Randomness

I finally started reading my trade paperback copy of Wasteland from Oni Press. It’s a black and white post-apocalyptic comic set a hundred years after the big wet (an unspecified disaster). I’m enjoying it so far, but I’m also quite the sucker for post-apocalyptic stories. The art is slightly cartoony, but the grayscale helps keep it serious. Also, Oni Press is another homegrown comic company from Portland.


Finished reading The Chronicles of Conan volume 12 by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. It includes the tragic end of Robert E. Howard’s Queen of the Black Coast. Very fitting for me, as Vol 8, which had the first half of Queen of the Black Coast, got me started buying these Conan comic collections. You can read my original review of Volume 8 here. If you are a Conan or a sword and sorcery fan, do yourself a favor and pick these up. I am now personally convinced that Conan the Barbarian is the best mainstream comic from the 1970s. This is due to the heavily researched legwork by the writer and the fantastic drawings by the artists. I can’t wait for next collection due in Novmember.
I also finished reading Who Fighter by Seiho Takizawa. It’s a trade that collects a few one off manga stories. I enjoyed it quite a bit. From the backcover:

the first story in this anthology, "Who Fighter," is a play on the legendary "Foo Fighters," the nickname given to the mysterious, UFO-like fireballs that were sighted by World War II pilots. An ace Japanese pilot manages to shoot one of the fireballs down . . . or does he? As ominous signs and visions begin to follow in his steps, the bewildered pilot wonders if he's lost not only his memory of the incident–but also his very mind! The second story, "Heart of Darkness," is Takizawa's unique take on the Joseph Conrad novel that inspired the film Apocalypse Now. A Japanese war hero, Colonel Kurutsu, has gone rogue, setting up his own private kingdom deep upriver in the jungles of Burma. A young captain, sent to execute Kurutsu, finds that the true reasons for the Colonel's "desertion" are very different from what he was told

I wish Mr. Takizawa would have created a continuing series for who fighter, as the concept was very engaging and weird War is another of my favorite genres.

Hey, I also wanted to give a heads up as the Stargate: SG1 series finale airs this Friday. I’m gonna’ miss it because of work, but SciFi should rebroadcast later. It had a good run with really strong shows in the middle seasons.

-Swinebread