Categories
Books Comics

Exclusive Interview: Honor And Curse Writer Mark London & Artist Nicolás Salamanca

 

While Western comics have been deeply influenced by their Japanese counterparts over the years, some comic writers and artists have gone a step further and been influenced by Japanese culture well. Take Honor And Curse, a comic from Mad Cave that’s driven by its creators love of manga, anime, and Japanese folklore. With Honor And Curse: Volume 1: Torn newly available in paperback and on Kindle, I spoke via email to writer Mark London and artist Nicolás Salamanca to discuss how this comic came together, what influenced it, and how they came to work on it together.

Categories
Comics Movies Reviews

Captain Marvel Review

 

While the Marvel movies introduce new characters with almost every installment, it’s been a while since they’ve done an origin story that’s as exciting, clever, and just plain well done as Captain Marvel. In fact, you’d have to go back eight years, to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, to find an introduction that’s this effortlessly exhilarating.

Categories
Books Comics

Exclusive Interview: Starseeds Writer & Artist Charles Glaubitz

 

In a recent episode of his show Real Time, comedian Bill Maher critized those who thought comic books and graphic novels were literature. Perhaps Bill should read Starseeds, the philosophical sci-fi comic by writer and artist Charles Glaubitz. With Starseeds: Volume 2 (hardcover, Kindle/comiXology) recently released — and Starseeds: Volume 1 (hardcover, Kindle/comiXology) obviously already available — I spoke to Glaubitz via email about what inspired and influened this series, and his plans for it going forward.

Categories
Books Comics

Exclusive Interview: The Jekyll Island Chronicles: A Devil’s Reach Writers Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, And Jack Lowe

In the following email interview, Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe — the writers of the dieselpunk action / adventure comic The Jekyll Island Chronicles — discuss the second volume of this series, A Devil’s Reach (paperback, Kindle).

Categories
Books Comics

Best Books Of 2018

For the last couple years, I’ve kept track of the best novels, poetry collections, and other books I read that particular year. So, as I did in 2015, 2016, and 2017, here now are the best books I read in 2018.

Categories
Books Comics

Exclusive Interview: Legend Of Sumeria Authors Jay Webb And Biju Parekkadan

Writers often consult professionals in other fields to make sure they’re getting things right. Mystery writers, for example, will sometimes talk to cops, detectives, or FBI agents. But in the new science fiction graphic novel Legend Of Sumeria (hardcover, paperback) by Jay Webb and Biju Parekkadan, PHD, it was actually the doc who was asking for advice.

Categories
Comics DVDs/Blu-rays Movies Reviews

Justice League Blu-ray, 4K, DVD Review

Though it had flaws which kept it from being DC’s answer to Marvel’s Avengers, the super hero team-up movie Justice League did end up being a halfway decent superhero action flick. Not surprisingly, the home version — which is available as a Blu-ray, DVD, digital combo pack; a 3D Blu-ray, DVD, digital combo pack; a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, digital combo pack; and on DVD — also ends up being fun but flawed. Or maybe that should be flawed but fun.

Categories
Comics Movies Reviews

Black Panther Movie Review

Ever since Marvel Studios began their box office hot streak with 2008’s Iron Man, some so-called “serious” film fans and critics have lamented that these movies are nothing more than cinematic popcorn, devoid of any real substance. But that’s the last thing they’ll be able to say about Black Panther, which is not only the most serious Marvel movie to date, but the most socially-conscious and thought-provoking as well.

Categories
Books Comics

Best Books Of 2017

For the last two years I’ve kept a log of all the good books I read, regardless of when they were originally published. You can read my 2015 list by clicking here, and 2016’s by clicking here.

And since I’m nothing if not predictable, I decided to repeat this process for 2017.

So, here’s a look at the best novels, short story collections, and other books I read in 2017.