Thrawn (Timothy Zahn)

Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Ascendancy has been abandoned on an alien world. Rescued by Imperials, and having once known Anakin Skywalker, he is brough before Emperor Palpatine and given a chance to start afresh in Imperial Navy. His genius is soon on full display, and he rises quickly in favor and rank. He is not without his enemies, but he will prevail. This is the origin story of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn holds a special place in my heart, having been the antagonist in the first Star Wars Expanded Universe book, Heir to the Empire, I read some thirty years ago. When Disney bought the franchise, they relegated all such material to 'legends' status, saying it was no longer canon, but then proceeded to bring some elements back—Thrawn among them. He has since appeared in animated and live-action TV shows alike, keeping the core components of the character the same while altering his adventures, but his beginnings have always been shrouded in mystery. Here, author Timothy Zahn (who authored the original Thrawn books) returns to tell his origin story.

How was it? Okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't overly interesting, either. It's always hard when you know the end of a story . . . this is basically an expected tale where Thrawn comes up through the ranks and encounters challenges along the way. He's smart; he uses art to analyze enemies; he has integrity. Some parts were cool; others were boring. There were some plot points that seem far-fetched. It wasn't terrible, but it was vanilla enough that I'm wondering why they bothered to tell the tale. Sometimes impressions of depth are best enjoyed by leaving them unexplored.

Rating: B-

K-Pop Demon Hunters

The Huntr/x are a K-pop girl group. They are also [secretly] demon hunters, charged to protect the realm through song and violence. But one of their members has a secret . . .

The Saja Boys are a K-pop boy band. They are also [secretly] demons, charged to get the population under their sway to steal their souls. But one of their members has a secret, too . . .

The natural and supernatural worlds collide in this musical tale of living with your faults and fears in a society that teaches you to hide. 

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My initial take on this was "frenetic, bizarre, and catchy." From the same studio that animated Across the Spider-verse, you see the stylistic similarities. The music was good (one song reached #1 in the real-life charts), the humor was zany but fun, and the point was awesome—I think. Let me explain.

The main characters in the film wrestle with their faults and fears, the repeated refrain being "our faults and fears must not be seen." But charged to fix the world, they cannot fix themselves despite their best efforts—and hide as a result. They fear being known, assuming that such knowledge would erase any love others have for them. And they can't let go of their past failures, listening to their demons that won't let them forget: "all we get/deserve is to live with tons of pain and misery." The result? They are alone, and the demons are near victory. What is the way forward?

According to the film, the point is to be open about your faults and failures and "bring jagged edges to the light." Be there for others and know you are not alone. See the scars as part of yourself, and "see the beauty in the broken glass." And sacrifice yourself for the good of others, giving your soul to others rather thank taking. 

There are a ton of good messages here. The only point that gave me pause—and which wasn't explained in the film—was whether brokenness should prompt any degree of repentance or sorrow. If it was calling you to see beauty in the broken glass or despite it. One line spoke of "darkness and harmony," and I couldn't tell if they meant making peace with the fact that we are fallen people [but to strive against it] *or* making peace with the fact [and embracing it]. That's a huge difference. I will assume the best, though, and give this film high marks. See it for yourself and let me know.

Rating: A

Daredevil: Through Hell

Continuing from last time . . .

Matt Murdock continues to wrestle with how he can help people in a broken system without resorting to being Daredevil; Elektra arrives to help him investigate the rampant corruption. 

Wilson Fisk has stepped away from his violent past, but Hell's Kitchen is descending into chaos as rival gangs vie for dominance.

Detective Cole North is fighting his own demons as he tries to be a good cop in a crooked city. 

Everyone's on edge . . . and something's gonna give soon.

This one was fine, but felt less hard-hitting than the first two volumes. More like exposition setting the stage for more good things (hopefully).

Rating: B

Daredevil: No Devils, Only God

Shortly after Volume 1 . . .

Plagued by his conscience, Matt Murdock has stepped away from being Daredevil. And a lawyer. Now a probation officer, he struggles with his new life and wrestles with his faith. God gave him gifts, but it seems he must break God's laws to use them. He cares about justice, but the system is broken and the most just course may be breaking the law. As he struggles, violence rages in Hell's Kitchen, but the Kingpin may be stepping away from his dark past, too. Can people really change? What does it mean to fight for justice in a broken world?

As with the first book, I really enjoyed this one. Some great dialogue, questions, and thoughts. It doesn't provide all the answers, and gets some things wrong, but it's nice to see a comic that grapples with what is (to me) a key challenge of the superhero genre: if a person has great power, and the system is broken, when is it justified to act outside the system? 

Rating: A-

Stone Harbor & Cape May

Last week, we got the chance to spend some time with a friend at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. We took one day to explore nearby Cape May. This post looks at both.

Stone Harbor is the southern town on seven-mile island (the northern is Avalon). It features a quaint downtown strip with expected stores (food, souvenirs, and so on—Springer's ice cream, two blocks north of the strip, is a must-visit). With the island having a typical width of only 2000ft, all homes are within easy walk of both beach and bay. It is almost entirely single family homes, many of which are modern, large, and beautifully constructed, with multi-level decks and flower boxes and more. (I enjoyed the homes more than the beach itself.) This lends itself to lower population density, less crowded beaches, and a laidback atmosphere well-suited to families.

Cape May is 12 miles south of Stone Harbor as the crow flies. Cape May Point (south of Cape May proper) has a lighthouse, WWII-era bunker, sunken concrete ship, and WWII-era watchtower. Cape May itself has a nice shopping district and pretty Victorian homes scattered throughout the town.

Overall, we spent our Stone Harbor days on the beach, walking the town, enjoying the homes, eating ice cream, and playing games or relaxing with our friend. And enjoying the sunrise. Time well spent.

The Red Fox (Anthony Hyde)

Robert Thorne is a journalist living in Virginia. His old girlfriend, May Brightman, calls him from Canada one day—her father has gone missing. As Thorne travels to Toronto to help, he will soon find himself caught up in an international web that spans decades and nations—and includes secrets some will kill to protect.

I picked up this book at a yard sale over 20 years ago. I loved it then, and it was a joy to re-read it now. This is a 'comfort' thriller, with the twists and suspense expected of the genre. Written in the Eighties, I was filled with nostalgia regarding both the time (just before the fall of communism) and the setting (locations included several familiar to me, including Harrisburg and rural New Hampshire). There were implausible plot points, and sometimes it seemed to move too fast (or was hard to follow), but this is an enjoyable yarn nonetheless; a suitable summer read.

Rating: A-

P.S. one surprise was an element that was possible at publication (and the first time I read it) but has since been disproven. I won't say more, but it's an important fact for new readers.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Four years after the accident that granted them all powers, the Fantastic Four is reeling from a pleasant surprise: Sue is pregnant. But the excitement is short-lived, for a herald arrives pronouncing doom to the Earth . . . for Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, is coming. And not even this fantastic crew may be able to save the planet this time.

I liked the retro-futuristic aesthetics of the film. And it hits on important themes (sacrifice, being part of something bigger, and family). But on the whole, this one just didn't do it for me. Like the recent Superman film, we're dropped into an existing world—this is [perhaps mercifully] not another origin story, and that's okay. But the plot was so rushed that I had a hard time caring. When it scraped against important themes, it failed to deliver. Other aspects, like the music and humor, were average or ignored. And I had a hard time seeing Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic. There were certainly cool elements, and it may be the best Fantastic Four film to date. But that's not saying much.

Rating: C+