Thursday, October 31, 2019

Book Review: THE THREAT by Andrew McCabe


THE THREAT: HOW THE FBI PROTECTS AMERICA IN THE AGE OF TERROR AND TRUMP by Andrew G. McCabe  (St. Martin’s Press, February 2019)  Hardcover, 288 pages.  ISBN # 1250207576 / 9781250207579  #1 New York Times Bestseller, #1 Washington Post Bestseller, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller.  

Summary from the Goodreads website . . . . . 

On March 16, 2018, just twenty-six hours before his scheduled retirement from the organization he had served with distinction for more than two decades, Andrew G. McCabe was fired from his position as deputy director of the FBI. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter: "Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy."

In The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, Andrew G. McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career, and an impassioned defense of the FBI's agents, and of the institution's integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution.

McCabe started as a street agent in the FBI's New York field office, serving under director Louis Freeh. He became an expert in two kinds of investigations that are critical to American national security: Russian organized crime--which is inextricably linked to the Russian state--and terrorism. Under Director Robert Mueller, McCabe led the investigations of major attacks on American soil, including the Boston Marathon bombing, a plot to bomb the New York subways, and several narrowly averted bombings of aircraft. And under James Comey, McCabe was deeply involved in the controversial investigations of the Benghazi attack, the Clinton Foundation's activities, and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

The Threat recounts in compelling detail the time between Donald Trump's November 2016 election and McCabe's firing, set against a page-turning narrative spanning two decades when the FBI's mission shifted to a new goal: preventing terrorist attacks on Americans. But as McCabe shows, right now the greatest threat to the United States comes from within, as President Trump and his administration ignore the law, attack democratic institutions, degrade human rights, and undermine the U.S. Constitution that protects every citizen.

Important, revealing, and powerfully argued, The Threat tells the true story of what the FBI is, how it works, and why it will endure as an institution of integrity that protects America.  

My four-star review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     In case you're worried about the negative news coming from the Trump administration regarding alleged corruption in the FBI - - you'll feel better after reading this book. Granted, some of the practices, surveillance and covert investigations led by J. Edgar Hoover and other past FBI heads were not models of integrity and fairness. However, that is in our history and the FBI since then has made changes to address and correct those practices.

     In The Threat Andrew McCabe explains in detail the mission and guiding principles of the modern FBI and lays out in detail the steps required before any investigation can be initiated. It's entirely free of political motivation, and various checks and requirements are part of the process to prevent that from happening. The FBI remains an independent branch of government and law enforcement, and serves the American people with the intention of protecting them and upholding the Constitution.

     McCabe was simply acting upon those principles during his time as Acting Director of the FBI when he was involved in the beginnings of the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. That and other actions have earned him the ire of President Trump.

     I believe McCabe's portraits and insights into Trump and then Attorney General Jeff Sessions are accurate, and seem to mirror those of other respected journalists and writers.

     Here's hoping the upcoming investigation initiated by Attorney General William Barr into the beginnings of the Russian investigation will inevitably call up Andrew McCabe for questioning. He'll get another chance to tell his side of the story to the American public, explain his rationale and the threat to American institutions he was trying to deter. Calling him as a witness may back-fire on the Trump administration.

     It's clear to me and should be to anyone who takes the time to review and analyze current events that the current regime does not seek to uphold legal authority and respect law enforcement agencies - - they intend to use the power of the executive office to undermine them, ignore the rule of law and inflict damage on our democratic system. Please wake up, America.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Comics Review: EDGAR ALLAN POE'S SNIFTER OF TERROR SEASON TWO

EDGAR ALLAN POE’S SNIFTER OF TERROR SEASON TWO  #1  (Ahoy Comics, September 2019) Various creators, as described below. www.comicsahoy.com

   The first season of Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter Of Terror was described as “EC Comics’ Tales From The Crypt Meets Mad Magazine”.  That’s a perfect summation of this book. Coincidentally, all the cover illustrators so far have been depicted by Richard Williams of Mad Magazine fame. Each one is a spoof of popular culture. This time, Poe stands in for Captain America in that famous legendary Nazi-punching cover from the 1940’s.

     The Ahoy comic follows the format of Tales From The Crypt with a horror host (none other than Edgar Allan Poe, drunk but lucid enough to explain and set the stage for these stories) introducing creepy tales that make us laugh. Rather than make our bodies shake and shiver, our funny bones are tickled by these inventive and humorous spooky narratives.  Also, Ahoy also offers more than standard comics, with a combination of stories and text pieces in every issue of their titles.


Creator Dean Motter opens the new issue by writing, penciling and lettering “The Tell-Tale Black Cask Of Usher” with Poe as both introductory narrator and main character. It’s a funny saga of a planned revenge that manages to touch base on and pay brief homage to nearly every classic Poe story — The House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Premature Burial, The Tell-Tale Heart, Murder In The Rue Morgue,The Raven, and others. Motter’s illustrations evoke memories of Creepy magazine, and his depiction of Poe is spot-on. Motter even sneaks in some hanging portraits of classic film icons Boris Karloff and Vincent Price, both of whom were featured in several movie adaptations of Poe stories. It’s an extra-long (for this title, at least) story of 21 pages, inked by Alex Ogle with colors by Julie Barclay.

