately revealed and suggest a resounding partition between Batman and company. An astounding achievement in storytelling, not just as a Batman story, Death of the Family is a must read for all those who have ever been touched by the power of this unique medium. Simply put, this event is unforgettable and astonishing.

Book Review: Ghosts of Ascalon

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:52:00 -0500

By Rafael A. Hernandez

Dungeons and Dragons aside, the realm of massively multiplayer online gaming is one of the most prominent entities in the gaming world. Sometimes people just want to jump into a land not their own and battle with orcs, banshees or other unfriendly beasties. This escapist movement has inspired many derivations of pop culture, whether they be toys, collectible cards…and yes, literature. Behold, we have Ghosts of Ascalon by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb, a narrative romp through the Guild Wars world of Tyria, a war torn continent filled with humans, cat-like warriors called Charr and various other unique races.

There is no doubt that Ghosts of Ascalon follows a standardized narrative format; a motley crew of adventurers are tasked with the redemption of an ancient artifact that could save the world- fairly simple. As a fantasy novel it is both good to see the authors work within a familiar theme but disappointing that they did not try to think further outside the box. In the end, this book is based off a videogame, with a plethora of content to work with, leaving the authors little room for mediocrity. That aside, the characters are diverse and likeable with standouts like Gullik the norn (giant) and Ember the charr (ninja-cat-lady). The writers do an excellent job of showing off the distinct personalities of each crusader, a particularly difficult task as most are from inhuman cultural backgrounds. Forbeck and Grubb fashion these personas well enough so they do not just seem like human portrayals of fantasy races. These races are unique in nearly every aspect of their design, only rarely taking on human characterization.

A novel’s ability to get the reader to to actually read is something that is often lacking with acclaimed books. Though Ghosts of Ascalon is by no measure a Nobel worthy piece nor a New York Times bestseller, it is definitely a page turner- and that is something. Narration and pacing are swift but balanced, giving the reader enough time to understand why a battle is about to ensue just before the characters begin hacking through a tomb guardian.

A fault that was tread in this novel was its finale. There was indeed a hardy amount of misfortune and death that lead to this novel’s last pages, making the rising action much more riveting. But the story’s resolution was blunt and short lived, rendering the novel like a glorified movie trailer rather than a complete story.

Though Ghosts of Ascalon faltered in its ending, the journey that brought it there was a fun one. Yes, it is a book based on a videogame but the writers have managed to bring the characters and setting to an enjoyable light that remains unseen in its digital brethren.

Really excited for this new cover by artist Kazu Kibuishi. I...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:41:00 -0500

Really excited for this new cover by artist Kazu Kibuishi. I might pick it up when it releases

Scholastic Reveals 15-Year Anniversary Cover Art for Harry Potter Series

"Maybe innocence is a skin you must shed to build layers more resilient to the caustic truths of the..."

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:34:40 -0500

“Maybe innocence is a skin you must shed to build layers more resilient to the caustic truths of the world.”

- Araceli (The Barbarian Nurseries, page 183)

these are the new book commandments

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:32:01 -0500

these are the new book commandments

…the sheer existentialism of this character is so profound...

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:56:00 -0500

…the sheer existentialism of this character is so profound and helps me understand the means of self omission