Short Story Review - The Pram by Joe Hill

Name -  The Pram

Writer - Joe Hill

Series - Creature Feature 

Published By - Amazon Original Stories 

Despite meaning to check out his works for a while, this is my first foray into the writing of Joe Hill. And I am quite glad that I did read this one and am thankful that Amazon Original Stories for publishing these short stories that can read in a single or few sittings. 

The Pram deals with the story of Willy and his desire to have a son. It begins with a saddened atmosphere as we come to know the circumstances leading to Willy's anguish and resentment and then slowly builds into the horror of what it might finally lead him to. 

The character of Willy is the main focus and Hill does an admirable job of letting readers ease into his psyche and personality. None of the other characters were much fleshed out due to the shirt scope of the story, but Hill's uncanny ability to create relatable and realistic characters are clearly visible through the small glimpses on offer. 

The story progresses gradually and almost effortlessly into a crescendo and ends in a veritably shocking and explosive ending. And the aftertaste left made me immediately interested to check out more from the author and also from other stories in the series. 

A job well done, 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Book Review - 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered

Name - 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered

Writer - Sadie Hartmann

Published By - Page Street Publishing

Well, if you are like me and have gotten into the intriguing world of horror fiction in the last few years after traversing through other branches of genre fiction, this book is specifically curated for the likes of you. If you are like me, you have often wondered if it was possible to ignore the vast richness of the past works of horror fiction and check out the good stuff from the last decade this book is for you. If you just want to test out the different sub-genres of the immensely versatile world of horror for the first time, well, what do you know, this book is also for you. 

'Sadie Hartmann' did a brilliant job of just taking post 2000 books and making a huge list putting in varied tastes of modern readers into consideration. There are also some delightful author spotlights focusing on some lesser known yet highly imaginative authors who are emerging into the genre as future giants. Also some short non-fiction pieces from some of these authors. 

I really loved the way Sadie arranged her recommendations into various sub-genres (would have loved a few more like space horror, medieval horror, etc. though) and then listed them with not only a synopsis type post but rather her take on the novel or collection. I loved her little at a glance feature below the review particularly. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to people like me who love books about books, and also to people looking for some solid modern horror recommendations and also to people who are trying to get into the genre. Solid and thoroughly enjoyable reading material. 

I'll give this one full marks, 5 out of 5 stars. 

New Book Review - Do or Die by Josh Reynolds

Book - Do or Die 

Writer - Josh Reynolds 

Series - A Zombicide Novel

Published By - Aconyte Books

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this opportunity.

I started reading this one having previously enjoyed the 2nd book in the series and with a bit of certainty that I would enjoy the further adventures of these interesting characters despite the overall familiar setting. Reynolds tries to spice up the adventure by setting up the story in the Everglades in Florida and adding some even more horrific monsters and equally dangerous humans. 

Westlake, Ramirez and company travel to the Everglades in search of more hidden caches of resources and friendly survivors, but things are way different than before as Westlake is falling apart both physically and mentally due to his transformation and there are strange animals and humans around to make their plight very difficult. The incoming hurricane and the issues between some new members and the usual gang makes matters even more edgy. 

The prose is depicted through various viewpoint characters, and the jumping of perspective was a bit much at times. It was really fun to return to the favorites like Westlake, Clavera and Kahwhita while the new characters and antagonists gave their own perspective to the ongoing struggle. I just really wish it had more chapters from the viewpoint of Westlake and Calavera.

From the get go it was apparent that some of these characters will not survive till the end, yet it was hard to say goodbye when the time came. The pace was as blistering as expected with no time for respite and the author did the action bits quite brilliantly.  The ending was also better than the last book despite being a bit predictable from the last one third of the story. 

I would really love to read more about this character although I am quite certain this will be the final adventure of this gang. It was definitely fun while it lasted. 

4 out of 5 stars from me. 

