REVIEW: End of Month Reviews #85 - January 2011 [spoilers]

[Andrew Perron]

On Mon, 28 Feb 2011 01:33:21 +0000 (UTC), Saxon Brenton wrote:

> Captain Sestina
> A Legion of Net.Heroes [LNH] story   {high concept 16}
> by Andrew Perron
>      
>      This is a High Concept 16 story particularly well suited to the 
> LNH imprint.  In particular to the LNH's habit of being metatextually 
> aware of its own fictionality and having the characters consciously 
> use superhero tropes and cliches in an attempt to shape the story.

*nods* I'd been kicking this character/story around in my head for a while
before the challenge; obviously, it follows in the line of Haiku Gorilla,
Drabble Girl, Limerick Lass, and others.

> Mordecai #1 
> 'Revolutions End'
> A Pinnacle City [Pincity] series
> by Rick Hindle

<snip>
>      As Rick acknowledges in the author's notes, this issue as a whole is 
> an eclectic combination of ideas.  In fact it seems that the biggest 
> influence in this issue comes from the notion of intergalactic police 
> forces - whether that be E.E. Smith's Lensman, Poul Anderson's Time 
> Patrol, or comic book police forces like the Green Lanterns or the Nova 
> Corps.  I'll admit that the idea of Mordecai being part of an 
> organisation surprised me, and I'll be interested in seeing how he sits 
> within the larger group.  This particularly struck me with the 
> description of Mother:
>>                                    Mother was, well, nobody knew 
>> what Mother was.  It was neither male, nor female, and sat on a tower 
>> on a planet near the galaxy's core, sending out orders
> which led me off onto the tangent of wondering how competent the higher 
> levels of Universal Defense Group are.

Yeah, I'm interested in the ins and outs of the organization, how Mordecai
fits into it, and how the inevitable
stuff-he-shouldn't-be-doing-by-their-laws fits in.

> Perhaps Mordecai will fit in to 
> the middle road exemplified by the Pratchett character of Lu-Tze of the 
> History Monks: a brilliant operative who gets leeway because of the way 
> he's managed the tricky jobs.

Now, these characters I love. <3

>      Actually there are a number of things that'll bear watching out for.  
> In this introductory issue the basics of what's going on are presented, 
> but the concepts involved with the series are so broad that of necessity 
> that can only be painted in sketchily if there's to be room left for the 
> plot.  Firstly there's the tying up of the storyline form the 
> _Thunderclap_ series, for which Rick is to be commended: too often many 
> of us (myself included) have grown bored with a series and simply dropped 
> it when we moved on to the next notion to take our fancy.  

And then there's me, who never gives up an idea despite abandoning it for
years on end.

> Then there was 
> the necessary drama producing fight scene with an old enemy named Tolar.  

Honestly, that bit felt odd.  The shift from Thunderclap's drama to
Mordecai's home base was smooth enough, but a shift from Revolutions to
another conflict entirely felt like suddenly dropping into third gear.
Perhaps it should've been two separate issues?

> For example, Slipspace itself is given a cursory introduction, 
> but unless you'd read _Thunderclap_ #10 you'd be forgiven for thinking it 
> was little more than some form of faster-than-light and perhaps inter-
> dimensional transit path.

...it isn't? ``
     
> One Day At A Time #7-8 
> 'The main guys!'  and  'Steve Henkelbert'
> A Miscellaneous [Misc] series
> by James Mason
>      
>      So, the mysterious voice that gave Bill (Mike Kittyman) and John 
> (The Arch Mage) their powers also empowered Alex (Sir Greg).   It seems 
> to want them to form a crime fighting team, and so after Bill and John 
> track down and talk with Alex, the voice sends the three of them off to 
> the bank to stop another crime.  (Also, it seems to have given the three 
> of them narcoleptic tendencies, but that might be the comedic writing.)

I think that has something to do with how the voice communicated with them?
Heck, I dunno, I'm just the editor.  He's got all kinds of crazyawesome
plans.

> Slim's Scythe
> A Miscellaneous [Misc] story
> by Dave Van Domelen

<snip>
>      However, the tall tales format isn't entirely plot driven.  While 
> the plot and its climax are clever and memorable, at least part of the 
> pleasure of reading this type of story comes from immersing oneself in 
> the little incidental details of setting and characterisation which in 
> turn help develop the mood and even pacing.  This isn't a dramatic, nail 
> biting thriller, it's simply a entertaining fantasy yarn.

It was great; Dave writes as if he's been spinning yarns for the barefoot
kids of the Missisippi River all his life.

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, hungers for that kind of versatility.