The Luv Luv line of explicit manga for women continues, and the quality is still disappointing. Like the other books, this one contains a set of short stories by the same author. You can see the pasted-together nature of the stories — pick a quirk, bolt it onto a character, shove in requisite sex scene whether it fits or not — from the cover, where the tongue and the spoon seem like afterthoughts, edited into a generic image, and the perspective’s all wrong.

Love for Dessert
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The main character of the lead story is a girl who loves sugar so much her lunch consists of homemade whipped cream and nothing else, a repulsive trait. She giggles and asks stupid questions at work, and then wonders why they won’t give her more to do. The setup and characters have good bones; something worthwhile could have been built on the structure, but instead, there’s too much attention paid to the decorative touches (the sweets) and not enough to the basics. Storytelling, motivation, development are all ignored.

Abrupt changes happen because it’s time for the story to move along, not out of any integral story logic or character need. And stupid things are forced in, like the girl running away from the wrong guy back to the office to collect herself, but stopping off along the way to buy sweet makings. (If she’s got that much self-possession, she should just go home. If she’s truly upset, she shouldn’t stop to shop.) The art’s spotty, relying on text to explain what’s going on.

The sex scene opens with the girl thinking, “How did this happen?” I totally share that feeling, sweetie. The setup makes no sense, and since it’s four pages from the end, the predominant feeling is the artist thinking, “ooops, better shove it in now, I’m almost out of space!”

The next story, “Icing on the Cake”, is the best in the book. It’s about a woman dating a younger man who’s getting bored with the relationship. When he starts his first real job and begins wearing suits, she suddenly finds herself fascinated by him all over again. It raises questions of financial power and gender that provide some depth to the romance and sex, making it more than just sugared air. The characters communicate and grow as well as get naked with each other.

The others don’t live up to that achievement. In one, childhood friends meet again only to discover that one’s matured faster than the other. The fantasy of being made love to by a hairdresser after a cut is a turn-on many readers will share, but the disjointed execution doesn’t fulfill the promise of the great premise and setting. The plotline about the girl’s wardrobe being controlled by her mother is one idea too many for the short story length.

In another story, a girl works as a hostess to earn money for designer goods. Her schoolmate doesn’t like her being with so many men, and the two have to work through their misconceptions to find love. Without the sex, this one would have fit in any shojo, and the superficial ideas might match better there.

I wish more publishers were doing love comics for women — I suspect these books are getting attention just because they’re some of the few choices on the market. There are preview pages at the publisher’s website. I have previously reviewed the Luv Luv books Real Love and Voices of Love. (A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

I didn’t mention one of the coolest things I got at Heroes Con this year in my con report because I was waiting for pictures to be available.

Donna Nolen-Weathington makes jewelry out of images and sells it under the name Orbitals Jewelry. She explained the reproduction process to me, but the key thing to note is that the result is lovely, lightweight pendants and earrings that have the touchable smoothness of river rocks. I got the “Expletive Earrings” shown here, which made me giggle — they look like some kind of elegant Japanese design, until someone gets up close and sees that they’re cartoon swears!

She’s also done some beautiful work with foreign stamps; I was especially impressed with her selection of the perfect-colored beads to coordinate. Her work is recommended, especially for unique gifts.

I love the work of Paul Sizer, the man behind Moped Army and Little White Mouse (which is also available online). His next book is BPM, a 96-page color graphic novel about the world of urban DJs.

I was lucky enough to be a beta reader, and I really enjoyed the story. I learned a lot about music and what it takes to spin. Plus, anyone can relate to the story of someone making sacrifices while struggling to make their mark in a creative field. The neon colors are particularly striking and well-suited to the late-night atmosphere.

BPM will debut in print at SPX in October. In the meantime, the first 50 pages are being put online for sampling (along with some nifty extras in keeping with the music industry setting — love the Wedding DJ Bingo Cards!). Three pages go up each week; the first 15 are now available. Check it out!

Archie’s digest-format collections, with mostly reprint content, have been doing some creative new cover features to draw attention. Here’s four recent examples.

Betty & Veronica Digest #185

Last year, the first Archie issue was reprinted in Archie Digest. (They’ve also done a Jughead reprint in Jughead’s Double Digest #138.) This year, it’s Betty & Veronica #1 from 1950.

This issue opens with a three-page historical article about Archie in the 50s, setting the context for the reprint that follows. With 32 pages out of 96 total, this is a treat, seeing how the girls were treated in a different era. And times definitely were different … Betty thinks nothing of driving a trick car without a license or toting a shotgun into the library. Veronica’s a showoff and Betty’s a bit of a pushover.

