Book Review - 'Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn' by Shannon Hale (Writer), Leuyen Pham (Illustrator)

'Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn'

...

Before reading, this seemed too cute to me. Too saccharine. Too babyish. Too stereotypically girly - cute little, pink fluffy cats, and unicorns? Put them together and what have you got? Enough to kill a whole hive of diabetic pixies.

It seemed too pandering and sickly. Too commercial. The off-putting, attempted-hypnotizing cover didn't help its case.

I mainly decided to read it, at last, because it was written by Shannon Hale, one of my favourite writers. The author of 'Rapunzel's Revenge' and 'Princess Academy'. She has written cute-and-clever, sweet-and-substantial books before, like the 'Squirrel Girl' novels, the 'Ever After High' novels, the 'Diana: Princess of the Amazons' graphic novels, and the 'Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld (2021)' graphic novel. I was cautious, yet I never doubted she could make something out of a thing called 'Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn'.

She did. She wrote it as an LBGTQ+ identity metaphor.

I'm sure it's intentionally a transgender identity metaphor, told with animals, and a unicorn.

Nuff said.

Seriously, I won't reveal anything more.

Just know that with the children's picture book, 'Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn', the cuteness factor is both surface level, and its true, openminded, openhearted, blissful, delightful core.

It is pure, warm and wonderful.

And full of love for community and togetherness.

It sparkles, literally and figuratively, in its characters and storytelling.


PSA: Tolerance and equality messages will always be needed.

Cute cartoons with heart (and friendship) will always be needed.

For reminders that no one is ever alone. And everyone deserves love, affection and support. Everyone deserves to be seen for who they are.


'Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn' - a fluffy hug of a book.

Final Score: 4/5

Manga Review - 'Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Vol. 1' by Julietta Suzuki

What a fun, wacky, hilarious, and subtly nuanced and heartwarming vampire romance manga!

I'll take this new thing over 'Vampire Knight' and 'Karin'/'Chibi Vampire' any day! I still haven't forgiven the latter's terrible ending.

'Otaku Vampire's Love Bite' - a vampire otaku? It's a great premise, especially for today, and in my opinion this manga delivers very well. It's funny, silly, cute, charming, and surprising.

Hina Arukado is a vampire of the highest rank, in a teenage girl's body, and it takes one vampire anime, 'Vampire Cross' (a parody of 'Vampire Knight'?) for her to become obsessed; to become an otaku. So much so that she moves from Romania to Japan just because she loves anime, and wants to live out her otaku dream (so she isn't Japanese? Despite her name?).

Hina is oddly adorable and relatable. I want her black and pink gothic clothing, and her hair!. She's really passionate, manic, enthusiastic, and one-track-minded. She's not so haunted a vampire otaku shut-in as you might think (she was a shut-in before she watched 'Vampire Cross' - for thirty years). She's in fact an extrovert who wishes to share her anime passion with others - with humans, and be otaku friends together.

She is absolutely fixated on one particular anime character, Mao Ryusuzaki, a vampire hunter from 'Vampire Cross'. She collects all the merch of him, sometimes more than one duplicate, enters anime lotteries for his merch prizes, and goes to anime-themed collab cafés and shops and everything. And what do you know, in Japan she finds that her next door apartment neighbour, college student Kyuta Amanatsu, looks exactly like the hot cartoon boy she's obsessed with. Too bad he's moody, rude, and insults her for being an otaku. He is not like her husbando after all.

Or isn't he? For of course, as the two inevitably (reluctantly on Kyuta's case) spend more time together, and as Hina communicates with more humans who are not online and discovers the true joy of sharing similar geeky interests with them, Kyuta grows and reveals soft parts of himself, as well. He's moody, stoic, and snarky, but can't help helping everyone he comes across. He'd do anything for others. He cares deeply. He's the best version of a tsundere. He's cuter and dreamier than first impressions can materialise.

Hina and Kyuta are both very much contemporary humans. Even the vampire girl. Who is attracted to the human boy for his likeness to a fictional character, and his uncommonly sweet scent (that sounds uncomfortably familiar...). They are in a not-so typical love story. A love story of the supernatural...

