Ok folks, click  to see the full Alt.Fiction programme you know you want to!

We have a group interview coming up soon with this years New Writers Emma Newman, Tom Pollock, Lou Morgan and Vincent Holland-Keen.

A disappointing week, with only a few titles really standing out, not least of which is an Avengers title that is a world way from what most people will be thinking of at the moment.

DC – New 52 #6 Part 3
Batman
Birds Of Prey
Blue Beetle
DC Universe Presents
Green Lantern Corps
Nightwing
Red Hood & The Outlaws
Supergirl
Wonder Woman

Not Reviewed
Captain Atom
Catwoman
Legion Of Superheroes

Marvel
Winter Soldier

2000AD
Prog 1768

Other
The Activity
Steed & Mrs Peel

Skipped To The End…

DC – New 52 #6 Part 3

Batman #6
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion
Cover by Greg CapulloA brilliantly disturbing cover this month, worthy of Animal Man. The internal art is also gorgeous, showing a feral, almost animalistic Batman fighting for his life against the bizarre Court of Owls and their instrument, Talon.

The ending pulls a very good double header, and it looks like dark days ahead for Gotham and the whole extended “Bat Family”

Birds Of Prey #6
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Art by Javier Pina
Cover by Jesus SaizThings are finally tipping in favour of the Birds of Prey as they begin to disassemble Choke’s network from the ground up. Last month’s ending gets resolved in barely a page, and the team tightens ranks against their foe. Whether the trust turns out to be rightly placed may be another matter though.

There’s good use of social networking and the tie society has to the internet and instant communication that stops just short of almost horror story head twiddling. (As an aside quite a lot of the plot elements in comics could be pulled out of context and used elsewhere and be considered as horror, it’s all a matter of delivery and presentation). The ending works brilliantly.

Blue Beetle #6
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Ig Guara and J.P Mayer
Cover by Tyler Kirkham and Sal ReglaIt’s all going to hell in a hand basket this month. Jaime’s use of his suit to save Paco’s life has created a second Scarab, tasked with bringing Jamie in, as he is operation off mission. Their confrontation brings destruction raining down on Jamie’s life damaging property and relationships. His bluffing escape is worthy on Constantine, and feels possibly like a step to far for this series.

DC Universe Presents #6
Written by Dan Didio and Jerry Ordway
Art by Jerry Ordway
Cover by Ryan SookA change of central character this month as we start the “Challengers of the Unknown” arc. It not The Champions, oh no. Maybe a little bit…

The issue starts with a plane full of Z list celebrities on the way to participate in a reality show somewhere in the Himalayas. There plane is bought down and with one exception they appear to survive. And then things get weird with vicious nightmares, mysterious priests, mystic amulets and giant monsters.

Sadly none of the characters are that likeable, and the issue tries to do too much too fast. While there is only a three issue run to work with there needs to be much more characterisation in the next issue.

Green Lantern Corps #6
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna
Cover by Andy KubertAll guns and no perspective? Which may possibly a fair comment on the issue as well as the cover. Using Earth weaponry to overcome their enemies defences (which is a nice subversion of the standard trope of bullets just pinning off space monsters, although possibly creates plot hole in the early arc of the story) the Green Lanterns free their fellows.

John Stewart shows himself to be prepared to do anything to save the universe, a decision that will likely weigh on him, while Guy gets to swing in and save the day. The ending seems a little too clean cut at the moment with the villains getting punished in a manner that supposedly fits the crime, but the Guardians, whose actions have precipitated the whole state of affairs not yet answering for their actions. Hopefully that will be dealt with next issue as the overall arc of the GL books begins to turn on the Guardians plans for a third corps.

Nightwing #6
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Eddy Barrows and Paulo Siqueria
Cover by Eddy BarrowsOh, mostly unrelated cover, what were you really meant for? Who are you fighting cover Nightwing? How did you defeat them before the first page? Why don’t they show the cowboy in the robot suit? Why?

It all gone tits up for Grayson this month, as he returns to Gotham, for a show commemorating his parents death and is confronted by Sajko, who finally reveals his identity to Dick,but there is still the larger conspiracy unresolved.

Red Hood & The Outlaws #6
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art and cover by Kenneth RocafortAnother strangely disjointed cover.

Flashback! (which really needs soft focus and accompanying mysterious music). We move to pre issue #1 this month, with the tale of how Jason and Koriand’r met. And while I can see that it wouldn’t have fitted in as the first issue, being a little too slow I’m not sure it fits any better here, as it pulls momentum that the series was building.

