Incidentally: In Germany it was the other way around, 10 years ago: Japan was the new France. We went from 75+% French imports to 75+% Japanese imports. Now, it’s slowly swinging back a bit ;)

It’s also interesting to see that TP are apparently planning 3 volumes, since the 6th original volume is the first of a second cycle and it’s not quite clear ATM when the creators will even start working on it… ^^;

Edit: And there’s the answer. TP vol.3 will be fleshed out with material from an artbook, not with volume 6. http://nicokeramidas.blogspot.com/2009/02/luuna-aux-usa.html

“Luuna is IMHO a fairly typical example for a modern fantasy Bande Dessinée of the Soleil variety (I call it that since especially publisher Soleil has made that genre popular in the past decade)”

That reminds me of http://www.mangablog.net/?p=1481

Brigid Says:

“…With Fanfare, Tokyopop, and First Second all publishing French graphic novels, it’s as if France is the new Japan…”

someone at Tokyopop Says:

“…LUUNA (March 2009)

“By: Didier Crisse, Nicolas Keramidas

“Licensed from Soleil (France).

“$12.99; 3 volumes, 112 pp; 7.228″ x 10…”

A hightened ability to defend herself is no bad thing, of course, but she wouldn’t have given in to her thirst for revenge so readily and so completely if she hadn’t been cursed. The curse is enhancing her own “dark side”, fueling and feeding on negative emotions, eroding her sense of what is an appropriate response and when to stop. She understands that she is (so far) unable to control herself once the curse activates and she doesn’t want that to happen again, especially not around people she cares about.

And yeah, there are plenty of other comics where Luuna’s look would fit in… but I don’t read those either. :)

I did like that Tokyopop provided the two volumes’ worth at this size.

To play devil’s advocate: That’s because she makes the conscious decision to stay away from her people after having savagely killed two of her enemies against her will and nature while under the influence of her bad totem. She fears she’s liable to hurt her people as well once her dark side takes over. And where you call the symbolism “unsubtle” and “heavy-handed” it could also be called consistent and straight-forward.

I guess I can see where you are coming from with the negative points you mention. I just don’t perceive them as strongly. What you call “sex-pot” and “adult” and Ed calls a “porn version of Pocahontas” actually seems quite tame to me, not only compared to other european comics, but to other american comics as well.

Luuna is IMHO a fairly typical example for a modern fantasy Bande Dessinée of the Soleil variety (I call it that since especially publisher Soleil has made that genre popular in the past decade), and it is exactly what it wants to be: a fairly straight-forward quest-story with pretty art. Nothing deep, but entertaining and good to read. It has enjoyed quite some success in several european markets.

As to format: the series was originally published in the typical French 48-page 12.6 x 9.5 hardcover format. It was shrunk down a little and the first two original volumes were combined for the first TP volume.