by Ed Sizemore

Johanna and I made our annual daytrip to the Baltimore Comic-Con (BCC) this year. My focus was on getting at least one commissioned sketch of Astro Boy and Superman done. They are my two favorite heroes, and I wanted a couple pieces of art with them together.

I began Saturday walking around Artist Alley looking for someone I thought could draw both a good Astro Boy and a good Superman. It seemed Artist Alley was a bit smaller this year. I can think of at least three artists I bought comics from last year that I didn’t see this year. One positive aspect of this shrinkage was a noticeably smaller presence of zombie-themed works. The big negative was some of the diversity that independent artists bring was missing.

It appears that most of the zombie booths were replaced with people focused on fanart of superhero comics. There were some really good artists, who did professional-quality prints and posters of various members of the DC and Marvel universes. Unfortunately, there were also the artists doing nudes and near nudes of female superheroes. My impression was that Artist Alley was more about superheroes this year than original creations.

My first commission of the day was from Andy Runton, the creator of Owly. He was doing sketches of Owly as any person you wanted. I couldn’t resist getting a sketch of Owly as Superman.

I’m happy that BCC chose to put most of the kid-friendly artists in one place. They called it the Kids’ Comics Pavilion. BCC did this last year, too, and I’m hoping it’s a permanent feature of the convention. The pavilion included a little ‘diner’ area where kids could sit down and draw. It’s a great way to encourage a new generation of comic readers and creators.

The Kids’ Comics Pavilion is where I spent the rest of my money. Based on a recommendation from Rob at Panel Patter, I went over and checked out Mike Maihack’s booth. He’s the creator of a webcomic I love, Cleopatra in Space. That turned out to be bad for my wallet but good for my art collection. Once I saw his Princess Mononoke and Superman prints, I was hooked. I’m very happy he was willing to do an Astro Boy and Superman commission for me. I also picked up several of his prints. Maihack really needs to do an artbook of all his prints, because I don’t have the wall space for all of them.

To Maihack’s right was one of my favorite kid’s artists, Frank Cammuso. At his table was a very pleasant surprise, the newest Knights of the Lunch Table book, The Battling Bands. I wasn’t aware the new book was out, and I quickly snatched a copy. I couldn’t wait to get home, so I read it during one of my breaks from the convention room floor. I’ll have a review up shortly.

To Maihack’s left was Jason Horn, creator of the webcomic Ninjasaur. I liked the art and decided to pick up two of the comics, Ninjasaur versus Professor Deadbones and Ninjasaur: The Ghost in the Library. Both were quick and enjoyable reads. If you buy into the premise of a dinosaur who’s a ninja, then you’ll most likely enjoy the webcomic. I have to say this is the nicest paper I’ve ever seen a comic printed on.

Well, one hour into the show and my budget was gone. So I decided to tag along with my friend Ron (aka Twitterless Ron) as he bought comics.

The dealer’s section of BCC was crowded. I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how wide you make the aisles at a comic show, they will always be jam-packed. You have people with bulging backpacks hunched over long boxes, and usually another person with a backpack looking over his/her shoulder on both sides. So even if the aisles were thirty feet wide, you would get someone looking over the shoulder of someone looking over the shoulder of someone looking through a long box. Regardless of the starting width, in the end the actually amount of walkway will always be six inches.

I was surprised at the number of $5 trade paperback books for sale. I was even more shocked to see recent titles like Bakuman volume 6, One Piece volume 58, and B.P.R.D: King of Fear on the $5 table. It appears that Borders closing is good for discount comics and manga sellers. If you don’t need to read a comic the day it’s released, comic shows are the best way to buy your books at significant discount. My friend Ron has gone this route.

I attended one panel this year. It was an informal conversation between Jeff Smith and Stan Sakai. I have to confess I only know the two men by name. I’ve not read any Bone or Usagi Yojimbo. I will be rectifying that oversight. It was obvious they had known each other for several years. They shared some anecdotes from a tour they were a part of. After ten minutes, they opened it up to audience questions.

