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And so it ends.

I hate giving spoilers or clues about plotlines, but just look at the title, R.I.P, and it doesn’t take a lot to guess theme of this newest Batman plot arc.

I hadn’t been reading Batman for a while (being in Vietnam for over 2 years is part of that, but downloadable comics have helped me catch up), but I did first learn about the Grant Morrison run a few months ago.

Reading about it on Wikipedia, the plot sounded ridiculous: Bruce Wayne’s new girlfriend Jezebel Jet (Morrison does make fun of her name himself), a teenage Robin imposter named Damian, more from Ra’s al Ghul and Talia, a group of Batman wanna-bees, Bat-mite, and a bunch of strange, perhaps interesting developments to the core history of the character. Interesting as in crazy. But is it good? Keep reading.

Kyle wasn’t a big fan, and I swore I would hold off, but I finally just decided to check it out last week, and now have completely caught up on his 23 issue run (655-658, 663-681) and the conclusion of the RIP story arc.

And like I said, Kyle didn’t like it. He didn’t like it in terms of the parts he’d read. But he hadn’t read the end.

I started reading it, and I felt the same. A little too far out there, and little too out of character.

But the end.

Amazingly, the end makes it all work. Any doubts, any personal suspicions, Morrison puts it all together, but leaves enough room so you have to see what’s next. The ultimate value of a story like this can only come from what’s coming next, and I hope Morrison is staying on for a while longer to define and make sure his vision for this new concept is faithfully followed.

It’s something worth checking out, and while I am still not completely sold, still a bit wait and see, it is interesting.

In terms of the art, I liked Andy Kubert and Tony Daniel’s art on this run quite a bit- they reminded me of Jim Lee’s run at times 6 years ago without quite the statue-esque pose feel that hurts Lee at times.

Strangely, the one issue that stood out beyond 681 seemed to came out of nowhere, and to this point has never been mentioned again, issue 666. It’s a future Elseworlds-like story, a combination of Batman Beyond and The Dark Knight Returns.

Also, issue 663 might be good to check out if you liked Morrison’s work on Arkham Asylum nearly 20 years ago, it’s another single issue stand-alone story.

Some of the covers throughout the run:

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From Hell - New Cover Edition by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell Read more about this book…

I’m a HUGE fan of Alan Moore’s.

Kyle is not. For some reason, if he’s reading this, I imagine Kyle’s thinking “Alan Moore? What a hack.”

But for me, I think Moore is consistently the best writer around. I’m sure many people agree, and for me the reason behind this comes from my belief that no one like him can so seamlessly change characters and genres, yet still create a compelling story around them. When he wants to be funny he is, even when it’s a 50’s style (Tom Strong) golden age way. When he wants to be serious he is. He can even do high quality porn! (Lost Girls)

At the same time, I can see why other people might not like him. I was reading through Marvelman, which I don’t even think can be purchased in stores due to 20 years of legal issues, and it shows typical Alan Moore issues.

In a lot of ways, it’s great, and typical of Alan Moore, the starting points of his works tend to be absolutely amazing. And then as you read more and more, it gets a little…off? Moore is so amazing in terms of the detail of his worlds and his characters, there’s definitely a different feel for each of his works, and I don’t really feel this is true of other writers, even good ones. So while he starts well, at some point, it gets a little too dense. A little too detailed. A bit too high-end, and it can distract from the main plot.

Even though I was a Comparative Literature major (don’t ask), I really just like to read stories. Do whatever you want in terms of depth, and “literature”, but make it a good story. If not, I don’t really care. This is probably why I hate poetry- there is rarely any story.

So with Moore, I know he is doing the equivalent of high end “literature”. But sometimes he gets a little too crazy, and it distracts from the story, which to me makes things unreadable.

And if that makes me stupid, I can accept that. In Marvelman (I was reading the original issues in digital scanned form), it begins to become like that, and I even read a letter in the original issue that pointed out this problem.

In Watchmen, this issue is throughout the book, and for me I ended up having to ignore it, because as impressive as it is from a literary and depth standpoint, it makes it hard for me to focus on the story.

But let’s talk about From Hell, Moore’s graphic novel about the Jack the Ripper murders in the late 19th century, which suggests a possible suspect and back story behind the entire events.

It’s boring literature.

You can tell there’s a cool story underneath, but on the outside there’s just too many parts where it’s not coherent. But you’re sure that it’s super well thought out, super detailed and researched, and also high in fiber.

