Book Review: Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 29 by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo Volume 29: Two Hundred Jizo by Stan Sakai

More adventures from the rabbit ronin!

The Artist--Usagi teams up with an artist who has studied outside of Japan. The artist is a wanted man (in the bad way) for bringing different styles to the Japanese art world. He plans to travel to the new capital in Edo to make his case. Usagi goes along to keep him safe, but can he? The story is less interesting than this tidbit of historical Japanese isolationism.

Buntori--Usagi has visions of a previous combat and discovers the discarded skull of a warrior. This story seems more like filler than any plot advancement or character development. I enjoyed it but it was not as good as other Usagi stories.

Murder at the Inn--Inspector Ishida is escorting a prisoner to the city when he's attacked by the prisoner's gang. Usagi comes to the rescue and travels with Ishida as protection. They take shelter from a storm in a wayside inn. Other guests are there. Late in the night, one guest is killed and suspicion goes all around. Ishida is on the case and does a good job resolving the situation. The story is well-plotted and unfolds naturally.

Two Hundred Jizo--A local artisan is making two hundred statues of the god Jizo to protect his village from bandits who are terrorizing them. He had a dream where Jizo told him to do it. Usagi is skeptical but sticks around to help with the bandits. The story plays out as faithful readers would expect, so a good read.

Ice Runners--Usagi runs into an unusual summer sight--a group is racing through the forrest carrying something obviously valuable in a covered litter. The group is attacked and Usagi leaps to the rescue. In the aftermath, he discovers they are rushing a piece of ice from the mountains to the city as a gift for a visiting dignitary. Getting that ice into town before next morning is their highest priority, even above burying their fallen comrades. Usagi goes along as security, leading to another predictable but interesting ending.

Shoyu--Usagi gets involved in a rivalry between two soy sauce (the titular Shoyu) makers. He wanders into town late at night and discovers a group setting fire to a factory. Usagi raises the alarm and helps put out the fire. The local cop is corrupt and lazy, doing nothing other than threatening Usagi as an outsider who has no real evidence of a crime. On the other hand, Usagi is thanked by the factory owner who shows him around the next day (with a full explanation of how soy sauce is made) and the adventures continue. The ending is classic Usagi storytelling.

Afterward--Stan Sakai presents a tale he couldn't work into the regular series. It was inspired by another comic artist asking why there weren't any skunks in the Usagi world. So Stan made up a typical story with a fun payoff at the end.

Recommended, highly for Usagi fans. 

Movie Review: Dracula (1931)

Dracula (1931) directed by George Melford based on the novel by Bram Stoker

No, you did not read the line above wrong. This is not the Tod Browning-directed Bela Lugosi film, though the sets and props from that film were used here. This movie was made at the same time but in Spanish with a Spanish cast. When the Lugosi crew wrapped their day, the Spanish crew came in and filmed the same scenes, often using the exact same blocking and nearly identical (except for the language) dialogue. But there are plenty of departures too, which makes this interesting to watch.

The biggest question is how does anyone compare to Lugosi as the most famous vampire of all. Carlos Villarias has a very similar face and eyes and benefitted from seeing the dailies of Lugosi's performance. He doesn't have the long, bony fingers like Lugosi (so creepy!) and Villarias's eyes are a bit more expressive. Several characters in the story note how Count Dracula reacts like a wild animal to some situations (like being confronted with a cross). Villarias looks a lot more wild and dangerous than the more smooth and suave Lugosi. It's much easier to believe the "wild animal" descriptions of him. Both versions have extreme close-ups of the vampire's eyes and both are about as expressive in those shots, though Villarias has better glances in other situations. I can't comment on Vilarias's accent since I do not know Spanish and can't tell if he affects an eastern European-flavored delivery. Even with the language barrier, I can tell he does a good job delivering famous lines like "I never drink...wine" or "Listen to the children of the night. What music they make!" He does a very good job as the Count, I found his performance very enjoyable. It's hard to compete with the now-iconic Lugosi version.

Other characters have more or fewer differences from their English-speaking versions. The most notable change is Renfield, who was played by Dwight Frye in the English version. Frye is a fairly maniacal after he is turned by Dracula in Transylvania. Frye's Renfield does not do much to support the Count in England since he spends almost all his time in Seward's sanitarium. Pablo Alvarez Rubio in the Spanish version gives a much bolder and exciting performance. He has a much more maniacal laugh and does much more in support of his master, even as he waffles at times, wanting to protect Seward's daughter. Rubio's role is much larger than Frye's, probably because he gives a much better performance. The Spanish version of Mina is called Eva and is played by Lupita Tovar. She also is more expressive and active, displaying her emotions out in the open for Juan Harker (Barry Norton). Her wardrobe is more daring too, with some plunging necklines that reminded me of the Mary Shelly look at the beginning of Bride of Frankenstein. Van Helsing and Seward are fairly similar to their English-language counterparts, though the Spanish Van Helsing looks much younger. The late confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing, where Dracula tries to mind-control Van Helsing like he had done to so many others, is a great scene in either version, but a bit better here.

This version of the film is almost a half hour longer than Lugosi's. That half hour is full of quality material, expanding characters and giving some more creepy atmosphere. If you liked Lugosi's version, you should definitely give this a try. I borrowed a Dracula DVD from my local library that had both versions on it to rewatch the Lugosi film. I finally gave in and watched the Spanish version (I've borrowed that DVD two times). I am very glad I did. It doesn't replace the Lugosi but is a very enjoyable companion piece.

Recommended, highly for Dracula movie fans (I know book fans have a lot of concerns about the truncation of the story to fit a movie version--same problem with the Spanish version).

TV Review: Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Season 1

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Season 1 created by Jennifer Muro and Eric Robles based on the series created by the Duffer Brothers

Set between the second and third seasons of Stranger Things, the story here introduces a new kid, Nikki (voiced by Odessa A'zion), who joins up with Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) and her friends. Nikki's mom is a substitute teaching science at Hawkins Middle School while the regular teacher is on a short sabbatical. What isn't on sabbatical is a group of new terrors from the Upside Down who didn't get eliminated in the sealing of the rift. As the baddies attack various kids, Eleven and the gang fight them. Nikki witnesses one fight and joins up, since she's a misfit too. She's a tinkerer and has a garage full of inventions that happen to be helpful in fighting the monsters of Hawkins. But can she survive the meta-problem of being a character not in the regular continuity?

The show is animated which has strengths and weaknesses. The entire cast is replaced visually with drawings. None of the original actors have returned to reprise their roles, which is a bit jarring. The creature effects work well. The script is okay. It introduces new people and monsters and features a twist or two to keep the suspense going amidst the action. But it can't really change anything big or introduce anything really new without breaking the larger narrative it's nested into. I mostly enjoyed the show but wasn't wowed. They write the characters like they are in the live action show  but there's nothing amazing or breath-taking. 

Mildly recommended--you definitely need to see the show before watching but it's not as good as the show. I may watch Season 2 when it comes out, but it won't be a priority.

As I publish this (May 2026), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

Book Review: Monkey Business by Simon Louvish

Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of the Marx Brothers by Simon Louvish

This comprehensive biography starts with the arrival in America of the Marx Brothers' grandparents in the 1800s. Like many immigrants, they came to New York in search of a better life. Their mother, Minnie, encouraged them in theatrical and musical careers, which in the early 1900s meant vaudeville or the theater. The brothers started locally (lots of opportunities in NYC) and eventually toured all over the country with popular routines that morphed as they went along. Sometimes they fine-tuned routines; sometimes the bigger historical picture changed things. They dropped Groucho's German teacher character during World War I. Their ambitions took them to Broadway, radio, film, and (for Groucho) television. They had long careers, only breaking apart in the late 1940s when the creative juices flowed less and other concerns (mostly family) took over their lives. Groucho had another reinvention with the TV show You Bet Your Life, keeping himself in the limelight longer than his other brothers. The narrative ends with their deaths in the later half of the twentieth century.

