Something about Smallville...

Not wishing to devote all of my upcoming posts to TV shows, I never-the-less have fallen into that bracket once more with a bit of a dissemination of my thoughts on Smallville.

Billed as Smallville: Superman, the Early Years on Channel 4 for the slightly slow of wit, for a time, Smallville is a show that purports to do just that - albeit in a slightly alternative version of the established/canon DC universe. But then Final Crisis, Kingdom Come, Red Son and a host of other books kind of do that anyway (no harm, no foul then).

For the uninitiated Smallville is a show that focuses on the exploits of Clark Kent (and not Superman at this point, all erroneous/extraneous and thankfully extinct titling conventions aside) and his closest friends, as he grows up in the small Kansas town of Smallville. There's a healthy amount of mysteries to solve and villains to bash thanks to the narrative conceit that during the meteor show, which brought about the aforementioned Kryptonian's arrival to rural America, a whole bunch of people got infected by meteor radiation (i.e. from Kryptonite) and developed powers/mutations. That's how it started anyway, and this beating up of meteor freaks shtick was coupled with Clark's infatuation and, at least at first, unrequited love for childhood sweetheart Lana Lang and a friendship with Lex Luthor of all people.

The show has been running for eight seasons now (an impressive feat, especially in the current climate) and looks set for a ninth. There have been developments along the way that have seen Lana disappear from Smallville, get together with Clark, break up, get together and ultimately break up again; Lex and Clark becoming bitter enemies (back to the status quo there then, but an intriguing journey none-the-less and one of the best draws of the earlier seasons in fact); and more of the established Superman lore finding its way into the show (think Lois Lane, Justice League, Brainiac, the Fortress of Solitude, the Daily Planet, Jim Olsen etc, etc).

Now, I've been watching this show since it began, way back when and I loved it. The brutal truth of the matter, though, is that from season two (still the series' highlight if you ask me and by far the best and most consistent of the eight) things started to go a little down hill. It was gradual at first, the odd shonky episode here, the odd wacky narrative there - but it looked as if Smallville was going on a bit of a slide. Different writers came in, some very dubious with some pretty appalling ideas for storylines and it seemed like the writing was pretty much on the wall for this show.

There was a short-lived revival in interest for me in season six, which brought in the Justice League and Bizarro, and the welcome addition of Oliver Queen as a recurring character. However, by the time that card had been played (Aqua Man, the Flash and Cyborg also featured) it was season seven, and all that was on offer was the frankly awful casting of Supergirl as one of the main protagonists. This was also to be the end of the excellent Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor (what a shame he had to go out on such a lacklustre season - I think he deserved better) and the equally wonderful Lional Luther played by John Glover (who I always used to joke with my girlfriend had locks like Aslan).


I've got no problem with Laura Vandervoort as Kara Kent (aka Supergirl) but she was really wasted as a character and did nothing to enhance the series - in fact, she only served as a far to regress/stagnate Clark's character as he tried to help her fit in with the humans (let's just say the beauty pageant episode was a real low for me and the entire show...). Even appearances by Justin Hartley (as Green Arrow), Phil Morris (as John Jones/the Martian Manhunter - and the voice of Vandal Savage in the Justice League animated show, incidentally) and the simply awesome James Marsters (reprising his role as Brainiac) couldn't dredge this up from the doldrums.

The season's paucity in quality was further compounded by the inauspicious Writer's Strike, which curtailed the ending and, thankfully, this fairly poor season (with only the odd highlight).

Then came season eight, something of a surprise and possible, at least at the time of its commissioning, a death knell for Smallville. A good move was securing the services of Smallville stalwart, Alison Mack (who plays the uber-geek and former Clark love interest, Chloe Sullivan). More curious, however, was the introduction of a character called Davis Bloome - a paramedic that was destined to become Superman's deadliest nemesis and who, in the comics, actually managed to kill him, Doomsday (yes, it's a fairly poor pun on 'Doom', isn't it). Wild speculation lit up blog posts and forums across the world as fans struggled to comprehend how on earth Clark (a nascent Superman at best - who can't even fly yet) could take on Doomsday - his fated slayer. Well, it's a re-imagined version of the universe, so I guess that pretty much took care of that. More interestingly was how would the series would fair without its star villain, Lex Luthor and the not inconsiderable talents of the glabrous Michael Rosenbaum.

Well basically, the shows producers hedged their bets and brought in two villains to replace him: one, the corporate face of Luthorcorp, Tess Mercer (a not-so-cunning amalgamation of the names Mercy and Miss Tessmacher, two of Luthor's old assistants from established Superman lore - the recognition/nudge/wink was nice, though) and the aforementioned Mr Bloome.

For the first few episodes (the series premiere excepted, as this went off with something of a bang, bringing back the Justice League characters and even getting Black Canary in there, who had a brief stint in one episode of the lamentable season seven), it felt a little like it had picked up where season seven left off - not good, with Tess Mercer unconvincing at the bad guy, Lois Lane and Clark getting cosier (in a sort of edgier rerun of the whole Clark-Lana/Chloe dance from earlier seasons) and way too much focus on Jimmy Olsen and Chloe's burgeoning romance (mainly quite dull). Thankfully, Kara was gone (though she does come back in a bearable short run) as was the increasingly ridiculous Lana Lang (again, who returns - albeit briefly).

