Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
INVU Volume 4 by Kim Kang Won I was a bit concerned, since the previous books came out five years ago, that I’d be lost trying to pick the series back up. Surprisingly, I wasn’t. I jumped right back into this high school drama (the only Korean manhwa I follow). The “story so far” page was a big help, but it could have been much improved by including captioning the art shots with the character names. The storylines are easy […]
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Not one of the Minx titles makes the Top 750, nor does any CMX title except for Megatokyo, which is OEL. Looking deep into the Long Tail, Minx’s Plain Janes sells 3201 copies, none of the other four Minx titles even manages to crack a meager 800 copies sold in the bookstore environment. Aren’t those books specifically designed for the bookstores, and the customers that shop there? — Brian Hibbs (link no longer available) I think that’s been assumed, but […]
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Get a Life properly introduces Mr. Jean to English-speaking audiences. Lengthy stories featuring the character, written and drawn by Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian (who both do each), have previously appeared in Drawn & Quarterly anthologies, but this book collects the earlier work where a younger man struggles with his life decisions. Jean is a novelist living in Paris. He’s gone to the museum because a friend is supposed to meet a woman there, but the friend ducks out on […]
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Just out is Supernatural Law Secretary Mavis #5, a one-shot giving the popular supporting character her own focus. It’s refreshing to see her return, since her last issue was five years ago, and I’ve missed her. In this story, “Weird Eye for the Normal Guy”, three ghosts are being sued. They promised to teach someone how to be scary, and he’s dissatisfied with the results. But the real story is how Mavis is going to balance her support of the […]
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I’m trying Torchwood again because of James Marsters’ appearance in the first episode of the second season. Ridiculous and enjoyable all at once. So I was tickled to find this webcomic, called Torchwood Babiez. (Update: Archived here.) Somehow, all of the silliest elements of the show are even funnier when the characters are drawn as four-year-olds. Baby Jack “can’t get boo-boos” and Baby Ianto carries around a cyber-Barbie. The guest-star on page 8 cracked me up. Beware of cuteness overdose. […]
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Everyone thinks they can do a story of college life, because it seems so simple, especially to the majority of the audience who’ve been through academia. That’s not the case, because realistic characters, and especially dialogue, are harder to do than you might think. Tyler Page gets it right with Nothing Better. He even covers a subject most are afraid to tackle in depth, religious belief, with sensitivity and understanding. Jane is newly away from home and her perfect family. […]
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I was dismayed when I noticed in the latest Previews that Steady Beat Book 3 was listed as “cancelled by publisher”, because I have very much enjoyed the previous volumes. Then I saw that the author was having discussions with her publisher over whether the series should end with book 3 (Tokyopop’s choice) or 4 (her preference). Uh oh. (That thread also has some interesting lessons about art as a profession and speculation about the publisher’s decision-making.) So I emailed […]
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I’m very glad I waited until now to read this. I’ve been curious about Moyoco Anno’s Happy Mania for years (since it came out five years ago), because it was one of the earliest josei manga translated in the US. (Josei is manga aimed at women instead of girls.) If I’d read it back, then, though, I don’t think I’d have gotten the humor or been able to approach it with the lightheartedness required. Now, with more manga under my […]
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