Book Review: Envy and the Geek

Book Review: Envy and the Geek by Natalie Falkenwrath “Hey, so there was this really cool show, High School Bites, about teen vampires, ten years, maybe it was fifteen years ago? Man, I’m getting old. Anyhow, it was one of those teen dramas on the CW or the WB, doubt it was the Disney Channel.… Continue reading Book Review: Envy and the Geek

Manga Review: Chibi Vampire Airmail

Sister Rosary and Karin. They do not actually meet in this volume.

Manga Review: Chibi Vampire Airmail by Yuna Kagesaki Karin Maaka is descended from a long line of vampires. That’s supposed to be a secret as vampires want the world (and especially the Catholic Church’s vampire hunters) to believe they were all wiped out decades ago. Her parents, the Markers, moved to Japan with most of… Continue reading Manga Review: Chibi Vampire Airmail

Manga Review: Case Closed, Volumes 77-79

Manga Review: Case Closed, Volumes 77-79 by Gosho Aoyama Recap: Conan Edogawa is actually Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the U.S. version), a genius teen detective who was poisoned by the Black Organization and now has the body of a pre-teen. This makes it more difficult for him to get listened to, but he keeps… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed, Volumes 77-79

Movie Review: Crypt of the Vampire

Count Karnstein in his study.

Movie Review: Crypt of the Vampire (1964) directed by Camillo Mastrocinque, aka “Terror in the Crypt”, original title “La Cripta e l’incubo” Antiquarian Friedrich Klauss (Jose Campos) has been summoned to Castle Karnstein in Styria by Count Ludwig Karnstein (Christopher Lee). It seems that some two centuries before, one of the Karnstein clan had been accused… Continue reading Movie Review: Crypt of the Vampire

Open Thread: ConVergence 2021 Report

Open Thread: ConVergence 2021 Report Those of you who’ve met me are aware that my introversion is almost at hermit levels, and this last year only amplified that. But I do enjoy a small amount of social interaction, and the lack of conventions wore on me. So when it was announced that the 2021 version… Continue reading Open Thread: ConVergence 2021 Report

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16 edited by Stephen Jones Let’s go back to 2004 for what at least one editor considered excellent short horror fiction. As with the later volume I have reviewed, there’s a lot of ancillary material. It opens with an extended look at horror and horror-adjacent… Continue reading Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16

Comic Book Review: The Darkness vs. Eva: Daughter of Dracula

Comic Book Review: The Darkness vs. Eva: Daughter of Dracula written by Leah Moore & John Reppion, art by Edgar Salazar Jackie Estacado was already a top hitman for the Franchetti mob when he discovered that he was the latest heir to the Darkness, a demonic force that grants the owner vast power, at the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Darkness vs. Eva: Daughter of Dracula

Anime Review: So I’m a Spider, So What?

Our protagonist survives yet another near-death experience.

Anime Review: So I’m a Spider, So What? Getting reincarnated in another world after an accident or explosion is getting rather commonplace these days. But when a spider hatches out with the memories of a Japanese high school student, and her fellow hatchlings try to eat her, this seems like a bit of an imposition.… Continue reading Anime Review: So I’m a Spider, So What?

Webtoon Review: Castlevania Season Four

Putting the band back together.

Webtoon Review: Castlevania Season Four Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for the first three seasons of Castlevania. You may want to check out my earlier review first if you haven’t seen the show. On an alternate Earth where vampires are very real, Trevor Belmont is the last known living member of the monster-hunting Belmont family.… Continue reading Webtoon Review: Castlevania Season Four

Movie Review: The Lost Boys (1987)

Movie Review: The Lost Boys (1987) directed by Joel Schumacher Santa Carla has the unofficial nickname of “The Murder Capital of the World.” Sure, the brightly colored boardwalk attracts people to this small Pacific Coast city, but all those “Missing” posters lend an eerie air to the place. And if you’re on edge, then any of… Continue reading Movie Review: The Lost Boys (1987)