Still, it didn't look all that great and I was starting to worry that this show was going all the way down the pipe with a whimper rather than a bang. The only really interesting elements of the narrative arc concerned Davis Bloome (a character I was very dubious about before the series started, but have since totally changed my mind about) and the whole 'Doomsday is coming' angle. Unfortunately, these were snippets at best and the much more dull and annoying Tess Mercer got most of the early limelight (there's no point in setting up a character to try and replace Lex Luthor: Rosenbaum was too good; it can't be done - so says the Smallville gospel according to Kyme) with some, possibly aborted, hints towards her setting up some kind of Injustice Gang style group of disaffected teens to challenge Clark and raise merry hell, presumably.

However, come the second half of the season and Davis Bloome's character (played exceptionally well by Sam Witwer) starts to get much more airtime, as does the Doomsday aspect to the story. This proved to be a fascinating and compelling way to build up to the mid-season break with Davis finally obtaining his superhuman invincibility and much presaging of his evil/destructive destiny.

Roll one episode one after the mid-season and I'm hooked. The show is currently airing on E4 and there's another instalment tonight, but I cannot wait to see it. I've gone from Smallville apathy to eager fanboyism in a matter of three episodes. For the first time a couple of episodes ago, we got our first sneaky peak of the beast itself. Now, I'll confess, I thought this would look like crap but far from it. Wisely, the show's producers/writers only showed Doomsday in shadow and within the context of an excellent episode that began with a harrowing piece of camcorder footage at Chloe and Jimmy's wedding that saw the ultimate grey-skinned, thorny-browed party crasher wreaking absolute carnage and capping shreddies left, right and centre - let's just say, it got my attention. There were even some pretty poignant 'moments' between Clark and Lois that brought their character arc on nicely (no more resets please). What a stunning episode with a conclusion that had me gaping for more - Doomsday abducting Chloe and taking her to the fortress of solitude, which is corrupted by Brainiac, who then infests Chloe as his host. Phew!


On rolls the next instalment and I'm eagerly awaiting more - lo and behold, the show's producers/writers do it again. They bring in the Legion of Superheroes (straight from the future), ostensibly to warn Clark about Doomsday and to help him defeat Brainiac (currently 'wearing' Chloe's body, which makes for a sticky strategy meeting concerning how to achieve victory without killing Clark's best friend in the process). This could have been handled badly, it certainly has all the ingredients of a recipe for disaster, but it worked. The Legion's roll was very well done, and their reluctance to say too much to Clark about his future and what he would eventually become was really quite interesting, as well as opening up the playing field for some fan-pleasing nods to more Superman lore. Best of all though was Alison Mack doing her turn as the Brain Interactive Construct. Complete with blood-stained wedding dress, washed out pallor and freaky, machine eyes, Mack was simply awesome as the villain. I always wondered how they'd write her character of Chloe out of the show (that's assuming they do, of course) - maybe her being taken over by Brainiac again and Clark having to destroy her after all is the way they'll do it. Certainly, some of the dialogue between them when Chloe is restored to her old self suggested this. Intriguing...

So, unlike Heroes, which continues to stink and is still showing no further signs of improvement (last night's episode of BBC2 was pretty lacklustre again), Smallville seems to have caught something of a wave and is riding it for as long as the surf lasts. I sincerely hope it continues in this vein - oh, and a special mention must go to Geoff Johns (comic writer supremo who was part of the team that penned the simply compelling 52 series) who wrote the previous episode. Mr Johns, could you write all of the Smallville episodes from this point please?

Looking forward to tonight's episode greatly (and if IMDB is to be believed, the character of Zatanna is also set to appear in the show - one of my favourites from the Batman/Justice League animated shows). No wonder the ratings are back up and Smallville's pitching for a ninth season.

Up, up and away!

From Heroes to Zeros?

I've tried to deny it. Over the last few weeks of the series, tuning in increasingly less eagerly every Monday, I've wanted to like it, to believe that it'll get better and recapture some of its past glories but what the hell has happened to Heroes?

I mean, seriously, this is a show that is really starting to stink. The diabolical Mutant X is even starting to look comparative in terms of quality - man, I never thought I see myself writing that!

Heroes began in 2006 to a slow-building wave of popularity that became a phenomenon. Not just a series about super heroes but a show about people, with a stunning narrative and compulsive drama to boot.

I have the season one boxed set in front of me. It's a nice looking box, it's shiny and impressive - just like the season itself. Heroes took on a flavour and built a fanbase that transcended the geek fraternity and spoke to something that tapped into the zeitgeist of the time.

'Propulsive, surprising, and emotionally charged storytelling' - that's what the quote reads on the back. It's from Jeff Jenson, reviewing for Entertainment Weekly. What would Jeff make of the current state of affairs in the Heroes franchise, I wonder. I doubt there'd be as many plaudits.


By the time season two came around there was a lot of anticipation after the heroics of the phenomenal opening chapter. So the ill-timed Writers' Strike took the wind out of its sails a little and maybe dented the ambitions of creator, Tim Kring and his writing team. It's true, there was compromise needed to round the season off with a shorter amount of episodes. That didn't help, but there was a lot to recommend season two. I maintain that it was actually pretty good.

I think part of the problem was living up to the previous series. It's like second album syndrome or something. You're going to get judged by what came before and if that is 'propulsive' and 'emotionally charged', winner of as many superlatives as you can shake at a TV show, you're inevitably going to fall short of such a high mark. It would have been nothing short of a miracle to live up to that. The mistake was, I think, for the show's creators that they effectively threw away everything they had done in season two and pressed the Heroes reset button.