Also, Hina doesn't want to bite humans and suck their blood, like she's supposed to, like her father keeps saying she must. She uses blood bags. It's "how her generation feels", as her dad says at one point. I guess she would be the vampire equivalent of "woke" these days.

As much as I enjoyed 'Otaku Vampire's Love Bite, Vol. 1', I must draw attention to one major, non-spoiler-y criticism: Hina is literally the only female character in it. Except for her fandom forum friend, Mugi-choko, who we never see, and who apparently quits her fandom nearly halfway through the volume. She barely counts.

Yet it's still fun! I like the characters as they are. Nothing more needs to be added. Not at this stage, at least.

'Otaku Vampire's Love Bite' is so geeky and dorky. It understands fan culture so well (I also get Hina's attentiveness towards voice actors - they deserve all the praise and appreciation). It has vampires. It is a unique take on modern vampires living and adapting to modern times. How could I resist? How could I not like it?

It is cute! It is funny! It is clever!

So what if it's not perfect, nor feminist by the current era's metric scale?

It's my cute, geek girl's sweet dream.

Adding this, along with 'My Lovesick Life as a '90s Otaku', on my 2024 expressively-passionately-geek girl Japanese manga shelf.


'[...] otaku energy is incredible. [...] When people like something, they're filled with energy.'


Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis' by Tini Howard (Writer), Sweeney Boo (Artist, Colourist), Erica Henderson (Writer, Artist, Colourist), Hayden Sherman (Artist), Adam Warren (Writer, Artist), Mindy Lee (Artist, Colourist), Ben Templesmith (Artist, Colourist), Triona Farrell (Colourist), Various

'Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis' is an absolutely mad, bonkers, and chaotic comic, to go with DC's current multiverse 'Crisis' BS ('Dawn of DC', is that what it's called? Honestly I've lost track of how many crossover/universe ending events DC has done in the last few years alone). It can be tiring and frustrating, leading to burnout, as these things often turn out in the ever-expanding, ever-oversaturating pop culture media and landscape.

Still, 'Girl in a Crisis' is nonetheless, undeniably Harley Quinn.

She is still Harley Quinn here, the clown queen of crime, the barely-reformed antiheroine we all know and have loved for over thirty years now.

Currently, she is in a healthy relationship with her girlfriend Poison Ivy, whom she lives with, along with her hyenas Bud and Lou. She is a court-mandated Gotham City Community College professor (she is a doctor, remember), to go with her crimefighting and property-destroying antics. And she suddenly finds herself in the middle of the destruction of the entire multiverse, over something she inadvertently caused by chance - a one-in-a-billion chance, a glitch between universes.

It is up to Harley Quinn, the least reliable of all of DC's "heroes", to save reality, to set the multiverse right again. Or just have fun, goof off and experiment with countless realities and what-ifs.

It's a standard DC comic at this point, really.

SO MANY THINGS HAPPEN in 'Girl in a Crisis'. It's crazy. My chosen highlights are:

The artwork is consistently beautiful, colourful, bright, skilled, and clever. Kevin cameos. Zatanna cameos. Batman cameos (the dialogue exchanges between him and Harley continue to be a hoot). Doctor Fate cameos. There's a funny and sweet relationship between Harley and one of her college students, Summer Sherridan. There's a universe of cartoon, Looney Tunes-esque animal superheroes, headlined by Captain Carrot, a bunny superhero, that gets dark quickly (talk about going down the rabbit hole!). Other universes that Harley trapezes around include: one where she is a pirate, another where she hunts the Justice League as vampires, and one which is her worst fear - where she is a member of the Justice League, generic Silver Age superhero origin story and everything (complete with a fridged girlfriend).

When she wants to be a normal(ish), non-superpowered woman, with an apartment and a girlfriend.

The madness doesn't end there, oh no: next we have a universe where Harley is in a magical girl anime parody (can you guess that's a favourite of mine?); a universe (or is it a dream?) where she is a knight on a side quest parody, seeking to awaken the sleeping maiden Poison Ivy; a universe/dream where she is in a 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'/'Akira'/'Ghost in the Shell' parody; and finally... whatever the eff the final two issues are. It's so dark, existentialist and bizarre I'm not even going to bother trying to explain it. It might be the comic reaching its dying breath, up its own arsehole.

