A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol is a favorite of mine. I make a perennial effort to enjoy the holiday classic in some way. A couple of years ago, I went to a school play. Last year I watched the historical account of it's creation in The Man Who Invented Christmas. This year I consumed A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story by European comics creator Jose-Luis Munuera.

Originally published in France in 2022, this 2023 edition by Cinebook Expresso was one that I ordered last year. But due to a shipping delay, I didn't get it until early January, 2024. So I waited almost a full year to read this book.

The big twist is that the role of Scrooge is gender swapped. In fact most of the characters are gender swapped. Ebenezer Scrooge is now Elizabeth Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Present is portrayed in the appearance of a boy while Christmas Present is a woman. Only Bob Cratchit and his family seem to be the only main characters that remain in their original sex. Marley too.

From the very beginning, Munuera's version is an almost word for word depiction of the original Dickens work. So much so that I started wondering what was the point of switching genders if nothing had changed. It wasn't until Scrooge is visited by the first of the three ghosts that we see any sort of deviation from the source text. 

In the 1843 novella, Ebenezer Scrooge is despised by his father, as his mother died while giving birth to him. Here, Elizabeth Scrooge is hated by her father, as Mrs. Scrooge left him, resulting in the patriarch hating all women. That alienation of parental affection motivates her to become successful. It's Elizabeth's genius at numbers and finance that results in her becoming a shrewd businesswoman and one of the leading money lenders in all of London; if not also the most despised. In a male dominated later Victorian era England, it's no wonder that Elizabeth Scrooge is bitter against the world, in turn seeing the frivolity of the Holiday season as a waste of money and time. However, it's Elizabeth's strong feminist ideals that makes her miss the true meaning of Christmas.

When in the future, Elizabeth sees how people react in a state of almost rapture when they learn of her death. That doesn't bother Scrooge because everyone dies eventually and it brings her no closer to accepting Christmas into her heart. No, it's when she learns of Tiny Tim's tragic death does Elizabeth Scrooge change and she doesn't really even change all that much. 

When Elizabeth returns to her present day, she basically becomes the secret benefactor of Tiny Tim's medical bills. Heck, she doesn't even become a second parent to the lady like Ebenezer does in the original. Yet, Elizabeth Scrooge now seems to be engaged in an ongoing war against God, threatening to do battle with the Creator should he prematurely take the life of Tiny Tim! No joke! She actually threatens God and the Ghost of Christmas Future! 

Sure, now Scrooge makes donations to the poor and has a slightly repaired relationship with her only living relative, the gender swapped niece Winifred. However this Scrooge is not really any different to the rest of the world. She's still got a huge chip on her shoulder because she's the only female financier in a male dominated society. 

I think one of the biggest problems with this book is how Munuera portrays Tiny Tim. He's not as endearing as Dickens made the iconic character. He doesn't have that dogged determination to make the best of things despite being inflected by some dread disease. Tiny Tim also doesn't express mercy on Scrooge. Not once does this version bid tidings to all by exclaiming 'God Bless Us, Everyone!' Instead, he calls Scrooge 'Stingy', at the Cratchit Christmas meal. I think had he bestowed Christmas cheer to his father's boss, Elizabeth Scrooge might have become more bonded to the child. Instead, she's more impressed by his business acumen when Tiny Tim tells his family that he was able to figure out the value of a fairy tale characters secret bounty. 

I'm not sure who missed the point of Charles Dickens classic: Elizabeth Scrooge or Jose-Luis Munuera...

I thought Munuera's artwork was stunning. I thought I was looking at stills from an animated movie. It was so vivid and life-like. Marley's Ghost was so chilling looking. As for Elizabeth Scrooge, well she wasn't old enough to be Scrooge. In almost every presentation of A Christmas Carol on stage and screen, Scrooge is an old man. In this graphic novel, our Scrooge is maybe in her late 40s, tops. That was a big swing and a miss. 

One might argue that making Elizabeth look old and spindly prevents her from being portrayed as a strong female character. I've known several old ladies who've scared the hell out of me. Maybe Munuera could have used them to convincingly change this Scrooge in a way that was more in line with Dickens's Scrooge!

A great first half. Amazing art. But the second half fell flat and the main character just didn't look right for the part. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)

I make it a point to enjoy some version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The story has been a seasonal favorite of mine ever since I saw it performed by ducks, beagles and a mouse in Mickey's A Christmas Carol all the way back in 1983. For this year's version, I not only got a retelling of the Dickens' classic, I also caught a glimpse at the life of the famed British writer. 

