Comics-and-More

Pick of the Week 2/1

2012-01-30T20:49:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

John Romita Amazing Spider-Man: Artist Edition HC - Collecting seven issues from Romita's run on Amazing Spider-Man, and featuring some of Spidey's greatest villains, this welcome addition to IDW's Artist Edition series is sure to look absolutely stunning.

Other Noteworthy Releases
American Vampire (Volume 3) HC
Archie Archives (Volume 4) HC
Incredible Hulk: Fall of the Hulks HC
John Carter: A Princess of Mars TP
John Carter: World of Mars TP
Jurassic Strike Force 5 #1
Madman 20th Anniversary Monster HC
Magic: The Gathering #1
Winter Soldier #1

Whispers #1

2012-01-24T20:04:00.000-06:00

Joshua Luna

Whispers is the first solo project from Joshua Luna, one half of the Luna Brothers team who have brought us some memorable comics in the form of Ultra: Seven Days, Girls and The Sword. As Jonathan Luna's pencils are what we're used to seeing attached to the Luna name in terms of art, it's different seeing Joshua's art style on this title. But not in a bad way. Joshua's pencils aren't as sleek and refined as his brother's, but it does have that cinematic storytelling quality that we're used to with their books. You can really see the writer behind those other books in this title, and Joshua has obviously taken a lot away from working with his brother previously, and as he's done scripting and layouts for books before, you can see the similarities between this and something like Girls. But this is all Joshua's product, and anybody who has enjoyed The Luna Brother's previous works will like this as well.

The main character we are introduced to in Whispers is Sam, who has obsessive compulsive disorder, and as is revealed during an awkward lunch date with his ex and her friends, has the ability to see other people while he is dreaming. And he discovers that it's more than just a dream that allows for this, as it happens again later that evening when he finds himself floating intangibly in a ghost-like form while his body rests. I've always been interested in astral projection, so I think it's cool that this is about that subject. I also really like the way that Sam tests his abilities, learning how they work. Like many first issues out there, this is mostly a set-up issue, but we do get a good taste of the type of story we are in for here, with a cool, but flawed main character, great dialogue, and some pretty impressive art for a creator known primarily for his writing skills.

Pick of the Week 1/25

2012-01-23T23:32:00.003-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Polly & the Pirates (Volume 2): Mystery of the Dragonfish TP - I'm very happy to see Ted Naifeh's Polly and the Pirates is back in a new adventure! I really liked the first volume, and while it's been awhile since that first swashbuckling mini-series came out, this is definitely a welcome release, even if Ted Naifeh himself isn't drawing it this time around (art is by Robbi Rodriguez).

Other Noteworthy Releases
Batman & Robin: Dark Knight, White Night HC
Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterrred #1 (of 6)
Captain America by Ed Brubaker (Volume 1) HC
Creepy Archives (Volume 12) HC
Daredevil by Brubaker & Lark Ultimate Collection (Volume 1) TP
Daredevil by Mark Waid (Volume 1) HC
Durarara (Volume 1)
Fantastic Life GN
Hawkman by Geoff Johns Omnibus (Volume 1) HC
Infestation 2 #1 (of 2)
Lil Abner (Volume 4) HC
Manara Library (Volume 2) HC
Naughty & Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm SC
The Silence of Our Friends GN
Strikeforce Morituri (Volume 1) TP
Wally Wood's Strange Worlds of Science Fiction TP

Comics-and-More Podcast Publisher Spotlight: Sparkplug

2012-01-19T22:47:00.001-06:00

Patrick Markfort and I take a look at two releases from small publisher Sparkplug.

Reviewed:

Part One:

The Heavy Hand
Chris C. Cilla

Part Two:

Orchid
Edited by Ben Catmull & Dylan Williams

For further reading:
Sparkplug Homepage: http://sparkplugcomicbooks.com/index.html

Dylan Williams Reporter (a tribute blog to the late cartoonist and publisher): http://dylanwilliamsreporter.blogspot.com/

Memorial #1

2012-01-18T00:57:00.001-06:00

Chris Roberson & Rich Ellis

Memorial is a new mini-series published by IDW, from Chris Roberson (I, Zombie, Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love) and Rich Ellis, following a girl called Em after she stumbles into a hospital with amnesia, with no record of who she is, the only clue being the letter "M" on a necklace she's wearing. While we follow Em as she establishes a new life for herself, we also get a glimpse of a dark world of magic called the Everlands, where we are introduced to a mysterious tyrannical ruler in shadows and her henchmen, which includes a living puppet. Em stumbles upon a key in a curiosity shop and things kind of get hectic from there, as she is attacked immediately upon finding it by people from the Everlands, and discovers something rather interesting about the shop she has found. This was a nice introduction to this world of magic that Roberson and Ellis have created. Using a character with amnesia like Em, readers get to discover what's going on alongside her, letting things slowly unravel in an exciting way. And while there is a lot of set up in this first issue, it unfolds slowly and is clearly laid out in neatly arranged panels, with nice art from Ellis. The creators have also established a nice atmosphere here, with a real energy to the work that I appreciated. Memorial is an intriguing story thus far, with several mysteries that I'm actually pretty anxious to see resolved. A very promising first issue to a neat series. There will be six issues in the mini-series total, with the second issue hitting comic shops today.

Pick of the Week 1/18

2012-01-16T21:15:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Steve Canyon (Volume 1): 1947-1948 HC - Here's the first volume in a new reprint series of Milton Caniff's adventure strip Steve Canyon, his follow-up to Terry and the Pirates, featuring all of the color Sundays and dailies in deserving handsome hardcover volumes. This is part of IDW's solid Library of American Comics line.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Bill Griffith: Lost and Found: 1970-1994 TP
Conan (Volume 11): Road of Kings, Part One TP
Danger Girl: Revolver #1 (of 4)
Fraggle Rock Classics (Volume 1) TP
Lord of the Jungle #1
Marvel Firsts: 1970's (Volume 1) TP
Mazeworld GN
Steed and Mrs. Peel #1 (of 6)
Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye by Hickman HC
Wally Wood: Strange Worlds of Science Fiction HC
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath HC

Comics-and-More Podcast: Most Anticipated Comics of 2012

2012-01-11T01:29:00.001-06:00

Patrick Markfort and I discuss the comic book releases that we are most looking forward to in 2012 (that have been announced so far).

