The H Word

The H Word — Blue Ink Alchemy

In about a week, I will be breaking down the desk at which I'm currently sitting so I can load it on a truck. In the intervening time, I have to package and send things to various places, sort out what stays and what goes, make all sorts of arrangements, and generally try to keep my head screwed on tight. The only way to describe the status of my life at the current moment is "in upheaval", perhaps in way unrivaled since the dark days of December 10 years ago. The need to write nags me. It's been difficult to carve out the time to work on the necessary steps to finally finish Cold Streets, or even get a blog post like this up in what I feel is a timely fashion. But now is not the time for such additional stress. I don't want to burn out right before one of the most significant changes of my entire life. So with that in mind, I am putting the blog on hiatus for a couple of weeks. Look for new posts here starting September 3rd, and keep an eye on my Twitter and Tumblr in the meantime. Just because I'm focusing on getting my stuff sorted out doesn't mean I won't have something to say. I almost always do. It might not always be relevant, but I almost always have something to say. Thank you for reading my words, for being patient with me, and encouraging me to continue doing better. I will certainly redouble my efforts to do that as this new chapter of my life gets started. Excelsior!

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Blue Ink Alchemy

From the Vault: The Limitless Genre

From the Vault: The Limitless Genre — Blue Ink Alchemy

With the smashing success of Guardians of the Galaxy, let's take another look at what can be done within sci-fi.

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If you step away from science fiction, you may see a tendency among its writers and creators to divide it up into different sub-genres. Time travel is practically its own sort of story, as is 'hard' sci-fi, along with various "_____punk" styles and derivations of the space opera. I mean, Blade Runner is noir, Flash Gordon is camp, and never the twain shall meet. Right? This doesn't always have to be the case. Imposing the limits of a particular style of story can make writing said story easier, but you also run the risk of falling into cliches and conventions of said style. At a Barnes & Noble yesterday, I saw that a good portion of the sci-fi & fantasy racks had been set aside specifically for "teen paranormal romance." Something tells me I have a good idea as to the content of those books, and of their average quality. Some may be spectacular, but I suspect others are sub-par to the point of making Twilight look good. Let's get back to science fiction as an overarching genre. I don't feel you need to pick a particular sub-category into which you must pigeonhole your story. Deux Ex: Human Revolution doesn't. The game has noir & renaissance overtones throughout but goes from conspiracy intrigue and solid character moments to incredible action and out-there sciences within moments. Yet none of it feels out of place. It is consistent with the themes and timbre of the story. Adam Jensen is a man reborn and remade, both struggling to maintain his identity and utilizing the benefits of his augmentations to do his job and find his answers. In most detective yarns, a scene where the protagonist punches through a wall before turning invisible would be rather out of place. Likewise, few are the space operas that truly tackle the aftermath of a tragedy the way this game does. The elements are balanced in such a way that all of them combine without losing sync and creating a richer, more rewarding storytelling experience. Why shouldn't sci-fi go for multiple tones and moods? Obviously this needs to be done with care, lest the emotional moments become too saturnine or the high-action ones come off as overly ridiculous. In a story like this, you only get so many style points in your tale with which you can get away with "cool shit" moments. Too many and you've become style over substance. Too few, however, and your story becomes dry and plodding. Again, the watchword is balance. And I believe it is a balance worth striking. Science fiction can include all sorts of threads from other genres of storytelling, from romance to horror to crime to adventure. Once all is said and done, be able to look over the work and say, "I've got a _______punk action-mystery" can be useful for marketing it, but my point is the genre only has the limits we choose to impose. Moon is phenomenal because of how hard its science is, and if your goal in writing is to go for something similar, by all means work within those constraints. There is, however, no obligation to pick a particular pigeonhole from the outset. Science fiction is our contemplation of the heavens, the nature of the universe, the exploration of the impossible, and the examination of the individual within all of it. It is, like those heavens, and like our imaginations, limitless. What examples of sci-fi that break from traditional molds come to mind for you?