What happened to the 'mutant plague' that so ravaged the alternate future? That was an interesting storyline and something that was foregrounded in season one. What about the muscle memory girl - she was a cool character, not just an X-Men rip off. I liked Adam Monroe as a villain and he was just thrown away in the opening few episodes of season three - killed off by Nathan and Peter's megalomaniac father (who pretty much adopted the Sylar role from season one, just not as compellingly). Okay, so the Irish accents were pretty awful (hire Irish actors next time, there's got to be some in America right?), but the storyline worked okay. Sure, there was a lot that didn't quite work with season two and, yes, it was slow at times but that doesn't mean it should be discarded.

This perceived slowness that was one of the main criticisms of season two, seems to have informed the decision making process for the equally, if not more, troubled season three. It just seems a strange strategy to me - 'If it's pace that's a problem, let's ramp up the plot-omater to the max!' So, instead of a slower, more considered storyline we get a baffling, 'thrill ride' that fails to build or develop with any satisfaction, throws away interesting narratives for the sake of resolving them in one or two episodes and attempts to end every episode of a 24-style improbable cliffhanger. Throw in the fact that the core of the season focused on a nebulous 'formula' and then a 'catalyst' (which, yawningly predictably, was Clare) and you've got a show that is starting to look pretty desperate. 'Look! We've still got it. It's fast paced, it's awesome, you don't know what's happening from one scene to the next!' Too true. Despite Greg Grunburg's annoying enthusiastic patter about how 'blown away' all the cast were about season three's episodes falling into their laps, I wasn't convinced. Sorry Greg.

I read something about how the whole catalyst and formula thing failed so badly because there's no emotional connection it. Not like in season one which had that immortal line 'Save the cheerleader, save the world'. Where has that snappy storytelling gone? I reckon they should tap up the writers from Dexter or Crime Scene Investigation to pen a few episodes; maybe that would change the show's fortunes.

By the end of season three (which, in cold light of day retrospect was pretty bad), I was still a believer. I really was. So, I still had hope for the fourth installment. I was actually quite excited when I watched the preview at the end of 'Villains' - a kind of 'Days of Future Past' style set up with our protagonists hunted by a black ops government agency, and all sanctioned by the White House. Promising.

How wrong could I have been. Mohinder's degeneration into a human spider glossed over and tucked away (again, fascinating stuff that should have been exploited - instead, he's just a boring super-strength, angsty ex-scientist, on the run with Grunburg and co). And, man, am I getting tired of Clare Bennett. Is it me or is Hayden Panettiere starting to believe her own hype. It certainly looks that way.

Poor old Peter, so integral to the first season and still remotely interesting in season two, has lost all of his powers but somehow retained his 'abilities empathy' shtick albeit in a form more akin to Rogue of the X-Men, in that he can't keep a power but swaps it for the next time he attains one. I liked the fact that Sylar and Peter were delicately poised as opposite sides of the same coin in book one, effectively ability sponges; one taking his powers by killing the original bearer, the other doing it by being near to them.

Having two such uber-super powered individuals roaming around would be difficult to handle (who could stop them and what significance would the other heroes have in that scenario?) but don't just rob them of their abilities for the purposes of an easy narrative. Build it in, make it an integral part of the story (let's just say writing in that Peter's father steals his powers after he gives him a fatherly hug is lame and lazy).

So, season four rolls on and I'm still watching, but Heroes can rest on the laurels of its earlier successes no longer. Good stories, well told, well acted. They should be logical and not repetitive (and how I am sick of the repeated storylines, even within the same episode characters go back and forth to a single location, the same storytelling device employed each time to destruction and often to no significant end).

Let's just hope it gets better or Heroes might not be gracing our screens for another season...

Salamander is finished!

After a long, hard slog I finished the first draft of Salamander last night.

There's still a little honing and editing to do, plus incorporating any feedback/comments that my editor makes, but the words are in the bag and I am one relieved writer.

I was only saying to Louise last night that this has been the toughest book I've ever had to write - it also feels like the longest it terms of the time it's taken me to get it done. By the end, I like to think that everything came together very satisfyingly and sets things up for a sequel, which I'm already planning (my moleskine notebook is literally crammed with material on volumes two and three of what is going to be called 'The Tome of Fire' trilogy).

At this point, I just want to thank again everyone who has posted on the blog or spoken to me at conventions etc about the book, offering their advice, support and general good will - it is all very much appreciated. I don't think I good have gone on and written this book in the way I have if it weren't for all of you.

A special shout out must go to Brother Argos and Brother Pyriel, who were there with me right from the start as devoted and highly knowledgeable Salamander fans and gamers - you I want to impress most of all. You will both be honoured in the novel as characters within the Third Company.

Now, I just have to wait and see what the fan reaction will be to Fires of War, the Salamander short story/novella which features in Heroes of the Space Marines. I've heard some nice rumblings from the Games Workshop Design Studio about the story, so I'm hoping it'll go down well.

Goodbye Grissom

Channel 5, around 9.56pm GMT was a sad place to be yesterday evening. It was the day when C.S.I's Gill Grissom left for good at end the conclusion of an excellent two-part episode in this superb series.

Looking back over the eight (nine?) years of the show's run (and counting, by the way, a new man will step into Grissom's shoes, if not his role directly - more on that in a short while), I can safely say that C.S.I (aka Crime Scene Investigation) has been one of the most consistent shows on TV during its esteemed tenure.

There's a lot to be said for the original often being the best and in my opinion C.S.I does not buck that trend, it merely reinforces it. Resisting the urge in the face of its lesser spawnings, C.S.I Miami and C.S.I New York, to re-label itself C.S.I Vegas, the show that's set in the city of vice has gone on from strength to strength.

It was always a danger to introduce two new spin-offs; the chance that they might dilute the purity of a show that has gone on, in its way, to define and focus American crime drama for a new generation, was always possible but after some initial interest the latter shows eventually waned, establishing the original C.S.I as the daddy.

It's true, the story lines set in Vegas had to up the ante beyond the remit of the casino glitz and corrupt mob bosses that started to become overly prevalent in the mid-seasons. The writers achieved this spectacularly with the Miniature Killer, a bizarre and disturbing serial murderer case in which the aforementioned killer made miniature crime scenes depicting precisely and in exacting detail the position of the victim in their surrounding and their cause of death, that strung itself out wonderfully over an entire glorious season that culminated in one of the best TV cliffhangers of all time when fellow C.S.I Sarah Sidle was left injured and trapped underneath an overturned car in the desert, the capricious rains of Nevada falling and flooding the ground ominously. Couple this with the anguish of the nascent relationship between Gill and Sarah, and this was emotional drama at its height.

There are dozens of other highlights that preceded and followed, even if the Miniature Killer season (number seven and well worth watching, if you haven't already done so)was a defining mark in the C.S.I chronology (even better than the double episode where Nick Stokes gets captured and buried alive -dangerous work this crime scene investigation lark). Who could forget the dramatic and heart-wrenching death of Warwick Brown, one of the most emotionally invested characters in the show. His murder at the hands of the then under sheriff sent shockwaves throughout the team and the series that had already seen Sarah Sidle burned out and forced to hang up her luminol - it was inevitable, given the clever aftermath, that Gill would follow. Even if, as fans, we wanted to deny it.

Denial is said to be one of the stages of grief, and it feels a little like grief (albeit TV loss) as I wake up to a grey day and the rain-soaked tarmac outside my door. Of course, the world that Grissom once walked in, its cracks papered over with gaudy glitz and ephemeral glamour of Elvis's 'bright light city', is far from light and airy. It was brooding and dark and vicious, and it took its toll on a man who'd found something worth living for beside the evidence and his esteemed collection of bugs.


I will miss Grissom dearly, with his quirky manner, ferocious intelligence and fatherly mien. He's one of those characters that will be remembered and huge props must go out to the excellent William Peterson who played him so well for almost a decade. Who'd have thought he'd return to his criminalist roots (fictionally speaking) after playing the lead in Manhunter?

It's not all doom and gloom, though. Presaged in the double episode was a guest star destined to be Peterson's (and Grissom's) replacement. Step in Laurence Fishburne, who provided a quiet intensity the studious air that allowed him to fit right in with the rest of the team. It's unknown yet how Fishburne (playing Dr Raymond Langston) will fare and what kind of C.S.I he'll be (the character has a background of being a medical doctor and university professor specialising in serial killers - good credentials methinks...) - I look forward to finding out. I feel it's a good choice and while Fishburne's turns in the Matrix trilogy might not filter through into the show (no bullet-time, please), the charged performance he gave in the excellent Event Horizon probably will.


But this day and C.S.I, for now at least, belongs to Grissom. I'm heartily pleased he got the happy ending he deserved - it has been a long and oft trying road for him. You made C.S.I great and helped usher in an era of crime drama that has thrilled and disturbed me for almost ten years. Gil Grissom, I salute you; you'll be sorely missed.

Viva Las Vegas.

Wonder Woman Animated Movie

Post Honourkeeper signings, I sat down for a well-earned cup of coffee and to watch the latest animated movie from DC - Wonder Woman. This is the next in line of a batch of straight to DVD, feature-length animated movies, alongside the likes of Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: New Frontier and Batman: Gotham Knight.

I'm a little too young to be a fan of the old Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter, but I was obviously aware of the character (what adolescent boy wasn't).

She's part of the Trinity of DC's uber-super heroes, including the aforementioned Amazon warrior princess, Superman and Batman. It kind of made sense that Wonder Woman be given the animated movie treatment relatively early on in DC's pantheon of animated features then.

My experiences of the character come from the Justice League and, later, Justice League Unlimited TV shows (which are frankly superb, especially the latter as it embraced some pretty sophisticated story lines with an overarching narrative and as many DC characters as you could possibly want in an animated show). This show had the legend that is Bruce Timm at the helm (who was also instrumental in the award-winning Batman the Animated Series) amongst other luminaries.

Timm is involved here again, as producer of the Wonder Woman movie and there are some other familiar names too, namely the excellent Andrea Romano responsible for casting and voice direction (a stalwart of the DC animated shows and features). With this in mind (together with some of the great reviews I've seen for this), I was very much looking forward to this feature.

The animated Wonder Woman is a far cry from the late sixties/early seventies TV show - there's none of the campness, the dazzling seventies overtones and gay iconism. Rather, this version of Wonder Woman is rooted strongly in mythology. Surprisingly, though this gels with the Justice League version of the character, there are some departures too - she cannot fly for instance and instead uses her invisible plane to get around and there's also a slight redesign on the character (read superbly by Keri Russell).


As if to hammer home its PG13 rating, together with its gods and monsters credentials, the opening prologue of the movie is set in Themyscira (the mystical utopian island of the Amazons, ruled over by Queen Hypolita and kept shrouded from the land of men i.e. America - usually - by a magical mirror), many years before Wonder Woman is even born. It works as a sort of battle-scene establishing shot and sets up the tone of the movie expertly.

