Archive | May, 2014

X-Men Reading List – Days of Future Past Primer

21 May

On May 22nd, Marvel’s latest X-Men movie will come out: X-Men Days of Future Past. This latest film in the X-Men franchise comes as a partial reboot of the series, following up on the new cast and setting from X-Men First Class. Perhaps more so than previous X-Men film adaptations Days of Future Past will perhaps closely follow a specific story line from the comics of the same name. I don’t want to have any spoilers, so I won’t go into plot descriptions. However, it IS a classic “run” or story arc from X-Men, and I highly recommend you read it before OR after you watch the new movie.

With the new film coming out, this is a great time to catch up on some of the best story arcs from the X-Men canon. Best of all, your very own Hoboken Library (along with an assist from the BCCLS inter-library loan network) can provide you with plenty of great X-Men reading 🙂

Days-of-Future-Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past – 1981

Written by Chris Claremont

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

astonishing

Astonishing X-Men Omnibus  – 2005-2008

By Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon – creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Firefly, Angel / writer of the very unique Planetary comics / director of The Avengers

Whedon brings a different and energetic perspective to the X-Men on his run of Astonishing X-Men.  Whedon’s incantation of the team includes Cyclops, Emma Frost, Beast, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Lockheed and Wolverine. Whedon brings his brand of wit and humanity to the characters, offering up some good laughs along with the action throughout the run. The depth and humanity that Whedon brings to the characters breaths new life into the characters and the comic itself. The plot is engaging with pacing that blends character development and story intrigue. This is a series that is immensely entertaining throughout with Whedon showcasing himself once again as an excellent story teller. This is a great series to check out, and you can read it all in one fantastic Omnibus Collection.

 

 

 

 

dark phoenix

Dark Phoenix Saga -1980

Chris Claremont

This is a classic storyline from one of the great X-Men writers – Chris Claremont. This is the story that changed Jean Grey’s character forever and spawned numerous depictions in other media – the 1990s animated cartoon along with references to Jean Grey and The Phoenix in some of the X-Men movies. The story’s implications are massive and it’s simply one of the most intriguing and interesting storylines. The plot reaches beyond Earth and the X-Men to encompass the galaxy and involves the Shi’ar Empire, the Imperial Guard and the cool character Gladiator. It’s superbly entertaining and a must read for those interested in getting the full character understanding for X-Men.

 

 

 

 

 

17e6y73r4f9cujpg

Age of Apocalypse – 1995-1996

Various authors

Perhaps I hold a special place for this run because I remember watching the X-Men animated cartoon that prominently depicted story lines with Apocalypse. This story features an alternative timeline where Xavier has died and Apocalypse has taken over North America. That sounds like a pretty good storyline starting point for X-Men fans! Definitely one to check out if you haven’t read it. We have the omnibus version that collects the whole run.

 

 

 

 

 

god loves man kills

God Loves, Man Kills – 1982

Chris Claremont

This story heavily influenced the plot of the X2 movie. While this influenced the story of the movie, the two have some big differences once you read the comic. The X-Men series has often had a theme exploring racism, prejudice and fear/hatred of people different from ourselves. This story, along with the character William Stryker, really brings this theme into focus for this series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

newx-men_gncover

New X-Men – 2001

Grant Morrison

Grant Morrison’s New X-Men made a lot of changes to the series in style and focus. Some of the changes he made included:

  • changing the costumes from the various spandex to black leather with the yellow X logo
  • changing the look of Beast
  • showing Xavier’s school as a legitimate school with dozens of students, not just a training center for the X-Men (similar to how its depicted in the movies

Morrison also put a lot more time of the series into things that were not just battling super powered villains – exploring character relationships, having the X-Men work on public relations with the population, etc. At times controversial to X-Men readers and with some illustration inconsistencies, this is still a very influential series and a good read. We have the omnibus version collecting Grant Morrison’s run.

 

 

apocalypse

Apocalypse Solution – 2011 beginning

Rick Remender

Rick Remender brings together a compelling new storyline of the X-Force title in the most recent story line on this list. In this storyline,  Wolverine and Archangel are co-captains of a secret band of mutant assassins, unbeknownst to the rest of the X-Men. Their first battle pits the new X-Force against a resurrected Apocalypse and his new horsemen. This title includes some great artwork from Jerome Opena along Remender’s deep understanding of the X-force characters. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

testament

Magneto: Testament – 2008

Greg Pak

This unique short series gives you the childhood story line of Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto. The plot provides Magneto’s childhood and experiences as a Jewish boy living at the dawn of Nazi Germany and living inside a concentration camp.  The pain and suffering young Magneto experiences at the hands of the Nazis would forever shape his character and fuel his ethos. A harrowing story that depicts the real potential cruelty of humanity, this is great read to either explore the Magneto character more in depth or read an X-Men title that is not based on big battles between super powered humans.

 

 

 

 

 

onslaught

Onslaught – 1996

Scott Lobdell and Mark Waid

Onslaught is a sentient psionic entity created consciousness of two minds: Charles Xavier and Magneto. So, yunno, that’s a pretty cool place to start with a comic story! There are flaws in this series to be sure, but it’s a fun story and worth a read. This one is divided into four volumes. When requesting this item in the library’s catalog, go to the record and click on the little book icon next to each volume listed. See below

 

 

 

 

 

 

screen shot

 

massacre

Mutant Massacre – 1986

Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson

This series was a big comic Crossover event, where the plot of this series crossed over into other Marvel comic series, including Thor and Daredevil. In this story, the X-Men travel underneath Manhattan into the sewers to save the Morlocks from being massacred. For reference, the Morlocks are a community of mutants who feel they are outcasts, and live in underground tunnels in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. A fun crossover with a good amount of battling, this is a classic super-powered-human-battling-each-other story to read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Messiah Complex and House of M –  2005-2008

Brian Bendis – House of M

Messiah Complex – multiple writers

This is the recent pair of cross-over series that changed the direction of X-Men. In House of M most of the world’s mutants get depowered as a result of the Scarlet Witch having a mental breakdown and changing the fabric of reality. Messiah Complex picks up after the big events of House of M and follows the story of the first mutant child born AFTER the events of House of M. In addition to having a compelling plot, these are important series to read to understand the current continuity of the X-Men titles and universe.

