100 Bullets’ Megan & Cole by Eduardo Risso!
One of the all-time best crime comics is 100 BULLETS written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. Here Risso gives us two characters from the tale, Megan and Cole.
Category: Books
ROBERT B. PARKER’S BULL RIVER: A COLE AND HITCH NOVEL by Robert Knott / Z-View
ROBERT B. PARKER’S BULL RIVER: A COLE AND HITCH NOVEL by Robert Knott
First sentence…
We rode hard up the road to the governor’s mansion.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
US Marshall Virgil Cole and his Deputy Everette Hitch are tasked to escort “Captain” Alejandro Vasquez to San Cristobal. Vasquez, a Mexican desperado, is accused of killing two men. Vasquez claims he’s innocent. Virgil’s woman, Allie French is worried that they won’t be back in time to attend Appaloosa’s huge citywide celebration.
The trip to San Cristobal is uneventful . Cole and Hitch transfer Vasquez to the local authorities. Before Cole and Hitch head back, the local bank is robbed. One of the robbers is Henry Strode, the bank’s President. The sheriff asks Cole and Hitch to assist. Fairly quickly Strode is found. He’s lying badly beaten and unconscious in the middle of the road. They take Strode into a house and leave him with a local deputy hoping he’ll regain consciousness.
Strode does come to. He steals a gun and makes his escape. Turns out Strode isn’t his real name. He only assisted in robbing the bank because his brother had his wife and threatened to kill her. Now Strode’s brother has the bank money, his wife and is headed to Mexico. So is Strode.
Cole and Hitch prepare to head to Mexico to capture Strode, his brother and hopefully return with the bank’s cash. Then they learn that Strode isn’t his real name! “Captain” Alejandro Vasquez says that he knows the real identity of Strode and his brother. Vasquez also says he knows where they’re heading. If Cole and Hitch get him released from jail, Vasquez will show them the way. Oh, and he’ll want Cole to put in a good word to the judge. Cole says he’ll tell the judge the truth about whatever help Vasquez gives, but makes no other promise.
Vasquez may be lying and his plan may be to escape. Cole decides to chance it. Cole, Hitch and Vasquez head into Mexico looking for the desperados. Little do they know that a worse problem is brewing in Appaloosa.
+++++
Robert Knott was an excellent choice to continue Robert B. Parker’s Cole and Hitch series. Each new yarn is an automatic pick-up.
Rating:
MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL by Saurav Mohapatra & Vivek Shinde / Z-View
MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL BOOK ONE: GOOD COP, BAD COP by Saurav Mohapatra (writer), Vivek Shinde (artist)
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Five years ago life was good. Arjun Kadam was happily married. He was a cop with a bright future. Kadam was personally selected by the Chief to join the Mumbai Encounter Squad. The squad was a strike force authorized to use whatever force necessary to take down the worst criminals.
But that was then.
After Kadam’s wife died, things began to spiral. The Squad was crossing lines in the name of justice that were questionable at best. Then a hit and run driver put Kadam in a coma and killed the little girl he was talking with.
Now Kadam has recovered. He’s no longer a cop. Kadam’s dealing with depression and drug dependency. The thing that keeps Kadam going is his determination to find the little girl’s killer.
Kadam’s journey will take him from slums and back alleys to the richest Bollywood nightclubs. As Kadam digs deeper into the Mumbai Underworld the difference between gangsters and cops becomes blurred. No longer a cop, Kadam is on his own. Survival is unlikely when mobsters and out of control cops want you dead.
Arjun Kadam doesn’t care. He’s going to take them all down… or die trying.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
If you’re a fan of noir, The Shield, and 100 Bullets, then MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL is for you. Featuring a non-linear storyline and wonderful art, it reads like a novel. Saurav Mohapatra has the tough guy dialogue down. Vivek Shinde’s art compliments the story with his exciting visuals and muted colors. (It was originally conceived to be done in ink wash.)
