Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I’m a tough sell for this. I’ve read all the Hal Jordan Green Lantern comics (and a lot of the Kyle Rayner ones), from the Silver Age beginning up until the mid-90s, but the character never really clicked with me. Whether you want to cast it as “magic wishing ring” or “space policeman”, there’s something about the concept trying to be full of power and legend and cosmic scope that turns me off. I’m reading superhero comics for their characters, […]
Read more
Dark Horse wants to get retailers to help them promote their digital comic store, so they’ve announced a Digital Retailer Exclusive program. Comic stores that sign up (before June 22) will get (via email) a sheet of 100 one-time-use codes. The retailer prints them out, hands them out to customers (how to determine which is an open question), and with the code, a reader can download a free eight-page digital story. In July, the comic is BPRD (page shown here); […]
Read more
Short version: Great film, fun experience, best if you read very little about it beforehand to avoid spoiling some of the surprises. I won’t be revealing any here for that reason. X-Men: First Class is a prequel to the other X-Men movies, establishing how Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Professor X, aka Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) first met, developed their theories on how mutants and humans should interact, and ended up on opposite sides. After a section that […]
Read moreJust posted at the DCU blog was an announcement (excerpted below) about the upcoming Justice League #1: On Wednesday, August 31st, DC Comics will make publishing history again with their first-ever comic book combo pack. Each issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE, by New York Times bestselling writer and DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and bestselling artist and DC Comics Co-Publisher Jim Lee, will be available in a convenient combo pack including a print edition and digital version of the […]
Read more
Back in 2001, Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) re-envisioned Neil Gaiman’s Endless (from The Sandman graphic novel series) as adorable little kids in The Little Endless Storybook. Dream, Death, Desire, and the other embodiments of key human drives and motivations were surprisingly cute, drawn with big heads and streamlined symbolism. Now there’s a followup, just as charming. In Delirium’s Party, the crazy, colorful littlest sister decides to throw a party in order to make her sibling Despair smile. Now, those of […]
Read more
A Bride’s Story volume 1 is simply astounding. It’s amazing that it’s so beautifully drawn and told by Kaoru Mori; that such odd subject matter — marriage customs among the nomadic tribes of Mongolia in the 19th century — could be so fascinating; that such ornately, beautifully detailed art can be manga; that such a handsome (hardcover, jacketed) volume could be produced for the manga market, which is assumed to want cheap, teen-oriented stories. Amir is 20 years old, considered […]
Read more
Compared to the previous volume from Del Rey, the design of this book is remarkably similar. Same types of translation notes, same layout and cover look, exact same honorific page, even the same translator. When set next to each other, only the logo at the bottom of the spine differs. That’s a bonus for those of us who are a bit obsessive about that kind of thing. New to this volume and very helpful is a comprehensive “story so far” […]
Read more
Guest review by Ed Sizemore Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths is the semi-autobiographical story (in the afterward, Shigeru Mizuki tells us 90% of it is true) of Japanese soldiers stationed on New Britain Island in the Papua New Guinean Archipelago during Word War II. Mizuki’s stand-in is Private Second Class Maruyama. Life on the tropical island is hard for the Japanese soldiers. They battle hunger, malaria, abusive squad leaders, and finally US fighting forces. One thing that stands out when […]
Read more