It's 1843, London. After the success of the highly popular Oliver Twist 4 years prior, Dickens has issued a trio of works, all duds. The writer is buried under mountains of debt due to burning his financial candle at both ends. Forced at an early age into working at a factory when his family are thrown into a debtors prison, Dickens swears never to live in such poverty ever again. So while renovating a lush mansion with his wife and multiple children, the writer also gives generously to many social causes and charities. However, with the failed novels, Dickens' source of income has all but dried up.

The writer gets inspiration for a ghost story set at Christmas from a series of random events, including stumbling upon a funeral in which nobody came to pay their respects and the hiring of an Irish maid whose family traditions with Christmas intrigues Charles. There's only one problem with a book set at Christmas: in 1840s England, the holiday isn't really all that big of a thing and no publisher wants to publish the book.

Determined he's got a hit on his hands, Dickens decides to self publish the book. It's a desperate move that could see him and his family in debtor's prison should it fail. Plus in order to get the book into stores in time for Christmas, he's only got about 6 weeks to get it published. But first, he's got to write the thing!

The first couple of chapters flow easily. He imagines his characters interacting with him on a daily basis, letting the plot's course evolve naturally. It's when faced with blow-back at the death of a very popular character in the book does Dickens encounter writer's block. Added to the creative impasse is the trauma Charles encounters when his mother and father come back into his life. Now as his characters demand an ending, the writer learns that Scrooge isn't so much based on people he's met in his daily life; he is Scrooge!

As Dickens writes what will become known as A Christmas Carol, the characters he creates recite large passages of the book. I found myself quoting the book along with Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and others. This shocked me. I've always thought it's odd that characters in movies and TV can quote these lengthy passages of Shakespeare and other classics. Apparently, I can quote A Christmas Carol. Who knew?

The Man Who Invented Christmas seems to have not been a hit when it debuted in theaters back in 2017. It only netted about $10 million dollars worldwide. Coco, Justice League, and Murder on the Orient Express dominated the November box office. Throw in December's lineup with films like Pitch Perfect 3, one of the rebooted Jumanji films and The Last Jedi, this little Christmas movie didn't have a chance. Jump ahead 6 years and I came across this airing on a movie channel on Dish. I remember that my wife expressed interest in the movie when she saw the trailer back then. I was also interested. So, I DVR'd it and watched it over a cold and rainy weekend! The verdict- I LOVED IT!

While I had thought for some reason Steve Coogan was playing Charles Dickens, the film managed to really catch my interest. Dan Stevens was very good as the troubled writer. Yet when I think of Dickens writing this book, I don't visualize him being so young. Christopher Plummer was fantastic as Scrooge. Though I feel like an opportunity was missed not having Sir Patrick Stewart taking on the role, based on his annual theatrical performance of the work as a one man show. Jonathan Pryce is once again marvelous. (Note: he sure is in a lot of movies I like!) This time, he's Charles' father, who struggles with the loss of reputation and pride from his time in debtor's prison. 

I really enjoyed the film. Though it only has 1 real scene occurring during Christmas, this is very much a Christmas movie. A Victorian Christmas movie! Full of some of the best scenes from A Christmas Carol! And it was based on a 2008 book by Les Standiford. One of which I look forward to making it a part of next year's tradition of further exploring the world of a Victorian London Christmas invented by Charles Dickens!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Borden Tragedy: A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892

Victorian true crime writer and artist Rick Geary recounts the events of the Lizzie Borden murders. A big fan of Geary's, I was ecstatic to read his take on the crime. In college, when I was a history major (not culinary), I did a research paper on Lizzie Border. It was a fascinating murder mystery that due to Border being found not guilty, is still considered unsolved to this day. Plus, this case was when I realized that my focus of study wasn't going to go the traditional route. But then again, when do I do anything like everybody else???

Rick Geary's work is one that collects the clues all the way from eyewitness accounts to sensationalized reporting to the court cases themselves. In no way does Geary express his bias onto the story. It's just the facts and nothing but the facts. Well, in the case of the Borden murders, since a suspect was never found guilty of the crimes, there's theory. But again, those theories are based on police and medical examiner findings and not the author's opinion.

