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Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol 8 Devils v 8

The FF are pulled into a madman’s scheme when those closest to them are drawn back through time as a lure to get the foursome to follow. And what awaits them in the year 1483 is a man with a quest to transform the world – literally. Meet the alchemist supreme: Ultimate Diablo! And his plans for the Fantastic Four aren’t pretty. Plus: Something strange has happened at Nursery Two, the Baxter Building’s Think Tank counterpart in Oregon. It’s disappeared, seemingly swallowed up by the earth itself! And if you think that heralds the return of the macabre Mole Man, go to the head of the class! Collects Ultimate Fantastic Four #39-41 and Annual #2.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Prototypical of Ultimate FF
One of the main selling points for the Ultimate Marvel universe is that they can do almost anything they want with what are, at the core, the established characters we recognize. The major heroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men all have the same identities and powers as their 616 counter-parts, but other details can be added, updated, etc.

The Ultimate FF getting their powers from a trans-dimensional teleporter rather than cosmic radiation is a prime example, and this is one thing I like about the Ultimate line. It’s familiar in many ways, but it’s more modern, updated to today’s world, and the Ultimate universe doesn’t have to follow the same continuity as the 616. Characters don’t have to behave like they do in Amazing Spider-Man or Uncanny X-Men.

Yet one thing that concerns me with a lot of the Ultimate line is that the writers are seemingly running through the heroes, villains and major storylines of the 616 universe like a checklist. Gwen Stacey dying, Captain America being found in ice, Hank Pym assaulting Janet. It’s all happened in both the 616 universe and then redone in the Ultimate, with varying degrees of success.

And sometimes, these events happen so quickly or so soon (within the run of the series) that they don’t carry anywhere near the same impact as the original. This is a particular drawback, in my opinion, to Ultimate Spider-Man and X-Men. Ultimate Sandman was introduced right at the start of the Ultimate Six storyline simply because Bendis needed a sixth man. He has no backstory, no beef with Spider-Man, nothing to even indicate why he’s a villain. It’s just that he’s the Sandman of that universe, so he has to be a villain. He’s hardly an actual character, no personality or desire.

Too often the Ultimate line is trying to mirror the 616 universe rather than establishing itself as different. These characters are heroes, these characters are villains and these events happen all because that’s what happened in 616.

But Ultimate Fantastic Four seems to carry the weight differently. Yes, villains such as Thanos, Dr. Doom and vol. 8’s main villain Diablo are introduced and don’t have many differences from their initial version. But I don’t fault Ultiamte FF for the check-list problem as I do USM or UXM.

I think the main reason is that UFF goes to greater lengths to make the familiar characters unique to the universe. Diablo as an alchemist in the Rennaissance is a better idea for a character than his 616 predecessor, truth be told. I’m not a big fan of completely deconstructing the superhero genre (as Bendis seems to be doing with USM) with taking away costumes and secret identities and true criminal super-villains, but I like attempts to make the heroes and villains more realistic, more like what a real human in their position would do. 616 Diablo was locked up for hundreds of years and lived off his magic potions. Ultimate Diablo simply reached across time and space to find the people that could set him free in his time. It’s an effective change, and it’s what I like about Ultimate FF.

Check out the stories with Thanos and Silver Surfer (Silver Searcher) for other examples. It’s the same core parts (the major galactic figure, the outcast wanderer), but they’re done more realistically than the traditional super-hero stories.

It may be that I appreciate Ultimate FF because it tries to go so far in changing the familiar. But I still have problems with how often characters are introduced and then “disposed” of so quickly. I wouldn’t mind more villains being recurring.

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Hack Slash Omnibus Volume 2 v 2

Collecting the entire first year-and-a-half of the ongoing series! The Hack/Slash collection readers have been waiting for, this new Omnibus collects the first 14 issues of the ongoing series, and features classic slasher villains like Acid Washed and Father Wrath, as well as Cassie’s first encounter with Georgia. All this and the first-ever Hack/Slash Annual in one mega-volume!

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Tempt the Devil

Any man in London would worship her. Yet Olivia is, quite frankly, bored of them all. Despite her many dalliances, she’s never felt true passion, never longed for any lover’s touch . . . until Julian, London’s most notoriously wanton rake, decided to make her his mistress.

From the moment he first saw her, Julian knew he must possess her. And when he discovers her greatest secret, a scandal that could ruin her reputation and end her career, he knows just the way to use this damaging information to his most delightful advantage. He offers Olivia a deal with the devil: he’ll keep her secret . . . if she allows him the chance to show her true ecstasy.

