Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
If, like Greg Rucka, you’re concerned about a Superman who’s not suitable for kids, you’ll want to stay away from this new original animated movie. Superman: Unbound is only an hour fifteen minutes, but within the first eight, it’s well lived up to its PG-13 rating (for “sequences of violence and action, and a rude gesture“). They get right to it in the credits, as Brainiac has his eyeball ripped out on camera by a robotic tentacle. As the film […]
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If you’re interested in how comic book and other fantasy creations might work in the real world, you’ll want to try the YouTube series Man at Arms, in which blacksmith Tony Swatton, who’s experienced in making weapons for movies, tries recreating all kinds of famous weapons, from Batman’s batarangs (from sharpened steel) to He-Man’s sword and even Oddjob’s hat! The latest episode features Captain America’s shield (done in layers, not paint), as shown here: There’s a lot of “I’m doing […]
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I’ve struggled for a while with the question of whether it’s better, if I’m given a comic to review that I don’t care for, to write a negative review or simply not cover the work. I invariably guess wrong. If I err on the side of “if you can’t say anything nice…”, then the artist tells me he would have rather had the links, even if I didn’t like it. If I write a negative review, then the publisher wants […]
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Even though I had heard many of the incidents in the life of physicist Richard Feynman, I found this graphic novel biography by true-science comic writer Jim Ottaviani and accomplished cartoonist Leland Myrick surprisingly affecting, particularly when it came to the story of his wife Arline. Much of the material will be familiar to readers of Feynman’s biographies, Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?, but seeing the incidents play out visually gives […]
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I don’t normally talk about a lot of media adaptation announcements, because most of them, who knows if they’ll ever happen? (Although personally, I’d watch a Supernatural Law movie. Remember that plan?) I’m really eager to see this one, though, because the manga original was a terrific, twisty read, and the talent involved in the proposal is great. Deadline reported that Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy director) is developing a series with HBO based on Naoki Urasawa’s manga. He will co-write […]
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I’m still unpacking and sorting boxes from last fall’s move, and while organizing the minicomics, I came across my stash of Friends of Lulu materials. As far as I know, these are the official group publications: Three comic anthologies: Storytime (2000?), Broad Appeal (2003), and The Girls’ Guide to Guys’ Stuff (2007) (Neat looking through these and seeing early work by names I adore — Raina Telgemeier, Faith Erin Hicks, MK Reed, Becky Cloonan, and so many more) The 1997 […]
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Oh Joy Sex Toy is Erika Moen’s new weekly webcomic, covering reviews of sex toys and other sexuality topics. She terms it a “celebration of fornication”, updating every Tuesday. Do I need to say this is for adults and not safe for work? I’m thrilled to subscribe, though, and I can’t wait to see how it continues. She’s already demonstrated that her “models” are going to be varied in look (especially body shape), and she promises guest reviews to cover […]
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I enjoy Linda Medley’s Castle Waiting, a modern take on a fairy tale world, a lot. In fact, the first edition of this second collection was my best graphic novel of 2010, when it was released. However, there were unanswered questions about that release, since it didn’t really have an ending and the author’s name wasn’t anywhere on the cover. Now that that book is out of print, Fantagraphics and Medley have released an updated “definitive edition” that’s gone from […]
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