The Man who Never was

The Matrix Comics, Vol. 1 by Lana Wachowski My rating: 4 of 5 stars Volume. 1 In 1999, the brilliant hard science fiction movie, The matrix came out, and ever since has spawned countless sequels, prequels, adaptations. The concepts which were discussed in the movie have become part of the cultural zeitgeist and generated many rewatches and in depth discussion regarding the nature of the matrix and its philosophical implications. Rarely did we get such a near perfect movie adaptation of a well throughout, well written script which connected with moviegoers to such an instant. It’s a feat few movies have managed to replicate, even its own sequels. Moreso, the premise of the movie, a post apocalyptic world where humans were grown in vats to be used as resources for our AI overlords is such a rich premise, that the stories related to this world write themselves. So much is present to explore, both in terms of the simulated world that is the matrix, our o...

ആരാച്ചാര്‍ by K.R. Meera My rating: 5 of 5 stars Synopsis This story of ours is set in Calcutta, in a family of hangmen known as the Grrdha Mullicks, who boast an ancestry as old as the land. Who have been executioners for Kings, Emperors and men since ancient times. Their heritage is something which they take great pride in; every child born in this household knows how to tie the executioner’s knot from the time they are in their mother’s womb, they boast. Recent years have not been kind to the family. In a time of (relative) peace, and under a socialist-democratic regime, the whole society of reformers are against the death penalty. Where once there used to be tens of executions conducted on a daily basis, and the family had regular work, nowadays it’d be a wonder if they got one every decade or so. But the approaching execution of one Jathithranath banerji, a murderer on death row, has made hope spring anew for Panibhooshan Grddha Mallik, the...

മീരാസാധു | Meerasadhu by K.R. Meera My rating: 4 of 5 stars Tulasi is a middle aged woman, who in the present of the story, is residing in Madhura, in Vrindavan, as a Meera Sadhu, a female ascetic who is the bride of Lord Krishna. Living in squalor, and with no possessions or attachments, she is someone who nonetheless harbors an intense hatred in her heart; with unhealthy doses of resentment, self loathing, guilt and anger against this cruel world. What happened to her? She was not like this in the past. Then, younger, an Academician, Tulasi was a gifted student of a National university, with a future as bright as the sun ahead of her. That is, until she met Madhav, her soon to be lover, husband, father of her children, and destroyer of lives. Quite a piece of work, Madhav, as they got closer, had boasted of the dozen or so women with whom he had a relationship with in the past, all of whom were madly in love with him. For Madhav, like his namesake...

Pygmalion et la vierge d'ivoire by Serge Le Tendre My rating: 3 of 5 stars Pygmalion & the Ivory Virgin, is a graphical retelling of that old & quite well known Greek classic, which then inspired the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, as well as the theatrical movie 'My fair lady'. If one would recall, the original premise of the story was that of the sculptor Pygmalion, who in search of the perfect woman, crafted her into an ivory statue, then becoming obsessed over her. Moved by her devotion. the Goddess Aphrodite invoked her blessing, breathing life into stone, and bringing to life Galatea, with whom Pygmalion lived happily ever after. This retelling, as scripted by Serge Le Tendre, and penciled by Frederic Peynet, attempts to flesh out the backstory of the titular character, while adding new ones who explain his motivations and personality. ____________________________________________________________ SYNOPSIS (Skip for Spo...

Shadow Knight by Aaron Dembski-Bowden My rating: 4 of 5 stars Shadow Knight serves as a prologue to the characters Talos, Cyrion, Uzas, Xarl; who comprise the 1st Claw of the 10th company of the traitor legion of Night Lords. Beginning with the memories of a young Talos, who through various cruel and difficult trials and tribulations is essentially indoctrinated into becoming an adeptus astartes marine of the Night Lords. This is framed in such a way which makes us question the Non existent moral vein of the imperium of man who essentially creates superhuman soldiers from orphans and mentally disturbed young children. And then sends them out to kill and die in name of a cultivated and flawed cult like ideology. It reminded me of the same themes explored in regards to the Spartan II program in the Halo series. Rather than going in details, the story is mostly a glimpse into a typical mission the Night Lords are engaged in. Also explored briefly are th...