Supergirl #6
Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson
Art and cover by Mahmud AsrarThe cover shows nicely how we left Supergirl at the end of last month’s issue. There’s a feeling of Supergirl coming of age this issue, with her acceptance of the loss of Krypton and stepping up to fight Reign to defend her new home planet. There are still many questions for her to answer, and the truth will probably be a while coming.

Wonder Woman #6
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Tony Akins
Cover by Cliff Chiang

Hades looks odd, as do all the Gods to be fair, but Hades has a candelabra for a head.

Wonder Woman and Lennox play their hand, starting with the striking of deals and fighting. Things move very fast at times, and there seems to be more of a gulf than ever between this Diana and her appearance in Justice League.

The writing feels almost like it’s running on two tracks, one surface detail the other full of catches and extra meaning, which is exactly what to expect from Azzarello.

Not Reviewed

Captain Atom #6
Catwoman #6
The Legion Of Superheroes #6

Marvel

Winter Soldier #2
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Butch Guice
Cover by Lee Bermejo“And then there are you end up pinned down by a Gorilla with a .50 calibre machine gun.”

“That Gorilla just used a jetpack, right?”

This issue pulls the series firmly into the Marvel universe with the use of some ridiculous villains from the vaults. If you can get past this the issue ready well and looks good. Nick Fury’s cameo is awesome (of course it is, he’s Nick Fury). Being what it is I don’t want to reveal plot points so we’ll leave it there.

2000AD

Prog 1769

Judge Dredd- Day of Chaos – Eve of Destruction Pt5

Even with the city on lockdown things get no easier for the Judges this week, as Sov agents work hard to bypass their security. Trying hard enough that they’re been spliced with fish genes. There are also those who’ve come into contact with the infected for the Judges to track down.

Grey Area- Feel the Noise Pt3

The ETC battle through the Noise Festival/riot and find it’s not all as expected. It’s an oddly silent piece, which brings home the effect of the noise of humans effectively. It also seems to wrap up this story arc, launching into another story line.

Nikolai Dante- The Wedding of Jena Makarov Pt6

The battle continues this month, with the Rebels making headway, but with a major slapdown coming that seems unavoidable. Dante escapes via the graces of his family, while the wedding continues without pause.

Absalom- Ghost of London Pt5

It’s homewrecking and threats this week as Absalom makes a house call on a defiant Lytton the man at the heart of the mystery.
“There’s little you can do that old age and its attendant infirmities haven’t already visited upon me.”
“Oh, I beg to differ, chum. I can hide your Werther’s Originals and stop you from watching Countdown and that’s just for starters.” There’s a nice cyclical feeling to the arc as things promise to come to a violent head next issue.

Strontium Dog- The Project Pt7

The answers to the nature of the voice in Johnny Alpha’s head come surprisingly quickly this week, and Johnny and Middenface make their way to the mutant enclave of Canvey, where they have a parting of ways…

Other

The Activity
Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art and Cover by Mitch GeradsIt’s all gone a bit reservoir dogs this month with the team on a helicopter, extracting from a botched mission, and the audience getting flashes of what happened through the dialogue and occasional scene. It’s a device that’s deftly handled and provides insight into both the characters and the closed world of intelligence they operate in.

Steed and Mrs. Peel #1
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Ian GibsonBack to 60’s TV again, with the Boom Comics’ reprint of a 1990’s comic series. The Avengers return. The proper English Avengers, without a shield or green monster in sight.
There’s a feel of the strange excess and off kilter feel that marked shows like the Avengers and the Prisioner when Steed and Mrs. Peel are called in to investigate the death of Foggy, a ridiculous caricature of a naval high commander, with an obsession for games. There’s giant Cludo sets and life size ships in bottles in the background of the capper.shield wallpaper

Skipped To The End…

It’s been an up and down week quality wise. 2000AD, Winter Soldier, Batman The Activity and Wonder Woman would be my picks. Beyond that Supergirl, Birds of Prey and Blue Beetle are looking good, as continuations of their story lines. As for anything else it’s all a matter of taste, and what series you’re following by now. Hopefully next week will see quality back on the ascendant.

Possible Spoilers for earlier books.

Spellbound by Kelley Armstrong
published by Orbit

Fresh from her first solo case things aren’t about to settle down for Savannah. She is still being targeted by a witch hunter and now her powers are on the Fritz.  Now it seems a group of supernaturals are pushing to come out into the open and they are not above kidnapping a witch with connections.

I love this series and switching point of view from time to time keeps it fresh, feeling like several interwoven series rather than one. As usual a great job is done of making Spellbound accessible to new readers without boring regular readers. Savannah is wrapped up in a another fast paced adventure with constant action and the relationship tensions that suit her as a younger character.

There is a wider story here too, each novel has it’s own complete case but Savannah is clearly caught up in an arc crossing several novels and i’m anxious to see where it’s going.

