Review of "The Pacific War 1931-1945." by Saburo Ienaga

 Review of

The Pacific War 1931-1945. by Saburo Ienaga ISBN 0394734963

Five out of five stars

Japanese academic history of Japanese society

 In the Western academic world, the overwhelming majority of analysis of how a society can be molded into a total war machine is concentrated on Nazi Germany. How the people of Germany could be quickly molded into a society that supported a brutal war with genocidal traits.  Comparatively little scholarship has been done regarding how Japanese society was molded by militarists into one that was willing to go to war with literally half the world. This book is an attempt to explain how Japanese society went from one with a constitution, a nearly independent judiciary and political parties into one where the merest hint of opposition to the wars being launched by Japan could lead to arrest and even death.

 Ienaga starts with describing the liberal elements that were a fundamental component of Japanese society in the 1920’s and how they were slowly eroded over time. There was a small, but significant Communist movement in the country as well as many intellectuals that argued forcefully for Japan to adopt a course of cooperation with other nations, including China. He describes how all aspects of the society, down to elementary school instruction, were changed into means whereby racist slurs were leveled against the Chinese. The Chinese were dehumanized to the point where their killing was a noble, honorable task to be conducted.

 Ienaga is open about describing the behavior of Japanese troops when they occupied other countries. While making statements about liberation from the Western colonial forces, the people of the occupied countries learned very quickly that the Japanese occupation was a more brutal and exploitative force than the Western countries executed.

 This is one of the best books about Japanese society and how it changed so that the war that started in China in 1931 and lasted until 1945 could take place. Unlike many other Japanese authors that deny what the Japanese military did to others, Ienaga is honest, forceful and spares no fact.

Review of "Cats, Cats, Cats: A Collection of Great Cat Cartoons," edited by Sam Gross

 Review of

Cats, Cats, Cats: A Collection of Great Cat Cartoons, edited by Sam Gross

Five out of five stars

Human/feline interaction captured in cartoons

 As the “owner” of at least one cat nearly all of my adult life, I appreciate and enjoy the reciprocal ownership relationship. This book of cartoons captures the dual relationship between the two species. Everything from the human with many cats to solitary cats doing unusual things are the topics covered.

 My favorite is on page 99 and has three males and one female at a table, clearly discussing a book manuscript. The woman is saying, “I tell you, the book has everything – sex, history, consciousness, and cats!” In the minds of many, the ingredients of a sure bestseller.

 If you fall anywhere from the deep lover of felines to someone that just likes them on occasion, this is a book that you will find amusing and full of facts about how cats and humans interact.

Review of "Siege Avengers: The Initiative," by Christos N. Gage

 Review of

Siege Avengers: The Initiative, by Christos N. Gage et. al. ISBN 9780785148173

Five out of five stars

Norman Osborn has been appointed the authority over every aspect of the American security apparatus. Determined to expand and assert his power, he establishes “the Initiative,” an organization of superhumans that are present in all 50 states and personally loyal to him. Led by the Taskmaster, the decision has been made to invade and conquer Asgard. The forces of the Initiative are so powerful they are able to emerge victorious in their fight against the Asgardians.

 The Avengers Resistance then comes together to join the fight against the Initiative. They have a chance to defeat the Initiative if they can manage to keep their internal divisions and relationships under control. The battle is depicted in the manner commonly used in the modern comics, hard blows to the face with blood and sweat flying off the face of the one that was hit. Furthermore, in keeping with the modern trend, some of the captions overflow with action. As many as twenty antagonists are packed into full-page scenes. Reminders of which character is which are also included on many occasions.

 The superhero comic books have changed along with society, with diversity in gender and race part of the fundamentals. The facial expressions of both heroes and villains are extreme and the females are depicted as just as tough and hard as the males. With lots of action from all players, this is a graphic novel where you often stop and take significant time to mentally absorb everything that is on the page.

Review of "The Mighty Avengers: The Unspoken," by Dan Slott et. al.

 Review of

The Mighty Avengers: The Unspoken, by Dan Slott et. al. ISBN 9780785138167

Four out of five stars

Inhuman and a new group of Avengers plot tracks

The current king of the inhumans has a name that is redacted in the text, hence unspoken. He is a powerful and feared man, yet some of the inhumans led by Prince Black Bolt dare challenge his position. The issue is the ownership of the slave engine, a device of great power that is traditionally the property of all the inhumans. After a battle, the unspoken is evicted from the realm of the inhumans and ends up in Tibet.