Two things stood out during the panel. First, they both are unusual among comic creators in that they write, pencil, ink, and letter their own comics. This one person appropriate to comic creation is very rare among established artists. They both continue to do their own lettering because they believe the lettering should match the artwork. I love hearing people talking about the craftsmenship of comics and being intentional about every aspect of comic creation.

Second, when asked what advice they had for comic artists, Sakai said to learn to draw from life and not comics. He said that a young artist should attend drawing classes and study anatomy. If you learn to draw from comics, then you don’t know how to draw. It was hard not to jump up and scream, “Amen!” It’s the very rare genius who can pick up a pen and draw well without any formal training.

I enjoy the Baltimore Comic Con a lot each year. I wish I had better budgeted for the show, and I’m hoping the organizers will do more to encourage independent artists to attend next year. As it stands, BCC is a great show for lovers of superhero comics and kids’ comics. Both were well-represented this year. I always enjoy the artists I get to meet and the people I hang out with at BCC. I’ll be back again next year.

Review by Ed Sizemore

It’s now the accepted wisdom that anime and manga are direct visual descendants of the early Japanese picture scrolls. Koyama-Richard doesn’t stray from this opinion in Japanese Animation. She doesn’t go back to the earliest scrolls but chooses to start in the 17th century with what is called the Edo period. Her selection of scrolls is brilliant; each looks like it could be the storyboard for an anime film.

Japanese Animation
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The history section is a fascinating read. I’m not familiar with the early history of cinema, so the pictures of 19th century magical lanterns are a treat. There is one section that sticks out. Koyama-Richard argues that the clockwork dolls of the Edo period were also an influence on anime. However, the link in not as obvious as with the picture scrolls. It’s true that clockwork dolls were heavily used in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, but director Oshii is infamous for being a highly eccentric filmmaker. Koyama-Richard needs to make explicit the connection between clockwork dolls and anime. That lack of explanation makes this section feel like a beloved piece of stray research she hated to throw away.

Following the history of anime, Koyama-Richard discusses some of the major anime production companies. Included in this section are interviews with various executives from those companies. In these interviews, you see that Koyama-Richard is writing less as a detached scholar and more as an enthusiast. She is very polite and respectful, to the point of deference, to the interviewees. She also asks some pretty simple and complimentary questions that permit the executives to boast about their company’s accomplishments and how they had a hand in achieving those.

One question keeps popping up in most of the interviews. Koyama-Richard is worried about the effect that globalization will have on the look and storytelling style of anime. In particular, she frets that anime companies will lose their connection to Japan’s rich artistic past by trying to make their shows and movies more accessible and appealing to Western audiences. Koyama-Richard believes what is great about anime is its distinctly Japanese sense of aesthetics. She thinks that is also the secret to anime’s appeal in the West.

Given Koyama-Richard’s worry about anime losing its distinctiveness, it’s odd that she focuses on Kato Kunio as one of the shining stars of the upcoming generation of directors. His work is heavily influenced by European animation, especially the French. In fact, if you showed his short films prior to the movie The Illusionist, most people would assume it was all done by the same studio. It appears that Koyama-Richard never sees the contradiction.

Of course, you can’t discuss this book without talking about all the beautiful pictures. The reproductions of the scrolls are marvelous. The colors are vibrant, and all the details are preserved. I just wish the photos could be bigger. The screenshots of the various films and shows are also sensational. They make you long to see the movie or TV series. The book really highlights how breathtaking good cartoon art can be.

Japanese Animation is a delightful book. It’s the perfect blend, both an introduction to the history of anime and a coffee table book. The flaws are easily overlooked in light of its strengths. The biggest stumbling block is the price. At $50, only the most ardent anime or animation fans are likely to pick up this book, which is a real shame. There is so much good information that it should be in a format that all fans can purchase and enjoy. If you find it on sale, definitely pick this book up. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Today, Kodansha Comics announced their much-awaited lineup of manga. Since they replaced Del Rey Manga at the beginning of this month, fans have been eager to hear which ongoing series will be continuing and which new titles may be coming.

