Police by Jo Nesbø

(hb; 2013: tenth novel in the Harry Hole series. Translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett.)

From the inside flap

"The police urgently need Harry Hole . . . A killer is stalking Oslo's streets. Police officers are being slain at the scenes of crimes they once investigated but failed to solve. The murders are brutal, the media reaction hysterical.  

"But this time, Harry can't help . . . For years, detective Harry Hole has been at the center of every major criminal investigation in Oslo. His dedication to his job and his brilliant insights have saved the lives of countless people. But now, with those he loves most facing terrible danger, Harry is not in a position to protect anyone."


Review

Police is a good, steady-build cop procedural/thriller that brings together many of the character and plot threads that have been accumulating over the course of the past few Harry Hole books. When everything starts to mesh, about two hundred pages in, it is a difficult-to-set-down read.

My only nit about Police is that Nesbø toys with his readers too long, stretching out the tension too much, in a insult-your-readers way: there are two instances of this irritating habit, which is given away by his sudden, vague descriptions of characters (e.g., “the victim” instead naming or specifically describing a specific character). Chances are, most readers will not be put off by this (they are not serious writers, but readers who just want to be "entertained")  ─ while I view this as a note-worthy glitch, it is not a deal-breaker, and Police is still a solid transition novel for the series, tone-, plot- and character-wise.

Followed by The Thirst.

A Behanding in Spokane by Martin McDonagh

(pb; 2010, 2011: play)

From the back cover

"A dingy motel room. Small-town America. Carmichael travels with a suitcase full of hands, but he wants his own back.

"Toby has a hand that he'd like to sell Carmichael for the right price.

"Marilyn wishes that Toby had never stolen that hand from the museum.

"Mervyn thinks Marilyn is pretty hot. He works reception, though he wouldn't call himself a receptionist. Life and death are up for grabs, and fate is governed by imbeciles and madmen in this darkly comic new play from the acclaimed playwright Martin McDonagh. A Behanding in Spokane turns over American daily existence, exposing the obsessions, prejudices, madness, horrors, and, above all, absurdities that crawl beneath it."

Review

McDonagh, the director/screenwriter of In Bruges (2008), Seven Psychopaths (2012) and other films, has written another violent, darkly hilarious and non-P.C. piece that pushes most social boundaries, with its intriguing characters, able sketch-work and take-no-prisoners outlook. This is an excellent play, one worth reading if you are not easily offended, and are a fan of his other output.

When it was staged in 2010, Christopher Walken played Carmichael, the racist sociopath; Sam Rockwell played Mervyn, the snarky hotel clerk; Anthony Mackie played Toby, the sly weed dealer; Zoe Kazan played Marilyn, Toby’s girlfriend.

Gold Dust Woman: A Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis

(hb; 2017: biography)

From the inside flap

"Stevie Nicks is a legend of rock, but her energy and magnetism sparked new interest in this icon. At sixty-nine, she's one of the most glamorous creatures rock has known, and the rare woman who's a real rock 'n' roller.

"Gold Dust Woman gives "the gold standard of rock biographers" (The Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsey Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the 'shot of adrenaline' they needed to become real rock stars--according to Christine McVie--Gold Dust Woman is vibrant with stories and with a life lived large and hard:
--How Nicks and Buckingham were asked to join Fleetwood Mac and how they turned the band into stars
--The affairs that informed Nicks' greatest songs
--Her relationships with the Eagles' Don Henley and Joe Walsh, and with Fleetwood himself
--Why Nicks married her best friend's widower
--Her dependency on cocaine, drinking and pot, but how it was a decade-long addiction to Klonopin that almost killed her
-- Nicks' successful solo career that has her still performing in venues like Madison Square Garden
--The cult of Nicks and its extension to chart-toppers like Taylor Swift and the Dixie Chicks "

Review

Gold is a good, fast-moving and informative read about the mystically-themed singer, whose successful career spans more than four decades. Davis deftly captures the sense of drama, love and other emotions that imbued her thus-far dealings with Fleetwood Mac and others, while keeping the writing and timeline relatively light and lively. Gold is a book worth reading if you are a fan of Nicks/Fleetwood Mac.