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Part Four:

Pick of the Week 1/11

2012-01-09T17:39:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Whispers #1 - A new series from Image Comics, the first solo effort from Joshua Luna (half of The Luna Brothers creative team), featuring different art than we're used to seeing attached to his name.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo (Volume 3) HC
Batman: Through the Looking Glass HC
Before the Incal Classic Collection HC
Brooklyn Dreams HC
Infestation HC
Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal (Volume 1): Creation Myths HC
Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #1 (of 5)
Monster Mess HC
Mystic: The Tenth Apprentice TP
Scarlet Spider #1
The Smurfs (Volume 10): The Return of the Smurfette GN
Spera (Volume 1) HC
Spider-Man: Spider-Island HC
Steve Ditko Omnibus (Volume 2) HC
Tarzan: The Jesse Marsh Years (Volume 10) HC
X-Men by Claremont and Lee Omnibus (Volume 2) HC

Fatale #1

2012-01-08T16:34:00.000-06:00

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

Fatale is a new noir thriller from Ed Burbaker and Sean Phillips, the creative team behind the acclaimed series Sleeper and the Marvel Icons series Criminal and Incognito. Published through Image Comics, Fatale begins with a prologue that follows the son of a recently-deceased writer who some mysterious men in black are after. A beautiful woman comes to his rescue before a new chapter begins, featuring this same woman and a policeman looking into a brutal mass murder. There are supernatural elements at play here, most evident in the ritualistic murder scene, and the flashback page of robed nazis and demons. The mixture of noir and the supernatural seems fresh here with neat elements introduced, and a vague mystery and faces that I'm really looking forward to seeing flushed out in later chapters. I'm not usually a huge fan of noir, but this is a really solidly told issue, paced to perfection, with some of the best art I've seen from Sean Phillips yet (and that's saying something), particularly when working with shadows and darker scenes. Fatale is creepy, compelling and drenched in noir, with Brubaker's writing at its very best. The next issue can't come out soon enough.

Comics-and-More Podcast: Year In Review

2012-01-04T22:27:00.000-06:00

Patrick Markfort and I take a look back at the comics we enjoyed most in 2011 in this epic podcast (it's almost an hour and a half long altogether). We decided to pick our favorites in different categories like "Favorite Graphic Novel," and then rounded up other great books from the year at the end. Enjoy!

Part One: Favorite Comic Book Series

Part Two: Favorite Archival Comic Collection

Part Three: Favorite Graphic Novel

Part Four: Favorite Writer

Part Five: Favorite Artist

Part Six: Breakout Talent and Favorite Character

Part Seven: Honorable Mentions Part One

Part Eight: Honorable Mentions Part Two

Part Nine: Honorable Mentions Part Three

Patrick's Picks
Favorite Comic Book Series: FF/Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Greg Tocchini, Juan Bobillo, Barry Kitson & Others)

Favorite Archival Comic Collection: Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips (Volume 1): 1949-1950 "Through the Wild Blue Wonder" (Walt Kelly)

Favorite Graphic Novel: Prison Pit (Book 3) (Johnny Ryan)

Favorite Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Favorite Artist: Rob Liefeld

Breakout Talent: Sara Pichelli
Favorite Character: Malcolm Dragon (Savage Dragon)

Dave's Picks
Favorite Comic Book Series: Animal Man (Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman)

Favorite Archival Comic Collection: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Ultimate Collection (Volume 1) HC (Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird)

Favorite Graphic Novel: Cursed Pirate Girl (Volume 1) (Jeremy A. Bastian)

Favorite Writer: Christos Gage

Favorite Artist: Sonny Liew

Breakout Talent: Jeff Lemire

Favorite Character: Moon Knight (Moon Knight)

Top 20 Comics of 2011

2012-01-03T15:13:00.000-06:00

I look forward to doing this all year, the culmination of all of my comics reading, highlighting the best and the brightest the medium had to offer over the past twelve months. These are my favorites of 2011, including manga, superheroes, graphic novels, reprints, etc. I try to be as true to how I feel about a book as possible when ranking them, which is why it may seem odd for some to see a superhero title hardly anyone read rank over an acclaimed graphic novel. If I enjoyed my experience of reading it more, it was placed higher on my list. I did feel odd including a book like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deluxe Edition, since the comics are fairly recent, and it's not like people couldn't get their hands on it, unlike something like Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse strips, which really needed to be collected. It felt more like I would be ranking its new packaging more than anything, so I left things like that off of my list (even though I enjoyed it a lot). Anyways, these are my favorite twenty comics of the year. I hope you enjoy my list, and hopefully check out some books that may have eluded you.

Honorable Mentions
The Armed Garden and Other Stories (David B.)
No Longer Human (Usamaru Furuya & Osamu Dazai)
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths (Shigeru Mizuki)
Paying For It (Chester Brown)
Three Thieves (Book 2): The Sign of the Black Rock (Scott Chantler)

20. Wonder Woman (Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang) - Wonder Woman is the most iconic female superhero out there, and it seemed like no one was able to write a great comic featuring the Amazon. Well, Azzarello and Chiang have combined forces to create an amazing new incarnation of the beloved hero, making the old-world mythology part of her character seem cool and fresh again, as it is balanced with the modern world.

19. Angel & Faith (Christos Gage & Rebekah Isaacs) - Gage and Isaacs struck the perfect balance of keeping true to the source material and making it their own. Gage captures the voice of the characters so clearly I can hear the actors recite the dialogue he provides for them in my head as I'm reading, while bringing them to new, interesting places in terms of plot and character. Isaacs also captures the actors' physical likeness enough that they are recognizable, yet makes them her own so that they're not stiff and photo-referenced, but rather fluid and natural, in a fun romp of an adventure story.