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy — Blue Ink Alchemy

It really feels like Marvel Studios can do just about anything. Back when it was announced as a film, Guardians of the Galaxy felt like a risk, an out-of-the-blue change in direction. Most franchises prefer to play it safe, sticking with the recognized story and character beats known to work. But Marvel's big idea dreamers do not rest on their laurels. They looked outward from the world of the Avengers and began to pull in more threads from the greater universe. But they've done this before - several years ago, Iron Man was relatively obscure in comparison to other superheroes that have graced the silver screen, and now Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr are practically synonymous. Marvel takes chances. They try new things. And they went back to the well of obscurity and elevated a band of five cosmic misfits into this summer's most anticipated blockbuster. Peter Quill was eight years old when he got abducted from his homeworld. Having grown up among a rather nasty band of pirates called the Ravagers, the Terran is on the trail of a mysterious orb people are paying good money to acquire. There are also those who would rather kill than pay: Ronan the Accuser, a Kree extremist, dispatches one of his chief lackey, Korath the Pursuer, to retrieve the orb. Quill (who for some reason calls himself 'Star-Lord') escapes to Xandar, home of Ronan's enemies. Ronan sets the assassin Gamora on the trail, while the Ravagers post a bounty for Quill, a hefty sum saught by Rocket (an enhanced raccoon) and his best friend Groot. When they wind up in prison together, along with a well-spoken but driven maniac named Drax, they hatch a scheme to escape and split the reward for the orb, even as Ronan hunts them down. As a complete, start-to-finish film, Guardians of the Galaxy has a consistent and strong storyline that is not difficult to follow. Its tone has a tendency to vary, but that is definitely a strength rather than a weakness. James Gunn, director of Slither and Super, is just as adept with comedy as he is with emotional scenes heavy with pathos. In the final equation, it balances out extremely well. The heavier scenes pulls us into sympathetic embraces with our characters, and their comedic turns let off some of the pressure to pave the way for more antics and action.
Something tells me they don't want to talk about having a personal relationship with Galactus. These characters, in addition, are definitely worthy of their places in Marvel's cinematic universe. In particular, I was very happy with Gamora's characterization. In my previous discussion, purely based on some erroneous conjecture, I feared that she would exist as the 'token girl' and disappoint in doing little more than rolling her eyes at the tomfoolery of the males. Thankfully, she is very much her own character, with agency, drive, and independence, from start to finish. I was wrong in what I said before; I couldn't be happier to admit that. What we see on screens is most definitely the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and Zoe Saldana brings her to vibrant, captivating life. The two CG characters, Rocket and Groot, are incredibly well-realized. Rocket, in particular, is a wonder just to behold. While we've seen mo-cap characters before, Rocket is easily believable with his attitude, outlook, pain, and power. You actually feel something for the little guy. Similiarly, Groot conveys a great deal without saying more than a few words. His expressions, actions, and presence all speak to an individual that means well, and that can't help but stand out in light of other characters behaving in very selfish ways. As for Drax, I definitely need to see the movie again because I swear I missed some of his loquacious dialog in the middle of all the ray-guns and explosions. I like what they've done with him and I'm eager to see more.
"I'd flash you my business card, but my hands are too full of guns." The glue holding the entire endeavour together, however, is Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. This man is going to be very busy in the years to come. He carries the mantle of leading man very well. His performance draws out the best in the cast around him, and he very much gets both what motivates his character and how the audience can relate to him. Under the flippant demeanor and die-hard nostalgia is some very real pain and more than a couple unresolved issues, and as I mentioned before, the whole film exists in the same balance between the two feelings. Both the actor and the story do more than just walk that line, however; they outright dance on it. I could spend a lot more time discussing the villains, universe, and greater implications of Guardians of the Galaxy, as it is a surprisingly dense film in terms of lore and setting. There is a huge universe implied in almost every shot of the movie, and I am merely scratching the surface. What I will say is this: we have not had a romp through space like this since Serenity, and even that had a rather intimate scope within which to tell its tale. In many ways, Guardians of the Galaxy is the direct opposite of the previous Marvel film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but that just makes them two sides of the same excellent coin. The previous film was a powerful story of intrigue and personal trial with a very modern bent; this one is a deliberate throwback to more whimsical tales like Flash Gordon or Star Wars, but bearing extremely modern sensibilities. The universe we behold has a very lived-in feel, is filled with color and wonder, and clearly contains perils and unknown terrors that are ripe for the exploration. It expands Marvel's cinematic arm exponentially, and gives us just the right mix of heroes and villains to leave us wanting more.
Even minor characters have distinct personalities and memorable traits. As a movie-goer and erstwhile critic, I would say Guardians of the Galaxy is exemplary science-fiction action-adventure storytelling that I unreservedly recommend. As a long-standing fan of the comics, particularly since I picked it up back when Dan Abnett was starting to write the team we see on screen, I could not be happier. Much like our first real shot of the Avengers, seeing these misfits, murderers, and makers of mayhem come to vibrant life tugs at all of the right strings in my heart. Guardians of the Galaxy is exactly what you want and precisely what we need in the middle of summer surrounded by drek and drudgery: a damn good time at the movies. It is definitely worth seeing. Just don't be surprised if you do, in fact, get hooked on a feeling.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy — Blue Ink Alchemy

