Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1&2

Comic Book Review:  Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1 & 2 edited by Kristy Quinn Wonder Woman is a favorite character of many comics readers, but her regular series often disappoints.  The powers that be will assign writers that are a poor fit, or a promising storyline will be derailed by needing to tie… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1&2

Magazine Review: Wonder Stories January 1934

Magazine Review: Wonder Stories January 1934 editor-in-chief Hugo Gernsback Wonder Stories was one of the first dedicated science fiction magazines, started up after Hugo Gernsback lost control of Amazing Stories.  It started in 1929 as two magazines titled Air Wonder Stories and Science Wonder Stories before being consolidated in 1930. He held onto it until 1936 when financial considerations made him sell it to Beacon Magazines. They… Continue reading Magazine Review: Wonder Stories January 1934

Book Review: Hope of Ages Past

Book Review: Hope of Ages Past by Bruce Gardner In 1618, accountant’s son Peter Erhart and military advisor’s son Hans Mannheim witness an outrage in Prague, Bohemia. The two Catholic governors of this Holy Roman Empire province are tossed from a tower by their Lutheran colleagues. Hans has a moment of panic, and temporarily flees. Peter finds Hans and his kindness manages to… Continue reading Book Review: Hope of Ages Past

Book Review: Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space

Book Review: Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois Per the introduction, in the Fifties and Sixties, many young science fiction fans’ introduction to the genre was “juveniles”, books aimed at an age above “children’s” but not quite “adult.”  In the 1970s or so, this category was re-labled… Continue reading Book Review: Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space

Manga Review: Black Jack 2

Manga Review: Black Jack 2 by Osamu Tezuka Before Osamu Tezuka became a full-time manga creator, he was  a medical doctor.  He drew upon this training and experiences with Japan’s medical establishment for his work on Black Jack starting in the 1970s. Black Jack (birth name Kuro’o Hazama) is a brilliant physician and surgeon who is… Continue reading Manga Review: Black Jack 2

Anime Review: Devilman Crybaby

Anime Review: Devilman Crybaby War, pollution, crime, climate change, general immorality–it sure seems like the world is going to Hell these days.  According to Ryo Asuka, a teen genius professor, it might be because an increasing number of humans are becoming possessed by demons.  He’s come up with a plan, though.  Ryo theorizes that by… Continue reading Anime Review: Devilman Crybaby

Book Review: Old Celtic Romances

Book Review: Old Celtic Romances by P.W. Joyce The Gaelic-speaking people of ancient Ireland told tales of their mighty ancestors and great men, not unlike the people of every nation and tribe.  When writing came, they began to put these tales into manuscripts.  Out of the large body of remaining literature, in 1879 P.W. Joyce… Continue reading Book Review: Old Celtic Romances

Comic Book Review: The Building

Comic Book Review: The Building by Will Eisner This is a ghost story.   In New York City, a brand new building has risen where another one stood for eighty years.  But not all remnants of the old building’s history are gone.  Today, four people from the past appear, their tales entwined with this site. Will… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Building

Book Review: The History of Opera for Beginners

Book Review: The History of Opera for Beginners by Ron David Opera is one of the great art forms, blending theater and music into a powerful emotional experience.  But it also has a stereotype of being incomprehensible melodrama that boring rich people drag their unwilling spouses to.  And many of the books about opera are written… Continue reading Book Review: The History of Opera for Beginners

Book Review: All Quiet on the Western Front

Book Review: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque We open on a good day for Paul Bäumer and the men of the Second Company.  The sun is shining, there’s a light breeze to cool them, and they’re getting double rations.  The reason the men are getting double rations is that half… Continue reading Book Review: All Quiet on the Western Front