My Hero Academia Volume 41 and 42

My Hero Academia Volume 41, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2025) My Hero Academia Volume 41, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2025)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Somehow, I never posted a review for Volume 41, so I'll comment on what I remember about it.

It's just as well that I cover both volumes at the same time because, in reality, the story ended in volume 41, and all that's left is to pick up the pieces.

SPOILERS -- Because there's just no other way.

In 41, Bakugo stands up to the rejuventated All-for-One, which makes sense because Bakugo has been a protagonist alongside Deku the whole ride. There are two major villains and he should be get to deal with one of them. It's at this point that you realize that All for One is not the bigger of the two threats even as he's been pulling the strings with Tomura Shigaraki. And then there's the fact that there's a mental connection between the two, which makes them something of a hybrid individual.

Seeing Bakugo taking on All For One after getting messed up royally by Shigaraki is absolutely heroic.

Deku's fight with Shigaraki takes a weird twist in 41. He gives up One for All to Shigaraki, knowing (guessing, really) that Shigaraki's body can't handle it, the same way that Deku couldn't at first.

So in the matchup at the very beginning of volume 42, the story is already over. Deku finally realizes that that little boy that he wanted to save is beyond saving. He gives him a punch that sends Shigaraki into eternity, now that he's powers, including his healing, aren't working.

And that's it. Story over.

Almost the entire volume is epilogue.

We see Class 1A become 2A. We see Aoyama leave the school voluntarily, making room for Shinso to join class 2A. New kids come in, idolozing the Class 2. We see Kota being aged up to being only a year younger than Deku (instead of probably 6 years younger), just so he can be there. (The author acknoledges this.)

And then everything jumps to 8 years later. Crime is down. There's less work for heros, but they still exist and have agencies. Deku is teaching. Bakugo has his own agency.

We get to see new hero rankings, which include most of the former 1A and 1B. A few people have relationships. They all meet for dinner, but, of course, it's interrupted. And finally, it's up to Bakugo, of all people, to give Deku relationship advice, and Deku finally goes after Ochaco. And it's a wrap on the series.

It was a fun ride while it lasted, and I hope there are more side projects where we get to see these kids as actual heroes, even if Deku has only embers of All for One remaining.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.

The Axolotl Familiar

The Axolotl Familiar
Written and illustrated by KuroKoneko Kamen
(2025)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

I looked on Amazon for free graphic novel that I might use in my Graphic Novel class -- either to assign because they're free or to grab a screenshot or two for presentations. This book popped up. I was a little worried by the cover. Having no knowledge of this book, I didn't know if it might get explicit or exploitive. That was not an issue.

The bigger issue was that this was just bad. Sad, even, not for the story, but for the presentation.

As I posted on social media about a quarter way through the book, some days I can read stories set in undersea castles where witches mix potions and their familiars read paper books, and others when I wonder what the hell am I reading?

That's the case here. And don't let me forget the fire spells.

Some of this is addressed later on, when Axol is trying to reach the surface because he wants to see the sea of stars and the rabbit on the moon. Serina tells him that he wouldn't be able to breathe the air up there like merfolk can. He is able to breathe in school (Selina is 14) because of enchantments. Likewise, there is one class in school where there is no water and the students (merfolk) all sit on bubbles because there need to be able to take notes and the teacher needs to be able to write on the chalkboard.

So it's implied that there are no such enchantments at the castle and it's filled with sea water.

This comic is based on a novella (by the author) and is meant to be three issues long. The novella might be a better read without the visuals, which are the biggest problem.

Many pages only have one or two images on them, and it seems like every image is vying to be the cover, which isn't the way you want to illustrate a comic. The title character, Axol, appears to have a single pose with slight variations. He's always facing forward (or almost forward) looking straight ahead (or just slightly off-center) even if the character he is speaking to is next to or behind him. Many of the other characters have similar issues with their eyes and where they're facing and looking.

Axol also has a size issue, where he's small enough to fit in a bird cage with disappearing bars that sometimes appear so close together that you wonder how he squeezed his head through. And if his head can squeeze through, why can't the rest of him?

Let's just say that despite the merits of any one individual panel, the artwork was incredibly distracting and laughable.

I don't think I'll look for the second part of it.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.