It really feels like Marvel Studios can do just about anything. Back when it was announced as a film, Guardians of the Galaxy felt like a risk, an out-of-the-blue change in direction. Most franchises prefer to play it safe, sticking with the recognized story and character beats known to work. But Marvel's big idea dreamers do not rest on their laurels. They looked outward from the world of the Avengers and began to pull in more threads from the greater universe. But they've done this before - several years ago, Iron Man was relatively obscure in comparison to other superheroes that have graced the silver screen, and now Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr are practically synonymous. Marvel takes chances. They try new things. And they went back to the well of obscurity and elevated a band of five cosmic misfits into this summer's most anticipated blockbuster. Peter Quill was eight years old when he got abducted from his homeworld. Having grown up among a rather nasty band of privates called the Ravagers, the Terran is on the trail of a mysterious orb people are paying good money to acquire. There are also those who would rather kill than pay: Ronan the Accuser, a Kree extremist, dispatches one of his chief lackey, Korath the Pursuer, to retrieve the orb. Quill (who for some reason calls himself 'Star-Lord') escapes to Xandar, home of Ronan's enemies. Ronan sets the assassin Gamora on the trail, while the Ravagers post a bounty for Quill, a hefty sum saught by Rocket (an enhanced raccoon) and his best friend Groot. When they wind up in prison together, along with a well-spoken but driven maniac named Drax, they hatch a scheme to escape and split the reward for the orb, even as Ronan hunts them down. As a complete, start-to-finish film, Guardians of the Galaxy has a consistent and strong storyline that is not difficult to follow. Its tone has a tendency to vary, but that is definitely a strength rather than a weakness. James Gunn, director of Slither and Super, is just as adept with comedy as he is with emotional scenes heavy with pathos. In the final equation, it balances out extremely well. The heavier scenes pulls us into sympathetic embraces with our characters, and their comedic turns let off some of the pressure to pave the way for more antics and action.
Something tells me they don't want to talk about having a personal relationship with Galactus. These characters, in addition, are definitely worthy of their places in Marvel's cinematic universe. In particular, I was very happy with Gamora's characterization. In my previous discussion, purely based on some erroneous conjecture, I feared that she would exist as the 'token girl' and disappoint in doing little more than rolling her eyes at the tomfoolery of the males. Thankfully, she is very much her own character, with agency, drive, and independence, from start to finish. I was wrong in what I said before; I couldn't be happier to admit that. What we see on screens is most definitely the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and Zoe Saldana brings her to vibrant, captivating life. The two CG characters, Rocket and Groot, are incredibly well-realized. Rocket, in particular, is a wonder just to behold. While we've seen mo-cap characters before, Rocket is easily believable with his attitude, outlook, pain, and power. You actually feel something for the little guy. Similiarly, Groot conveys a great deal without saying more than a few words. His expressions, actions, and presence all speak to an individual that means well, and that can't help but stand out in light of other characters behaving in very selfish ways. As for Drax, I definitely need to see the movie again because I swear I missed some of his loquacious dialog in the middle of all the ray-guns and explosions. I like what they've done with him and I'm eager to see more.
"I'd flash you my business card, but my hands are too full of guns." The glue holding the entire endeavour together, however, is Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. This man is going to be very busy in the years to come. He carries the mantle of leading man very well. His performance draws out the best in the cast around him, and he very much gets both what motivates his character and how the audience can relate to him. Under the flippant demeanor and die-hard nostalgia is some very real pain and more than a couple unresolved issues, and as I mentioned before, the whole film exists in the same balance between the two feelings. Both the actor and the story do more than just walk that line, however; they outright dance on it. I could spend a lot more time discussing the villains, universe, and greater implications of Guardians of the Galaxy, as it is a surprisingly dense film in terms of lore and setting. There is a huge universe implied in almost every shot of the movie, and I am merely scratching the surface. What I will say is this: we have not had a romp through space like this since Serenity, and even that had a rather intimate scope within which to tell its tale. In many ways, Guardians of the Galaxy is the direct opposite of the previous Marvel film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but that just makes them two sides of the same excellent coin. The previous film was a powerful story of intrigue and personal trial with a very modern bent; this one is a deliberate throwback to more whimsical tales like Flash Gordon or Star Wars, but bearing extremely modern sensibilities. The universe we behold has a very lived-in feel, is filled with color and wonder, and clearly contains perils and unknown terrors that are ripe for the exploration. It expands Marvel's cinematic arm exponentially, and gives us just the right mix of heroes and villains to leave us wanting more.
Even minor characters have distinct personalities and memorable traits. As a movie-goer and erstwhile critic, I would say Guardians of the Galaxy is exemplary science-fiction action-adventure storytelling that I unreservedly recommend. As a long-standing fan of the comics, particularly since I picked it up back when Dan Abnett was starting to write the team we see on screen, I could not be happier. Much like our first real shot of the Avengers, seeing these misfits, murderers, and makers of mayhem come to vibrant life tugs at all of the right strings in my heart. Guardians of the Galaxy is exactly what you want and precisely what we need in the middle of summer surrounded by drek and drudgery: a damn good time at the movies. It is definitely worth seeing. Just don't be surprised if you do, in fact, get hooked on a feeling.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Powers Cosmic

