Batman: The Killing Joke Review

What separates the sane from the insane?

Is it the adverb, in?

Could it be that the sane reflect on in too much, and slowly become the insane? Or maybe, all it takes is...  just One Bad Day. 

Inside Batman: The Killing Joke, writer, Alan Moore and artist, Brian Bolland, will show you how quickly the sane fade away.

Released in 1988, The Killing Joke was a mature novel intended for the (young) adult readers - which didn't stop me from buying it from my local Kiosk. It was in post-communist Poland (about 1990), that I first spotted the classic cover of The Joker pointing a camera at (a) potential reader, and saying "Smile!"

Interesting fact: the Polish edition had the twisted clown saying "Oh, here's a client!"

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The graphic novel focuses on the man behind the joke: the homicidal and maniacal Joker. Batman arrives in Arkham Asylum to confront the maniacal clown about his angst and motives. Midway through the conversation he finds that the Prince of Crime has already checked out of Arkham, leaving behind a very shaken doppelganger.

Once free, The Joker's targets Commissioner Gordon and his lovely daughter Barbara; his master plan: breaking Gordon's sanity by injuring and shaming his daughter. There's more to the story than just revenge. Because for the first time ever, Joker's past and origin of madness is revealed through a series of flashbacks, alongside a central plot-line which flows to its predestined conclusion. A conclusion Batman has already predicted/anticipated.

Moor's writing is griping and somber. His insight into disturbed minds really punctuates Joker's progression from everyday man into a psychotic villain, whose every punchline often ends with someone's death. I can't think of a better writer to flash-out Joker's believable, yet unfortunate, history. For me, this is the book that made the Prince of Crime into Batman's most iconic villain.

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Bolland's distinctive and often dynamic art does an excellent job of framing Moor's gloomy take on the human braking point. The images do the drama justice, smoothly illustrating the story in an organized fashion - which makes the dynamic scenes even more explosive. The hardcover 2008 Deluxe Edition (which I used for this review) was completely recoloured by Bolland, adding extra details and sleek distinction to an already solid work of art.

The Killing Joke's suit is dark and alluring, pick it out and ponder the fate of the unfortunate individual who reacted to the evils of the world with spiteful madness. Don't fret, the novel ends with a good laugh!



   

Gen8: Boundless [Always]Online Play

Pushed forward by the sudden release of Nintendo Wii U, we are now entering eight generation of game consoles. My first initial thought was why so soon?

It makes sense from Nintendo's perspective since the Wii is lagging behind the current gen consoles, technologically and in big (triple-A) titles. But why would Sony and Microsoft want to invest in new system infrastructure?

The answer is in the question. Infrastructure. Online infrastructure to be more precise. Buy any game and you're bound to be asked to update the software at some point – sometimes before starting (a) game. The Playstation Store has gone through countless of iterations since its first introduction, and I had to update my PS3 hardware so much, I no longer expect to be able to play a game right away.

update update!

And in that little quirk begun the problem. No one really knew why some of the updates where needed, but they were... As the newer games became more intricate and glitchy, patches were required to clean up the programming mess of rushed titles and careless production. While patches make some games playable and balanced, it was additional content that quickly dictated the need for a new business model. And for that to be effective and unobtrusive new system architecture was needed. Enter Gen8.

I believe the next gen systems were only really required because of the need for better software management demand. Which is not all bad. Indie companies will benefit a lot from being able to market their games directly on a vaster and more developer friendly system. Additionally, faster and unobtrusive download options, should quell the hunger for content creation/personalization. But there's also need for tighter control such as DRM tools (Digital Rights Management). Something a lot of software companies have been demanding (EA).

Gamers are often the early adopters because of this, they are a perfect study group for tighter online security and DRM. True, geeks tend to be most vocal about technological vices, but can they resist the sleekness of brand new sequels to their favourite videogames?

If always-online business model becomes the norm, you may have to read those update contracts on your PS4 more closely.

Neuromancer (Review)

Neuromancer is a surprisingly prophetic book. Since its 1984 breakthrough release, the content and gritty vision of this novel has augmented many movies, video games, books and TV shows, time and time again. 

Which is not surprising, since the story has depth and substance – both equal measures of a timeless classic. 

Before reading Neuromancer, I recommend you check out William Gibson's prior work in Burning Chrome: a collection of several short stories which includes Johnny Mnemonic. While the movie was... forgetful, the short story has set the foundation for the mind-trip that is Neuromancer. 

