The Divine

There are a lot of things I really like about this book, and some things I'm kind of meh about.
The illustrations are beautiful. Really gorgeous. I got a lot of pleasure reading this book despite any shortcomings of the plot just from the illustrations.

While set in a fictional south-east asian-ish country, the twin children that Mark (which, actually I'd like to mention that in the reviews of this book his name is give as Mark, Mike, and Max by different people and I honestly don't remember the name that I read because I returned the book already???) encounters are based on real-life twins Johnny and Luther Htoo who led God's Army, a guerrilla group in Myanmar in the late 90's. They were said to have magical powers and be invincible. I show more like the fictionalization of their story in this book, I think the inclusion of magical elements was a good idea.

I wasn't a huge fan of Mark, though. He seemed like he was supposed to be a "good guy", in that he saved an injured child and risked his life to make sure the kid got home safe, but he's also a creep enabler when it comes to his asshole friend. They appear to have been friends for a while, long enough that Jason keeps trying to recruit Mark to this shadowy mission, and Mark just seems to humour this guy for some reason. Mark eventually does take his boringly mean friend up on the mission, because...? Mark decides to go to Quanlom for a couple weeks for a secret mission after his promotion destination is changed (which he and his wife are disappointed about), leaving his pregnant wife behind, lying to her about where he's going and not even consulting her about the decision (which rightly pisses her off), because he's mad about his promotion, or he feels trapped, or something. Who knows. Also, when he's kidnapped by the twins in Quanlom, he remains unconvinced that magic exists despite seeing it happen right before his eyes. Maybe he's in denial and just can't accept it, but he didn't seem that shook. Basically, I don't like Mark. He seems fake or poorly written or both.

The twins were interesting characters. I love that they fought for their beliefs but I'm always wary about stories like this told from the perspective of the westerner. The story was pretty flat in the end anyway... the kids win and Mark gets to go home, with a memento from his journey for his own kid. I feel like this story had more potential and I wish it had lived up to it. But I'm definitely going to read more from the Hanuka twins because their art was just so *kisses fingertips* show less

I read this as part of the Hugo finalist packet.

This stunning graphic novel confronts colonialism and racism and brings to life a bright, invented mythology. Mark's wife is pregnant and his job will soon send him to the back-end of Texas, so he accepts a high-paying, short-term contract to a tiny (invented) South-Asian country, where he soon discovers child soldiers embodied with vivid, visceral magic. The artwork is stunning--beautiful, and at times, thoroughly grotesque.

The story line is one that has been done before, but this novel offers some fresh twists... except when it comes to the villain, Jason, who is very much a stereotypical racist, cruel American soldier. I wish he'd had some nuance, something to bust the overdone trope. show more Still, that was the main weakness I perceived in a brilliant book. I could gush about the artwork forever. show less

Mark's an ex-soldier, living his quiet life as an explosives consultant. He's got a wife, and a baby on the way, though, and a promotion he was counting on has been downsized out of existence.

He takes a short-term assignment "consulting" on explosives for the CIA in a little Southeast Asian country called Qualnom.

It's just two weeks. And although there's a war there, he's assured it's "a joke," too minor to matter.

But of course, he's going there to blow something up.

The acquaintance who connected him with the job shows him a tattoo he has on his arm, of a dragon, that he says he really saw the last time he was in Qualnom.

They're nearly done, and waiting on their pickup, when Mark sees a small boy, hurt, and way too close to the thing show more they're going to blow up, from the helicopter, when they're in the air.

What has been a relatively ordinary, if hot and humid, assignment, suddenly becomes very strange.

The war is apparently the doing of twin boys, one of whom speaks, and the other of whom has magical powers and commands a dragon.

There's nothing terrible about this. The art is okay. The story is okay. The characters are a bit cardboard. It's a decent enough read.

I see no reason for it to be on the Hugo Finalists list.

Not especially recommended, but not recommended against, either.

I received this as part of the 2016 Hugo voters' packet. show less

Gripping story about child-soldiers told through vivid coloured graphics sprinkled with supernatural legends.

It’s difficult to characterise this comic collection: it’s about Mike, an explosives technician who, for the sake of earning some extra money, goes to Quanlom to help to blow up a volcano.

Adventures ensue when we discover that he is far less ruthless than his travelling companion, Jason. Children with powers capture him and, along with ancient warriors, he helps them to restore the Leh.

Nicely-written and illustrated, it is engaging and also quite gory in places.

Reminiscent of the best in the French “bande dessinée” tradition, recommended to all who like a well-produced product.

I liked where this was going and the inspiration behind it all, but I wanted more from the story...certainly more monsters!

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2686965.html

Story of an American military contractor in an Asian conflict zone who discovers that dragons are real. Improbable plot twist at the end involving his pregnant wife, and somewhat stereotyped characters among both Americans and Asians. But shows promise.