Jack Carter's Law (a.k.a. Jack Carter and the Law) by Ted Lewis

(pb; 1970: second book in the Jack Carter trilogy)

From the back cover

"London. The late 1960s. It's Christmastime and Jack Carter is the top man in a crime syndicate headed by two brothers, Gerald and Les Fletcher. He’s also a worried man. The fact that he’s sleeping with Gerald’s wife, Audrey, and that they plan on someday running away together with a lot of the brothers’ money, doesn’t have Jack concerned. Instead it’s an informant—one of his own men—that has him losing sleep. The grass has enough knowledge about the firm to not only bring down Gerald and Les but Jack as well. Jack doesn’t like his name in the mouth of that sort."

Review

Law, a prequel to Jack Carter’s Return, is just as engaging, nasty, chatty, sexual and violent as its source novel. It has many of the same characters as Return, further illuminating nuances, rough as they are, making many of these characters seem like old friends rather than page-bound creations. This is excellent work. Followed by Jack Carter and the Mafia Pigeon.

Star Wars: Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson

(hb; 2017: loosely linked prequel to the 2015 film Star Wars -- Episode VII: The Force Awakens)

From the back cover

"Discover Captain Phasma’s mysterious history in this Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi novel.

"One of the most cunning and merciless officers of the First Order, Captain Phasma commands the favor of her superiors, the respect of her peers, and the terror of her enemies. But for all her renown, Phasma remains as virtually unknown as the impassive expression on her gleaming chrome helmet. Now, an adversary is bent on unearthing her mysterious origins—and exposing a secret she guards as zealously and ruthlessly as she serves her masters."


Review

Despite its third-person present tense writing, Phasma is an intriguing read, telling the backstory of Phasma, the chrome-armored commander of the First Order. This tale is filtered through Vi Moradi, a Rebel spy, as she resists the interrogative tortures of Cardinal, the crimson–armored First Order commander – and a professional rival of Phasma’s.

There is plenty of Star Wars-esque action, plot wrinkles, character development and a full array of emotions displayed in this loosely linked prequel to The Force Awakens. Its central character, Phasma – a ruthless, ambitious character – has a solid, sufficiently interesting early existence, but it is the present interactions between Vi and Cardinal that make Phasma  a worthwhile book, better borrowed from the library than purchased at full price. . . provided readers can get past its present-tense third-person writing.

Gwendoline Christie played Phasma in The Force Awakens and its 2017 sequel Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. 

Phantom by Jo Nesbø

(hb; 2011, 2012: ninth novel in the Harry Hole series. Translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett.)

From the back cover

"When Harry left Oslo again for Hong Kong—fleeing the traumas of life as a cop—he thought he was there for good. But then the unthinkable happened. The son of the woman he loved, lost, and still loves is arrested for murder: Oleg, the boy Harry helped raise but couldn't help deserting when he fled. Harry has come back to prove that Oleg is not a killer. Barred from rejoining the police force, he sets out on a solitary, increasingly dangerous investigation that takes him deep into the world of the most virulent drug to ever hit the streets of Oslo (and the careers of some of the city's highest officials), and into the maze of his own past, where he will find the wrenching truth that finally matters to Oleg, and to himself."

Review

Phantom, one of my favorite Harry Hole novels, is one of the most personal entries in the series thus far. It has the usual in-depth character development (many of them ongoing), tight and corkscrew plotting, pop culture references, suspense and other genre elements that make Nesbø’s work addictive and top-notch. Be warned that there is more heartbreak than usual in this one, and its ending is a cliffhanger. When reading Phantom, you might want to make sure you have its sequel, Police, on hand.

Jack's Return Home (a.k.a. Get Carter) by Ted Lewis

(pb; 1970: first book in the Jack Carter trilogy)

From the back cover

"Doncaster, and Jack Carter is home for a funeral - his brother's. Frank's car was found at the bottom of a cliff, with him inside. Jack thinks that Frank's death is suspicious, so he decides to talk to a few people. Frank was a mild man and did as he was told, but Jack's not a bit like that."


Review

Return is a nasty, violent and excellent revenge–mystery tale that raises the bar in the crime genre. Carter is amoral, reckless and unrelenting in his quest to solve the mystery of his estranged brother’s death, meaning everyone around him feels the fire of his rage. Carter’s rampage through his hometown is a sometimes chatty journey, one that is memorable, not for sensitive, PC-minded readers. Fans of the twenty-four-book Parker series by Richard Stark, a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake, might enjoy this.

