What Ever Happened to Artemis Fowl?

[@sammcarthur864]

One of the things that makes Artemis such an awesome character is just how driven he is. In a world of ten thousand 'chosen ones' he happens to the plot, not the other way around. The fact that he is a proactive, not a reactionary, protagonist is one of the many, many things that makes AF one of the best YA book series to this day.

[@exitsexamined]

That's a great point - he's not the chosen one or special in the first books (aside from being rich) and he is the reason the plot moves forward for much of the early books.

[@colbyboucher6391]

The first scene of the series being Artemis practically torturing some old alcoholic fairy for information certainly left an impression

[@johnwotek3816]

True. When I was a kid, there was three main book series I read: Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. It got me into fanfiction and into writing. Later, I quickly noticed that the first Artemis Fowl was indeed far more worthy of the title of a protagonist than Percy or Harry, especially Harry who is a textbook passive character and constantly need other character to act first for the plot to go forward. It's especially true in the first books of these series. In the first Harry Potter, Harry has to be rescued by Hagrid, then he would have probably sat at school and do nothing if Voldy hadn't showed up. Harry pretty much only react to the bad guys actions. Artemis Fowl, meanwhile, is the complete opposite. He set up his goal, gather intel to reach his goal and reach it, sparking the whoe chain of event. It's even funnier to think he is technically the bad guy in his first story. I think this is due to the fact Artemis is a criminal mastermind so he does crime, so he need to be proactive in what he does and he will necessarly run into problem because of this. He also doesn't let the fact he is a child limiting him. The first AF book is frankly a lesson in storytelling. Everything is there. Pro-active protagonist, smart character being actually smart instead of everyone around being dumbed down, a perfect application of the Chekov gun principle that is used to build the world of Artemis Fowl (check it, pretty much every minor detail brought up early on has a payoff later), a colorfull cast of character that each have their goals and personnalities and a pacing that allow most of the story to hold into a 24h framework and could have easily been adapted into film to the letter). The movie was trully criminal.

[@SailorMya]

@@johnwotek3816 Because I heard what a dumpster fire the movie was I never even watched it and knowing now I can't watch it I'm not sad about that. The AF books stuck with me because he was the villain in the first one. You don't see a lot of child villains let alone ones that are the main protagonist! I was really hoping for a good adaptation so the people in my life that don't read the books could understand the joy I felt reading about his escapades but we didn't get that so I didn't even talk about the movie to people. I feel adapting stories is a good thing because not everyone reads the books but tossing the source material out the window and keeping the names only is not adapting the story... I hope that we get another shot at a movie down the line from a company that doesn't dislikes villains! (Disney likes trauma to be the bad guy instead of having an actual villain now a days to the point I don't think they know how to write a villain anymore...)

[@fuzzythoughts8020]

Agreed, he almost comes off as a side villain made protagonist, and he's actively going after things for his plans with a tenacity that's just enjoyable to read.

[@WildKat25]

The saddest part of the movie adaptation, is that there are deleted scenes/trailer parts that show it was meant to more closely follow the book. Some idiot higher up decided to try and make it more "marketable" (aka make Artemis more a kid than a brilliant genius with agency), but that completely ruins Artemis as a character.

[@exitsexamined]

I saw some deleted scenes that were based in Vietnam - but is there a link or something to that trailer? Would be interesting to see!

[@WildKat25]

@@exitsexamined It was all originally on Disney Plus (for Canada at least), but it seems to be all gone now. There was some stuff on KZbin for a bit, but it seems to have been copyrighted. It was probably because it was originally on Disney Plus.

[@noone1929]

I remember seeing on the (now dead) Oh My Disney website the first casting announcements they said Miranda Raison was to play Mrs. Fowl, but lo and behold when the movie was released she nowhere to be seen. Also that cast listing was the first warning bell, with Judi Dench as Root, undermining Holly's character as the hard fought first female LEP officer. But what really did it for me was the next post Oh My Disney did which was an interview with the director where he claims to be making "Artemis his own". Which is not usually what you want from a book adaption, you want the director to be taking their cues from the books not themselves and their directing style will shine through the story, not the story warped to their whims. Which is something most book adaption directors don't seem to understand lately. You can change the plot while adapting, every detail won't be the same they are two different mediums, but you can't mess with the core characters' personalities and the main themes of the story. I think that's why adaptions like HTTYD are popular despite some big plot differences. If you find the soul of the story, it won't feel so wrong as Artemis did.

[@collenjets123]

didnt just ruin artemis. He ruined holly and the chief as well.

[@jinhunterslay1638]

Why do higher ups exist? Why are they ALWAYS stupid?

[@pavel228]

It’s like they deliberately tried to make fans angry with the „adaptation“. The dead father - lives. The first ever female fairy agent - has a female boss now. The villain protagonist - just a kid, trying to save his father. He hates sport and sun and is pale as death - loves surfing now. The mother - irrelevant. I saw the trailer and immediately thought: Percy Jackson and Eragon combined their respective weaknesses so the bullshit gets up to eleven. It is just sad.

[@yarpen26]

Judi Dench as Root was the prime example of the tired "oh chill out, you silly redneck, like what does it even matter?" line being as off point as it gets to anybody who read the book.

[@exitsexamined]

Oh, don't worry - I'll get to Percy Jackson haha

[@SuperZez]

Um... the "dead" father _is_ alive.

[@Heightren]

At least very clearly presumed dead for a few volumes ​@@SuperZez

[@FernBlackwood1995]

I’m glad I missed the adaptation, what GARBAGE. Ugh.

[@ArthurPhulusa568]

I felt in love with this when i found it in my school's library. What this series needed was a proper animated release, either a movie or a series

[@exitsexamined]

I totally agree, after checking out the graphic novels i think it translates really well to that format - have you checked out the graphic novels? You might like them!

[@ArthurPhulusa568]

@@exitsexamined I actually just found out about them from your video. I'll check them out😂

[@ana_d_73]

YES! 1000%! With animation they could absolutely go jam with the fairy world, fights, and magic. Butler vs the troll would be amazing animated!

[@Kuroyami0Fukaikuro]

When I was a kid, I felt so disappointed that Minerva stopped being relevant after her single entry. It was refreshing to see a parallel character challenge Artemis on his own grounds somewhat. (Admittedly it's been a few years so I may be remembering some things wrong.) But I always felt Artemis needed more human friends, not just the Butler family.

