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MASKED PREY by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, April 14, 2020) Lucas Davenport series #30. Hardcover, 406 pages. ISBN # 0525539522 / 9780525539520
Summary on the Goodreads website . . . .
Lucas Davenport returns to the cutthroat quagmire of Washington, D.C., in the stunning new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Prey series.
My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . .
You can always count on John Sandford for an engaging thriller.
MASKED PREY was especially better than average for Sanford, with a complex plot with very topical themes: alt-right groups, gun activists, the dark web, conspiracy theorists, Nazi-like web sites, and tech-savvy manipulative teens. Mix that all together and get a book that's hard to put down.
Sandford presents varying points of view from these fringe groups in a way that helps with understanding how their theories were developed, in an objective fashion that does not champion them. The story reads as a straight police procedural from point A to point Z. What puts it over the top is Sandford’s ability to develop and depict authentic seeming characters and some very engaging and moving dialogue.
On a very strange internet blog there are pictures of the sons and daughters of influential Washington politicians along with reprinted articles that reflect Nazi and radical right themes.
Is this a coded message to unstable extremists to rub out some of these priviliged children in order to influence a particular vote, or is it just the rantings of some crazed conspiracy theorists? Lucas Davenport has to figure that out, and stop it if it turns out to be true.
Some nice twists and turns here and a few subtle messages about Washington politics and fringe groups. One of the better Davenport novels I have read.
THE KAIJU SCORE #1 (Aftershock Comics, November 25 release date. Final order cutoff for pre-orders is Monday, November 2) James Patrick, writer. Rem Broo, artist.
Now this is a genre mash-up that really appeals to me - - - a light-hearted crime caper with a monster twist!
Writer James Patrick says “The Kaiju Score is a Quentin Tarantino film taking place in some corner of a Godzilla movie.” In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter he cited some of his influences: old Japanese kaiju movies, Donald Westlake’s Parker series, the Oceans 11 films, Elmore Leonard’s story sense and characterization, and Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue.
If you enjoy a bit of humor with your crime and monster comics, then you’ll appreciate what THE KAIJU SCORE has to offer. I’m reminded of some popular books with a similar tone as well as the art style: CHEW, FARMLAND, OUTER DARK, LEVIATHAN. I’m name-dropping several John Layman-scripted books (and Rob Guillory) because Patrick’s work here reminds me of them, and that’s intended as a high compliment.
Those who characterize Aftershock titles as dark and often depressing really need to read this eye-opener to change their mind.
At the root of THE KAIJU SCORE is a gang-leader’s crazy idea to pull off a big heist under cover of a kaiju attack, which should command the full undivided attention of police forces.
Issue #1 serves as a set-up opening act, introducing us to the main characters and offering a sneak peek at the particular kaiju anticipated to come ashore and cause a big distraction: a “Mujara” who subsists mainly on a diet of mullet fish and is considered tamer when compared to other giants.
When we first meet master planner Marco, he’s hatching his plan while drinking in the bathtub. Unfortunately, he’s a master of none considering his track record of former flubbed robberies. He’s having a hard time recruiting the skilled caliber of criminals he’ll need to pull off a huge art heist (valued at 30-50 million) from the vaults of the local museum. He has to settle for some second-tier companions as well as turn to a notorious loanshark to bottom feeders for funding.
Gina’s a stylish femme fatale with safe-cracking skills, but in a plot twist Marco may not be getting assistance from the Gina he’s expecting
Palmiero’s an equipment guy with a long unlucky streak looking for a chance to reverse his fortunes.
Pierson is a tough guy with a man-bun who uses his misplaced swagger to hide his low self-esteem and low intelligence.
Can they pull it off? As loan shark Blackie Mendoza says: “So the question is . . . do you want to stick your balls in the mouth of this alligator and wave them around? . . . ‘Cause there ain’t no goin’ back after this.”
FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS OUT OF A POSSIBLE FIVE STARS.
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VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF THE
VIRTUAL PORTFOLIO REVIEW PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS
#666 - #673 DEATHLOK Books One-Four (Marvel Comics, July-October, 1990)
These are four double-sized deluxe editions that listed at $3.95 in 1990 and contained 46 pages of story, so I’m thinking this should count as eight issues. A good, fast-paced action adventure written by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright with the art divided between Butch Guice (Book One and Two) and Denys Cowan (Book Three and Four).
By now (2020) we’re all pretty familiar with the story idea of a loving family man trapped inside a murderous killing machine (Bloodshot, Spawn, etc), but I believe Deathlok preceded them all. I remember reading the first iteration of Deathlok (Luther Manning) in 1974 and thinking it was a pretty cool original concept.