It just won't end! It's so strange, offbeat and eccentric it's almost nightmarish.

And yet, I enjoyed most of the stories. The what-ifs. The parodies. The detours into losing one's mind. It's not a catastrophe; it's entertaining and smart enough to avoid careening and ruining itself... until the finish line, maybe.

I enjoyed Harley in most of the issues. Indeed, as demonstrated, this is the kind of environment she thrives in.

Nothing will beat her. Nothing will break her.

She's no longer scared of her inner demons.

She's an abuse survivor.

She survived the Joker, after all.

BTW, the Joker only appears on one page in this comic. As multiplying in a "nightmare" that Harley effortlessly bludgeons to a bloody pulp in two small panels and says, "The Joker's not my nightmare no more. He's just some loser."

Now there's character growth!

I love the artwork, and Harley's pink, blue, white and blonde colour scheme. I love the cosmic, astral, ethereal girl power of the book.

'Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis' might be my final 'Harley Quinn' comic, at least for a very long while. I think that's appropriate. 'Girl in a Crisis' is fun, funny, hyper, fanservice-y, and a complex introspective character study, but it can be too much - too much candy, that wants you to think about life, the universe, and time and space - especially in one sitting.

Thus concludes my short (for me), sporadic, confused review of a long, messed up, anarchic, existential antiheroine comic.

For my other 'Harley Quinn' book reviews, detailing my extended Harley Quinn fangirl knowledge, as of now, click here.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley' by Melissa Marr (Writer), Jenn St-Onge (Artist), Lea Caballero (Co-Artist), Jeremy Lawson (Colourist), Lucas Gattoni (Letterer)

A YA graphic novel reimagining of Harley Quinn as Jekyll and Hyde?

Okay, then. Though it has the potential to go horribly wrong quickly.

Thankfully, for the most part it doesn't.

'The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley' is an entertaining medical-horror and crime story, and queer AF story.

Seriously, it is a huge Harley and Ivy love story. They're already in an established relationship at the beginning. These bi girls do crimes and save lives together, hopelessly in love, and devoted to each other. They are each other's number one person. It is sweet.

This version of Harley is a smart and shy high schooler, who in an unfortunate, tragic turn of events is put on probation for something she really didn't have anything to do with - her boyfriend at the time murdered mean girls for her. The comic is aware of how fucked up all this is; the system is broken and misogynistic. Her family (where she has an older brother and a younger sister) is poor, broke, bitter, resentful, and full of criminals (i.e. her father) and religious hypocrites and enablers (i.e. her mother), but they stick together and put each other first, so they're fine, I guess (?).

Long story short, Harleen Quinzel's life is a mess. She must be good at all times, and never get involved in any crimes, for any chance of getting a car, a gymnast coach, and a collage scholarship.

Even longer story short, she and her girlfriend Pamela Isley volunteer for sketchy medical experiments in a big corpo lab, mainly for money, and anxiety treatment, and then sneaking in to free the animal test subjects. Pam's side effect: plant and horticultural powers, of course. Harleen's side effect: a split personality, Harley Quinn.

Harley has no inhibitions, and is wild and free. She is all risk and violence, and enacting justice in an unjust world.

Disaster - and also paths towards long-term freedom and taking down corrupt corporations - ensue.

'The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley' may be unhinged and chaotic (I don't want to carelessly use the term "schizophrenic" in an ableist way) in its tone, plot beats, pacing, character progression/development, and even dialogue, but maybe that's the point?

The biggest issues for me are that Harleen's mental health crises, including memory loss when she turns into Harley, should have been taken much more seriously; like, Pam should not have been blasé about, and even turned on by, the split personality crisis, either; and Harleen's dysfunctional family situation isn't given the proper time, gravitas and resolution it should have, and it is shrugged off by the end. At least Pam's abusive family situation is taken care of.

