Clubbing

Wow. The first-ever Andi Watson book I’ve been disappointed in.1 I thought the premise of Clubbing — London goth gets sent to stay with her grandparents in the country; she sees it as punishment, we know it’s a chance for her to grow up and learn core values — had potential. Goodness knows it’s well-worn and -loved in a certain kind of teen novel. But both the plotting and the art are mediocre. Artist Josh Howard is apparently only capable […]

Read more

Flower of Life Volume 3

As with volume 2, Flower of Life volume 3 wasn’t what I expected. In fact, it’s beginning to remind me of the author’s previous series Antique Bakery in that she’s treating it almost as an anthology. The loose framework she’s set up allows her to tell a variety of stories, and the subjects she chooses tend to be a bit more diverse than the usual shojo. Sumiko, the manga artist from the previous volume, goes shopping with classmates in a […]

Read more

Divalicious! Volume 1

Divalicious! is a frothy, episodic ramble through the life of a self-obsessed teen pop star. Tina’s got it all — career, fans, a rival, and manager Shaquille. Watching her overreact to all of it is hilarious. Writer T Campbell (Penny and Aggie) covers the gamut of modern celebrity culture in content-packed chapters, while Amy Mebberson’s art more than keeps up with how over-the-top everything is. Her characters are friendly, even when they’re self-absorbed or stupid. Tina’s into every trend, whether […]

Read more

The Professor’s Daughter

The Professor’s Daughter is a slim, lovely tale, much like its heroine. The daughter of a famous Egyptologist, her adventures begin when she takes the mummy of a Pharaoh, dressed like a Victorian gentleman, out on a walk. They have so much in common, you see, both having to deal with the strict professor treating them like possessions (with more justification in one case, perhaps). Joann Sfar (The Rabbi’s Cat, Dungeon) writes and Emmanuel Guibert illustrates. The two have worked […]

Read more

Jane’s World Volume 6

It’s a bit intimidating coming into a soap opera webcomic series at this late date, especially when the first pages show an interlocking web of over 40 characters. I’ve found, in such cases, that it’s best for me to ignore those introductions and the “story so far” page (although I’d like to read the part where Jane apparently went to a furries convention) and jump right into the comic, picking up what I can. Turns out in this case that’s […]

Read more

The Plain Janes

DC Comics launched its Minx graphic novel line with The Plain Janes, written by young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Jim Rugg (Street Angel). It’s the story of four high school girls named Jane who act out teenage rebellion through guerrilla public art. It’s got a surprisingly disturbing beginning — Jane is a popular blonde girl whose parents, seeking safety above all, move her from the city to the suburbs after she survives a bombing. Once there, Jane […]

Read more

Flower of Life Volume 2

As with volume one, Flower of Life volume 2 surprised me by taking off in a different direction than expected. This time, it’s more traditional shojo, with a class play and unexpected romance, both focused on know-it-all Majima. Even though many of the twists reminded me of other books, it was an entertaining read that kept me interested. Sumiko, a shy girl who hides behind long straight hair (she looks like The Wallflower), draws surprisingly good manga. Majima discovers it, […]

Read more

Flower of Life Volume 1

Fumi Yoshinaga previously created Antique Bakery. I liked the premise of that near-yaoi title, especially the dessert-heavy setting, but it was a bit scattered and dissatisfying for me in terms of plotting. Flower of Life isn’t strong on plotting, either, but here, it works better for me. Everything’s so dramatic and overplayed (in a gripping, enjoyable way) that it’s hard to notice that all that happens is kids getting to know each other (and finding out some teachers’ secrets). Harutaro […]

Read more
1 547 548 549 550 551 608