Goodnight Sweet Prince

I know I'm late. I have this pesky aversion to jumping on bandwagons. I only recently started to read Harry Potter for example. So, back in tha day when EVERYONE was reading Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" I avoided it like the plague, and read all my "Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew" books. OK, not really, but I sure as heck wasn't reading that Sandman - no matter how much people said they loved it, or how much those "insiders" said it was redefining the industry. Nope, not me.

I finally broke down some months ago and picked up the first trade graphic novel thingy and promptly kicked myself in the ass. Why did I wait YEARS to read this sublime exploration of universal archtypes? Now I'm at the end, I have completed "The Wake" and it's done.. no more.. and I am satisfied.

The last couple story arc's weren't quite as good as the first, but still some of the best I have ever read. I mean, how can one top the Diner Scene will Dr John Dee (Dr Destiny). That was some mind-twisting deeply troubling stuff there. Or the sympathetic and heroic Wanda - the NY Tranny.

Gaiman wrote about the misfits, the marganilized, the troubled. He evoked a world where dream and reality interconnected and I was never quite sure which was what. The use of different artists gave each story a distinct feeling and furthered the feeling of a disjointed yet connected landscape.

Actually, I'm glad I waited to read this. I don't think I could have been patient enough to wait monthly for the issues. This way I got to enjoy them the way I would have a novel.

Now.. I just have to ponder what my next set of missed gems will be.

Dark Knight

I went with my partner and a good friend to see Dark Knight last evening. Nothing really amazing during the film. I loved it, but loved the trailer for Watchmen more. My only complaint during DK was Chriasian Bale's voice. When he is Batman, he talks in a more husky voice. The issue is Mr Bale has a bit of a lisp - cute as Bruce Wayne (of if he decided to call me and ask me out) but with the near whisper as Batman, it became difficult to understand him some times.

Heath Ledger (RIP) was great as a truely disturbing Joker. Every look and gesture was on the mark as far as I could see. From smoothing his hair, to the way he licked his lips combined with the dialogue to make the character more menacing and oddly more human.

Not much in the way of plot twists or surprises. Each plot and sub plot had the expected resolution. The gem was character development for me, mostly regarding the supporting characters.