Followed by Jack Carter's Law.

#

The first film version, titled Get Carter, was released in the UK on March 10, 1971. It was released stateside on March 17, 1971. Mike Hodges directed and scripted the film.

Michael Caine played Jack Carter. Petra Markham played Doreen Carter.

Ian Hendry played Eric Paice. Britt Ekland played Anna. John Osborne played Cyril Kinnear. Tony Beckley played Peter the Dutchman. George Sewell played Con McCarty.

Geraldine Moffat, billed as Geraldine Moffatt, played Glenda. Dorothy White played Margaret. Rosemarie Dunham played Edna. Alun Armstrong played Keith. Bryan Mosley played Cliff Brumby. 

Glynn Edwards played Albert Swift. Bernard Hepton played Thorpe. Terence Rigby played Gerald Fletcher.

#    

The American remake, also titled  Get Carter, was released stateside on October 6, 2000. Stephen Kay directed the film, from a screenplay by Dave McKenna.

Sylvester Stallone played Jack Carter. Rachel Leigh Cook played Doreen. Miranda Richardson played Gloria. Rhona Mitra played Geraldine. 

John C. McGinley played Con McCarty. Alan Cumming played Jeremy Kinnear. Michael Caine, who played the lead role in the original film, played Cliff Brumby. Mickey Rourke played Cyrus Paice.

John Cassini played Thorpey. Mark Boone Junior, billed as Mark Boone Jr., played Jim Davis. An uncredited Gretchen Mol  played Audrey. An uncredited Tom Sizemore provided the voice of Les Fletcher. An uncredited Frank Stallone, brother of Sylvester, played "Man at Funeral".

Essential Marvel: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 5 by “Stan Lee, John Romita, Sam Rosen & Friends”

(pb; 1970, 1971, 1972 and 2006: graphic novel. Collects The Amazing Spider-Man #90-113.)

From the back cover

"Granted amazing, arachnid-like abilities by the bite of an irradiated spider, Peter Parker has vowed to protect his fellow man! In this volume: The return of the diabolical Doctor Octopus! A side trip to the Savage Land that time forgot! The first-ever appearance of Morbius the Living Vampire! The death of Captain George Stacy! Plus: the wall-crawler's climactic battle with the grinning Green Goblin!"


Overall review

Caveat: possible spoilers in this review.

The fifth volume of The Amazing Spider-Man shows Peter Parker maturing, in fits and starts, and sports some experimental – for the series – storylines and backdrops for the webhead to explore and fight in. There is less adolescent melodrama and less roll-your-eyes filler issues, making this one of the better entries in this series. Even the oddball issues that do not work, and there are a few, have something interesting in them, something that later issues build upon in a more effective way.

The artwork continues to be, well, amazing. Vol. 5 is worth owning, and includes a section with diagrams showing how Spider-Man’s web shooter and belt-camera work, as well as Doctor Octopus’s tentacle harness – interesting, well thought-out stuff. Be warned that this graphic novel ends on a cliffhanger note. Followed by Vol. 6


Story arcs

“And Death Shall Come!” (#90): In this carry-over storyline from issues #88 and 89, Spider-Man is still battling Doctor Octopus, a.k.a. Otto Octavius, resulting in the death of a major character.

“To Smash the Spider!” (#91): Sam Bullitt, a corrupt politician, tries to exploit the death of police Capt. Stacy, Gwen Stacy’s father. Bullitt does this by framing Spider-Man for murder.

“When Iceman Attacks!” (#92): The frosty X-Man, believing Spider-Man responsible for Capt. Stacy’s death, tries to bring the web-slinger to justice.

“The Lady and – the Prowler!” (#93): Hobie Brown, a.k.a. the Prowler, comes out of retirement to try his hand at capturing Spider-Man, still thought to be a killer. [The Prowler was last seen in issue #87.] Meanwhile, a grieving Gwen Stacy struggles with a decision – whether or not to stay in New York City, or move to London, England, with her distant relatives.

“On Wings of Death!” (#94): Spider-Man’s origin story is recounted. Also, the Beetle is back, with the intention of stealing something mysterious. While doing this, he kidnaps Aunt May!

“Trap for a Terrorist!” (#95): Peter Parker flies to London, England, to look for Gwen Stacy. While there, he tangles with terrorists.

“. . . And Now, the Goblin!” (#96) – “The Goblin’s Last Gasp!” (#98): Norman Osborn remembers his criminal past as the Green Goblin – as well as secret identity of Spider-Man. The Goblin’s mission this time: to kill his arachnid-enhanced foe. While this is happening, Osborn’s son (Harry) struggles with drug addiction, and Peter Parker’s separation from Gwen Stacy reaches its conclusion.

“Panic in the Prison!” (#99): When rioting prisoners take their warden hostage, Spider-Man swings into action. This roll-your-eyes filler issue has a remarkably upbeat finish – if only all hardened criminals were so innocent and agreeable!

“The Spider or the Man?” (#100): In one of the more boneheaded and bizarre issues, the web-slinger – seeking to rid himself of his super powers – drinks an untested laboratory formula. He has an issue-filler dream, and mutates in a theme-consistent way.

“A Monster Called Morbius!” (#101) – “Vampire At Large!” (#102): Panicked by his mutation, Spider-Man goes to the Everglades in Florida to see if Curt Connors – sometimes the Lizard – can help him undo his boneheaded experiment in the previous issue. The situation is exacerbated when a vampire (Michael Morbius, also called Morbius) shows up, sparking a three-way battle between Spider-Man, the Lizard [a transformed Curt Connors] and Morbius.

This is Morbius’s first appearance in this series.

“Walk the Savage Land!” (#103) – “The Beauty and the Brute” (#104): J. Jonah Jameson leads an expedition into the Savage Land, a beneath-the-earth realm located in Antartica. The reason: Jameson wants to publish a series of stories about a mysterious monster said to be there. His fellow travelers include Robbie Robertson, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy.

While they are there, another monster – Gog, an oversized reptilian alien – snatches Gwen and escapes into the prehistoric forest. Spider-Man, with help from Ka-Zar and his sabretooth tiger (Zabu), goes after Gog to rescue Gwen. The giant reptile is not the only threat to Gwen, it seems: Gog is the pet of Kraven the Hunter, a villain familiar to the web-slinger and Ka-Zar. . . These issues were especially fun and out-there for this title.

“The Spider Slayer!” (#105) – “Spidey Smashes Thru!” (#107): Dr. Smythe, who has built a new arachnid-like robot, is once again hired by J. Jonah Jameson. Their goal: to kill Spider-Man. Dr. Smythe also appeared in issues #25 and #58.

On the friends-of-Peter Parker front, Harry Osborne – fragile in his recovery from drug addiction and longing for Mary Jane Watson – returns home. So does Flash Thompson, back from the Vietnam War – and it seems he is afraid of something, though he won’t say what. Not only that, his yen for Gwen Stacy, Parker’s girlfriend.

“Vengeance from Vietnam!” (#108) – “Enter: Dr. Strange” (#109): Flash Thompson is kidnapped by Vietnamese monks, who hold him responsible for the death of their leader. This prompts Spider-Man to save Thompson, with unexpected help from Dr. Strange, who has additional information about the monks. This is Dr. Strange’s first appearance in this comic book series.

“The Birth of. . . the Gibbon!” (#110) – “To Stalk a Spider!” (#111): Spider-Man meets the huge, ape-faced Martin Blank, a.k.a. the Gibbon, and tries to discourage Blank from embarking on a superhero career. Blank, who has low self-esteem, takes this the wrong way and is manipulated by Kraven the Hunter [thought dead at the end of issue #104] into joining forces with the vengeful hunter – Kraven is still raging against the web-slinger about previous defeats, as well as the death of his friend, Gog.

“Spidey Cops Out!” (#112) – “They Call the Doctor Octopus!” (#113): Peter Parker, worried about the disappearance of Aunt May, considers – for the zillionth time – quitting the superhero gig. His self-pity session is interrupted by the accidental reappearance of Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus, who was laying the groundwork for a new criminal scheme while fighting a turf war with Hammerhead, whose head-shape and attitude reflect his moniker. This is the first appearance of Hammerhead in this comic book.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

(pb; 2011)

From the back cover

"Four old university friends reunite for a hiking trip in the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle. No longer young men, they have little left in common and tensions rise as they struggle to connect. Frustrated and tired they take a shortcut that turns their hike into a nightmare that could cost them their lives.

