Search Results for: maker comics

Batman Begins

KC wants to go see The Dark Knight soon, before we hear too much about it. I’m not really interested — I can’t see clips without thinking how tragic it was to lose Heath Ledger — but everyone expects me to see it, and I want to keep him company. (We’ll see Mamma Mia! first, though.) I mention this only to explain why I finally watched Batman Begins — it was necessary homework. It was pretty much what I expected. […]

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Popeye the Sailor 1938-1940 Volume 2

Review by KC Carlson Well, blow me down! This is great stuff! Although I’ve loved animation all of my life, somehow I let Popeye slip to the background in my frantic desire to learn all that I could about about the Warner Bros. characters (Daffy Duck is an important role model for me) and the people who brought them to life. Of course, I watched Popeye as a youngster. How could I not? He was everywhere in the kid-friendly TV […]

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Justice League: The New Frontier

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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Mangaka America

Mangaka is the Japanese term for “comic creator”. It’s used in Mangaka America to mean those young creators affected by and working in the style of manga. Many of them combine American and Japanese influences in their work, and like the subjects it covers, the book itself is a hybrid. Its larger size, glossy full-color pages, and anthology format suggest a paperback coffee table book, while most creator sections contain not only an interview and art samples but a short […]

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Artesia

This fantasy epic by Mark Smylie tells the story of Artesia — a witch, priestess, concubine, and warrior captain — in lovely watercolor painted art. The heavy paper in the collections shows off the images to advantage, supporting this detailed tale of war among various kingdoms. The first volume covers Artesia taking over the castle and throne of her former lover. Before her battles, she prays to her goddesses for bravery and clear sight and victory. Her spells let her […]

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My Neighbor Totoro/Whisper of the Heart

I’ve been hearing how much I need to see Miyazaki’s films for a long while now, so I used the Turner Classic Movies showings to sample two. The first, My Neighbor Totoro, was fluffier than I expected. I knew that the movie was about two girls who meet a fantasy character, but I was surprised that the first third of the film was simply about them setting up housekeeping out in the country. The images were beautiful, as expected, but […]

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I.N.V.U. Volume 1

One morning, Sey is woken by moving men. Her mother has decided to go to Italy to work on her novel, and she’s rented out their house. Sey will be living with her mom’s friend Meja, a happy homemaker who’s always wanted a daughter. And here comes the element that sets I.N.V.U. apart from other teen manga romances: Meja does have a daughter, Hali, but Hali has to pretend to be her dead brother Terry to keep Meja from having […]

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The Kindaichi Case Files

I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed a good mystery read until I tried this series. Each book is a stand-alone “fair play” case in which the reader can match wits with the detectives. The series is reminiscent of a grown-up Encyclopedia Brown with an older cast, more serious crimes, greater emotional motivation, and spooky overtones. Hajime Kindaichi is an under-achieving troublemaker with a gift for deduction and a grandfather who’s a famous detective. His best friend, Miyuki Nanase, is […]

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