Book Review: Hollywood High

What influence did Francis Ford Coppola have on George Lucas’s American Graffiti? And Lucas on John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood? How does teenage sexuality in Fast Times at Ridgemont High compare to Twilight? Which teen movies pass the Bechdel test? Why is Mean Girls actually the last great teen film of the 20th century?

Bruce Handy’s Hollywood High situates iconic teen movies within their times and reveals the intriguing stories, artists, and passions behind their creation. These films aren’t merely beloved stories; they reflect teens’ growing economic and cultural influence, societal panics, and shifting perceptions of youth in America. Much more than a nostalgia trip, Hollywood High is a lively, provocative, and affectionate cultural history, spanning nearly one hundred years.

Book Review: The Fallbacks - Dealing with Dragons

The Fallbacks might not be Faerun’s first choice for saving the day, but if the money’s right they’ll get the job done. In this ragtag band of adventurers, each member plays a vital role: Tess the disciplined elven thief; Anson the courageous fighter; Lark the cunning bard; Baldric the wily cleric; Cazrin the inquisitive wizard; and Uggie, their pet monster who eats garbage. Squint a little and they’re the heroes Faerun needs.

Fresh off a harrowing journey into the infinite dungeon of Undermountain and the defeat of a powerful undead lich (with the help of a giant hungry worm or two), the adventurers are now a proven and dedicated team, ready for a new adventure which will take them to strange new realms.

Book Review: Disney Twisted-Wonderland - The Manga - Book of Octavinelle vol. 1

Stranded in the world of Twisted Wonderland, Yu must brave a magical school filled with ghosts, monsters, and uncooperative students!

Whisked away to the world of Twisted Wonderland and enrolled in the magical school known as Night Raven College, Yu encounters a strange scenario: his fellow students are doing too well on their exams! But there couldn’t be anything sinister behind great test scores, could there?

Disney's Twisted-Wonderland: Book of Octavinelle volume 1 by Wakana Hazuki and Sumire Kowono will be published on July 8, 2025. VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.

Book Review: Superman's Good Guy Gang

Eight-year-old Clark Kent is pretty super: super fast, super strong, and super cool! But being so super can also be super lonely, until he meets fellow super powered kids, Kendra Saunders and Guy Gardner a.k.a. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern! Together, they’ll form a club where other supers can be themselves, test their powers, grow together, and maybe earn some good guy points along the way.

Superman's Good Guy Gang by Rob Justus (with lettering by Lucas Gattoni) will be published on July 1, 2025. DC Comics provided an early galley for review.

Book Review: DC's Misfits of Magic

Ricki Jones is your average middle-grader. Her fellow-orphan-turned-adopted-brother Ross is, too. The seven mystical monks training them to protect the Earth from dark supernatural forces are pretty standard adults—they want nothing more than a little peace over summer vacation and all their prior attempts to get the kids out of town led to the camps going out of business. So this year? Rikki and Ross are heading to the town library, where Zatanna Zatara took a camp counselor job she expects to regret.

It’s fate (not like, Dr. Fate, just regular fate) that brings her together with Danny Cassidy, the Blue Devil. He’s got ADHD and kinda fused with his Halloween costume, giving him demon powers. And Boston Brand, who died in a horrifying microfiche accident and roams the halls as Deadkid. And don’t forget June Moon, who changes into an incredibly powerful sorceress named The Enchantress. But don’t hold that against her, she’s really very sweet when she's not causing trouble.

Book Review: Ravenloft - Heir of Strahd

Five strangers armed with steel and magic awaken in a mist-shrouded land, with no memory of how they arrived: Rotrog, a prideful orcish wizard; Chivarion, a sardonic drow barbarian; Alishai, an embittered tiefling paladin; Kah, a skittish kenku cleric; and Fielle, a sunny human artificer. After they barely survive a nightmarish welcome to the realm of Barovia, a carriage arrives bearing an invitation from Strahd von Zarovich to dine at Castle Ravenloft.

With no alternative, and determined to find their way home, the strangers accept the summons and travel to the forbidding manor of the mysterious count. But all is not well at Castle Ravenloft. To survive the twisted enigmas of Strahd and his haunted home, the adventurers must confront the dark secrets in their own hearts and find a way to shift from strangers to comrades—before the mists of Barovia claim them forever.

Book Review: Spider-Man - Octo-Girl vol. 2

Spider-Man rogue Doctor Octopus faces his biggest challenge yet—living life as a middle school girl in Japan!

Mad scientist Doc Ock and Japanese middle school girl Otoha Okutamiya are having a hard enough time sharing a body in Tokyo before they have to contend with a sinister would-be hero—Superior Octopus! The battle between the pair of Doc Ocks escalates into all-out war, with Otoha’s friends caught in the fray.

Spider-Man: Octo-Girl volume 2 by Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court will be published on May 13, 2025. VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.