Another Day – Scott Pilgrim, Book Five

What happens after the monster is defeated? What happens when the hero has to settle down and re-acclimate to an ordinary life? I’ve always loved stories that ask these questions, that treat the usual climax as a secondary focus, prioritizing the emotional journey the character faces even if they’ve stopped moving their legs. Scott Pilgrim…

Figures in the Distance – Scott Pilgrim, Book Four

This is the book I've been rearing to write about. The Scott Pilgrim books are all enjoyable, but the latter half of the series raises the stakes to much more than relationship drama and magical battles. I love both of those, but now they have layers. Now the books charge ahead with all of the…

2-D Psychonauts? YES, PLEASE! – Stick it to the Man!

So there's this game I like, Psychonauts. Maybe you've heard me gush about it before? Well, I'm always on the lookout for anything remotely similar, so naturally I've dabbled with a few games, films, and the like with similar art styles or premises or themes. Seriously, just look at the number of things I've compared…

All Green and Blue – Breaking Bad, Season One

Yes, this one was a long time coming, but I owe it to myself to get to it finally. I think it will come as no surprise that I love Breaking Bad. Loved. My feelings toward it have become more complicated over the past few years. Regarded by many as one of the finest shows…

Wild Idea, Let’s Maybe Not Enslave Sentient Beings for Amusement Parks – Westworld, Season One

HBO was really banking on this being the next Game of Thrones, wasn’t it? Even before the influx of big-budget fantasy shows proposed by Netflix and Amazon (and even HBO itself), we had Westworld as a moody visual spectacle intent on outclassing that dilapidated old medium of film. While I’m sure HBO had an eye…

The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Scott Pilgrim, Book Three

The culmination of tension in the past two books as to the identify and significance of Scott’s former squeeze precipitates here as we finally meet the mysterious Envy Adams. To further complicate matters, she’s here with Todd, Ramona’s third evil ex. Unlike the short fights in the previous two novels, this one extends through the…

I Was Promised a Book About Meteorology – Cloud Atlas

Every year or so for the past few years, we've gotten at least one major cerebral sci-fi film that weaves effects and story beautifully within the format. This is not one of those, not really, but you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise. On its surface, Cloud Atlas looks like either a heady space opera or…

Here – Arrival

We think a lot about aliens. Look at the films in theatres right now, and you can bet at least a handful of them will feature creatures or beings from other planets, worlds, or dimensions. Usually the heroes are fighting with the aliens, sometimes they're fighting for the aliens, but rarely is much of the…

Failures – Preacher, Season Four, Episode Nine

All right, all right, it’s high time I finished this series given the show's been over for almost a month now. I’ve been procrastinating for a few reasons, some better than others. Work and sleep schedules being off. The previous episode dampening my resolve to press forward. Popping down to Australia to talk to people…

Meals and Mimickry – Scott Pilgrim, Book Two

Relationships are hard, what with boyfriends and girlfriends and friend-friends, some of whom have secret evil exes that attack you at random with lethal weaponry and sick finishers. It's a common problem. We rejoin Scott and company as they struggle through the difficulties of Canadian adolescence, Scott with the dual quests of breaking up with…