Armorclads by JJ O'Connor My rating: 3 of 5 stars The reason that I decided to pickup Armorclads was partly due to the Blurb; but for the most part it was the cover that caught my eye. Which shared an uncanny similarity to a bastardized Imperial Fist-Terran marine power armor, with sprinklings of Mecha. I was not mistaken. Taking place in the distant space faring future, the lore of Armorclads was a mish mash between Warhammer 40k Halo, Dune, Isaac Asimov's Foundation (surprisingly) and a faint hint of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Now, it may be that I'm not the target audience for such a story and hence it didn't really connect with me. Especially the first half, which is filled with a truckload of exposition, which is TOLD and not Shown, as is the cardinal sin in story telling. Good world building, at least in my opinion, should be done by introducing us to the daily personal life and struggles of the characters, and ...

Asterix and the Actress by Albert Uderzo My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's a very happy birthday to Asterix & Obelisk, our dynamic duo have apparently been joined at the hip, being born on the same day. The whole village have come together to celebrate this joyous. (Not that the Gauls need any special reason to hold a banquet). We have some surprise guests for the birthday boys. Asterix's mother Sarsaparilla & Obelix's mother Vanilla have come to visit them. With their fathers Astronomix & Obeliscoidix on the way. They've come bearing gifts. A jeweled golden roman sword for Asterix & a Gold gelded roman helmet for Obelix. Alas, amidst all celebrities, trouble brews. The presents that their mothers brought for them, belong to the Roman General Pompeii who had arrived to raise an army to usurp Caesar. Hence Pompeii and his forces are scrambling to find the very distinctive items, before its presence alert Caesar to their mach...

B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs 1 by Mike Mignola My rating: 4 of 5 stars BPRD: Plague of frogs, is an anthology of tales, set in the Hellboy universe, focusing on his team, and how they function when he is away on a long sabbatical. The team, composed of Hellboy’s second in command, Abraham Sapien the Icthyo- Humanoid, Liz Sherman the troubled pyrokinetic, The Homunculus Roger, Johann Kraus the deceased ectoplasmic psychic medium. Joining them are the non enhanced human agents of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, as they track paranormal phenomena across the globe with the aim of investigation, containment and as need arises, neutralization. Plague of Frogs was my first foray in the world of Hellboy comics, having been acquainted with the character and universe thanks to Guillermo Del Toro's engaging yet haunting duology of movies starring Ron Pearlman, which even after 15 years or so, still stay fresh. It was a travesty that we never got the intended...

Asterix and Obelix All at Sea by Albert Uderzo My rating: 3 of 5 stars I've noticed a dip in quality, be it regarding the biting humor, satire or puns in the past few Asterix stories, glaring as it was in Asterix and the Secret Weapon . As before, the story lacks a clear direction, mixing and matching elements such as a slave revolt aboard Caesar's ship with the discovery of the mythical Atlantis. These elements just don't seem to mesh well. Taken separately, 'Asterix & the slave revolt' & 'Asterix in Atlantis' could have been great standalone stories in its own right. Especially when you consider how topically the mythical island is described in the story. It lacked the satirical core, which made the initial Asterix stories entertaining. Anyway, onwards to the plot. There is a slave revolt aboard Caesar's flagship; The Greek Spartakis, has freed a band of multiethnic slaves and are currently fleeing from the...

മുല്ലപ്പൂ നിറമുള്ള പകലുകൾ | Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal by Benyamin My rating: 3 of 5 stars മുല്ലപ്പൂ നിറമുള്ള പകലുകൾ (Jasmine colored days) by writer-journalist Benyamin, a twin novel to his own work അല്‍-അറേബ്യന്‍ നോവല്‍ ഫാക്ടറി Al-Arabian Novel Factory invokes much the same feelings in me. That of excitement over the geopolitical conflicts presented via fictionalized accounts and pseudonyms. A narrative which promises much reveals and depths into the life under and inner workings of a totalitarian regime. But much in the same way, in its third act, just as things start to get tense, they fizzle into nothing, or wrap up without much preamble. Denying you the intellectual release garnered from a satisfying conclusion. Which is sad, considering the themes which are explored across the length and breadth of the work. This story focuses on the life of Samira Parwin, the author of the fictional manuscript titled 'Waiting for spring', which ki...