The artwork is lovely, and fantastically detailed. Very high standard and effort for a DC YA graphic novel.

A DC YA graphic novel that contains themes of poverty, classism, the corrupt US law and justice system, cruelty in the name of "science", the opportunistic evils of, say, mental health "progression", systematic greed and depravity in our capitalist society ("WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY!" - sorry, couldn't resist), domestic abuse, environmentalism, and surviving bigotry and judgement in said corrupt society.

It knows and presents Harleen as a victim, above everything else. Whether she is Harleen or Harley, she is sick of too much unfairness and evil in her life, and the world. She will see violence and the destruction of establishments as a necessity for survival. She will remain strong, and her future hopeful, thanks to the ceaseless support of her rock, her loved one: Pam, aka Ivy. I don't entirely trust, nor forgive, her family.

So, while the content is far from perfect, and more than a little irritating, I like 'Harleen and Harley'. Like I said, it's an entertaining and interesting Harley Quinn tale, and strangely cute and endearing.

Both Harley's and Ivy's goth girl/bad girl chic outfits are to die for!

DC has really leaned into the Harley and Ivy ship now, and that is a good thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Harlivy forever.

Plus, the Joker in 'Harleen and Harley', called Jack Napier, is a POC, and cool and sexy as hell. He brings to mind the musical version of 'Beetlejuice' on multiple levels. I have found the sexiest version of the Joker in 'The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley', an "edgy" YA comic! Though he is more of an antihero here, and he is definitely not involved with Harley in that way. Because she's with Ivy, and because he's an adult and she's a teenager.

Mental health, domestic abuse, crime, corrupt justice systems, cute fashions and hair, and LBGTQ love, all in 'The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley'!

Go check it out, along with 'Poison Ivy: Thorns', 'Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass', 'Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Vol. 1: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour', and 'Harleen' (in that order).

Final Score: 3.5/5

Manga Review - 'Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Vol. 1' by Sekka Iwata (Writer), Yu Aoki (Artist), Camellia Nieh (Translator)

'Magical girls... are strong, cool, and graceful. It's a sought-after, high-paying job. The kind of career every girl dreams of!'

'Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.' - a hot new magical girl manga and anime, taking off like a shooting star in a storm. Of course I had to check it out.

After reading the first volume of the manga, here is my verdict and critique:

It is like a manga version of 'A Magical Girl Retires', only more comedic and far less depressing. Other comparisons include 'Flavor Girls' and 'magnifiqueNOIR' (I'm a versatile Magical GirlTM connoisseur, what can I say). And it is like a magical girl version of the anime 'Tiger & Bunny'.

In 'Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.', it is companies and corporations galore, and its magical girls employ science and technology instead of magic (yes, that includes the transformation sequences). The one thing they share in common is they fly on tech "brooms", which double as weapons. Plus magic wands or "devices". The only thing that can be called a supernatural phenomenon: the creatures the magical girls are deployed to fight and contain to protect their cities, called the kaii. Kaii are gooey, blobby, teethy monster contaminants at this point. Magical girls are employed as the exterminators.

Why are only women the exterminators and heroes? And what makes them "magical" exactly? Is the term "magical girl" used just for the geeky aesthetic? For a cuteness factor? Maybe we'll find out in future chapters.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. is a small, independent magical girl company that is more a family unit than a business; not a cold, ruthless business, anyway. In its employment are the sassy, confident, spirited, impulsive magical girl Hitomi Koshigaya, and our protagonist, the new grad and magical girl recruit Kana Sakuragi. Kana is a shy and meek, but incredibly resourceful and organised young woman, with an eidetic memory. She was merely job hunting until she stumbled into a kaii contamination on the office floor of where an interview was to take place, and she ended up helping Koshigaya defeat the dangerous threat.

It's a one-in-a-million chance encounter that will change the course of Kana's life.

She can be useful. She can be appreciated for her efforts and talents.

She can help people.