Graphic Novel Review - All Against All

Name: All Against All Vol. 1

Published by: Image Comics

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Artist: Casper Wijngaard

Colorist: Hasan Otsmane-Elhaou

This was a fun mini-series with a unique science fiction concept detailing the story of a group of parasitic aliens trying to delve into the mystery of the destructive nature of humanity on the backdrop of their own ongoing war. 

Alex Paknadel isn't an author that I was familiar with so I came into this without expecting anything, but his style was quite enjoyable. I liked his use of different viewpoint characters while trying to establish the world building through their perspectives rather than info dump. The story was an interesting one with some messages regarding the consequence of violence and war. 

The artist Caspar Wijngaard is also someone new for me, and I am definitely going to be on the lookout for his work in the future after my first exposure. His unique and unorthodox character and background designs, and masterful depiction of the action sequences were really able to drive home the visceral nature of the story. 

Interesting concept, fresh storytelling and vividly imaginative drawing kept me turning the pages rather quickly on this one as I kept intrigued about the twist to come. 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Comic Review - Alligator Loki #1

Name: Alligator Loki #1

Published by: Marvel Comics

Writer: Alyssa Wong

Artist: Bob Quinn

Colorist: Pete Pantazis

Well, who didn't like Alligator Loki when he was introduced in the Loki tv series. I sure did, and when I saw his infinity comic being published I was waiting for to check it out when it was to be collected as a normal issue. And, it really delivers on its promises quite commendably. 

The short strip like dialogue less stories featuring the notorious Alligator features cameos from characters from all over the Marvel universe with its mischievous fun and homages to popular memes are really something to be experienced. 

Bob Quinn does an excellent job with his exuberant art which compliments Wongs wonderful sense of humor quite nicely. As I found out this is only the compilation of season one of the series. I for one will be eagerly waiting for future adventures of this unorthodox and wicked god of mischief. 

4 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Comic Review - Six 001 - The Tanque Verde Massacre

Name: Six 001 - The Tanque Verde Massacre

Published by: Europe Comics

Writer: Philippe Pelaez

Artist: Javier Casado

Translator: Dan Christensen

Editing: Christopher Bradley

Letterer: Cromatik Ltd. 

My first experience with Europe Comics was quite an enjoyable one. This issue of western comics made me nostalgic about my childhood of reading translated westerns, often barely understanding some of the terminology but thoroughly enjoying the machismo, action and most of all the atmosphere. This one might be very generic to serious readers of western, to a casual reader of the genre like me, this hits all the sweet spots and kept me wanting more. 

The first issue mostly introduces the Six characters mentioned in the name of the story. We get information regarding some of the characters, while a few remain without much back story. We get introduced to the different factions of villains and also learn about the quest of the group while they begin their journey. 

Despite being quite generic, the characters are quite likeable and almost felt like getting reacquainted with old friends to me and I am already dreading the fact that some of the six will eventually die by the end. I really liked the dynamic between the deserter and the Indian quite a lot. The mysterious narrator of the story also adds another layer of intrigue for readers. 

The art is detailed, has appropriate facial expressions and creates the atmosphere quite nicely. The translation is also flawless never hampering the enjoyment at all. 

I really got immersed in this one despite understanding this might be generic for readers of the genre, but what more can be asked of a good old fashioned western tale?

I will give this one 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

Graphic Novel Review - Planet of the Apes Archive Vol. 1

Name: Planet of the Apes Archive Vol. 1: Terror on the Planet of the Apes

Published by: BOOM! Studios 

Writer: Doug Moench

Artists: Mike Ploog, Frank Chiaramonte, Tom Sutton, Herb Trimpe, Virgil Redondo

Let me start by saying that I am a relatively new Apes fan. Despite watching the original movie as a kid and the reboot as a teenager I was never much invested previously, which might have been due to the fact that I wasn't never really aware of the racial and political issues that this franchise tried to focus upon. But after quite recently rewatching the first movie and following up with watching (for the first time!) the next four I became quite enamoured. 