18. Sibyl-Anne vs. Ratticus (Raymond Macherot) - Part of Fantagraphics' effort to bring high-quality European comics to American audiences, this Franco-Belgian story about forest animals is masterfully told in a nice, kid-friendly story that introduces us to kind-hearted Sibyl-Anne, as well as the scheming, lazy Ratticus.

17. Smurfs (Peyo) - Papercutz' successful reprinting of Peyo's smurfy little blue guys is always entertaining, and I just have a blast whenever I'm reading them. This year saw six volumes of smurfy tales come out, including The Astrosmurf and The Smurf Apprentice, and the highly-anticipated introduction of Smurfette to Smurf Village.

16. Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 3): Research (Thomas Siddell) - Antimony Carver's adventure continues in this wonderful fantasy series, collecting more of the fan-favorite webcomic about a girl that goes to a school full of magic and wonder. This book is chalk-full of great supporting characters and has a nice, rich mythology built up by this point. Very original and always a treat to read.

15. Hark! A Vagrant (Kate Beaton) - I've really enjoyed Kate Beaton's on-line comics over the past few years, and they have been collected in a nice deserving hardcover from Drawn & Quarterly, boasting razor-sharp wit and featuring literary figures and historical figures in humorous situations, as well as Beaton's take on what's taking place on the cover of classic Nancy Drew book covers, which never fails to amuse me.

14. FF/Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Greg Tocchini, Juan Bobilo, Barry Kitson & Others) - Hickman's FF debuted this year, focusing on the extended cast of the Future Foundation and bringing Spider-Man into the book, as well as Fantastic Four's triumphant return by the year's end. Elements that Hickman has been building toward since he began writing the title are beginning to pay off in big ways as the story becomes nothing short of epic. Hickman takes great classic elements from the Fantastic Four's history and gives them a fresh take, while drawing things together neatly.

13. Animal Man (Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman) - This dark superhero title was my favorite of DC's New 52, as well as my overall favorite superhero title of 2011. Lemire attaches really neat elements to Animal Man's mythos, and gives the title more of a horror vibe than anything, including some really freaky monsters, with great designs by Foreman.

12. The Arctic Marauder (Jacques Tardi) - Jacques Tardi's impressive body of work continues to be translated, with consistently high quality material. This gem is a mystery that takes place in the Arctic, where ships are sinking for no apparent reason, that may have ties to the recent death of a young man's uncle. As usual, this is really beautifully illustrated and cartooned by Tardi, a master of the medium.

11. Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: "Race To Death Valley" (Floyd Gottfredson) - Fans have been holding their breath for years for this classic comic strip to be collected, one of few noticeable missing titles in this golden age of comics strip reprints. This is an adventure strip featuring a rascally Mickey Mouse, and is just a lot of fun to read.

10. Gil Jordan, Private Detective: Murder By High Tide (Maurice Tillieux) - This engaging detective story featuring the competent Gil Jordan and his assistants really took me by surprise. Another Franco-Belgian comic, this is just a really high quality mystery that looks great, and completely sucks you in. It makes you wonder what other gems are out there just waiting to be translated.

9. Walt Disney's Donald Duck: "Lost In the Andes" (Carl Barks) - This is another one of those series that people have been waiting for a nice deserving series of reprints for, and Fantagraphics has stepped up to the plate again, with a beautiful package. These comics are fantastic all-ages stories, full of adventure and humor, and executed masterfully by a legendary figure.

8. Lucille (Ludovic Debeurme) - This fluid story about two very damaged individuals coming together is illustrated sparingly with lovely linework, and without panels for a sort of dream-like quality. The characters are very realistic, and the story is tragic and beautiful. It feels very raw and innovative.

7. Wandering Son (Shimura Takako) - Wandering Son follows two transgendered children, depicted realistically in a gentle story full of subtle but powerful storytelling. The main characters are very appealing, as is much of the supporting cast, and the soft art style compliments the riveting journey of these children nicely.

6. Love & Rockets: New Stories #4 (Jaime Hernandez & Gilbert Hernandez) - Gilbert Hernandez' King Vampire is quite the contrast to the story that Jaime is telling in this volume, but it's drawn beautifully, with his second story, And Then Reality Kicked In, leaving quite an impression. Jaime is doing something very different from his brother, continuing the story of long-time characters, that can't help but earn an emotional response from readers. He fills in details from their past, as well as fast-forwarding into the future, showing the brutal and tender moments of his characters' lives in an amazing, and insightful, display of artistry.

5. Princess Knight (Osamu Tezuka) - This epic story of a princess born with both a male heart and a female heart set the tone for shojo manga, and is the god of manga, Osamu Tezuka, at his very best. Full of action and suspense, we see the brave Princess Sapphire face adversity, like a scheming ruler, a jealous goddess and an evil witch, in her quest to win the affection of her true love, the neighboring Prince Charming (who faces his own challenges), while striving to reclaim the throne that is rightfully hers. This manga has everything you could want in a story and keeps going in new interesting directions, keeping readers in suspense throughout the struggles of the very likable Princess Sapphire.

4. The Drops of God (Tadashi Agi & Shu Okimoto) - I know nothing about wine, but this manga that centers around the subject is fascinating and utterly engrossing. Beautifully illustrated, with a premise that propels the story forward to continue educating readers about wine, this book enchanted me into becoming my favorite manga of the year. While most of the scenes are those of the characters talking to one another, Okimoto manages to make even that look lovely, and draws some drop-dead gorgeous scenes when the taste of wine seems to transport people to other places or memories. Without the advantage of being able to taste the actual subject they discuss, they come close enough to getting the sensation across that it's staggering.

3. Habibi (Craig Thompson) - Another epic graphic novel, this beautiful story about the lives of two children growing up in the Middle East, and their shifting relationship with one another as they grow, is rich in mythology with many insightful metaphors and a fascinating comparison of stories from the Qur'an and the Bible. The characterization is top-notch and the shifting tale keeps bringing these characters to amazing places for more great storytelling. Thompson has certainly proved to fans of his acclaimed work Blankets that he has more spellbinding stories to tell.

2. Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips (Volume 1): 1949-1950 "Through the Wild Blue Wonder" (Walt Kelly) - Walt Kelly's beloved comic strip seems fully-formed from the get-go. It's cartooned with amazing skill, and the Sunday pages are colored beautifully. This strip sees forest creatures interact with one another, with everyman Pogo Possum at the center of the story, but with all sorts of memorable supporting characters such as Albert the alligator, Porky Pine, mischievous Seminole Sam the fox, and rascally Rackety-Coon. It just amazed me how fantastic this comic is. The language can be a barrier at first, but you quickly pick up on it, and then it only adds to the overall charm of what is an stunning accomplishment.

1. Cursed Pirate Girl (Volume 1) (Jeremy A. Bastian) - Cursed Pirate Girl delighted me from the first panel to the last, as this girl sets out on a quest to track down her father, a pirate king. Bastian maneuvers this cursed pirate girl through all sorts of beautiful environments, with eye-popping art that really steals the show. I noticed Bastian as the stand-out artist in last year's anthology Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, where his art was absolutely stunning in his short tale. In Cursed Pirate Girl, he has free reign to arrange elaborate, lovingly constructed panels on the pages, and enchants readers with his attention to detail in creating this amazing, magical world. The pencils here are stunning and lively, with a real energy, and it's completely unique to anything else out there. Sometimes it can be haunting, and other times it can just possess you to stop and admire the art depicted on the pages. Jeremy Bastian truly is a great find, and Cursed Pirate Girl is, in my opinion, a masterpiece, and easily the best book to come out in 2011.

And that's it, for another great year of comics. I also did separate top ten lists for my favorite manga and superhero comics of 2011, a few of which appeared on this list, in case you can't get enough, and want more recommendations.

Pick of the Week 1/4

2012-01-03T14:56:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Fatale #1 - It's monster mobsters and deadly dames in this new twelve-issue series from the Criminal, Sleeper team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Annotated Sandman (Volume 1) HC
Asterix Omnibus (Volume 3) HC
Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties HC
Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 1): Golden Dawn HC
Black Fire HC
Eerie Archives (Volume 9) HC
Fear Itself HC
Fearless (Volume 1) TP
Ferals #1
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll (Volume 1)
Inner Sanctum GN
The Lone Ranger #1
Peanuts #1 (of 4)
Strikeforce Morituri: We Who Are About To Die #1
Wandering Son (Volume 2) HC
Young Marvelman Classic (Volume 2) HC

Previews HYPE: February '12

2011-12-31T20:04:00.000-06:00

Here are the books that caught my eye in Previews Catalogue, for books shipping to comic shops in February...

Folly: The Consequences of Indiscretion SC - This is a collection of material that was originally self-published by the creator, Hans Rickheit, who topped my best-of-the-year list a few years back with The Squirrel Machine.

Winter Soldier #1 & #2 - A new ongoing series from Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice, featuring Bucky as well as Black Widow.

Harvey Pekar's Cleveland HC - Autobiographical sketches and glimpses of the city he lived in for most of his life, haunt this graphic novel from the late great Harvey Pekar.

Fantastic Four: Season One HC - The first in a series of original graphic novels, these are great for new fans, retelling the origins of some of the greatest Marvel heroes.

DC Comics Presents #6 - Now that Deadman's story has wrapped up, Dan Didio and Jerry Ordway take the reigns of the anthology series DC Comics Presents to debut The Challengers into The New 52.

Conan the Barbarian #1 - A new Conan series launches from Dark Horse, featuring the talents of Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan.

Next Men: Aftermath #40 - John Byrne isn't done with Next Men yet!

Thief of Thieves #1 - A new series co-written by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and Nick Spencer (Morning Glories), featuring a master thief.

Gloriana HC - Collecting some previously published material, this Kevin Huizenga hardcover, featuring his Glenn Ganges character, is sure to make quite an impression on new readers.

Friends With Boys GN - A new Faith Erin Hicks coming-of-age story with ghosts and school.

Batman Beyond Unlimited #1 - This oversized monthly comic features a Batman Beyond story from Adam Beechen and Norm Breyfogle, as well as a back-up story for the series that sees Justice League Beyond's print debut.

Katsuya Terada's The Monkey King (Volume 2) TP - After seven years, the illustrator Terada returns to this adaptation for a rare full-color fully-painted manga.

Showcase Presents: The Losers (Volume 1) TP - While Marvel seems to be running out of good material for their Essential line, DC is still prepping series like this in thick editions.

Journalism HC - A new Joe Sacco collection featuring short journalistic comics.

Quasar Classic (Volume 1) TP - Recently appearing in the Annihilators mini-series, cosmic hero and Avenger Quasar's adventures get collected.

Courtney Crumrin (Volume 1): The Night Things Special Edition HC - A newly remastered, full-color edition of the first book in Ted Naifeh's fan-favorite series.

Sonic: Genesis HC - A new-reader friendly Sonic graphic novel, featuring some fan-favorite artists from the series.

DC Super Pets - There are a ton of DC Super Pets trade paperbacks coming out this month, featuring favorite sidekicks like Krypto, in kid-friendly stories. Some titles include Attack of the Invisible Cats, The Hopping Hero, Superpowered Pony and Starro and the Space Dolphins.

Glory #23 - Rob Liefeld resurrects his Extreme line with this comic by Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell.

Avengers: Kree/Skrull Wat HC - I think a collection like this could be a lot of fun to read.

Best Superhero Comics of 2011

2011-12-30T13:54:00.007-06:00

Here are my ten favorite superhero comics from 2011, the top-ranking of which will also be featured in my forthcoming overall best comics of the year list.

1. Animal Man (Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman) - Jeff Lemire really struts his storytelling skills in this deliciously dark superhero title that oozes atmosphere and is drenched in horror. Introducing really cool concepts into the Animal Man mythos, Lemire creates scary villains in a story that sees him protecting his family, and his daughter as she comes into her powers, from those who would harm them. Foreman designs some great-looking baddies, and illustrates this creepy comic beautifully.

