Ramona Blue Julie Murphy Balzer & Bray/Harperteen May 9, 2017 HarperCollins provided a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to begin with a confession of bias. I read Julie Murphy’s novel Dumplin’ last year, and I trust her as an author. The synopsis of Ramona Blue dredges up ghosts…
MST3K “2” is No Electric Boogaloo
For a puppet show born on a Minnesotan UHF channel nearly 30 years ago, Mystery Science Theater 3000 has enjoyed remarkable longevity. Two decades after it ended its original ten-season run, the show has grown from cult classic to genuine pop culture phenomenon; the end credits encouraged viewers to “keep circulating the tapes,” and now…
Piecing Hope Together in Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag
Shattered Warrior Sharon Shinn (Writer), Molly Knox Ostertag (Artist) First Second May 16, 2017 A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Warning: mentions of rape, violence. It was the brown face that caught my attention when I was first presented with the cover for Sharon Shinn’s Shattered Warrior. Jagged…
Manufactured Fantasies: On Kyoko Miyake’s Tokyo Idols
Tokyo Idols Director: Kyoko Miyake North American Premiere: April 29, 2017 It’s sold as a platform where dreams come true. Tokyo Idols is a fairly straightforward film. Like its title, the documentary from Kyoko Miyake is direct in its introduction of Japanese idol culture. We meet 23-year-old Rio Hiiragi as she prepares for a show,…
Review: What Parsifal Saw
What Parsifal Saw Ron Rege Jr. (Writer & Artist) Fantagraphics Books March 2017 Fantagraphics provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. In his previous collected work, Cartoon Utopia, Ron Rege Jr. suggested that readers read the book like a textbook. Not necessarily in sequential order. Looking for bits and pieces…
The Third Party Brings Romance to Office Politics [Review]
The Third Party Enjelicious (creator) Lezhin Comics What happens when the wealthy heiress of a popular company is ordered to mask her identity and work at her future workplace as an intern…where she meets a woman? An independent woman who sports professionalism, confidence, and sex appeal with plans to run away from her former life…
Jean Grey #1 is a Grey of Light [Review]
Jean Grey #1 Dennis Hopeless (Writer), Victor Ibanez (Artist), Jay David Ramos (Colorist), VC’s Travis Lanham (Letterer) Marvel Comics May 3, 2017 In 1963’s X-Men #1, a teenage Jean Grey became the newest student at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. “What kind of school is this, sir? I have a right to know!” she demanded,…
American Gods Episode One: One Hell of a Trip
American Gods promised to be strange, and strange it is. The first episode, “The Bone Orchard,” sets a tone if not a plot. With the abundance of amazing TV shows at the moment, showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green are banking on exactly that: every story has been told, so the real drawcard is how you do it.
Tough, Sweet Animals Survive the Apocalypse in Jen Lee’s Garbage Night
Garbage Night Jen Lee (Writer and Artist) Nobrow Press June 13, 2017 A review copy was provided by the publisher. Imagining what survival will look like in the dystopian future is one thing, but what will it be like for our precious pets? Garbage Night is the second installment in Jen Lee’s series about three…
Fan vs Fan: When Harley Quinn Met Lobo [NSFW]
Harley’s Little Black Book #6: Featuring Lobo Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (Writers), Simon Bisley (Artist) DC Comics March 29, 2017 Harley’s Little Black Book! A six-issue comic book series where Harley Quinn travels about, meeting people she thinks are sexy. I guess. That’s my impression and I didn’t much care for it—until I saw…
Review: Orphan Black the Game
Orphan Black the Game Boat Rocker Media iOS and Android March 23, 2017
A Guide to Free Comic Book Day 2017
Two years ago, I read all of the Free Comic Book Day offerings in one day and listed the titles you definitely needed to pick up. I did it again with a new crop of comics! There were some great titles and hopefully, they’ll get reluctant readers to dive into the world of sequential storytelling….