But Olivia must be careful, for Julian has a secret of his own: he will not rest until she is completely, shamelessly his.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars What’s This Man’s Problem????
I read Ms. Campbell’s second novel UNTOUCHED first … and loved it! I felt equally for Grace and Matthew knowing what they’d both endured before meeting one another. I eagerly purchased her first novel CLAIMING THE COURTESAN and must admit I found Justin, the Duke of Kylemore to be your basic male chauvinist who needed some time on a shrink’s couch, and not just because of his upbringing!

I felt the same way about Lord Erith in TEMPT THE DEVIL. Yes, these men live in the days when whatever the man said goes – he was the king of his castle and master of all he surveyed. But couldn’t they show some kind of courtesy to the women in their lives and not merely treat them as “possessions?” Especially when these women (yes they were paid for their services) suffer more in the relationships because they ultimately – unfortunately – fall in love with their “protectors.” I would like to see these “heroes” portrayed more sympathetically – like Matthew in UNTOUCHED – instead of as unfeeling villains who want what they want and could care less about how much pain they cause those in their immediate sphere … especially the so-called loves of their lives! They behave more like spoiled little boys instead of grown men of the world. They will pursue their women from town to country, from one end of Britain to another to show the pursued who’s the boss! They have no qualms about resorting to blackmail to keep their “love” under their respective thumbs. What’s up with that? These men have issues that supposedly justify rape and mental cruelty on the women they say they love.

I’ll probably buy and read Ms. Campbell’s next book. But I truly hope that her next “hero” will be someone in whom I can find something to admire, some redeeming characteristic instead of his being a jerk who deserves whatever pain and lost he encounters … and welcomed back into the arms of the woman he’s used and abused for a happily ever after ending.

2 Stars Where was the rake?
For those of you that are thinking to buy this book because you want to read about London’s most notroriously wanton rake; think again. Julian Earl of Erith is no rake! Oh, don’t get me wrong, the book tells you that he is, but nothing he does confirms the statements. Instead of coming off as a hardened rake, he comes off as a love sick school boy at the age of 38. The man is a widow and has two grown kids, one of which is engaged, and yet he behaves as if he’s never had a woman before. He basically chases, threatens, begs, and stalks the heroine into wanting him. Believe me when I tell you that the heroine didn’t even have sexual attraction towards him. She despised sex and he had to go through hell just to get her to be stimulated. After all the joyless sexual encounters, I finally realized that I was not enjoying the book at all and I didn’t care anymore if she would ever enjoy sex with him or not. I just wanted to start on another book that I would enjoy reading; so I did!!

2 Stars So disappointed
The reviews let me down on this one. I love Claiming The Courtesan and so wanted to like this book. I did not.

Another reviewer used the word “joyless” in describing this book. I could not agree more. The early sex sequences read like scenes from a bad marriage. An Olivia’s background. It was just too much. This book was darned depressing. There is no happiness and light here. And certainly nothing to recommend it.

I hate books where the heorine tells the hero she wants to get married, but he rejects her-for whatever reason. Julian seemed like he was not that in to Olivia. He was not willing to even TRY to move mountains for her, even when she told him she needed him to want to.

I did not feel the love between these two and I have no affection for this book. So disappointing.

3 Stars 3.5 stars…
I read someone else say that they wanted to give the book 3.5 stars and I completely understand what they mean. I read this book based on a recommendation after reading Passion by Lisa Valdez. I liked this book but not as much as Passion. On it’s own it is a good book, but I also think at times it was confused what it wanted to be.

I thought some of the tone was more modern than other historical romance novels. I did grow to like the hero…but wasn’t as attached to the heroine. I thought some of the sex scenes were referred to instead of explained. I want the author to paint a picture in an erotic book, not refer to it.

I would recommend it to people who want a simple story and a quick read, light on the sex.

5 Stars Brilliant
This book was so different than anything I have read recently. It was refreshingly romantic as you watched the love develop between Julian and Olivia. It was not easy, but intense, emotional and heart wrenching to read. Olivia is a jaded courtesan who is weary of her role and seeking one last lover before ending her career. Julian is a hardened rake with a desolate past. He always gets what he wants and he wants Olivia. The two arrange the affair each thinking to rule the other then move on. Both Julian and Olivia were real, and the interactions between them were rich and remained true to their characters and the historical period they lived in. Yes Julian is a bit over bearing, arrogant and controlling. But so is Olivia. I also read untouched by the same author, which I liked as well. BUT I think this one is even better. I agree with a previous reviewer in that the story was so focused on the couple that there was not a lot of other plot elements. That I think was why it was so brilliant. SO many other books go off into plots that take away from the romance. Anna Cambell let the development of this impossible love relationship be the plot. It was wonderful.