Others in Magilumiere are Shigemoto, a middle-aged male magical girl cosplayer who is the president of the company, and Midorikawa, a sales rep and Koshigaya's tech assistant (a temp who's not a temp, basically), and Kazuo Nikoyama, a "magic engineer" and the biggest computer nerd and otaku ever. These three men are magical girl fanboys, and crybabies in the best way. They're cheerleaders who are not afraid to show their emotions.

There's no room for toxic masculinity in Magilumiere! Everyone helps each other out there, and supports and encourages each other; no negativity, no toxic work environment in this establishment.

Kana may have found a new family in the most unexpected of places.

'Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Vol. 1' - simple, funny, fun, action-packed, and major in its themes of heroics, altruism, finding your purpose, and lifting one another up. It's a good introduction to the series. There is nothing gross, fanservice-y and fetishy in this modern manga, thank goodness. It could have come dangerously close to it easily; for example, with a character like Nikoyama, since in any other manga he would be a pervert and predator (he's an otaku, bordering on hikkiomori, who designs and programs the magical girls' transformation sequences, need I say more?). But it doesn't rise to the bait - there is restraint and subversion.

We have truly come a long way. 'Magilumiere' is accessible and unalienating.

There is no romance, either, and Koshigaya and Kana look to become a great magical girl team, and the best of friends. Opposites attract, and aid each other massively. And listen to and support each other, to bring out the best of their individual qualities.

Thus ends my verdict and review. 'Magilumiere' is a cool new addition to my Magical GirlTM collection. Now to watch the anime.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Scarlett, Vol 1: Special Mission' by Kelly Thompson (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colourist), Rus Wooton (Letterer)

I know bugger all about 'G.I. Joe', and whatever this 'Energon Universe' is (another multiverse of franchises - we don't have enough of those, right?). All I knew before reading 'Scarlett, Vol 1: Special Mission' was that it has a kickass redheaded female lead on the cover, and it was written by Kelly Thompson, so I was immediately sold.

I'd hoped its modern update on and reimagining of a female character didn't undermine and sexualise her, and that it didn't glorify the military, at any rate.

'Scarlett' reminds me of Marvel's 'Black Widow' comics. It is a straightforward female mercenary/agent, heist/mission, special ops comic, with brief, sparing exposition, dialogue, and narration boxes. It is all about showcasing the action, the characters, and the artwork; all very good stuff.

I needn't have worried about the artwork sexualising the women; it manages not to. The comic sees them as people and respects them. There's no fan service of that kind here.

The ultimate, energon weapon MacGuffin? pffft, nah. I'm here for the redheaded mercenary, spy and assassin lady Shana "Scarlett" O'Hara (who in the comic also looks like she could pass for a middle school teacher, she is so adorable; I can't be the only one who sees it, surely?). She is exceptionally cool, skilled, talented, rebellious, cunning and unstoppable. I'm also here for her mysterious, formerly-missing partner/roomie/"like a sister"/very close platonic (?) best friend Jinx. They even have their own secret language.

Well, that's all I'll reveal about this 'Special Mission'. Confidentiality and spoilers and whatnot. Except that it has added codenames to my dewdrop of knowledge of the 'G.I. Joe' universe. Names such as Storm Shadow, Stalker (seriously?), and, unfortunately, Snow Job.

And with that the age rating of this review has been bumped up to a hard R.

There is another character called Hard Master!

This, topped with the militarism, was a children's cartoon and toy line?

Okay, whatever. Hasbro could always have its cake and eat it too. Now especially, with its EU comic multiverse. How far will it go? Too far, inevitably.

Cobra Commander is briefly in this, too. Again, whatever.

I'll just enjoy the EU's 'Scarlett' comic. It's simple, breezy, cool fun. If hyperviolent and kind of racist towards the Japanese, in its ninja, samurai and yakuza depictions (in that way it also reminds me of 'Astonishing X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame', with its own white, ninja master female lead).

A (sort-of) self-contained bit of action, with brains and heart.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Book Review - 'My Mummy is a Witch' by Helena Garcia (Writer), Jess Rose (Illustrator)

'My Mummy is a Witch' - like 'Witch in Training', it is a nice mother-and-daughter witch picture book.

