Sabbath

Mamatas (The People’s Republic of Everything) spins a playful but fundamentally vapid novel out of the graphic novel of the same name, deviating considerably from the original story. An enormous initial information dump explains that 11th-century warrior Hexen Sabbath has been plucked from his death on the field of battle by Abathar—an entity claiming to be an angel—and dropped into modern-day Manhattan. With no clothing or food and only the city’s map to guide him, Hexen embarks on a mission to hunt down and kill the seven deadly sins incarnate before they trigger the end of the world. Art gallery owner Jennifer Zelenova is his only ally, and his enemies include New York’s most powerful elite. As the clock ticks, Hexen has to figure out a way to keep himself (and all humankind) from suffering for eternity. The novel is packed with gore, intrigue, and sex, but suffers from uninspired characters and unintentional camp. The tone fluctuates bewilderingly and the ending falls flat. Even fans of the graphic novel will find it easy to put down this version. (Nov.)