I hit the mother lode at my local library recently. I've got 5 more Rick Geary graphic novels left to read and with it getting closer to fall and October, I am getting pumped to read some spooky stuff. You can't build upon the Halloween atmosphere any better with Gothic mysteries. Especially when these case files are all true!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning

   Holy Crap- I read an actual novel!!!

   I know it's very rare when I do this. Madman With a Book is primarily devoted to comic books and graphic novels. But every once in a while a novel peaks my interest. Warlock Holmes : A Study In Brimstone is one such book.

    Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was not really a great detective. Instead of a man of science, Holmes is a student of the Dark Arts. But he's not even a really good one of those either. Yet in order to keep his secret safe, Warlock Holmes helps the police of Scotland Yard solve a number of crimes under the guise of using science.

     Warlock's true detective genius is actually Watson! A brilliant doctor, Watson secretly solves the crimes, with a little hocus pocus from Holmes. Together, the pair become fast friends and the toast of the London. The pair eventually ally themselves with other supernatural crime fighters; such as the vampire detective Lestrade. It's their mission to end the reign of the master criminal James Moriarty, whose spirit currently resides in one Warlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street!

     A Study in Brimstone is a laugh-out-loud parody of everything Sherlock Holmes. Sprinkled with a little bit of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, along with Doyle, the short stories will change how you see Holmes and Watson. Containing spoofs of A Study in Scarlet, the Adventure of the Yellow Face, and others, this book is the first in a series. 

   Even though it's a tad unpolished and gets a little too silly at times, I could not put down this 2016 work by G.S. Denning. In fact, I enjoyed Warlock Holmes so much that I raced back to the library and got the second book. I'm only about 30 pages in right now but it's just as funny as this opening volume! 

      Worth Consuming!

      Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

      

A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium

  The unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper, the prolonged assassination of President James Garfield, and the strange case of H.H. Holmes; perhaps the first serial murderer in American history. Along with a trio of little known murders involving incest, fraud, and deception, this is the first collection of Victorian Era murder graphic novels by Rick Geary.
     If you love true crime. If you are a fan of the Victorian era. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie, then the works of Rick Geary are right up your ally! 
    You don't have to be a fan of graphic novels to enjoy these historical pieces. With Geary's attention to detail and journalistic storytelling style, anyone who reads Ann Rule or can't miss an episode of Dateline NBC can enjoy this compendium. 
    I'm trying really hard to get my wife to read this. She's balking but I know in my heart of hearts that this is something she'd enjoy and demand more.
    At only $25 cover, this is a killer deal. Especially as each individual Geary edition has a cover price of at least $10 apiece or higher. Check this out on Amazon or your local library, like I did! 
    It would be a crime to pass this volume up!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Sherlock Holmes #1

This is one of those comics in which if it wasn't for the group's I participate in on Facebook, I wouldn't have known that it existed. When I saw this posted as a comic convention find by a fellow group member, I was so jealous. I immediately went to the net to purchase a copy for myself. Needless to say, it wasn't cheap. So, I held off on getting the book and I waited.

  My wait wasn't very long as I found a decent good- to- very good copy for only a buck! I'm pretty sure I yelled out “MINE!”, even though I was the only customer in the store at the time. That's how bad I wanted this issue.

  This issue, dated October 1975, is based on the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Dennis O’ Neil, who at the time of publication was doing masterful mystery work on various Batman series. So he was the perfect choice to head this up. The gothic style cover art is by superstar artist Walt Simonson (Thor) with interiors by Filipino artist E.R. Cruz. I'm not very familiar with Cruz and what little I could find about him could fill a postage stamp. But he did do some work on a variety of DC'S lesser known horror titles and his work here is really good.

  Sherlock Holmes #1 is divided into two parts. Part one retells Doyle's ‘The Final Problem’ in what was to be the last ever story between Holmes and his arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty. I've read the story on which this part was based and the adaptation was quite good.

 Part two covers a story that I have yet to read in prose form, ‘ The Adventure of the Empty House.’ That story marked Holme’s return after a brief hiatus in which fans of the detective went bonkers and demanded that Doyle resurrect his most famous creation. To rate the story on its merits alone, the solution to how Holmes survived his encounter with Moriarty was OK. But his reasons for faking his own death were actually quite brilliant.

  The biggest surprise about this issue is that not only is it the first issue, it's the only issue. I'm not sure why it didn't catch on with readers. And no this wasn't a one-shot as there's a plug for issue #2 at the end of the book. And no- this title wasn't a victim of the DC implosion as that didn't occur until 1978. (Speaking of book endings, there is a great article about Sherlock Holmes in fiction and film at issue's end that was really interesting. Be sure not to skip it!)

 A fun read that is best read at night. A must for fans and collectors that consider themselves a member of the Baker Street Irregulars.

  Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

   

The Sherlock Holmes Puzzle Collection

  When I found this book, I was so excited. I have been on a Sherlock kick recently having discovered the Benedict Cumberbatch series on PBS. So when I found this puzzle book, I thought I would get to be like the famous detective and solve some crimes.

  The book is setup just like the original novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Dr. John Watson as the narrator. This time, the prose is in the form of Watson's notebook containing some of Holmes lesser known ( and so extent, less exciting mysteries- unpublished of course!) With the answers in the back, I thought that this would be like Donald J Sobol's Encyclopedia Brown series that I adored as a kid. (who am I kidding, I still do!) Yet I would have to venture that about 75% of this book reads like the SATs!

   With complicated word plays, lengthy math problems, logic puzzles, and blasted fractions, this book was hard. It didn't help that these puzzles get more and more difficult as the book progresses. Plus, some of the more tricky puzzles unfairly require the reader to have a general knowledge of life in Victorian England in order to solve them.

  By the end of the book, these contests were so difficult to even comprehend that I was pretty much rushing through them. I was that flustered with this book. I think you've got to be a member of MENSA to enjoy the second half of this book. And if you aren't, you’re going to need a pen, paper and possibly a calculator and dictionary to solve them.

  I enjoyed the artwork, some of which were original pieces by Sydney Paget, illustrator of Doyle's stories when first published in London's The Strand magazine. This is a lovely little book for serious Sherlock enthusiasts but for a comparative novice of Holmes and Watson like me, it's going straight to a used bookstore for trade credit.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Sherlock Holmes: Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Holmes

The Caliber Press Cover.
Same as Tome, except for the different logo.

  The evil Mr. Hyde is terrorizing the streets of Victorian London. On the case is the brilliant detective, Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion, Watson. In this fantastic crossover comic thriller from Time Press, we see what might have happened if Robert Louis Stevenson collaborated with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  

   This one-shot from 1998 is Gothic storytelling at its very best. The writing of scripter Steve Jones was so perfect that I felt like I was reading something actually written by the original authors.

    I had gotten this book's in a grab bag a few months ago, holding on to it as a Halloween read. The decision was well worth the wait. The artwork by was similar to the Gothic illustrations of Sidney Paget, whose work chronicled the adventures of Holmes in the pages of the Strand Magazine. The whole package made for a delightfully spooky read.

   If this is what Tome Press' other Sherlock are like- then count me a new fan. Over the past couple of years, my love of Holmes has grown exponentially. The BBC series SHERLOCK has helped, but it's rare little treasures such as Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Holmes that has colored me Sherlocked!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

(Addendum: In 1979-80, Loren Estleman wrote the novel 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Holmes.' The novel was crafted as an lost manuscript by Dr. John Watson, but kept in a security box, unpublished, due to the sensational events the journal contained. Whether this comic was written as an adaptation of Estleman's book is unclear. On the credits page, Steve Jones gives thanks Doyle and Stevenson for their creations but no credit is given to Estleman. Also, the novel was written from Watson's perspective as this comic was scripted as a letter from Holmes to his biographer. 

    In 2010, Titan Books reissued Estleman's novel to much success. Whether the novel inspired this one-shot or the publication of this comic inspired Titan to re-release the novel is a mystery worthy of Holmes and Watson's attention.)

Sailor Twain OR The Mermaid in the Hudson

 This graphic novel from 2012 is a Victorian Era mystery set on the Hudson River. Strange occurrences result in a steamboat owner's disappearance. When his body is flushed from the river, authorities declare it a suicide but the owner's brother has other thoughts. He becomes convinced he can bring his beloved brother back. Soon he too begins acting strangely. Eventually, the sibling begins to correspond with a mysterious writer who is an expert in paranormal and mythical creatures, particularly mermaids. 

    The captain of the ship has other thoughts. With his new owner striving to acquire seven lovers and staring off into the mighty river below for hours on in, the mariner believes that his new boss is going off the deep end like his brother did before he went missing. Nearly ready to send his crew off into a mutiny, Captain Twain finds that there just may be a method to the brothers' madness when discovers an injured mermaid the deck of his ship.