"Lost, hungry and surrounded by forest untouched for millennia, they stumble across an isolated old house. Inside, they find the macabre remains of old rites and pagan sacrifices; ancient artefacts and unidentifiable bones. A place of dark ritual and home to a bestial presence that is still present in the ancient forest, and now they’re the prey.

"As the four friends struggle toward salvation they discover that death doesn’t come easy among these ancient trees."


Review

Warning: possible spoilers in this review.

Ritual, a folkloric, black metal version of James Dickey’s Deliverance, is a good first draft of a novel. It has a lot going for it – an impressive immediacy, dread-hued atmosphere, lots of action, and a mostly worthwhile protagonist (Luke) who does not deserve the boneheaded characters  and forest hell he is forced to endure. 

Unfortunately, Ritual’s promise is not realized because its 417-page nightmare runs too long. At two-thirds its length, it would have been excellent; however, Nevill saddles Luke with character-inconsistent doubts and chatty friends who make dumb decisions – their idiocies even threaten to infect Luke for a brief period, as evidenced by his last-hour interactions with them.

Not only that, there are ill-advised point-of-view/tense changes in certain parts of the book, which jarred me out of the novel. Want to show that a character is dreaming while remaining tense/POV consistent? One way (given Ritual's chapter structure) is to start the chapter with: “Luke dreamt,” then describe the dream. To do otherwise feels artsy, forced. . .  and then there is that telegraphed and slice-of-life aphoristic finish, which could have been written by a Hallmark card writer. This, for me, made that overwritten one-third galling, not just a nuisance.

Casual horror fans who do not mind overwriting will probably not mind Ritual’s length or bonehead characters, and that is good (for them), because Nevill is a talented author who has it in him to be a wordsmith -- provided his work gets tighter editing.

#

The resulting film was released in the UK on October 13, 2017. It has not been released stateside (yet). It was directed by David Bruckner, from a screenplay by Joe Barton.

Rafe Spall played Luke. Robert James-Collier, billed as Rob James-Collier, played Hutch. Arsher Ali played Phil. Sam Troughton played Dom.

Maria Erwolter played Sara. Paul Reid played Robert. Kerri McLean played Gayle. Jacob James Beswick played "Fiend". Francesca Mula played "Witch".

Kiss-Off the Devil: 9 Short Stories by Terrance Aldon Shaw

(pb; 2015: erotic story anthology)

From the back cover

"The truth isn’t always 'nice,' and those who would dig down to the roots of human folly should expect to get their hands at least a little dirty.

"This collection transports readers to the realm of the forbidden, probing the dark, seldom-explored reaches of illicit desire and obsession where opposites attract and lust burns on any fuel it can find. Ranging in mood from the comically macabre title story, to the poignant realism of  'All the Things They Never Got to Say'. . . and 'Another Detour (Alternate Timeline),' these tales challenge our comfort zones and scandalize the earnest little angels sitting on our shoulders, while inviting their opposite numbers to come out and play.

"If the stories in this book were made into movies they would no doubt be rated somewhere between R and NC-17. Not so much for graphic content (though there is a fair amount of that) as for “adult situations.”


Overall review

Kiss-Off is a superb, memorable, vivid, entertaining, erotic and taboo-bursting story collection, one worth owning – if you are a mature, non-PC reader, not put off by works that are fearless, sensual and provocative.

Stories

"All the Things They Never Got to Say”: Cinematic-vivid tale about three foster siblings whose cruel adoptive mother drives them to tender and dark extremes. Excellent, erotic work that integrates close-to-taboo topics with Bible-based abuse. This is one of my favorite reads in this collection.

“Birthday Girl”: A fickle and cruel young woman with a sleazy, alcoholic family tries to sexually “play” her her godfather, with dangerous results.

“Muse in the Neon Twilight”: Good read about a young woman (Julia) who finds she has a strange attraction to her boyfriend’s long-winded and freak-minded professor.

“A Girl From White City”: During a game of Truth or Dare, a young woman (Danni) tells her fellow players about her first interracial affair. What sets this work apart from other tales of this setup/ilk is Shaw’s brief-but-effective exploration of the inconsistencies of the human mind and desire.

“Kiss-Off the Devil”: Excellent, plot-twisty work about a disgraced teacher with a penchant for adolescent girls, a sexy Tinkerbell (who seems to be of legal age), and her ex-boyfriend. This story is a hybrid genre piece that is often funny, always dark and un-PC, fearless in its just perversity. This is one of my favorite entries in this anthology.

