New Comic Reviews - Midnight Universe Descends

It was really surprising to see Marvel ending its very successful new Ultimate Universe line so suddenly, abruptly and unexpectedly.

But, they somehow decided to end it and start a new imprint, the 'Midnight Universe' from this month.

So I also decided to do a new thing and review the first issues of the three new Midnight series together here.

Name: Midnight Spider-Man #1

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: ScieTronc

Colorist: Neeraj Menon

Based on the first issues, this is my pick of the lot. It has a teenage Peter Parker with a much more tragic and horrific childhood, yet brought up with a healthy dose of principles who tries to fight the fascist and corrupt corporations as a social media activist.

The start has much room for maneuvering and the side characters that appeared so far seem to be presented in a very promising way so far. The new and twisted motto of 'Power makes monsters' also gives the setting an interesting nudge in a new direction.

I liked what the art on offer so far with its Asian manga inspired style and some unusual choices. The coloring also adds to the horrific effect and the stylistic charm.

I give this opening issue 4 out of 5 stars.

Name: Midnight Fantastic Four #1

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Kev Walker

Colorist: Frank D'Armata

Well, this is a bit unusual in its choice of direction so far. I loved the Lovecraftian bits and the jump scares, but some story bits like how Victor was taken to Latveria and how Reed is so uncaring regarding the harm that befalls others due to his whimsical attitude and the mysterious pills need some explanation in future to make this right.

I hope the author gives all the characters enough room for development rather than focusing too much on the reimagined dynamics between Reed and Storm, despite enjoying the changed roles.

The art is as unorthodox as the story at times, but the eerie drawings do add to the cosmic horror angle that the team tried to convey so far. Maybe it needs a bit more nuance in my opinion.

3.5 out of 5 stars, based on what's on offer here.

Name: Midnight X-Men #1

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Matteo Della Fonte 

Colorist: Arthur Hesli

What Hickman produced with 'HoX/PoX' was something I enjoyed quite a lot. Despite how Krakoan age has both fans and haters, the initial dual mini-series did something incredible, made use of the vast lore available, and made people interested in X-Men comics after a long time.

But, it was also very convoluted and required much prior knowledge to fully appreciate. What 'Midnight X-Men' starts in first issues is not so much old lore heavy. Rather it is a gothic and moody piece introducing readers to the new universe and its status quo. It doesn't do anything really spectacular or original, but it has time and scope it it's future issues for development.

This issue has the best drawing of the three so far, in my opinion. Matteo Della Fonte used his prowess with style to create quite an engrossing and dark atmosphere. I just hope he gets to draw more characters in the future and Hickman decides to use the depth of available characters in the X-Men universe to create something memorable.

So far, I am not overly impressed and will give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

New Book Review - Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Name - Thornhedge 

Written by - T. Kingfisher 

Narrated by - Laurel Lefkow 

Published by - Tor Books / Titan Books

Audiobook by - W. F. Howes Ltd 

Another Hugo Winner read, it seems I am somehow into the flow of reading award winning stuff. 'Thornhedge' is a novella that is much more than a simple retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. It is also much more than a tale of the witch who has cursed the beauty to eternal sleep in a new light. The story of Toadling has so much more to offer than a fairy tale done differently, it is the story of becoming more than what you were supposed to, learning to love people despite appearances, and letting go of your prejudices to try to do the right thing even if it's hard. And above all, it's a mesmerizing and fun tale.

It is hard to come up with new things to say for a work as thoroughly talked about as this one, so instead I will just write about the things I felt about it, things I picked out thinking back on it after finishing listening to it. It is apparent from the title that this book is about the barrier that Toadling has kept erect between her and the outside world for a long time, about the hedge of thorns she kept strong all throughout her life, making it impossible for her to truly connect with anyone from the earthly realm.

Toadling was stolen by the Fae, which was tragic; then she was brought up by the Greenteeth, who loved her in their own peculiar way and made her feel she belonged. But things again turned bad when she was tasked with dealing with her replacement, Fayette. This eventually began her predicament, as she spent over two centuries guarding the changeling while she slept in the tower behind a wall of thorns. But one day a curious and unusual knight appears to learn the truth of the magic in the tower and from here her new story begins.

