Wanted by Mark Millar, J.G. Jones Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Wanted
Book Review: Far better than expected.
Summary: 5 Stars
I seriously did not know what to expect with this work. I read the other reviews and came to the decision to buy it and review it myself since this book seems to garner such strong reactions.
I personally loved this book. Yes, there are no sympathetic characters in it, but that is done by design so I don't know how that could be a legitimate criticism. It's like blaming a horror movie for being too scary. The premise is simple--What kind of world would result from super-villains winning? Is there morality when society treats a privileged few as above the law?
There's a lot of depth to this work that casual reading just won't bring out. If you're in any way shocked by violence, this is NOT the comic for you. This is about as violent as it gets. And in some respects, reminds me of the movie Natural Born Killers. People protest the violence in that movie as well, even though the violence was absolutely necessary for the story being told. A more modern example would be No Country For Old Men. Same thing.
That doesn't mean I agree with everything this work implies, but it is well done regardless. The main antagonist, for example, becomes so incredibly evil after having a near-death experience where he realized there is no God. I find it a bit offensive that the sudden lack of belief implies instant evil, but the character was a fanatic so the point is dulled a bit.
The comedy in this work is so well done. Really good laughs at the absurdity of several DC and Marvel characters warped into this brutal world. The comedy is dark, but dead-on hilarious. Again, you'll probably need a dark sense of humor to appreciate it, and if you don't, you won't like this book. Without the humor relieving the ever present ruthless violence, it simply would not be an enjoyable read.
And of course the end was genius. I won't spoil it, but it truly was a clever idea and brilliantly executed in a way I've never seen before. Mark Millar, which I already appreciated as a good writer, has climbed up several notches in my eyes. He takes risks that pay off.
So recap:
- Don't like violence, don't buy it.
- Not for kids at all.
- Much deeper than the violence, gross-outs, and sex would suggest.
- Full of dark humor rooted in superhero lore.
- Brilliant ending.
Book Review: Flawed but entertaining read
Summary: 3 Stars
If this were a movie I'd compare it to a typical summer blockbuster. Entertaining action that doesn't make much sense once you start thinking about it.
The most interesting parts to me are the training montages and intrigue that takes place between the various villainous factions before all heck breaks loose.
The fight scenes are entertaining enough as set pieces, but a lot of characters had to check their intelligence at the door once the battles start so it can conclude as Millar wanted.
My biggest complaint with Wanted is that something is shown that doesn't take place. Replace one panel with a black one and the word "bang" and you have a much improved comic in my estimation. Storytelling can mislead the audience so the make the wrong inference, but when in the 3rd person perspective it can't openly lie without devaluing the story.
If you don't mind comic gore and profanity, then Wanted can be an entertaining read, but don't think to deeply about it or you'll will lesson your enjoyment after the fact.
Book Review: Fun and unique
Summary: 4 Stars
Wanted is about the id. The basic human programming that wants food, water, sleep, and sex. Villains are about the id, selfishly getting what they want. Now imagine a world with no God (if you believe in God, remember this is a fantasy comic book), no morals, no sin. Just survival. The people that follow the rules waste their life, the villains get what they want and live a full life. This is actually a very legit belief about the meaning of life and human nature that has been suggested for thousands of years and practiced for all of human history. Superheros try to prevent the villains from getting what they want, but in the Wanted universe, the super villains won. Wanted basically laughs at the reader for being a tool. Millar isn't trying to convince you that there is no God and that rape is cool. He is purposely putting forth a very unpopular ideal (in our close-minded society) and having fun with it, taking it to the extreme. If this is an interesting concept, you might enjoy Wanted. If you are a philosophical person, you should be able to "get" the point. If you are close-minded or have a fragile ego, this will just piss you off like it has many reviewers. Their loss.
Look, the character made totally from the most evil feces from the most evil bowels in history should have been a tip off. Yeah it's shock, but it also has subtext and substance.
Book Review: Good Read
Summary: 4 Stars
if the movie had been like the book, the movie would have been better than it was. This graphic novel was good,almost as good as the Sin City books, but not quite.Book Review: Good concept, lousy execution
Summary: 2 Stars
What would happen if the bad guys won? What would happen when the last superhero dies and the super villains take over the Earth? It's an intriguing concept that Millar and Jones attempts to utilize in this unique story, however, despite their previous work, they fail miserably on this one. There is very little character development, logic and the comic attempts to be edgy for the sake of being edgy. There is no reason to connect to these characters. No reason to care for them. In the end, you feel nothing for the main character and nothing for the characters that die. The final result just feels juvenile and poorly thought out.
From my understanding, the movie shies away from much of the source material of the comic. These can only be considered as improvements.
(Edit: After seeing the movie, it's definitely an improvement over the source material. What you think of the movie, however, is a different story.)