Book Review: The Transplanted

Book Review: The Transplanted by John Bodnar This volume, written in the 1980s, is a survey of patterns of immigration into urban areas of the United States between 1830-1930 (approximately.)    It covers those who came to stay, those who just came to get a nest egg to improve life in their home country, and… Continue reading Book Review: The Transplanted

Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly (2016)

Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly (2016) by various creators. It’s the fourth anniversary of this blog (where does the time go!?) and thus my annual review of the online edition of Weekly Shounen Jump, Japan’s best-selling manga anthology.   The 2016 reaper has been busy here as elsewhere, with several long-running series ending:  Bleach, Nisekoi, Toriko… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly (2016)

Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences

Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences by Pere Romanillos “Serendipity” is the good fortune that comes when you discover something useful or interesting while you were looking for something else.  Knowing how to grasp the opportunity offered by serendipity is one of those skills that every scientist and artist should have at their disposal.  This book, originally… Continue reading Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences

Comic Book Review: Saints: The Book of Blaise

Comic Book Review: Saints: The Book of Blaise written by Sean Lewis, art by Benjamin Mackey Disclaimer:  I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of this review.  No other compensation was requested or offered. “Monster” Blaise is a heavy metal musician with “one weird trick”–his glowing hands can cure throat ailments.… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Saints: The Book of Blaise

Manga Review: Doraemon, Vol. 1

Manga Review:  Doraemon, Vol. 1 by Fujiko F. Fujio It’s not often that someone is so big of a loser that his descendant feels the need to travel through time to fix it.  But Nobita Nobi has managed it.  Nobita’s a wimp, as well as not very bright and so lazy that he doesn’t even… Continue reading Manga Review: Doraemon, Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Joe Kubert Presents

Comic Book Review: Joe Kubert Presents by Joe Kubert and others Joe Kubert (1926-2012) was one of the all-time great comic book artists.  The bulk of his work was done for DC Comics, including many Hawkman and Sergeant Rock stories. Joe Kubert Presents was his final series, a tribute to him by the company he’d done… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Joe Kubert Presents

Magazine Review: Science Fantasy #4 Spring 1971

Cover uncredited, but said to be by Johnny Bruck.

Magazine Review: Science Fantasy #4 Spring 1971 edited by Sol Cohen Science Fantasy was a short-lived (this is the final issue) reprint magazine from Ziff-Davis Publishing, which should not be confused with the long-running British magazine of the same title.  The stories in this issue come from the late 1940s/early 1950s, and reader tastes had changed… Continue reading Magazine Review: Science Fantasy #4 Spring 1971

Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59

Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap:  When teen genius detective Shin’ichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in  the American edition) is targeted by a mysterious criminal organization, the experimental poison used shrinks him to child size rather than killing him.  Assuming the identity of Conan Edogawa, the pint-sized sleuth moves in with… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59

Book Review: Four Reincarnations

Book Review: Four Reincarnations by Max Ritvo My genes are in mice, and not in the banal way that Man’s old genes are in the Beasts. Max Ritvo was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age sixteen.  Aggressive treatment put him into remission for some years, but the Ewing’s sarcoma came back during his senior year… Continue reading Book Review: Four Reincarnations

Book Review: Skycruiser

Book Review: Skycruiser by Howard M. Brier Barry Martin is not as young as he looks.  He’s had three years of engineering in college, and two years training as a pilot.  But he looks like a teenager, and a perception that he was too young to handle a man’s job caused him to wash out… Continue reading Book Review: Skycruiser