Reader's Diary #3020 - Garth Ennis (writer), Darick Robertson and Peter Snejberg (artists): The Boys Omnibus Volume One

A huge fan of the tv series The Boys, I thought it was high time I checked out the source material. Usually I like to that in the opposite order. 

This time around, however, it's probably a blessing that I hadn't. Everything about the comic seems solely about shock. And to be sure, the tv show is shocking too. But wow, the show far surpasses it by giving the characters fully developed complex personalities. Plus the show explores themes of uncontrolled power, the corruption of power, and so on. The comic is a juvenile mess. Had I read it first, I'd not have bothered with the show.

Reader's Diary #3019 - Susan J. Liddle: Canada Day Confusion

Susan J. Liddle's short story "Canada Day Confusion" is wayyyy too didactic. It serves to highlight, in a style that seems aimed at younger readers, why most Canadians these days have complex and torn feelings about celebrating Canada Day. She covers the topic well, for sure, but it doesn't come across as an authentic story.

Reader's Diary #3018 - Zachary Phillips: Confess

 Zachary Phillips' short story "Confess" comes with a trigger warning. I get why it was necessary, but I can't help but wonder what the impact of the story would have been without it.

There's a Black Mirror episode where there's a young man who's being blackmailed and for most of the episode you feel sorry for him. Then a reveal at the end indicates that he's not as innocent as we first thought and the viewers must reconcile there previous sympathy against this new information. The result is a great philosophical struggle about justice. 

With "Confess" however, and pretty much knowing where it's going because of the trigger warning, it was hard to feel sympathy from the get-go. Super well-written though!

Reader's Diary #3017 - Genia Blum: Stench of the Reptile

Genia Blum's short story "Stench of the Reptile" is a fascinating story in it's use of lizard people as a metaphor. For what? I'm not entirely sure yet, but early indications suggest it's for "the other woman," a dehumanizing of women who sleep with other women's men, directing anger upon them rather than the men themselves. But it would take a few more reads to confirm and to decide whether or not the metaphor holds up under scrutiny. In the meantime, it's certainly an entertaining story.

Reader's Diary #3016 - Cora Sire: When Welcomed, I Bring Music

Taking the voice of a violin, Cora Sire's flash fiction "When Welcomed, I Bring Music" traces its journey through time and history, a lot of which was unpleasant.

It works as a lovely metaphor of the great cultures that immigrants bring to welcoming countries.