Tag Archives: cinebook

Review: Buck Danny Vol. 3 Ghost Squadron

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“Dereliction of duty” is one of those things when I was in the military, I never heard anyone getting in trouble for. People would get in trouble, but not for the things they would in the movies or television. In fact, movies like Top Gun although entertaining are not very realistic. I remember joining the Navy, 20 years after that movie, and I would work with officers who said they went to flight school because of that movie.

This is where the movies and reality split hard, if any pilot pull any of the crap Maverick, did, they would lose their flight status or even their commission. It is romantic to think that if you disobeyed orders to follow your gut, you would be celebrated for your decision. The truth is harsher. You would most certainly get an Article 13. So, when I see these things play out in books, television, and movies, we never see the actual fallout. In Buck Danny: Ghost Squadron, one of Danny’s pilots does this very thing, and it plays out a little different than we are used to seeing.

We catch up with Danny’s squadron, where they are operating in Eastern Europe, in this installment, Tuck gets in trouble for taking out a Serbian missile battery. Instead of a court martial, he gets assigned to a squadron which flies secret missions which is coincidentally also headed by Buck, and they both must learn how to fly a F-16.  As the squadron gets closer to their mission, a renegade pilot known as Lady X, starts picking apart their squadron one by one. By books’ end, the blackmail of one of their pilots leads to Buck Danny and his squadron tot the source of how Lady X decimated his squadron.

Overall, an okay installment, as the art usually takes the backseat to the story in this series, in this case, it s the opposite. The story by Francis Bergese is rigid, predictable but still enjoyable. The art by Bergese is gorgeous. Altogether, if you liked the series up to this point, buy it if you are a completest but if a good story motivates your buying, I suggest you read the other books in this series.

Story: Francis Bergese Art: Francis Bergese
Story: 5.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Read

Review: A Buck Danny Adventure Vol. 2 The Secrets of the Black Sea

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The Americans on FX, is one of those shows that both interesting and nostalgic. The storyline revolves around two planted USSR agents in 1980s Virginia, much like the brilliantly under watched Little Nikita. It romanticizes an era in our country and really in our world, that many movies and tv shows tend to parody, but really it was kind of magical. Growing up in that era, I think back on how much of how the times was just leaving the style and rational of the 1970s and the much more liberal philosophy of the 1980s.

What transcended that time, was the “Cold War,” it became more lukewarm, towards the end of 1980s, but I remember hearing on the news at the time, the name Gorbachev, a lot. The FX show, brought those times back for me, as I remember some the true events that was on the news happening. The one part of the Cold War, that the show might tackle in its last season, and rarely gets explored, is the end, where terms like “glasnost” and “perestroika” was no more. In this second volume, of Buck Danny, The Secrets of the Black Sea, our protagonist deals with this very dilemma, as he sent to observe.

We catch with up Buck, shortly after getting called to the Pentagon, as an Admiral ropes him into bureaucratic business, to observe, the Russian military, as both, still believe the Russians still have one last hand to play, before it is all over. He meets Captain Alexanko, who is to fly him to meet a Russian Admiral, when their fighter gets caught in a dogfight, and they must walk find their way safely. They eventually are rescued but an international incident happens between the two sides one that may irreversible. By book’s end, Buck may have just stopped some mutineers, as change can be hard, especially in  time of transition.

Overall, an excellent installment, which proves that comic books are true form of literature, that should never be underestimated. The story by Jacques De Douhet is intriguing and action packed. The art by Francis Bergese is awe inspiring and beautiful. Altogether, an action packed international thriller, that proves that one wrong move can make the difference of what starts a war.

Story: Jacques De Douhet Art: Francis Bergese
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Alpha Volume 4 Sanctions

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When I was growing up, morals in the movies and TV shows, were certainly not complicated.  They made clear distinctions of who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. Take TV shows like GI Joe, where there was no questioning that Destro and Cobra Commander were evil and Duke and Flint were good. They even made it clear with the ninjas, but wearing opposite colors, as Snake Eyes wore black and Storm Shadow wore white.

AS the audience became more intelligent, the movies and TV shows became more complicated in their dealings with morality. One of those movies which started to question the status quo, was Rambo: First Blood, which did not play out as an action thriller but more like a horror movie. A recent movie, brought back the questioning of those morals once again, in The Iceman, where Michael Shannon’s character, plays a contract killer, who lives a double life. Both characters remind me of the arch nemesis must face in the fourth and final volume of Alpha, Sanctions.

In this volume, Alpha and his partner must escort a high valued foreign official while in country, but little do any of them know, a retired killer, for the former KGB is in Washington DC. As sanctions take place, between both governments, bodies on both sides start to drop all over the Capital Beltway. Alpha starts digging into this retired bogeyman, and finds many unresolved problems, as he is starting to understand his motivation.  By book end, Alpha exposes a massive coverup, which puts everyone in check and leaves Alpha, the moral hero.

Overall, a great conclusion, to an enticing spy series, which leaves the reader, reaching for their old copy of their favorite Tom Clancy novel. The story by Youri Jigounov has all the flash and bang that makes these spy thrillers a must read. The art by Mythic is alluring. Altogether, a morality tale in a world filled with shadows that proves everyone must suffer a consequence.

Story: Youri Jigounov Art: Mythic
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Valerian: The Complete Collection Vol. 1

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Luc Besson and his influence on the film world is vast and almost unimaginable. “Unimaginable” is probably the wrong word when talking about the prolific auteur, as his ambition for pushing boundaries, truly puts all creators on notice. As I remember the first film, I saw by him, was not a science fiction film, but one about assassins. Leon The Professional, was the movie, that blew my mind, as I expected the usually hum drum concept of hired killers that had been used and abused by the Hollywood machine.

Instead I find a complex, very well-developed action-packed narrative that challenged the notion that action movies were not for those who wanted to think. He continued to challenge all tropes of storytelling throughout all his movie, like Taken and Fifth Element. So, when I heard that he had his eyes on adapting a French space opera comic, I was truly enthralled, as I knew that he would handle it well. As for the source material, I had not heard of it, until I heard of the movie, and am sorry I had not heard of it until now, as what I found, was an epic tale about “spatio-temporal” agents, who have specific missions in different timelines and places.

Within the first few pages, a roundtable between Besson and the creators, gives the reader a first person look into its creation and its influence. In the first story, “Bad Dreams”, Valerian gets sent to 17th century France, where he falls in love with Laureline, who ends up saving his life. In the second story, “The City of Shifting Waters and Earth in Flames” Valerian and Laureline gets sent to 1986 moss and nature entrenched New York, hunting for Valerian’s nemesis, Xombul. In the last story,” The Empire of a Thousand Planets,” Valerian and Laureline, investigate what is going on in Syrte the Magnificent, the capital of Thousand Planets, to find out what really is going on and who is trying to steal power form the ruling class. When I think of the classic space operas, this book is the blueprint for books like the Expanse series derives its greatness from.

Overall, a fun book, that had me looking for more from both creators as they capture what was fun about space operas, creating the type of stories that are not only good but great science fiction stories. The stories by Pierre Christin are fun, intricate, and filled with intrigue, as he masterfully blends science fiction with political thriller. The art by Jean-Claude Mezieres is starts out simple but ends up being works of art, as I see his influence on the early artists of MAD Magazine. Altogether, an exciting compendium and important introduction to a duo of characters that will have reader sand soon, moviegoers, yearning for more.

Story: Pierre Christin Art: Jean-Claude Mezieres
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

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