I complain sometimes about the girls being too much alike these days, but the modern versions are a darn sight more interesting than these two-dimensional fashion plates. These versions are sexy, though, with their wasp waists and a barely-there negligee for Veronica that shows you exactly what Archie sees in her. And it’s a pleasure to be able to read the reprint so easily and cheaply.

The last story has the current versions stepping back in time and meeting the early versions, who rightfully laugh at modern clothing styles. (No one seems to wonder how a 17-year-old can have a decades-older version of herself.) The story is unfortunately too short to take full advantage of the premise, but I loved the reason they decided to come back home: they learned proper old-fashioned girls had to wait for the boys to ask them out instead of doing their own asking. Artists Jeff Shultz and Rich Koslowski do an excellent job capturing both the current and early looks of the characters.

Betty & Veronica Double Digest #161

Speaking of modern girls, this issue kicks off a five-part story in which readers get to pick a new boyfriend for Cheryl. She’d been going out with Reggie (a relationship I’m sad to see go, since it’s a perfect match), but when a dating TV show offers an opportunity, she jumps at the chance.

The next three issues will feature one date each. Readers will be able to vote on who’s best for her among a jock, a geek, and a chef. The final chapter will reveal the winner (if you consider dating Cheryl winning). In today’s world, audience participation stories are well-chosen and a good way to keep readers involved in what is otherwise slight material.

Jughead and Friends Digest #28

It’s a timely tie-in (or rip-off, depending on how charitable you feel — I like Juggie’s adventures, so I think it’s a hoot) in which Jughead tells how his great-uncle “Riverdale Jones” went globe-trotting in search of exotic food. Jughead and Archie find one of his old maps and go off to find the “Chilly Grail”, an ancient milkshake cooler.

In Farlandia (great name for the place that always serves this function in film) they search for the Temple of Food (direct and to the point). It’s goofy, but the light-hearted fun somehow adds an ingredient that the real Indiana Jones movie (which was enjoyable but took itself too seriously) was lacking.

In other stories, Jughead goes monster-hunting in Toronto, and That Wilkin Boy has an amazing charade-playing dog. I like the Wilkin stories because while the situations are just as classic as in the Archie gang stories, the cast isn’t seen as often, keeping the characters fresh.

Jughead’s Double Digest #141

The “New Look” Jughead story continues with part three of four. “New Look” here means no borders on the pages (full-bleed art) and giving everyone, boys and girls, the same face (except for Juggie’s nose and Archie’s freckles). I’m not a fan. No one is recognizable, and everyone’s generic.

Even less do I like the story. The gang ham-handedly sets Jughead up on a date with a new girl, Sandy Sanchez, and then when the two start dating, they don’t like the way they’re changing. Jughead gives up his hat, and Sandy calls him “Forsythe”, his given name. Everyone’s caught up in winning a picnic “couples’ competition” the school is sponsoring.

The story seems to have nothing to do with the characters. Why would Betty and Veronica, after knowing Jughead and his disinterest for years, be so insistent that he start dating someone? Why would Jughead suddenly become a jock? In order to make it work, everyone has to act like idiots, controlled by the writer in contrast with their established personalities. Convenient accidents get some characters out of the way when their presence would affect the story. Worst of all, Jughead’s no longer interested in food!

I’ll be happy to see the story end, just because I’m curious to see how quickly they put everything back to normal without learning the key lesson: it’s okay for some people to not be interested in the opposite sex. Or dating at all, for that matter.

Review by Ed Sizemore

Kokuyo and Harika are the only two students at the Sekiei Magic Cram School. They have one disadvantage from other magical apprentices; in order for them to manipulate magical energy, they have to use an obsidian stone. Traditionally, those who rely on such stones have never become very powerful, but each intends to become the greatest sorcerer in the world. The owner, principal, and only teacher of the school, Sekiei, believes in the potential of his two students and encourages their ambition. Rounding out the central cast is Nekome, a boy from the Torame Magic Cram School, who at first makes fun of Kokuyo and Harika until he gets a glimpse of their potential. Now, he is interested in learning more about the duo.

Haridama: Magic Cram School
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Haridama is a fun, light fantasy series. The appeal here is watching two underdogs beat the odds together in order to fulfill their dream. Suzumi has assembled a wonderful cast of characters. Kokuyo is the typical manga schoolboy with more enthusiasm than discipline. He likes to skip class, and the academic side of magic literally puts him to sleep. He wants to be out honing his practical skills. However, he isn’t your happy-go-lucky type, and he has a hard time shaking off the stigma of being an obsidian user. His bravado and scholastic laziness are facades used to cover up his self-doubt and fear of failure. You actually get to see him maturing by the end of this volume.

