Summer Nights at Otaku no Culture; A Best of and Going on Vacation This Week

Who’s ready for Summer? There’s plenty of past entertainment to enjoy as we take a break to recharge.

One Piece Summer VacationWith July now here, even we need to relax in preperation in what we expect to be a busy month! Fantasia Film Festival is coming up and we plan on covering it. We’re awaiting a response to our application and until then, we are still working on a list of top picks on what to see. Until then, we will be out enjoying the sun and try not to get a sunburn. Nobody wants that. We will resume posts next week. In the meantime, please enjoy this selection of best of past summer themed articles.

And we even have a Summertime Mixtape on YouTube too!

My Summer With Gatchaman and Space Ghost, Two Comics Worth Reading Anywhere! (Part One)

Fans of the classic or even new material set in the Gatchaman universe will enjoy this continuation!

Gatchaman #1 Comic Book CoverThis Summer, two cartoons from the 60s and 70s are getting a huge reboot in the comic book front. Not only is there Gatchaman from Mad Cave Studios but also Space Ghost from Dynamite Comics! The latter is now out, and I’m anxiously waiting for the release of the second issue to read before going further–that will be a separate article.

In America, the former is better known as Battle of the Planets. Although this series wasn’t the same as the Japanese broadcast because of editing out problematic elements for Western audiences, as a kid, I wasn’t aware and still enjoyed it! Even though some aspects don’t stand the test of time (namely the inclusion of the robot narrator), I fondly think back to this series because G-Force’s plane could transform into a bird of fire; I even made a LEGO model that’s loosely based on that design! (but I won’t dare set it on fire)

I can’t wait to see what this East Coast publisher is preparing. To whet fans’ appetites, the publication offered during Free Comic Book Day shows readers what to expect. There’s three stories in all, and none of these prologues are vital to know what’s coming.

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When an Endless Summer Sets a New Tone for the Cartoon World of Dungeons and Dragons

Hopefully, more stories are being planned to feature heroes from the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon. Endless Summer is teasing at a grander story arc!

Dungeons and Dragons Endless Summer Comic Book CoverAlthough Summer is over in the real world, IDW Publishing’s continuing the adventures of the six teenage heroes and a unicorn with another Saturday Morning Cartoons comic in a one shot titled, “Endless Summer.” It shows the team finally taking R&R from all the questing they’ve done since arriving in this world of Dungeons and Dragons–otherwise known as “The Realm.”

Back when this animation was being broadcast, the writers rarely gave viewers a sense of how long they’ve been here. In two episodes, a week has passed on Earth whereas in the fantasy realm, more time has elapsed. Fans know this because of the episode, “City at the Edge of Midnight,” and when they come home is foretold in “The Girl of Dreamed of Tomorrow.”

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Diving Into Why Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken will be a Fantastic Summer Hit

The details and trailer is now here for DreamWorks Animation’s latest and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken looks good!

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Movie PosterStories about coming out of one’s comfort zone is often a winning scenario in storytelling. In Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken what’s presented looks like more than girl coming out of her shell. She will have huge challenges to face and one of them includes dealing with an eternal war between her species and an other.

As the title and trailer suggests, this young woman will have to not only deal with high school problems but also experience her Sweet 16 in a way that could potentially the attention of the world.

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Five Top and Hot End of Summer and Reads By A Dark Horse

Summertime often means reading a good book at the beach, be it a graphic novel or otherwise. I have my Dark Horse to keep me cool in the shade.

Dark Horse Logo

The Summer isn’t truly over yet, and while I’ve been kept busy in other fronts, I’ll still stick to Dark Horse Comics to get my graphic novel fix. Technically, the changing of the seasons will not take place till Sept 22, so I knew I still had time.

In what I’ve found (and let pile up) are paperback collections of those titles I didn’t want to pick up on a monthly basis, and graphic novels which are truly fantastic. Some of which I’ve finished reading, am rereading–and others I’ll be spending my Labour Day weekend to catch up on!

Adventure is in the air when I want to dodge that heat. All these titles I recommend are available to purchase at your local comic book store or online (any sales made through the links I’ve provided help supports this site). I recommend the following:

Stranger Things Summer Special

This story considers the experiences that officer Powell and Callahan still have to face since appearing in season three. As they deal with the various threats in Hawkins, Indiana, what I find is they are in over their heads….

And there’s also good news. For readers who missed the past seasonal special releases, a Holiday Specials trade paperback can be pre-ordered on Amazon USA. And for everyone who has missed out on what other side-stories exist, I highly recommend catching up with Stranger Things Omnibus Vol 1.

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Summer Vacation Isn’t Over Yet with LEGO Star Wars’ Latest

If there’s more LEGO Star Wars specials to come, I’m all for it.

LEGO Star Wars Summer VacationAvailable to view on Disney Plus

There are times where the LEGO Star Wars story offers more of a continuation of the new trilogy story than simply be a comical side story adventure. The Holiday Special and Summer Vacation “one-off’s” are a non-canonical look at Ray, Finn and Poe’s life after Rise of Skywalker. They look at how Finn is furthering his Jedi training. While the former deals with him actually honing his skills, the latter sees them taking a break–and affirming that he will one day be a fully pledged warrior of the resistance!

The latest released early this month, and honestly, even though Sept is near, we have about three weeks of this season left!

In the first in the series, Ray was having difficulty in mentoring the former stormtrooper and in the latter, Finn is struggling with understanding what togetherness means. He’s arranged a vacation for the gang–complete with itinerary–to enjoy on the cruise liner, the Halcyon. However, once on board, they split up to find activities to personally enjoy.

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