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The Devil in the White City Murder Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson’s spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men–the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World’s Fair, striving to secure America’s place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars scintillating——
how could anyone review this book, negatively…it had me in shivers with every page; reads like fiction!!!

5 Stars Great Book
This was a wonderful book. I usually do not read non fiction but this book was recommended to me by a friend so I gave it a try. It was truly wonderful and I learned so much about a city I grew up around that I never knew before. I would recommend this book to any fiction fan as it reads like a great mystery novel.

4 Stars Devil in the white city
Excellent presentation of American history written in a kind of “thriller” mode. Nice touch to have reference to other events occurring in the world concurently, to keep the reader “in the picture.”

5 Stars A Simpler Time
I was intrigued in the “The Devil in the White City” for several reasons. My father is an architect and I have always tried to understand the beauty of what he creates – but my mind is far too undisciplined to focus on the art like he does. I’ve always had an interest in the evil that men do, if only to help give real foundations to my fictional villains – for some reason I’ve never heard of Mudgett, a serial killer who may have killed as many as 200 people. And I have always wanted to visit a World’s Fair, since my uncle passed on clippings of the New York World’s Fair to me.

The chapters alternate between pursuing the noble aspirations of Burnham, the architect who would build the greatest World’s Fair ever in Chicago, and the insidious murders of Mudgett as he lures women and children to their doom.

Burnham’s story is of necessity filled with political backbiting, lots of fretting, plenty of arguing, and sometimes a bit boring. But it is noteworthy if only because so many familiar characters appear – from Ferris, the maker of the Ferris Wheel, to Edison, to Frank Lloyd Wright (my father’s a big fan), to Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, the list goes on and on. Set at the turn of the century and entirely factual, the events are distant enough to seem fictional but recent enough that we recognize the characters and places. Yes, even Shredded Wheat makes its debut at the World’s Fair.

The events around the Chicago World’s Fair are directly influenced by the prevailing politics: The economy falters, politicians lie, human apathy and stupidity leads to death. But as Erik Larson (the author) states at the end of the book, it was a rare event (perhaps, I’m afraid, the last event in America) where people united for the common good. Architects, builders, performers – all wished to demonstrate their national pride by building something fantastic and beautiful. That they nearly achieved perfection is a testament to the will of the age. It is practically unthinkable now, where people squabble over a proper tribute to September 11 or World War II.

Conversely, there was a naiveté that was both galling and pitiable. Young women were entering cities for the first time on their own and finding jobs. They left farms and homesteads but had none of the survival skills necessary for any city dweller today. They were still hopeful to get married and have children. And they were away from their families.

In the 1890s, this combination was a veritable feast for Mudgett, who embodied every strength and preyed on every weakness of women in American society. He pretended to be wealthy, was daringly forward with his sexual advances, always promised marriage, and was only too happy to provide for children and relatives. Simply put, American society did not have any coping mechanism to deal with serial killers, just as we were recently unprepared for terrorism.

The American psyche’s inability to conceive of the horrors that Mudgett perpetrated paralyzed every process – creditors who should have descended on him like a pack of wolves believed his lies, investigators never considered him a suspect, police were friendly with him. Mudgett had a black enough heart to gas, dissect, burn, and sell his victims with such pre-planned thoroughness that he makes Jack the Ripper look like a gibbering baboon with a scalpel. Mudgett built an entire building to facilitate his murders and he did it without a single person reporting him to the authorities.

Through it all, you can’t help but realize that all of this is true. Indeed, Larsen’s devotion to absolute accuracy sometimes become tiresome – for the most part, this book is a narrative rather than an account. I sometimes longed for some sort of fictionalized interaction, because it wouldn’t have harmed the book and moved things along.

That said, The Devil in the White City is as much about the events described as it is about the loss of American innocence at the turn of the century. It resonates especially deeply now, only three years after the turn of a new century. A must read to help understand American culture, history, and the forces of good and evil in every human being.

4 Stars History of Chicago World’s Fair and the Serial Killer who Prowled the Fair for Victims
This is a fascinating history of the Chicago World’s Fair in the early 20th century. The book is comprised of alternating chapters about the memorial work of this country’s greatest landscape architects, juxtaposed with chapters about a serial killer on the prowl at the Fair.

The killer is looking for single women to bring to a torture chamber he has built nearby the fair. The architects are worried about tight timeframes and ways to get all the glitches out of the building structures.

I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the personal characteristics of the individual architects, their relationships with each other, their frailties and their strengths. I learned a lot about Frederic Law Olmsted, our country’s greatest landscape architect, and was sad to learn about the depression that ailed him most of his life.

I highly recommend this book.

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