Queen Hypolita and her Amazon warriors (including the ass-kicking Artemis, bookish Alexa and battle-seasoned Persephone) are engaged in bloody battle against hordes of fell creatures: trolls, minotaurs, harpies, brutish viking-esque huscarls and other beasts. They are the army of Ares, the former lover of Hypolita, who she has now spurned upon realising he's the god of war and a bit of an evil swine.

Gratifyingly, there are no punches pulled in this graphic, bone-rending opening sequence. The dead pile up and carnage reigns supreme (much to Ares delight, portrayed by the excellent Alfred Molina). Expect to see bodies falling left, right and centre to spear thrusts, sword slashes and worse. It's easy to see here how the movie earned its PG13 rating. I didn't find it gratuitous, though, and the movie's makers stop short of showing too much blood - swords often slip free of malformed bodies clean, as do spears. Key deaths are illustrated with a little blood, but it's done artfully and has emotional resonance.

Best of all is when a certain character is decapitated - the deed shown in silhouette (a fact that made it all the cooler in the context of the narrative). You see the head itself later, cast aside like the spoil of war it is.

There's a real strong sense of myth and grandiosity in this opening section as Ares is defeated, his powers stripped away by the almighty Zeus and incarcerated by Hypolita. A short montage follows in which Wonder Woman's creation is described; not of man, or the unholy union between Hypolita and Ares that brought about the birth of his degenerate and ultimately ill-fated son, Thrax, but forged instead from sand and given life by the gods. Truly then Diana (aka Wonder Woman) is a special warrior indeed.

Fast forward about eighteen years (or whatever maturation age is for Amazons - they live forever on the island, so who's to say), and times have changed. Gone are the endless wars, thanks to the end of Ares (for now...) and a time of peace and seclusion have been brought about. This is much to the chagrin of Artemis, who would like nothing better than a good battle to slake her warrior's thirst. Alexa, of course, is more than happy with the peace and tranquility, being the bookish, pacifist that she is.


These ancillary characters do show some initial promise, the dichotomy between them and Artemis's rivalry with Diana in all things martial and skill-based, but do peter out to nothing somewhat as the movie's 80 minute running time forces the story to focus on Wonder Woman (a pity it wasn't another 10-20 minutes longer, to develop sub-characters and set up/explain some more of the background - a few scene shifts are a little abrupt - the discovery and subsequent butt-kicking of the Cult of Ares for instance).

The static nature of life on Themyscira is soon altered forever by the arrival of Steve Trevor, a US airforce pilot and ostensibly Wonder Woman's love interest in the movie. After an amusing sequence where Steve comes to realise the native Themyscirans aren't just a society of super-hot women who like bathing naked together under a plunging waterfall, but a race of ultra-feminist, super-hard, warrior-Amazons, a different battle starts to unfold between the two central characters as they head off to the land of men to track down Ares (who has subsequently escaped after ensnaring an embittered Persephone into loving him) and return Steve to his native lands.

There's a couple of throwaway battles here as Wonder Woman does her stuff (having been given sanction to return to the mainland with Steve Trevor after passing a series of martial trials to determine a worthy escort for him/emissary for Themyscira in secret) and the battle I mentioned earlier, one of the sexes, begins in earnest.

Although diverting and with the occasional amusing line, this sequence felt a little rushed (though Nathan Fillion, as Steve Trevor, is awesome as usual) and after a couple of fairly cliche 'thugs try to rob them in the alley, but don't bank on the fact they're holding up the toughest female super hero ever conceived in the DC pantheon' and 'Steve tries to get Diana drunk on tequila not reckoning on her Amazonian constitution' moments, it's back to the main storyline, involving the recapture of Ares.

It follows a somewhat predictable but none-the-less enjoyable path after that, which culminates in Ares having his god-like powers restored by a disturbingly envisioned Hades (for a price, of course, and one that he doesn't fully understand - that pesky god of the underworld: just can't be trusted...), and an all-out battle commencing for the fate of the USA and the world. It's not explained exactly how Ares manages to summon all of his fell creatures to commit to battle nor how this battle to end all battles really starts (or even what his end game is), but it's a grandstand finale that works well in the context of the story.

I'd definitely recommend this movie if you're a fan of animation or DC heroes. It has action, a thin narrative but a decent heart.


Next on the list for DC is Green Lantern: First Flight, which, from what little I know about it, looks pretty damn awesome - a kind of super hero space opera or something, tonally very different from its predecessors. Like Wonder Woman, it's an original story though does chart the characters origins from the initial Hal Jordan start point (I was always fan of the black power, John Stewart, but you can't have everything right?).

With some pretty well-known names signed up (Victor Garber, Michael Madsen), and employing the exquisite minimalist art style of the Justice League, Batman and Superman animated shows, this is one I'm very much looking forward too.

Honourkeeper Nottingham signing photos

It's a few hours after a hard day's signings in Nottingham for the release of Honourkeeper, my second novel about the hardy race of dwarfs.

First stop was Games Workshop Nottingham at Friar Lane. Admittedly, it was a slow start, but I signed the odd few copies of Honourkeeper as well as the recently released Tales of Heresy (which I was editor, alongside Lindsey Priestley). Dan, the GW Nottingham manager, was very amiable and kept me company for most of the hour I was there.


After that, and a little lunch to keep me going, it was over to Warhammer World. Here, I as invited to participate in a game of Warhammer recreating one of the battles (albeit very loosely) in Honourkeeper. I'll be honest, it's been a while since I played Warhammer and I found the experience every bit as fun as I remember.


I was joined by a bunch of other games and I just want to give a shout out to all my fellow gamers, especially to the Dwarf/High Elf alliance that emerged triumphant with me at the end of the battle (you all know who you are).


