Skip to content

Tag: review

Batman Still Cool in the Future

Published by Adam on February 27, 2011

The idea of taking classic characters and sticking them 50 years in the future never appealed to me. So when I heard they were doing it to my favorite DC Comics hero Batman, I was less than eager to see the results. The show introduced a “younger, hipper” Batman who wasn’t even in the comics, and it was easy to see that the creators meant this to replace their classic Batman: The Animated Series.

Batman Beyond

It seemed like a pure marketing move. It was 1999, a year before the millennium, and everything on TV seemed to be going space age. Even the creators of The Simpsons were making Futurama.

So I never really got into Batman Beyond. I watched a handful of episodes, and that was the end of it. But now, more than a decade later, I decided it was time to give it a second chance.

Let me tell you, I was wrong to abandon this show back in the day. The first thing that struck me about Batman Beyond was how dark it is. This was a Saturday morning cartoon, but season one’s topics include chemical warfare and drug overdosing. The next thing I noticed was how well it honored the Batman character’s past despite taking place so far in the future. While most of the villains are brand new, there are references and sometimes entire episodes about classic villains. Particularly clever is an episode discussing what happened to Bane (the villain of the next Batman movie) after pumping himself with the steroid-like “venom” his entire life.

Did I mention that Will Friedle (Eric from Boy Meets World) provided the voice of the new Batman? That’s almost as awesome as Mr. Feeny doing the voice of KITT on Knight Rider!

Batman's secret identity?

You can get all 52 episodes on DVD for about $50 if you shop around online. If you’re any kind of comics fan, you owe it to yourself to check this show out. The writing is terrific, not to mention the shway pre-digital animation.

If you like it, I also recommend the feature-length film Return of the Joker. It’s even darker than the show (so much so that they released censored and unrated versions) and includes flashbacks of present-day Batman.

Leave a Comment

Officially a Bargain

Published by Adam on January 28, 2011

My novel WE, THE WATCHED is featured on the Bargain eBooks blog. The blog showcases eBooks that cost less than $5.00. Definitely a great place to get recommendations for good reading as the eBook revolution gets under way.

Click here to read the entry on WE, THE WATCHED.

P.S. I promise my next blog post won’t be about the novel. Probably.

Leave a Comment

Watched Around the World

Published by Adam on January 11, 2011

Praise for my novel continues to come in! Recently, I got this message from an English teacher who lives in Bolivia. To her, my portrayal of the government in WE, THE WATCHED hit almost too close to home.

I loved it.  The Cold War, secrets kept by the government from the people who elect the government officials from the bottom up, and the ability to access people’s files, calls and computers makes the story believable.  Here, in Bolivia, where I’ve lived for the last 30 years, it’s now illegal to use the word “indio” or to say anything against the president of the republic.  It’s punishable by arrest and jail.  Members of the Press who write in his contra, and politicians who stand up against his injustices, are also jailed.

–M.R.M., English teacher at a bilingual private school in South America

You can buy WE, THE WATCHED for your Kindle, Nook or other eReader from Smashwords.

Leave a Comment

Shoegazers Need Polish, Have Potential

Published by Adam on November 6, 2010

Has this ever happened to you? You’re at a rock show and astonishingly find yourself rocking out to the opening band. So you buy the record, but when you get home and put it on, it’s just not the same. Abby Gogo, a band that plays something between garage and shoe-gaze rock, shows potential but their self-titled debut, available Nov. 30, leaves room for improvement.

The mixing seems off on several tracks, and better production could go a long way to showcasing the band’s talent. If you listen closely, you can hear a strong garage-rock riff underlying opener “Louder than Dreams,” but it’s nearly drowned out by the high-ringing lead guitar. One can’t help but wonder if the track would be stronger if that core riff was better featured. On several other tracks, the vocals are turned down so low you can’t tell what brothers Bon and Jon Allinson are singing.

Band stares at shoes, rocks out

Abby Gogo’s debut also fluctuates wildly in terms of track length.  “Louder than Dreams” is about two-and-a-half minutes, while two later songs are more than seven minutes.  This is a band that loves atmosphere, tense buildup and shattering climaxes, so a few of the longer songs are compelling from start to finish.  “Torpedo,” for example, alternates between hushed chanting and towering walls of sound to awesome effect. Other songs, however, probably would have been more effective with a little editing.

In the end, the album leaves one with the feeling that Abby Gogo is a band that’s probably pretty rocking live. But the lack of production and quality control on their first LP makes the recorded Abby Gogo hard to recommend.  If you’re into bands like The Verve or Interpol, put Abby Gogo on your radar. If they stick together, this is a band that could be great.

Click here for a free MP3 of “Louder than Dreams.”

Leave a Comment

Review of ‘Brilliant’ We, The Watched

Published by Adam on October 22, 2010

I’m excited to say that online magazine The American Chronicle just published a rather flattering review of my novel We, The Watched.

There’s action, romance, and social commentary woven into a brilliant story with an amazing plot twist near the end. It’s science fiction in the way that Orwell’s1984 or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury dystopian novels are considered science fiction. In fact, I see shades and shadows of both works in We, The Watched. The writing is nearly on par with these geniuses of the written word. Mr. Bender isn’t quite there yet, but is closing in fast on the masters. Since this is his first published novel, that’s an auspicious start. It’s highly likely that given a bit more time and experience, the novice shall surpass the masters.

The American Chronicle 10/18/2010

Reviewer David Broughton also interviewed me for the story. Check out the full review at http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/193118

For a free sample of We, The Watched and more information, please visit wethewatched.com.  You can buy the eBook at Smashwords.

Leave a Comment
Adam Bender | adambenderwrites.com | watchadam.blog