The Ricochet Reviewer: Books, Movies, and Comics

Writer/Director: Terrence Malick Stars: Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates, Ramon Bieri, Alan Vint, Gary Littlejohn, John Carter, Bryan Montgomery, Gail Thelkeld, Charles Fitzpatrick Holly (Sissy Spacek), a 15-year-old girl living in a North Dakota town, falls under the influence of twentysomething social misfit Kit (Martin Sheen).  When her father (Warren Oates) stands in their way, Kit kills him and hits the road with Holly, who thinks she is in love with him.  They hide out in the wilderness for a while, and then go on the run, killing several people along the way.  Director/screenwriter Terrence Malick has given us characters that are emotionally barren, as reflected by the barren landscapes of North Dakota.  They occasionally seem happy together, but most of the time they seem emotionally flat and detached from their own feelings; Holly seems as if she is in a constant state of shock.  Malick's style is almost like that of a documentary, presenti...

  Art and Story: Walter Simonson Fearing for his father's ability to withstand an attack by Surtur, Thor leaves the field of battle on Earth to return to Asgard. Karnilla, Queen of the Norns, continues to withhold aid from the forces of Asgard until Balder the Brave agrees to become her consort, and her ploy may be paying off. Thor’s pal Roger reappears with a possible solution to the winter storms that are destroying the world. And members of the Army appear with news about the reinforcement of Surter’s forces. Beta Ray Bill hatches a plan to outsmart the swarm of demons that threaten to overwhelm his warriors by sheer weight of numbers. Meanwhile, Surter is about to enter Asgard to confront Odin. Heimdall does his best to bar the path. And Surtur in turn bars the way to any help from outside Asgard. Frigga and the children of Asgard encounter an obstacle as they evacuate to safety. Back on Earth, Sif and Bill observe evidence of the devastation facing Asgard. Maddened by her inab...

by Alan Burt Akers (AKA Kenneth Bulmer) Dray Prescot, an English sailor and valiant warrior of the 19th Century, is transported to the distant planet Kregen by powerful beings as a champion for humanity, who live there among many intelligent species.  Thus begins Kenneth Bulmer’s 52-volume tribute to ERB’s Barsoom series.  Kenneth Bulmer Even Bulmer’s choice of pseudonym, Alan Burt Akers, has the same cadence as Edgar Rice Burroughs.  After his mysterious transit, he is immersed in a liquid that grants a 1000-year lifespan by a secret society called the Savanti, who live in the isolated Swinging City of Aphrasoe.  Here some of Bulmer’s humor shines through; for a reader of the 70s, a “swinging city” would be sure to have a racy connotation, but the Savanti literally swing from building to building in their arboreal metropolis.  "Destination Scorpio" (Italian) Here, Dray also meets his version of Dejah Thoris, Delia of Vallia, whom he rescues in defiance of the S...