Powers Cosmic — Blue Ink Alchemy

I grew up on the old Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica TV series, at least until Star Trek: the Next Generation started. There's a lot of good science fiction out there to be read, and while I definitely enjoy and appreciate harder sci-fi, from Niven & Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye to Moon, the more sweeping and somewhat fantastical epics always find that soft spot in my heart, the place where I'm still twelve years old and believe that I can accomplish anything. Which probably explains some of my more erratic behavior. Take Marvel Comics' Annihilation, for example. A series of story arcs collected into graphic novels and consumed by Yours Truly, Annihilation is a war in space involving just about every character from the Marvel Universe outside of Earth (which was undergoing the Civil War at the time). Old characters got modern revamps, hated enemies forged alliances of convenience, Thanos was a canny and manipulative bastard and "normal" folks got some of the best lines. There's plenty of action and great alien locations, making a Halo campaign look like a day at a firing range in comparison. There's a sequel (Annihilation:Conquest) and a follow-up series, Guardians of the Galaxy, that had my attention for that short while I was able to afford monthly comic books. I'll always have Annihilation, though. Recently my wife and I finished watching the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. It was her first time watching it, and the first time I'd watched that many episodes back to back. In retrospect, RDM modernizing the "Wagon Train to the Stars" storyline and deepening the mythologies at play was a very smart decision, as it deepened the characters and made the story more gripping. Even the much-maligned series finale plays much better by the light of what goes before it, without weeks of fanboy speculation/rage clouding the issue. However, in watching it again I noticed there were some interesting similarities between it and Annihilation that makes them and their ilk so damn appealing to me. I'm a sucker for good characterization, and these stories tend to provide a heaping amount of characters. BSG in particular involved quite a few ascended extras. Marvel went back to the barrel and pulled out a lot of semi-forgotten cosmic characters, from Drax the Destroyer to Quasar, and brought them front and center in a variety of ways. Drax goes from a hulking green-skinned joke of a character to something resembling Riddick. It was like seeing Starbuck change from the ladykilling Dirk Benedict to the foul-mouthed insubordinate best-frakking-pilot-we've-got Katee Sackhoff. In both cases, the campy old version makes me smile and chuckle, while the updated version makes me smile because the character's gone from camp to badass in the space of 5 minutes. Doctor Who probably qualifies under this sort of science fictiony pleasure as well, but that'd be a post in and of itself.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