[@exitsexamined]

That's a great point - I read (can't confirmed) it's because she wasn't received well and people were upset Artemis / Holly weren't a thing. It is too bad though because it makes you wonder if he had stuck with his guns what the plan would have been

[@yarpen26]

​@@exitsexamined And I, on my part, never got the ship with Holly, primarily due to the age difference. Nah, not because of all the scary pedo associations that everybody would jump on nowadays, I just simply didn't get why he should end up with someone who is, for all intents and purposes, an adult to him. Yes, Artemis is super intelligent, but still... it just never clicked with me. And I liked Minerva, mostly because Colfer actually allowed her to be inferior to Artemis in terms of brains while also putting her software side on display. I still think that Book 5 was quite possibly the single most unpredictable out of the whole series and I genuinely didn't know where it was going most of the time.

[@БогуславПозняк]

@@yarpen26 Minerva was actually perfect pair for Artemis. Intelligent enough to understand him, but while not as smart as he was she was more humane than him. She was a perfect counterbalance in terms of personality. Even without any romance she would be nice addition to the team - someone who could actually question his decisions not only from moral standpoint, but from intellectual as well. Personally, her disappearance was major part of why I lost interest in the series.

[@yarpen26]

@user-do7iu4fj8r One more problem with Colfer writing in general: these books feel like one-shot episodes from a '90s cartoon rather than a Harry Potter-like continuous narrative. I think Minerva doesn't even get mentioned once in any subsequent book. It'd be like if Ron's parents were never referred to again after Chamber of Secrets.

[@Kuroyami0Fukaikuro]

@@yarpen26 she briefly gets a mention in one of the later books but IIRC it's literally just something like "she's not here to help because she's off on a vacation" or something

[@NatsumenoKage]

I really think Colfer hit his breaking point with Artemis when Disney was having him come out for defense of the movie during the backlash. When he said this was the way the story was ment to be.

[@exitsexamined]

It was so interesting to watch interviews with him during production. You could tell that he was really struggling haha

[@daniel8181]

Oof, didn't know he defended it, I'd hate to watch him cope like that.

[@NatsumenoKage]

​@@daniel8181 it looked, and sounded like a put up job. He was trying to sound so excited for it. As he answered pr questions, and announced the cast list. Every new video sounded more and more like he was working register during the pandemic. Just keep smiling through the mask they know if you are not.

[@daniel8181]

@@NatsumenoKage Wouldn't surprise me if he was contractually obligated to speak about it, and of course obligated to not talk shit on it.

[@mallk238]

Anytime you see an actor or person who is a public face of a movie praising said movie it’s because they are contractually obligated to. They cannot talk shit about the movie or they will be breaking contract. Even if they actually do LIKE the movie, they’re saying it bc they have to (although, that definitely makes it easier lol) Of course most actors would never publicly talk shit about the project even after the fact as that’s agreat way to get blacklisted. Showbiz is a fickle and strange beast.

[@EmperorHomie]

Disney is what happened to AF. The major red flag was combining the first two books into one movie

[@exitsexamined]

Yeah that's a great point, just too much story for one movie - especially when you're introducing the characters. I think they wanted to include Opal to like make sure you couldn't view Artemis as the bad guy smh

[@britishshock]

The fairy language at the bottom of each page, keep me looking thought the book for ages.

[@exitsexamined]

That's awesome! Did you manage to decode them throughout every book? That would be quite the feat haha

[@SilverScroll]

@@exitsexamined I decoded each one back in the day! Was really disappointed when first the first code got reused and then the puzzle stopped being included.

[@ana_d_73]

I loved these books as a kid, I even re-read them over the pandemic. I did hate that by the of the series it kept returning to Opal Koboi as the big bad, although Artemis shooting her in the face with a flare gun was badass. There was so much potential for other villains within the world, that pixie was so frustrating! And I liked Minerva. She was fun, smart, spoilt, and such a great foil to Artemis. I know Colfer was setting her up as a love interest, but if he kept her as a friend and ally to the main group it could have really worked! I never liked Holly x Artemis, it was weird. She was older than his parents. I've always wished she could have stepped in to be a big sister mentor role instead. Holly and Butler however... I really loved the Bartimeaus books as well. They 're super underrated, and so good

[@exitsexamined]

Totally agree about seeing less Opal and more Minerva! These must have been a good read over the pandemic. Did you ever. check out the twin series?

[@05Matz]

Wait, the Bartimeaus books? That's the ones with all the footnotes, right? About the summoned spirit beings? I loved those! Thanks for reminding me of them. Gosh those were fun...

[@Gus-n9u]

Holly x Artemis is so much more trouble than benefit. I’ve never understood the fascination. Personally, I think Artemis was prime to be an Asexual icon. The character didn’t really lend itself to a romantic relationship and was best when exploring his need of friendship.

[@mirceazaharia2094]

​@augustdice3914 Artemis was quite simply a mental juggernaut. He should have stayed like that - weird, brilliant, and strangely likeable.

[@colby1398]

​@@Gus-n9uOh no, the brilliant teenage boy is interested in girls just like a normal person, what a tragedy.

[@seventhshin0bi864]

Artemis Fowl, The Last Apprentice (Spooks if you’re in the UK), and Skulduggery Pleasant were so peak to read. They defined my early teen years. Grimalkin my beloved.

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

the spooks apprentice, man thats a series that i haven't thought about in years, amazing dark fantasy

[@spiral2754]

Spook's is peak. Made my childhood so much more bearable.

[@lemonlupinreuben5362]

Ooooooh skulduggery what a read

[@kni9ght]

I love those books and batrimeus trilogy was pretty good too

[@travisperkins9920]

Good news, there's more skulduggery pleasant books. At least 3 more on the way.

[@johnwotek3816]

