Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
Michael Cho’s Shoplifter is the most modern, of-its-time graphic novel I’ve read in a long while. Illustrated in a style that’s Darwyn Cooke meets Adrian Tomine, it’s the story of Corinna Park, a young woman in a big city who no longer knows what she wants or what to do. I was also reminded of the well-recommended Pope Hats in its style and subject matter. Like so many young people, Corinna has been taught to follow her dreams, which included […]
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I’ve been anticipating this entry in the TwoMorrows Modern Masters series since it was announced last spring. I don’t know why it was delayed, but I’m anticipating some lovely art examples and the typical lengthy interview. Modern Masters: Cliff Chiang is the 29th book in the series (by numbering — it’s actually 28, because Volume 23, Darwyn Cooke, never came out). Its new release date is January 29, three weeks away, and there’s a preview available at the publisher’s website. […]
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First, an apology — the Batman Beyond: The Complete Series set is very cool and deserves more attention than we give it here, but KC is currently recovering from eye surgery (he’s fine, thanks) and wasn’t able to write about it as much as he’d like. I’m working from his notes, and any errors are probably mine. — Johanna It’s hard to believe that something this good came out of a meeting that started “we need a Batman show that […]
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Out this month are two new volumes in the TwoMorrows Modern Masters interview/art book series, both by Eric Nolen-Weathington, the series editor. The first is dedicated to Mark Buckingham, whose credits include Death: The High Cost of Living, Fables, and Miracleman. Note that he did not, as I first thought, draw Ultimate Spider-Man. That’s a different Mark B., Bagley. Obviously, I need the education this volume provides. Neil Gaiman’s introduction starts things off with praise for Bucky’s skill and versatility. […]
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It’s an unusual project, but one uniquely suited to the talents involved. Darwyn Cooke (The New Frontier, The Spirit) is adapting Richard Stark’s Parker novels into comic form; The Hunter is the first of four planned graphic novels. I haven’t read any of the original books myself, but since Cooke clearly has a great affinity for retro-styled works, and since crime/noir stories of this type work best with that kind of timeless feel, I expected an excellent match. This brief […]
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In the latest series of promotional interviews to promote the Wonder Woman animated movie due out March 3, Warner Home Video has distributed a Q&A with Vicki Lewis (NewsRadio). Surprisingly, at least to me, she plays Amazon Persephone, described as “one of the key characters in the Amazon’s battle with Ares.” Also surprising to me is that this is her second DCU appearance. She previously voiced Iris West, the Flash’s fiancee, in Justice League: The New Frontier. QUESTION: When you […]
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Review by KC Carlson There must be crazier things to do than trying to adapt a critically acclaimed — as well as beloved — 400+ page graphic novel into a 75-minute animated film, but I can’t think of any. But that’s exactly what has been done with Justice League: The New Frontier, the seminal work by artist and writer (and occasional animation creator) Darwyn Cooke, which will be released in a myriad of DVD formats next Tuesday, February 26. And […]
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Darwyn Cooke (with the aid of J. Bone’s inks) is responsible for the most exciting re-imagining of a character this decade: Will Eisner’s Spirit. Book One is a handsome hardcover collecting the first six issues of the series plus the Batman/Spirit crossover written by Jeph Loeb. The book itself stands apart from the usual collection. The hardcover binding consists of images instead of plain color boards, and the dust jacket has the Spirit letters cut out to show the art […]
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