500 Words on Marvel

500 Words on Marvel — Blue Ink Alchemy

As I write this, San Diego Comic-Con, arguably one of the biggest gatherings of so-called 'geeks' or 'nerds' in his hemisphere, is taking place. The Marvel panel is, I believe, tomorrow, and there are likely to be announcements as to what is coming up for the studio behind The Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. I have this feeling of both excitement and trepidation. As much as I like what Marvel has done and is doing, I have some fears about the future. Guardians of the Galaxy looks amazing. I'm intrigued by the implications of the plot being developed for Avengers: Age of Ultron. And the mere mention of a Doctor Strange film might elicit what can only be described as a 'squee' from Yours Truly. But in the midst of all of this, I have yet to see Marvel do something to truly push them into the forefront when it comes to universal appeal in excellent entertainment. Marvel needs a solo female lead. There are a few female characters that have shown well-rounded characterization: Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, Melinda May, etc. But none of them have carried their own story yet. In this, and pretty much this alone, Marvel and DC have something in common. While DC is still struggling to carve out its own identity, as they try keep pace with Marvel as well as emerging from the shadow of Nolan's bat, Marvel distinguishes itself in almost every other regard. This is also an issue when it comes to characters of color, but with the Falcon being such a breakout star in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Black Panther all but confirmed, I feel it's been more addressed than the issue of a solo female lead. I would love to see it happen. And I would dearly love for it to be Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers is one of my favorite ladies of Marvel. Kelly Sue Deconnick's take on her in particular is an absolute delight. Despite being imbued with superpowers and having worked in the male-oriented military for so long, Carol is still very much her own woman, and a very human character. The image above, envisioning the incomparable Katee Sackhoff as Carol, fills me with hope. I know it may be a long shot - Fiege and company have yet to really address things - but the idea remains. Another idea occurs: what if Doctor Strange was female? While we're talking about dream casting, if Strange remains male, I'd love to see Oded Fehr play the role. He has charisma, gravitas, and he breaks the mold of stereotypical white male protagonism. However, a female Strange would be excellent. Can you imagine a Sorceress Supreme battling cosmic forces that break the minds of lesser humans? And what about Gina Torres or Aisha Tyler as She-Hulk? Think about it. This is all speculation, but honestly, Marvel needs this. DC would have no hope of catching up. Until Orci & Kurtzman write Iron Man Into Darkness, Make Mine Marvel!

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy — Blue Ink Alchemy

I ended up being pretty pressed for time at work today, so instead of tackling two of my current favorite titles from Marvel, I'll focus on just the one. Guardians of the Galaxy starts up in the wake of the Annihilation event, which introduced older characters from outside of Earth in the Marvel universe (the regular one, not any of the odd parallel ones) and made them awesome. I'm not exaggerating - the very first mini-series took Drax the Destroyer and changed him from an energy-shooting Hulk-wannabe resembling a lime green brick to a shirtless badass armed with a couple of knives and more attitude than Wolverine on a bad hair day. He doesn't even wear a shirt when exposed to deep space. That's pretty badass. He's a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, a team of super-powered beings from all over the Milky Way brought together by a guy who has no powers whatsoever, Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord) in order to keep an eye on the goings-on in the greater universe and to keep things from going too pear-shaped. They're kind of like interplanetary troubleshooters. Their roster is a fascinating mix of individuals, ranging from the most deadly woman in the universe (and one of the hottest) to a gun-toting wise-cracking anthropomorphic raccoon who tends to ride in the branches of a living tree whose got strength that rivals the aforementioned Drax. I'm not even making this up. Rocket Raccoon is awesome and if you disagree with that sentiment I'm going to have to ask you to step outside. What makes the Guardians on the whole appealing to me is the way the stories, action and dialog remind me of the very best space operas of the past. Picking up the latest issue has a feeling that brings to mind the anticipation of a new episode of Star Trek: the Next Generation or reading The Cat Who Walks Through Walls for the first time. Since the Guardians are mostly adults, there's none of the "Dawson's Creek" feel that could occasionally creep into the Legion of Super-Heroes and the title delights in deep space swashbuckling and high adventure without descending into the camp of the 1980s Buck Rogers series, though there's more than a little humor to be found. I mean, come on, a raccoon riding a walking tree! And did I mention the telepathic dog who used to be a Russian cosmonaut? If you're a fan of science fiction at all, or you like fast-paced action mixed with humor and diverse character interaction, I heartily recommend this title. And if you find yourself in desperate need of reading material dealing with sweeping cosmic events and visuals that will blow your mind - Drax's final confrontation with Thanos for example - go to Amazon and pick up the Annihilation trade paperbacks. I hear Annihilation: Conquest is just as good but I don't have the scratch to spare to pick those up. If nothing else, you'll come to understand how "I AM GROOT" can express quite a wide range of emotions.

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Blue Ink Alchemy