As a long lasting fan of the serie, here is my take on it. Beware, this zone is full of spoiler. Artemis Fowl: the first book, probably the best in the serie. It is Die Hard meet Ocean 11 with fairies. Great pacing, great writing, litteraly the textbook exemple on how to properly use Chekov's gun. If you only have to read one, go for this one. Artemis Fowl the Artic Incident: it's the one that made Artemis a hero in a more classical sense. It's not as thightly written as the first book, but it introduce the best vilain of the serie. It's the more "normal" of the books. Artemis Fowl the Eternity code: this is probably the most important book in the serie, since Artemis get to actually be confronted by the consequences of his decisions and actions. It is what trully turn him from the bratty little shit that he is into a more mature and well rounded hero and cement his friendship with the fairy. It is cruelly taken away by the end, ressetting the former status quo. If Colfer main intent was to make a trilogy, I think that woud have been a rather poor idea considering what the character went through. Artemis Fowl the Opal deception: is my favorite of the entire serie. It is simply the ballsiest of the serie. It kills off important character, leaves us on a bitter sweet ending that would have been perfect as the serie's ending, conclude Artemis character arc and use Opal Koboi in the best way possible. Artemis Fowl the Lost colony: I think this is where the serie start to crack for me. That book is good in itself, but it suffer from what came before. It introduce stuff that make the lore a bit more complicated (like, seriously, Wing commander Vinyaya is, by that point, becoming a plot device that make the LEP structure very confusing) and I think it trully poorly handle the character of Holly, who slowly stop to be her own character and become more Artemis personnal muscle. While the demons and Minerva are trully wonderfull addition to the universe, the Lost colony is guilty of handwaving way too much obstacle on the path of the character. Holly isn't a LEP officer since last book? Vinyaya will reinstate her because Foaly like her. Ark Sool is still the LEP commander? Who cares? Trouble will replace him off screen. Artemis Fowl the Time Paradox: time travel is always a very delicate thing and, frankly, Artemis Fowl completely jumped the shark with that tome. The good stuff from the lost colony will not be used or will be cancelled very early on, some important status quo element (like the rules to enter a human building) are been overulled between the books. Opale is shoehorned in the plot and is pretty much a parody of herself. The book could also make you think the ship between Artemis and Holly is now an actual thing which doesn't help. I think this is easily the weakest tome in the entire serie. Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex: That book feels like a filler episode. Last book ended with an Opal from the past showing up to cause trouble in our time, capturing her should be the main priority, yet, we are being hickjacked by Artemis having a mental breakdown and by a new antagonist that the book treat as if everyone had read the bonus material "the Artemis Fowl files". I guess Opal can only be the antagonist of even tomes. It is overall enjoyable, but Colfer is trully repeating himself. Artemis struggle again with his morality and his capacity to open to his friends, a mentor figure dies again, etc... Artemis Fowl the last Guardian: this is the last book in the main franchise and, let's just say there is a big "toy box effect". Everything litteraly explode (and, no, this isn't a hyperbole, the world is figuratively sent back to the stone age in a single shot), everyone is brought to fight it, Artemis even get a cool "Fowl mobile" and he get to cheat death itself while battling ancient goddess fairy warrior. It is enjoyable, but this felt more like the story a little would make with his toy, sending them everywhere in the room and feeling a sense of annoyance when come the time to put everything back in the box. I think the big problem with the series is that Colfer didn't knew what to do with characters, especially Artemis and Holly after the Opal deception. They had resolved their arc in a rather satisfying and logical way. Artemis was now a real goodguy who started to use his genius for making a better world, Holly had left the LEP to do her own thing, because she couldn't deal with the hypocrisy of the instution, which became worse after the death of her mentor figure. Artemis the good guy is mostly done in rather supperficial ways and we loose the super genius he was at book 6, from which he is pretty much a far cry of the mastermind we used to know. Holly, meanwhile, is reinstated and her beef with the LEP is pretty much handwaved in book 5 as if nothing ever happened. Then, if you look at secundary character, the whole thing becomes more and more difficult. Mulch, who is often used as the ace in the sleeves of Artemis or Holly is more and more shoehorned in the story and more and more utilitarian. The Kelp brother pretty much disapear. Grub and Trouble have always been nice foil to Holly and Root. Trouble was the very model of a LEP officer, efficient, courageous and by the book with a dash of bravado, while his little brother, Grub, was the incompetent, cowardly and contentious cop. Both were however loyal and well meaning, rising to the occasion, either by accident or by their strenght of character. They offered a nice view of what the rank and file of the LEP was like. By book 5, Trouble is basically turning into Root 2.0 and Grub is simply gone. Honestly, after the opal deception, the only character whom trully benefit from further developpment are the Butler and the rest of the Fowl familly. Butler is confronted to his declining health, Juliet become the ace in Artemis sleeves during odds book (except in the 8) and Fowl Sr, Angeline and the Twin get show a rather wholesome story of redemption and turning good. Foaly also benefit quite from the last 4 books of the serie, getting to be something more than the tech support guy. He gets a girlfriend, grows more involved into the LEP affairs and even get his own set piece at the end of the book, where he is alone and must solve his problem alone without anyone's help.

[@sagu-keju]

The first book really is the best. I stop reading the series after the time paradox.

[@jessicaanne9908]

I loved all the books completely the only thing I don’t like is Minerva she’s just a worse version of Artemis and they expect her to be his love interest later on I think he can do way WAY better than her she’s annoying and quite frankly a shit and it sounds bad but at least Artemis just made a threat for money whereas she was gonna screw an entire species just for a noble prize which I’d love to say this to Minerva in person “how about try working on being noble instead of going for a prize that no one except for you cares about"🫠💘

[@nicholasbarton3184]

Whoa, never even bothered with the movie and it sounds like that was the right decision. Cool to know that about the Twin's series, I'll have to check it out - awesome job as usual!!

[@cayreet5992]

The series is interesting and surprisingly adult, considering the age of the protagonists.

[@exitsexamined]

With the twin series? Do you think it's more adult compared to the original or just different?

[@daniel8181]

I wouldn't have been able to finish the movie if I wasn't watching it with my friends drinking and laughing at it. The only shame in it being removed is that you'll never convince anyone who didn't see it that disney was willing to put out something so bad.

[@rubinelli7404]

I loved the first book, but the more sympathetic Artemis became, the worse the books came out. It was no longer him pushing the story forward with his plans.

[@exitsexamined]

I hear you, I think they lost a lot of that initial intrigue when Artemis became less black and white

[@kamikazelemming1552]

It's just like with Despicable Me. Once Gru stopped being despicable and turned into a goofy dad, he lost a lot of what made him interesting. Heck, from the second film onward, the only reason he even does anything is because someone else (the spy organization) tells him to do it, whereas in the first film, he was the one actively pushing the story forward with his plan to steal the moon and get revenge on Vector.

[@hades8243]

Eternity Code felt like a perfect ending Time Paradox was fun but felt like it was undoing the first books. Like he didn’t learn anything from his previous experiences. Felt so disconnected from Eternity Code I thought the author forgot all the events that took place in the original trilogy. Didn’t read anything after this and i can’t see it getting better

[@wilamblack8372]

My books as a kid: Artemus Fowl, 39 clues, a series of unfortunate events, Percy Jackson, Pendragon series, etc.

[@sigiligus]

Read the first three or four books many many times as a child. Now that I think about it, they were like Light Novel’s in that they were basically like anime in book form.

[@exitsexamined]

If only we got an anime instead of a movie haha

[@antonjohansson3819]

The Opal Deception could've been the best way to end the series. A lot of character development coming to an end and a logical second half of The Eternity Code.

[@exitsexamined]

Totally agree, it's interesting because the last few paragraphs of it is actually kind of written as an ending of the series.