The Golden Age (Robinson / Smith / Ory)

The Golden Age
James Robinson / Paul Smith / Richard Ory (1995)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

I don't know where this graphic novel came from. I don't believe it was in the FreeCycle donation I received, which means that it either came from a Little Free Library or from my brother Stephen's apartment. Despite it's age, it must've been a recent purchase. It hadn't been in his apartment for two or three decades.

No one had started reading this one, so I picked it up to be my Friday read in class.

This graphic novel was published in four parts in 1993 and 1994. It was first collected in 1995. It was reprinted in 2005 with "JSA:" added to the title. This means I read the 1995 edition.

The first thing I noticed was the collection of heroes on the cover. The central character wasn't anyone I was familiar with, so it was a moment before I realized that all the other characters were members of the Justice Society or the All-Star Squadron at some point. There were also members of the Freedom Fighters (who I recall retroactively were part of the All-Star Squadron or JSA), not including Uncle Sam. Many of the heroes were bought up from independent comic groups that went out of business in the 40s and 50s.

There were still a couple that I didn't recognize right away but I believe all of them show up in the story somewhere.

Some personal background. I was born into the Silver Age, when older heroes who had fallen by the wayside were being relaunched. It is the Silver Age versions of the characters that we have today. Some of them have been revamped again in the 21st century, but overall those changes were cosmetic, unless the heroes failed again in the 70s and 80s, leaving them open for a brand-new iteration.

I remember the annual JLA-JSA crossovers that usually featuring other heroes of the 40s-60s. And I read many of the reprints of "Famous First Editions", so I was aware of a lot of the old characters.

I was in college during the Crisis on Infinite Earths when all the Earths were combined into one (but there were still other dimensions). One fallout of this was that the characters who'd survived from the Depression and World War II, that is Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, whose origins, powers and identities didn't change, no longer appear as JSA characters. (Green Arrow was brought back very similar to his original self.) Only their Silver Age counterparts exist, as updated for the five decades that have passed since the Silver Age began.

Yes, the start of the Silver Age is nearly twice as long ago from now as the Silver Age was from the start of the Golden Age.

And speaking of the Golden Age...

This book is an Elseworlds, meaning that it happens outside the main continuity. Unlike Elseworlds where modern characters exist in older times (for example, a Victorian Age Gotham City), this story takes place in its proper timeline, so readers of these characters know whatever they need to know.

This book doesn't quite give "The Watchmen" treatment, but it does take some liberties.

I am aware of the Spear of Destiny, which allowed Hitler to take control of magic-based heroes and Superman (who is vulnerable to magic). In this story, that is a myth. The real reason that the heroes didn't go overseas was that FDR asked them not to go. They defended the homefront. Because of this, when the soldiers came home, many of the heroes retired because they weren't needed any more. Police, firefighters, and other personnel all came home.

One exception was Green Lantern, Alan Scott. He retired because he was bitter about the atomic bomb. His ring could've achieved the same results with less death and destruction. Likewise, Starman had a breakdown when he discovered that his cosmic energy helped to bring about the atomic bomb.

Tex Thompson, aka the Americommando or Mr. America, is one hero that did go to war and he killed many of the enemy. He comes back a hero and seeks political office. He becomes an early version of Sen. McCarthy. I didn't remember his name. I might have heard of both of his hero titles, not knowing they were the same person. I did know about Miss America, who is also in this book.

Another part of the story involves one of the heroes making a "Where Are They Now?" documentary while trying not to include too much Tex Thompson. It gets confusing because there are too many characters with the similar names. I think it was Johnny Quick doing this, not that he is separated from Liberty Belle, or Johnny Quick might've been the one trying to write the Great American Novel and failing miserably at it. This stuff rolls together after a while.

Among the ones that didn't retire are the Atom, Johnny Thunder, and Dan the Dyna-Mite, who are too young. They get involved with Tex's efforts to register all superheroes. Additionally, Robotman makes an appearance (much earlier than I was aware of his existence), and he is losing his humanity on his way to being a killing machine.

The Atom gets an office job because his body isn't right for an experiment that Tex is part of. Dan, however, is transformed into Dynaman. The two of them are very ambitious and plot a future where Thompson is elected president in 1952, by which point, the U.S. would likely have gone into Russia and China.

Manhunter, who is a vague memory to me, was also over in Europe during the war. When he finally comes back to the US, he's suffering from memory loss, and people are hunting him, trying to kill him. He meets up with Bob Daley, Thompson's former sidekick (Thompson is embarrased by the man now), and they eventually find Hawkman who helps Paul Kirk (Manhunter) get back his memories.

The things he saw changes everything and put all the events into a new light.

Everything after this would be a spoiler.

A couple other notes: Hourman is battling addiction, which I think is a topic that had been touched on before -- but not until the late 70s or early 80s, most likely. Granted, I don't remember exactly when it was revealed that Speedy was an addict.

I don't remember Captain Triumph. He's retired and haunted by a ghost that wants him to touch a tattoo to bring Captain Triumph out. He never gets his moment though because Lance Gallant tries to be a hero without the ghost.

Red Bee is in it, and not as comic relief. I'd seen one previous appearance in an issue of All-Star Squadron where he was one of the heroes that traveled to Earth X, where the Freedom Fighters were founded. His presence there was laughable as he was easily outclassed -- and I think he had his back broken almost immediately -- years before Bane did that to Batman.

I know who the villain is, and have read a couple of stories with him, but I don't really know much of his background, and he was never a favorite of mine. That said, he's appropriate for this story.

I enjoyed this story. Since it was an Elseworlds, the writers were free to experiment with the characters. Robotman becoming a killer was an odd choice, and far more heroes were killed off than was necessary for the story. It didn't have to be a bloodbath, but at least they didn't kill everyone just because they could.

It holds up well for a comic published 30 years ago that took place 50 years before that.

Addendum: I posted the following on Good Reads:

I didn't realize how old this book was when I picked it up. (My copy didn't have JSA on the cover.) The fact that it's from the 90s makes a bit of sense. I read some All-Star Squadron in the 80s (so I knew about the Spear of Destiny stuff) as wells as the JLA-JSA crossovers going many years before that, so I recognized many on the cover, even if I didn't recognize the most prominent character -- it's someone who gets reintroduced, so you wouldn't recognize him.

This also has a bit of a Watchmen influence to it with the characters get deconstructed a bit as most of them hang up their masks, capes, and cowls after the war when all the other rescue workers come home from overseas. Green Lantern and Starman have strong reactions to the war's ending.

The four parts (individual issues) read as one story. It had a good twist explaining the strange actions of some of the characters.


If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.

My Hero Academia Volume 40

My Hero Academia Volume 40, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2024)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

The story is winding down with the former All-Might facing off against the foe that ended his career. All Might had been using all sorts of technology to mimic the powers of the students in 1A (who should be in 2A by now, right?)

All Might had no chance at victory, but as with Batman said in an episode of Justice League, I'm not trying to beat you, I'm trying to stall you. Bakugo arrives for a final showdown. Remember that Bakugo holds himself responsible for All Might retiring.

The story is winding down, and Deku will have to take down Tomura Shigiraki.

I'll be sorry when this story ends if it means that publication ceases. The story will have been told, but there's more stories to tell with all these heroes.

Volume 41 is on hold at the library.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. The fourth book will be available by the time you see this!

My Hero Academia Volumes 38 and 39

My Hero Academia Volume 38 and 39, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2023)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Not really a lot to say other than I enjoyed them. This blog entry is mostly so they'll be counted in the year-end total. The final battle is still being drawn out. As with a lot of manga, the more action there is, the more difficult it can get for me to tell what's going on. But some of those background scenes and cityscapes are just amazing.

The books (in English) have caught up to the show (in Japanese with subtitles). The show recently eclipsed the books, particularly with Ochaco Uraraka and Himiko Toga.

Next book will be reserved as soon as possible.

My Hero Academia Volume 37

My Hero Academia Volume 37, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2023)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Spoilers for the "final battle", which may or may not be final because I don't know how long this fight and this manga continue afterward.

Deku arrives to confront Tomura Shigaraki, who is now melded with All For One (or possibly not). Bakugo is done but may survive with another hero's sacrifice. Spinner's added quirks cause trouble for some members of Class 1A (or 2A now, I guess), but they also cause trouble for Spinner whose mind is becoming as beastly as his body. And Todoroki's victory over Dabi may have been premature.

It was a quick read that became available sooner than I expected, and I plowed right through it, putting other things on hold.

Volume 38 is on hold. Hopefully, I'll have that in a few weeks.

My Hero Academia Volume 36

My Hero Academia Volume 36, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2022)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Now that I'm caught up, I'm reading these once every few months, so I'll list them separately.

The "final battle" continues. I notice that the anime that I'm watching on Hulu has almost caught up with the books. This past Saturday, Monoma copied powers that allowed him to use Kurogiri warp gate abilities to separate all of the villains into groups where heroes would be waiting. (Deku unfortunately gets snagged and dragged into the wrong portal.)

As shown on the cover, the highlight is the showdown between brothers Dabi and Shoto. Dabi notes that Endeavor didn't come himself and assumes he's too ashamed to be there. This doesn't bother Dabi because he wants to destroy everything Endeavor holds dear before disposing of him.

At the coffin in the sky, Tomura Shigaraki still has the power to create more hands from his body as a natural ability. However, his Decay quirk is being negated by Monoma who is standing by Aizawa so that he can use his ability past the normal time limit. (Aizawa has one eye bandaged -- I don't remember if he lost it entirely -- and his ability isn't what it had been.)

Without Deku, they can't finish off Shigaraki.

Three month wait for the next book.

Graphic Novel: Superman in the Fifties

Superman in the Fifties (2021)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Last summer, I was in my local branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and while there, I picked up 3 graphic novels. I read part of this one, and then put the pile on the side. I've been renewing them every three weeks since then.

Of the three, this was the one that it took the longest to read. Back in the fifties, the artwork in comics was much simpler but there was a lot more text to read. The pictures are interesting enough, but nothing is visually stunning. And, of coure, the story lines are about 70 years old.

The funny thing about this was the number of other rockets that landed on Earth and how many of those came from Krypton. There were three villains, not the Phantom Zone villains, who were imprisoned in a rocket. There was Krypto and Supergirl. And there was another alien, whose name I unfortunately forget, who thought he was Superman's big brother -- I remember the story being Mon-El, and maybe they reprinted this and changed it to Mon-El for the Legion of Super Heroes, but that wasn't his name. There were Bizarro stories. And, of course, Superman's Best Friend Jimmy Olsen and Superman's Girlfrien Lois Lane.

I remember in the late 70s or early 80s when a grownup Lana Lang came to Metropolis. Apparently, she'd done this back in the 50s as well.

It was an interesting look into the past. Two things that stand out: Superman didn't have "heat vision" then but rather used his "X-ray vision" to heat things up; and he used his "super-ventriloquism" more than once in the book, and the outcome of one story depended upon it. Yes, Superman could literally throw his voice and have it appear to come from somewhere else.

It was a fun but long read. I'm glad I read it, and I'm happy that I finally brought it back.

Graphic Novel: Superman '78

Superman '78 (2022)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Last summer, I was in my local branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and while there, I picked up 3 graphic novels. I read part of this one, and then put the pile on the side. I've been renewing them every three weeks since then.

Superman 78 is a vit of an anomaly. Batman 66 holds a place in the hearts of many in a generation who grew up with reruns of the classic series day after day. At the same time, many of those same people, or their older siblings, grew up with the Adventures of Superman from a decade earlier.

While people have fond memories of Christopher Reeve as Superman, there were only four movies to work with, the last time being a little different from the first two, and the mythology isn't quite the same as the comic book. Granted, some of that mythology has been adopted into comics or television every now and again, but DC Comics had made a habit of rebooting their entire line-up on a regular basis.

Basically, we have a bunch of Superman stories with movie lookalikes. The book consists of six issues of the a series of the same name, starting after the movie took place. Luthor is released to work on science for the betterment of the world instead of the betterment of Luthor. Next, Brainiac comes along. He's been collecting pieces of planets in his museum. When he detects a Kryptonian on Earth, he demands Superman surrender himself to prevent the contamination of Earth. Superman reluctantly agrees. We then find the Bottle City of Kandor on Brianiac's ship where Jor-El and Lara have survived. Superman eventually escapes with the help of Lex Luthor, who needs to prove that he can succeed where Superman failed.