The front page of the Kodansha US website currently reads as follows:

The following new titles will make their English-language debut next summer:

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney returns in this new manga series written by Kenji Kuroda and illustrated by Kazuo Maekawa. Volume 1 releases in June followed by Volume 2 in August.

Monster Hunter Orage, by Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima, is adapted from the Capcom game and debuts in June, with a second volume in August.

And speaking of Hiro Mashima, his bestselling Rave Master series wraps up with an omnibus collecting the final three volumes of the series in May!

Deltora Quest, adapted by Makoto Niwano from Emily Rodda’s novels, debuts in July. The anime is currently running on TV on The Hub.

The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex adapts the story from the anime, which is inspired by the works of Masamune Shirow. TGITS:SAC is adapted by Yu Kinutani.

Sanami Matoh’s Until the Full Moon makes its triumphant return to the U.S. in July. [NB: Previously published in 2005 by now-departed Broccoli Books.] This story of a boy who becomes a girl under the full moon turns the werewolf legend on its head!

Mardock Scramble is adapted by Yoshitoki Oima from Tow Ubukata’s novel. This exciting sci-fi tale has also been adapted into a stunning anime. The first volume releases in August.

Animal Land, by manga legend and Zatch Bell creator Makoto Raiku, tells the hilarious and heartwarming story of a baby raised by animals. This is set for an August release.

Masashi Tanaka’s Gon returns, giving fans a chance to rediscover the adventures of this ferocious, tiny dinosaur! August release.

Bloody Monday, written by Ryou Ryumon and illustrated by Kouji Megumi, is an exciting thriller about a computer hacker’s attempt to foil a terrorist plot! August release.

Cage of Eden by Yoshinobu Yamada is best described as Battle Royale meets Lost by way of Negima! August release.

And finally, Negima! gets an omnibus release in June, collecting the first three volumes with a new translation!

In addition, several ongoing series will make their return:

• Air Gear 18 (June), Air Gear 19 (August)
• Arisa 2 (May), Arisa 3 (July)
• Fairy Tail 13 (May), Fairy Tail 14 (July)
• I Am Here! 2 (July)
• Negima! 29 (May), Negima! 30 (July)
• Negima?! Neo (June)
• Ninja Girls 5 (May), Ninja Girls 6 (July)
• Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei 9 (June), Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei 10 (August)
• Shugo Chara! 10 (May), Shugo Chara! 11 (July)
• The Wallflower 25 (June)

That’s quite an ambitious slate, I think, but I notice that most of the titles announced in the first section have anime or game tie-ins or are already known as brands in the US. The company may feel that they’re relatively safe properties as a result.

I count in May, one omnibus and five continuation volumes. For June, two new series, four continuing voumes, and a new release of Negima! as omnibus. That series was previously adapted at the beginning by superhero comic writer Peter David, which caused some consternation among fans.

July brings two more new series and six series books. August has four series books, four debuts, and the rerelease of Gon (which was previously published through both DC and their now-defunct CMX imprint). Looking at the list of Del Rey Manga I followed, it seems that many of those I enjoyed are complete, so the only active series I followed was Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, which I’m glad to see is continuing.

I’m surprised not to see Papillon or Moyasimon, which seemed to have visible fan followings, but maybe sales didn’t support the immediate announcement, or maybe news of those titles will come later. But the biggest surprise is xxxHoLiC, which is up to book 16 in the US as of October 27, but the 17th and 18th volumes came out in Japan earlier this year. If CLAMP fans can’t get their fix any more — wow! That was one of Del Rey’s best-known titles, so I have to assume that more information is coming, perhaps some kind of relaunch to draw more attention to the series.

Are there other titles previously published by Del Rey you’re looking for news on?

Update: Katherine Dacey points out that some fans are likely wondering about the status of Nodame Cantabile as well. Scott VonSchilling, who attended the live press conference, says, “Tsubasa and xxxHoLiC will continue under the Del Rey brand, not Kodansha USA.” He also stated that price would remain at $10.99 a book.

