Review of "Fantastic Four 511," written by Mark Waid

 Review of

Fantastic Four 511, written by Mark Waid

Five out of five stars

Superb and oddly self-referential ending

 This is part three (of three) of one of the most unusual stories featuring the Fantastic Four or any other comic book characters. Ben Grimm has been “killed,” his body is being kept alive by Reed Richards’ machines. The story opens with the Fantastic Four, with Grimm as a human, at what are supposed to be the gates to heaven. Yet, they bear the unmistakable signs of having been designed by Reed Richards.

 After a bit of quizzing and some internal fighting, they manage to pass the test and the doors are opened for the admittance of all four. They pass through a bizarre space of geometric objects until they arrive at the residence of the Supreme Being. In what is one of the greatest twists ever to appear in comics, they find that the mighty one is not what they thought, but still from their perspective all-powerful.

 I loved this comic so much that when I finished it, I went back to the beginning and read it again. It starts slowly but has one imaginative ending.

Review of "The Luna Brothers Girls #2," by Joshua and Jonathan Luna

 Review of

The Luna Brothers Girls #2, by Joshua and Jonathan Luna

Five out of five stars

Strange to say the least

 While this is the second issue of this series so there is some lack of already established context, there is enough to determine that this is an unusual story. It opens with four teens, two male and two female, hanging out in a small room. The father of the one whose room it is comes in and starts talking about some kind of miracle sound, only to be very rudely told to get out.

 There is then a dramatic switch to a residence where a male (Ethan) is with a female clad only in a robe. He found her naked and brought her back to his place. She is hungry and speaks only in noises and short sentences. When she utters a disturbing phrase, he decides that he needs help of a much higher pay grade than his.

 The action involves a law enforcement officer, some backwoods weirdos, some friends of Ethan’s and an ending that piles even more of the bizarre into the story. This comic does what all such comics in a sequence do. They induce a strong desire to read all previous and subsequent issues in the storyline.

Review of "Indian America: A Geography of North American Indians," by Marian Wallace Ney

Review of

Indian America: A Geography of North American Indians, by Marian Wallace Ney 0935741062

Four out of five stars

 Applying geography to tribe location when it is limited in accuracy

 This book contains a state-by-state description of the Native American tribes that were found within them. Canada and Central America are also included. All the while pointing out several times that many of the tribes were in fact pushed out of their original homeland by other tribes that were being pressured by the encroaching Europeans.

 For example, the Lakota of the Dakotas were originally based in the Great Lakes region but were forced westward by the Chippewas, the first tribe to receive guns from the French. Therefore, the Lakota have only lived in the plains region for a few centuries. For this reason, the book is internally stated as being limited in accuracy.

 The best that can be done is to consider it a snapshot of the dwelling places of tribes at particular times as the inexorable movement of the whites decimated and moved the Native Americans to other places. Within that context, this is a good book about many of the tribes. With only a page of text to describe the characteristics of the main tribes within a region, there is a natural limitation. Therefore, this can be at best considered a primer of where they resided.

Review of "Spaceballs," DVD version

 Review of

Spaceballs, DVD version

Four out of five stars

Sine curve from nonsense to parody

 This movie from Mel Brooks is in keeping with his zany manner of putting foolishness on film. It is meant to be a parody of the very popular “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” movie. It also relies on  the well-worn plot device of the bride running out from the wedding at the last minute. Brief snippets of the movie also lampoon other popular science fiction movies.

 Princess Vespa is scheduled to marry a boring Prince Valium, but at the last minute she departs with her golden droid in waiting Dot Matrix. When captured by the evil Dark Helmet, Lone Star and his sidekick Barf (half man and half dog) are convinced to attempt a rescue in order to get a substantial reward. Metaphors are taken literally, for example Lone Star jams the scanners of the ship of the evil empire by smearing actual jam on them. When ordered to “comb the desert” in looking for the rescued Vespa, the soldiers of the Empire do exactly that.

 Mel Brooks is the green-skinned diminutive Yogurt, the sage that puts Lone Star wise in the ways of the Schwartz. Throughout the movie there is no line of demarcation between what is just stupid and what is parody. If you are a fan of the Mel Brooks brand of humor, then you will love this movie. However, if your taste in humor is to be a little more cerebral, then you likely will not like it. The best joke is based on the use of a winged Winnebago as the space vehicle piloted by Lone Star and Barf.

Review of "Kurt Sutter’s Lucas Stand, one of six," Boom! Studios

 Review of

Kurt Sutter’s Lucas Stand, one of six, Boom! Studios

Four out of five stars

 Establishing a context for the story to continue

 The story opens with Lucas Stand employed as a security official in a shopping mall. While being chewed out for being late where the manager also complains about the problems of hiring vets, Lucas punches the manager, throws his vest down and walks out. Heavily into drugs and alcohol, he swerves while driving, causing a family of four to go off a cliff to their deaths. Considering this to be the last straw, Lucas takes his pistol, puts it in his mouth and pulls the trigger.

 The next thing he knows a no-nonsense military man is standing over him and giving him an opportunity to do something other than die. This starts a bizarre sequence where he takes on a demon with fire coming out of his head and with that demon, falls of the roof of a high building. Rather than experiencing a second death, Lucas is transported to Nazi occupied Paris, where he meets a female member of the French underground.

 The story goes strange as Lucas experiences the real and implied horrors of what the Nazis did to members of the underground. While it is interesting, it is also unexplained to the point where the reader is uncertain as to what is actually happening. There is no real explanation as to why the bullet did not kill Lucas and why he is being recruited to fight the demons, some traditional and others in German uniforms. While this first issue is intriguing and entertaining, there is insufficient establishment of the context for the reader to be able to understand what is happening.

Review of "Milestones and Magic: A Grandma Remembers," by Mavis Sharp Steitzer

 Review of

Milestones and Magic: A Grandma Remembers, by Mavis Sharp Steitzer

Five out of five stars

Great grandma memories, sometimes from the perspective of the child

 This book is a collection of short pieces of rhyming verse, simple yet moving. They are from the perspective of a grandmother that spent time with her grandchildren. At times, she writes from the perspective of the child, sometimes playing at great things and other times just plopped in a lap of luxury.

 This is a simple book for all ages, written by a veteran grandmother that has played that game well and loved it.

Review of "Star Trek Mindmeld, Number 11," written by Mke W. Barr et. al.

Review of

Star Trek Mindmeld, Number 11, written by Mke W. Barr et. al.

Five out of five stars

What should have been the topic of a movie

 My favorite episode in the Star Trek original series is “Mirror, Mirror.” In this episode, a parallel universe is discovered where the Federation a brutal empire and the Enterprise is one of the means to enforce and expand its power. In that universe, Captain Kirk is a ruthless wielder of the power of a starship and will stop at nothing to maintain and expand his influence. At the end of the episode, the good Captain Kirk challenges the Spock of the evil universe to do something to change the track of the empire.

 To me, this was the best possible starting point for a sequel to the episode, perhaps even a full-length movie. It would have been fascinating to see a story developed in what would have been the ultimate good-vs-evil matchup. Where else can you pit an entire universe against another universe?

 This story involves a battle between the Enterprise characters of the evil universe against those of the Federation. Like all empires before them, once the evil Enterprise characters learned of the parallel universe, their first thought would be to conquer it. The battle is joined where the tactical genius Kirk faces off against the tactical genius Kirk. Furthermore, the mental genius Spock is engaged in a mindmeld with the mental genius Spock.

 This is a great story, so filled with multiple cliffhangers at the end that the reader craves to see the prequel and sequel items in this particular storyline. How does Kirk defeat Kirk and Spock defeat Spock?