(Also like 'Dorrie's Magic' and 'I Am a Witch's Cat', and 'Witch Hazel', except that is a grandmother-and-granddaughter story.)

Written by the Great British Baker and witch Helena Garcia, 'My Mummy is a Witch' is full of Halloween whimsy. It is brimming to the cauldron-full of witchery, bats, pumpkins, candles, tea sets, skulls, moving green vines, forests, foxgloves, mushrooms, owls, frogs, the full moon in the night sky, and a broom, a goblin, a fairy, a tree sprite, a dragon, a couple of ghosts, and a wolf (the witch's familiar, it seems; different to a cat). And baking (naturally!). I love the purple, lilac (my favourite colours!), white, black, grey and orange aesthetic. There's green and blue in here, too.

And it is told in rhyme.

It is all so cute and heartfelt! Any witch mother would love to tell it to her child, and any little witchling would delight in it being read to them.

'My Mummy is a Witch' - a wonderful, enchanting, charming little family witch picture book, and witch accessory, containing cool witch accessories. The witch mum always looks amazing!

I recommend it to everyone, but especially fans of 'Witch in Training', and 'Sunday the Sea Witch', which was also written by a witch/wiccan. Though I seem to be the only person on earth who's heard of that picture book - now there's another thing it shares in common with 'My Mummy is a Witch'!

It turns out I wasn't done with my Halloween reads in 2024, after all. This one might truly be my last, but you never know. I seem to be on a roll, towards the end of the year.

Final Score: 4/5

Book Review - 'Imelda and the Goblin King' by Briony May Smith

Sometimes, I just want to read a story where a big, loud, obnoxious, greedy, narcissistic, entitled, opportunistic, warped, nasty, immoral, inhuman, grotesque and repugnant bully and tyrant gets what he deserves, you know? Where he is punished instead of rewarded. Where good triumphs over evil - remember when that was a given? A right and normal thing to happen? A normal way of life?

Well, anyway. In this fairy tale, good, kind, generous, empathetic people defeating a fascist dictator is exactly what happens.

In 'Imelda and the Goblin King', a greedy and selfish goblin king wants to take over a fairy forest, committing many atrocities and crimes in the process, and it is up to the frightened fairies, plus a human girl who is a friend to the forest and the fairies, to stop his oppression and madness.

The story teaches children about sharing and caring, and standing up to bullies. Remember when those were good qualities and virtues to be encouraged, too?

There is the abundantly-populated enchanted forest, magic berries, lots of delicious food - but especially the pie, and community and kindness. But knowing when enough is enough, when other options have failed, and people who refuse to change their ways must be punished, and they must go away, for the sake of everybody's lives.

Imelda is a strong, brave, brown-haired young heroine, against the big, bad, frightening, gloating goblin tyrant.

And I have to add, regarding the fairy queen, who was the first to try kindness, reason, hospitality and sharing towards the goblin king, only to get kidnapped and locked up for it, I love her facial expression at the monster king's gobbling up her entire feast. The art manages to capture how affronted she is so perfectly! Her barely-concealed shock and frustration! It's brilliant.

The art is good, colourful, cartoony, and suitable, all around. It's a bit rough, and not among Briony May Smith's best, but I like the level of detail to the forest and the fairies. There are so many of the fairy folk, all different and diverse, and they truly make the dirty and rustic, yet no less magic, forest feel lived in. Its "crowdedness" feels appropriate. The fairies' and goblins' wings being leaves is a nice touch.

'Imelda and the Goblin King' feels like a modern version of 'The Smurfs', now that I think about it. This adds to its cartoony, good-versus-evil charm. It's not childish, naïve or idealistic; it simply shows how things should be. What's natural in nature. Set within the framework of a cute fairy tale.

A feminist fairy tale. Where kindness (with limitations, and not to the point of being a pushover and doormat), giving, sharing, learning and cunning are strengths, not weaknesses.

Indeed, whatever happened to all of us getting along?

Be brave, Never give up, never be silenced.

Wow. I projected a lot into, and took away a lot from, a simple children's fairy tale picture book from 2015, didn't I?

Final Score: 3.5/5