Issue #1 of Season Two also includes “Four Poems” by Walt Shepperd, illustrated by Greg Scott;  “Voodoo Burger” a funny text piece by Brendan Mallory illustrated by Elliott Mattice; and the hilarious Spy-Vs.-Spy inspired “Poe And The Black Cat” a regular feature of this book written and drawn by the creative Hunt Emerson.


    
RATING SYSTEM

 STORY: I love horror anthologies, especially when they are funny. This is funny. It made me laugh.  2.5 POINTS
ART:  Well done and well suited to the narrative.  2 POINTS
COVER: Every cover on this title so far has been a zinger. Leaves no doubt as to the nature of the internal contents.  2 POINTS
READ AGAIN? Any time you can benefit from a good laugh. 1 POINT.
RECOMMEND? Two of my favorite genres thrown together, just like peanut butter and chocolate. This time it’s horror and comedy. 1 POINT
TOTAL RATING: 8.5 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 POINTS. DEFINITELY ABOVE AVERAGE.

Comics Review: VAMPIRE STATE BUILDING #1

VAMPIRE STATE BUILDING #1 (Ablaze, September 18, 2019 release date)  Writers: Ange & Patrick Renault. Interior Artist: Charlie Adlard.  Colorist: Sebastien Gerard.  Cover Artists: Charlie Adlard, Inhyuk Lee, Gui Balbi.  www.ablazepublishing.com

The elevator pitch on this title from the Ablaze website:

The newest horror series from the artist of The Walking Dead, Charlie Adlard! Just in time for Halloween - get ready to be bitten from the first full color page. 
     
     Terry Fisher is a young soldier on the verge of being sent away for active military duty, and is going to meet his friends at the top of the Empire State Building for a farewell party. But suddenly a legion of vampires attacks the skyscraper and massacres its occupants. 

     Hounded in the 102 floors that have become a deadly trap, Terry must take decisive action to save himself and his friends - and the city of New York - before the army of abominations, and the terrible vampire god within, walled in the building since its construction, spill into the city…

     VAMPIRE STATE BUILDING is the debut title from new comics publisher Ablaze and it’s a great start, especially if you’re a fan of well-designed and scripted horror comics. 

     There’s a slow build-up to the action here, as the book begins on the observation deck of the Empire State Building and the introduction of main protagonist Terry Fisher and his circle of friends. Within five pages, readers learn enough about each of these characters and their own personal conflicts to feel somewhat vested in their well-being, which becomes important to the tension as they all become entrapped within the building. 
From there the suspense builds up page after page as it appears that readers are in store for a nail-biting survival tale along the lines of The Walking Dead - - although at this early stage it’s too soon to say if it will run quite as long. 

   Construction on a scheduled renovation on a lower floor uncovers an unknown sealed area and unleashes what appears to be the king of all vampires. Apparently his release has awakened all the latent vampires among the alleys and back streets of New York City and they all flock like flies on feces to the Empire State Building, and surround the unlikely tourists and workers within. 

RATING SYSTEM


 STORY: Something about this reminded me of the early chapters of The Strain, although this is definitely not a copycat of that book/tv series. It’s probably the awakening of evil that occurs. This is a good starting point and set-up issue. The civilians trapped within the building are already in deep shit, and there’s plenty of action and spilled blood to go along with the story development. 2.5 POINTS
ART:  This marks a return to the old style of borders on comics pages. There's a white border around all sides of each page, that if you've only read current comics you may not be used to. It compresses the art a little (especially in a multi-paneled story like this one) but acts like a picture frame around the action. I'd prefer a full page of art, but this is a minor quibble.  If you enjoyed what Charlie Adlard’s art style brought to The Walking Dead, you’ll like this just as much - especially in full color. A story of survival is right up Adlard’s alley and allows him to show off his expressive skills at depicting human trauma.  2.5 POINTS
COVER: Combine the wonderful play-on-words of the title with a simple bloody vampiric hand and you’ve got a winner. Who wouldn’t want to turn the page and look inside after seeing this?  2 POINTS
READ AGAIN? Absolutely good for multiple readings. 1 POINT.
RECOMMEND? Yes. I might be tired of vampires in movies and tv, but not in comics. I love a good vampire comic. 1 POINT
TOTAL RATING: 9 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 POINTS. CLOSE TO PERFECTION. DON’T MISS IT.

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Video Remembers BALTIMORE COMIC CON 2019



EDITOR"S NOTE:  Three first time visitors to Baltimore Comic Con re-cap their experience in this YouTube video.  I wholeheartedly agree with them.  This is my favorite comics convention and I try to attend each year.  
I attended a number of panels and will share some of that information on this blog throughout November.  Watch for it!

