Tag Archive for 'hard-cover-book'

06
Apr

The

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There are a few things I discovered through comics more serious than just fun, and one of the best was the work of Neil Gaiman. I still haven’t found a world he created that I did not like, or even better sink into; I am currently reading his Anansi Boys and enjoy each page with the happiness of a six year old kid opening his present! His latest creation with Marvel was a tale of gods and humans, of how our world was created and some of those present in that moment still walking among us. The return of the Eternals!

eternals2.jpgThe Eternals were introduced by previous marvel series, kind of indifferent if you ask me. Immortal beings that came to Earth million of years ago and offered the mammals they found here the potential to become humans, something like Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey opening scene, they were sent by other, superb entities called The Celestials that created and watched them. In this new aspect of the story by Neil Gaiman (Books of Magic, The Sandman, American Gods, Anansi Boys, Stardust) and John Romita Jr. (X-Men, Daredevil, Thor, Hulk) the Eternals are living as normal people with most of them having no recollection at all of their powers and nature, at least until certain events unlock their memories and begin a chain of events that might change the route of history!

This is a Gaiman story and the way I see it that’s the only credential it needs to be in my bookcase, but it is also a Romita Jr. book (he’s one of the best known Marvel artists) and it presents a story with unused potential which finally gets the depth it deserves. The 7 issues should be sold out by now (the limited series was originally planned to last 6 issues but one more was added) but if you are willing to give it a try, which I recommend, the hard-cover collection will by out this May, get your own copy!

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30
Mar

The

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Most of you reading this article will have already watched the new film by Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream), The Fountain, starring Hugh Jackman (X-Men, The Prestige, Van Helsing) and Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, Enemy at the Gates, Constantine). Aronofsky’s controversial creation is something to love or to hate, and although I belong to the first category I must admit that there are much more in the Fountain than the movie offered, to live the entire experience there’s only one way, reading the graphic novel by Vertigo!

fountain3.jpgThis is not a new idea by Aronofsky, the idea was one of his first but when he presented it to the studios it was cancelled in no time, no studio would make a film so different and uncategorized as this. After the tremendous success of Requiem and Pi though he could use his influence and soon the film came to life, still with many changes, budget cuts and scenario interferences, Darren seems to have said then:

“I knew it was a hard film to make and I said at least if Hollywood f**** me over I’ll make a comic book out of it.” He presented the original story to Vertigo and Kent Williams (Flinch, Havok and Wolverine – Meltdown) undertook the mission to put it on paper, Aronofsky saw the art and loved it and that was it, the Fountain was on its way to our bookshelves!

The scenario is quite complicated, 3 different stories told together I a frenzy montage speaking about love, death and immortality. A Spanish conquistador sent by his queen in 1535 to find the tree of eternal life in the middle of the Mayan civilization, a doctor looking for the cure of cancer to save his wife in 2005, a man and a tree travelling through space in 2645 inside a bubble looking for a dying star, different stories trying to tell the same thing which is different for each viewer, and that’s the beauty of the movie and even more the comic. Watch it, explore it, love it!

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