Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
In One Bad Day by Steve Rolston, Marie and her buddy Justin are hanging out, chatting and buying cigarettes, when she sees an old friend get hit by a van. This disturbing coincidence puts in motion a chain of events that will force her to commit acts previously unthinkable when she’s only trying to get to a cousin’s birthday party that she’s been guilt-tripped into attending. There’s also a bald hit man, his shallow girlfriend, a shady transaction, and several […]
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Although manga, The Walking Man is published in a form more typical to collections of art comics, with jacket flaps and thick, crisply white paper. That suits its subject matter well, positioning it to an audience who can appreciate a series of reflective encounters beautifully illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi. (Also suited to that audience, it’s been flipped, so that it reads left-to-right.) Each chapter covers one of the man’s walks, showing us what he sees. In the first, he’s just […]
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KC and I just finished watching the DVD box set (seasons one and two) of one of the best sitcoms of all time, Titus. Those of you who know of the show will note that this was a somewhat twisted choice for the holiday season. Those of you who don’t, you have a fascinating and funny! discovery ahead of you. The show ran for all-too-brief a time on Fox, and it was rumored to have been cancelled for pushing the […]
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Chris Butcher has a damning post about a Dark Horse mistake (link no longer available): Frank Miller’s 300 has been unavailable through Diamond at a time that interest is growing, due to the film currently in production. Apparently, 2 or 3 weeks ago, there was a signing with Frank Miller in Montreal (this didn’t get any press as far as I saw?). For 300. At which, there were NO copies of 300 available. Dark Horse didn’t come through (it was […]
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When Ginji finds true love at first sight, he’s not given a chance to enjoy it. Gin is a boxing champ, and his fighting skills have caused him to become a target for revenge. He never makes it to his first date with Minako, because his enemies cause a motorcycle accident, and he dies. However, a monk with angel wings appears and tells him he can choose to be reincarnated as an animal. When that being’s natural life span is […]
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Yû Watase is best known for her two fantasy series, Fushigi Yûgi and Ceres: Celestial Legend. Although it takes place in a more normal school setting, Imadoki! (Nowadays) still has quite a fairy tale air about it. Tanpopo is so eager to check out her new Tokyo school that she jumps her bike over the gate, crash-landing into a boy tending a dandelion. In contrast to her outgoing energy, he’s reserved but caring, bandaging her injury the same way he […]
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Suki, contrary to first guess, isn’t the name of the young girl on the cover; she’s Hina. Instead, it’s from the phrase “Suki, Dakara Suki” (“I like you, that’s why I like you”). That kind of simple acceptance is a hallmark of Hina’s naiveté in this short CLAMP series. Hina lives alone with only two teddy bears for company. One snowy night, her new substitute teacher moves into the empty house next door. She’s thrilled to have a neighbor who […]
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Paradise Kiss brings a heavy dose of fashion to a manga coming-of-age romance by Ai Yazawa. Yukari is a student cramming for her upcoming college entrance exams. A group of fashion students pick her up on the street because of her moody look and rename her Caroline. They’ve created a studio in the hopes of merchandising their fashions, and they need a model for their creations. Influenced by the glam movie Velvet Goldmine, each of them has their own look. […]
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