REVIEWS: Russell's Reviews Volume One # 7

[Tom Russell]

Appearing this and every Saturday, it's   
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/       \      /___  |/ / /___  |/\/___/     NO. 7

58.5 # 24 [FEB 8, 2008], Martins

I don't have a whole lot to say

58.5 # 25 [FEB 10, 2008], Martins

and I'm saying it

SPORKMAN # 14 [FEB 11, 2008], Fishbone

here.

I DID READ THEM, REALLY I DID DEPARTMENT

I just don't have a whole lot to say about them. 
They're perfectly fine, serviceable reads, but there's
not really much I can latch onto by way of criticism.

Criticism is easy if a story meets one of the
following criterion:

1. If it's really, really good.  It's easy to gush
when something is truly gush-worthy.

2. If it's really, really bad.  Not that I try to
"rip" into people or their stories, but with a bad
story I can usually point out what makes it bad and
offer suggestions as to how to make it better.

I should note that I do this even when a story is
perfectly good but in someway, to my point of view,
slightly lacking.  If something was really, really
bad, don't worry-- I would tell you. :- )

3. If it's morally offensive.  Which, since Jesse
Willey hasn't been seen around these parts for about a
year, probably won't come up again anytime soon.

4. If there's something off-beat about it.  Something
personal, an interesting plotting choice or turn of
phrase, something stylistic that I can prattle on
about.  I like to be surprised.

5. If there's a genre trope or theme in evidence that
makes me go gaga.  As demonstrated by our rather
mammoth last edition.

Otherwise, there's not much I can say, and so, please,
take my relative silence as a sign that the work is
perfectly fine.  It's not bad, it's not great, but it
is good, decent, well-crafted prose.

LADY LAWFUL & DOCTOR DEVELOPER VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL
[FEB 14, 2008], Burton

   I do have a bit more to say about this one, though.
 Perhaps I should invite Andrew Burton to guest-write
an issue or two of KINKY ROMANCE, because he has both
those qualities in evidence here.
   It's a rather sexy little bondage story, and it
basically hits all the right notes.  There's just
enough danger, and queasiness on Doctor Developer's
part, that the twist ending, though a bit obvious,
isn't completely telegraphed.  And yet it doesn't go
too far in that direction, which would spoil enjoyment
of the story and make the ending creepy rather than
romantic.
   I mean, if you really think about it, "Dark Cupid"
is basically raping, or attempting to rape, our
"hero".  And that's certainly present-- the whole
against-his-will and tied-up thing is definitely there
and it's part of what's dipping his artichoke, if you
know what I mean-- but Burton doesn't delve into it to
such a degree that the story causes some form of
psychological damage to the reader.
   When I wrote JOLT CITY # 8, I was trying for just
that latter effect-- to take the trope of the sexy
supervillainess and examine its psychological
ramifications somewhat realistically.  It could not be
termed romantic or arousing in the least.
   What Andrew's doing here is quite the opposite, and
in some ways, more difficult.  There's a kind of
innocent sexiness present both in the story proper,
and in the highly-amusing PSA following-- a smiling,
sex-positive kinkiness that keeps things light and,
well, romantic.  It's not sleazy, but cute: more akin
to the film SECRETARY than pornography.
   All in all, it's a very sweet and interesting and
sexy little story, and it's highly recommended reading
for consenting adults.

DEPARTMENT OF PRECOGS

The first crossover event in the history of the
Eightfold Universe is coming soon to a newsgroup near
you!

It's an incredible story for the ages-- an epic for
our times-- a story that will shake the very
foundations of the Eightfold Universe!  Nothing will
ever, ever, ever be the same again!

Well... at least for two ordinary people...
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| | =========================================/  | |
| | |||   |||   ||  ||  |\      || ||| ||| |||| | |
| | | || || ||  | || |  | \     | |||  |   |    | |
| | |||  |   |  | || |  |__\    |  ||  |   |||  | |
| | | || || ||  | || |  |   \   |  ||  |   |    | |
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| |  \/      \/ || |   |||  |  ||  || |    //   | |
| |   \      /  || ||  ||| ||   |  || ||  //    | |
| |=============================================| |
| |CUT OUT MY HEART : A TWO-PART CROSSOVER EVENT| |
| |=============================================| |
| | |||   |||   ||  ||  |\      || ||| ||| |||| | |
| | | || || ||  | || |  | \     | |||  |   |    | |
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"Cut Out My Heart" starts in DOOMED ROMANCE # 4 and
the story concludes in KINKY ROMANCE # 3.  In order to
help you follow each and every tie-in issue of this
wildly-anticipated mega-event, we've provided a
complete and thorough checklist.

[ ] DOOMED ROMANCE # 4
[ ] KINKY ROMANCE  # 3

So, hold onto your hats, 8FOLDAHOLICS!  You don't want
to miss a single word of CUT OUT MY HEART: the
biggest, boldest, most important story in the entire
history of the Eightfold Universe!





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