It was an interesting group of stories, but nothing special. Just another take on territory well-traveled. I was happy to see that the date was only 2021-2022, so that explains why I wasn't familiar with the comics existence.

One more graphic novel to finish.

Graphic Novel: Power Girl: Power Trip

Power Girl: Power Trip (2014)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Last summer, I was in my local branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and while there, I picked up 3 graphic novels. I read part of this one, and then put the pile on the side. I've been renewing them every three weeks since then.

I finally spent a couple hours getting through the rest of Power Girl so I could return the book already.

Power Girl has an odd history. For anyone past the half-century mark in their life's journey, they will recall that Power Girl was the Earth-2 Supergirl analogue, back when there was an Earth-2.

Then in the mid-80s, DC Comics decided to "simplify" something that many of their fans didn't find all that complicated. (Yes, there were some contradictions that could've been cleared up by Fiat, but that's another issue.) When the "Crisis" ended, many characters that existed on both worlds were combined into one, some disappeared completely, and in cases such as the Flash, the Golden Age and Silver Age heroes co-existed.

The problem is that the Earth-2 Superman went away but Power Girl remained. There were attempts to give her new backstories until one would stick. I remember from back then when Arion, king of Atlantis. This book addresses that and other theories. It then dismisses them as delusions of the Psycho Pirate. I don't know if that part happened back then.

As a graphic novel goes, it got off to a choppy start and then got a bit smoother. Afterward, I checked, and that was because the last 12 chapters of the book were taken from a single series, when the opening chapters came from a few different sources.

Power Girl takes on the Ultra Humanite who wants her for her body. Literally. He wants to put his brain in her indestructible body. It doesn't go so well, but he'll make a return appearance, as will some of his allies. Also in the background is Dr. Sivanna from Captain Marvel (Shazam!) stories. He's not an active menace to Power Girl but makes his presence known.

The surprise character (for me) is the new Terra. Not to be confused with the Teen Titans traitor Terra, this teen is actually from deep underground but also earth-moving powers. The two team up well.

I enjoyed this, for the most part. The explanation about the hole in her uniform was a little silly. And there were plenty of references to staring at her boobs, which is to be expected.

My Hero Academia Volumes 32-35

My Hero Academia Volumes 32-35, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2021-2022)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Apparently, I haven't listed a review of one of these manga books since last November. I've been requesting them whenever they become available at the library. These are the past four books. There is one more listed online, but it isn't available at any library at the moment.

We're getting new adult heroes as the continuation of the All-For-One story line continues, along with the development of Shiguraki, and the big reveal over who Dabi really is. There is less about the students, but they do get bck into the action.

The time jump has Deku out of school on his own. It gets dark as he pushes himself farther and farther, and the heroes let him. Eventually, his former classmates are able to bring him home before he falls too far. He costume is fuzzy and raggedy, and it isn't so obvious that he's a hero.

The world isn't happy with heroes, especially with all the villains on the loose. (The prisons have been emptied.) And my heroes are just quitting. And then we learn that there was a traitor in the midst at the Academia, and the writers even pointed out just where they planted the seeds and nearly did the reveal sooner.

One book brings in another new American hero into Japan so we see more of what is happening around the world.

If anything bothers me here, it seems like the end of the series is coming with the conclusion of these story lines, even though this is the story of how Deku became the world's greatest hero, according to the intro of every issue. He hasn't even graduated high school yet.

Next issue isn't available at the library, but as soon as it is, I'll have it on hold.

My Hero Academia Volumes 15 Through 21

My Hero Academia Volumes 15 Through 21 , by Kōhei Horikoshi (2017-2019)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

The Yakuza line plays out (and some of the visuals get very complicated to look at) and Eri is saved, and her power saves Deku.

After this, it's time for the school festival which is a chance for the non-hero courses to be recognized. Class 1-A decides to put on a dance for the students, allowing Jiro to shine. Bakugo is a mad drummer. (He's a mad everything, I guess.)

This also introduces the Gentle Criminal arc, which is thankfully brief. He just wasn't that good a villain on TV and his sidekick was annoying. I thought she was a child at first, but she's just a very short woman.

Next Endeavor steps up as the Number One hero, and he needs to show the world who he is. He immediately gets his chance facing a more evolved Nomu. It's a long fight that he finally wins, with a little assist from Hawks (who is hiding things). Finally, it's back to training for Class 1-A and 1-B. Shinso shows up to train with them and he has Eraser's scarf on him. By the end of book 21, there have been two of the five matches before the classes.

Side Note: I borrowed the first volume of SMASH!, to see what that was about. It's like daily strips (4-panel vertical) that satirize or parody the main story line. I didn't make it through the first half of the book. Maybe it's the cartoony 3-head artwork, maybe it's the level of the humor, I don't know. I tried. Couldn't do it.

My Hero Academia Volumes 8 Through 14

My Hero Academia Volumes 8 Through 14, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2016-2018)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Now that I've discovered the app Libby where I can not only download digital copies from two different library systems, but I can zoom in on the panels so I can see some of the fine print, I've been going through these books at a faster clip. No more waiting for books to be available and shipped to my branch!

Volume 8 starts with the end of the practical exams, with most of the students in Class 1-A and 1-B passing. It was shorter than the anime, where more time was devoted to each of the teachers and the students that they faced off against. (Similarly, the anime showed more of Tsuyu's internship than we saw in the comic.)

After that, they were off to summer camp with those who failed stuck taking extra classes. The League of Villains finds them and attacks. Bakugo gets kidnapped despite the best efforts of the others. A few students are hospitalized by the attack, and Class 1-A is split about going to save Bakugo. Iida goes along just to keep the others out of trouble.

There's a showdown with the League of Villains, more Nomu and then the battle between All-Might and One-For-All, who accumulates quirks and is mentoring Tomura Shigaraki to be his successor. Basically, they both lose as All-Might is victorious at the cost of the remaining embers of "One For All".

The students escape without injury and Aizawa threatens to expel the entire class (except the previously injured or captured), but instead the students are moved into dorms on campus and go for their provisional license exams. All of Class 1-A makes the cutoff for the round 2 rescue operation, and most of them get their hero licenses. The rest have to train extra for the next few months.

This leads into their Work-Study assignments, which normally first-years don't have, and we get to meet the Big Three at UA, except it isn't actually clear why 2 of them are in the Big Three except that they wanted three people. Mirio Togata (Lemillion) is the only one who matters. We find out that he was being groomed as a possible successor to All Might (although he doesn't know this). He has a phasing quirk that lets him move through objects but also makes his clothes fall off and he will slip through the floor. His quirk isn't powerful, but his skill makes him exceptional.

Lemillion does work study for Sir Nighteye who was a former partner with All Might. Togata sets up the introduction so that Deku can get an interview for a work study assignment. Sir is not impressed and though All Might chose poorly. I'd forgotten from the anime about Sir's other full time sidekick. Her name is Bubble Girl and her costume is a bit revealing. Sir is a bit on the humorless side but enjoys humor and wants to see others smile. Within the first page of meeting Bubble Girl, he has her in a tickle machine. This is not something that could happen outside of manga. And now that I've read the manga, I've discovered that there a contest to draw a new character, and Bubble Girl was the winner. It's not surprising that the revealing outfit was a fan creation. Moving on ...

Currently, there appear to be 32 volumes (according to Wikipedia) of the main title published. I don't know how many are available at either of the two libraries I use.

My Monster Secret, Vol. 2 (Eiji Masuda)

My Monster Secret, by Eiji Masuda (2013)

I read the English version, naturally, 2016

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

I wasn't going to list every manga book separately, but I don't think I'll be reading more in this series for the times being. The second book introduced a bigger cast of "monsters" as has gotten a little more silly, which is fine, actually. But it's just a bunch of disjointed stories, starting with one where Shiragami discovers sunscreen which allows her to walk around during daylight without getting a bad sunburn. (The sun doesn't kill her.)

The book introduces Shiho Shirou, who is a wolfman tasked with bringing Youko Shiragami back to her father. He is a childhood friend, who transforms when he sees even a picture of the Moon. Excpet that his non-wolf form is also a non-man, aka, Shiho Shishido, a female childhood friend. Who is also a self-described nympho. She has designs on Asahi Kuromine, and Shiragmi seems to be a little jealous even though she doesn't state it (because Asahi is just a friend, after all).