[@mayabailes1653]

Have to disagree there because we wouldn't have had The Time Paradox (my favourite) or The Atlantis Complex (might be one of the weakest, but Orion Fowl completely makes up for it).

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

I’ll be honest, I legit thought it was the last book till I read this comment section! 😂

[@jamesfarquhar8507]

@@questworldiangreenknight7455I had forgot about those other 2 as well those where both good, which one ended with Koboi meeting the Kraken? That ought to have been her last act in life but with the Time Paradox who knows?

[@SamGarcia]

Artemis Fowl was my life. The first book I bought with my own money from the Scholastic Book Fair was Opal Deception. I believe I did play the video game before, but I have a flawed memory, what I remember is some kind of fairy word search type thing using Gnommish, though that could be completely wrong. I do know I was trying to find an Artemis Fowl game while I was waiting at the library computers.

[@exitsexamined]

Wow Scholastic book fair! I was thinking about covering that as well haha. Glad to know I wasn't the only one stumped by the game - did you get through the entire series?

[@SamGarcia]

@@exitsexamined I got through the main series and most of the spinoffs except the Fowl Twins though I've read Eion Colfer's non-Artemis Fowl works then more.

[@KeeperOfSecrets-42069]

I remember reading this in like the 5th grade. I loved it.

[@exitsexamined]

We would have been friends in 5th grade then haha

[@MichelleSudarsono]

Did any of you guys read the books about his twin brothers? I tried reading it but, maybe because I'm an adult now, seeing little kids being able to do so many genius things (they're younger than Arty when he started) and overpower adults kinda puts me off for some reason. I didn't finish the book yet, I stopped halfway because I've yet to see them struggle (mentally or physically) the way Arty did. Arty is smart, but weak so he had to rely on Butler. The twins had each other. Butler has devoted his life to train as a great martial artist; yet, one of the twin was just... good at it. It's bordering Gary Sue. Maybe it's just me. I really wanted the Twin Fowl to continue the legacy Artemis Fowl was/is, but maybe I'm no longer the target audience.

[@well09090]

For me, it is off putting because it destroys any sense of tension and screws with suspension of disbelief. I can suspend disbelief and accept that a child prodigy exists.

[@SailorMya]

I will never understand "Hollywood" mentality... Producers see a product like a book or video game become popular and amass fans but when they go to make a movie or show they strip away the source material because it doesn't fit the cookie cutter movie/show formula they are use to! I'm happy to see some producers take that step back and letting the creative prosses flourish but when they are breathing down the necks of the writer/directors we get adaptations in name only because of all the changes they insist must happen... I have a feeling someone up the chain HATED that AF was the villain and insisted on this fundamental change that affected the whole story.

[@exitsexamined]

Did you see that recent post by George RR Martin about this exact issue? He hit the nail on the head

[@mallk238]

Whats worse is that there are a lot of writers/directors who don’t see the adaptions as an opportunity to make a book come alive but instead are just an opportunity for them to make the movie THEY want to make. Like i know Ive heard stories of this where a director is put on an adaptation project, they don’t care enough to read the book, and instead treat it as an opportunity to make the movie they’ve always wanted to make. The end result being something that only pisses off fans of the book and drives away regular audiences because there was a reason that “movie they always wanted to make” couldn’t get backing on its own. Of course then there’s the who executives dilemma you mention. There is no winning with adaptations ;-;

[@Ezullof]

They don't understand what made these stories good, and they often think it's obsolete remnants of bygone eras. It's like how they stripped Soka of his sexism in the Avatar Netflix series: they fail to understand that characters in kid stories have flaws that are generally addressed later on. Flaws and tragedies, btw. Artemis Fowl's family is a tragedy for good reasons. He's not a normal kid that people are supposed to identify with completely.

[@Matej_Sojka]

@@exitsexamined Remember the well received short Uncharted movie starring Nathan Fillion? Fans went nuts when they saw over the shoulder camera, combat overview and transitions of scenes straight from the games... And during promotional interviews the director said that if he was making a full length movie he would not do any of those things. That was the moment when I stopped hoping adaptations would ever be good.

[@paulster185]

Nepotism and lack of accountability. What decides if you keep your job are social games and not the kind of product you've made.

[@psychosis8429]

Awesome I loved this series when I was younger, although the later chunk of the series wasn't as great as the start of the series. Great to see it get some appreciation

[@exitsexamined]

Hey totally agree, and happy to give it the appreciation it deserves. Any other series you were into as a kid that you think should get more love?

[@psychosis8429]

@exitsexamined I also read and enjoyed the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series when I was younger too. That would be a fun series to talk about

[@FieryCheeze]

If you want another dead franchise suggestion , try Guyver. From what I understand, the author is stuck in legal battles over the IP

[@exitsexamined]

I had never heard of it, but wow Guyver looks amazing, a quick google search looks like it started as a manga which makes me all the more interested in it haha. Did you get into the manga, is it good?

[@maham1949]

Artemis Fowl was my entire childhood. I remember picking up the first book in my library when I was 12 and finishing it in a weekend because I was so intrigued by Artemis's character. The fact that he was also 12 but he was also this insanely intelligent yet cunning criminal mastermind, was so fascinating to me! And the fairy folk too! I love how we had descriptions for each category. I remember the versions of the book that I got, they had some sketches made by the artist at the back (but none of them really showed Arty or Butlers face because it was supposed to be an interview type thing...Arty lets Eoin Colfer write a book about his adventures and commisions an artist to do the illustrations at the back upon the agreement that his face was never to be shown! How cool was that!!) And the graphic novels were so beautifully illustrated, I remember absolutely devouring them when they came out. I was so obsessed with the series It kind of inspired me to make art (im a digital artist now) and write fanfictions for my friend's to read. One of them was a crossover woth the Young Justice team (also another one of my hyperfixations at the time), where Butler drops Arty off with the team and Artemis makes fun of Arty for having a female name (HER NAME) haha and Arty hits it off with Dick Grayson :) It was weird but I was 13!! I remember the days where people were petitioning to have Nicholas Hoult play Arty as well I really miss that phase of my life Im 26 now, but I cant remember being thst happy and carefree Artemis Fowl really made my childhood and early teens so fun and magical

[@hereticsaint100]

I have a great respect for creators who know when to finish their works. These really should have stopped at book 3.

[@exitsexamined]

It would have been interesting to see how the story would have played out differently with only three. I do wonder if in all it would have been less episodic and hopefully a more fleshed out story from start to end

[@Dragon66898]

I got into the Artemis Fowl around 2010 and enjoyed it more than Harry Potter since I was more of a Sci-Fi fan than Fantasy fan but loved how they were blended so well with each other. The movie was fine if you weren’t expecting much.