At first, I was worried about the book moving slowly with a lot of the pre-Brothers period being documented in meticulous detail from the sketchy records of the nineteenth century. The interest picks up as the boys come on the scene and begin doing their different characters that blend so well together. Author Louvish has done a lot of research, sorting out the the myths, mistakes, and misdirections about the Marx Brothers' lives. He does occasionally imitate the style of the Marx Brothers with some jokey passages or comments about what's happening. Some of bits are clever, some land flat. They take the dullness off some of the narrative spots where things are barely happening. 

The book is entertaining and informative, providing some insight into the personalities of the boys off-stage as well as on-stage. I enjoyed it.

Recommended, especially for Marx Brothers fans.

Congress of Gamers Spring 2026

I attended one of the local board game conventions I've been thinking about going to for years. The Congress of Gamers provides a variety of services to the DC area gaming community. They have a list of game stores, calendars of local gaming events (meetups and conventions), and advice on managing or liquidating large game collections. The main thing they do is host board game conventions. Each year, they have three convention weekends in Rockville. They also organize a summer cruise from Baltimore. I went to the Spring 2026 convention.

The main gaming area

I got there at opening time since I was selling games at the auction store. Participants sign up ahead of time to sell items they no longer want. Sellers choose three different prices for each game and as the day goes by, the price drops two times. I sold half of what I offered, so I am happy with how it turned out. I only bought one game from the store at the end of the day, so I paid the cheapest price on Gutenberg. 

After I put my games in the auction store room, I went to one of the other rooms to play games. I saw another guy who wasn't playing and struck up a conversation. We decided to try out Bohnaza, a bean growing and selling game. After reading through the rules, it seemed a little complicated to start off with, so we switched to Gizmos, which I have played many times. Another fellow joined us and we had a good time.

We put the game back and started looking at the convention library shelves again. An organizer came up and asked if we'd be interested in a learning game about to be taught in the main room. Challengers is an award-winning game where players manage a small deck of cards. The cards represent a team playing Capture the Flag. Two players fight it out each round, shuffling their decks and playing the cards. The first player plays their first card and captures the flag regardless of the card. The next player has to play cards until their point value is equal to or greater than their opponent's card. That player then captures the flag and the opponent's card goes on "the bench." The winner's last card becomes his "flag holder" card (the rest of the cards are tucked underneath it) and the first player plays cards until his total is bigger than that single card. Then the flag moves back and the flag holder and any cards under him are benched. The round ends when one player runs out of cards or has too many benched cards. In the next round, players switch who they are playing against and have another go.

The twist is each round (including the first) the players draw five cards from another set of cards and add one or two to their deck. Play decks become asymmetrical, providing drama and excitement. The new cards might have higher numbers or special powers that make the game more exciting (and hopefully winnable).

Challengers card with list of opponents and the starting deck

Too many on the bench!

It was fun to play even if I did not do very well. It seems like a game that needs a lot of players (at least an even number). The play is not too complicated, the toughest part is choosing what cards to add to your deck. Players have the option of shedding cards too, though giving up too many means losing rounds by running out of cards.

Once that was done, I wandered around a bit and then played a blinged-out version of Wingspan. The owner (people bring their own games to the convention often) bought an insert to organize the components and painted some of the inserts. He also met designer Elizabeth Hargraves, who signed the back of the birdfeeder dice tower! 

Blinged-out Wingspan

We played with the hummingbird expansion, which adds a bit of complication. A separate board keeps track of hummingbirds coming and going to the three habitats. They provide bonuses (extra food, eggs, etc.) and also move tokens on an additional scoring track.

Hummingbird expansion bits

In the picture above, you can see that my player cubes were bald eagles! The guy really went all out making his game extra-nice.

We played through and I came in second, though I thought I did worse. The game has so many sources of victory points that tracking the scores is hard. Other players excelled at getting eggs and food but I had plenty of nectar bonuses and high-value birds.

My final habitats

The whole table

It was a lot of fun. After that, I went to the auction store for the last minute sales. Then I took my purchase to the car. I had a hard time finding another game. At this point, a lot of the tournament games were going, which I was not interested in. They had a room for unpublished games, where a designer would let players try out their games to get feedback. It did not look like any designers showed up for that. I wound up hanging around until the store closed. I picked up my leftover games and the payout for the ones that sold. Then I headed home.

