World War Z: Audiobook Review

“Zombie” remains a loaded word.  Said to be coined in the early 20^th century, it has described a number of creatures.  Those corpses who rose from the grave by mystical means through spirits, witchcraft, or the devil used to be synonymous with vampires –the undead creature that consumed the flesh and blood of the living and rested back in its grave during the day.  Nowadays there are just as many variations of zombies as there are vampires.

George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) largely introduced the same concept of the dead being reanimated but in mass through non-mystical means implying a radioactive contamination from a space probe returning from Venus as the cause.  It broke new ground in the new genre and established the way to kill the living dead being to destroy the brain –borrowed from ancient religions which state that decapitation is the only way to kill the undead.  As writers continued to explore the genre, the cause and result of zombification became disease related, coming from strains of rabies.  Whether zombies were turned living humans, such as in “I am Legend” (1954) and “Zombieland” (2009) or reanimated dead as in growingly popular “The Walking Dead” (2003) comic series varies based off choice of the writer.  Max Brooks’ “World War Z” (2006) is the later of the two.

The full title “An Oral History of the Zombie War” describes Brooks’ novel accurately.  The book is a collection of interviews done 12 years after the end of the fictional “Zombie War” detailing the events of the war that almost led to mankind’s extinction.  The interviewees’ experiences are varied as they are geographically apart, ranging from China to Palestine to Africa to the USA and more.  This is a major departure from other zombie fiction because it consorts government and a living society as opposed to a group of survivors after the pandemic has largely exterminated humanity and obliterated society.  It does not follow a specific story line, though there is a sensible progression from first sightings of the outbreak from a doctor in China, to the “Great Panic” domestically and internationally, and later on to organized warfare against the hoards of the undead.

In the audiobook, author Max Brooks plays himself as the interviewer and has a dynamic full cast to round out the varied characters.  One thing that all characters have in common is their down to earth attitudes telling it the way it was, though their personalities and zombie war actions are quite different.  Listening to the audiobook enhances the experience tremendously, as every voice-actor’s performance is as remarkable as the last, including the legendary Mark Hamill (Joker).  Accents are on the mark, and delivery puts humanity and expression in the forefront of the book.

The content of the book is packed with facts and a realistic world at every opportunity except for the existence of the walking dead.  The heavy research Max Brooks had done for this novel shines through as one of the many things that raise this book above other apocalyptic fiction.  The detail in military experience, terms, and attitudes to foreign cultures and politics as well as its social commentary makes “World War Z” recognizable as a novel to be taken seriously.  Most importantly, it highlights what Brooks repeatedly calls “the human element.”  Each interview is a character piece with interesting people struggling to make peace with their chaotic world.  With the jumping between interviewees after 10 or so minutes, it is difficult to get attached or develop sympathy with most of the characters, though it sometimes happens.  The style of book is both its strength and weakness in many ways, and for what it is, it makes few, if any, mistakes.

As well as being a character piece, the “Oral History of the Zombie War” is also a period piece.  Being so grounded in reality, it takes place in factual 2006 with extreme rigidity.  While the political tensions addressed in the book are much the same as in 2012 and likely the near future, it may change and leave the book in the past.  That may not be such a bad thing with period fiction pieces like “Watchmen” (1985) proving their relevance today.  The sociopolitical theme of the book is timeless and will make people in the distant future wonder if there really was a zombie outbreak in 2006.

In the growingly popular zombie genre, “World War Z” trounces all others before and after with its fleshed out Earth in which the zombie war has occurred.  Little is more terrifying than a mindless, irreproachable undead enemy that can infect more to its flesh-eating cause.  Perhaps scarier still is the panic and survivalism in the human creature and the undo waste it will lay unto the world.  What would happen if there was an incurable virus outbreak that reanimated the dead into mindless monsters?  World War Z is the answer.

VERDICT: 4.5/5

The Ten Best Batman Stories

Batman is one of the most celebrated characters in fiction, having starred in 10 live action films, 9 animated features, 28 video games, and countless comics and novels. With the upcoming release of the anticipated Dark Knight Rises movie, I decided to pile together my top ten Batman stories across all media. I can’t say that I’ve scoured the endless volumes of Batman tales that are continuously churned out, but I have ordered my personal favorites in having been an avid Batman fan since I was 3 years old.