2. FF/Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Greg Tocchini, Juan Bobilo, Barry Kitson & Others) - The new title FF launched this year, focusing the events of the Baxter Building on the Future Foundation, and bringing Spider-Man into the mix, as Human Torch was presumed dead in The Negative Zone. And then Fantastic Four relaunched at the end of the year in a thick anniversary issue that brought the culmination of years worth of storylines together in an epic battle on different fronts, involving The Inhumans, The Kree, The Negative Zone and a whole mess of villains and allies. Jonathan Hickman's run on Fantastic Four has been entertaining for years, but he's really paying things off at this stage in two books that remind us why we love superhero comics so much.

3. Angel & Faith (Christos Gage & Rebekah Isaacs) - A part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine, Gage and Isaacs focus their attentions to Buffy's former flame, the vampire with a soul, Angel, and the badass slayer who has quite the history of recklessness and villainy. Together, they make a formidable team in a world where magic has been cut off from the creatures that prowl the streets of Earth. Gage gets the dialogue perfect from the get-go, and Isaacs draws Angel and Faith great, for a resemblance to the characters as we know them, without getting caught up in it. She kind of makes them her own. This is a fantastic comic, with tense action and a lovely chemistry between the characters. And it's, frankly, better than anything we saw in the Season Eight comics of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

4. Wonder Woman (Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang) - Wonder Woman seems to have been a comic that creators have had a hard time writing over the years, but Azzarello and Chiang get it right with their new incarnation of the Amazon princess, with a cool origin story and fun villains. They've found a nice balance of Diana in the real world and the mythological aspects of her story, for a lovely overall package that looks great and reads like an instant classic.

5. Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 (Grant Morrison, Cameron Stewart & Chris Burnham) - Grant Morrison's oversized issue that picks up on events from the Batman Incorporated series sees elements come together in an action-packed story here as Batman uncovers the identity of Leviathan, and agents he's recruited over the series make appearances in a high-stakes battle. But I have to say that my favorite part of this issue was chapter one, which focuses on an all-girls school that trains villains. It has stunning art by Cameron Stewart, and I just love the hell out of this kick-ass story.

6. Ultimate Comics: X-Men (Nick Spencer & Paco Medina) - They aren't afraid to shake up the continuity on these Ultimate titles, which is why decades of hinting at a Days of Future Past type era in the regular Marvel Universe has come to pass in this Ultimate X-Men book where mutants are condemned to concentration camps and can be shot on sight. It's this boldness that gives the team a breath of much-needed fresh air. On a book like this, they don't have to be concerned with the status quo, but shake things up in cool ways, and Spencer and Medina know how to tell a story for emotional impact, focusing on a tight-knit team of young characters that play off of each other well.

7. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (Jeff Lemire & Alberto Ponticelli) - I loved reading about Frankenstein in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers, and Lemire resurrects the big guy, and his lovely bride, in this new series that follows a secret organization, S.H.A.D.E., that deals with supernatural threats. Lemire has also assembled a great supporting cast of characters around Frankenstein, for a team that resembles the classic Universal movie monsters. This title is a lot of fun, with lots of personality to each of the monsters, and a crazy, eccentric organization overseeing them.

8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Dan Duncan, Brian Lynch, Franco Urru & Andy Kuhn) - It's great to have the Ninja Turtles back. And despite a drawn-out origin, this has been a solid beginning to a new era for the green guys. Especially once the origin was out of the way, it seemed the creators were ready to cut loose, incorporating elements from the original Eastman/Laird era of comics, as well as from the popular animated series. It's really cool stuff. And particularly great is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series, each issue featuring one of the turtles in a solo adventure. Only Michael and Raphael have come out so far, but they've been fantastic little stories written by Brian Lynch, with cool characters introduced into the books. This series is just getting going, but it seems like it's already building a rich story very quickly, reminding readers of why they loved these guys in the first place. IDW, who is publishing these new issues, has also done a superb job collecting the original stories in deluxe editions, in case you can't get enough.

9. Moon Knight (Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev) - An A-list creative team makes this gritty little superhero book a consistently great comic every month. I never really cared for previous Moon Knight series, but Bendis and Maleev really draw out the cool elements of this character in a story that's constantly surprising, with a fun supporting cast of characters. It's sexy, action-packed and looks great.

10. Demon Knights (Paul Cornell & Diogenes Neves) - This title takes place in The Dark Ages, for a superhero book that has a more traditional fantasy feel to it than anything. The Demon stars in this title that sees other familiar faces from the DC Universe in its pages, fighting for their lives, such as The Shining Knight and Madame Xanadu, who has a relationship with both The Demon and his human personality, for a unique love triangle. The action rarely slows down in this title, and it's unlike anything else out there in the market currently.

Honorable Mentions
Action Comics (Grant Morrison & Rags Morales)
Avengers: The Children's Crusade (Allan Heinberg & Jim Cheung)
Batwoman (J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine (Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss & Georges Jeanty)
Uncanny X-Men #532-544 (Keiron Gillen, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, Ibraim Roberson, Matt Fraction, Greg Land & Jay Leisten)

Comics-and-More Podcast: Pogo

2011-12-28T19:18:00.001-06:00

This week on the Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I discuss Walt Kelly's Pogo!

Reviewed:

Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips (Volume 1): 1949-1950 "Through the Wild Blue Wonder"
Walt Kelly

Part One:

Part Two:

Pick of the Week 12/28

2011-12-27T23:47:00.001-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Shaky Kane's Monster Truck GN - This new edition of British writer Shaky Kane's (Bulletproof Coffin) Monster Truck, from Image Comics, sees one panel sprawl over fifty-two pages, and allows more than the initial 500 copies from the UK Wishbone Studio edition (from 2007) to find its way to more readers.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Brothers of the Spear Archives (Volume 1) HC
Chase TP
Hulk by John Byrne and Ron Garney TP
Mystery Men HC
Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane Archives (Volume 1) HC
Walt & Skeezix (Volume 5): 1929-1930 HC
X-Men: Schism HC

Best Manga of 2011

2011-12-26T19:44:00.001-06:00

The following are my ten favorite manga of the year, the best of which will also be ranked on my forthcoming overall best comics of the year list.

