King Arthur's Bones (Various)

Great concept, poorly executed.  That's how I'd summarize King Arthur's Bones, a historical mystery penned by "the Medieval Murderers," a group of authors known independently for their historical murder mysteries.  Each author wrote an 'act,' and each act is separated by a significant length of time (sometimes 200 years).  We start in 1191, in Glastonbury Abbey.  The monks there discover a skeleton- with a cross on top saying "here lies King Arthur."  Understanding how significant this find would be, they quickly make plans to display the relics (drawing the devout- and their money).  Before they can, however, the bones are stolen. A group sworn to protect the remains of the King- and hence the legend that he'll one day return- spirit them away to Wales, where they remain for a good while.  Subsequent acts (set in the 1290s, 1300s, 1600s, 1800s, and 2000s) see the bones transported from place to place, for a variety of reasons.  In each case, a number of murders center on the bones, and so each act is really more focused on crime than the relics.

Like I said: great concept, poorly executed.  I wasn't overly impressed with any author here- and some where downright bad.  It's poor historical fiction- there are several cases of medieval people with impressively modern mindsets- and it was often poor crime-writing, too.  The Medieval Murderers have released several books to date- I hope the others are better.

Rating: C-

The Ultimate Sacrifice

'My three best friends have been asleep for 70 years.' So stated the old man sitting at the supermarket exit, handing out poppy lapel pins in preparation for Sunday's Remembrance Day celebration in England (which is the equivalent of our Veteran's Day).  His words checked my steps, and I gazed on his aged countenance with a mixture of respect and pity.  'But here I am, just sitting here,' he continued, looking both stoic and forlorn, his eyes fixed on a point in the distant past.  He came back to the present, glanced at me, and asked if my grandfather had served.  'Yes,' I replied proudly, 'in the United States Marine Corps, against the Japanese.'  The old man's face widened into a grin.  We chatted briefly; he had served for the British, of course, in north Africa for several years.  We parted ways, and as I walked home, I mulled this unexpected encounter.  My three best friends have been asleep for 70 years.

This weekend, we celebrate our veterans.  Many of them gave their lives.  Their lives.  Their future.  Their hope.  Their potential.  Their desire for children- offspring to carry on their genes.  They gave everything, and they gave it in the prime of their lives.  And, for those who didn't perish in conflict- think on their sacrifice.  Not just the battle- I'm talking about now- today.  That old man?  Imagine the horrors he's seen, and spent a lifetime putting out of his mind.  Imagine the guilt he feels, a hint of which I saw in his words- 'here I am, just sitting here.'  Why did he survive and not his friends?  What made him more worthy?  Everyone in that war was a casualty in some respect- forever changed by that horrible conflict.  A part of them is gone, never to return. 

For whom did they sacrifice?  For us.  For people they never met.  For people who tend to spend an awful lot of time complaining about really stupid stuff.  For people who get angry when heavy traffic delays their arrival by a few minutes.  For people who waste their time, money, attention, and resources on frivolous pursuits.  Who, frankly, often don't give a damn about the sacrifices others have made for them, and instead focus on trivialities and 'what's in it for them.'  That old man?  He sat there in that store, thinking on those he's lost.  Me?  I was excited that my favorite drink was on sale, and really angry that the check-out line was taking so long.  Looks like one of us needs to re-think his life.

Happy Veteran's Day.  Honor their memory.  Think of their deeds.  Thank God that there are those willing to give it all for the good of all.  Share in their victory by performing your own sacrifices for others.  I assure you- what you give will be far less than you've already received.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Neil Gaiman et al.)

Not many graphic novels are New York Times bestsellers, but Neil Gaiman's Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? made the cut.  Should it have?  Read on, but I do have spoilers.

This graphic novel is comprised of four stories, all written by Gaiman over the years.  The headliner, though, is the first, longest, best, and gives its title to the entire volume (the other stories are okay, but pale in comparison).  In Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader (hereafter, WHttCC), Batman has an out-of-body experience.  He's at his funeral, and all his villains, sidekicks, and friends are in attendance.  Each gets up, in turn, and relates how they were responsible for Batman's death- and all give different accounts.  As each relates his or her tale, the Batman therein is wearing a different version of his costume- which both draws from the character's rich history (he's been around since the '40s, and has many wardrobe changes in his time), and sheds some light on the overall tale.  In the end, out-of-body Batman realizes he will soon die 'for real,' but then the cycle will start all over again- the last frame has newborn Bruce Wayne being handed to his mother for the first time.

So what's the point?  Batman has died many times over the years, in his various forms, and everyone has a take on how it happens.  But, Bats just keeps coming back.  He never gives up.  When he dies in the comics, he's brought back, reinvented- but never yielding.  He's both mortal and 'eternal.'  He embodies both man's weakness, and his desire to overcome- his failure and success. 

At first, I didn't like this story.  But, as I reflected on and digested it, I saw the value.  It is different, yes- it's certainly not the standard Batman storyline.  But it is deep, and makes you think- which is good.  It forces us to reflect upon who we hold up as heroes, why, what makes them heroes, and their mortality (and immortality) in our culture.  Overall, it's a worthy read.

Rating: B+

Purge (Various)

Graphic novels are a very easy way to boost reading totals.  Not that I read them for that reason; I'm just saying that you can burn through one in a good hour or two.

