Review of "Called to Adventure, Called to Service," by Father William J. Menster

Review of

Called to Adventure, Called to Service, by Father William J. Menster 

Four out of five stars

 There is no doubt that Father Menster led quite a life, from the small towns of Iowa to a lengthy deployment in the New Hebrides in the South Pacific during World War II, yet this autobiography is more a recitation of facts rather than a stirring account of his life of service. He grew up on the family farm in Cascade, Iowa, located in the northeast quadrant of the state. The population as recorded in the 2010 census was slightly over 2,000.

 Father Menster was very well traveled, even ministering to a group of ships engaged in the exploration of Antarctica and then on luxury cruise ships. Yet, he still served the people of the small towns in northeastern Iowa, never losing sight of his origins and the people of his hometown area.

 This is not a stirring rendition, it is an autobiography of a humble man that was very reluctant to embellish, even when he could. No one could spend 20 months living in a tent in the New Hebrides during World War II without something exciting happening.

Review of "The Mighty Thor 467" October 1993

Review of

The Mighty Thor 467 October 1993

Four out of five stars

 This comic is an installment in a crossover series that features Roman, Greek and Norse gods from antiquity. As the title implies, the Norse god Thor is the main character and Odin is also mentioned. Ares, the Greek god of war and Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld join forces to attack Thor and the Norse goddess Sif must engage in combat with Pluto in order to save Thor. The battle between them takes place in front of the Greek god Zeus with an audience made up of others that reside on Olympus.

 With so many different gods from the three main mythological backgrounds of western civilization, this is a story that a teacher in the later years of the K-12 sequence could use to detangle the complexities of mythology. It is a very complex story with two concurrent threads.

Review of "Marvel Fanfare 46 Fantastic Four" Comic

Review of

Marvel Fanfare 46 Fantastic Four Comic

Five out of five stars

 In this issue, the Fantastic Four demonstrate once again that they are simultaneously the most powerful and dysfunctional group(family) in the world of comics. The action takes place in the FF’s new headquarters after Reed Richards has installed and activated a new super security system. Ben and Johnny are fighting again as Ben tries to come to grips with the new reality of Johnny being married to Ben’s longtime girlfriend Alicia.

 The foe in this case is the Mad Thinker as he takes a new approach in his attack of the FF. It starts with a tale of woe and then escalates into a battle between the FF and their now compromised, computerized security system. Reed  openly expresses doubt in his abilities as a leader and there is additional questioning of their continued effectiveness as a group fighting the most powerful of evil adversaries. At the end they of course prevail, defeating the Mad Thinker once again and restoring their faith in each other as a team.

 The combination of external and internal adversaries makes this a quality story, their internal struggles helps emphasize the “human” section of the word “superhuman” that is used to describe them.