December 25, 2018 Johanna Kodansha Manga Reviews One comment

Is Kichijoji the Only Place to Live? Volume 2

When I wrote about Is Kichijoji the Only Place to Live? volume 1 — the digital-only manga series by MAKIHIROCHI about finding single women the right neighborhood and place in which to live — I found it “formulaic but effective.” However, I had a slight concern that the series might become repetitive as a result. Volume 2 avoids that problem by expanding what we know about the continuing characters. The first chapter follows the pattern, with the sister real estate […]

December 25, 2018 Johanna Mysteries One comment

Bones Behind the Wheel: A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery

Bones Behind the Wheel is the tenth in the Haunted Guesthouse series by E.J. Copperman, but it is also a terrific starting point, as it explains everything the reader needs to enjoy this paranormal cozy mystery. The reintroduction of the premise, key characters, and setting was much appreciated. Once you get into the double digits for a book series, that’s a must. The series is enjoyable because of its comedy — innkeeper/detective Alison is fond of the sarcastic aside in […]

December 24, 2018 Johanna Andrews McMeel One comment

Book Love

I wasn’t familiar with the work of Debbie Tung until I read and enjoyed Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story. Next week she has a followup coming out. Book Love is what it sounds like, a collection of cartoons for those who love reading. The single-page strips aren’t particularly punchline-driven — the appeal comes from the familiarity. Anyone whose favorite activity is enjoying a good book or anyone who always has trouble figuring out what book to […]

December 24, 2018 Johanna Kodansha Manga Reviews Leave a comment

My Boy in Blue Volume 1

A schoolgirl falls in love with a policeman in My Boy in Blue, a silly, slightly off-putting romance by Maki Miyoshi. Sixteen-year-old Kako gets dragged to a singles mixer in order to fill out the numbers. She’s supposed to pretend to be a young-looking 22-year-old student (which is complicated by the typical shojo art style, which makes her look about eight). The organizer, jealous of her youth, tries to force alcohol on her, but a stoic, intimidating guy drinks it […]

December 24, 2018 Johanna Comic News One comment

Next Lumberjanes Original Graphic Novel Promoted for Free Comic Book Day

Expanding from the comic series, collections, and prose books (and even a film in development — that would be a fun casting game), Boom! Box put out a Lumberjanes original graphic novel, The Infernal Compass, recently. Now they’ve announced a second, The Shape of Friendship, by the same creative team, writer Lilah Sturges and artist polterink (aka Claudia Rinofner). It is due in stores next November, but the first chapter will be printed as one of Boom!’s Free Comic Book […]

December 24, 2018 Johanna Comic News Leave a comment

Wizard Renames Parent Company

While the conventions will remain Wizard World (wherever), the parent “pop culture events company” has decided to rename itself Wizard Entertainment. CEO John D. Maatta said, “Wizard Entertainment is a name that more appropriately captures the breadth of initiatives we are planning as we head into 2019. In addition to our successful live events across North America, the name reflects our additional opportunities in other regions such as China, location-based entertainment initiatives, and participation in strategic M&A opportunities.” This doesn’t […]

December 23, 2018 Johanna Viz Manga Reviews Leave a comment

Will I Be Single Forever?

I enjoyed Suppli, one of the rare josei manga series releases in the US, so when I heard that Viz was putting out a digital-only release of a single volume by artist Mari Okazaki, I knew I had to check it out. (Also, while Kodansha has been prominent in its support of non-mass-market manga titles through digital-only release, I hadn’t realized Viz also did some digital-only. They’re flagged as such on their website, but I don’t know how to get […]

December 21, 2018 Johanna Movie Reviews 2 comments

Aquaman

I saw Aquaman last night, and as expected, it was big dumb action fun. The best thing about the movie, I thought, was the immersive visuals of the seascapes, from immense glowing underwater cities to abandoned gathering places with giant decaying statues. That’s why I was glad I saw it in the theater, even if it is too long (2 1/2 hours, almost) and could have been more tightly edited. Putting in both Ocean Master (Orm, Arthur’s half-brother, played by […]

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