Special props goes to Jim from Warhammer World, who ran the game expertly well and reminded me of the Warhammer rules at the start of the battle until the old mojo kicked in and all those years of gaming came flooding back - it's just like riding a bike; a bike, spiky bike that launches fireballs and spits lightning bolts. ;-)

As well a couple of hours of enjoyable (and sometimes random) gaming, I also signed a fair few Honourkeepers and Tales of Heresy. Thanks to everyone for coming, especially to a chap called Nick (great name, great name :-)), who had travelled all the way from Leighton Buzzard (I hope that's right, Nick).


I had a lot of fun and thanks too to Rich Packer, the Warhammer World manager, for a well organised and great event. Much appreciated!

Enjoy the snaps of both signings. Hope to be back again soon.

Nottingham signings tomorrow

A quick reminder that I'm at two signings in Nottingham tomorrow for my new dwarf novel, Honourkeeper.

Details are in a previous post, but to summarise: I'm at Games Workshop Nottingham (at Friar Lane in town) from 11am-12pm and then later on at Warhammer World down Willow Road from 1.30-3.30pm (ish), where I'm told there'll be some gaming events as well as the signing.

I hope to see you there!

In related news, a special 'scenario' pack recreating two key battles from Honourkeeper went out to Games Workshop stores this week. It'll depend on your individual store as to who is running them, but it's really cool to have some gaming tied in to the novel.

Here's a sneaky peak of the scenario booklet...

Used book debate on SF Signal

I was recently asked to participate in a debate on SF Signal (a well known science fiction blog site) in the form of one of its 'Mind Melds'. This is generally a discussion question about some aspect of the science fiction world or writing/publishing in general.

On this occasion, the subject was on whether the used book market harms or helps the publishing industry.

It was a fascinating experience and a honour to be asked, especially given the fact I was amongst some fairly esteemed company.

Check it out if you're interested in what was said. Here's the link.

SF Signal Mind Meld - Used books market.

Interviewed for BL TV

I had the great pleasure of sitting down for a dual interview with Graham McNeill today for BLTV. This new venture from the Black Library is available to watch on You Tube (see the earlier blog post for details on this) and consists of author, interviews, readings (eventually), signing footage and so on.

This morning, Graham and I were whisked over to Warhammer World and, sat upon their nice leather couches, discussed our forthcoming books: Graham for his Ultramarines series and latest hard back, Courage and Honour, and me for Honourkeeper, which is released next week in Games Workshop stores and in book stores a couple of weeks after that.

The joint interview (which even had Graham and I asking each other questions, plus a bit of a discussion about the Horus Heresy series, as well as the interviewer) was a lot of fun and went down very well. I'll post again when it's been edited and is up on You Tube to be viewed.

Let's hope it all looks good (and that it's not too cringeworthy for me to watch...).

Salamander - the final week...

I've reached the 105,000 word mark on Salamander (just over) and I'm still going. This is my last week on the book (hopefully) and I reckon I'm only about 5-10,000 words away from crossing the finishing line and ending this first milestone on what will be an epic journey for the sons of Vulkan.

There are some pretty serious revelations and reveals to wrap up in the last few thousand words, not to mention the odd absolute shock that I hope will have readers reeling. Several dangling threads will be left deliberately that I plan to eventually pick up in book two (assuming this one does well enough to justify a sequel).

Nearing the end, as I am, I really feel like I've invested heart and soul, plus no small amount of intellectual sweat on this novel. It has been such a hard journey, but a great one. It almost feels a little sad to be leaving the warriors of Third Company behind - they will be together again, but never in the same way.

I have lots of plans for the sequel, not least of which the ongoing character arcs for the main protagonists.

Heroes of the Space Marines is out soon, so that'll give fans a good taster of what the Salamanders are all about in this novel. Fingers crossed, the story will get a favourable reception.

Now, on to those last few thousand words...

The signing that never was...

My sincere apologies to anyone who made it over to Games Workshop Grimsby expecting to get a copy of Honourkeeper signed by yours truly.

I can assure that I was there at the agreed signing time, ready, with pen in hand, to meet folks, chat to them and sign their books.

Imagine my horror and disappointment then upon discovering that the store in question didn't actually have any of my books in stock - no Honourkeeper, not even any backlist titles.

Without going into detail, it was an odd experience for me to say the least. Needless to say, I did not stay for too long - the guys in the store were busy with gaming events and my role was fairly redundant due to the fact that they didn't have any books.

Annoyed? Yes, I certainly was, and there'll be some 'inquiries' made come Monday morning. If anyone did go to the signing and was disappointed not to get a book or have a chance to get it signed then my sincere apologies again - it's you guys I feel annoyed for. I'm probably not going to return to the store but I will try and see what else I can do to alleviate this bad situation that has arisen for some unfathomable reason (I suspect a severe break down in communication that I arrived slap-bang in the middle of). I might try and get a batch of signed books sent to the store, so at least you can purchase a signed copy if you want to. Once again, my apologies - no one is more miffed than I.

There is, however, another signing planned for next weekend at Nottingham. It's detailed in an earlier post but is set to take place at Games Workshop Nottingham at Friar Lane (that's the store in the town centre) and at Warhammer World/Bugman's Bar at Games Workshop HQ in Lenton (that's the one on the industrial estate - you can't miss it, it's down Willow Road and there's a giant Space Marine out front with a huge Imperial Eagle plastered above the door to reception; just head to the car park around the left hand side and you should see signs of Warhammer World and Bugman's).