I liked parts of it, while losing the grasp in the story in many others.

Eddie Campbell, however, is another example of the great line of artists Moore has worked with. When I read Marvel or DC comics, I think to myself, jeez, there aren’t truly that many good artists out there, and yet everything that Moore works on, his artist is fantastic, whether that be Marvelman, Promethea, Swamp Thing, Top Ten, Tom Strong, etc.

From Hell is in black and white, but the imagery is amazing. It’s more in an abstract sense, but the images truly recreate a feeling, a sense of life and lifestyle from the 19th century. Characters and scenes are amazingly detailed, yet up close, they really aren’t.

Jim Lee may be amazing and detail and super fine drawing, but Campbell’s work feel just as detailed yet show no similarities with Lee’s work.

Anyway, my final verdict on From Hell is that if you like Alan Moore, even when he does get a bit excessive, you will love From Hell. Otherwise I’d avoid it because there’s too much of abstract sense to his work to really focus on the story, even though it really is well written, well researched, and extremely interesting at points.

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The history of ID software is depressing. Masters of Doom, though, is a really fun book to read. I’m a video gaming fan, not so much of playing games, but looking into the industry itself and the business. This is a look at the start of ID software, the guys behind it all, and a game called Doom.

I am young enough (28 late this year) that I remember the first company the guys (John Romero, Tom Hall, Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, etc.) worked for, Softdisk. My dad used to buy their bundle packs for me to play with, I loved them, though this was after those guys had left Softdisk.

When Doom hit, I don’t really remember how exactly I felt, but I remember that everyone I knew who had a computer loved it. Commander Keen, which came before that, was pretty darn cool too.

I remember Quake more accurately though. That game hit right in my mid-teens, when I knew a little bit more about computers, and could get an occasional modem game going with a friend. That’s also when I learned how to use the mouse for first-person shooters.

I’ve always known about John Carmack, graphical genius. I knew less about John Romero- I knew he used to work at ID, I knew about the Daikatana fiasco, he sounded like a jackass. I never knew he was (or at least the book claims he was) such a huge gaming icon.

But when you read this book, as you might expect, no one is so perfect, no one is such a jackass.

As the book puts it, discussing the late 90’s at ID, people complained about not having direction, but at the same time people wouldn’t take direction either.

Romero is a guy who loves games, but cannot manage. He’s not such a responsible person in life, but deep down he’s not a bad guy. Carmack, is a of course a technical whiz, but he’s not a great manager himself, and doesn’t really consider other people.

There just seems to be constant trouble at ID for about 5 straight years, from the mid 90’s to around the time of when Doom 3 is announced (that’s when the story ends) and it makes we wonder how the ID Software guys are now. Back then, I always imagined that things were wonderful, but that’s normal for a teenager to think that way. I even remember I used to read the Voodoo Extreme posts of a guy named Brian Hook- he had worked for ID a little, than 3DFX I think, then for Sony on Everquest. He quit ID because he was so frustrated.

In the end, it just feels like if Romero and Carmack could find a way to get back and work together again, maybe they could do something special. Carmack is still fantastic at what he does, but so are a lot of other people- Tim Sweeney (Unreal), Gabe Newell (Half-Life), the Cry Engine guys, it’s not so obvious he’s the best. Even the games themselves, when Quake I was out, holy crap. Now, I barely cared about Doom 3 (it did look amazing), and Quake 4, I wonder if that even sold well.

Romero is off flipping projects, I really think that most people college age right now probably don’t know who he is- they would have been less than 10 when he was a superstar.

On my wishlist is that they somehow make a reunion and try something, even if something small, try to get the magic back.

In the midst of reading the book, I looked up ID on Wikipedia, and it turns out Adrian Carmack left a few years ago. Unfortunate.

The book reminds me of so many people and games of the past, it’s a really interesting read, but much more so if you’re a fan. Duke Nukem, Jazz Jackrabbit, Rise of the Triad, Anachronox (Tom Hall’s game was good, but it’s obvious why it didn’t sell too, it feels like a low-grade Japanese-rpg).

Makes me want to look up Stevie Case again as well…..

Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner Read more about this book…

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Introducing Kindle™

Three years ago, we set out to design and build an entirely new class of device—a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. The result is Amazon Kindle.

