December 26, 2016 Johanna Art One comment

How Much of Your Work Should Be Sacred? Tips on More Efficient Work

Lars Martinson has finally finished his Tonoharu trilogy. (I reviewed the first volume when it came out in 2008.) All told, it took him 13 years to make the three books, and he’s now put out a video discussing that process and some of the lessons he’s learned. It’s great seeing an artist do a post-mortem of a significant project, particularly since his key lesson is realizing that time is a limited resource, so you need to keep that in […]

December 22, 2016 Johanna Books About Comics Leave a comment

DC: The Big Book of Girl Power and The Big Book of Superpowers

Want to indoctrinate your favorite child into superheroes? Get them one or both of these large children’s picture books aimed at ages 3 and up. For a focus on powerful women, you want The Big Book of Girl Power, emphasizing how “DC’s super heroines… have the courage to fight for peace and justice.” Each character (with three exceptions) gets a two-page spread with an image (many drawn by Scott Kolins) and a brief explanation of her origin and abilities. The […]

December 22, 2016 Johanna NBM / Papercutz 3 comments

Black Dahlia (A Treasury of XXth Century Murder)

The latest Treasury of XXth Century Murder (following Madison Square Tragedy) by Rick Geary tackles what’s perhaps the most famous unsolved Hollywood mystery: who killed Elizabeth Short, the 22-year-old wannabe actress nicknamed the Black Dahlia? In January 1947, Short’s bisected body was found in a vacant lot. As with all the other stories in this series, her killer was never conclusively identified. That means the source of satisfaction isn’t knowing the answer to the mystery of her murder; instead, there’s […]

December 22, 2016 Johanna Yen Press Manga Reviews One comment

Yotsuba&! Volume 13

Although Yotsuba&! volume 13 came out this past spring, this time of year feels better suited to the series for me, since it’s as warming and comfortable as a cup of cocoa. And waiting an extra six months or so is nothing, since it’s been three years since the previous volume. Any new Yotsuba&! is a gift. Her wide-eyed, accepting attitude to the world and the new experiences she has, as portrayed by author Kiyohiko Azuma, is a tonic. In […]

December 21, 2016 Johanna Other Publishers 6 comments

Awkward

It’s an amazing time for graphic novels for kids, and Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward is only the latest astoundingly good one I’ve read. It’s the story of Peppi, who’s just started at a new school. In order not to stand out in the wrong ways, she does something early on she’s ashamed by, something to avoid bullies that hangs over her memories and keeps her from being her full self. She finds the art club, though, and she enjoys her time […]

December 21, 2016 Johanna Marvel 2 comments

Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!: Hooked on a Feline

I’ve been reading comics a long time, so sometimes I feel like I’ve met my lifetime quota for superhero tales. Then a fresh, modern approach comes along that makes me appreciate even more the talent involved in telling good comic stories. Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!: Hooked on a Feline reprints the first six issues of the series by Kate Leth, Brittney L. Williams, and Megan Wilson. (Issue #6 had art by Natasha Allegri instead of Williams and Wilson, which makes […]

December 20, 2016 Johanna Comic News Leave a comment

Good Books to Order for February 2017

The latest Diamond Previews catalog lists a lot of books worth checking out. Here are a few of them, along with others I had something to say about. You can order them now through your local comic shop for delivery in February or later. The Fuse: Constant Orbital Revolutions Image Comics, $14.99, DEC16 0799, due out February 8 The fourth (and final for a while) Fuse collection reprints issues #19-24, a tale of fighting terrorism that also provides the answer […]

December 20, 2016 Johanna Nobrow 2 comments

Nightlights

Nightlights is a gorgeous parable by Lorena Alvarez. Although I’m not entirely sure I grasped the meaning of everything that happens in it, it is absolutely beautiful. (And a work that leaves you thinking isn’t a bad thing, either.) Sandy is a young artist, drawing constantly. At night, she sees sparkles of light that fire her imagination, leading to luscious, expansive spreads of collaged images, all richly colored in fuchsias and purples and blues. At school, she meets a ghostly […]

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