[@exitsexamined]

Oh cool, what type of sci-fi were you interested in? I'd love to cover more here on the channel

[@Dragon66898]

@@exitsexamined mostly Star Wars, or the whole digital world like series like Ghost in the Shell. I have dyslexia so reading was more of a chore for me until high school where I began to love it.

[@shanerulez79]

Is it just me or does the Graphic Novel version of Artemis look a lot like Damien Wayne?

[@exitsexamined]

I can't unsee it

[@OtterloopB]

Disney AND Eoin ruined it. Eoin seemingly had such little respect for his own work that he made no attempt to stop Disney from changing it so radically. The movie looked nothing... _NOTHING_ ... like Artemis Fowl.

[@exitsexamined]

I did wonder about that while making the video. Ultimately Eoin was the one who signed it to Disney, and you get the feeling from interviews he genuinely wanted it to find a home that would take care of it in like 2001. This is just speculation but the feeling I got that after almost 20 years in development hell Eoin was sick of dealing with it and just wanted the movie to come out

[@yarpen26]

He was absolutely _desperate_ to make a movie out of it from the very start. You could read it in the book blurbs, every single time it was all "Guys, the movie's totally in development! WIll be out by 2003!". He wouldn't mince a word against Disney, it was only after the movie crashed and burned that he kinda started hinting on this being a total trainwreck, but he never really stepped out of line. Maybe he still deludes himself into thinking Disney would pick up Supernaturalist or one of his other books. I don't know.

[@colbyboucher6391]

​@@yarpen26Supernatualist, oh man... the one and only thing I remember from it is that some guy freaked out because he didn't know how to drive a bus with the "emergrncy" steering wheel that popped out of it. Kinda left an impression on be besause of how much it mirrors people not knowing how to drive stick.

[@frogosplayer1]

I remember not being able to stomach harry potter books when i was young (and it wasn't just the length coz i have always read bulky books and this is despite enjoying the HP movies) but i read and loved Artemis Fowl! I felt like Artemis was more grounded (for as much as a boy genius can be lol) and the magical world and angle was more fun and interesting.

[@exitsexamined]

We probably would have gotten along then! I would have loved to find someone else to bond over the series with haha. Everyone I knew was into Potter : (

[@frogosplayer1]

@@exitsexamined 🤣 aww that's too bad. Great video btw!

[@youcantbeatk7006]

10:12 Yes, because physical media never stops being produced. I don't get why people hate on digital media when literally ever flaw of digital media is 1000x worse in physical media and people act like bootlegging isn't a thing. "But it's le illegal!" That's a flaw of IP law, not of digital media.

[@sieversen1235]

I got into this series when my parents bought me the audiobook of the eternity code, not knowing that it was the 3rd book of the series. I didn't figure that out myself until halfway through the book after constantly trying to piece together the whole backstory. :D

[@exitsexamined]

haha that would have been a really interesting place to start. Did it make sense? I can't imagine trying to piece together fairy society without the details in the first few books

[@sieversen1235]

@@exitsexamined It worked out well enough, surprisingly. I remember the author re-introduces characters a lot in case you might have forgotten about them (like Mulch and Juliet for example) and most of that book takes place in the human world. The significance of Artemis' bodyguard being shot at the beginning was kind of lost on me, because I obviously didn't know anything about Butler at that point. And I also didn't quite realize how bad the relationship between Artemis and the fairy society used to be. Because they get along fairly well by Book 3.

[@pavel228]

I felt like that, just with the fifth one :))

[@mallk238]

@exitsexamined a lot of series for younger readers make a habit of quickly synopsizing the previous books-probably bc a lot of kids won’t have control over what book they read first or maybe bc they don’t want a kid (who’s memory may not be great) to forget important details. Idk if it’s intentional in that light, i just know that i see it a lot. It makes it so much easier to get into things as a kid.

[@ProfSir1]

You should talk about Animorphs next.

[@exitsexamined]

I had totally forgotten about Animorphs, that's a great idea! Although it's been so long I'll need awhile to get back into it haha

[@catandrobbyflores]

I second this!

[@cobinizer]

How about "Whatever happened to originality in Hollywood?" Who wants to see another Fast and Furious installment?

[@emjakos3548]

I assume that the answer is money. Do you want to roll the dice with a new IP, or guarantee sales with a sequel?

[@brandonjones5879]

There are a lot of original movies that come out every year. It’s just those films don’t get a lot of money nor do they make money. So you don’t hear about it.

[@Gus-n9u]

Is this a lack of creativity or simply what happens to art in a capitalist system? F&F are profitable AS FUCK!

[@squeekytoy123]

I very much loved these books as a kid (born in 92). I read up until The Opal Deception, and thought they were all fantastic. I loved Holly, Root, Butler… honestly all the characters! And so good to read about an antihero as a young person. I also really liked Colfer’s The Wish List, which is an equally weird premise for a kids book, but I love that he writes children’s books with adult themes!

[@ChristoTitan]

Damn, I was about 11 or 12 when I got into this series. The first books I became absolutely obsessed with. Peak nostalgia.

[@exitsexamined]

I got into it at the same age! Did you stick with it over the years?

[@iantaran2843]

That first book was an experience as a child

[@exitsexamined]

haha I can imagine it could be pretty shocking depending on the age. How old were you when you read it?

[@iantaran2843]

@@exitsexamined 7 or 8 ? Fairly young I recall I was waiting on the 5th or 6th Harry Potter novel to be released at the time.

[@hi14993]

I remember spending quite a bit of time when I was younger cracking the codes that littered the book and translating those messages.

[@exitsexamined]

We probably would have gotten along as kids! Did you crack the codes at the bottom of the pages?

[@JuniperYoder]

When I read the Artemis files book. I absolutely loved the school report.

[@henryburby6077]

Book 5 should have been the last. It was awesome. After that it went downhill.

[@Hippogriffs_Rule]

Book 5 was always my favourite!

[@pavel228]

Book five was great. It was actually the first one I read. (I got some persons books when they moved out their parents house and didn’t know it was the fifth book of a series.) I then read 1-3 and lost interest a little in - I think - the fourth book. But maybe the sixth.

[@yarpen26]

Book 4 was already a step down. Yes, it did start out great (we all know why), but the rest of it was rather meh. I never understood why Colfer kept reusing Opal over and over. She was okay as a sidekick to Cudgeon in Book 2, but on her own she sucked balls. And her only motivation after that was... revenge. Yawn.

[@Hippogriffs_Rule]

Would you be interested in making a video about the Dark Crystal franchise? The 2019 Netflix sequel got canceled a while ago and no one's heard about it since...