The main character is so different from humans, yet she is utterly humane. She tries to find joy in being loved, being part of something, acknowledges that she is ugly but decides to find the truth of beauty in her monstrous companions. Even when she is tasked with protecting others from the harms that the change might cause, she tries to appease everyone somehow. She also thinks about mourning for everyone lost or dead. 

Yet she has a purer way of seeing the world, trying to find goodness and understanding in all the corners, trying to inflict no harm to anyone she encounters, and simply trying to hide behind her power of being able to transform into a toad. She slowly through beautifully poetic prose by Kingfisher experiences the world around her using her unique way of seeing things, and learns to love herself with the help of others.

Halim, while having that core goodness, is a quite a different character from her. He is a Muslim knight who might just be too curious for his own good. He is very optimistic in his every undertaking, tries to solve all problems by himself and trusts Toadling despite everything. I really enjoyed Kingfisher adding his perspective about his mother; as being a Muslim, I really felt it a nice addition that she acknowledged how much sons respect and adore their mothers and are influenced in every decision-making by their guidance in our culture.

The setting of Thornhedge is very similar to our world in some aspects while vastly different in others, especially dealing with the Faerieland and its inhabitants. But I loved the use of medieval tropes like knights, religions, and crusades to make the setting more adherent to our own convoluted histories. It would have been nicer if the setting were explored a bit more but this is Toadlings story, not the lands, so I guess it's fair.

This was surely a deserved Hugo Winner and it would be so much fun if the author decides to write more about this cast. But it was a lot of fun while it lasted.

4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Weekend Shorts - The Not-Dog-Thing by Corey Farrenkopf

Name - The Not-Dog-Thing 

Written by - Corey Farrenkopf

Published on - Bourbon Penn August 2026 (issue 39)

That was a weird one. This short story was predictable where it was going almost from the start. Yet, Corey Farrenkopf somehow managed to create a unique tale that kept me interested all throughout with engaging prose and making me care for his characters. 

The story was a weird piece. Told through the form of an edited interview for an online forum in which a man talks about his missing father, mostly through the depiction of the TikTok videos he used to make to pass time after his wife died. There is a creepy not-dog creature that his father found in the woods which transforms into something sinister yet oddly familiar.

There is a keen sense of family dynamic dispersed between the weird tale, how they miss their dead loved one. How they fail to communicate their grief in a meaningful way, to get the closure they crave. I really liked these lines, "I don’t tell my father that every once in a while, I can almost picture Mom’s eyes in the face of a nuthatch, or a bluejay, or a wren. He wasn’t the only one allowed to see Mom in the wild."

Then comes the predictable yet finely executed ending leaving the narrator wondering if things could have turned differently if they just talked about how they felt. 

"There are too many questions. Not enough answers.

I wish my father had been better at talking to me.

Some things need to be discussed at length.

Not everything can be settled in silence."

That ending left me wondering if all that creepy creature stuff was just a metaphor that the author created to describe the darkness that grief, loneliness, and distance can bring in us.

I will give this one 4 out of 5 stars. Corey Farrenkopf has certainly become a writer to check out in the future for me.

Promising Books being published on October 2026

September was such a busy month for me, so I am a bit late with the list for October. This month has releases from some big names of the genre writing circle. And also some relative newcomers as well. These are my picks from the promising stuff.

"The Thrice-Bound Fool (Blacktongue #2)" by Christopher Buehlman from Tor Books/ Gollancz

Professional thief and inveterate trickster Kinch Na Shannack has always enjoyed a good book. But now his life, and the future of all of Manreach, depends on him deciphering a very bad book indeed; a stolen, sentient tome that tries to kill him every time he opens it—and often when it’s closed.

Galva, veteran of the goblin wars and death’s sworn handmaiden, has vowed to protect Kinch while he mines the book for its dark magic and even darker secrets. She does so not for Kinch’s sake—though the cheeky bastard is growing on her—but because the book is the key to stopping the shadowy tyrants out to kill the queen she serves, and loves.

The ruthless, all-seeing Taker’s Guild dogs their every step, and thief and knight must flee the known world entirely if they hope to succeed in their mission. But trouble finds Kinch wherever he goes, and the pair may have traded the devil they know for horrors far darker and hungrier as they enter lands unknown.

