Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump 2023

Best picture for kitty-lovers, worst for ailurophobes.

Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump 2023 by various creators It’s the eleventh anniversary of this blog! As every year, let’s take a look at the long-running colossus that is Weekly Shounen Jump! One Piece has moved on from the Wano storyline to one involving frequently referenced mad scientist(s) Dr. Vegapunk, who is not as cool… Continue reading Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump 2023

Movie Review: Spider-Man (2002)

The Green Goblin strikes!

Movie Review: Spider-Man (2002) directed by Sam Raimi When perpetual loser teenager Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bitten by a genetically modified spider during a school trip, he gains amazing spider-like powers. At first, his plan is to use these gifts for profit and to impress the girl he loves, Mary Jane “M.J.” Watson (Kirsten… Continue reading Movie Review: Spider-Man (2002)

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a human-shinigami (death spirit) crossbreed who works as a psychopomp, delivering lost spirits to the afterlife. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Rinne is very poor and never seems to get ahead. Rinne’s closest allies are his black cat familiar Rokumon, and… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37

Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2020)

Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2020) It’s the eighth anniversary of this blog, and time once again to look at the online version of Weekly Shounen Jump! There haven’t been any major changes to the format since last year. One Piece is still the longest-running feature, and is closing in on 1000 chapters! There was a… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2020)

Manga Review: Urusei Yatsura Vol. 1

Manga Review: Urusei Yatsura Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi Have you ever had a day when a pint-sized Buddhist monk looks you in the face and tells you you have terrible luck? Ataru Moroboshi has. Repeatedly. While he’s had poor luck all his life, the young lecher’s problems really kicked into high gear when aliens… Continue reading Manga Review: Urusei Yatsura Vol. 1

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap:  Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps lost spirits find their way to the afterlife.  He’s part-human, and must use expensive tools to make up for his weak powers.  Between these expenses and debts saddled on Rinne by his deadbeat father Sabato,… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26

Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Blackhawk Volume 1

Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Blackhawk Volume 1 art by Dick Dillin and Charles Cuidero In September 1939, Poland was invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union.  The valiant Polish people battled bravely against the two-pronged attack, but it was to no avail.  One aviator was shot down, as it happens, near his family’s farm,… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Blackhawk Volume 1

Comic Book Review: Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool

Comic Book Review: Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool written by Dwayne McDuffie & Robert L. Washington III, art by Denys Cowan & John Paul Leon Static is Virgil Ovid Hawkins, a science-loving teenager exposed to an experimental gas that gave him electro-magnetic superpowers.  He protects his schoolmates and neighborhood against gangs and supervillains who… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool

Book Review: Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror

Book Review: Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz While the term “penny dreadfuls” proper belongs to a particular type of inexpensive newsprint periodical, as explained in the introduction to this volume, the twenty stories chosen here can all be described as lowbrow sensationalist literature written for those seeking thrills in their… Continue reading Book Review: Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror