Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
The problem with anticipation is that it makes a perfectly fine read seem like a let-down. I very much enjoyed Natalie Nourigat’s art in her diary comic Between Gears, and I’ve loved Jamie Rich’s relationship writing for years now. Yet A Boy & A Girl didn’t spark for me. I enjoyed reading it, but I wanted more from it. Perhaps that’s a compliment, a sign that I was involved in the world and with the characters so much that only […]
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I don’t normally rush right out to see movies on opening weekend, but the original Red movie was such a pleasant surprise that Red 2 seemed like it would be a fun summer diversion. And it was. They’ve expanded the cast. It seemed like every time the scene changed, there was another old buddy or villain introduced, but the film doesn’t feel overstuffed. Bruce Willis is back as Frank, former CIA agent who’s Retired and Extremely Dangerous. Also returning is […]
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Now that we’re a little more than a week away from the release of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (on July 30), video clips have been made available. First, there’s the trailer, explaining the premise of the Flash-centered story: Next, Cyborg (Michael B. Jordan) introduces his allies to Batman (Kevin McKidd; the character wisecracks a lot for someone with glowy red eyes) and explains the situation: The movie premieres at the San Diego Comic-Con tonight at 7:30, with appearances by […]
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I came across these while cleaning up after the move, and I thought I’d share them, for anyone interested. The following links reprint the first year of Friends of Lulu newsletters, “Lulu’s Clubhouse”. (Note that all addresses listed, including my old one, are no longer valid.) They’re quite the time capsule, particularly since the editors (Jackie Estrada and Heidi MacDonald) aimed to cover comic news overall. In the first issue, the Sailor Moon cartoon was announced as coming to US […]
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The Limit series, about a group of teens left in the wilderness after a fatal bus crush, concludes with this volume by Keiko Suenobu. I’ve found the pacing inconsistent in the past, so I’m not surprised that this seemed like an abrupt wrapup, but the overall impression I’m left with is how Japanese the series seems to me. By that I mean that supporting the group is the primary virtue. Hinata tries a drastic action to atone for some of […]
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Just got back from seeing Monsters University, and while I enjoyed it, it was definitely a sequel that didn’t reach the heights of the original Monsters Inc.. We already know the characters, and the plot here is very familiar. In fact, if you’ve seen a college movie, you know what happens. There’s the devoted youngster whose dedication takes him through every challenge (Billy Crystal as Mike), his buddy who learns the true meaning of friendship (John Goodman as Sully), the […]
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I stumbled across Fall in Love Like a Comic thanks to the sample chapter available in the Viz Manga app. The premise, about a high schooler who’s also a manga creator and needs some experience with real-life love, reminded me of Missions of Love. Fall in Love Like a Comic, though, is fluffier, a lot cuter in presentation, and shorter, complete in two volumes. Rena draws “manga that’s a little risque’… with kissing and hugging”. (Snicker. I think our definitions […]
Read moreI’m two months late talking about the departure and return of Comics Alliance — which indicates why I’m no longer a significant part of online comic coverage, if I ever was — but the changes resulted in some good writing about writing, and so I have the impulse to ramble on about writing about comics online, since I’ve been doing it now for over two decades. (And maybe that’s part of why I’ve been cutting back, too. How long can […]
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