Graphic novel review: Y, The last man complete series

Genre: All male mammals are dead except for one man and his monkey. Drama and suspense.

Writer: Brain K Vaughan
Pencillers: Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka and Paul Chadwick
Inker: Jose Maran Jr.

Series details: Total of 60 issues, collected as 10 trade paperbacks.

With a premise of only one surviving male, this book generated a lot of positive hype. After reading through the entire series, I don't think it lives up to its hype. At the start of the series we are introduced to the end of all males, all but one Yorick and his pet monkey. Yorick is not a likable character to start with, nor does he grow into a likable character as the series progresses. A large amount of the drama in the series ends up being Yorick or some other character doing something stupid, getting into trouble and having to be rescued.

The story elements in the series are the mystery surrounding this plague and how women would deal with a world without men. The origins of the plague which should have been the driving point for this book is not revealed and we are given several possible causes, none of which seem plausible. The plot lines involving the women are pretty insipid. While you have the token women jock characters in this book, some diversity among the women for example strong and inspiring leaders would have been welcome. Lacking a true story the writer tries to inject some emotion and drama using some cheap shots, like killing characters for no particular reason.

This series is too long, there isn't enough story to be told for 60 issues. There is some humor and plenty of pop culture references. The dialogues and writing in this book is pretty average. The art of the book is functional, not bad in any way but nothing noteworthy.

All in all I would not recommend this series. If you do want to try it however, here is the Amazon link for the series. I suggest you only try the first trade paperback, and note that while it does get a bit better in the latter issues, the improvement is not enough to redeem the series.

Rating: 2.5 / 5, Not recommended, there are better series around.

DVD review: Dexter-The complete second season

Genre: TV show about a serial killer. Dark drama.

Boxset info: 4 disc box set containing all 12 episodes of the second season.

Dexter season 1 really set a very high bar for the series and Dexter's producers and actors all step onto the plate and deliver a great second season. Checkout the first seasons review if you have not seen it yet. I'll not spoil anything from the second or first season in this review.

The first episode starts with the same seat of your pants pace as the season finale and the season continues to build on that. Due to the events in season 1 Dexter is facing some emotional issues. This is a first for him since he does not normally feel any emotion. Season 2 continues to peel the layers of Dexter's past and we continue to see other shocking twists to his past. His relationship with his girlfriend and her kids, his step sister and colleagues continue to hold our attention and continue to be interesting.

As the season goes on Dexter's life gets more and more complex and one has to wonder if the writers would be able to resolve everything. So it is gratifying that the season finale manages to resolve things very nicely. I can't wait to see where season 3 will lead to.

Rating: 5 /5, Highly recommended.

DVD review: Dexter-The complete first season

Genre: TV show about a serial killer. Dark drama.

Boxset info: 4 disc box set containing all 12 episodes of the first season.

This show is about a Serial killer who works as blood spatter expert for Miami police. Thats the initial hook of the show and the show grows very well from that initial setup. The main character Dexter is setup as a good serial killer i.e. he only kills very bad people - other serial killers and over the season there is a good chance you will end up liking the character Dexter.

The show builds a lot on Dexter's interactions with other characters on show, from his step sister, girlfriend and colleagues to his dead step-father who appears in various flashbacks. These interactions are fun and interesting because Dexter does not feel human emotions like normal people and he has to fake a lot of it. Over the season the layers around Dexter's mysterious past are peeled away and we get taken along for a rollicking good ride.

The writing is very good with Dexter's character narrating and giving us a unique perspective on the events as they occur. All the actors put in top notch performances. This is a excellent show.

Rating: 5 / 5, Highly recommended.

Also see: Dexter-Season 2 review

DVD review: Made in Spain with Jose Andres

Genre: Cooking / travel show with focus on Spanish cuisine.

Boxset info: 2 Disc.

The DVD starts brightly enough, Jose Andres is clearly passionate about his cooking and that enthusiasm comes through well. The show flits between various regions of Spain and Jose's house in Washington DC. In Spain we get to see where various ingredients come from and also get to see some of the local chefs cook a few of the dishes. Back at Jose's kitchen in Washington DC he shows us how to cook various Tapas dishes usually focussing on the style of region we just visited.

The creators of this show have tried to cram in a lot of Spain in a very short time and therein lies the fault of this boxset. I felt like each region of Spain was just glossed over. The show would have been a lot more fun if more time was dedicated to each region and we got better details about the ingredients, their defining characteristics and how they are used. So while the show is not bad, I feel the potential of this show is wasted and it ends up being average.

Rating: 2.5 / 5, Average. Worth picking if the style of cooking really interests you.

Book review: Titan by Ben Bova

Genre: Science fiction set in the near future.

Set in the near future (2095), the characters in this book are on a massive colony ship Goddard, that has made orbit around Saturn. Contained in this habitat are 10,000 misfits, people who are considered too risky to be kept on earth for political or social reasons. The pacing of the book is brisk and there are plenty of characters. Ben Bova does a great job of building up the characters without overwhelming the reader.

There are multiple story arcs in book with the major focus being on a malfunctioning probe on Saturn's icy moon Titan, a upcoming election and search for life in Saturn's rings. There are plenty of other dramas among the various characters in the book. The science and the descriptions thereof are interesting and cause the narrative to have a believable ring to it.

It is not necessary to read any of the other books in the series to enjoy this one, only reason to do so is if you want some continuity.

Rating:4/5, Recommended.

DVD review: Bugs! A rainforest adventure

Genre: Documentary about rain forest bugs. Nature show.

A cool movie that explores the life of bugs in the Amazon rain forest. This movie is technically impressive. As per the official blurb they magnify bugs up to 250,000 times their normal size. This creates some unique moments like being able to watch a bug hatch from its tiny egg.

A lot of the footage is staged and some digital effects are used like combining multiple shots into one. However the film is very well crafted and it all comes together very well. The DVD extras includes a "Making of" documentary which is as much fun to watch as the movie itself.


Rating: 5/5 , Highly recommended.

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