Star Wars: Purge is a collection of four stories, all centered around events immediately following Episode III.  In the movie, Palpatine executes "Order 66," which tells the clone troopers to turn on the Jedi and kill them.  Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader, and aids in hunting down the Jedi.  In this graphic novel, we see the immediate aftermath: as you'd expect, not all Jedi fell during the initial betrayal, and those who survive can be found in various corners of the galaxy.  The survivors may have separate desires- for peace, seclusion, or revenge- but all have one thing in common: Vader wants them dead.  And, in all four stories, Vader tracks down who remains and "takes care of them."

The stories are okay (pretty formulaic), as is the art.  But, this overall time period- these "Dark Times"- are among my favorite in the story arc, so I enjoyed them nevertheless.

Rating: B

King of the Middle March (Kevin Crossley-Holland)

Crossley-Holland's Arthur trilogy concludes with King of the Middle March.  Again we're in the world of two Arthurs:

1) The legendary king sees his fellowship of the round table come to an end, as the quest for the grail disperses the knights, and the illicit romance between Lancelot and Guinevere forces people to choose between king and top knight.  The king's son, Mordred, takes advantage of the situation to proclaim himself king, sparking a war between father and son which leads to their mutual demise.

2) The other Arthur, meanwhile, is in Venice preparing to depart on the Fourth Crusade.  Things take an unexpected turn, though, when the crusaders fail to raise the necessary funds to repay the Venetian shipbuilders, who for recompense demand that they attack the Christian city of Zara (a town which has recently rebelled against Venetian rule).  Arthur finds himself exposed to the horror of war and questions some crusaders' intent as he comes of age and is knighted.  Circumstances force him back home to the Middle March as the book closes, and he takes his place as 'king' of his manor.

Like the first two offerings, King of the Middle March is great.  Equal parts historical fiction, Arthurian legend, and coming-of-age tale, I highly recommend it.  This particular book covers more of "Arthur #2" than the second book, which was nice.  Be it the wisdom scattered throughout, the time period, or the legends covered, everything is fantastic.  There are a few minor things that detract, though (spoiler alert):

• You may need some prior knowledge of both Arthurian legend and Crusades history to fully enjoy this. I think you'll enjoy it either way, but the more you know going in, the better.
• Some threads of story aren't concluded (most importantly, which person Arthur ends up marrying).  I really wanted to know!
• In the end, there's no 'real' connection between the Arthurs, though some initial indicators pointed in this direction. 

I can do no better to summarize the trilogy than quote Crossley-Holland's own words (taken from his website):

What if, I thought. What if… What if I were to write two stories in tandem? One would be a historical novel, in which a boy, eager to serve as a squire and to go on crusade, is given this piece of obsidian; and one would be the stories, the Arthurian legends, that this boy sees in the obsidian. These legends, I thought, would anticipate and reflect his own eagerness and ideals and anxieties and passions and sorrows. His own rites of passage.

You succeeded, sir.  Well done.

Rating: A

Darth Maul: Death Sentence (Various)

This post contains a spoiler pertaining to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show (season 3).

Background: At the end of season 3, Star Wars: The Clone Wars had a surprise in store: Darth Maul was not dead.  Seemingly killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode I (sliced clean in half, actually, and dropped down a mysteriously-deep chasm), it turns out that Maul's upper half survived, and he got cybernetic torso/legs implanted that made him even more powerful (as an aside, it probably also made things like going to the bathroom a lot less necessary).  It was also revealed in the show that he had a brother- Savage Oppress.  Very similar to Maul, but yellow, and given powers by the Nightsisters of Dathomir, Savage and Maul get together and wreak havoc.

Darth Maul: Death Sentence tells a follow-up story to the TV show: the brothers are 'shaking things up' in the Star Wars galaxy, and they kill a few people that makes a powerful energy magnate extremely angry, leading him to put a bounty on their heads.  The brothers, not happy about having bounty hunters on their tail, track down the person who put out the reward.  All of this gets the attention of the Jedi, and draws them into it as well, making for a pretty standard Star Wars adventure tale.  In the end, all the characters end up on a planet whose population is suffering under the magnate, and the Jedi try to both help the populace and bring Maul & Oppress to justice.  

The story is okay, as is the art.  Star Wars fans will probably enjoy this one; others, not so much.  Being familiar with the TV show would be helpful for context.

Rating: C+

Robin Hood (J. Walker McSpadden)

Penned in 1891, McSpadden's version of Robin Hood is a straightforward telling, suitable for children and adults alike.  The language is at times antiquated, as you'd expect.  McSpadden does give cursory nods to the original ballads- mentioning locations like Barnesdale (Robin's original haunt, according to the earliest stories)- but this is mostly the classic story we know today.  It's set in the time of King Henry II, King Richard the Lionheart, and King John.  Each chapter tells a story- how Robin (the wrongly-disinherited Robert Fitzooth) becomes an outlaw, how he comes to live in Sherwood with his merry band of men, how certain famous members (Little John, Will Scarlet, etc) join, and how they spend their days robbing the rich, giving to the poor, foiling the sheriff of Nottingham, loving the freedom of the forest, and basking in the thrill of adventure.  It's romantic, light-hearted, short (just shy of 200 pages) and enjoyable; a worthy read.

Rating: B+