As I began to gradually delve deeper into the tie-in stuff, I decided to check out the various comics from different publishers. And these archives published by BOOM! Studios seemed a great way to read the older Marvel stuff in an organized way. 

The first volume of this archive series contains an original storyline set in the Planet of the apes depicting an action packed tale of two friends, a human and an ape going through almost limitless obstacles while re-exploring their friendship. Despite losing momentum towards the end and not having a proper ending, 'Terror on the Planet of the Apes' is an action packed journey that manages to combine the epic tone of the planet of the apes with the weirdness inherent to the comics as a medium. 

The story has many interesting and varied characters. Although the protagonist Jason and his friend Alex and the main antagonist Brutus might seem rather one dimensional caricatures; the likes of Gunsmith Julius, Steely Dan, Saraband, Lightsmith and a myriad of interesting villains  steal the show with their uniqueness. 

Doug Moench really knows how to spin a tale to keep his readers guessing what new perils might come next for our heroes and what new fascinating bits of weird and unorthodox locale or creatures we might experience next. And especially during the first half each chapter adds further layers of world-building to keep readers excited to keep on turning the pages. 

The first nine chapters are drawn by Mike Ploog, and his drawing is just something that is a pure joy to experience. The level of detail in his black and white pages kept me engrossed and returning for stuff I might have missed. The last six chapters are also well drawn and eye catching, but lack Ploogs artistic brilliance and pales a bit in comparison. 

Overall, the merits far outweigh the minor lacks in this story and the introduction and ending by the Apes expert 'Rich Handley' also add a sense of perspective to this historic piece of work. 

This gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Book Review - Wastelanders: Star-Lord by Sarah Cawkwell

Name - Wastelanders: Star-Lord

Series - Marvel’s Wastelanders 

Written by - Sarah Cawkwell

Adapted from - The scripted podcast by Benjamin Percy

Published by - Aconyte Books 

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this opportunity.

I wanna start with a little confession, I initially requested the ARC for this one due to interest in the Wastelands setting but totally forgot about it. I only remembered the book after watching 'Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3' and starting to miss Quill, Rocket and the gang. I am quite glad that I did start reading it, as I loved the book and finished it in only a few days despite my busy work schedule. 

The book is set in an alternate universe where things have taken a very bad turn for both the Guardians and planet earth some 30 years into the future. The much older duo of Star-Lord and Rocket returns to earth to complete a job for the Collector, but things are not as it used to be on the planet which they realise in a matter of moments after their crash landing. Soon, the duo with their robot companion Cora gets embroiled in an adventure that will introduce the readers to a very different western influenced post-apocalyptic Marvel universe. 

Quill and Rocket are the main stars as to be expected, and their banter will keep the readers chuckling despite being very emotional at times. Quill behaves just as optimistic as always and keeps on jumping into no win situations headlong. Rocket Raccoon is also on character, acting all gruff with a much softer interior. Another character that steals the show at times is Cora with her dialogues and mannerisms. The character of Red Crotter is also really well fleshed out. 

As this is based on a podcast, the dialogue is the main driving force rather than action most of the time. And the dialogue is very skillfully written, one can get so engrossed in the oftentimes humorous banter it could really drain time. The chemistry between Quill and Rocket has always been one of the main reasons why I love the Guardians movies, so I rather enjoyed their banter. 

The ending could have been a bit more action oriented if you asked me, but you have to consider the original source material. It has to be said, all through the book there is not a single boring page and this is mostly due to the excellent characters and the dialogues. This is a definite recommendation for any fan of superheroes or post-apocalyptic fiction. 

I will give this 4 out of 5 stars. 

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About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2023 MARVEL

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 2

Name: Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 2

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Haden Blackman, Welles Hartley 

Artists: The Fillbach Brothers, Welles Hartley 

Colorist: Wil Glass, Sno Cone Studios

Letterer: Michael David Thomas 

The second volume continues with the style established by the animated series and the first volume, focusing on specific characters in separate events of the ongoing war. 

