Back in Business

Okay, so the cable/internet's back on thankfully. But as you can see it's pretty late in the day, and I'm just now waking up and about to be catching up on emails. So it will be another long night of work ahead of me.

In the downtime I was able to get quite a few things done, though not all of them productive. I did manage to get some lettering completed, which is part of the productive contribution.

Another productive accomplishment was writing five more installments of my column. I only had one more left (next week's) already written, and so I took this opportunity to write a couple more, which turned into five. I could have continued writing several more with the roll I was on, but sleepiness overtook me as I approached my 20th consecutive hour of being awake. So I forced myself to stop. I'm feeling really good about the way these are flowing, though, and I hope you enjoy them as well. Everything's centered around my path to being a comic creator, but I talk about some personal stuff in my past that's revealing and therapeutic for me as well.

In the non-productive column, at least in terms of work, I caught up on some reading. First, I finished the first volume of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I didn't read the prose story in the back yet, but I did read all the sequential chapters. As I stated before after reading just a bit of it, it is an entertaining story and very different from its movie counterpart. There are a lot of elements shared between the two, but now having read the entire volume I can understand fans of the work being more than perturbed with the outcome of the film. The film takes quite a bit of creative license and quite the departure from the source material. While some characters and certain events were the same, the entire concept and delivery was completely different. I liked the movie, and even watched it again the other night, but only as a standalone work or derivative of the source, not as an adaptation or retelling. It completely fails on the latter, but succeeds on the former in my opinion.

The book, as I said, was an interesting and well-written yarn, but not quite my cup of tea. It's not quite as mysterious as the movie was, and neither really capitalized on that mystery element enough for my liking. I could see both works improved immensely, though I am trying to keep in mind the timeframe the source material was written in. It's certainly not one of my favorite stories, but it has its merits. I'm glad I read it, but it's not something I'd read over and over again.

I also read another chapter of Amber & Blood. I'm 235 pages deep into it now as it rapidly reaches its conclusion. I believe I have 100 pages left, give or take a few. This last chapter I read took an interesting turn that I wasn't quite expecting. I can't wait to find out where that thread goes.

I forgot to mention last night that I got to finally see the pictures from Thanksgiving. I'll be posting some of those soon for you all to see. I will say this though. After seeing the pictures I know I have to lose weight now. I didn't know I was as heavy as I was then. I realize the camera adds pounds, but I've gained weight since Thanksgiving, so I am now determined to lose it before MegaCon!

Sojourn

The last book in the Dark Elf Trilogy, Sojourn, was better than Exile, but still not quite as good as Homeland. But it was still an enjoyable read, and the adventures of Drizzt and his friends are fast becoming one of my favorite epics of all time.

In this volume Drizzt makes his way to the surface, forever leaving the Underdark, his natural home, in his past. But his trials are in trying to discover, learn and live in this unknown world with the elements he has never known. He has to unlearn everything he was taught by his people and find out for himself what the surface dwellers are truly like.

As soon as Drizzt makes his way out in the world he finds himself in a world of trouble, and once again on the run. He resigns in himself that he'll never be able to fit in because of the reputation of his people. But later he meets Mooshie, who fast becomes a friend and mentor, and inspires hope in the Dark Elf. Unfortunately, his recent past catches up with him again and again, and after a couple of years on the surface it still haunts him.

Toward the end of the book, Drizzt finally meets some of the characters in The Crystal Shard, namely the dwarf leader Breunor and his adopted human daughter Cattie-Brie. And after facing off against a deadly foe, the three become friends after some early hesitancy.

Homeland was all about Drizzt's upbringing and his people, and we learn why he fled them in the first place. Exile showed Drizzt trying to escape his past, but being surrounded by it. But Sojourn finally connects the dots between the Dark Elf Trilogy and the Icewind Dale Trilogy as the course of Drizzt's life changes forever.

This book was filled with all the themes you'd expect to find, and they are all well placed and utilized. Drizzt grows in this book from a young, unlearned forager to an even more skilled warrior knowing the ways of the realms. He finds friends in unusual places, and enemies in unexpected ones. He's still every bit the warrior, but throughout most of the book he tried to leave those ways behind him, but he wasn't permitted that luxury.

It's a fine send off into the next chapter of Drizzt's travels, and a wonderful ending to the trilogy.

Homeland

Well, I finished Forgotten Realms: Homeland, the first book of the Dark Elf Trilogy this morning. I couldn't sleep, so I read the last 80 pages in succession.

