LNH/REVIEW: Kid Review's Roundup - October 2014

[Tom Russell]

On Saturday, November 29, 2014 1:36:11 PM UTC-5, Andrew Perron wrote:

>      "It's been a whole year since the first issue of this review series!
> WOO! How am I doing so far? Anything you'd like to see? (Other than
> consistently updating on time, eheh...)"

It does exactly what it says on the tin. No suggestions from me. You're doing great!

> Red Hart #7-9
> "Their Darkest Hour", "The Hero, Born of Woman", and "Deorum Et Machina"
> An Eightfold [8FOLD] miniseries
> by Tom Russell
> 
> "This is seriously my favorite thing that Tom has ever done."

Thank you kindly, sir.

> "I love the sheer scope of bringing in an alien scientist who doesn't
> even know about carbon-based life, let alone Earth. (Except for what
> seems like a hint at an Orphans of Mars-era link.)

It is, insomuch as "dread Venus" was first established as part of the Orphans lore, and will be explored as part of that series (the third book, due out next year, is even called THE TRANSIT OF VENUS). Though I've also worked some of the Venus stuff into an issue of Nonfiction, and of course here.

I'm trying to be secretive and hinty with it, but I guess it won't give away too much to say that /everyone's/ heard of Venus (though not by our name for it), if only in whispers and legends, and is duly and appropriately frightened of it. Think of it as the home to the Eightfoldian equivalent of the Great Old Ones, and you won't be too far off. So while Jamy Lo wouldn't have heard of Earth, or seen evidence of carbon-based life, she would know what Venus is/was.

Note that it's been established that Earth lies on a fault-line between parallel universes, and that those walls between worlds get extra-blurry during certain astronomical events pertaining to its closest neighbor.

> I love the
> stage direction [Exeunt via a pocket universe.] I love the over-the-top
> indulgence in things that could never appear in a stage play.

I think Julie Taymor could pull it off, if only just.

>I love the
> spoilerous transformation of characters.

One thing I was wondering, since you were such a Van fan, was what you made of the events of #8, before you read #9?

>I even love that he totally
> used a climactic idea that I wanted to use elsewhere, and it's so good I
> might end up using it anyway."

If it's what I'm thinking of, I've used it before, too-- in JOLT CITY #19-- though not quite on this scale. :-)

> "I recommend this miniseries to everyone ever."

That's extremely kind. Thank you.

==Tom