    Sailor Twain was engrossing. I was captured from just about the very beginning and I could not put this fantastic book down. The book is 400 pages, but I devoured it in one day. The story along with the mystery of the mermaid on the Hudson was that good.

   The art was also very good. The mermaid was gorgeous and the scenery of 1800s New York was breathtaking. I did think that Capt. Twain and a few of the guests on the steamboat looked a little cartoony. With his triangular nose, Twain looked like Guy Smiley's (from Sesame Street) ancestor and I swear that Dr. Brunson Honeydew from the Muppets Show was a dinner guest in another scene.

   But I thought this book was excellent. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but that's because it was ambiguous. I know that the reader is given the chance to decide Capt. Twain's fate at the end of the book with the numerous clues peppered throughout the story as to how those captivated by a mermaid's song met their fates. But I just happen to favor story with concrete endings and that's more of a matter of personal taste opposed to evaluating the quality of this story. 

    One last caveat. There is quite a bit of sex and nudity in this book. Some scenes are downright sensual. If this isn't your cup of tea that I recommend that you choose another beverage. 

  A fantastic work by Mark Siegel. I hope to encounter more of his works in the future. I also wouldn't be opposed to a sequel as I feel that the story for some of the characters in this book was far from over.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Case of Madeleine Smith: A Treasury of Victorian Murder by Rick Geary

I’ve read a couple of Rick Geary’s graphic novels. His favorite theme is true crime and I find his style to be clear, concise, and very entertaining. The books of Geary are proof that the comics medium can not only entertain but also educate and can be very ‘highbrow.’

The previous Geary tales I’ve read were about Lizzie Borden and the kidnapping of the Lindbergh Baby. Those were high profile cases that were for their times consider “the trial of the century.” The book I just read was about one Madeleine Smith, a young Scottish girl from a well to do family and the mysterious poisoning of her secret paramour, a French gardener. Perhaps because this isn’t such a well know mystery that I didn’t enjoy this story quite as much as Geary’s previous works.

Much of the tale is a review of love letters written between the two main players. It reveals a young girl whose place in society prevents her from following her heart instead of daddy’s purse string. On the flip side, the affair shows an unstable young man whose complex love affair is exacerbated by his past relationship failures.

The story was a Victorian era Romeo & Juliet romance. While the events were shocking for the mid-1800s, in today’s society, I highly doubt this tale would garner much time on CNN. The biggest sticking point in which the case balances upon is whether Ms. Smith killed her lover with arsenic because he threatened to reveal their affair to her parents or if the young man killed himself because he was rebuffed by a young girl forced to marry another man who could further support her family financially and socially. Honestly, I think this case could’ve gone either way, but you’re just going to have to read and find out for yourself. (Or you can Google it, but what’s the fun in that?)

I liked this book. It just wasn’t one of my favorites by the author and artist. However, I hope to come upon more of his true crime graphic novels in the future. To avoid further encounter with this master of true life suspense would be shocking.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

"Batman: Master of the Future"

WORTH CONSUMING!

This book is the sequel to “Gotham by Gaslight”. The events clearly take place during the Chicago World’s Fair of 1889 and mixes in the Great Fire. Though, I can’t place who the villain, a Leroi something another. Is he real, fiction, I dunno?

 The ending is lame- yet another person uncovers who Batman really is. When is someone gonna write a tale when someone forgets who Batman is in real life???? And I don’t mean the Riddler, I am talking someone like Robin or Alfred gets amnesia. If someone does decide to do this storyline, I call co-plotter byline!!!!

"Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (Elseworlds)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

So, after about 2 years of collecting Elseworld tales, I finally decided to read some of them. (I still have about 2 dozen tales to collect to have the entire series) Naturally, I start with the first ever tale in the series.

Despite that it doesn’t say that it’s an Elseworld, it’s the first book to explore the “infinite” earths since the end of the Crisis. Gaslight is a fun tale, a bit short for my taste. But more importantly, a format is being established, and I think I am in for some real treats.

I solved the “mystery” of who’s Jack the Ripper within the first 5 pages. That was a bit of a letdown. However, the twist in which Bruce Wayne gets accused of the crime is really cool. And I like how the ending has one of those “better dead than dishonored” endings found in many of the Hercule Poirot mysteries.

I cannot wait to delve in deeper to the Elseworlds.