[ I still haven't read the first book yet, but meaning to check out this highly acclaimed series. ]

"Legacies of Betrayal (The Tales of Witness #3)" by Steven Erikson from Tor Books / Bantam UK

Endless training, gruelling marches, and the frenzy of battle against more enemies than can be counted-such is the life of a marine in the Malazan Empire.

Year by year, month by month, week by week, day by day, moment by moment. Skills are honed to deadly precision, the secret language of the soldier in a world drowning in perpetual discontent, the eternal conflict against the fates. And we should forget the seemingly inevitable interference of mischievous gods and more often than not, the resurrected remains of ancient and once believed long-dead entities.

As a new holy war starts sparked in the fire-blackened cauldron of Seven Cities, the Fifth and Sixth squads are about to embark a mission they don't want for a cause they don't care about. Not that anybody asked their opinion. They can only hope that their objective isn't as hopeless as it seems, and that they aren't simply being used as pawns—a strategic sacrifice, if you will, in the machinations of their betters.

So what's life like as a marine in the Malazan Army?

Well, let's see, shall we...

[ I don't know when I will be able to get back into the Malazan world. But I remember it so fondly still.]


"Off the Reservation (The Only Good Indians #2)" by Stephen Graham Jones from Saga Press / Titan Books

Five years have passed since the massacre on the Blackfeet reservation in Stephen Graham Jones’s breakout bestseller The Only Good Indians. Nathan Yellow Tail, one of the survivors of the revenge murders, finds himself in the hospital after a terrible accident that should’ve killed him and that nearly killed his best friend, Sebby, who is hanging on to life in a room a few doors down.

Nate’s life is out of balance, so when he is given the chance to reset his life, and maybe save Sebby in the process, Nate steps up, again. This time it’s into a camper van that is almost as run down as his broken body, filled with three older Blackfeet, to find the bones of the lone Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School—where many Indigenous children were abused—and repatriate this boy home. The problem is, when they get the bones, something terrible has escaped with them.

By turns terrifying and deeply moving, Off the Reservation is a haunting American Indian novel of survival, reckoning, and redemption, shining light on the dark corners of this country’s history while also showing the desperate choices people make when they’re put up against a wall.

[ The second book in another acclaimed series. Should read this soon as well, I think.]

"Find Me Where It Ends" by Cassandra Khaw from Tor Nightfire / Titan Books

Antigone is no stranger to death.

For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog.

When Antigone’s own black dog arrives, she isn’t afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she’s led—the parts of herself she’s hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that’s hounded her every step.

Her Death’s arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice.

But a good death comes at a price.

[ A promising short horror read. I always fancy these.]

"Frankenstein Rex" by Adam Roberts from Gollancz

Frankenstein is the name of the maker, but we always think of the monster...

And what a monster he is. Frankenstein is a splendid creature, in almost every respect superior to humanity: smarter, stronger, and able to endure extremes of heat and cold that would kill a normal person. He is also effectively immortal.

Such a being, released into our world, would sooner or later come to rule it. Welcome to FRANKENSTEIN REX.

The monster's ugliness is a positive advantage: his towering height and ghastly face scream power; and people, who understand that power is never pretty, that it is brute and unpleasant and that our best chance is to have it on our side rather than set against us, flock to follow him. In a few years the monster conquers Europe, and in a matter of decades he rules the whole world.

But although generations come and go believing their world-dictator to be immortal, the creature himself now understands that he is dying. The creature re-opens Frankenstein's original research, to re-discover those lost skills and techniques and so to create for himself an heir.

[ Well, this has a very interesting premise. Somehow I feel like I am going to enjoy this.] 

"The Fist of Memory" by Whole Talabi from DAW books / Gollancz 

Fist Of Memory is simultaneously a near-future thriller and a meditation on the nature of memory, legacy, and connectedness.

When a strange and non-communicative alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the night sky, approaching Earth at an impossible velocity, the established world order is thrown into turmoil.

But for Tope, a principled and extremely effective Nigerian assassin with a bionic arm and talent for lethality who works for anyone willing to pay her oga - the mysterious witchdoctor known only as 'Baba' - it's all just business as usual. That is, until a routine job goes sideways, and she gets caught up in a high stakes game of power and politics.

