The stack of manga to be reviewed has been getting shorter, down to the point where trying to put together a theme is difficult. So, this week, it’ll have to be random reviews. It’s all from Japan, and… that’s probably all it has in common.

Andromeda Stories, Vol. 3
Keiko Takemiya; story by Ryu Mitsuse
Vertical, 2008, $11.95

The epic conclusion of the SF manga series from the early ‘80s ends with a scene familiar from many derivative tales of the Planet Stories era…but I won’t spoil it. As you may recall from my review of the previous volume, a race of intelligent machines, called "the Enemy," has been conquering an unnamed planet in the Andromeda galaxy, and Prince Jimsa of the Cosmoralian Empire, our hero, wants to stop them.

However, being as this is a manga for girls from the early ’80s, most of this book has to be taken up with the relationship between Jimsa and his long-lost twin "brother," Affle. The two share a psychic connection – they feel each other’s pain and their not terribly well defined psychic powers work much better when they’re in close proximity – and they also are strangely drawn to each other.

(Need I mention that the "brother" is not what he seems? This will be important for that very familiar ending.)

Other relationships are equally as central, such as those involving “the Elder,” who was an important advisor to the rules of Cosmoralia but turns out to be More Than He Appears. He was Jimsa’s mentor, but turns his attentions to Affle in this book, as part of his general megalomaniacal plans to utterly destroy the Enemy. Since this is a shojo manga, it’s much more about emotional scenes and relationships than about actually fighting against killer robots.

(And the Enemy’s function is to put whole populations into a kind of cold sleep – entirely willingly – so that they can live in a virtual world of peace and plenty. This, as is common in pulp SF, is seen as horrible and effete, a fate worse than death – so slaughtering the millions or billions the Enemy now warehouses and cares for is the only possibly option. It would have been nice to have seen a little thought given to that background, and a recognition that it might not be all that bad just because it’s different.)

I’m not the audience for Andromeda Stories: I’m too old, of the wrong gender, and I’ve read far too much science fiction. But, if you’re not me, you might like this.

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That’s right, two of DC Comics’s most powerful mortals, Superman and Captain Marvel, have their birthday today! Of course, for the Man of Steel it’s just the Earth equivalent to his Kryptonian birthday, while Captain Marvel dates his “birth” to the night young Billy Batson uttered the name “Shazam!” and was transformed into the World’s Mightiest Mortal.

Still, those are some powerful candles…

Up to now I was on the fence about whom I was going to vote for in the Presidential election. All I knew for sure is that I was going to vote for whatever Democrat won the nomination. If Charles Barkley won the nomination I would have voted for him. So, yes, no matter what Democrat wins I’m casting my ballot his or her way. 

Even though I am running for President myself (I announced that a few columns ago) I am realistic enough to know that I may not win. I am going to take a stand like Ralph Nader. I’m in it to make a point like Nader. I’m in it to be a huge pain in the ass with no godly chance of winning… like Nader. If you ask me It’s just as much Nader’s fault we are in a war in Iraq as it is Bush’s. If he did not take votes away from Gore then we would be worried about a sex scandal right about now not fighting a war we have no business waging. 

I like Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama and would have been happy to vote for either.

Until last week. Last week I decided whom not to vote for.

Before I give my endorsement (which will surely decide the nominee as I carry so much weight) let me share a bit about each candidate. There is a real chance that Barack Obama will come to Comic Con International this summer. His campaign contacted me last year about setting that up and it still may happen.

Why me? Let’s just say that’s how I roll. 

I like Obama but did not know if I was ready to vote for him. I was very impressed that his campaign thinks that Comic Con is a smart place to reach young people. That move earned him serious points in my book.

To be frank I was a huge fan of the Clintons and was leaning in Hillary’s direction, mainly because I loved Bill Clinton. I have met quite a few notable people in my life. From heads of state to rock, hip-hop and movie stars to world leaders. When I say meet I’m not talking about some random street meeting or autograph signing I’m talking about being in business with them or being invited to their home or inviting them to mine. Most of these well known people I meet are impressive but three impressed me to a point where I was speechless.  (more…)

Oh where, oh, where, could Simone & Ajax be? They’re taking a quick one-week breather so that they can thrill you and chill you with their next exciting all new adventure: "The Case Of The Maltese Duck!"

Action! Adventure! Amazing Fantasy! All in color for less than a dime! All starting next week!

The Jess Fink / Hot Topic rip-off scandal continues to evolve, and recently spilled over into the world of Fleen, where the popular webcomic blog’s mustachioed marksman, Gary Tyrrell, took aim at the clothing company and provided some helpful information for those looking to pepper Hot Topic with bullets of justice and, well… I think this metaphor has pretty much run its course.

First, Tyrrell provides a handy little example of history repeating itself when it comes to comic creators getting ripped off by t-shirt sellers.

For “Shmorky”, substitute “Jess Fink“. For “Todd Goldman”, substitute “Hot Topic“. For my take on the whole situation, allow me to quote Kris Straub on one of the past iterations of Wikimesses:

That’s pretty goddamn weak.

In a subsequent post, Tyrrell offers up some suggestions for resolution that, unlike many suggestions offered up by the online masses, do not involve burning each and every store to the ground and dancing a celebratory jig in the ashes. Tyrrell later updates his call to action and coverage of the whole mess with additional, more appropriate contact information for Hot Topic and even a few talking points.

The last of these posts prompted quite a bit of discussion, including one comment from an alleged buyer for Hot Topic who claimed that the situation "is being handled." Over on Fink’s site, however, [WARNING: NSFW Content Featuring Soaps and Butts and Elijah Wood] the situation certainly doesn’t sound like it’s "being handled."