We designed Kindle to provide an exceptional reading experience. Thanks to electronic paper, a revolutionary new display technology, reading Kindle’s screen is as sharp and natural as reading ink on paper—and nothing like the strain and glare of a computer screen. Kindle is also easy on the fingertips. It never becomes hot and is designed for ambidextrous use so both “lefties” and “righties” can read comfortably at any angle for long periods of time.

We wanted Kindle to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. No PC and no syncing needed. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, you’ll never need to locate a hotspot. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills—we take care of the hassles so you can just read.

With Whispernet, you can be anywhere, think of a book, and get it in one minute. Similarly, your content automatically comes to you, wherever you are. Newspaper subscriptions are delivered wirelessly each morning. Most magazines arrive before they hit newsstands. Haven’t read the book for tomorrow night’s book club? Get it in a minute. Finished your book in the airport? Download the sequel while you board the plane. Whether you’re in the mood for something serious or hilarious, lighthearted or studious, Kindle delivers your spontaneous reading choices on demand.

And because we know you can’t judge a book by its cover, Kindle lets you download and read the beginning of books for free. This way, you can try it out—if you like it, simply buy and download with 1-Click, right from your Kindle, and continue reading. Want to try a newspaper as well? All newspaper subscriptions start with a risk-free two-week trial.

Kindle’s paperback size and expandable memory let you travel light with your library. With the freedom to download what you want, when you want, we hope you’ll never again find yourself stuck without a great read.

We’re very proud to introduce Amazon Kindle and we hope you like it as much as we do.

- The Amazon Kindle Team

Display: 6″ diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 4-level gray scale
Size (in inches): 7.5″ x 5.3″ x 0.7″
Weight: 10.3 ounces
System requirements: None, because it doesn’t require a computer

Link: Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store

—-

This is amazing! I read an article a month or so ago about how Amazon was implementing text search for all their titles. Not trying to be a free digital library, like Google, but just indexing all information so you could find more ways to find the right book you’re looking for, $$$. And now Kindle is out, their new digital book reader (which will tie in to their super global search). I am impressed, and very much so hyped. Only, it’s $399 and I’m not in the US and so I don’t think I could take advantage of the wireless EVDO access. And, I don’t think I could download books (like a PDF or txt file) into the reader for free books.

I think this is going to be a HUGE gift item down the road. Perfect for casual people, I mean people who aren’t tech savvy.

For me, maybe Christmas 2008, if the price could go down $199 or so with possibility to download books into it.

I love you Amazon.

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Books:

• Comics:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 1: The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Andy Owens, Jo Chen Read more about this title…

Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 5 (Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels)) by Terry Moore Read more about this title…

Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 6 (Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels)) by Terry Moore Read more about this title…

• Video Games:

Game Over Press Start To Continue by David Sheff, Andy Eddy Read more about this title…

The Making of Doom(r) III: The Official Guide by Steven L. Kent Read more about this title…

Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner Read more about this title…

The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon–The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World by Steven L. Kent Read more about this title…

• Work:

The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Collins Business Essentials) by Clayton M. Christensen Read more about this title…

• Basketball:

Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin’ and Gunnin’ Phoenix Suns by Jack McCallum Read more about this title…

DVD:

• Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, $36.58

From Amazon, Half.com, and DeepDiscountDVD.

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1. Fables 9 TPB Lot (Read, Excellent Condition), $63 Shipped:

   1. Vol 1 Legends in Exile

   2. Vol 2 Animal Farm

   3. Vol 3 Story Book Love

   4. Vol 4 March of the Wooden Soldiers

   5. Vol 5 The Mean Season

   6. Vol 6 Homelands

   7. Vol 7 Arabian Nights

   8. Vol 8 Wolves

   9. Jack of Fables

   10. 

2. The Punisher 13 TPB Lot (Read, Excellent Condition), $63 Shipped:
   1. Punisher/Wolverine Crossover
   2. Punisher vs Daredevil
   3. Punisher vs Bullseye
   4. Very Special Holidays
   5. Punisher presents Barracuda
   6. Punisher Max Series
      1. Vol 1 In The Beginning
      2. Vol 2 Kitchen Irish
      3. Vol 3 Mother Russia
      4. Vol 4 Up Is Down Black Is White
      5. Vol 5 The Slayers
      6. Vol 6 Barracuda
      7. Vol 7 Man Of Stone
      8. Vol 8 Widowmaker
3. McFarlane Reggie Miller Figure, $13.40 Shipped
   1. 
4. McFarlane Baron Davis (Loose): $6.98 Shipped
   1. 
5. Nike Kobe Bryant Air Zoom Tee, $18.50 Shipped
   1. 
6. Nike Lebron James Tees (2, Used), $12.50 Shipped
   1. 
7. Nike Air Classic Tee, $16.99 Shipped
   1. 
8. Halo 3 Tee, $45.07 Shipped
   1. 

