My Plain and Simple Review of the LOST Finale

Brilliant, simply brilliant.

Everything fit together perfectly, and there was an internal cohesion to the episode that worked.

And I cried at the end. Seriously.

LOST in a Good Book

In all honesty, there are two shows that I enjoy but that, quite honestly, I rarely - if ever - blog about.

Battlestar Galactica and Lost.

It's not that I don't enjoy both of them - part of it is that, so much is said, I would only be adding noise to the discussion. Plus, pal Rich does it so much better than I could, I'll leave it to him.

(Although I think I could drink him - and Warren Ellis - under the table).

But when I read an interview with one of the Lost writers, stating that The Third Policeman was going to be referenced - for a key reason - and that viewers would have "more ammunition" to analyze and understand the series - I knew that I had to read it.

I'm not going to do a comparison between the two, because that would be kind of spoiler-ish, but I can say that, even for those who do not watch Lost, The Third Policeman is a very enjoyable, absurdist novel.

A man fails at a robbery, and finds himself in a unique situation. A famous theorist named de Selby postulates all sorts of interesting things, like how people are turning into bicycles, and that night is simply the accumulation of "dark air".

What's remarkable about The Third Policeman is that, if it were published tomorrow, would be cited as having a great Douglas Adams/Terry Pratchett wit...and much like its current television descendant, there's a great sense of "what's-going-on-here". It's not an easy read, by any means (in one chapter, the footnotes seem longer than the actual chapters)...but in a way, it is one of the book's strengths.

Would anyone read this book if it wasn't mentioned in discussions about one of the best shows on televisions? I don't know...but I'd like to think so.

Highly recommended.

Various and Sundry Sunday

With the Internet abuzz about all sorts of things - and the fact that I haven't actually blogged about comics in, like, forever - here are some brief little tidbits on comics, television, and other things that I can't justify putting in a full post.

• Am I the only person who loves Marvel's Annihilation storyline? And who thinks that Guardians of the Galaxy is their present-day attempt to mimic this futuristic franchise? (And I am not complaining...
• I liked Robin # 174. I might have enjoyed it more...had Stephanie's "return" not been so telegraphed by Bill Willingham when he wrote her "death" in Batman so long ago.
• If you haven't seen Venture Brothers, please watch it tonight on Adult Swim. For any comics/animation/humor fan, it's a must-watch. Why this show isn't more popular, I have no idea.
• I always thought that the "Assignment: Earth" episode of Star Trek would have made a great franchise. I enjoyed Greg Cox using the "format" for his Eugenics Wars novels. John Byrne's use in Star Trek - Assignment: Earth # 1 from IDW...left me cold.
• (Clicking link will lead to potential speculation/spoiler) - I wonder if the major plot twist on Battlestar Galactica is actually a version of this. If so, I wouldn't be surprised.
• I liked Final Crisis # 1...but I only wish that (major character with untapped potential) had not have been (no spoilers here). I think that (what happened in Final Crisis to major character with untapped potential) is the new cliche in comics.
• In all honesty, I wonder why this show is not a comic book. To whatever company gets the rights...I'll write it. For free, if need be.
• Surprisingly, I'm enjoying the heck out of Brubaker's run on Captain America. I just wish I could say the same for Avengers/Invaders 1. I'll give it time, though.
• Dear Mike Sterling - As per this post, I am asking that you post a picture of yourself wearing a bow tie on your blog. It will drive your blog traffic upwards. Trust me on this.
  
• Finally, I might enjoy "Thy Kingdom Come" in Justice Society of America more...had they not done similar storylines in The Kingdom. Or Chuck Austen's run on Action Comics. It's just too bad DiDio seems resigned to this fate.