March 31, 2010 Johanna Books About Comics One comment

Two New Modern Masters: Mark Buckingham and Guy Davis

Out this month are two new volumes in the TwoMorrows Modern Masters interview/art book series, both by Eric Nolen-Weathington, the series editor. The first is dedicated to Mark Buckingham, whose credits include Death: The High Cost of Living, Fables, and Miracleman. Note that he did not, as I first thought, draw Ultimate Spider-Man. That’s a different Mark B., Bagley. Obviously, I need the education this volume provides. Neil Gaiman’s introduction starts things off with praise for Bucky’s skill and versatility. […]

March 31, 2010 Johanna Viz Manga Reviews One comment

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Volume 8

The much-anticipated (and much-feared, because no one wants it to be over) final volume in the deservedly much-praised series is here, and the presentation is excellent. This volume, with 10 chapters and 254 pages, is over-sized compared to the previous, and it opens with 10 glorious color pages. This book feels substantial and important, and so it is. This is the manga series that converts any comic reader to appreciating the format. It has an immediately intriguing high concept — […]

March 30, 2010 Johanna Warner Archive Leave a comment

Steel and the Warner Archive

The Warner Archive DVD-on-demand program has expanded its coverage. Now it’s not just old movies but includes fan favorites or early work by known stars from all decades. For example, I just received for review a kitschy favorite of mine, the 1997 Steel. You can buy Steel beginning April 6. Although the DVDs are made to order, based on this, they’re very professional in quality, with attractive cover art, a standard-looking informative back cover, and image on the disc itself. […]

March 28, 2010 Johanna Comic News 2 comments

Valentine

I’ve been remiss in not talking about Alex de Campi‘s Valentine comic before now. It’s a serialized graphic novel released on multiple platforms online that’s astounding in its scope. Written by de Campi, the art is by Christine Larsen. I just wish I liked the story better. It’s described as a fantasy thriller, two of my least favorite genres, involving two French cavalry officers during the War of 1812. I’m not sure the subject matters, though, since part of the […]

March 28, 2010 Johanna Movie Reviews 3 comments

Sherlock Holmes

I hadn’t seen this Victorian action movie in theaters, so I was glad to see the DVD come out only three months later. I knew there’d been lots of debate over whether this version was really Sherlock Holmes or not, and I wanted to see for myself. The movie doesn’t play much on what Holmes has come to mean as a brand, but since it’s billed as a “bold reimagining”, fair enough. The Sherlock Holmes film is faithful to the […]

March 27, 2010 Johanna Digital Manga Reviews Leave a comment

Ichigenme… The First Class Is Civil Law

This two-book series follows the same pattern as Fumi Yoshinaga’s The Moon and the Sandals. The first book sets up the situations and the cast, while the second one is mostly about watching them have sex. However, compared to that title, Ichigenme… The First Class Is Civil Law, is more advanced, both in explicitness and character development. (That structure, by the way, makes sense when you considered that the material here reprinted was originally serialized. At the beginning, more attention […]

March 26, 2010 Johanna Comic Book Films Leave a comment

Scott Pilgrim Movie Looks Amazing!

The movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, is due out on August 13. Based on this trailer, it looks fantastic. The special effects are great, capturing the brilliant blend of video game thinking into slacker lifestyle, and I’m particularly impressed by how faithful the characters look. Comics Alliance has a wonderful comparison post in which they show off the seven evil exes. I’m impressed at who they got to play […]

March 23, 2010 Johanna Comic News One comment

Archie Creates Alternate Universe Marriage Line

Archie Comics sent out a press release announcing that they would be creating two new titles in July: The Married Life: Archie Loves Betty and The Married Life: Archie Loves Veronica. So the imaginary Archie marriage storylines must have sold well! The titles are each described as “an entirely new ongoing series with endless possibilities in its creative evolution, both in terms of its visual aesthetics and its more literary approach to storytelling.” I’m not sure what Archie thinks makes […]

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