Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1 by Adachitoka Mutsumi is in a bad way. Not only is she under stress studying for the high school entrance exams, but her classmates have turned against her, bullying Mutsumi and encouraging her to self-harm. She’s locked herself in a toilet stall for a good cry when suddenly… Continue reading Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1
Tag: monsters
Book Review: Kaiju: Lords of the Earth
Book Review: Kaiju: Lords of the Earth edited by Essel Pratt Kaiju (“strange beast”) is primarily a subgenre of the monster movie that became codified in Japan. They’re mostly gigantic monsters that are nigh-unstoppable by conventional armaments, and run around destroying cities or fighting other giant monsters. The seeds of the story type were sown… Continue reading Book Review: Kaiju: Lords of the Earth
Book Review: Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory
Book Review: Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory by Thomas E. Sniegoski Disgraced doctor Jonas Chapel, on the run from the mob in Mexico, stumbles across a mysterious skeleton dripping a fluid that turns humans into monsters. Soon thereafter Chapel’s back in New York, teaming up with the very gang boss who’d ordered the hit on… Continue reading Book Review: Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory
Comic Book Review: Essential Rampaging Hulk, Vol. 2
Comic Book Review: Essential Rampaging Hulk, Vol. 2 edited by John Denning Quick recap: In the 1970s, Marvel Comics started doing larger magazines for newsstand distribution, most of them in black and white. One of these was The Rampaging Hulk, which originally featured adventures taking place between the Hulk’s appearances in the first year of his… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Rampaging Hulk, Vol. 2
Comic Strip Review: The Far Side Gallery 2
Comic Strip Review: The Far Side Gallery 2 by Gary Larson The Far Side was a daily single-panel newspaper comic that ran from 1980 to 1995, although reruns are common in newspapers. Gary Larson’s offbeat comedy often features science fiction and horror concepts, as well as talking animals and cavemen. Honestly, it’s hard to describe… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: The Far Side Gallery 2
Comic Book Review: Vertigo CYMK
Comic Book Review: Vertigo CYMK edited by Scott Nybakken Disclaimer: I received this volume from a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested. I don’t talk a lot about colorists. In most comics, they’re not noticed unless they really screw up, or there’s a particularly striking image.… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Vertigo CYMK
Manga Review: Dream Fossil
Manga Review: Dream Fossil by Satoshi Kon Satoshi Kon (1963-2010) was an acclaimed anime director, making a handful of movies (including Paprika) and one television series, Paranoia Agent. His themes of confusion of dreams and reality, and madness lying just below the surface of society, made his works fascinating. He also spent some time as a… Continue reading Manga Review: Dream Fossil
Anime Review: One-Punch Man
Anime Review: One-Punch Man Saitama used to be an unemployed salaryman (white-collar worker) whose life was going nowhere. When a (relatively weak) monster attacked, Saitama remembered his boyhood dream of becoming a hero who could defeat any opponent with a single punch. He trained really hard, and became that hero…but if you can defeat any… Continue reading Anime Review: One-Punch Man
Manga Review: One-Punch Man 01
Manga Review: One-Punch Man 01 story by ONE, art by Yusuke Murata Saitama wanted to be a hero when he grew up, the sort of good guy who could beat any monster or villain with a single punch. Like many people, he forgot that dream as he prepared for a more realistic career as… Continue reading Manga Review: One-Punch Man 01
Book Review: Galaxy of Ghouls
Book Review: Galaxy of Ghouls edited by Judith Merril October is scary stuff season, so let’s look at a book of creepy tales. This collection of 16 “science-fantasy” stories is themed around various monsters, from the classic to the out-there. We open with “Wolves Don’t Cry” by Bruce Elliott, turning the traditional werewolf story upside… Continue reading Book Review: Galaxy of Ghouls