Tope is joined by Itumeleng, a South African astronomer who has seen her and the alien craft in his dreams and, like her, is haunted by a complicated past. Now they must both survive long enough to navigate their way through the maze of competing agendas and understand how they, and all of humanity, are connected to the alien craft before it lands and the world changes forever.

But it won't be easy. There are powerful, sinister forces determined to kill them, including a strange and motivated supernatural assassin obsessed with a single memory . . .

[ Another one with such a well thought out setting and characters, at least it seems so on the surface. Hopefully it is as good as it sounds. ]

"The Scarlet Ball" by Nghi Vo from Tor Books / Del Rey

Pick a face, pick a fate.

Judith Ban, former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief, is on the lookout for her next identity. The daughter of a Vietnamese adventuress and a French naval officer, she’s no stranger to risk, but she’s unprepared for the secrets of New York’s legendary Four Hundred, or for the women who build their power at the city’s heart through blood-soaked, gold-etched rituals of demonic marriage.

In exchange for enough wealth to outrun her past, Judith strikes a deal with the matriarch of the powerful Howard family: she will stand in for the missing Howard granddaughter, who was poised to make her debut when she disappeared. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith is white, rich, and about to risk body and soul in the deadly games that determine which girls will find a match—and which will be devoured. If she can keep her wits and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power who will be hers to command... so long as she can keep his infinite hungers fed. But to survive the season, Judith will have to seduce a storm in the shape of a man, before the night to which everything has been leading—the Scarlet Ball where the demons choose their brides.

[ Vo has been on my reader for a while now. A promising new standalone should be a good place to start.]

New Metal Review - 'Insignificance' by Anoreksi

Album Name - Insignificance 

Band Name - Anoreksi 

Genre - Melodic Death Metal

Label - Unsigned/independent 

Release Date - September 15, 2026

Line Up -

  Anıl Sevener - bass

  Onur Aker - drums

  Mete Aker - vocals

  Emirhan Canbaz - guitars 

  Cem Arda Atçeken - guitars 

Melo-death is a genre of metal that is usually not something I delve into much. This is because I find it has rather a smaller ground for maneuvering in or lesser freedom for constructing anything original. There are some classic releases which the newer generation tries to mostly reinterpret rather than trying to establish a sense of individuality into the mix. 

So when I decided to check the latest album of Anoreksi out I was convinced it would follow the same general formula of all other modern works of the genre. It does do that as a matter of fact, using the strength of dual guitars to create a background of melodic metal, dispersing precision drumming and groovy bass which often gets some high ground despite the dominating guitars and a characteristic typically aggressive vocal that uses both growls and screams to get his point through. And the fact that everything including the production is done to almost perfection makes the album quite entertaining despite being formulaic. 

The album opens with 'Outsiders', which is followed by 'Coast of the Future' both of which are perfectly executed melodic death metal with Cathy melodic riffs, tortured vocals and shredding solos. The third track 'Book of Silence' may have the most memorable riffs in the album, while 'Insignificance' is the most differently structured song with slow midsection and brooding melodies. 'Wet Sidewalk' concludes the stronger first half of the album with its focus on some enjoyable bass work and varied vocals. The second half containing the last four songs is much more straightforward melo-death, with 'Remnants' providing an emotional closure to the album.

All throughout, the dual guitars by Emirhan Canbaz and Cem Arda Atçeken complimented each other quite diligently, never relenting in their onslaught with hooking riffs and interesting solos. I also loved that the production and mixing provided the bass by Anıl Sevener to shine through occasionally with its rhythmic grooves, especially in songs like 'Wet Sidewalk'. Sadly, the drumming by Onur Aker never got to truly come out of the shadows of other instruments despite doing enough to complement all others. 

And lastly, the vocals by Mete Aker did have a nice range and admirably performed anguished shrieks and growls. I really liked the piano intros and the keyboards dispersed through the album and would have loved if there were more cleaner vocals showcase too.

Though not doing anything groundbreaking Anoreksi has delivered a solid album here. In the future, there is nothing but room to improve based on this foundation. Let's just hope there is no 15-year break between albums this time around.

Overall Score - 

                                 8 out of 10.

