Comic Book Review: Poseurs written by Deborah Vankin, art by Rick Mays Jenna Berry is a Jewish-Cherokee teen living in a downmarket part of Los Angeles. Her mother is a hard-drinking legal secretary who has been dating a string of pretty boys, and they’re always on the verge of poverty. When Mom’s shoplifting costs Jenna… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Poseurs
Book Review: Dark Waters
Book Review: Dark Waters by Michael Merriam Disclaimer: My copy is an uncorrected proof; there may be changes in the final product (I am hoping for many less spellchecker typos.) Many years ago, Richard Martz ran afoul of the law forbidding children who have both mage and fey blood from being born. His lover and… Continue reading Book Review: Dark Waters
Manga Review: Let’s Dance a Waltz
Manga Review: Let’s Dance a Waltz by Natsumi Ando Tango Minami’s mother runs a ballroom dance school, where he helps out as a dance instructor (he’s tall for a junior high student.) But due to a disastrous mistake in his childhood, Tango has decided never to take another full-time partner, and thus not qualify for… Continue reading Manga Review: Let’s Dance a Waltz
Book Review: The League of Regrettable Superheroes
Book Review: The League of Regrettable Superheroes by Jon Morris There have been thousands of superheroes created for comic books since their origins in the 1930s. Some of them have gone on to lasting success like Superman, Spider-Man or Batman. Others have had solid B-list careers, staying in the minds of fandom, if not the… Continue reading Book Review: The League of Regrettable Superheroes
Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (2015)
Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (2015) by various creators. It’s the third anniversary of this blog, and as is my custom, I’ll be looking at the current lineup of Weekly Shonen Jump, the online version of Shounen Jump. For those just joining us, Shounen Jump is the top-selling shounen manga (boys’ comic book) in Japan. Many of its series… Continue reading Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (2015)
Book Review: The Wall
Book Review: The Wall by Mary Roberts Rinehart Marcia Lloyd is an upper-crust socialite who is not as wealthy as she used to be. Not by any means broke, but when she comes to her summer home, Sunset, in New England, she can only afford to employ a handful of servants for a house that… Continue reading Book Review: The Wall
Magazine Review: High Adventure #143: Planet Stories Issue
Magazine Review: High Adventure #143: Planet Stories Issue edited by John P. Gunnison Planet Stories was a science-fiction pulp magazine published between 1939 and 1955; it specialized in interplanetary action and daring-do. (See my review of Planet Comics, its sister magazine that started publishing about the same time. Covers tended to the formula of busty, scantily-clad… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #143: Planet Stories Issue
Manga Review: Case Closed Volume 56
Manga Review: Case Closed Volume 56 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap for newer readers: Shinichi Kudou (“Jimmy” in the US version) is a teen genius detective. He runs afoul of a mysterious criminal organization, but their assassination attempt instead causes him to shrink to a childlike appearance. To conceal his survival from the organization, Shinichi… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volume 56
Book Review: Storm Over Warlock
Book Review: Storm Over Warlock by Andre Norton Shann Lantee is a member of the Survey Corps team getting the planet Warlock ready for human colonization. Well, just barely. Without any formal education, Shann was brought along to do all the scutwork of the camp, including tending the genetically enhanced wolverines being tested as partners… Continue reading Book Review: Storm Over Warlock
Open Thread: RIP Shigeru Mizuki
Open Thread: RIP Shigeru Mizuki Shigeru Mizuki (1922-2015) was a manga artist famous for his horror works, most famously Gegege no Kitarou, and did much work to familiarize younger generations of Japanese children with the traditional stories of yokai. As I’ve written here before, Mr. Mizuki was stationed in New Britain, Papua New Guinea during World War… Continue reading Open Thread: RIP Shigeru Mizuki