And then there's a devil child with horns, which at first seem to be an accessroy, but they are not, and she sometimes has a tail. She looks too young to be in high school. This would be interesting enough, along with the fact that her name is Akane Koumoto, and Koumoto Sensei is Asahi's homeroom teacher. They assume that they're sisters, but it fact, the child, the devil, is the teacher's great-great-grandmother. The teacher is human, not a devil, being that she's at least five generations removed. Again, this would be fine, but then it's made known that the devil is actually the principal, who hasn't appeared before, and no one has noticed that a child is the principal. Granted, she does have illusion powers, but this is a little silly.

Nothing objectionable, but nothing compelling me to read more. Maybe after some other things, I'll get back to it. I don't know.

My Hero Academia Volumes 4 through 7

My Hero Academia Volumes 4, 5, 6 & 7, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2015-2017)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Thanks to the library app, Libby, which my sister-in-law just loves and uses exclusively, there are more volumes available electronically, and libby lets me zoom in a little on the tiny print between the larger word balloons. This is a game changer. Seriously.

These books are about an hour each to read. However, I need to finish the other book I'm reading so I can get to my book club book already.

As for these four volumes, the students have completed the Sports Festival competition, encountered the League of Villains, picked their hero names, had their first interships, and are getting ready for summer vacation camping in the woods.

It's all going according to the anime series, which was announced at the end of the sixth volume, with details to follow. You can see how some things were still not fully defined up to that point which were more solid earlier in the anime.

I don't know when it will diverge, and I don't know when any of the spinoff books take place. I'll read more of these, but I do have other stuff to get to.

The books were published in 2015-2016, but the English translations were about a year later.

My Hero Academia Volumes 1, 2 & 3

My Hero Academia Volumes 1, 2 & 3, by Kōhei Horikoshi (2014)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

Set in a world where most people have "Quirks" or superpowers to a greater or lesser degree, the series focuses on the quirkless Izuku Midoriya, and his desire to be the greatest hero in the world, like the Number One Hero (they're ranked) All-Might.

The first three volumes follow the series closely -- although obviously the books came first. I've seen four seasons of the show, so I'm hoping that it will flesh out more of the characters within these pages. That's not likely to happen for a while though.

So far, Midoriya has shown his value and trained to be a successor to All Might, who passed his power onto the boy just in time for him to take the entrance exam at UA High School, the elite school for training the next generation of heroes. Between Class 1A and 1B, there are some 40 heroes to be introduced, along with some from the General Studies track. There isn't much need to make notes as there are a lot of pages out there catalouging all this.

I'll keep up with this one for a while, and probably go farther with this title than I did with One Piece, which I don't even remember where I left off. (I read a few more books after my last entry.) Also of note, I watched one episode of the One Piece show and it wasn't following the comic at all. Maybe they would've synced up at some point. I don't know. So many things I want to watch, and that isn't on the radar right now.

Ultraman Volumes 3 & 4

Ultraman Vol 3 & 4, by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguch (2016)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This is likely the end of my Ultraman readings. Not that I didn't enjoy it. It's very quick reading as it relies mostly on action. However, neither the Brooklyn nor the New York Public Library have volume five on their shelves, nor do they have it as an ebook. So unless I can find a copy -- and, no, I'm not likely to pay full price plus shipping -- here is where I put a pin in it.

The story continues with Shinjiro deciding if he will be Ultraman (get on with it already) and Moroboshi not really caring. Moreover, Moroboshi is ready to become Ultraman himself. The Science agency has developed its own Ultraman armor so he can be an Ultraman wannabe who doesn't have a problem with killing aliens. On the other hand, Shinjiro is provoked enough that he suddenly starts to fly with powers that he inherited.

Shadow of the Batgirl

Shadow of the Batgirl, by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux (2012/2015)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

The cover art told me that this would be a Young Adult take on the character, and probably similar to the Supergirl comic I just read. It also told me that Batgirl wasn't going to be a redhead. This would be someone new. The comic reads like a book, which is great, because I'm tired of random and incomplete collections of stories reprinted from comics.