[@exitsexamined]

That's a great idea! You know I remember watching that as a kid but I totally forgot about it haha. Thanks so much!

[@Hippogriffs_Rule]

@@exitsexamined No problem, glad you found the idea useful!

[@STWLandO]

For about 3/4 of the first book, Artemis is essentially a pure villainous character. Sympathetic in some cases, maybe, but a villain nonetheless. He is legitimately cold and calculating. He is less than a little bothered to actually hurt people - physically, psychologically, and emotionally - in order to get what he wants. Butlers gun is not a briefly mentioned object - it is a carefully chosen and cherished Sig Sauer. When he fights the troll it is a violent event, by someone proficient in violence. His thoughts on the world are tainted by the violence and cruelty he had seen and inflicted. Yet are still shaped by the responsibility and growing care he feels for Artemis. His mother's mental illness is vividly described in a disturbing manner. And despite all of the resources at his disposal, along with his incredible intelligence and resourcefulness - he is unable to help her even slightly. Calling this book "Young Adult" was a stretch - and that's a huge reason of what got me so invested. Before this the most "mature" literature I had delved into was history involving the more modern conflicts of the USA, particularly WW2 THE MOVIE WAS SICKENINGLY BAD. It destroyed EVERYTHING the book did right. It changed the tone, themes, conflict, plot points, and most importantly the characters and their extremely important internal development and evolving relationships with each other. in my opinion it was the worst film adaptation of a book, and that's including the consideration of Percy Jackson.

[@EvilFuzzy9]

I only remember reading two Artemis Fowl books…

[@EterPuralis]

Shuld have gone to the Japanese anime scene for that movie adaptation.

[@exitsexamined]

I would have loved to see an Artemis anime. The graphic novels were already pretty cool!

[@theotherghostgirl337]

Hopefully this will end up being like the Percy Jackson adaptation, where in 10 years they do a faithful reboot series

[@milestrombley1466]

Hollywood now thinks having a young villain in a kids movie is a bad influence on kids now.

[@exitsexamined]

I think that's literally one of the reasons why they changed his character and he already has redeeming qualities and it's been proven he's an interesting character. There's been entire generations who read the series and weren't influenced to be what, fairy kidnappers? oh my god it's so frustrating haha

[@briandaleske5139]

I think the stories of (ARTEMIS FOWL) should be made into a cartoon show. If a cartoon show of it, gets made someday; I imagine main boy Artemis, goes from selfish, egocentric, mean jerk, to slowly becoming a genuine good person.

[@Thenewboidahlia]

I think it would do wonderfully in a cartoon setting! I’d watch it so fast!

[@CmdrVoltaire]

Loved the books as a kid and still do now. It felt like I got stabbed in the heart when I saw what they did to the movie.

[@exitsexamined]

You aren't the only one, sigh

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

These books got me into reading this type of series and the first book will always be among my favorite reads. Absolutely criminal what they did to the movie

[@muriok2474]

Nice video, I honestly enjoyed this books as a kid, and bc of this video, I think I might revist them 😁

[@exitsexamined]

Thanks so much! I'd say go for it, I had a blast rereading them for this vid!

[@britishshock]

I loved Artemis Fowl, so sad the movie didn't happen. And now I've watched the video, I guess their was an anime for this

[@exitsexamined]

Hopefully we'll get another movie at some point in the future. The stills are from the graphic novels, although an anime would be really cool!

[@yarpen26]

​@@exitsexamined Nah, I think AF has wasted its opportunity. It should have been brought to the screen back in the 2000s, when everybody was trying to land another Harry Potter and studios would throw loads of money at anything with the YA label on it, but I think that fad largely died with The Hunger Games. And now that one movie has been an unmitigated disaster, it's very unlikely the license will ever be picked up again. Yes, I know that Colfer did sign an agreement with Disney way back already, it just never panned out. He certainly did whatever he could to bring it to the screen when the series was fresh.

[@BookFreak421]

These books defined my childhood preferences in books. My user names were based off these characters long into "adulthood". I wish the movie directors/script writters had introduced the true story to this new generation properly!

[@businessburd2071]

This book was so influential in my life that I still occasionally remember that scene where he used a pair of bandages to save the fairy by folding the points down on one ear and rolling the other into a point and convincing the crowd she was a normal girl and not a real life fairy

[@johnwhitters3234]

I feel like the Lost Colony had a good starting point for the series, as well as being pretty underrated, the idea behind the demons and imp warlocks were really cool, and in my opinion all the new characters in it were very likable. But the end of the book, everything was different. Artemis had magic, the LEP had a new commander, Artemis has a female friend/future relationshop it basically could've been a new start. But then Artemis loses magic pretty soon in the next book, and it overall was disapointing afterwards. Though I think the last book was pretty decent (I wish the ghosts possessed cooler things) and satisfying end, and some elements of the books after the Lost Colony, like the time travel and I will always love the idea behind Orion.

[@xxsb101xx]

Wild to see a channel that has gone through a third of my childhood series. Are you planning on touching His Dark Materials, Mistmantle Chronicles, Alex Rider, Percy Jackson, or Chester Cricket and His Friends?

[@KamenSentaiMetalHero]

Other middle-grade and young adult series you should talk about: Alex Rider, Maximum Ride, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Last Dragon Chronicles, Children of the Red King, and The Keys to the Kingdom.

[@net_spider]

(Edit: Talking about young Artemis, not possible adult Artemis) They hinted at a budding romantic relationship between Artemis and Holly? Where the heck did that happen?! I might be super dense, but it felt more like they were understanding where they were each coming from and from that a close friendship was formed. Nothing that I can think of even comes close to a budding romance, nor a budding romance that doesn't pay off. Are they saying that they're relationship in general didn't pay off? It paid off in multiple ways with trust and genuine respect being formed where that would have never happened in the first few books. Those people are kinda icky if any of them "fans" thought this way... I 🤨😓

[@debbieg.4882]

I think an animated adaptation would be great. I love the Artemis Fowl series. I discovered it when I was in college and still enjoyed (most of) them. There's only two that I could really do without: The Time Paradox and The Atlantis Complex.

[@Templar327]

My HS had the first four books which was how I got to love them. I always pictured Jason Stratham as Butler and I'm still conviced he's the perfect face for the role.

[@exitsexamined]

I can 100% see that haha, and glad your HS had some good books!

[@bthsr7113]

"James Bond worthy gadgets" is arguably underselling the tech level of standard issue LEP-recon gear. And it's not really the right vibe. Bond Gadgets are designed to conceal weapons and tools, mostly tools or niche weapons. What Holly is issued with is just straight up tactical gear. It doesn't hide its purpose. It's up to the operator's Shimmer or the transport's stealth tech.

