What timing, as over the weekend I read this space opera beauty by Grand Master of Science Fiction Anne McCaffrey, and one of the space opera greats, Elizabeth Moon. Ms. McCaffrey was extremely generous with the brand name in the late 80s early 90s, co-writing with a number of folk to help increase awareness for […]
Comic Review: Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth Vol. 1
What’s interesting about the DC reboots is some of them don’t even try to “start over” but launch with the assumption that you know everyone and everything going on. For Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps and all that with the yellow/green war for who’s policing the galaxy – it pretty much assumes you’ve […]
Comic Review: Eternal Warrior Awakening #1
After discovering the new X-O Manowar and going back through the Valiant universe titles… I’m very near the point where if it says “Valiant Comics” on it, I’m going to at least try out an issue. Eternal Warrior: Awakening also is written by Robert Venditti, who as I mentioned in a review of Armor […]
Comic Review: Discovering the Valiant: Amor Hunters Event
I recently read the Armor Hunters crossover event by Valiant, which spans 5 trade paperbacks with an event series itself, two tie-ins from prominent Valiant books in XO Manowar and Unity, and two offshoot spinoff miniseries. It was a daunting task, and curtailed my reading of catching up on the Valiant universe for a time […]
Book Review: The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
The review you’ve all been waiting for! Note: there are some spoilers in here as I had to really get into what I liked or didn’t like in the book, but I tried to keep the ending in tact as much as I could for those who are interested in actual reading. I discovered The […]
Comic Review: Eleanor And the Egret #1
Being a big Chew fan, when I saw that John Layman had another comic out with a very silly concept, I went to check it out. With Sam Keith, I thought I could expect some quirky art and quirky story like I saw in Chew. This issue sets up one of those “what’s going on” […]
Retro Review: Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
Last week, the new book Thrawn by Timothy Zahn came out, a book I didn’t expect to see until it was announced. It hit #2 on the NYT Bestsellers list, so big congratulations to Mr. Zahn. I picked it up, but I wanted to reread the original Thrawn Trilogy first as it’s been about 19 […]
Sci-Fi Movie Review: Passengers
Most of you are probably already aware that I liked this movie, as it made my list for the 2017 Dragon Award nominations for best Sci-Fi film. Part of that was a lack of other great sci-fi films in this last year, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoyed Passengers any less. The concept of […]
Discovering The Valiant: Bloodshot vol. 1 Review
Bloodshot vol. 1 And here I thought Harbinger was dark. This is probably the darkest Valiant comic I’ve read. What a concept. Bloodshot is a military weapon of a man filled with nanobots that repair him and give him superpowers. He gets beat to a pulp more than Wolverine. The military or secret ops or […]
Book Blast: The I’m Busy Writing Like A Mad Man Edition
Reviewing my new chapters of my forthcoming steampunk novel, For Steam And Country before getting it back to my editor for his work. Then I’ve outlined a new short piece for an anthology that I submitted to, then I wrote a 2,000 word outline for a potential comic series I’d like to develop, and then […]
Discovering the Valiant: X-O Manowar (2012) Vol. 2 and 3
Reviewing these together but as one post. Great comic. I think the #PulpRevolution should pick up volumes 1-3 of this immediately as a primer of “how it should be done.” X-O Manowar (2012) Vol. 2 This picks up right where the first volume left off, with a potential alien invasion from the Vine looming, their […]
Discovering The Valiant: Shadowman Vol. 2-3
Last night I followed up on my reading of Shadowman Vol 1 with a volume 2 and 3 read. Though I’m going to condense into one post, though will review separately. Shadowman Volume 2 consists of issues #5-9 which continue the plotline of Darque trying to get back to the regular world. He’s hooked up […]
Discovering The Valiant: Shadowman Vol. 1
I’ve mentioned this last week how excited i was about the Valiant Universe, because of the relaunch of X-O Manowar #1, which hooked me immediately, so much that I grabbed a trade of the original 1992 Shadowman series… and if you’re already confused because I’m dropping titles without context, don’t worry, I’ll catch you up: […]
Retro Comic Review: Valiant Masters: Shadowman Vol. 1
This book collects Shadowman #0-7 from Valiant Comics’ 1992 run and some character info from Darque Passages #1. Shadowman is an interesting comic. It has a hero in New Orleans, in the Bayou, dealing with the swamp, the nightlife of the city. He’s definitely of that “dark vigilante” bent that came out of Frank Miller’s […]
Kong: Skull Island
This triggered me. Triggered me so hard in the heart. Because I miss that gorilla, okay? Harmabe, up in heaven, if this movie isn’t a testament to you and your sacrifice, I don’t know what is. He was a good gorilla. Anyhow…I don’t get to go see many movies, other than Pixar or little kiddie […]
Comic Review: XO Manowar #1
XO Manowar #1 came out yesterday, a relaunch by Valiant comics who already relaunched the 90s property in 2012, which from my cursory look on the internet met with great reviews. I’ve actually never read either prior incarnation of XO Manowar, and am coming at this as a new reader, which probably is most helpful […]
Comic Review: The Invisible Republic Vol. 1
UPDATE: After I leave a positive review of their book, both @GabrielHardman and @CorinnaBechko blocked me on Twitter. Very weird. Do they not want positive reviews of their book, or people reading them? Do they just block reviewers? Is there a worse intention of that blocking there because of my whistleblowing of the comics industry’s […]
Retro Review: Tarzan Of The Apes
I’ve been promising a review of this book on social media since before the weekend. This is the original Tarzan Of The Apes, Edgar Rice Burrough’s classic 1912 novel that spawned more than twenty sequels, endless comic books, a ton of film adaptations over the years, and for the crime of being a true man’s […]
Retro Review: Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson
Once more I delve into my own study of the works of Appendix N and the #PulpRevolution, hopefully not to be too redundant with Jeffro Johnson’s wonderful analysis of the works, as I’m more interested in exploring a literary genre to see what I can pull of value for my own storytelling and reading edification, […]
Appendix N Is Your Science Fiction Red Pill
Despite the fact that the publishing industry seems to be at an all time low: bookstores closing, a glut of mediocre product on Amazon, so much to choose from and no real way to distinguish, the internet has given us means by which we can find interesting stories more easily than we used to […]
Thoughts on Rogue One (Trying Not To Spoiler)
I’ve had a few hours to think about Rogue One. I went in skeptical, because Force Awakens was such a Hollywood soft reboot it was insulting to our collective intelligences, as well made as it was, and I was expecting this movie to be a member berries-filled ride as obnoxious as that. Starting as a […]
Terry Moore’s Motor Girl #1 Review (Spoiler Free)
Last week marked the release of Terry Moore’s new comic, Motor Girl #1. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this since the end of Rachel Rising, which is my favorite comic book series of all time, which you should check out the omnibus here. I’m a bit late in reviewing because of other obligations, but here goes!