I have to say I just couldn't put this book down for long. It's odd that it took me so long to get into The Crystal Shard, yet this book, from the same author about the same characters, came so easily for me. Of course, The Crystal Shard was R.A. Salvatore's first novel in the series, so maybe there was some stumbling there that detracted me at first. As I've said, though, once I finally did get into that book I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Homeland is a prequel detailing the birth and growth of the star of all the books in R.A. Salvatore's corner of the expansive universe, Drizzt Do'Urden, the dark elf (or drow). After reading The Crystal Shard, which only hinted at Drizzt's past throughout, this book was an incredible revelation into the past of the popular character. All the trials he went through being the sole moral light in a world full of evil and vile creatures, including his own kind, made for a very compelling read.

It was intriguing to see this powerful warrior from The Crystal Shard growing up as a wide-eyed and naive boy in a world full of evil cultists with bloodlust and greed for power. You got the sense through the book's duration that Drizzt was very special and possibly even blessed and created for a far greater purpose than to dwell in the Underdark and become one of the many murderers as the rest of his people are.

Salvatore crafted a brilliant tale of a complex and compelling character in Drizzt, showing the tragedy that was his life in Menzoberranzan, the city he called home, and led us expertly to a new beginning that could bring more trials to the skilled warrior.

Exile is the next book in the trilogy, and I'll be starting that one soon. If it's nearly as good as Homeland was, in a week or so there will be a similar post of praise about it.

B-Out

To Read or Not to Read

I have tried four different times now to really get int The Crystal Shard with little success. I want to read that book, and that series, so bad, but for some reason I just can not get into it no matter how hard I try. I'm not ready to give up on it yet, but it's going to have to wait for a bit while I work myself back to it.

In the meantime, I have recently begun reading The Servants of Twilight by Dean R. Koontz, and 6 chapters in, I really like this book. I have a few Koontz books, but I've not read any of them until now. So far, his writing totally captivates me, and I couldn't put it down through the first 6 chapters. So that's a good sign for me.

So finally I'm back to reading, something I have done sparsely over the past few months for various reasons. I am reminded once again just how much reading relaxes me and allows me to unwind. Thankfully I currently have a lot of books yet to be read!

B-Out

The Hobbit

I finally finished the book today. As I mentioned before, I had read the old, old graphic novel adaptation, but never the proper book. And when I started reading the book I got about halfway through it when the last Harry Potter book came out. So I put it on a bit of a hiatus. Over the last few days, though, I started reading it again and knocked it out this morning.

Overall it's a great book. Not as good as Lord of the Rings to me, but still a very good read. My only complaint is a slight nitpick on Tokien's writing style. He tends to over explain things sometimes. In most cases that's fine and well because we get more backstory. But sometimes it's just unnecessary.

Regardless, I enjoyed the book very much, and I really hope they do get around to making a movie of it. Now it's onto Dragonlance: Amber and Iron.

B-Out

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I just finished the book this morning, finally, and I have to say it was quite an enjoyable read. There was some sadness and some joy, and I was saddened at the end for a number of reasons. Was it the best in the series? Probably not, but it did nicely wrap up every plot thread throughout the entire series and answer some long pondered questions expertly.

A lot of people are against the books because the promote witchcraft, and a lot of people I know would consider me WRONG to even THINK about reading it, but those people are close-minded neophytes living in an era that no longer exists. To do away with Harry Potter would mean doing away with... well, almost EVERY fairy tale in existence! Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast... the list goes on. They ALL have some form of magic in them don't they?

The thing that makes the series of Harry Potter books special is the same thing that supersedes the happenstance of it taking place in a magical world: morals and self-discovery! That's what these books are all about, and why they have won numerous awards throughout their 10 year history. Each and every single thing that happens in these books ever so subtly teaches a lesson, and shows us also how human even the greatest of us can be, meaning we are all flawed, but inside all of us exists the ability to become great in many different ways.

When my brother first started reading the books 9 or so years ago I was very hesitant about him reading them. We are Christians, and so the thought of witchcraft slightly alarmed me. I didn't want him getting the wrong message. So I read the book, and that, as they say, is history. I was hooked, and rightfully so. I'm a big fantasy fan anyway, but these books took that to the next level by bringing it into a nearly plausible world set in modern times. So the kids (and adults) get these wondrous adventures, but at the same time they are wrapped so delicately with insights and wisdoms that show the mark of a truly great writer. The Christian world could also take a lesson from these books in the art of subtlety, believe me!

Back to this particular book... as promised, some main characters did lose their lives, but valiantly so. During the last few chapters I was figuratively on the edge of my seat with anticipation as to the outcome of the ending battle. There were some surprises indeed, and there was a glorious and beaming conclusion to the story that every Potter fan should be proud of. And the epilogue was a nice touch, giving us a glimpse into the future.

So while I'm very sad to see the series go, I have to admit this book and the way it wrapped things up has greatly eased the blow of the absence of the series from here on out. Luckily I still have three movies to see before it's all done (I've yet to see Order of the Phoenix). And then I will probably at some point re-read them all once more.

Goodbye, Harry Potter, it's been a blast!

B-Out