Comic Book Review: DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19: Doom Patrol

Cover by George Perez and Frank Giacoia

Comic Book Review: DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19: Doom Patrol edited by Karen Berger The Doom Patrol is one of DC Comics’ more interesting super-teams. First published in My Greatest Adventure #80 (1963), it concerned a group of people who felt isolated from normal humanity, led by a genius in a wheelchair, who nevertheless… Continue reading Comic Book Review: DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19: Doom Patrol

Book Review: Fafner: Dead Aggressor

Book Review: Fafner: Dead Aggressor by Tow Ubukata Kazuki Makabe lives on Tatsumiyajima, an isolated island far off the coast of Japan. He’s looking forward to leaving the island one year from now, one way or another, whether to go to a mainland school or join a fishing boat crew. He’s the best athlete on… Continue reading Book Review: Fafner: Dead Aggressor

Manga Review: Snowball Earth Volume 01

Manga Review: Snowball Earth Volume 01 by Yuhiro Tsujitsugu In 2025, the first intergalactic kaiju attacked Earth. It was stopped at the cost of a lot of human lives. And it wasn’t alone. Entire swarms of them were approaching, with a few (scouts? impatient ones) way out in front. Humanity established the E-RDE, an anti-kaiju… Continue reading Manga Review: Snowball Earth Volume 01

Anime Review: Bang Brave Bang Bravern!

Lewis Smith has always wanted to pilot a giant robot.

Anime Review: Bang Brave Bang Bravern! (Japanese title: Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern!“) In the not so distant future, the latest weapons development is combat mecha. These “Titanostriders” are a lot like more agile tanks, with all the strengths and weaknesses that implies. On Oahu, there’s a joint military exercise with the Americans, Japanese and Germans… Continue reading Anime Review: Bang Brave Bang Bravern!

Movie Review: Negadon: The Monster from Mars

Negadon attacks!

Movie Review: Negadon: The Monster from Mars (2005) directed by Jun Awazu In the near future of 2025, Earth’s resources are running out, so the humans are terraforming Mars. While doing so, they discover a giant cocoon-like object and decide to take it home. Unfortunately for the crew of the Izanami and everyone else in Japan, the creature… Continue reading Movie Review: Negadon: The Monster from Mars

Anime Review: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Lilique knows you can't pilot giant robots properly if you don't have good nutrition!

Anime Review: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury The year is 122 Ad Stella, presumably counting from the establishment of the first permanent space colony. Various corporations were quick to expand their presence, and with the discovery of the miracle substance Permet, the various space nations became more powerful than Earth. The Benerit Group… Continue reading Anime Review: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Book Review: Iron Widow

Book Review: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao Huaxia is a future society that has modeled itself somewhat on medieval China, for both good and ill. As far as Zetian is concerned, it’s definitely for ill. The way Huaxia society is set up seems to be designed to oppress women and crush their wills. From… Continue reading Book Review: Iron Widow

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

Movie Review: 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End

Cho-san is about to suffer retirony.

Movie Review: 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End (2008) directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi When Kenji Endo (Toshiaka Karisawa) was a teenager, he loved rock music, especially “20th Century Boy” by T. Rex. He thought rock, and in particular his own music, could change the world. But some twenty years on in the late 1990s,… Continue reading Movie Review: 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End

Comic Strip Review: Guilded Age Volume Three

Comic Strip Review: Guilded Age Volume Three written by T. Campbell & Phil Kahn, illustrated by John Waltrip Note: The following review contains SPOILERS for the previous two volumes. The Peacemakers are an elite band of adventurers who are contracted by the city state of Gastonia, which is majority human but has people of other… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: Guilded Age Volume Three