Update 2: Sean Gaffney has some follow-up thoughts on what the licenses — and absences — mean. Good analysis there.

by Ed Sizemore

Yesterday afternoon, the news came over twitter that Satoshi Kon had died. Normally, the death of a director doesn’t affect me. However, Kon’s death hit me hard. He is only one of only four anime directors I devotedly follow. His films had a deep impact on me, and he is the only one of the four that I got to meet in person.

When I first got into anime, I started reading any book I could find on the subject and looking for recommendations of shows and films to watch. Films like Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Totoro, and Perfect Blue kept coming up in every “best of” list I found. I had already seen Ghost in the Shell and Akira, so I decided to try Perfect Blue. If I had any reservations about being a fan, or doubts to the artistic value of anime, Perfect Blue erased them all. It was the confirmation that I had stumbled upon a vast treasure.

Perfect Blue is the story of a young pop idol singer, Mima, being pushed to become an actress by her manager. The talent agency wants to mature Mima’s image and so has her cast in an erotic thriller. Perfect Blue is a brilliant film on par with the works of Hitchcock. It proved to me that animated stories could be as complex and layered as live-action films. It was the first time ‘mature’ cartoon meant more than just having nudity.

Kon’s next film was Millennium Actress. I was fortunate enough to see this in the theater, and I was blown away. Not only was the film gorgeous to look at it, it was a masterpiece of storytelling. A retired actress, Chiyoko, recounts her life and the movies she made. When I saw it for the first time, I was flabbergasted at how seamlessly Kon blended memory and movie reality. Watching it again last night, I was moved by the unrequited love at the heart of Chiyoko’s life story. It’s my favorite Kon film.

Tokyo Godfather was a bit of a departure for Kon. It was a straight-forward narrative, a Christmas story of three homeless people that find an abandoned baby and their adventures trying to locate the child’s parents. In a culture that likes to pretend the homeless don’t exist, Kon had the courage to make them heroes. Whether intentionally or not, Kon crafted a Christmas story that actually resonated with the Gospel narratives. Jesus walked among the outcast of Jewish society. He ministered to adulterers, lepers, Roman soldiers, etc. So this story of a child and the three ‘angels’ that look after her has lessons for audiences of all faith traditions.

His final completed film was Paprika. This film holds very special memories for me. I got to see Paprika and Tokyo Godfather in Washington, DC, as part of the Cherry Blossom festival in 2008. Kon himself was in attendance to introduce the films and take questions after. It was a thrill for me to see a director I deeply admired in person.

It’s a story I tell too often. While the end credits for Tokyo Godfathers were rolling, I approached Kon and asked him to sign the postcard that came with the Tokyo Godfathers DVD. The Smithsonian hadn’t scheduled an autograph session, but I couldn’t let this chance pass. I figured the worst that could happen would be security escorting me out, but at least I’d have my signature. Thankfully, I wasn’t kicked out. After I got my signature, and an unexpected sketch, I turned around to find twenty or so people lined up behind me. Kon gratuitously gave signatures to everyone. I prized that signature before; now, I cherish it with all my heart.

Kon was a great director, period. He just chose to work in the animated medium. All of his films are masterpieces visually and narratively. Working in animation gave him the freedom to tell stories that delved deeply into human psychology and raised questions about reality, how we perceive reality, and our memories. He loved to explore how the borders between these three blurred and can get confused. He is one of the extremely rare directors to never make a bad film.

Kon is survived by his wife and a legend of fans. I know I won’t be the only person who will spend the next few days grieving his passing. My prayers go out to his wife and relatives. The greatest testament to a man can have is positive impact his life had on others. By that measure Kon was a truly great man. May his kind increase.

Ed and I talked with new manga reader Caroline at the latest MangaOutLoud podcast. I was fascinated to hear her thoughts, based on fresh eyes, on such titles as Pluto, Ghost in the Shell, Yotsuba&!, Fullmetal Alchemist, Summit of the Gods, and Ooku. It was great being able to compare techniques between manga and superhero comics, as well as discussing manga genres (seinen, shonen, etc.). By the way, the good store she mentions is Richmond’s Velocity Comics.

