Mark Martinez
Super Soldiers by Jason Inman is an appealing personal memoir and an entertaining guide to comic book characters. Mr. Inman introduces the reader to heroes and villains who have served in the US military, analyzes their behavior using his own military service as a guidepost, and provides context to understand their place in our pop culture. Whether you've been reading comics for years or have just started out, this book is worth your time. Well done, Mr. Inman!
I received “Condor: The Short Takes” for free from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. Before diving into this collection of short stories and novellas, I read “Six Days of the Condor”, Mr. Grady's debut novel, and the basis for the classic film “Three Days of the Condor” starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway. For a long time, I only knew Condor from the film, but Condor from the books is less assured and more ruthless. It's easy to see the cinematic appeal of the original tale. The stories in this collection are different, more intimate, and less straightforward. “Condor.net” is a reimagining of the original with the next generation of CIA spies and 21st century threats. I found it less interesting than the other tales in the collection which feature an older Condor, let out of the Company psychiatric asylum, taking on threats in the V (virtual world) and closer to home. Old man Condor lives life on the edge. But is he wrong about where this world is headed? I'm not sure.
I read this trade paperback collection after binging the first season of the SyFy television series based on Mr. Morrison's comics. For a story that features a little blue unicorn with wings as an imaginary friend in the real world, the book is much more conservative than the television show. I'd recommend the book over the tv show. Neither is for children. I'm not sure who the tv show is written for.