 “All the Surveys”: A physically unattractive and pervy-erudite educator speaks about his divorce, Wild Orchid (film, 1989) and sex in this eighteen-page “interview,” where the female interviewer remains unheard. This first-person point-of-view story read like an intentional, alternate version of “Kiss-Off the Devil” in certain parts.

 “Becoming Roxanne”: Seventeen year-old Lois works her first escort gig with her best friend (Tegan). Their clients: the savvy, sexy Mr. Silverman and a grotesque, brusque Russian named Bruno. “Roxanne,” like other tales in this collection, is un-PC. It embraces sex and its professionals, without being cliché and cheap; this is an outstanding read, as long as you do not require romance and are not put off by smart, adolescent-themed desire.

“The Why in Everything”: Chatty work about familial mortality, socially inappropriate urges, human nature and the thematic layers of the 1989 film Dead Calm. Excellent, unsettling and wise story.

“Detour (Alternate Timeline)”: Two of the characters from “The Why in Everything” – siblings Dave and Traci – are shown in a variable take of events. This, like its co-dependent tale, is full of unsettling conversations about familial matters, the differences between lust and love, the underying BDSM themes of John Norman’s “The Chronicles of Gor” series, and how people – with their surprising layers – change over time. Excellent, provocative, standout stuff.

The Leopard by Jo Nesbø

(hb; 2009, 2011: eighth novel in the Harry Hole series. Translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett.)

From the back cover

"In the depths of winter, a killer stalks the city streets. His victims are two young women, both found with twenty-four inexplicable puncture wounds, both drowned in their own blood. The crime scenes offer no clues, the media is reaching fever pitch, and the police are running out of options. There is only one man who can help them, and he doesn't want to be found. Deeply traumatised by The Snowman investigation, which threatened the lives of those he holds most dear, Inspector Harry Hole has lost himself in the squalor of Hong Kong's opium dens. But with his father seriously ill in hospital, Harry reluctantly agrees to return to Oslo. He has no intention of working on the case, but his instinct takes over when a third victim is found brutally murdered in a city park.

"The victims appear completely unconnected to one another, but it's not long before Harry makes a discovery: the women all spent the night in an isolated mountain hostel. And someone is picking off the guests one by one. "

Review

Leopard has the usual suspenseful thrills, twists-within-twists, and engaging and/or chilling characters as the two Harry Hole novels that preceded it. The bad guys are not hard to spot, but Leopard is more about the whys and hows the crimes were committed. This latest book runs a bit long in the end. That said, it is a minor nit, one that did not ruin my overall enjoyment of Leopard. Followed by Phantom.

Star Wars: Boba Fett -- Enemy of the Empire by John Wagner and others

(1997, 1999: graphic novel, collects issues 1-4 of Enemy and issue 1/2 of the Wizard Magazine comic book Star Wars: Boba Fett – Salvage. Published by Dark Horse comics.)

From the back cover

"Before the events of A New Hope, Darth Vader employs Boba Fett, on a mission to discover and bring to Vader a single small box, the contents of which could change the fate of the galaxy. But there's a catch: Vader trusts no one, and the truth of the box's mystery is too important to allow the bounty hunter to live! When Fett retrieves the prize, he finds himself the target of more of Vader's thralls. Also includes the hard-to-find 1997 Wizard magazine exclusive, Boba Fett #1/2."

Review

Enemy is a fun, darker-than-usual Star Wars tale, filled with treachery, death and ambitious killers, as well the Brothers of the Ancient Order of Pessimists, whose fearful existence provides tone-appropriate laughter.

Enemy “takes place three years before the Battle of Yavin, as seen in Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977).” If one does not take it too seriously, it is a good, light ride with decent artwork that adds a little backstory to the Vader-Fett aspects of Star Wars.

Enemy’s companion piece, Salvage, tells the story of Fett investigating a possibly-abandoned ship, Mingula, for parts and bounty. When the biology-based horror of Mingula is revealed, Fett must fight his way off the ship – without bringing that insidious infection aboard Slave 1 (Fett’s ship). Like Enemy, Salvage is a solid (if generic tale structure) ride: it even sports the same end-twist as Enemy. This graphic novel is worth owning as long as one does not mind light characterization or oft-used storylines.