[@Kushula4815]

If I remember correctly, didn't Butler kill the troll with his bare hands in the book? Can't remember a mace.

[@exitsexamined]

My memory is a bit foggy because every time I read the passage my 10 year brain shouts at me "this is the coolest thing ever" but despite that I'm pretty sure we're both right - Butler uses a mace, a gun, and his hands to take it down

[@Acatandanomad]

I read a ton back then. My favorite was A Series of Unfortunate Events, but i did love Artemis and HP as well. I miss those series.

[@exitsexamined]

A series of unfortunate events is on my list to cover! I'll let you know when I release it

[@Acatandanomad]

@@exitsexamined really?!? I can't wait! It was such an adventure!

[@klee_.fangirl]

"There are like two or three that literally do not go anywhere." _Minerva appears..._

[@lowesgameing2003]

I used to love the Artemis Fowl graphic novels

[@TheyDarthElmo]

I really enjoyed the first 5 books. But the way the 6th book seemed to drop all the setup, especially Minerva, it kinda killed all momentum I had to keep reading the series.

[@JP-1990]

I always imagined Butler looking like The Rock.

[@exitsexamined]

Honestly in my kid imagination I felt the same haha

[@sukanasuke88]

Ah, the only fantasy books series I read as a kid which none of my friends ever heard about...

[@boskilingenfelter9515]

Kind of bummed out i missed out on this book series as a kid. Sounds like something a younger me would have definitely enjoyed.

[@exitsexamined]

Rereading them for this video as an adult was fun as well! There's enough adult jokes and themes in here!

[@sethkarma2072]

Its because of this series I own a sig sauer legion.

[@GhostKingDeAngelo]

Am I the only one who liked the later books? I thought the first two were fine but boring to reread as much as I did. I was so excited for the last book and loved it when it came out. Some of the books were good and some were more meh but they were all perfect for little nerdy child me.

[@exitsexamined]

I see what you're saying about the older books, and hey nothing wrong with liking with you like! I thought they had some good ideas and concepts my main issue is that did become a little formulaic as in, the crew saves the day and everyone is happy, next and so the series kind of ran out of steam or a reason to stay invested. Alot of people seem to like many of the late books and put them as their favorite from the research I did though!

[@jamesfarquhar8507]

What these Disney adaptation people don’t understand is that, for the kids with blossoming imaginations, reading these books was like unfolding a reality page to page, we don’t need a movie, reading the words off the pages created worlds in our heads, that’s what you are competing with, if you want the fan money, you have to recreate that experience, nothing less will be accepted as fully cannon.

[@Patryk-eddsworld]

Minerva does get a conclusion in the fowl twins

[@powerist209]

Funny how Disney try to avoid Artemis as “Gentleman Thief” when Bad Guys from Dream Works and Lupin III still show that you can make those archetypes for kids.

[@joshp.2872]

I absolutely adored the first six Artemis Fowl books, with my favourites being the 1st and 5th. I read all of them probably 10 or more times growing up. I think the series just had its time and success and that the author should have moved on to another series rather than continuing past book 6. His standalone novels Airman and Half Moon Investigations were also EPIC.

[@exitsexamined]

I think there were a ton of amazing ideas in the first books, but agree, probably could have stopped after that. Cool to hear about Airman and Half Moon but I'll have to check it out! Is it a similar writing style to Artemis / written for younger audience?

[@chigo999]

I loved Airman!! Such a unique book

[@roonkolos]

This series holds an interesting place in my heart My grandma got me the 6th book not knowing it was the 6th. I read it anyways and for whatever twisted reason, i then read the 5th, then the 4th, etc. THEN i read it in the proper order XD I would eventually read the final of the main series and i still fondly remember how i felt with that last sentence ♡ Now, some years later, my husband and i are reading it together when we take breaks from BattleTech ♡ being an engineer himself he adores Foley and even comments on the tech side & wher it gets odd ♡♡ And then there's the fairy language which inspired me to make my own cipher in middle(?) school The movie honestly hurt because this was a series that bookwise went toe to toe with Harry Potter in ways. To see it go from a cult classic of sorts to whatever Disney tossed out hurts. But im still glad i got into it when i did ♡

[@thatonebean141]

ooooooh i need to reread that series, i was sooo into it in middle school

[@exitsexamined]

I the first few were awesome to jump back into! They have some great audiobook versions as well

[@LowbrowDeluxe]

Only vaguely related, there was a YA teen super-villain school series. Seem to recall the title was some kind of acronym.

[@joshuasmith147]

Sounds like H.I.V.E?

[@exitsexamined]

Not much to go on but I'll do my best! I'll let you know if I find any haha

[@LowbrowDeluxe]

@@exitsexamined Went and looked for it out of curiosity. I remember it not being as grimdark as most teen hero/villain books and having a villain/mastermind track and henchmen course at the school. Pretty sure it was H.I.V.E after doing some googling.

[@PolyChromium]

H.I.V.E. ?

[@LowbrowDeluxe]

@@PolyChromium Yup, pretty sure that was it. Remember it being relatively light hearted, but fun.

[@daphne8406]

Lesson; never let Disney do your book adaptation 😝 Everything they touch nowadays (and the last couple years) turns not to gold but to poopy 😝 I still love the book series but I agree that the last books somehow lost some of the magic the first ones had. I think partially due to Artemis being full on «good/hero» and lost his «anti-hero/ambiguousness» charm in those last books 🤔 As a kid Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson were all a similar vibe (young male protagonist in a modern day+ mystical setting) and I loved all three of these series. Afterwards I had moved on to adult fantasy series but these three tween series I really liked (and I can still enjoy them today! 🤗)

[@exitsexamined]

That's a great point I should have claried more in the video! Towards the end of the series Artemis 100% lost a lot of his moral ambiguity which I guess kind showed growth in his character in some ways but he did lose some that appeal. And love Percy Jackson too! I'll be ramping up to make a video about it at some point but there's alot in that universe to cover!

[@MXL2107]

"Trolls Operation Round Up" was advertised in the back of the first book. I remember logging on and being super confused. It was not a flash game, I can tell you. All I remember seeing as "WIN A FREE EMAC" or something and getting sussed. It was probably some sort of browser game something or other. If it was a flash game kid me would have understood it and played it.

[@Gashren]

Wait, there were more than three books?

[@exitsexamined]

Why did you think it ended at 3 haha

[@theliato3809]

I remember reading the books and the comics. The Trailer for the movie just smacked me in the face.

[@exitsexamined]

I think we all felt the same!

[@JustClaude13]

I'm of the Danny Dunn generation. I remember the trailer for Jedi Fowl; Kid In Black. I've seen all the movies they robbed and they did it better than AF.

