June 8, 2009 Johanna Manga News Leave a comment

Tokyopop’s Quality Drop

John Jakala rounds up discussion of Tokyopop’s price increase while cutting back on print quality. They’ve gone to a thinner, newsprint paper which allows image bleed-through, disturbing the reading experience. (He’s got pictures that show what he means.) He’s also rounded up links to Tokyopop responses, which are, as expected, noting that times are tough. Although competitors have also raised prices, the obviously cheap paper and lower quality books makes Tokyopop’s $1 increase seem worse. Plus, Tokyopop’s pricing is more […]

June 8, 2009 Johanna Marvel One comment

Kabuki: The Alchemy

David Mack brings his long-running series full-circle in Kabuki: The Alchemy with a mind-bending conclusion. Kabuki, formerly an assassin, has escaped from the institution where she was being kept in Metamorphosis and is seeking the mysterious friend who helped her, a woman she’s never seen. But as the character says to the reader early on, “All you need to know is that there is a scar on my face, I’m starting a new life, and I have a friend who […]

June 7, 2009 Johanna Other Manga Publishers 4 comments

So I Need to Lose 15 Pounds

When I heard about this book, in which manga artist Shiho Torii accepts her editor’s challenge to lose 15 pounds in five months, I thought it sounded perfect for me. I love manga, and I’ve been meaning to get in better shape. Unfortunately, while the concept is promising, So I Need to Lose 15 Pounds itself is terrible. First, there’s the cartooning itself. I’m ok with simple art, but the illustrations here are so minimal as to make me ask […]

June 4, 2009 Johanna Oni Press / Lion Forge 5 comments

You Have Killed Me

Jamie S. Rich (Love the Way You Love) and Joelle Jones (Token) team up again for an old-fashioned private eye yarn in You Have Killed Me. It’s something of a change of pace, since their previous book together was the romance 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, one of my best books of 2006. A woman from Tony’s past has just come back into his life. Her sister, his ex-fiancee, is missing, and she needs the detective’s help, in spite […]

June 3, 2009 Johanna Movie Reviews One comment

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Yesterday was the first really hot day of the year. KC emailed me at work: “Brain melting. Let’s go to the movies! They have industrial AC!” Since we’d already seen Up, we chose Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. As expected, Amy Adams playing Amelia Earhart was the best thing about it. I like Ben Stiller (as lead, guard Larry Daley), but at times here, he seemed too tired and reserved for all the special effects mayhem going […]

June 2, 2009 Johanna Viz Manga Reviews 2 comments

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Volume 3

Guest review by Ed Sizemore At the end of volume two, Uran, Atom’s little sister, helped tame and recapture some loose zoo animals. This volume opens with her at police headquarters explaining how she got involved in the first place. We learn that Uran can sense strong emotional states, especially fear. A few days later, on the way to school, she senses powerful feelings of fear and confusion. She skips school to find the distressed person and help him/her. She […]

June 1, 2009 Johanna Other Manga Publishers Leave a comment

Apothecarius Argentum Volume 2

by Tomomi Yamashita The shojo fantasy about a princess and her poisonous healer continues in a surprising fashion. (I reviewed volume 1 last year.) Instead of developing their romance explicitly, the story chooses instead to develop and deepen her character, making her more mature and appealing. Much of this development is accomplished through flashback. Young Soda, who wants to be Argent’s apprentice, reminds the older healer of his childhood days with Princess Primula. Argent doesn’t want anyone around him, since […]

May 31, 2009 Johanna DCU Original Animation 2 comments

Green Lantern: Interview With Writer Alan Burnett

Green Lantern: First Flight, the next DC Universe direct-to-DVD animated movie, is written by Alan Burnett. Burnett began scripting episodes of Batman: The Animated Series in 1991; he has won four Emmy Awards. His animation career began with Super Friends in 1981. In the following interview, provided by the WB publicity department, Burnett discusses his plot inspirations, how the structure was developed, the problems of writing Green Lantern, his approach to Sinestro, and his writing influences. QUESTION: What made Alan […]

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