July 20, 2013 Johanna Comic Book Films One comment

Red 2: An Action Comedy as Good as the First

I don’t normally rush right out to see movies on opening weekend, but the original Red movie was such a pleasant surprise that Red 2 seemed like it would be a fun summer diversion. And it was. They’ve expanded the cast. It seemed like every time the scene changed, there was another old buddy or villain introduced, but the film doesn’t feel overstuffed. Bruce Willis is back as Frank, former CIA agent who’s Retired and Extremely Dangerous. Also returning is […]

July 19, 2013 Johanna DCU Original Animation One comment

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Video Clips, Premiere Today

Now that we’re a little more than a week away from the release of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (on July 30), video clips have been made available. First, there’s the trailer, explaining the premise of the Flash-centered story: Next, Cyborg (Michael B. Jordan) introduces his allies to Batman (Kevin McKidd; the character wisecracks a lot for someone with glowy red eyes) and explains the situation: The movie premieres at the San Diego Comic-Con tonight at 7:30, with appearances by […]

July 18, 2013 Johanna Comic News One comment

Friends of Lulu Newsletters, Volume 1, 1995-1996

I came across these while cleaning up after the move, and I thought I’d share them, for anyone interested. The following links reprint the first year of Friends of Lulu newsletters, “Lulu’s Clubhouse”. (Note that all addresses listed, including my old one, are no longer valid.) They’re quite the time capsule, particularly since the editors (Jackie Estrada and Heidi MacDonald) aimed to cover comic news overall. In the first issue, the Sailor Moon cartoon was announced as coming to US […]

July 15, 2013 Johanna Vertical Manga Reviews Leave a comment

Limit Volume 6

The Limit series, about a group of teens left in the wilderness after a fatal bus crush, concludes with this volume by Keiko Suenobu. I’ve found the pacing inconsistent in the past, so I’m not surprised that this seemed like an abrupt wrapup, but the overall impression I’m left with is how Japanese the series seems to me. By that I mean that supporting the group is the primary virtue. Hinata tries a drastic action to atone for some of […]

July 14, 2013 Johanna Movie Reviews 4 comments

Monsters University

Just got back from seeing Monsters University, and while I enjoyed it, it was definitely a sequel that didn’t reach the heights of the original Monsters Inc.. We already know the characters, and the plot here is very familiar. In fact, if you’ve seen a college movie, you know what happens. There’s the devoted youngster whose dedication takes him through every challenge (Billy Crystal as Mike), his buddy who learns the true meaning of friendship (John Goodman as Sully), the […]

July 13, 2013 Johanna Viz Manga Reviews Leave a comment

Fall in Love Like a Comic Volumes 1-2

I stumbled across Fall in Love Like a Comic thanks to the sample chapter available in the Viz Manga app. The premise, about a high schooler who’s also a manga creator and needs some experience with real-life love, reminded me of Missions of Love. Fall in Love Like a Comic, though, is fluffier, a lot cuter in presentation, and shorter, complete in two volumes. Rena draws “manga that’s a little risque’… with kissing and hugging”. (Snicker. I think our definitions […]

July 13, 2013 Johanna Other 7 comments

We Won’t Get Good Comic Journalism Unless Someone Is Willing to Pay for It

I’m two months late talking about the departure and return of Comics Alliance — which indicates why I’m no longer a significant part of online comic coverage, if I ever was — but the changes resulted in some good writing about writing, and so I have the impulse to ramble on about writing about comics online, since I’ve been doing it now for over two decades. (And maybe that’s part of why I’ve been cutting back, too. How long can […]

July 10, 2013 Johanna Comic News One comment

Amazon Begins Publishing Comics With SF Adaptations

Yesterday, Amazon announced that, in addition to their book publishing efforts, they will be publishing comics. Jet City Comics (“jet city” is a nickname for Seattle, where Amazon is headquartered) launched with Symposium #1, a Kindle comic that’s a “sidequest” to the Foreworld Saga, a shared-author alternate history series. Their serialized publications will be available for the Kindle before print collections are sold on Amazon.com and “other comics retailers”. (Will comic shops want to sell them? Bookstores have previously refused […]

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