All of the movies since Adam West’s campy rendition of the character in 1966 have been considered as well as the most widely acclaimed graphic novels. All works with Batman in less than a starring role or where he shares it with another hero were excluded as well all television series such as Batman: the Animated Series and Batman Beyond. All stories were measured by their standalone merit.

Disclaimer: This is not an evolving list and only includes stories released before July 2012 when this article was first posted.

Honorable Mention) Year One –by Frank Miller (Graphic Novel)

In 1986, writer Frank Miller was charged to bring back Batman as the dark figure of the night he was before the censorship of the Comics Code Authority in the 1950s. In addition to his “The Dark Knight Returns,” he wrote the hugely successful “Year One,” recounting the first year of Bruce Wayne’s dawning of his alternate persona. Batman lore owes a debt of gratitude to Miller, having rebuilt him as a brutal vigilante against street crime and corruption with all of the dark mentality that came with being one. It was the major inspiration for the movie “Batman Begins,” though it was not a direct adaptation. However, it does not make the top ten because it’s unable to stand on its own despite its lasting impression on future comics. Needing to recreate Gotham City’s image holds this story back, not being able to take the gritty environment readers know today for granted. This is the giant whose shoulders other stories stand on and come become even greater.

10) Arkham Asylum –by Paul Dini (Video Game)

In the dwellings of the psychotic criminals he put away, Batman faces trials from many high profile villains after they take control of Arkham Asylum in this sandbox style video game. Few other stories go as deep into how Batman always finds a way to win. While it adds little to the Batman legend, this is the perfect introduction to any incoming fan to learn about the tales of his supporting cast and his past triumphs. The classic voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are brilliant as Batman and the Joker respectively and add another level of legitimacy to the game. Its sequel, Arkham City, is similar in function and quality of story, so I’m putting them into the nine spot together. In this game, you feel like you are Batman.

9) Gotham Knight –by David Goyer, Josh Olson, and Alan Burnett (Animated)

The producers and writers of “Batman Begins” collaborated with six revered anime directors to create six chapters chronicling the time between the events of “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” The result is a deep, dark, introspective look at the detective, urban legend, and man that is Batman. It is certainly one of the most creative pieces for the Caped Crusader. It is best enjoyed by fans of anime art styles rather than mainstream audiences who expect a seamless full length story.

8) Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth –by Grant Morrison (Graphic Novel)

 

In “A Serious House on Serious Earth,” the inmates of Arkham Asylum, led by the Joker, take over the crazy-house similar to the way it was done in the “Arkham Asylum” video game, albeit predating the game. Batman submits himself willingly to test his own sanity within the asylum’s walls, curious himself to see if his mind can withstand the scrutiny. The nature of madness is explored as is the feasibility of rehabilitating the criminally insane during the scenes telling the infamous hospital’s backstory through founder Amadeus Arkham, which run parallel to Batman’s introspection. The painting of Dave McKean is a strong, essential part of the narrative, contributing more to the story-telling than any other graphic novel’s artwork in memory. The bizarre and symbolic imagery warrants multiple reads and makes a case for surpassing a major inspiration, “Alice in Wonderland,” in story quality. However, the story is hindered by a lack of a strong plot and stakes. While the theme is strong, it seems to end too soon – just when it was reaching an apex of its thesis. It leaves the reader wanting, which is a mark of a good story that is not quite complete. If Grant Morrison’s novel was somehow combined with Paul Dini’s “Arkham Asylum,” it would be unsurpassable.

7)The Killing Joke –by Alan Moore (Comic book)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “There were these two guys in a lunatic asylum…” Arguably the best Joker comic, it has gained notoriety as having expounded the limits of the Joker’s mad nature and for having paralyzed Barbara Gordon (previously known as Batgirl) with a bullet in her spine and taking naked photographs of her in pain. In following comics, Barbara was reimagined as Oracle, Batman’s wheel chair ridden go-to computer genius. In this story, Joker tells one of his many accounts of his origins and an inspirational one for the 1989 movie “Batman.” Joker’s goal: to drive Commissioner James Gordon insane from one bad day like both he and Batman have had.