As for both an end and a beginning, I guess this is as close as we’re going to get to an official notice of Aurora’s demise: their former staffers are launching new publisher Manga Factory, “an all-American manga publishing company owned and operated by the same people who brought you all of your favorite Deux, Aurora, and Luv Luv books.” (Aurora was a subsidiary of a Japanese publisher, Ohzora.) You can also still get those Aurora books on discount sale from them. They appear to be focusing on new digital titles for now.

Just out is Anime and Philosophy, a new entry in the (decade-long!) Popular Culture and Philosophy series that I had the pleasure of reading early for the purpose of blurbing.

Anime and Philosophy
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(In case you’re curious, my blurb said “Thought-provoking and mind-blowing! Anime fans will gain new insight into their film favorites through readable commentary and analysis of animation classics.”)

I’m leery when it comes to these kinds of books. I have a masters degree in popular culture, so I’ve read my share of academic writing about popular subjects, and I’ve come to greatly prefer those who favor readability over citations and jargon. I was pleased to see that this book definitely went in the former direction. More, I could read articles about films I hadn’t seen (many of them, since my anime experience is limited compared to the contributors and core audience) and still follow the points and description.

There were a couple of places with room for improvement. The introduction, by someone who used to work at anime import pioneer Manga Entertainment, makes the mistake of talking more about her life than the subject at hand. She raises good points about the struggles anime has faced in gaining acceptance, and conflicts between business needs and fan desires, but they get lost in trivia about company projects.

I also wish that there were a lot more illustrations, but copyright makes that difficult. The only significant art is on the section dividers, which are manga-influenced fan drawings that should have been better designed for black-and-white reproduction. The dark shading makes some of them seem cluttered and hard to read. But then comes the meat of the book, chapters about

• body transformation and cyborgs and the definition of humanity (especially Gunslinger Girl and Ghost in the Shell)
• an analysis of the end of Akira in light of definitions of identity
• a script for a hypothetical sequel to Magnetic Rose
• an appreciation of community and cultural history as shown in Spirited Away
• portrayals of religious symbols and theology in anime
• civilization collapse as shown in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
• what Mobile Suit Gundam says about just war theory
• competition and advancement in shonen anime such as Dragon Ball and One Piece
• the heroic archetype reflected in Fullmetal Alchemist; another piece uses that story to examine the economics of capitalism
• what Astro Boy says about the nuclear bomb and the atomic age
• an introductory survey of adult anime (hentai)

As well as other topics. I appreciated that many of the examples used were well-known films, enough so that I’d heard about them before, giving me a familiar entry point into the philosophical points under discussion. There’s also a short glossary at the back, cutely labeled “Subtitles” — although you won’t know it’s there until after you need it — and bibliographies of sources both philosophical and anime.

Coming this summer from the series: Manga and Philosophy! (The publisher provided a complimentary copy.)

Review by KC Carlson

This time, it’s personal!

Yes, I’m a little biased when it comes to the WB-produced Superman: The Animated Series (TAS), spearheaded by Bruce Timm and much of the Batman: TAS crew following that groundbreaking animated series. While I have no direct link to the show itself, I do have a (tenuous) connection — I was editing the Superman line of comic books for DC Comics during part of the time that this show was in production. Because of that, I got the privilege of reading (and approving for DC) many of the scripts for the series in advance. Occasionally, I even got the chance to kibitz a bit, as when one of the writers phoned my office to pick my brain on which members of the Legion of Super-Heroes (which I also edited) might be ready to make the leap to animation in the Superman episode “New Kids in Town”.

Even without this minor connection to the series, I would still say that this Superman series was the best Superman animation project ever made for TV. I would even go so far to say it was the best animated Superman ever. The original 1940s Fleischer cartoons are obviously amazing to watch — mostly because there was a lot of time, money, and effort thrown at them, especially early on. But I would say the WB version still has the overall edge, based on the quality of the writing of the series. (Some of the Fleischer cartoons are beautiful, but dumb.)

