Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One

Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One by various creators. The Green Lama started life as a pulp character created by Kendell Foster Crossen in 1940. He almost immediately began appearing in comic books as well, and had his own radio show. Surprisingly, Ken Crossen had managed to hold on to the rights to the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One

Manga Review: Magus of the Library 1

Manga Review: Magus of the Library 1 by Mitsu Izumi On a fantasy world with a vaguely “Middle Eastern” culture, the invention of the printing press was relatively recent, so public libraries themselves are a new and exciting thing. The village of Amun has only had a library for a few years, the merchant Ossei… Continue reading Manga Review: Magus of the Library 1

Movie Review: Pan’s Labyrinth

Ofelia descends into the heart of the labyrinth.

Movie Review: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) directed by Guillermo del Toro (aka “El Labarinto del Fauno”} It is 1944, and elsewhere in Europe, the Allied troops recently landed in France on D-Day. But here in a remote mountainous region of Spain, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) and his men are hunting down the remnants of the Republicans who… Continue reading Movie Review: Pan’s Labyrinth

Book Review: Among Others

Book Review: Among Others by Jo Walton It is 1979, and Morwenna Phelps is no longer blessed with a living twin. The same accident shattered her hip and leg so that she cannot run or dance, or even exist without pain. Her beloved grandfather had a stroke, and cannot care for her, and her mother… Continue reading Book Review: Among Others

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps the spirits of the dead move on to the afterlife. But he is partially human, so his powers are relatively weak and he often has to resort to special devices that cost money. Between that and… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1

Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1 by Aidalro Nene Yashiro is in her first year at high school. She has a crush on one of the older boys, Minamoto. But Nene’s been unlucky in love before (the last boy said she had legs like a daikon radish), and Minamoto’s super popular so getting his attention… Continue reading Manga Review: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Volume 1

Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian

Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian by Kel McDonald So it turns out that King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, was a loan from the fairies of Avalon. They’re not exactly thrilled with how the whole Camelot thing ended up, and they never got their sword back. In the present day, Cu (“Hound”) has… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian

Book Review: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Book Review: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice edited by Jack Zipes Most likely, when you saw this title, you immediately thought of the Fantasia sequence with Mickey Mouse, or perhaps the more recent Disney film with Nicolas Cage. But the multiplying of brooms is only one aspect of the tales gathered under the general title of “The… Continue reading Book Review: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Comic Book Review: I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl

Comic Book Review: I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl by Skottie Young Fairyland has a system for dealing with its visitors. Each child is assigned a guide and told to seek out the key to the door home. The visitor goes on an adventure, usually a chain of fetch quests, obtains the key and… Continue reading Comic Book Review: I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl

Comic Book Review: Peter Pan and the Language of the Dead

Comic Book Review: Peter Pan and the Language of the Dead by various creators Bento Comics is a collective of comics creators who do print-on-demand and ebook sales, and have made several themed anthologies. This is their 2012 offering, based on the theme of, well, Peter Pan. “An Awfully Big Adventure” written by Fehed Said and drawn by Svetlana Chmakova is a dialogueless tale of a man in… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Peter Pan and the Language of the Dead