Ahead of Cyber-Crime

The story begins with Case, a data thief/hacker who has been crippled by an ex-employer. While burning out the remainder of his funds doing crimes for lowly crooks, Case is offered a job: infiltrating a new artificial intelligence within the Matrix. Augmented with ability enhancing hardware, and paired with a deadly fem cyber-samurai-for-hire, Case is thrown into a high-tech espionage warfare spanning the entirety of Cyberspace. 

If the phrases such as Matrix and Cyberspace seem familiar to you, it's because those very words have been born from Neuromancer's high-tech jargon, and genre defining world. You will not find a post-apocalyptic wasteland in this book. What you will find is a wasteland of another kind: A gritty cyberpunk reality of a near-future where mankind is fused with their technological devices. 

Damaged organs and lost limbs can be fixed and replaced with cybernetics devices. Appearance and age can be sculpted and controlled with crafting and drugs. While some augmentation seems necessary to function in a technologically chronic society, improvement by modification is taken to extremes by some fractions. In this eclectic environment, the characters partake in the ecstasy of a fragmented and delirious society: drug indulgence, weird quirks, and lots of paranoia ensues.

The author uses a lot of made up jargon, with references to places, people and things. This is not a bad thing, but it can get in the way of readability. Sometimes I would stop reading to think about curious tidbits, or specific items, only to forget about them on the following pages. But that is a necessity of an intricate and fully realized world, and the allure of Neuromancer. 

This novel is a place spammed with violent thugs, international corporate entities, military powers, and a digital reality known as the Cyberspace. An electronic realm which can be entered and navigated by skillful tradesman, such as Case. Within this imaginary space, information can be found, implanted and stolen, but only by the most artful of navigators. Outside of Cyberspace, reality seethes in decaying bars, capsule hotels, and cyber black markets. 

A fast-paced trip through a future not too distant, this book will jack into your imagination, and fry your neurons with flair and poise. Get ready to have your reality augmented -- cyberpunk style.

10 Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights (Review)

Today, I want to present you with a novel of an idea.
 
I'm a devoted fan of all to do with SF, and have read – and continue to read – a lot of fictional books on the topic. It's a wondrously exciting zone worth delving your imagination into. 

There are many novels worthy of note on the topic of scientific fiction, but none other is as delightfully ingenious as 10 Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights, by Ryu Mitsuse. 

Reading this book, I felt like a first sentient being peering into its own awaking awareness, poised to travel an expose of time and space spanning eons. The vivid worlds that are presented throughout the story are brilliantly detailed, and somewhat familiar. Populated by characters of earth's history, we are witnessing a tale of humanity's past and future through key moments in their lives. 

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Determined philosopher Plato starts an expedition to find the lost continent of Atlantis. Sometime before that, he challenges the ideology of the Planetary Development Committee, only to witness the final minutes of Atlantis being swallowed by a sea of stars while burning in raging fires

Young prince Siddhartha takes a journey through imaginary space and arrives at coordinates 429.993. Before finding a key to his world’s salvation, demigod Asura informs the prince that galactic karma can be a horrendous whore. The, near dead, carpenter of Nazareth ascends from his cross, lifted by a cosmic being: Jerusalem experiences three hours of darkness, midday… 

Mitsuse-sama masterfully textures his tale using religious dogma, that will turn your preconceived notions into galactic sands to flood into this spiritually inclined story. His vast universe is made of spatial seas, galactic empires, and hight-tech theological constructs formed by extraterrestrial meditation. Celestial deities make their presence known amongst those worlds-within-words, as they war and scheme to keep the universe from tearing apart. 

In the beginning, SF elements such as superior technology are used sparingly. But they are there, always present. Not as artifacts or decorative creations, but real functional and purposeful tools. As the story expends into the (far) future and key players skirmish on far-off worlds, flexing their neuron-assaulting and gravity-collapsing powers, Mitsuse-sama's imaginative prowess will please the most futurist of readers. 

The narrative flows smoothly, and mirrors the syntax of the specific place in the story's timeline. The translation does not diminish any of the complex idioms that are native to Japanese language. For a book that was written in 1967, I found it surprising how relevant and original it felt. 

But then again, meditating on the scope and mystery of the universe never gets tiresome. The entirety of the story spirals with diligent poise, thanks to the masterful mind of Mitsuse-sama. This book is a shining star within the Sol system, a truly great read.