Book Review: Thuvia, Maid of Mars

Book Review: Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs It has been some years since Thuvia, princess of Ptarth, was rescued from her captivity by the Therns, thanks to John Carter and his son Carthoris. In the process, she and Carthoris had become attracted to each other, but having been returned to her rightful… Continue reading Book Review: Thuvia, Maid of Mars

Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Roy's new project.

Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) directed by Steven Spielberg We are not alone in the universe. There are beings from beyond the stars, who have visited Earth from time to time. Sometimes there have even been “close encounters”, sightings and nebulous evidence. Now, perhaps, it is time for a true meeting in… Continue reading Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1 by Various Creators Much like DC, Marvel Comics also had dedicated superhero team-up series. Marvel Two-in-One featured perennial favorite character Benjamin Grimm, the Thing of the Fantastic Four–and I’ve never done a review of anything with him before, so first, a bit of character history! Fantastic Four… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1

TV Review: Star Trek the Animated Series

Lieutenant M'ress reports for duty.

TV Review: Star Trek the Animated Series In a future where humanity did not succeed in destroying itself, but instead learned to live together in peace (after a few more world wars) and then went to space to explore strange new worlds, meet interesting life forms (and sometimes peacefully interact with them) and boldly go… Continue reading TV Review: Star Trek the Animated Series

Movie Review: Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe

It was brave of the filmmakers to use Jesse Ventura's actual hair.

Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe (1990) dir. Damian Lee Sonia Murray (Marjorie Bransfield) has lived all her life in the small town of Thornbury in Canada. About six years ago, she was assaulted and impregnated by a foreign criminal who’d entered the country illegally. The criminal was almost immediately captured and hauled away by the foreign… Continue reading Movie Review: Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe

Manga Review: The Crater

Manga Review: The Crater by Osamu Tezuka In the late 1960s, Osamu Tezuka’s career was facing a crisis. He was still popular, with publishers quite willing to buy more of the kid-friendly material he’d become famous for. But he wasn’t a trend-setter anymore. The new generation of manga creators was into gekiga, more serious and… Continue reading Manga Review: The Crater

Book Review: Diadem from the Stars

Book Review: Diadem from the Stars by Jo Clayton Aleytys (“Leyta” to her friends) isn’t like the other girls in her clan. No one else has that bright red hair. Although she is the daughter of Azdar, the clan head, he barely acknowledges Aleytys exists, and his first wife Qumri is physically and emotionally abusive… Continue reading Book Review: Diadem from the Stars

Comic Book Review: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #44

Comic Book Review: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #44 by various creators Archie Comics wasn’t the only company doing digests, of course. DC Comics also had a vast library of back issues able to be reprinted in a smaller, checkout aisle friendly format. At one point, it was used as part of a… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #44

Comic Book Review: Jughead with Archie Digest Magazine #134

Comic Book Review: Jughead with Archie Digest Magazine #134 by various creators The Archie characters and setting first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (December 1941) as part of the M.L.J. Magazines comic book publishing line. Inspired by the wholesome Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney, Archie Andrews was a “typical American teenager” with a stable… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Jughead with Archie Digest Magazine #134

Manga Review: Gate Keepers Volume 1

Manga Review: Gate Keepers Volume 1 by Keiji Goto (Original story by Hiroshi Yamaguchi) It is 1969, and Japan’s prosperity is increasing. Rapid industrialization and technological advancements have brought economic good times but also rapid social change and then unrest. More pressingly for our story, mysterious aliens known only as “the Invaders” are secretly striking… Continue reading Manga Review: Gate Keepers Volume 1