Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
The too-much-for-her-time Lady Frances Ffolkes is back, but I recommend you read Death Among Rubies before Death on the Sapphire because a) you can (it gives you everything you need to know about the characters) and b) I liked this one better. That’s because it takes place in one of my very favorite mystery settings: the fancy house party. Frances, her supportive maid Miss Mallow, and her two very good friends Gwen and Tommie (who love each other, but not […]
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Food manga fans, if you want to know more about how to make classic-but-achievable Japanese meals, Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking is the guide for you. (I particularly recommend it to readers of What Did You Eat Yesterday?) Iron Chef Masahuru Morimoto (aided by J.J. Goode) shares basic dishes in a way that makes them seem both delicious and possible for an American home cook to prepare. The images are lovely, making me want to try making everything. […]
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As caught by Ben Towle this past weekend, this interview with Dan Vado seems to confirm that SLG Publishing (formerly Slave Labor Graphics) is no longer releasing new work. (Towle published his first two books, Farewell, Georgia and Midnight Sun, with SLG.) Although the company is still offering restock orders in Previews under the Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics heading, Vado says Beyond keeping our better sellers in print and continuing some of the things we started a few years ago, […]
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I enjoyed watching Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, and I’d like to share that enjoyment with one lucky site visitor. It’s a fun movie that does more than just provide a nostalgia kick, although there’s plenty of that, too. To enter to win this contest, leave a comment below telling me which is your favorite guest star villain from the 1966 Batman TV show. A winner will be picked randomly from all entries on Friday, November 11. (U.S. addresses […]
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With The Drawing Lesson, Mark Crilley (Akiko, Mastering Manga, Brody’s Ghost) has created “A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw”, as the subtitle has it. One of Crilley’s goals, based on his introduction, is to share what it feels like to have a professional mentor through a story instead of an instructional guide. The series of lessons focus on concepts that set up a strong foundation, beginning with observation and shading. Crilley’s excellent character work is on clear […]
Read moreThe 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 January or later. Black Hammer: Secret Origins Dark Horse, $17.99, NOV16 0051, due out March 29 The first six issues of the series about burnt out, trapped Goldan Age science heroes collected. I find Black Hammer an interesting commentary […]
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Lucy Bellwood loves tall ships, and she wants to share that passion with us. Baggywrinkles: A Lubber’s Guide to Life at Sea is one of my favorite kinds of comics: it shows me what it would be like to do something I’m never going to do. Baggywrinkles is an anthology, a collection of anecdotes about crewing on a sailing ship. Bellwood begins with the tale of how, in high school, she first went to work on an historical replica ship. […]
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Cartoonist Ben Towle has an impressive rundown of a huge market for kids’ books and comics: the Scholastic Book Fair. If you’re not familiar (although if you went through the US school system, you likely are), Scholastic, perhaps the most significant children’s book publisher, runs sales at schools. They also run the imprint Graphix, which has published two of the most revolutionary graphic novels in the modern era: Jeff Smith’s Bone and Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, as well as other works […]
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