It opens with Cassandra Cain (note that it wasn't "Kane") who is a teenaged assassin, trained by her father to kill but not to speak. When she here's one of victims use the word "daughter" in a way unlike how she's always heard the word, something changes within her. She runs away. She ends up in a library when she comes across a wheelchair-bound Barbara Gordon and hears stories about Batgirl. Cassandra becomes friends with Barbara but doesn't want any questions asked.

Cassandra learns what it means to be a hero and wants to seek revenge against her father. This, of course, points the way that she is going to become the new Batgirl.

Side note: While Commissioner Gordon does get a mention, neither Batman nor the Joker do. There is nothing to suggest why Barbara chose a Batgirl to be when she decided to be something. The quick montage of Batgirl in action is drawn to suggest she was a teenager before her accident put her in a wheelchair. Barbara is more interested in computer projects including an app she calls "Oracle", which in the "mainstream" universe was her alter ego after the crippling injuries from the Joker.

However, leaving these things out for the sake of a complete comic is completely understandable. Less understandable was the preview for an Oracle comic in the final pages which had a much darker tone. Also, they contradicted this comic a little in when she started hacking. She was definitely young when she ended up in a wheelchair.

This will probably be it for graphic novels for a while, other than a few more manga I have on reserve. I'll save the DC and Marvel for next summer, most likely, unless something different catches my eye.

Ultraman Volume 2

Ultraman Vol 2, by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguch (2012/2015)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

I found the second volume. A very quick read. A lot of great artwork. The younger hero is accepting the job as Ultraman and making appearances "saving the day". He fights one new alien who eats people because he finds them delicious. This battle covers the latter half of the book. The alien analyses the new hero a bit. But then gets beat.

Yeah, I'll look for more of these. And if I get a few at a time, I'll make a single entry for them.

My Monster Secret, Vol. 1 (Eiji Masuda)

My Monster Secret, by Eiji Masuda (2013)

I read the English version, naturally

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

When I dropped off the Supergirl comic, I found the next Ultraman and a couple other things. One of them was "My Monster Secret" which had a girl with bat wings hushing someone on the cover. It was voulme 1, so I gave it a shot.

Basically, it's a high school story with a boy who can't keep a secret, mostly because his face gives everything away. He's known as the "Holey Sieve" (even though sieves are supposed to have holes?). He likes this one girl but is afraid to approach her. He was shot down by another girl before he even had a chance to tell her how he felt. His friends convince him to talk to this girl, who always arrives early and stays late. He finds her in a classroom and she has bat wings. The girl is a vampire.

The boy, Asahi Kuromine, finds this kind of cool. The girl, Youko Shiragami, is glad he isn't freaked out but tells him that she'll have to leave school now because her parents told her that if anyone learned her secret, she couldn't go to a human school any more. Asahi promises to keep her secret harder than any other secret he ever tried to keep. He also asks her to be his friend -- he can't get himself to ask her to be his girlfriend, and even reasons that asking her now would be akin to blackmail. So he's in the friend zone.

The pair are pursued by Mikan Akemi, the editor of the school paper, who only cares about gossip jounalism, ambushing people for stories, disovering secrets, and humiliating people to make herself feel better. The character is supposed to be annoying but is too annoying.

The last character of any importance is the class rep, Nagisa Aizawa, who has her own secret. She's an alien. In fact, she's a tiny alien inside a human looking body. There was a bit early in the comic where this was sort of revealed, but I dismissed it as some sort of manga artistic license thing and didn't take it literally. It wasn't until she was plugging herself in to recharge later that I realized. She turned down Asahi because she has a mission and she can't be distracted. She told him to find another goal. Now that he has, she's a little jealous. Asahi learns her secret, so she wants to use a memroy-erasing hammer to remove the memory of her secret plus that of Shiragami. Shiragami prevents this and causes Aizawa to reconsider.

Interesting story as Asahi now has three secrets: the two about the girls and the one about his feelings (although others see this one as obvious). Reading is a little difficult as there is a lot of fine print when they're talking under their breath, which they do a lot, or when they get excited and talk in a thick outline bubble font where the letters run together. However, people in the demographic this comic is made for probably don't experience these problems.

Maybe I'll read more. On the one hand, it shouldn't be a lot of prolonged battle scenes. On the other, it's a teen romance with a guy in the friend zone and a bunch of secrets. It'll probably get weirder as more quirky characters show up, not that there's anything wrong with that.