1. The Drops of God (Tadashi Agi & Shu Okimoto) - I love this manga! About a man who learns about wine after his father, a famous wine critic, dies, this book looks great and is completely engrossing. The world of wine is really fascinating - I had no idea that wine was so complex. And the way the creators take the readers away with taste, transporting the characters to memories and breathtaking landscapes, is a smart choice that gets the point across very nicely. But as interesting as all of the subtleties of wine is, the art on this title is just drop-dead gorgeous and steals the show. From that beautifully-designed cover to the detailed backgrounds to panel-upon-panel of beautifully-rendered talking heads, this books looks fantastic.

2. Princess Knight (Osamu Tezuka) - The title that set the tone for shojo manga is just as wonderful now as it ever was. Tezuka weaves a wonderful epic story about a princess born with the hearts of both a man and a woman, and the trials she endures to win the man that she loves, and the acceptance of her kingdom. I'm a huge Tezuka fan, so I wasn't surprised that I really enjoyed this title, but even my high expectations were exceeded. Great cartooning, fantastic plot twists, tons of suspense and action, and a romance that has you rooting for the main character to beat the odds. This is Tezuka at his best, and it hardly surprises me that this title has been such an influencial work.

3. Wandering Son (Shimura Takako) - This story about two transgendered fifth-graders is masterfully told, with great characterization, and a fantastic story with a gentle tone. Things play out very cinematically and realistically in this charming tale with very likeable protagonists. There are a lot of great character moments and very subtle reactions that give this manga a feeling of richness. This really is a gem of a series.

4. No Longer Human (Usamaru Furuya) - No Longer Human is based on a popular novel in Japan by Osamu Dazai, and is a really cool character study about a guy whose life is a complete and utter charade. He may be popular and loved by his classmates, but it's all a very calculated show for someone who doesn't understand people at all. We get to witness the slippery slope that the main character travels, knowing that he will reach a very low point in his life, but I loved going along for the ride. This a thoughtful, sexy read, and it's rendered beautifully by Usamaru Furuya.

5. Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths (Shigeru Mizuki) - This World War II manga from legendary cartoonist Shigeru Mizuki follows a troop of the Imperial Army stationed in the South Pacific. There's an interesting blend of humor and really dark material to be found here, but the humor lightens what would otherwise be a pretty depressing read. Mizuki also draws the characters here in a cartoony style that contrasts nicely with the dangerous, realistic surroundings. I really like the mixture of styles, and I was surprised by how contemporary this feels forty years after its original publication. It really speaks to the strength of the creator.

6. Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi) - Reintroduced to a new generation of readers, Sailor Moon made a triumphant return this year, and having missed the fun the first time around, I immersed myself in the world of the pretty guardian and her friends. This is a magical girl manga full of pretty costumes and romance, as the girls begin a quest to fight for justice. It's just a hell of a lot of fun.

7. A Zoo In Winter (Jiro Taniguchi) - In A Zoo In Winter, Jiro Taniguchi (The Quest For the Missing Girl) recounts scenes from his youth surrounding his beginnings in manga. I'm a big fan of his artwork - it's very realistic and lush, very detailed with beautiful scenery. His breathtaking backgrounds and cityscapes, coupled with the cartooning he brings to the expressions of his characters, is just a perfect marriage of art. And beyond the artwork, Taniguchi recounts some very personal moments that make you feel closer to him, in what is a really solid, if quiet, work.

8. Velveteen & Mandala (Jiro Matsumoto) - I wasn't even sure I liked this after I finished reading it, but this manga is one of those works that's hard to get out of your head, and it makes you think about things and recall scenes. Matsumoto definitely indulges in the grotesque in this ugly post-apocalyptic world that's often over-the-top and explicit, but there are some really great ideas packed into this story, and I love the dream-like scenes within its pages. And in the end, it's even a rather sophisticated story that haunts you long after you've set it down.

9. Bakuman (Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata) - The team behind Death Note tell a story about two manga artists breaking into the industry, and man, is it engrossing. I tear through these volumes as soon as they come out. It's suspenseful, engaging, and it just keeps you turning those pages ravenously. Rarely do I look forward to the new volume of a series as much as I do this one. It plays out cinematically, with lovely artwork, and it's really neat getting a glimpse into this world.

10. A Bride's Story (Kaoru Mori) - I loved Kaoru Mori's Emma, and as with that title, Mori meticulously researched 19th Century Asia for a look at the Silk Road. In this tale, a woman is betrothed to a husband in a neighboring village, a husband who is only twelve years old. We witness her adapting to her new life in a world that is fully-realized and historically detailed. Mori draws out scenes wonderfully, to put emphasis on body language as much as speech, in fluid storytelling that masterfully breathes emotion into the story. She creates an array of fully-realized characters that move through this vivid glimpse into the past, indulging in her own interests of the time period, while drawing breathtaking landscapes and scenes of intimate family life.

Honorable Mentions
The Book of Human Insects (Osamu Tezuka)
Chi's Sweet Home (Konami Kanata)
La Quinta Camera: The Fifth Room (Natsume Ono)
Sand Chronicles (Hinako Ashihara)
Twin Spica (Kou Yaginuma)

Three Worst Comics of the Year

2011-12-24T23:21:00.002-06:00

I'm sure there's worse stuff out there, if some of the solicitations in Previews are any indication, but here are three comics that I suffered through in 2011...

1. X-Men: Regenesis #1 by Kieron Gillen & Billy Tan - This one-shot that kicks off the relaunch of the X-Men line in wake of X-Men: Schism, is a complete waste of time. It pretty much shows which X-Men are siding with which new team, as Logan and Scott approach various members of the X-Men to recruit them. As each member decides on which side they are on, the artist flashes to this weird scene where Cyclops and Wolverine are battling each other in loincloths and animal skins, and each X-Man is depicted in this garb. It's...weird. The conversations that the X-Men have that lead them to their decisions are pretty shallow too, not insightful or interesting, but just...seemed like they were talking to fill the pages.