 Location then shifts to Hank Pym’s lab, where a collection of Avengers is being assembled. The building is the Infinite Avengers Mansion and after some oohs and aahs, they begin settling in. This is followed by a shift back to Tibet, where the People’s Defense Force group of superpowered beings has encountered the unspoken.

 There are many battles between groups with powers as well as against the unspoken. There is a lot of “PZOW,” “KTAM,” “VOMP” and SHAKKAASSHH” action, even to the extent of being overdone. There is a victory at the end, but the dialog is not among the best of the Marvel genre. One of the most compelling aspects of the Marvel comics has always been the snappy and often irreverent dialog between the characters. That is somewhat lacking in this story.

 While it is a good story, there is too much verbal sound effect action and not enough verbal embellishment interaction between the characters.

Review of "Vampire Tales: Volume 1," edited by Mark D. Beazley

 Review of

Vampire Tales: Volume 1, edited by Mark D. Beazley ISBN 9780785146445

Five out of five stars

Stories of one of the most popular classes of villains

 Vampires and zombies have great appeal and staying power as villains as they go up against normal people. Many stories have been written about vampires from the classic novel by Bram Stoker. Like many of the greatest fiction stories of all time, there is a bit of fact backing up the fiction. There is in fact a condition known as clinical vampirism, or an obsession with drinking blood.

 The stories in this collection all appeared in comic form under the Marvel label. Some are basic vampire stories involving mysterious men wearing capes, yet in other stories the vampires are female. Some of the best stories involve Morbius, a man of science that was suffering from a deadly blood disease. He was able to cure that affliction, but in a manner where the cure was worse than the disease. He was turned into a vampire with an uncontrollable blood lust that must be quenched. In an unusual twist, he experiences great remorse after he has drained the lifeblood from his latest victim. In a form of compensation, he becomes a bit of a vigilante, protecting the weak from the “normal” human predators.

 Frightening, yet titillating, vampires are monsters that arouse odd passions in humans. They love them yet are often terrified when they see them doing what they do on a screen. In this case, they are in comic and fine form.

Review of "The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Volume 3," by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley

 Review of

The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Volume 3, by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley ISBN 9781563898723

Five out of five stars

It is indeed a dark time, the Dark Knight is fighting back

The good heroes are rallying, and some progress has been made against the oppressive forces. Among other things, the Dark Knight has been captured by Lex Luthor, in this case he is drawn to match the image of the obese, ugly brutal executioners of medieval times. Lex is torturing the Dark Knight, yet he seems undisturbed, saying that his only goal is to see that Lex dies.

 The forces controlling the country are so powerful that the Congress votes unanimously to authorize the President to use whatever force is needed to subdue the country. Including the possible use of nuclear weapons. Just when Lex thinks he has the Dark Knight at his mercy, other forces arrive to turn the tables. There are heroes on both sides of the battle, so the good side does not have a monopoly on the ability to do great feats.

 There is some humor within the dark treatment of a very dystopic world. There are cameos by several famous people, including Elvis Presley, Pope John Paul II, columnist George F. Will, Attorney General John Ashcroft, a religious fanatic, what I believe is talk show host John McLaughlin as well as Bat-Mite.

 This is a wild and dark tale of a dystopic world where America has been taken over by totalitarian forces. Within all of this there is some wild dialog, where even an adult movie actress is presented as a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Review of "The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Volume 1," by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley

 Review of

The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Volume 1, by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley ISBN  1563898705

Five out of five stars

The dark knight works in dark times

 There have been many changes in the United States. It is now ruled as a ruthless dictatorship where dissent is not tolerated. Nearly all of the superheroes have been either captured or controlled, only a few remain free to try to overturn the oppressive social order.

 The story opens with a man battling with primitive tools against a powerful aquatic monster. He is victorious and then is welcomed by Caroline Keene Kelley in a leopard outfit. The man is Professor Palmer, also known as The Atom. He has been held prisoner by the oppressors that used his own technology against him.

 The rescue is a challenging one, some of the heroes have banded together in an attempt to retake the country from the despotic forces now in control. The rescue is being orchestrated by Batman, a.k.a. the Black Knight. Superman is compromised, now essentially an ally of the ruthless leaders that will not hesitate to kill to maintain power.

 While the heroes do make progress, it is a very dark time for the world, for the battle is an uphill one. Although Superman is now aged, so are the other heroes and he is still a formidable opponent. It is clear that the despotic forces cannot be defeated as long as Superman is a viable tool for them to use.

 This story ends on a hero-vs-hero note. The good ones are on an uphill trajectory against the evil ones and those that control them, but the slope is steep with many hazards.