DYNAMITE 15th Anniversary Digital Bundle Supports CBLDF

Monday, October 28, 2019

Watch Trailer For THE MANDALORIAN On Disney Plus

Click the link below to watch. New series debuts on Disney Plus November 12 . . . . .

https://video.disney.com/watch/the-mandalorian-official-trailer-2-disney-streaming-nov-12-5960254e7956bebd6b4f2a72?cid=DTCI-Synergy-DDN-Email-Awareness-Originals-US-DisneyPlus-MDLR2-EN-EmailBody-MDLR2Trailer


Book Review: LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager

LOCK EVERY DOOR  by Riley Sager  (Dutton Books, July 2019) Hardcover, 371 pages.  ISBN # 1524745146 / 9781524745141  

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. 

These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent. 

My four-star review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     The Goodreads summary gives a great description of this book without revealing too many details.  That’s all for the best because for full appreciation of what Sager has done here you need to read it without spoilers.

     As was demonstrated with FINAL GIRLS, this writer definitely knows how to build suspense and dread and excels at it with this third novel by Sager, a former journalist and graphic designer using a pseudonym as a fiction writer. Like FINAL GIRLS, which has been announced for film development, everything Sager writes plays out like a screenplay with scenes and imagery that cry out for visualization.

     It would be easy for anyone reading Sager's works without benefit of exposure to the author's website or publicity to assume that Sager is female, perhaps a former writer of romance fiction wanting to separate those works from new fiction that borders on straight horror. I was surprised to see a photo of the author, the most unlikely person on first impression to write works that get to the core of female characters and really bring them to life. In Jules, Sager has created his most empathetic and likable character so far. 

     In an interview, Sager reveals that he was inspired by Rosemary's Baby in the writing of LOCK EVERY DOOR. There is a similarity in the background details and setting of a near-historic old apartment building in New York City with a dark past and sinister purpose, but this is quite different. He also stated that beyond the primary purpose of scaring readers he also wished to touch on some contemporary themes of economic disparity. That he does, lending sympathy to Jules and several other secondary characters caught up in the same web of disguised opportunity.

     With a first person narration, the reader is at least assured that the main character doesn't perish. Sager establishes that up front with a beginning chapter that takes place at the chronological end of the story. That doesn't stop it from being highly suspenseful and frightening. Well done.

Comics Review: COUNT CROWLEY, RELUCTANT MIDNIGHT MONSTER HUNTER

COUNTY CROWLEY: RELUCTANT MIDNIGHT MONSTER HUNTER  (Dark Horse Comics, October 23, 2019 release date)  “Scream Time”. Story by David Dastmalchian.  Art by Lucas Ketner. Colors by Lauren Affe.  Letters by Frank Cvetkovic.  www.darkhorse.com

Just in time for Halloween, COUNT CROWLEY debuts with a throwback to classic horror films. I’m always up for a new horror comic that manages to blend a  bit of humor into the mix, and this hits the spot.

Jeri Butler is a good investigative reporter for a local television news service. Unfortunately, her alcoholism sometimes loosens her tongue and she tells too much. Still, the owner of the station is her brother and he’s hard pressed to find her a new assignment that will keep her out of trouble.  
  
 At the same time Count Crowley, the popular host of the stations’ weekly horror film fest, turns up missing. So Jeri gets the call to replace him, and in her usual drunken tell-all criticizes the stations’ choice of movies and gains an immediate following for her blunt honesty.  A parking lot encounter with a werewolf indicates that the possibly former Count Crowley was part of some scary shenanigans.






RATING SYSTEM

 STORY: Essentially a set-up issue, but there’s enough going on to engage readers and leave me waiting for more. 2 POINTS
ART: The art style here recalls the good details and composition of the best of Tales From The Crypt, Creepy, and Mad magazines. Highly suited to the story. 2 POINTS
COVER: Does the job of indicating what the contents have in store. 2 POINTS.
READ AGAIN? Too much fun to read only once. 1 POINT.
RECOMMEND? I’d definitely recommend this to fans of Tales From The Crypt, Creepy and Mad Magazine and Kolchak: The Night Stalker tv show. 1 POINT
TOTAL RATING: 8 out of a possible 10 points. Definitely worth your time. 

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Indie Comics Creator STEVE CONLEY At BALTIMORE COMIC-CON

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you have an interest in Indie Comics and haven’t checked out
Steve Conley yet, read below for details as he updates us on his latest work.
 
 
The Kickstarter campaign ends November 13!
 
Third stretch goal unlocked!
 
 

The Middle Age Kickstarter is going really great! 

We've already unlocked the third stretch goal and we're well on the way to the next one!  BIG THANKS to everyone who has contributed or helped spread the word!

 
 

I had a fantastic time at the Baltimore Comic-Con over the weekend. The highlights:

  • The Middle Age was everywhere: the program book cover, the official t-shirt, and even the entrance graphics!
  • I didn't win the Ringo Award for 'Best Colorist' (still an honor to be nominated)!
  • I saw many of my kind Patreon and Kickstarter supporters!
  • The Webcomics panel was great! (I'll be sure to share a link to audio when it's available).

Check out the full, photo-filled report here.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/...

Thank you again for your amazing kindness and support!

-- Steve

patreon.com/steveconley

 
 
Click here to check out The Middle Age Volume Two on Kickstarter
 
 
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Steve Conley

7 Fishermans Circle, Apt 1, Ormond Beach, Florida
United States

 
steve@steveconley.com