2. Animal Land (Volume 1) by Makoto Raiku - This manga, about a human baby raised in a world full of animals, had a lot of problems. Monoko, the tanuki who raises the human baby, is perhaps the most irritating character I've ever come across, boasting a deep desperation to love the human baby and care for it and be its "mommy." She cries whenever anything goes awry, and is so suffocating and selfish in her need to "love" this child that she comes across as utterly pathetic. And then the creator also shamelessly uses the baby to try to bring emotion to a book that, while characters show a lot of emotion, is pretty emotionless. Just because a character cries, the audience is expected to feel upset, despite no feeling or genuine emotion behind the gesture, and this happens often. Plot points are solved very conveniently as well. The baby is sad that he doesn't have a name, and the paper that Monoko hid from him says his name on it (and that's all). The end. It's almost insulting how little thought seemed to go into the writing here. I can't imagine anyone caring about the characters in this book, let alone remembering it the moment they set it down.

3. Catwoman #1 by Judd Winick & Guillem March - With DC relaunching their entire DC Universe line, there were bound to be a few duds, and this one takes the cake for the worst of the bunch. It's a very straight-forward book, with nothing of interest to set it apart from other superhero books, and the protagonist is fetishised in a distasteful way, with a completely ridiculous, tacky final page that's, frankly, an embarrassing moment for comics. The dialogue is clunky, the art is eh, and Selina Kyle is just not fun to read about here.

Pick of the Week 12/21

2011-12-20T21:49:00.001-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Memorial #1 (of 6) - This new title from Chris Roberson (iZombie) and Rich Ellis sees a young woman inherit a magic shop, and propels her into the world of the supernatural.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1
Blondie (Volume 2) HC
Fantastic Four by Waid and Wieringo Ultimate Collection (Book 4) TP
Siege HC
Spider-Man: Chapter One TP
Strange Girl Omnibus HC
Tales Designed To Thrizzle #7

Manga Monday: Book of Human Insects

2011-12-19T23:41:00.069-06:00

The Book of Human Insects
Osamu Tezuka

The Book of Human Insects, published in the US by Vertical, is a minor work of Osamu Tezuka's when compared to the staggering amount of fantastic manga out there from the god of manga. That being said, this is still one of the best manga to come out this year. Even a minor work from Tezuka is superior to most of the stuff being translated currently. Princess Knight is a first-rate work from Tezuka, the second volume of which just arrived in comic shops and bookstores a few weeks ago, if you're looking for something to compare it to, or want to experience Tezuka in top form for your first look at the artist.

This graphic novel may have the title of a horror story, but it's really a drama, with thrills, and twists and turns aplenty. It begins with manga creator Toshiko Tomura winning a prestigious award for her debut manga "The Book of Human Insects" at the same time as her former roommate, another manga artist, commits suicide. We learn that Tomura stole the work of this artist and had her murdered. This becomes Tomura's MO throughout this book, as she steals from people to gain fame and happiness. The title of the book comes from the fact that she mimics people, much like some insects do to lure in prey or escape predators, before utterly destroying their lives. A lot of this book is about people discovering her secrets, and the ways she thwarts their attempts to expose her, as well as watching her getting elaborate revenge on a few people who slighted her. She's a smart, cunning woman who knows how to use her assets to get what she wants, but is really just a lost child, with some weird issues. This is an interesting book, almost like a series of connected stories, some better than others. It's really neat when we get to see her outwit a cold assassin, but there are times when it gets really bogged down, like when she marries the CEO of a company and it goes into detail about a hostile takeover that goes on for too long. It also kind of leaves you unsatisfied. There are a lot of loose ends, and the one romance that carries through the story kind of just dangles and never really comes to anything. The whole thing sort of led to nowhere, with Tomura learning no lesson whatsoever by its conclusion. Like I said, this is one of the weaker works of Tezuka, but he cartoons the hell out of it, and it's more compelling that most of what's out there on the shelves alongside it.

My Favorite Comic Book Covers of 2011

2011-12-18T23:19:00.000-06:00

I may have missed a few, but here are some of my favorite comic book covers of the year...

Best In Music 2011

2011-12-16T02:13:00.001-06:00

The following are my favorite songs and albums of 2011, a great year in music. For songs, I kept it to one song per artist to feature the most talent, and overall, it makes for one hell of a mixed CD if anyone's looking for some great tunes. I do tend to gravitate toward female singers, but there are some guys in there to mix it up. Enjoy!

30 Best Songs of 2011

1. "Rolling In the Deep" by Adele - It's hard not to fall in love with this song. It's infectious, with a great beat and a powerhouse of a voice. Adele pours her heart and soul into this one, and it comes through loud and clear.

2. "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey - Her video for "Video Games" went viral, but it's her single "Blue Jeans" that's the real show stopper. Great lyrics, interesting sounds, and a versatile voice with a unique delivery that's hard to stop listening to.

3. "Hear the Bells" by Vanessa Carlton - Vanessa Carlton really experimented with sound on her new album, and the eerie bell tolls and what I can only describe as wailing during the final chorus, paints a compelling overall song when coupled with the haunting lyrics.

4. "Little Red Boots" by Lindi Ortega - This folksy country song has the sound of an instant classic, confidently told with simple, yet fun lyrics, and a toe-tapping beat.

5. "Paper Forest (In the Afterglow of Rapture)" by Emmy the Great - Showcasing the singer's range, this song goes from fast-talking lyrics to an angelic chorus for a fantastic, bold final product.

6. "Sun of a Gun" by Oh Land - I love songs with an unique sound, and this dance number has a great hook, and a nice build-up to it.

7. "Invisible" by Skylar Grey - A great beat and a great chorus elevate the everyday lyrics of this song about not fitting in, to a whole new level, with a song that's hard to get out of your head.

8. "Hell On Heels" by Pistol Annies - Cheeky lyrics about a woman on a rampage makes for a deliciously fun song set to a lazy country beat that suits the song perfectly. Award-winning country artist Miranda Lambert heads this trio of ladies, to stunning results.

9. "Lights Low" by Madison - Madison provides some of the greatest dance music of the year from her EP, this one full of odd, but cool sounds and flirty lyrics, that build to a great chorus.