Although not known while the series was in production, this Superman series would eventually be known as the middle point of the trilogy of great DC superhero projects headed up by Timm, preceded by the groundbreaking Batman: TAS (and follow-ups). Then everything they learned on both Batman and Superman culminated in Justice League/ Justice League Unlimited.

Superman: The Complete Animated Series
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There was a lot of wonderful experimentation during the Batman years, but Superman: TAS was the lynchpin in opening up the entire DC Universe to this type of animation project. While the Batman series had a huge cast of supporting characters and recurring villains, very few guest stars actually appeared — and those tended to be on the quirky side, like Jonah Hex or Zatanna or the Demon. The Superman show, however, really opened up the the DCU in introducing Justice League members (The Flash) and science fiction concepts like the Legion of Super-Heroes and the GL Corps. Other DCU characters made their animated debuts, such as Lobo, Dr. Fate, and Aquaman. Plus, characters important to both the Superman “family” and the DCU — such as Steel and Supergirl — were also first seen in animated form here.

Significantly, many of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World concepts (Darkseid, Intergang, and the New Gods) are as strongly connected to this animated series as they were to the original comic books. As an added touch and tribute, Kirby himself becomes a part of the animated series as the visual basis for the Detective Dan Turpin character, another of Kirby’s creations. Turpin’s storyline throughout the series is one to watch for, cumulating in the episode “Apokolips… Now! Part II”, one of the series’ most moving and shocking moments. (And unfortunately edited in this DVD presentation, as Timm and company snuck in visuals of some non-DC Kirby characters, as well as some real-world Kirby fans and co-workers, who were altered or edited out after the episode first aired.)

The Presentation

Superman: The Complete Animated Series presents all 54 episodes in the exact same disc configuration as they were originally presented in separate sets: six discs (with three of the discs double-sided, so handle carefully!). The discs — rather than being labeled Discs 1-6 — are still labeled as Discs 1 & 2 (three times over), although the booklet lists the discs as 1-6. So if you’re looking for Disc 5, you are actually looking for Disc 1 of Volume Three. This is annoyingly sloppy.

The discs still contain all of the original material from the previous DVD presentation — including all of the previous special features and commentaries. Plus, there’s a seventh Bonus Disc in this collection, containing a brand-new 17-minute featurette. The Despot Darkseid: A Villain Worthy of Superman features Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Rich Fogel, Alan Burnett, James Tucker, Stan Berkowitz, Glen Murakami, and others all talking about how much the Kirby Koncepts of Darkseid and the New Gods characters really brought something special to Superman, both in the animated show and the comics as well.

It should also be noted that the World’s Finest storyline where the animated Batman first met the animated Superman (later released as a separate video and DVD called The Batman Superman Movie) IS included on this set as three regular episodes of the Superman series. However, the Direct-to-DVD movie Superman: Brainiac Attacks is NOT a part of this collection (nor even really considered part of the overall DC Animated Universe continuity), despite its stylistic similarities to Superman: TAS and the use of many of the same voice actors (most notably Tim Daly and Dana Delaney). Today, Superman: Brainiac Attacks stands alone as a sort of forerunner to the current “series” of DC animated films, including Superman: Doomsday and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, but not really a part of them either. (Note: The latter two films are also not a part of the Superman: The Complete Animated Series collection.)

The Legacy

While Superman: TAS often seems like the lesser of the three great Timm-produced DC superhero series, it’s really an unfair label. Batman: TAS is held in high regard for being the first and blazing the trail, locking down the style and substance of how the DC Universe would look animated (and done right). Justice League simply wouldn’t exist at all without the development and “heavy lifting” that these Superman shows provided. Superman provides the key (as always) to unlocking the secrets and magic and majesty of what the DC Universe actually is. It’s cliche’ to say it, but Superman provides the light to balance Batman’s darkness, and without the two of them together to inspire, there simply aren’t any other DC heroes.