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I don’t feel like finding/can’t find the exact stats for this, but most of Vietnam’s population is under 35. It’s a new age (hmmm, when is not a “new age”?), there’s excitement in the air, and I guess it’s time to make love.

Wait.

What?

Ok then, I guess it is an exciting time for Vietnam in terms of being young. The economy is growing, opportunities are rampant, and there a lot of tools for the emerging youth to better themselves if they’re willing to work for it: through the Internet (see Friedman’s The World is Flat)

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman Read more about this title…

TWIF talks about how technology (the Internet) has given people worldwide the tools and potential to compete on a global landscape. For example, 10 years ago E3 was a necessary trade show for the video game industry because that was often the only way you found out about new gaming properties. Now, with the Internet, who really needs to go anywhere. Do all your research from there.

Maybe a better example is with video game magazines. 10-15 years ago, you had to read EGM, PSM, Nintendo Power, etc., for the newest scoops, reviews, and rumors. Now, there’s rarely any reason to buy a paper magazine unless you like 1 month old reviews, editorial content that is often better somewhere online, or just need a paper object to hold in the bathroom.

So the same thing with how technology and the Internet has opened possibilities for people everywhere. An smart and hardworking student in Vietnam who never goes to college could code just as well as some guy who went to UC Berkeley in the US. (Hah, much better than me)

I think I’m getting off track from my main topic, Vietnam.

Vietnam has a very young office work population. 10 years ago, office work didn’t really exist, even in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Now, with the options granted by technology, software and Internet (like my own) firms are sprouting and looking for talent. In the US, if I said I had 3 years of work experience like I was some kind of bad ass, I’d be laughed out of every interview. In Vietnam, however, you can have 3 good years of experience and be considered a high-end commodity.

At the same time, the kids here really believe that 2-3 years is something special. I can’t blame them. The market says they are, because perhaps in reality, they are. They just aren’t many people with tons of work experience out there.

Unlike in the US, where you have to stay at a company for at least a year or risk being deemed a problem worker on your next interview, in Vietnam, people switch to new jobs whenever they want. After 2 months, 3 months, whatever. Turnover is super high and loyalty doesn’t necessarily exist and may not be expected. There are also no reference checks to see why a situation didn’t work out, so workers really are free, and companies are stuck training someone without really knowing if that person is already considering leaving.

People can become managers at 25 (ok, so I did that in the US), just get thrown in the mix because there’s no one else. But people here also have trouble seeing the long term, especially when working for a startup company. There’s no real understanding, a sense of needing to build a career. I guess maybe I should not be one to speak since I haven’t really worked that much myself, and have been at 3 different companies, but I feel like I know I am committed now. Again, though, I understand. While I grew up in the start-up and tech capital of the world, Silicon Valley, and came out of high school right when the tech boom hit (1998), how many people here have seen a startup actually get bought out or go public and hit it huge.

None. As far as I know, anyway. Not like a pure startup.

My company plans to be the first.  Big aspirations? Of course! But I wouldn’t be here otherwise. It’s hard to convince people of the opportunity here. They believe in it to an extent, but not really. Not really in the way some employees will just leave for another job that’s willing to pay an additional $100 to $200 a month. Sure, that may be up to a 50% increase in pay for some. But if you realize what the true value of (I like to think I do) a company like ours is worth and its chance of success, then I would say you are a fool to give up that opportunity. I would leave here kicking and screaming, because these opportunities are once in a lifetime unless you are a superior entrepreneur type, which sorry, you (and I) are probably not.

People here have the chance to work for 3 years to take care of the next 20 YEARS of their lives. A pay raise is great in the short term, and maybe a good choice if you have a family to support, but otherwise, if you’re young, confident, and want to kick ass, take some risk, lay it out for an opportunity of stardom. Afterwards, you can go look for stability or that sure thing.

Believe in yourself. Believe that you can go beyond everyone else.

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