6) The Dark Knight Returns –by Frank Miller (Graphic Novel)

It has been ten years since the death of Robin Jason Todd and the subsequent retirement of the Dark Knight. Society crumbled without the presence of Batman –even with the Joker in a catatonic state with no Batman to complete him. Bruce Wayne now seemingly seeks a good death in reprising his role as the caped crusader and ends up taking in a girl as the new Robin. While there are many highlights including the Joker, Two Face, and gang members, the moment with the longest impression is the end of the novel when Batman goes head-to-head with Superman, the “boy scout” who has become more or less a puppet of Ronald Reagan. Miller attempts to dive into the morality of Batman’s existence as a vigilante, however not as well as other stories in the countdown. “The Dark Knight Returns” is action packed enjoyment.

5) Mask of the Phantasm –by Alan Burnett (Animated)

This derivative of the Batman Animated Series revisits the past of the Dark Knight when recent events collide with old memories of Bruce Wayne’s love interest. It brings forth the best of the tone, music, voice acting, and animation style that made the Emmy winning Animated Series so revered and outstanding. This is the single best story concerning Batman’s vow to his murdered parents to extinguish the evil that took them and his sacrifices to fulfill that promise.

 

 

4) Death Mask –by Yoshinori Natsume (Graphic Novel)

Too little delved into is Bruce Wayne’s training before he returned to Gotham to assume the role as the Dark Knight. In this manga style graphic novel, Batman’s old ghosts from his training in Japan come back to haunt him when the detective finds that a murderer is stealing faces. This often overlooked novel tackles the symbolism of Batman dressed as a somewhat demonic looking being to incur fear. It is a fresh and riveting mystery where Batman battles an embodiment of an inner demon.

 

 

3) Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? –by Neil Gaiman (Graphic Novel)

Deriving its title from Alan Moore’s tale of Superman’s end, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow,” writer Neil Gaiman correctly observes that Batman’s legend could never end like Superman’s with a wink and a smile. Batman would never stop his crusade or his obsession to rid Gotham of crime, an impossible feat, not until he was dead. One of the biggest difficulties in writing such a story is that fans would not be satisfied with Batman’s death, thinking that it should have happened in a different way. However, the brilliant structure of the novel has both enemies and friends of Batman recounting their own versions of his death at his surrealistic funeral from Selina Kyle to the Joker, from Alfred Pennyworth to Superman. All versions strongly describe a different characteristic of Batman from obsession to fear mongering to selflessness. Many seek a definitive volume detailing how the legends of the various superheroes end. For Batman, “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” is that volume.

2) Under the Red Hood –by Judd Winick (Animated)

The unpopular character reprising the role of Batman’s Robin sidekick, Jason Todd, was voted by readers to be killed by the Joker by calling a 900 number. The result was the graphic novel “A Death in the Family,” on which the animated “Under the Red Hood” is based off of in addition to the graphic novel “Under the Hood.” This unexpected masterpiece comes out during a time of mediocre Batman animated features without the classic voice actors of the Dark Knight and the Joker but still excels with John DiMaggio and Bruce Greenwood in their roles. It ambitiously tackles Batman’s struggle to not kill and cross the line between vigilante and criminal with the Red Hood, a mysterious figure who does just that. In showcasing many characteristics that make Batman uniquely him, “Under the Red Hood” does it best with the most superb dialogue existing in Batman lore.

1) The Dark Knight –by David S. Goyer & Christopher Nolan (Live Action)

There is little I can say to add to the evaluation of Christopher Nolan’s indisputable cinematic masterpiece. The “Dark Knight” movie’s high entertainment value and the Oscar winning performance of Heath Ledger is the take-away for most viewers, but to those who understand Batman, it is so much more. It, in fact, changed the Academy Awards indefinitely by not being nominated for best picture and sparking outrage among audiences and critics, prompting an expansion in the number of films that could be nominated in the following years. This sequel to “Batman Begins” philosophically challenges the essence of Batman with his counter point, the anarchistic madman known as the Joker. In this story, the Dark Knight himself is a parable of guardians and protectors in all forms from government to police to vigilantes. His imperfect yet incorruptible design transcends heroism. In the end, this story makes a case for the justification of Batman’s very existence.

So here’s to hoping that “The Dark Knight Rises” will join this list…

Other Honorable Mentions:
The Long Halloween (Graphic Novel), Subzero (Animated), Batman Begins (Live Action)

All projects are collaborative and take the dedicated work of many to complete. For simplicity’s sake, I only named the writers of the works in my top ten Batman story countdown.

For more information on the top graphic novels, I recommend visiting IGN at http://comics.ign.com/articles/624/624619p1.html