I'm at Friar Lane at 11am-12pm and Warhammer World/Bugman's at 1.30-2.30pm.

Really hope to see you there (I promise there'll be some books too!).

I'm watching the Watchmen...

Today I partook in a little cinematic history by heading over to the local multi-plex and watching a a seminal comic book of the 80's turned into celluloid. Yes, you've guessed it - it was Watchmen.

It's amazing that this movie (maligned and hotly anticipated in equal measure it seems) ever made it to the Silver Screen considering the various aborted attempts, claims by the author Alan Moore that it was 'unfilmable' and the multifaceted legal wranglings over distribution rights and copyright ownership.

But here we are at March 6th 2009, and the official UK release date for Watchmen is here at long last.

I read the Watchmen graphic novel not so long ago actually and I don't really count myself amongst its many self-proclaimed aficionados and superfans. I haven't analysed every page, nor do I laud it as the greatest and most important work of graphic fiction ever to be conceived. I don't even think it is a paradigm for the modern comic industry of today.

I loved it, though. The sheer array of panels, the scope, depth and the daunting prospect of the plot was staggering, alluring and disturbing all at the same time. It's not that pretty; it has to be said. The art and colouring is antiquated by today's standards and it hasn't aged that well. It's actually kind of grimy and even smells a bit funny, which is sort of fitting given the dystopian milieu of Nixon's paranoid, Cold War America explored within its oh-so-grey and murky pages.

It's a beast of a book, a super thick volume with a blood-spattered smiley face on the front (at least the one I read was; not my own, I hasten to add, but a friend's), suggesting its bitter sweet tonality and wry sense of black, black humour.

Watchmen is a story about super heroes, plain and simple. It's about what happens when you take off the mask and just become a normal person; and what about if you can't take off the mask, or if the mask is the real thing and the person is actually the cover for it (a la Batman). I won't go into all of the details, as anyone reading this has probably read Watchmen or at least knows the rough story by now.

Fast forward twenty or so years then and I shifting uncomfortably in my seat waiting for what I'm hoping is cinematic gold. It's always exciting to witness the immortalising of characters you've experienced in another medium coming to the big screen; there's no better in your face expression than that in my opinion.

From the outset, you realise that Watchmen is darker than any other 'hero' flick you've seen before. Even the Punisher (the Thomas Jane version) wasn't this brutal and uncompromising. It's full of noirish touches and the paranoid angst of a society gone bad (not that you really get to see that much of this in the movie). In the, by now, iconic opening scene, the Comedian (as played by the excellent Jeffrey Dean Morgan) buys the farm i.e. he gets thrown out of a plate-glass window (after having the living crap kicked out of him in bone-crunching, blood-spewing fashion by a 'mysterious' assailant - all fans of the book will, of course, know who this is, but that doesn't spoil it).

This then sets off the movie's coolest character (by several miles) Rorschach, and his investigation into who wanted the Comedian dead.


There's actually a wonderful montage of the halcyon days of the heroes, the Minute Men (of whom the characters in the story descend from or were once part of), during the opening credits with some fairly astute music choices backgrounding scenes in ultra slow-mo of the 1940's 'capes' apprehending villains, foiling crimes and generally doing good. The optimistic mood soon sours however as the years roll on and heroes get old, get killed, go mad or simply disband.

This was actually one of my favourite moments of a film that is a definite slow burner, pretty sparse on the action and big on the intrigue and dialogue (nothing wrong with that).

Overall, it was cast pretty well, even if Patrick Wilson, who played Nite Owl, reminded me of Chevvy Chase on more than one occasion. Of course Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach absolutely kicks ass and is in fact the biggest and baddest mutha ever to grace celluloid - the scene were Rorschach attempts to escape a a cruddy old tenement building, when he's framed for murder and surrounded by cops, is fantastically brutal. I really wanted him to get away, but knew he wouldn't as that's not the story.

Most of the best moments in the movie are when the uncompromising Rorschach is on screen. He has that paranoid, conspiracy theorist, detective noir going for him, whether it's during the beat down of a bunch of inmates that make the mistake of threatening the unmasked ginger schlub or his throaty, rasping journal entry voice overs; Rorschach is just awesome.


I've read that both Malin Akerman and Matthew Goode, who play Silk Spectre and Ozymandias respectively, were a little ropey in the acting department. I'd say that was certainly true of the latter (thankfully, his screen time was limited) but Akerman did a pretty fair job, and let's face it, you're not analysing her acting skills...


What I found reassuring about Zack Snyder's take on something of a comic book classic is that he made such sterling efforts to stick to the heart of the book, as it were, and does not compromise because this movie (somewhat erroneously) falls into the 'super hero' genre bracket: men get torched, bodies get exploded, bones are broken and people are shot and killed - the Dark Knight has nothing on this in the hardcore stakes.

I'm not a fan of gratuitous violence, and it isn't gratuitous violence that pervades in Watchmen. I found it quite refreshing that punches weren't pulled and in some instances I was genuinely shocked by what I saw and experienced, but wouldn't have changed it in spite of that. Films are supposed to elicit an emotional reaction, even it that reaction is sometimes unpleasant.

Beautifully shot and with a dark line of humour running throughout like a flat line that beats into sporadic life every so often, I really enjoyed this movie. In fact, I'm going to watch it again tomorrow (just doing the rounds of folks who want to see it with me). The special effects were very solid, too. Dr Manhattan (played by Billy Crudup) looked disturbingly real and Snyder didn't even shirk on having the good doctor's manhood on display in several scenes, as it was in the graphic novel. Archimedes, Nite Owl's equivalent of the Batwing, was also stylishly put together and looked great on screen.

Light on action, yes; the odd stint of dubious acting, okay; I was even scrabbling a little for its relevance given the Cold War resonance at its heart; but that doesn't get in the way of the fact that Watchmen is a great movie. Compare to the graphic novel too closely at your peril; that's not what this film is about. It is merely the expression of the same core story in a different and exciting medium. I tire greatly of the worked-up fanboys laying the hammer down against this film, reaching for their well-thumbed copies of the book. It's not a direct script, okay? And if you think you're not going to like because it can't compare or you're hoping for a direct translation then I suggest you give it a miss. If, like me, you have a great fondness for the graphic novel and generally like well put together, edgy movies then you'll love this.

Personally, I think the way the story wraps up in the movie (the most noticeable departure form the graphic novel) is actually better (or at least neater) than Moore's original text. Easy now, that's just an opinion, don't send in the graphic novel police on me.

Keep an open mind, go see it - even if you've never read the graphic novel. You'll never think about super heroes in the same way again.

What did you do for World Book Day?

Most folks of a literary bent will know it was World Book Day yesterday. In keeping with the appropriately bookish celebrations, I purchased a new book in novel in honour of the day.

Okay, so I didn't get to a book shop to buy it (I was working hard at the BL offices, surrounded by books and words), but winging its way to me from the mysterious online realm is Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero in hardback.


Though it got some lukewarm reviews from some (sounding like they were taking the whole thing a little too seriously...), this looks like a lot of fun and will be a perfect addition to my Batcave. I'll try and get around to posting my own review on the blog in a few weeks once I've read it.

On the subject of the blog and the website in general, changes are afoot. I'll reveal more in a separate post so it doesn't get lost amongst the ramblings about World Book Day.

So, as the title says 'What did you do for World Book Day?' Finish any novels, start that book you always wanted to read, owned up to the books you said you'd read but haven't (it seems this was the real talking point of the day - the fact that a lot of people claim to have read certain classics in order to appear learned, well-read or whatever - the likes of 1984, Ulysses, Madame Bovary, War and Peace etc, etc). I say read what interests you and don't be pressured into taking on something you're not going to derive pleasure from because it's a book you have to read before you die or some shtick like that. It defeats the entire object of reading if you don't enjoy it. That's counter to everything World Book Day stands for, isn't it?

I prefer hidden gens anyway, not necessary the 'classics' or the 'must-reads' (not that I haven't read a few of those; an English degree will kind of expose you to classic lit whether you like it or not).

What does surprise me is how old a lot of these stigma-attached books are - not that there's anything wrong with that. But we live in a modern age, where folks are writing all the time, and producing awesome works. I suppose book snobbery still exists amongst the literati, though. I only hope that next year people are lying about having read some more modern books (and I mean in the last ten years).

Fingers crossed then...

Salamander update: 90,000 words and counting...

I know some blog readers think this is a bit of a tease, me telling you 10,000 words by 10,000 how far along I am with Salamander, well... yeah, it is a bit.

It's actually really good for me too, as it helps give me the extra impetus I need to get over that finish line and complete the novel. Nearing the end of this, somewhat marathon-like novel, I can safely say it's probably the toughest book I've ever had to write. I've loved it, don't get me wrong, and am already looking forward to getting stuck into a sequel once I've had a bit of a break and tackled a couple of other projects, but it's been a real test of my writerly skills.

I think, I hope, that I've pulled it off.

Looking over the chapter breakdown/synopsis, I reckon there's about another 10-15,000 words in this yet as I'm well into the final act but still have a few reveals and a fairly hefty epilogue to get in. Not to mention the explosive denouement...

Finishing a novel, totally unlike starting one, is probably the hardest bit of the entire process. Yes, inevitably, in my experience at least, there's a moment half way through (ish) where a crisis point hits you and you're left questioning where the heck to go next and 'does all that stuff I wrote earlier actually work' and even 'it all needs a bit of a rewrite' - it's healthy; it just means you care.

And I care. I really do. People sometimes ask me how I came to write a book about the Salamanders Chapter (I've even had some folks saying that I'm brave to even tackle it). Honestly, I can't remember now. It had something to do with wanting to write a short story with Space Marines in it for Heroes of the Space Marines (the anthology with said story, Fires of War, is released in May by the way) and sort of spiralled from there.

I have to say, I've really taken the Salamanders to my heart. The more I read about them (and re-read), the more their noble spirit, humanity and earthiness shine through. Not all of the characters in my book are noble, though. There is one in particular who's pretty ignoble. Most are damaged in one way or another, but then part of the story deals with what happens to a Company that loses its inspirational captain. There's grief, anger, even retribution. Ultimately, brotherhood comes through in the end, but not all wounds are totally healed.

I wanted to give the story some emotional heart and not just play the Space Marines as fairly dull, uber-warriors that 'Hulk-smash' their way through every obstacle. Oh, don't get me wrong , there's some serious butt-kicking action in this tale but, I hope, there's some deeper content too.

The way I saw it, the Salamanders are in touch with their humanity, or at least they empathise with ordinary humans and recognise their role in protecting them from the evils of the galaxy. Expect plenty of trauma within and without the Company focused on in the novel and some heartbreak too.

I reckon that's probably enough for now. I do like a good blog in the morning; mixed in with a cup of coffee, it's what I need to get the creative juices flowing.

Okay, off to write the next few thousand words. Hoping to get finished in a couple of weeks, so fingers crossed and power on through! :-)