'Skywalker' is the first story featuring Obi-Wan telling Luke a tell of the heroics of his father during the height of the clone wars. Anakin does some pretty cool force hijinks and it as a cool ending foreshadowing the future. 

'Hide in plain sight' follows the duo of Luminara and Bariss, as the attempt to stop an invading force of General Grievous's army while also trying to save the civilians. There are some interesting messages and a short little cameo by Grievous. 

The third story is 'Run Mace run', which is a story of the one and only Mace Windu and has another cameo, this time featuring Count Dooku. Windu's drop ship gets destroyed, and he is the only survivor and has to fight through an army of droids to destroy a powerful weapon. Nice little story with an interesting concept. 

This one might be slightly better than the first volume but gets 4 out of 5 stars from me like the first one. 

Graphic Novel Review - X-Men The Animated Series: The Further Adventures

Name: X-Men The Animated Series - The Further Adventures 

Published by: Marvel comics

Writters: Ralph Macchio, Nel Yomtov, Kelly Corvese, Robert Loren Fleming, Mike Pellowski, Joey Cavalieri, Mike Marts

Artists: Yancey Labat, Ben Herrera, Mike S. Miller, Andy Kuhn, Derec Aucoin, Alex Saviuk, Don Heck, Artie Ruiz etc. 

X-Men The Animated Series is definitely one of the best animated shows ever based on Marvel characters. So my expectations were quite high when I decided to check this omnibus which was supposedly a continuation of the story of the characters from the show. 

While there were definitely some high points in this collection, the varied nature of the stories seems to hold back some of the fun of this one. The drawing also seemed a bit too unorthodox and out of place at times. 

Some of the writing was quite good, specially stuff by Ralph Macchio. The Magneto and Apocalypse issues, the Cyclops centric issue, the Jubilee vs. Sabretooth issue, the guest appearance of Hulk etc. were some of the best issues and the ending also does an interesting thing trying to connect it to the Marvel-616 continuity. 

While this won't fill the whole left by the X-Men TAS on the fans, this collection is definitely worth the time and a great motivator for rewatching the show while we eagerly wait for X-Men '97.

This gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

Video Game Music Review - Street Fighter Compilation “RE:”MIX Chiptune

Album Name - Street Fighter Compilation “RE:”MIX Chiptune

Catalog Number - CPCA-10346

Released On - Oct 01, 2014

Composed By - Yoko Shimomura (01~10, 12), Isao Abe (11)

Arranged By - sasakure.UK, DJ'TEKINA//SOMETHING, Hige Driver, michitomo, Professor Sakamoto, HyperJuice, baker, arai tasuku, PellyColo, Carpainter, Aureole, K's

Published By - SULEPUTER

While I have been a fan of fighting games by SNK for most of my gaming life, I simply cannot deny the influence the music/soundtrack from Street Fighter 2 had on the enthusiasts of fighting games all over the world. And to hear the beloved music for the classic characters and stages with the new remix was a blast from the past I didn't know I needed in my life and enjoyed quite thoroughly. 

The album begins with the track for 'Chun-Li' and immediately grabs attention with its strong melody and continues through its almost flawless first 8 tracks. Things do lose a bit of focus on the last 4 tracks for the boss characters, but by then you already feel like starting from the beginning or returning to your favourite character tune. 

The incorporation of the vocal samples adds yet another dimension to the experience and makes any fan of fighting games nostalgic, wanting to once again start playing the game that started it all. This really was a fun and nostalgic experience for me.

So, overall score - 9 out of 10.

You can get the album at (among other sites) -

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/CPCA-10346

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 1

Name: Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 1

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Haden Blackman

Artists: Ben Caldwell, The Fillbach Brothers

Colorist: Ben Caldwell, Sno Cone Studios, Ltd. 

Letterer: Michael David Thomas 

I started reading this just after watching the Volume One of the 'Clone Wars (2003)' series, maybe that's why I enjoyed reading this quite a lot. The simplistic nature of storytelling in short form with drawings similar to the show and enjoyable dialogue make this a fun read for any Star Wars fan. 

The first story is 'Blind Force' which features Obi-Wan and Anakin on the planet Nivek on a special mission. The story has enjoyable banter between the master and padawan duo, an interesting new species of alien enemies and some unique action sequences. 

The second story titled 'Heavy Metal Jedi' has Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin battling against the droid army in Iktotch. Both tries to establish the superiority of their own fighting style which creates an interesting scenario. 

'Fierce Currents' is the third story which despite featuring Kit Fisto is rather weaker compared to the other two. It tells of Fisto's encounter with an unorthodox enemy, but the ending was a bit too philosophical for my taste. 

This was a fun little graphic novel and gets 4 out of 5 stars from me for its nostalgic style. 

New Book Review - Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

Name - Phoenix Extravagant 

Written by - Yoon Ha Lee

Published by - Rebellion Publishing Ltd. / Solaris Books

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing Ltd. / Solaris Books for this opportunity.

This was not my first exposure of Yoon Ha Lee, I had previously read one short story by the author which made me interested in longer fiction and led me to request this in NetGalley. 

This book had a very interesting setting clearly inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea, which really was used in a thoughtful and charismatic way. The anti-colonial sentiment was expressed in a rather unorthodox way using fantasy. The magic system was also quite unique and brilliantly depicted and kept me going through the pages to find out how it worked as a whole. 

Another great thing was the beautiful mechanical dragon Arazi on the cover, which was once again detailed with finesse and was the main star of the book despite appearing after one third of the book. The main character Jebi also brought their unique sense of worldview and his quest to do the right thing. Some of the other characters were also quite interesting despite their minor roles. 

But the main problem was the use of pronouns were a bit confusing especially when the author used they/them for only Jebi when the scene included multiple persons. It often distracted from this otherwise engrossing book. 

I will give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

New Book Review - And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Name - And Put Away Childish Things 

Written by - Adrian Tchaikovsky 

Published by - Rebellion Publishing Ltd. / Solaris Books

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing Ltd. / Solaris Books for this opportunity.

Portal fantasy is a genre that has been used in a lot of different ways, and as per my experience with this sub-genre I wasn't particularly interested in reading more of this setting. I only decided to check this out in lieu of this being available on NetGalley and my interest in Adrian Tchaikovsky for some time now. 

I definitely should have checked him out a long time ago. The prose is engrossing all throughout with interesting and relatable main character and thoughtful use of real world scenario of Covid to spice up the setting. 

The plot was fast paced with witty dialogue and some very enjoyable homage and poking fun at one of the most well known portal fantasy of all time. The neat little twists and turns of the story kept it from becoming even a bit predictable. 

Harry was a very realistic depiction of a modern day struggling media performer, who is very self centered and obnoxious despite having a well meaning core. Of the bunch of side characters Seitchman was my favourite and despite their minor roles all the other characters were quite expertly fleshed out even the antagonist. 

Although the ending was quite satisfying in tying up everything quite nicely, I really started missing the characters immediately after finishing the book and really wished it was longer (and also hoping for a sequel). 

My rating - 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Short Story Review - Pretty Good Neighbor by Jeffrey Ford

Name - Pretty Good Neighbor

Written by - Jeffrey Ford

Ilustrated by - FESBRA

Edited by - Ellen Datlow

Published by - Tor.com

Well this one was quite fun, starting with the premise of a simple ghost story then slowly turning into a unique kind of creature feature. The ending twist while being quite predictable did leave a good aftertaste. 

The story begins with a somewhat unreliable narrator telling of his experience with a haunting. The tale begins with a hint of noir crime then suddenly turns in a different direction with some added level of creepiness and horror thrown into the mix. 

Overall I liked the author's style and I really would love to read more about these characters and the creatures in the future.

My rating - 4 out of 5 stars. 

New Comic Review - Venom #20

Name: Venom #20

Published by: Marvel comics

Writer: Al Ewing 

Artists: Cafu

Colorist: Frank D'Armata

Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles  

Every time that I think that maybe this time Ewing will let the ball drop, making the pace too slow to make it drag or make the story too convoluted to make me decide it's just too difficult to follow each month, he delivers such a brilliant piece of curveball to keep me interested in the future of his characters. 

This time the story focuses on Eddie Brock as he returns to wreck havoc in a new style. He goes on a road trip to restart the battle he left off. The unique way of storytelling by Al Ewing once again keeps the readers guessing what to expect in the future while keeping the angles fresh for the future of the series. 

The art and coloring seems a notch higher in quality compared to the past few issues this time. The characters are drawn quite detailed and the action scenes seem to jump out of the pages. This really added much to the overall quality of the end product as well as the level of entertainment . 

A near perfect issue in terms of enjoyment, this gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Comic Review - Cyborg #1

Name: Cyborg #1

Published by: DC comics

Writer: Morgan Hampton

Artist: Tom Raney

Colorist: Michael Atiyeh

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Like most people out there, my introduction to Cyborg's backstory was mainly through the 'Justice League' movie. And my exposure to him was through that and the 'Doom Patrol' show and part of events or team comics that I read. But I am sure glad that I decided to check out this new ongoing featuring Victor as it seems like the start of something quite promising. 

The story in itself is a great place for new readers to jump into the story of Cyborg. It uses various ways to inform readers the origin of Victor Stone, of his relation with his father and the Titans. While the author also establishes the upcoming threats and plot devices for our protagonist mostly sacrificing action bits rather focusing on establishing the plot threads. 

In the beginning I was quite sceptical about the drawing of the issue, but Raney with his unorthodox art style seems to work quite interestingly with Atiyeh's colorful expressiveness. The drawing is quite attractive overall with its unique nuances. 

I do wish more action in the future, but the execution so far with the interesting twist on the last page left me genuinely intrigued and hopeful for the future. 

This gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

Short Story Review - Death of a Silversmith by Graham McNeill

Short Story - Death of a Silversmith 

Writer - Graham McNeill

Series - Horus Heresy

Published By - Games Warkshop / Black Library

This is a very simplistic short story set in the early days of the Horus Heresy, the events set even before the fall of the Warmaster even truly began. The style was quite unique by the virtue of being narrated by a regular human, but it does shine light on a very important object/artifact from the age of the great crusade. 

The story happens aboard of the 'Vengeful Spirit' and includes a brief yet interesting cameo by Sejanus which is always something to enjoy. Most of the story deals with the silversmith remembering his past life and wondering about the true reasons behind his current predicament. The hints about the things to come regarding the grand scheme of things were the actual enjoyable aspect of the story. 

As with any Horus Heresy story, this will cater to the taste of the fans of the series who understand the context of the event and characters. I as a fan of the series liked the little tidbits of information that were on offer here. 

3.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Comic Review - Venom #17

Name: Venom #17

Published by: Marvel comics

Writer: Al Ewing 

Artists: Cafu

Colorist: Frank D'Armata

Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles 

After the events of 'Dark Web', Eddie Brock is left as a shadow of his former self with his memories in a jumble and his rage prevailing as he is stuck as Bedlam after being used as a pawn in the scheme by Madelyne Pryor and Ben Reilly. 

This issue tells a somewhat convoluted tale of Eddie's struggles both physical and psychological, and does it with some style. The fight scene with Darkoth was quite viscerally enjoyable and brilliantly drawn by Cafu. Despite being at times confusing, this type of storytelling by Ewing is really appreciated if the readers are already invested in the main character. 

To be honest, I was a bit sceptical with Venom's integration into the 'Dark Web' event but Ewing really did use the opportunity quite ingeniously leaving me quite optimistic as a reader for the future of the series. 

4 out of 5 stars from me.