Another family man, research scientist Michael Collins, discovers that the cybernetics project he’s working on for Roxxon Corporation is part of a plan to create the ultimate death-machine for hire - - a cyborg. Since this requires a human brain to compliment the A.I. computer technology, and Roxxon can’t risk Collins speaking to the press or government, he is murdered and becomes Deathlok.
Collins breaks free of corporate control and travels to South America to prevent Roxxon from exterminating an Indian village and trashing the rainforest in order to erect a damn. There he confronts the corrupt exec in charge of the project, Harlan Ryker, and prepares to kill him. But Ryker has a counter-offer: a chance to return as Michael Collins in his preserved frozen body as long as he accompanies Ryker to Japan for another dirty deal. Will he sell his soul in order to regain his humanity, or do the right thing and help Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. take Ryker and Roxxon down? Featuring a guest appearance by Sunfire. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Pavane has a long-time grudge against Pietro from an assumed snub and rejection when he was interested in dating Wanda, as a protective brother kept him at a distance. They come to an understanding before the issue ends, but not without a dangerous incident that helps to bring them together.
Nice speech with a friendly message from Quicksilver at the conclusion: “I am a mutant like you, after all. Closer in spirit no matter the divergent paths our lives have taken. . . . You’ve experienced hatred firsthand from people who hate our kind. . . Yet you chose to pass on your own petty hatreds to your children. . . . You were breeding a legacy of hatred, passing it onto the innocent. This, I find unforgivable.” Good story-telling from Joey Cavalieri and Grant Miehm. FOUR STARS.
#676 ILLUMINATI #1 (Marvel Comics, January 2016) It was time to pull another book from the bargain “brick” purchases. Guess they won’t all be winners. The best thing about this is the cover art.
The original Illumunati (Bavarian history) was a secret society with a defined purpose. So, when Marvel resurrected the name for a group of super-heroes hiding away a cosmic cube - - that sort of fit. But here, the New Illuminati is a group of super-villains led by the Red Hood, determined to steal a pile of weapons from Asgard and as Hoodie says: “There is a new world order coming. This is just the first step . . of the New Illuminati.” That’s really stretching the definition and usage of the name. Ho hum.
Best thing here is a heartfelt dialogue between Titania (who wants to go straight) and her imprisoned beau The Absorbing Man (who reluctantly agrees to run away and become farmers - like that’s going to happen!). But she gets snared into joining the Hood, even after She-Hulk tries to find her a job. The rest of the gang is Thunderball, The Mad Thinker, Enchantress, and Black Ant. Ho hum, part two. This ran for seven issues, but I don’t care to seek it out. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
The final twist at the end caught me by surprise. Even though I never really bonded to any of the characters, I was super-engaged and worried about the outcome. Master writer Cullen Bunn strikes again! Now I need to read this over again from the beginning, to pick up those little details I didn’t notice the first go-around. FIVE STARS.
Lots of characters, and lots of complex situations. A fantasy world. Serial killer in the modern world. A despotic ruler that everyone fears but no one sees so far. A prominent lawyer who employs the mother of a character from a different scene. The lawyer can cross over from modern to medieval worlds. The most interesting character is the young man battling inner demons, taking counsel from a disembodied faux sister, and a baffled therapist trying to diagnose his specific condition. I’ll certainly take a look when this comes out. FOUR STARS.
Captain Georges Malik and his lover/navigator Jason Hauer are both tired of harvesting body parts of dead gods and long to break away from the confines of Control and the Escort ships (like security guards at a prison) to search the unknown for a “live god”. They pull the remaining two crew members of their autopsy ship into the scheme and make their break, with a determined Escort Ship piloted by Paula Richter (who has a big murderous grudge against the Captain) in pursuit.
My other beef is with the art, often dark and muddy. I know there is a lot of creative experimentation being done with colors these days, but the vivid color changes from panel to panel aren’t really helping to tell the story and I can’t discern the choice of hues has any significance. It’s just annoying and disorienting - - unless that is the main intention. Issue #3 has to convince me to stay on this ride. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Fabulous art and colors, and several memorable and touching scenes. Last page introduces new foe, cool-looking-in-armor The Ghost-Maker, who will appear in Batman #102. Back-up story focuses on vigilante Clownkiller (who I affectionately named Rooster Clownburn) and gives some insight into his principles as Batman attempts to rein him in. I think we’ll see him again, and I welcome that.
FOUR STARS.
#682 DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL ROBIN KING one-shot (DC Comics, December 2020) Sometimes we let our impulse purchases get the best of us. I didn’t need this $5.99 book, but I do enjoy the writing of Peter J. Tomasi, especially his handling of Damien/Robin. To be far, I’m not following the whole Death Metal saga so I’m missing the background details for this story. Robin kicks the crap out of a slew of DC heroes, major and minor. Does it really matter? Interesting art by Riley Rossmo, but not a style I want to see a lot of. THREE STARS.