There are certainly more excellent X-Men titles out there to check out, but this should give you a good start! If you ever have any suggestions for our comics and Manga collections, want to ask a questions, or just want to talk comics,  feel free to contact me. My name is Matt Latham and I manage the comics and Manga collections here at the Hoboken Library. You can reach me at hobkref@bccls.org.

Enjoy!

Matt Latham
Reference Librarian

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Favorite Fantasy’s Food: The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, and True Blood: Eats, Drinks, and Bites from Bon Temps

14 May

Have you ever wondered what the pumpkin juice served on the Hogswart Express would taste like or maybe wanted to savor the exquisite hot chocolate served in the Capital in the Hunger Games?  Or perhaps you are curious about the cocktails that would be served at Fangtasia?  There are plenty of mystery series that include at the end a few recipes from their crime solving chefs, but despite the intriguing dishes found in many fantasy novels, those treats are mostly left to our imagination.  In these three cookbooks, however, the authors have transmuted dishes that previously only existed in our minds to something that we can make and taste for ourselves. These dishes would be great for a fan’s themed birthday party or a special book club meeting.  Some recipes even sound good enough to make a permanent part of your cooking repertoire.

As well as being available in print, all three of these books are available to Hoboken Library Card Holders as eBooks through eLibraryNJ.  Library card holders can borrow the books that inspired the recipes as eBooks too!

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, by Dinah Bucholz

unofficial-harry-potter-cookbook

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is filled with mouthwatering food so I was curious to take a peek at Dinah Bucholz’s Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook to see how she recreated the dishes from the novels.  This cookbook will be enjoyable to nonfans of the series, who are anglophiles, since many of the foods included are classic English dishes recreated.  I loved the peppermint humbugs I tried when I was visiting London, and will be curious to try to recreate them from Bucholz’s recipe next Christmas. I was actually surprised to learn how many things were not purely from Rowling’s imagination, but had basis in commonly eaten English treats such as the Fizzy Sherbert Pouches–the ones you can make at home unfortunately (or fortunately) won’t lift you off the ground like in Rowling’s books.  Recipes include food from Harry’s time living with the Dursleys, at Hogwarts, on the Hogwart’s Express, in Hogsmeade, and in Diagon Alley.  The recipes are organized by these locations rather than by types of dishes.  Accompanying text for recipes includes not only where the mention of the food the recipe is based on can be found in a particular chapter, but also some historical background such as the origin of foods including hamburgers, ice cream sundaes, and pasties.  Older children will enjoy reading more about the dishes and helping their parents in the kitchen recreating some of the treats.

The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to “Groosling”—More Than 150 Recipes Inspired by the Hunger Games Trilogy, by Emily Ansara Baines

unofficial-hunger-games-cookbook

Emily Anasara Baines is a former professional baker and caterer who is also a huge Hunger Games fan.  Suzanne Collins’s trilogy sets up an interesting contrast with food that highlights the disparity between those living in the capital with those in the districts.  Baines describes the symbolic role that the food takes on in the series and her book gives a helping of literary interpretation with each recipe leading the reader to come away with not only some delicious recipes, but also a richer understanding of the novels.  Be warned though the author is very fond of puns, perhaps even more than I am.  Some of the foraging and hunting based recipes such as those using katniss roots and raccoon meat were less than appealing to me, but if I had the time I would love to try all the different bread recipes she featured which include the breads that represent each of the districts in the book.  One clever addition to each recipe are the “tips from your sponsor” that have useful hints such as using crescent rolls for a pie crust if you don’t have time to make your own, a substitution for when you don’t have buttermilk on hand, and using dental floss to more easily cut cinnamon buns.  I found Baines’ baking advice particularly helpful.  These clever and resourceful hints would make Katniss proud.

True Blood: Eats, Drinks, and Bites from Bon Temps by Gianna Sobol, Alan Ball, Alex Farnum with recipes from Marcelle Beinvenu

true-blood-eats-drinks-bites

This cookbook is based on the television series more than Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, however, fans of the novels who didn’t necessarily watch the show will still enjoy trying these recipes inspired by Fangtasia, Merlotte’s and the Southern Style cooking practiced by many of the book’s characters.  The book is written as if it is a collection of recipes from the True Blood characters and everyone from Sookie to Debbie Pelt introduces different recipes all of which have quirky pun filled names.  Since I love Cajun food, this cookbook had a variety of recipes I’d like to try especially those featuring my favorite crayfish such as crayfish fritters and crayfish dip.  Since this book unlike the previous two, is an “official” work it includes a variety of color photographs from the TV series, which will be a delight to fans of True Blood’s eye candy.  For those budding mixologists there is a sizable cocktail section (including a Bon Temps spin on the bloody mary) reflecting that this is a very adult series.  My husband once tried to create “True Blood” for a viewing party we held by combining everything from Chambord to Jägermeister.  It very surprisingly tasted pretty good considering his goal was looks not flavor, but I think we might try recipes from this book this summer when the final season of True Blood airs.  You can catch up on the previous seasons with the DVDs available at BCCLS libraries.  You may also want to check out The Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris, which includes recipes inspired by the books series.

-Written by Aimee Harris, Head of Reference

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →