Reviews

Frank Miller has achieved cult status for his work on a number of graphic novels and comic book titles. Foremost amongst these is his excellent Sin City series, Ronin and, of course, The Dark Knight Returns. The Dark Knight Strikes Again was eagerly awaited by many as a follow-up to the graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns. This work redefined Batman and breathed new life into the franchise. So how does the new volume measure up?

I haven’t had the time to indulge in comic book reading. Poor quality of many titles is another reason that this hobby has fallen by the wayside. However, a Frank Miller graphic novel cannot be left alone! I dove in with high hopes…

As in The Dark Knight Returns, the story kicks off with Bruce Wayne donning cape and cowl after having been in retirement for about three years. Lex Luthor is terrorizing the world, ultimately leading to the total destruction of Metropolis and parts of Gotham. This part of the story inspired by the events of September 11. Luthor is in cahoots with Brainiac. Together, they have total control over all, including the superhero community. Batman is the good guy, trying to make everyone else see the state of the world as it really is: lack of proper governance, corrupt politicians and heroes more interested in marketing themselves than saving the day.

Miller makes liberal use of the DC universe of superheroes to fill the pages of his novel: The Atom, Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, The Green Arrow, and others all make an appearance. Many I’ve never encountered in any of the titles I used to read. And, although the title of the book makes no mention of Superman’s involvement, the guy with the red cape takes centre stage. That’s annoying! Batman’s hand in saving the day is diminished by the super-ness of the solution: how else can Brainiac be defeated but by the super powers of Superman and The Green Lantern. Less of a detective novel than a slugfest. The complexity of panels and scenes often makes for a confusing array of pictures and layout. Lynn Varley’s artwork is good, but often garish.

Anyone new to the genre would be well advised to read The Dark Knight Returns. I would consider The Dark Knight Strikes Again an entertaining read, but not a definitive work.

Get yourself some vintage Miller: Sin City, Batman: Year One and of course The Dark Knight Returns. This one is recommended, but with some caution.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Going Wireless introduces mobile technologies and options for wireless connectivity. The usual suspects are discussed: SMS, wireless hotspots and 3G. Goldstuck’s style is entertaining and easy to read. Though he provides a fair amount of information, two things really bother me. The first is the fact that the publishing and possibly production of the book was made possible by contributions from First National Bank, Cell C and Sentech. The fact that these companies feature prominently whenever certain technologies are discussed should come as no surprise. In my opinion, this diminishes the value of the book’s information and makes it a marketing and advertising tool. Secondly, Goldstuck spends a lot of time listing mobile phone features, etiquette and even mobile phone care instructions! That’s information most people will glean from the instruction manuals provided with the device, if anyone ever bothers to read them!

Overall, there is some useful information in here, but nothing you won’t find by yourself armed with a web browser and access to Google. Not much use on my bookshelf.

I’m hardly in the targeted demographic group for Chika Onyeani’s Capitalist Nigger – The Road to Success. If I was, I’d be highly upset at the roasting dished out by the author.

The last paragraph of the book places the entire purpose of the book into perspective:

In the process, I am going to make a lot of money, which is the greatest essence of the Capitalist Nigger – making money and creating wealth.

If this truly is a national bestseller as the cover text has one believe, Onyeani has achieved his goal of making money. I doubt whether he has succeeded in his mission, though. Onyeani gets stuck on two things: repetition and quoting himself. A precis of this book would be less than a page long and convey the salient points he is attempting to expound on. One wonders how often he is able to illustrate how much he despises the Japanese and how many more times one needs to hear of the success of George Soros. By chapter 3, I started being quite bored. The numerous spelling mistakes and basic writing style do little to promote his professionalism. I am also doubtful as to whether his readers are able to consider his Day of Atonement theory in a serious light. If you, like me, are intrigued by the rather provocative title, read chapter 1 in the bookstore – then consider whether it’s actually worth purchasing!

Planet Simpson by Chris Turner is a fairly exhaustive essay and study of the hit TV show and phenomenon “The Simpsons”. Any book about a family of yellow cartoon characters could be considered a cartoon in its own right. At least, one may consider it a light read with little subject matter worthy of discussion. I have news for you: weighing in at 470 or so pages with sentences like

When you watch the opening sequence of 8F20, you are watching a cartoon family watch a TV show that is a parody of a TV show that is a rip-off of the TV show you’re watching, and the rip-off being watched by the cartoon family parodies the actual show you’re watching while the show you’re watching parodies its own critics.

this is definitely not for the lazy reader. Also not for those who have an attention span just long enough for a single episode of The Simpsons (around 22 minutes, as Turner informs the reader). Generally, this is an enjoyable read. A certain pre-requisite is an appreciation for the Simpsons themselves. Turner provides a detailed overview of the humble beginnings of the show, includes an analysis of the most prominent characters and pays a tribute to the actors providing character voices. At times, the analysis seems slightly over the top and reaches for concepts and meaning that may simply not be intended – this is a cartoon, after all! The Canadian Turner cannot resist inserting some elbowing at his neighbours to the south, something that annoys me. Overall, an interesting book that sheds a fair amount of superfluous information on a cartoon reality that ceases to exist once the TV is turned off.