Looking at them critically, I think is fair to say that all three shows had their ups and downs: There are just a few too many Batman episodes which are leadenly paced, something that also happened with too many of the early one-hour Justice Leagues (although masked brilliantly with some spectacular action sequences). When you dig into them, I think that you might just find that some of the very best moments of the DCAU occur throughout Superman: TAS, whether is the pitch-perfect origin reenactment in the early episodes to the first meeting of the two icons in “World’s Finest”. The strength of the Superman character is that you can do the wacky episodes like “Mxyzpixilated” or “Bizarro’s World”, and they tend to counterbalance the more solemn events such as in the two-part “Apokolips… Now!” episodes or the super-charged series finale, “Legacy”. “Ghost in the Machine” is just a great episode — and the basis for a huge storyline in Justice League Unlimited. And the “Little Girl Lost” episodes are both touching and offer a starting point for Supergirl/Kara’s long-term growth as a character (also more fully developed over in the Justice League series).

The voice work in Superman: TAS is one of the series’ high points, including the wonderful acting from all three of the leads — Tim Daly as Superman/Clark Kent, Dana Delany as Lois Lane, and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. I love the fact that real-life couple Shelley Fabares and Mike Farrell play Ma and Pa Kent, and who can forget Gilbert Gottfried as Mr. Mxyzptlik or the amazing Ed Asner as Granny Goodness!

Superman’s Rogues Gallery isn’t as strong or unique as Batman’s, but some Superman foes — like Toyman in “Fun and Games” or Metallo in “The Way of All Flesh” — actually improved as villains in a way that the comics seemed incapable of doing. Live Wire was a great new villain developed on the show and later incorporated into the comics. And, of course, the animated version of Lex Luthor developed into another classic series character.

The animated versions of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen did well by staying away from most of the annoying traits of the characters over the years (and many awful incarnations of same in other media). They turned up the spunk for them both here, making them active participants in the action. I really like their designs, although Lois’s very cute but extremely impractical (for the amount of flying and falling she does throughout the series!) pleated miniskirt makes her look more like a cheerleader than the top reporter of a major metropolitan newspaper! At least she’s not the frump she is traditionally portrayed as in the comics, and Jimmy is no longer the bow-tied geek boy.

Of course, we finally got to see the Legion of Super-Heroes animated. And done right. A dream come true for many of us long-time Legion fans. Thank you.

While Batman: TAS may have stranger villains and more moody gloom per square inch, and the Justice League may have the power and glory and more capes per capita, Superman: TAS has got them all beat in in one important area. This show has heart. (And not just the Kryptonite-powered ones either!)

(The studio provided a review copy.)

Classics Illustrated: The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Classics Illustrated: The Raven
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Illustrated by Gahan Wilson
Papercutz, $9.95 US

Gahan Wilson’s tormented art seems like it would be an excellent choice for the emotionally haunting poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, but I was surprised to see how it was handled.

The shading shown on the cover is missing from the book’s interior. Instead, Wilson’s art is flatter, with less line weight variation. The most astounding element is the coloring, done in pastel yellow, pink, and blue. The result is Easter-eggy cute. I don’t associate cuddly with Poe, but that’s the feeling I’m left with here. It’s something like a child’s first melancholic reader. (There’s no credit given for the coloring.)

Normally, I like illustrated text for reading poetry, because the art, if well-chosen, adds an additional layer of meaning and interpretation. The pacing of the first poem, “The Raven”, is off, though, with the pictures showing a man reading and then a man opening a door. That’s two too-literal images for the first stanza, and then the next six are illustrated only by a picture of a raven. The next two, covering eight more stanzas, are the man staring at the raven, and then staring at a picture of a girl. And again, instead of black gloom, we get pastel pink chair and curtains. I guess it’s reassuring to the young, but for me, it was totally the wrong mood, almost funny.