For more info check out the bands official website and their metal-archives page -

https://anoreksiband.bandcamp.com/

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Anoreksi/3540352229   

Weekend Shorts - Middle Song by Thomas Ha

Name - Middle Song 

Written by - Thomas Ha

Published on - Bourbon Penn April 2026 (issue 38)

After being thoroughly impressed by 'In My Country', I was quite eagerly waiting to experience something new by Thomas Ha. It was no surprise that I jumped in to read 'Middle Song' after reading about it on Bluesky. And it was so different from what I expected, once again leaving me gasping at his depth of making readers amazed with his storytelling prowess.

The story starts with a group of people coming into a Roadhouse, they are looking for a fugitive and the person who helped him escape. Then Ha uses his unusually evocative style in describing their leader trying to interrogate the people in the place regarding information. Part way into investigation we finally get introduced to the actual main character of the story, "The Captain turns and, for the first time since entering, acknowledges me, standing there, behind the bar. Their type rarely looks at service people unless given reason, and I guess this finally provides that reason."

Then the real tale finally begins to unfold through his narration; we get into the backstory of the world and its people. We slowly learn about the patron of the joint, and about how he became like he currently is. In between dispersed the origin of the 'manuatons', of the struggles of the native population and the story of the mysterious magus.

Finally, the story once again changes direction, more layers are peeled away, revealing things like the futile cruelty in trying to mold our offspring into our image or showing due sympathy to those in need among other interesting bits to offer. There is another beautiful little piece towards the end describing the true essence of the story, 

"A father tells his child, I’ll find a way to live forever.

A child tells their father, I’ll bury you dead.

But the truth’s somewhere in the middle, as with all things, I hate to say."

Well, that was another very enjoyable short story by Thomas Ha, of whom I am slowly becoming a fan. I wish once again that I had the chance to spend more time in this world or the story to be longer than it was. I feel the need to read more stuff by him as soon as possible. At this point I am thinking of stopping all I am currently reading and jumping into his short story collection 'Uncertain Sons and Other Stories' right now.

This gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Video Game Music review - Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Original Soundtrack

Album Name - Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Original Soundtrack

Released On - June 3, 2026

Composed By - Philip Joe, Hideki "sha-v" Asanaka, Naoki Kita, Minori Sasaki, Yu Shimoda, Mayuko Hino, Fuga Yamahata, Akira Sakamoto, Rei Wako, Yoko Shimomura

Recording Studio- ODEN STUDIO

Lyrics By - Philip Joe

Published By - SNK

Fighting games usually have mostly rock music as character background music, which is mixed with various other genres including hip-hop, pop, and dance music including various other genres. City of the Wolf follows this trend in incorporating a vast range of influences to create a mixture of a plethora of genre jumble. While trying to be comprehensive in the selection of almost all tracks and sound, the constant DLCs with new characters and some copyrighted music make this impossible.

The soundtrack is structured quite adequately within its two discs with both discs having characters BGM in the first half followed by other musics for the game neatly arranged. The album starts with the main theme 'Chain Reaction' an appropriately charged rock track readily setting the mood for what's to follow. The BGM tracks that follow are quite neatly arranged per characters with disc one focusing on the main cast and disc two featuring many of the DLC characters' BGM.

The album has enough variations for everyone, with primary focus on rock and dance music. I liked the jazz influences dispersed throughout the album giving it a different kind of edge. There is a distinct lack of vocals in the songs, only present in the title song and 'Blue Mary's BLUES', which are some of the highlights. I wish more were used. The character themes are mostly appropriate and some are even quite nostalgic reminding listeners of the classic games.

I hope there will be a future extension album or an upgraded one after the DLCs are complete, because there are some really cool tracks missing from this one. And I wish the album was a bit more rock influenced as I am rather fond of the genre. Also, some more jazzy tracks and use of vocals in more songs wouldn't have hurt either.

Notable tracks - 'Chain Reaction', 'Young Blood', 'Reminiscence', 'N.D.R', 'End of the Last Nightmare', 'Pass It!', 'Theme of Ken/Ryu/Chun-li', 'Blue Mary's BLUES' & 'f You Gaze at Reality' among others.

Overall Score  - "7.5 out of 10"