Templesmith's Wolverine

Comic artist Ben Templesmith recently offered a sample of his line art for people to have a go at colouring. This is my attempt (and not bad for a first try if I do say so myself).

Templesmith's Wolverine, originally uploaded by Bathtime with Cthulhu.

5 Minute Review: The Lost Symbol

Reviewing: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Let me start my saying that the Robert Langdon books are the only palatable Dan Brown books for me. This is likely due to the architectural puzzles and mysteries contained within. I picked up The Lost Symbol with expectations of being at least similar to the earlier Langdon books; however, this book managed to disappoint me beyond my expectations.

Dan Brown has a reputation for bloated dialogue and formulaic storylines; in The Lost Symbol, he excels in this to whole new levels. The storyline itself is somewhat predictable - I knew where they'd end up after the first few chapters. The dialogue itself is fat with redundancies, and even makes the storyline unintelligible in places. Oddly, the protagonist Langdon is seemingly led by the nose through the story like a clueless idiot; a far cry from the expert witnessed in his earlier books. Even the architectural mysteries are feebly used, tacked in almost as something to keep the Langdon fans happy.

This truly was an awful book with few redeeming features. I was lent a copy, so thankfully didn't have to pay for this. I recommend this book as one only to borrow from a library or a friend - do not waste your money, even if you are a Dan Brown fan.

View all my reviews >>

5 Minute Review: The Resistance

Reviewing: The Resistance by Muse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a fairly big Muse fan and I've eagerly awaited the release of this album ever since I heard it was in development. When I finally got my hands on it, I was pleased to discover that the band have continued to experiment with their music without any detriment to the quality of their songs.

This, their fifth studio album, is somewhat of a concept album. Inspired by the love story between Winston and Julia in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, this album echoes the themes of love against the odds. The lyrics are surrounded by the strains of the familiar Muse "space rock" sound (notably reminiscent of Queen and Electric Light Orchestra), combined with the evidence of the band's continued evolution and experimentation with new sounds. Other reviewers have referred to this album as "predictable" and accuse the band of not stretching themselves. I disagree - this album combines the familiar and the new, and is a clear attempt at consolidating the lessons this band has learnt over the years.

For me, it is a thoroughly enjoyable album, although I do admit it's not their best. However, this band does release high quality music through all of their albums, and this album is no exception. I recommend this album to existing Muse fans, and as an entry album to new listeners.

See what else I'm listening to >>

Scorched

Scorched, originally uploaded by Bathtime with Cthulhu.

5 Minute Review: Fight Club

Reviewing: Fight Club: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I usually hesitate to read a book that's led to a movie if I've seen the movie first (and vice versa), as the mystery and novelty have usually been removed for me. In this case, I loved the movie and so, when I was presented with an opportunity to read the book, I leaped at it.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this book differs sufficiently enough from the movie that I was able to re-experience the characters and story almost as new. The author's writing style certainly lends itself to this differentiation, with its gritty narrative and visualisations. The use of perspective and chaotic descriptions make this book a smooth read, and the subjects touched upon in a way that's almost poetic and certainly thought-provoking.

I can see how some who liked the movie wouldn't like this book but, for me, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'd class this book as one of the "must-read" novels of my generation and will recommend it to anyone.

View all my reviews >>

Cheeky Robot for wallfarmers(dot)ca

A promotional piece done for the fine folk at wallfarmers(dot)ca. Line art done in ink, then scanned for colouring in Photoshop.

Cheeky Robot for wallfarmers(dot)ca, originally uploaded by Bathtime with Cthulhu.