As the story unfolds we get interludes by different artists that take us deeper in the world of MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL. I found the different art styles interesting and added to my enjoyment of the main storyline. The interludes are…
- Remaster by Sid Kotian
- House of Cards by Saumin Patel
- Missed Call by Vinay Brahmania and Shounak Jog
- Full Moon by Vinay Brahmania
- Demand and Supply by Devaki Neogi
MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL gets my highest recommendation!
MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL BOOK ONE: GOOD COP, BAD COP by Saurav Mohapatra (writer), Vivek Shinde (artist) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Rating:
THERE AND BACK by Eric Beetner / Z-View
THERE AND BACK by Eric Beetner
First sentence…
THE ROCK SLID from the hand and turned twice in the air, the edge serrated in a peak like a mountain range, blood filling the cracks and fissures.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Eight junior executives at a tech company are selected to attend a wilderness retreat. The trip is billed as a team building exercise. Not everyone believes it. There are four opportunities for promotion coming up. There are eight employees attending. Do the math.
The drive takes them six and a half hours into the wilderness. We’re talking remote. No cell reception. No other people. No roads once they’re in. Although there will be guides going along, no one could have foreseen the accident. And who would have guessed that the guides would be killed?
The eight are lost. Little water. Few supplies. They won’t be missed for days. They may not survive that long. As the hours pass, civility is gone. No one knows the right thing to do. Move on. Wait for help? Tension mounts as tempers rise.
Eight went in. Five came out. What happened to the three that didn’t make it? The survivors have a secret. And you know what they say about a secret… “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.” Five, not three came back.
+++++
I’m a huge fan of Eric Beetner’s novels. Each new novel is an automatic pick-up. Most of his stories are crime yarns. THERE AND BACK involves crime, but at it’s heart is the mystery of what happened and the survivors’ secret. THERE AND BACK is an ambitious work and Beetner pulls it off.
Rating:
“To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962) directed by Robert Mulligan, starring Gregory Peck, Mary Badham and Phillip Alford / Z-View
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Director: Robert Mulligan
Screenplay: Horton Foote; based on TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
Stars: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, Ruth White, Brock Peters, Estelle Evans, Paul Fix, Collin Wilcox Paxton, James Anderson, Alice Ghostley, William Windom, Crahan Denton, Richard Hale and Robert Duvall.
Tagline: The most beloved and widely read Pulitzer Prize Winner now comes vividly alive on the screen!
The Plot…
Summer is always the best time for Scout (Badham), her older brother Jem (Alford) and their friend Dill (Megna). Like most kids, they play games, stay out until dark and share stories. Often their tales involve Boo Radley who lives in the scary house just down the way. Since no one has ever seen Boo, imaginations run wild. Scout’s Dad, Atticus (Peck) warns the children to stay away from the Radley house. This just makes the stories more exciting.
Atticus is a widowed lawyer and well respected in the town. That is until, he agrees to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. Taking on this case in Alabama in the early 1930s sets off a certain segment of the population. Unfortunately, even Scout and Jem aren’t safe from taunts and threats.
As the case progresses, tension throughout the small town escalates. Before it is over, the powder keg will blow and the truth about Boo Radley will be known.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three…
- nominee Best Music, Score – Substantially Original: Elmer Bernstein
- nominee Best Cinematography, Black-and-White: Russell Harlan
- nominee Best Director: Robert Mulligan
- nominee Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Mary Badham
- winner Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White: Alexander Golitzen, Henry Bumstead, Oliver Emert
- winner Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: Horton Foote
- winner Best Actor in a Leading Role: Gregory Peck
- winner Best Picture: Alan J. Pakula
Brock Peters, who played Tom Robinson the man accused of rape in the film, gave Gregory Peck’s eulogy at his funeral.
First credited role of Robert Duvall and film debut of William Windom.
The character Dill was based on Truman Capote, a childhood friend of author Harper Lee.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Conan the Barbarian” (1982) directed by John Milius, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger & James Earl Jones / Z-View
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Director: John Milius
Screenplay: John Milius, Oliver Stone; based on CONAN THE BARBARIAN by Robert E. Howard
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Cassandra Gava, Gerry Lopez, Mako, Valérie Quennessen, Franco Columbu, Nadiuska, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Ron Cobb and William Smith.
Tagline: Slave. Barbarian. Warrior. Thief… Conan.
The Plot…
When Conan (Scwarzenegger) was a boy, his parents and entire village were massacred by a cult led by Thulsa Doom (Jones). Conan was sold into slavery to work on the Wheel of Pain at a remote mill. He grows into manhood. The wheel has made Conan huge and muscular. A passing traveler, buys Conan to turn him into a gladiator.
Conan is undefeated in the gladiator pits. After countless wins, Conan earns his freedom.
Over the years, the cult of Thulsa Doom has grown. Surrounded by warriors and his own mystical powers, Doom continues his heartless rule. But now Conan has plans to avenge his parents.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Arnold was perfectly cast as Conan.
Sven-Ole Thorsen who appears as the warrior Thorgrim would go on to appear in a total of 15 films with Arnold Schwarzenegger either as an actor or stuntman.
Arnold was signed for three sequels. Only one was made and it fell far short of the original.
Conan the Barbarian (1982) rates 4 of 5 stars.
SCENE OF THE CRIME by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark & Sean Phillips / Z-View
SCENE OF THE CRIME by Ed Brubaker (writer), Michael Lark (artist), Sean Phillips (artist)
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Jack Herriman is surprised when he gets a call from his dead father’s former partner, Detective Paul Raymonds. Jack’s dad was assassinated in the line of duty when Jack was a teenager. Jack didn’t deal with the loss well and made some bad choices. Detective Raymonds helped Paul along the way.
But that was years ago. Jack turned his life around. He got clean. Jack began working as a Private Investigator. Detective Raymonds wants Jack to find a missing woman named Maggie. Maggie is the daughter of Raymonds’ mistress.
Finding Maggie is surprisingly easy. She’s a free spirit. Jack follows the leads and meets her. After some back and forth, they decide to talk over a meal. Maggie agrees to call her mother and reassure her she’s safe. There’s chemistry between Jack and Maggie. As he drops her at her hotel room, they both agree they’ll see each other again.
The next morning Maggie is found murdered in her hotel room. In a bag is $10,000 in cash.
Now the case is personal. Jack is determined to find Maggie’s killer. The trail will lead to other crimes, a family conspiracy and secrets that are as sickening as they are shocking.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
SCENE OF THE CRIME was the first time that Ed Brubaker worked with both Michael Lark and Sean Phillips. Brubaker would go on to have celebrated runs on Daredevil and Gotham Central. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips would go on to create the Criminal series and so many other classic tales.
The book also contains the following extras…
- Intro by Brian Michael Bendis
- Covers from the original comic series
- Gods and Sinners, a heartbreaking short tale featuring Jack Herriman
- The Untold Story of Scene of the Crime by Ed Brubaker
- Examples of Michael Larks pencils and Sean Phillips inks
SCENE OF THE CRIME by Ed Brubaker (writer), Michael Lark (artist), Sean Phillips (artist) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Rating:
BURN TO SHINE: A JOE LEDGER AND ROUGE TEAM INTERNATIONAL NOVEL by Joe Ledger!
Jonathan Maberry’s new Joe Ledger is titled BURN TO SHINE: A JOE LEDGER AND ROUGE TEAM INTERNATIONAL NOVEL. It’ll be released on March 4, 2025 (and in my mitts the same day). Here’s the scoop…
Rogue Team International joins Joe Ledger in a new, tension-filled mission to stop a wave of bioterrorism from devastating the country in the fourth installment of bestselling author Jonathan Maberry’s ongoing series.
A covert group is infiltrating the world’s most secure bio-weapons research sites. All across the country, people are acting as human ‘disease bombs’ by infecting themselves and walking into public places. And heavily-armed groups of illegal private soldiers are massing for some unknown strike.
Joe Ledger and the members of Rogue Team International, still reeling from the devastation and heartbreaking losses of their last mission, are forced into relentless action to try and save the country, if not the entire world.
Old enemies are rising and joining forces to hit Joe and his team with one devastating blow after another. What is the end game for all of this madness and terror? Outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and outgunned, Joe Ledger has to find a way back from the fires of grief in order to make a stand between these enemies and millions of potential innocent lives. But Joe has allies, too. His team, the vicious fighters of Arklight, and friends who may or may not be entirely human.
A war of darkness and light is coming. Who will stand? Who will fall? And how will anyone ever survive?
Conan and Wench by Simon Bisley!
Conan has a nice dinner, a full-bodied wench… and it looks like there’s going to be a problem. Simon Bisley creates another winner!
LUSH AND OTHER TALES OF BOOZY MAYHEM by Duane Swierczynski
LUSH AND OTHER TALES OF BOOZY MAYHEM by Duane Swierczynski
First sentence…
I first met Hilly Palmer in a bar on 15th Street.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Duane Swierczynski presents 17 short stories. There’s not a bad one in the bunch. My favorites were…
- Hilly Palmer’s Last Case – A young wannabe writer tracks down a famous crime writer, and finds out that all stories don’t have a happy ending.
- Not All There – Sometimes bad things happen and you’re lucky it wasn’t worse. But if you’re really lucky, you’ll find someone that completes you.
- Eve of Destruction – A polish family curse is real… whether you believe it or not.
+++++
I’ve been a Duane Swierczynski fan since THE WHEEL MAN. He’s never let me down.
Rating:
“Breakout” (1975) starring Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall & Jill Ireland / Z-View
Breakout (1975)
Director: Tom Gries
Screenplay: Howard B. Kreitsek, Marc Norman; based on THE TEN SECOND BREAKOUT by Elliott Baker
Stars: Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall, Jill Ireland, Randy Quaid, Sheree North, Jorge Moreno, Emilio Fernández, Paul Mantee, Alan Vint, Alejandro Rey, Roy Jenson, Sidney Clute, Chalo González and John Huston.
Tagline: Sentenced to 28 years in prison for a crime he never committed. Only two things can get him out – A lot of money and Charles Bronson!
The Plot…
Jay Wagner (Duvall) is framed for murder and sent to a Mexican prison. All hope is lost. Unwilling to give up, Jay’s wife, Ann (Ireland) turns to Nick Colton (Bronson). Colton is a pilot with a crazy plan that just might work.
What Colton doesn’t know is the people that framed Jay will go to any length to see he never leaves prison.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Tom Gries directed two Charles Bronson films in 1975; this one and Breakheart Pass.
Believe it or not, this film was based on a real life Mexican prison escape using a helicopter.
With Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall starring, I was hoping for a better movie.
Breakout (1975) rates 3 of 5 stars.
MIDNIGHT LULLABIES: UNQUIET STORIES AND POEMS by Jonathan Maberry!
Jonathan Maberry has a new one coming out in just a few days. It’s titled MIDNIGHT LULLABIES: UNQUIET STORIES AND POEMS. Here’s the lowdown…
It’s dark out there…and it lasts a long time…
MIDNIGHT LULLABIES: UNQUIET STORIES AND POEMS is a collection of the horror short stories and poems-both old and new-by New York Times bestselling author and 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, Jonathan Maberry.
In the darkest hours of the night the natural world yields to the creatures who dwell in the dark. A serial killer who adopts orphaned children during the apocalypse; a heartbreaking reconciliation of two estranged brothers; a paralyzed MMA fighter receiving an offer he can’t refuse; strange voices crying out from the heart of a collapsed mountain; a little girl who enlists the aid of the monsters in her closet to battle cosmic horror; a delicious revenge by a refugee from the death camps; rednecks battling zombies; a terrified child whose family has become monsters; Earth-borne horrors taking hold on an alien world; and more! Plus, new horror tales and eerie poems.
With a foreword by New York Times bestselling author, Joe R. Lansdale.
BROOKLYN BLOOD by Paul Levitz and Tim Hamilton / Z-View
BROOKLYN BLOOD by Paul Levitz (writer) and Tim Hamilton (artist)
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Detective Billy O’Connor suffers from PTSD. His time in Afghanistan took a heavy toil. O’Connor has occasional hallucinations and blackouts. He’s been able to keep it together, but things that trigger episodes are becoming more frequent.
Detective Nadira Hasan is O’Connor’s partner. She’s aware of O’Connor’s issues, but has his back. They’re a good team. That’s why they get the assignment when a serial killer begins leaving gruesomely mutilated bodies in public places.
As O’Connor and Hasan work the case, O’Connor’s visions begin to change from Afghanistan to terrible images from Brooklyn’s past. He’s seeing things that make no sense, but are somehow connected. O’Connor thinks a psychic may have some answers. When O’Connor tells Hasan, she’s skeptical. But as bodies pile, up, anything is worth a shot.
As O’Connor and Hasan get closer to the killer, he turns his sights on them.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I knew Paul Levitz from his days as a writer and editor for DC Comics. I liked his one sentence summary for BROOKLYN BLOOD: In Brooklyn, a serial killer is on the loose–and when strange clues lead down a paranormal path, a detective confronts his inner demons to solve the case.
I wasn’t familiar with Tim Hamilton’s art, but that’s what got me to pull the trigger on the purchase. His storytelling is straightforward with interesting camera angles. I especially love Hamilton’s inking. He has an open art style, then comes in with bold inks. He’s great at spotting blacks and creating a page that pops. I definitely will keep my eyes open for more from Hamilton. I’d love to see him take on additional crime/noir stories.
BROOKLYN BLOOD definitely leans into the paranormal aspect of the case with Lovecraftian monsters showing up at the end of the tale. If that’s you’re thing, you’re going to like the story even more than me. I was entertained and enjoyed the ride.
BROOKLYN BLOOD by Paul Levitz (writer) and Tim Hamilton (artist) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Rating:
“The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (1974) starring Walter Matthau & Robert Shaw / Z-View
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973)
Director: Joseph Sargent
Screenplay: Peter Stone; based on THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE by John Godey
Stars: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Earl Hindman, James Broderick, Dick O’Neill, Lee Wallace, Tom Pedi, Nathan George, Rudy Bond, Kenneth McMillan, Doris Roberts, Julius Harris and Jerry Stiller.
Tagline: We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us 1 million dollars.
The Plot…
Four armed men, code named Mr. Blue, Mr. Grey, Mr. Brown and Mr. Green hijack subway train Pelham One Two Three. The cut loose the first car and hold its 17 passengers and conductor hostage.
Their demand: One Million Dollars. If the money isn’t delivered in one hour, they will kill one passenger for each minute that passes.
The clock is ticking.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is an effective thriller. Part of the fun is trying to figure out how the hijackers expect to get away since they are also trapped in the subway.
Peter Stone did an excellent job of adapting John Godey’s best selling novel. It is my favorite film directed by Joseph Sargent.
Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw were the big name stars, but the supporting cast more than pull their weight. Kudos to Doris (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) Roberts and Jerry (“Seinfeld” and “King of Queens”) Stiller best known for their comedy roles, who appear in serious roles here.
The fade out shot is a classic.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“‘Salem’s Lot” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
I’m a Stephen King fan and ‘SALEM’S LOT is one of my favorite novels by him. Loved the 1979 mini-series adaptation, and am looking forward to the new film.
Check out the poster and trailer.
Deal me in.
They used to tell stories about this place.
Based on Stephen King’s terrifying novel, the new Max Original film #SalemsLot, from the creator of The Conjuring Universe and a producer of It, premieres October 3 exclusively on Max.