The convention continued on Sunday but we had too many home obligations for me to return. That's the trouble with going to local conventions, all your other obligations are still around to distract you!

Book Review: Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 by S. Lee et al.

Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 3 written by Stan Lee and art by Steve Ditko

Spider-man has more adventures as the original Lee/Ditko run continues. The stories are okay but are starting to blend together. Peter Parker still has a lot of drama around his relationships with Liz Allen, a fellow high school student who is also pursued by Flash Thompson, and Betty Brant, a fellow employee at The Daily Bugle who is also pursued by Ned Leeds. MJ Watson, the actual girl next door, is hinted at a lot but doesn't not make her famous appearance here. Aunt May has started her campaign to get Peter to meet her. Those dramas are interesting and play off against his obligations as Spider-man. He fights the usual rogues' gallery, a less compelling part of the stories. 

The writing style is still very hyperbolic and has a lot of dialogue bubbles. The fights don't have a lot of distinctness (though Spidey still does a lot of wisecracking as he's fighting) and Peter's problems keep repeating themselves (no money, girl trouble, Aunt May overly protective and secretly sick, etc.). I thought this volume was okay but my interest is waning. I was hoping to make it to the famous one-liner by MJ but it wasn't in this issue. I guess I keep going but it's not as fun as it was at the beginning.

Mildly recommended.

Movie Review: The Running Man (2025)

The Running Man (2025) co-written and directed by Edgar Wright

Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is a hard-working man down on his luck. He's been fired from his last job when he tried to protect his fellow workers, an attempt where he got too hot-headed, a common problem for him. His wife (Alyssa Benn) works at some sort of strip club though she does not get involved with the clientele. Their daughter is sick and needs medicine that they can't afford on her salary. Ben looks at going on a game show to get money even though they are dangerous reality shows. The biggest show is The Running Man, where three contestants try to survive for thirty days, fleeing from Hunters sponsored by the show and from the general public, also sponsored by the show because they can win money if they spot any of the runners. Ben goes to the network headquarters to sign up for a lesser show but his physicality and anger make him ideal for The Running Man. He gets shafted into it with the promise of a lot of cash, especially early payouts that will help his wife and daughter. But no contestant has survived the show--the best record was twenty-nine days in the first season. Ben goes on the run, hoping to survive, with a side motivation of taking down the show or at least its sleazy producer (Josh Brolin). And to reunite with his family, who have been taken into protective custody by the show.

The simple premise gets very convoluted as the movie moves along. The setting is a future dystopia where television is run by the government and is focused on pacifying the general public into accepting the way things are (which is pretty miserable). The TV sets have cameras built in so they can monitor the viewers, though Ben knows a blackmarket guy (William H. Macy) who can set him up with a new identity and papers since he does all the blackmarket things, like selling old TVs without surveillance equipment. Ben runs into some more underground characters as the movie continues, filling out a bit of the world. But not enough to be convincing or to make a coherent whole. Many moments in the plot seem like they want to be wry commentary on the in-movie society and also our own society, but the comments are not very insightful or believable. The action sequences are fun and Powell is charming enough in the lead.

Compared to the Schwarzenegger version from the 1980s, this is a very unsatisfying movie. Schwarzenegger is much more charming and believable as the hero. The 1980s movie is kind of dumb but it doesn't have real pretensions to greatness or desires to have more than superficial comments on the dangers and lies of reality TV. This retelling wants to be more serious and hard hitting but it still has a lot of the nonsensical moments found in the earlier movie. The difference is the 1980s version aims for entertainment and hits the mark dead on. This version aims for a bigger message but is all over the place tonally and thematically. A lot of the characters want to "Fight the Man" but there's no real resolution of that for Ben or the society as a whole. Nothing really changes at the end, which could be an interesting statement like the ending of Animal Farm but the film just does a conventional wrap-up of the narrative threads. I wanted and expected more from this remake, or at least the same fun and action. The film did not make either goal, leaving it scoreless.

Not recommended.