[@exitsexamined]

Danny Dunn has been added to the list of topics I'll cover!

[@xfel5913]

I absolutely loved this series, though I agree it fell kind of off after a while. Eternity Code would have been a decent conclusion, then the Opal Deception was a nice way to solve the dissatisfying parts of that ending while also managing to somewhat age with its audience. Book five is where it started to go bad, mostly because it kind of just casually reverted some of the big changes of the end of the previous book. It also started the trend to go extremely wild with the magic system, each part adding more outlandish magic as opposed to the relatively strict rules used in the first half.

[@demonheart13]

As soon as i saw the title i couldnt flphysically stop myself from saying Disney out loud.

[@DoomguyIsGrinningAtYou.]

The only good thing I have to say about the film was that it made me binge read all the books... As someone who never even heard of Artimus Fowl before, the film was mind numbingly aweful.

[@exitsexamined]

It gives me so much hope in humanity that you watched the movie but then still had time for the books, good on you! What did you think of them?

[@marcusblackwell2372]

I will eternally stand by the fact that we need an Artemis Fowl open world videogame that's a bit more faithful to the source material, where you can create a new character

[@exitsexamined]

An open world game is an interesting idea, now I'm just thinking of GTA in Haven lol

[@marcusblackwell2372]

​@exitsexamined Not exactly GTA. More like a Piranha Bytes or BioWare (in the style of Dragon Age or maybe Mass Effect)

[@montenegroafro4454]

Let the new adaptation be animated like Treasure Planet’s style or Arcane! Right now, the studios need to stop with the live action teen franchise adaptations, it’s getting boring and redundant.

[@exitsexamined]

Oh I hadn't checked out treasure planet yet, looks cool! I think Disney will probably learn their lesson hopefully with all the recent flops. I do hope they can turn things around because they have some great IPs

[@yothiga]

I think a lot of millennials are so lucky to have a book series growing up with you. Those series are amazing. I have another series called Daren Shan that no one really knows and movies adaptation was so bad it canceled after just one movie. I hope it gets another chance.

[@exitsexamined]

I put Daren Shan on my list! I'll let you know if I look into it in the future. How do you think it compares to the Artemis Fowl series?

[@yothiga]

​@@exitsexaminedI think Darren Shan is easier to consume. It's been a long time, but I find Darren Shan more relatable as we follow him into a dark and mysterious world in a different direction. I think the ending is good, but it feels like a self-insert novel, especially compared to Artemis Fowl. I love all the characters!

[@joeking9105]

I read the first two books but i cant find the continuation of it where im from

[@Ocelot835]

I remember reading first three books when I was in middle school. They were quite cheesy to my taste even back then and I didn't liked the Fantasy part, but I really enjoyed everything else that was around Artemis Fowl! He was perfect as an evil mastermind that is always two steps ahead his foes

[@chickenmonger123]

The Time Paradox is when the series lost me. I remember thinking it was tedious and contrived. Nothing that happened felt like it took advantage of the foundation of the earlier books.

[@murrayrodriguez878]

Colin Ferrell as his dad was the best part of the movie

[@YourfriendRaymond]

I haven't read it since the third book was released, but I think I recall one of the games being about the encoded elvish along the top and bottom of the first book. My memory is very rusty though.

[@mistwraithstormblessed1529]

Kid favourite book... Mistborn... or WoT. Man I read REALLY far outside of my age bracket...

[@clydemarshall8095]

He wrote Artemis having a crush on Holly then called it gross?

[@exitsexamined]

Weird right? You can find the interview of him talking about it on youtube. I guess he later changed his mind due to the popularity of the Atremis / Holly romance in the fan base

[@YBPaladin]

Man, I had such a crush on Foaly that I stopped reading the series when he got a girlfriend lmao

[@catsandd0gs605]

i had a huge crush on artemis lmfao

[@patrickols]

I am much much older so for me it was Bob Morane, Doc Savage and Perry Rhodan

[@UcheOgbiti]

Can you please share the name of the graphic novel you referenced?

[@exitsexamined]

It's just the Artemis Fowl graphic novel! There are two different ones actually, I mentioned them in the vid!

[@chaonis24601]

Can't believe you missed the book tour with a band and actors on this video. It's honestly so funny but the songs were pretty decent

[@armyonpluto]

Back when Merlin (the show) was airing I remember seeing Asa Butterfield in it as young mordred and thinking how perfect he would've been as Artemis with his dark hair and striking blue eyes and kinda gloomy feel to him. It's been almost 2 decades and I'm still mad we didn't get an Artemis fowl adaptation with Asa.... These books hold such a special place in my heart and the fact that the movie adaptation we got after decades is fucking awful is just so sad

[@InkHeart17]

Original trilogy was perfect! It set up character growth and then hit the reset button but left things ambiguous as to whether Artemis could really change for the better without the lessons he'd learned from the fairies. If the series had to continue, I thought that 6 was the best place to stop. We had come full circle. Time travel as a concept was a great plot device where Artemis himself could see how much he'd improved by facing off against his younger self, and then planting the idea of fairies in his younger self's mind as an origin point for the first book's plot of holding a fairy for ransom so everything else could play out. Holly got to say her goodbye to the character who was murdered which was cathartic for the reader, too. It was all so neat. And then book 7 rolled out and we had a recurring villain return and still escape in the end! Never needed! Waste of a book. Didn't even start book 8.

[@DrnMontemayor]

The only book I really don't like from the series is the last one. I cannot believe how Colfer just outright reversed character development, and flanderized its characters into one of the most awkward stories ever. At least book 7 had things going for it. 8 should've had Miranda at the very least, too. And Number 1's appearance in it pissed me off so much more than if they had just left him behind. I can live with the Artemis x Holly as a weird one-off thing in book 6, but I'd rather that had never been a plot point. I don't even dislike Opal either, but Turnball is a much more compelling villain, and after how she was reduced to her most basic aspects in book 8... I cannot express how furious I was when reading that book. Orion was for nothing as well. I know many people wanted the story to stop in the third book, but Opal Deception is actually my favorite, and where I think the series peaked. The Atlantis Complex I know is also widely disliked, but goddamn, save from a few details like the shit with orange magic, it was a very strong entry. The Orion persona might've worked better as a multibook issue to resolve, but at least I liked the exploration of that suppressed side of Artemis. Book 8 being the most offensive outlier should've made Artemis integrate him entirely. The Last Guardian could've had so many great pay-offs. I do agree with many that Artemis should've still kept making scores as the main focus of the series. From book 6 til the end, nothing like that happens anymore. I don't mind him becoming good or grey, though. It's just natural progression. It was simply mishandled.