Kelley Armstrong writes superb characters, brilliant stories and manages the trick of a long running series where the comfort and fun of our favourite characters is balanced with the changes of perspective. Aside from anything else this means continual escalation isn’t required to maintain tension and interest, the world can develop more naturally character development isn’t rushed.

the Otherworld remains one of my favourite series in any genre, originally billed as horror before urban fantasy became the sub genre of choice Armstrong still offers much more than the urban fantasy billing would suggest.

On a last note, I love the cover.

a little later than promised, for which I apologise : hagelrat

Classic ‘what-the-hell?’ moments in fiction, no. 2: Dr No, by Ian Fleming (1958)

The top 6 thriller and mystery novels that have influenced me with their outlandish plot twists.

By Damien Seaman

Ian Fleming was never one for gritty realism, no matter what some of the nuttier Bond fans claim. But in Dr No the maestro of the bullshit fact outdoes himself. I know that because the bathwater I was sitting in one bright summer’s evening went ice cold as I raced to finish the book.

Dr No is a good thriller in several respects, none of which is important to this blog. What is important is the novel’s ‘what-the-hell?’ moment, a scene of such sublime ridiculousness – not to mention creepiness – that H P Lovecraft would have been proud of it. It’s also the reason that the book demands to be read in the tub.

Chapter 17 sets things up nicely, and is not a million miles away from the Die-Hard inspiring scene of sweaty Sean Connery in the cooling ducts that you’ll all remember from those endless Sunday afternoon reruns of the movie.

As written by Fleming, this chapter is suspenseful and visceral, and it’s easy to put yourself in Bond’s place as he blisters and burns in the superheated ducts. Having survived this, Bond then has to mash his way through a heap of tarantulas – a scene you won’t remember from the movie, because they didn’t include it.

Did I mention that Bond kills the spiders with a crude spear fashioned from a wire grille? Well, he does.

And did I mention that Fleming summons all of his blunt poetry to call this chapter ‘The Long Scream’?

Still just about breathing and sentient, Bond struggles to the end of the shaft and slides painfully into the sea and chapter 18. Which is when the story, so restrained until then, finally cuts loose.

The ‘what-the-hell’ moment…

Remember that crude wire spear I was telling you about? It’s lucky Bond manages to keep hold of it when he plops into the sea, because upon surfacing he finds himself staring into the eye of a killer giant squid.

It’s at moments like these that reading in the bath comes into its own, as the spy novel you were holding suddenly turns into a cross between a Doug McClure monster movie from the 1970s, a half-glimpsed Japanese Youtube clip and your own worst nightmare. Shiver? I damn near turned the bathwater yellow with fright.

And you know what? It works. It works because it’s crazy. It works because Fleming is able to write this kind of stuff with a straight face, confident that when he tells you all men who can’t whistle are gay (The Man With the Golden Gun) and all attractive lesbians just need a role in the hay with an alpha male to sort them out (Goldfinger) you’ll take it and like it.

But never did he try anything as audacious as his ‘giant squid’ gambit again. Consequently, he never surpassed this sequence, or this novel. And I never got over the experience of reading it.

Long story short, this was a salutary lesson in what authors can get away with if they prep the reader carefully enough in advance. A lesson I hope never to forget, though if I ever pull it off with this much aplomb, I’ll die happy.

About the author:

Damien Seaman’s first novel ‘The Killing of Emma Gross’, a police procedural set in Weimar Republic-era Germany, is out now from Blasted Heath http://www.blastedheath.com. His blog is http://damienseaman.posterous.com and you can follow him on Twitter @Damienseaman

Only £3 per head for provision of nibbles, an evening of live ghost story tellings by UK authors thanks to Newcon Press, filming for UNBVE#3 where you all get to help us convince Kat she’s going mad and a round tbale interview with the authors on why Ghost Stories are such a well loved and enduring trope. All in a gorgeous country pub with a log fire.

More information on www.unboundve.com

tickets by paypal to ‘vincent.hkeen@btinternet.com’

Well it happens sometimes, two of us read the same book and in this case Babylon Steel tempted two of us.

There was something charmingly ‘chain mail bikini’ to my mind about the cover and the premise, sword wielding Madam with a past, a brothel full of misfits, a missing girl, and adventure.

What it turned out to be is well written, fun, exciting and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the characters, I enjoyed the multiple plots and Babylon’s back story. I’d love to know more of the backstory of the other members of the Red Lantern too, an interesting bunch.

There is remarkably little sex for a book set in a brothel and what there is, is well handled.

Chris W did an excellent review and there is little I can add except that I love this book and can’t wait for more from Sebold!