Harika, Kokuyo’s childhood friend, is the typical school girl antithesis. She’s self-disciplined, excels in all areas of study, and more calm and self-assured than Kokuyo. Often, she’s the one who has to drag him back into the classroom or forces him to hit the books. Her demeanor unknowingly exposes Kokuyo’s insecurities, which makes the interaction between the two quite lively. In the end, they both care for each other, and Suzumi makes sure that concern always comes through when they’re together.

The book flows well with a nice blend of action and character development. The setup allows Suzumi to give the reader a wealth of information about how magic works in the guise of school lessons, but the explanations are kept brief so you never feel overloaded. Most of the manga is actually Kokuyo and Harika engaged in some adventure. The fight scenes provide a chance for further revelations about the characters and their abilities. Suzumi knows how to keep the reader engaged, so you’ll find youself suddenly at the end of the book and wanting more. (Unfortunately, this appears to be only a single volume, not a series.)

I have to confess I’m a fantasy wonk. One of the things I love about fantasy books is learning how the magical system works in a given series. Suzumi has created a system that really sparks my imagination; it’s unlike any other magical world I’ve encountered. I’ll spare you the technical details, but sorcerers have some fascinating limits to what magic can be used for. This system has a lot of potential to give a new twist on the standard fantasy genre.

Suzumi’s artwork for this book is wonderful. It’s a shonen book with shojo-influenced art. This is most prevalent in the character designs and costumes. The linework is delicate, which allows for lots of details in the character faces, hair, and clothes. Suzumi does a great job showing a wide range of emotions. The art for the fight scenes is dynamic and clean. It’s easy to follow the flow of action, and you know exactly who is doing what. The few splash pages in this book are magnificent. My favorite piece is a two-page spread that really highlights the shojo influences.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this book tremendously, and I wish there was a next volume. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good, light fantasy series with solid characters and a provocative setting. It’s also a good book for people who want to sample the fantasy genre because Suzumi has created a very accessible fantasy realm. Heck, it’s a good book for anyone looking for well-written escapist fiction.

(The publisher provided a complimentary copy for this review.)

The Manga Cookbook
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A wonderful site about making bento lunches called “Lunch in a Box” has just reviewed the Manga Cookbook. It’s aimed at kids, with 27 bento recipes. The reviewer finds some omissions in the recipes, but then, she’s an expert. It sounds like a neat book to check out.

It’s also available in a set with a bento box for $10 more.

KC’s latest column at Westfield Comics attempts to answer the question “what does an editor do?” He also pays honor to some of the greatest comic book editors and contrasts them with those who engage in “stupid editor tricks”.

Currently, Del Rey Manga is mostly titles licensed from Japanese manga publisher Kodansha. Now, as Brigid reports, Kodansha plans to open their own American office.

Many questions result. Del Rey isn’t concerned — their licenses are proceeding as planned. Chris Butcher reports that Tokyopop cancelled Beck, a Kodansha title, but that might also be due to lower sales or Tokyopop’s own problems.

The most interesting aspect of this for me so far is the speculation on what this might mean for manga pricing. Comments at Brigid’s site bring up the question, and it’s something I’ve been wondering about as well. While re-reading manga reference books this past weekend, I noticed that many of them brought up the fact that manga might sell so well in Japan because it’s so cheap. In the U.S., digests are $8-11, but in Japan, the collections are one-third or one-half that price.

When Del Rey entered the market, they established a standard price for their books of $10.95 when others were $9.95. DMP prices at $12.95 for a larger-sized book with slipcover. New publisher Aurora copied Del Rey’s price of $10.95. Viz was the only major publisher to go the other direction, with titles at $7.99 (for boys) or $8.99 (for girls).

Now, a Japanese publisher is coming over here. Is it possible that prices will decrease? I’d welcome it, but most customers who buy multiple titles are cheap that way. (They want more books without spending more.) Others have speculated that IF they decrease prices, they’ll have to give up paper or book quality.

I guess the question is whether manga buyers really want high-quality presentation (yes, if they read and reread their volumes) or cheaper prices (yes, if they want to keep up with lots of series). Or maybe, through economies of scale, Kodansha could provide both. Or maybe neither, if they have a different strategy or just want to cut out some of the middlemen. For now, it’s wait and see.