With “Annabel Lee”, I was distracted by the silly seashell motif drawn decorating her tomb. “Lines on Ale” is a trifle, out of keeping with what one usually thinks of Poe. It’s shoved in with the others, when more spacing of presentation would aid in switching the mood. That’s true of many of the pages, where the text runs right into the image without enough white space to frame it.

Other poems included are “The City in the Sea”, “The Sleeper”, “The Conqueror Worm”, “The Haunted Palace”, “Alone”, and “Eldorado”, the lone dissenter from the color scheme I find so troubling. That one is done in bright red and gold, happy colors that had me reaching the end of the poem thinking “that’s it? What a letdown. Shouldn’t there be another 12 stanzas?” (There’s only four short ones.)

Graphic Classics: Oscar Wilde

Graphic Classics: Oscar Wilde
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Graphic Classics, $11.95 US

I know of Oscar Wilde, of course, but I know more about his life than I do his work. I think the only thing I’ve read of his is The Importance of Being Earnest (not included here). I was eager to see this volume because it includes work by Molly Kiely, a favorite of mine who usually draws porn. She illustrates Salome (adapted by series editor Tom Pomplun), which concludes the book. Before that, there’s

• The Picture of Dorian Gray, adapted by Alex Burrows, illustrated by Lisa K. Weber
• The Canterville Ghost, adapted by Antonella Caputo, illustrated by Nick Miller
• Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, adapted by Rich Rainey, illustrated by Stan Shaw

All those creators I was also unfamiliar with, although I greatly appreciated finding out about Lisa K. Weber, who mainly does work for young people (such as Cricket magazine). I like her soft pencil work and characters driven by expressive eyes. She handles Dorian Gray admirably. I knew about the device of the picture, but I had no idea of the many other relationships and actions that drive the story.

Although these black-and-white adaptations, by nature truncated to fit more than one in this space, can be abrupt in mood changes, Weber does an excellent job drawing the characters aging in various ways, either visually/physically, or in attitude as they harden (Gray). It’s an affecting, attractive portrayal of corruption.

The Canterville Ghost uses its fantasy elements to satirize rude, rich Americans of the period, their fondness for branded and bottled preparations, and their trampling of great British traditions, including the family haunt. Given the many cultural references, notes would have been a help, but it’s funny enough without them. The art is posed and caricatured; it reminded me of something you might see in Mad magazine. Overall, it’s an amusing story that ends up being quite touching, and I’m glad it’s being retold.

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime is even more exaggerated in its art style, to the extent that I found it hard to follow as a comic. The material is true to Wilde, making fun of how credulous aristocrats could be and following a silly premise to ludicrous conclusions.

Finally, Salome. The art was lovely, as I expected, but I found the text ponderous. I would have preferred more editing to lighten the content and reduce the amount of lines. It’s one thing to be true to the text, but a comic requires a different balance of words and art, so ultimately, I found this unsuccessful. Still, the volume overall has more enjoyment than not, and it’s an entertaining way to learn more about some of Oscar Wilde’s classics.

Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel

Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel
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By Charlotte Bronte
Adapted by Amy Corzine
Art by John M. Burns
Classical Comics, $16.95 US

Classical Comics takes an interesting approach to its versions of the classics — they release the same art with varying texts. This book, for example, is available in a Quick Text edition, with modern English edited down, or an unabridged Original Text edition. (In fact, there are four versions, since each set was originally done in British English and then redone, localized, for Americans.)

The books are handsome and substantial, with slick, heavy paper to show off the color art. The painted style suits the “classic” nature of the works. Comparing the two versions, it’s interesting to see how they handle the length differences, since the Quick Text is so much shorter than the Original. I expected the panels to look emptier without the longer captions and dialogue, but the transition is handled well. Most readers are going to buy only one or the other, anyway.

This is an attractive way to read what can be an intimidating novel. Background material covers the author’s life, tells a little bit about how this graphic novel was created, and points to teachers’ resources. That academic audience seems most likely for this work, as a way to interest reluctant students.

(Complimentary copies for this review were provided by the publishers.)