10. "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" by Katy Perry - This song is nearly impossible to resist, and has Katy Perry's fun, in-your-face style all over it.

11. "I Wanna Go" by Britney Spears - THE song of the Summer, there isn't one part of this number that isn't fantastic. Great chorus, great lead-up, and I love that whistling. It's different and a hell of a lot of fun.

12. "What the Hell" by Avril Lavigne - I haven't really been a huge fan of Avril's, but this song blew me away. It's catchy as hell, nice and flirty, and really fun to sing to.

13. "Siberia" by Lights - I like how Lights sings this song. I like how she puts the emphasis on words like "Siberia," and the lyrics, which are pretty universal but still interesting.

14. "Get Over U" by Neon Hitch - There have been a few great dance songs this year, and this is one of them. Lots of anticipation going into the chorus, which is where the song reaches a nice fervor, and I love the little interlude she does before the final chorus. Solid song.

15. "Shadow" by Colbie Caillat - This is a very simple song, but it's really very lovely with a nice beat. Sometimes songs like this, very pared down, have a way of sneaking up on you and punching a wallop. It's just kind of elegant and nice.

16. "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People - This song has a fantastic beat that's hard to ignore, and I love when songs with a fun beat are pared with dark lyrics like this. It's very fun and playful.

17. "Army of Love" by Kerli - Another great dance number from this year, this one is more of a traditional dance song, but I love how Kerli sings it, almost like she's telling you a secret or something.

18. "Zombie" by Natalia Kills - From the horror film-inspired opening to the deliciously dark and wrong lyrics, Natalia Kills, well, kills it with this song. There's a great chorus, and this is one of those songs that's just suited to be auto tuned in some parts, and it works for a really great overall sound. The delivery in this song is second to none.

19. "The Shield and the Sword" by Clare Maguire - This song is epic, with great swells of music and strings, and Clare Maguire's voice is amazingly strong.

20. "Jungle" by Emma Louise - The chorus on this song is really simple, but very infectious.

21. "The Broken Ones" by Dia Frampton - A really good song can get you really emotional, and perhaps this ballad just struck the right chords with me personally, but it got a reaction out of me, and that's what art should strive for.

22. "I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li - Incorporating all sorts of interesting sounds into her music, Lykke Li creates a real gem with this song, leading to a wonderful chorus.

23. "Loud Music" by Michelle Branch - Michelle Branch took some time off from solo work to be a part of the country duo The Wreckers, but her return to her roots is a welcome one. She rocks it with this song.

24. "Gold Mine" by Breanne Duren - I love the sound of this one, and especially how Duren sings the chorus, teasing out the words playfully in a lively, fun song.

25. "I Will Be Waiting" by Daphne Willis - Another pretty simple song, this has a nice build to the chorus and I love how she says "And when you get home, I'm gonna lock you in." It's just a fun, sunny song.

26. "Miss Me" by Andy Grammer - This is a great pop song, sung with a strong voice that's hard to get out of your head.

27. "Get Your Leavin' Done" by Sherrie Austin - Only a few country songs really impressed me this year, and this is one of them, showcasing Sherrie's songwriting talent and her strong voice.

28. "Shake It Off" by Florence + The Machine - This neat song is somewhere between new age and dance music, and is just cool and makes you want to move.

29. "Bones" by Misty Miller - This song along with "Evergreen Love" gave Misty Miller's self-titled full-length debut CD some really solid tracks. I enjoy the lyrics to "Bones" and the toe-tapping beat.

30. "Pinky's Dream" by David Lynch featuring Karen O. - Creepy and dream-like, David Lynch demonstrates why he's a master of atmosphere on his new CD, this show-stealer featuring the compelling vocals of Karen O.

10 Best Albums of 2011

1. "Rabbits On the Run" by Vanessa Carlton - After a four year hiatus, Vanessa Carlton returns with a mature, beautiful album full of incredible songs. The classically-trained musician very thoughtfully uses instruments in her music, with beautiful swells of strings and piano that pull emotional reactions from listeners. Even vocals at times seem to be used calculatingly as an instrument, using swells of a children's chorus in a song like "I Don't Want To Be a Bride," or the eerie shrieks in the background of "Hear the Bells." And the songs are so atmospheric! With "Tall Tales for Spring," you can't help but conjure up the imagery as she sings, not to mention the haunting atmosphere of "Hear the Bells." She arranges these songs to a pitch-perfect degree, with amazing lyrics. A phenomenal album, this is my pick for best of the year. Key Tracks: I Don't Want To Be a Bride, Fairweather Friend, Hear the Bells, Tall Tales for Spring.

2. "21" by Adele - It's hard not to feel the heartache and emotional punch of Adele's songs when she belts them out with that powerful voice of hers. On her sophomore effort, Adele manages to create a CD full of amazing songs, from ballads like "Someone Like You" that almost everyone can identify with, to soulful tunes like "Rumour Has It." Adele has real star power and deserves the attention she's garnered over the past year over this gem of a CD. Key Tracks: Rolling In the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire To the Rain.

3. "Femme Fatale" by Britney Spears - Britney hit one out of the park with this one. She has incredible dance numbers on this album, some of the best of the year, like the first single off of this CD "Till the World Ends," and of course, the infectious "I Wanna Go" was almost impossible not to fall in love with. Sure, some of the lyrics can be a little cheesy at times, but you can't dismiss a CD that's full of such appealing pop music. Key Tracks: Till the World Ends, Inside Out, I Wanna Go.

4. "Perfectionist" by Natalia Kills - Natalia Kills certainly grabbed my attention with her debut single "Mirrors," a song about S&M with a catchy beat, but she really proved that she wasn't a one-trick pony with a CD chalk-full of amazing music. From the auto-tuned chiller "Zombie" to the feisty "Break You Hard," which illustrates her versatile voice, many of the songs on this CD have the makings of classics. Natalia records some very bold sounds with bold lyrics, and hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg, because as far as debuts go, they can't get much better than this. Key Tracks: Mirrors, Kill My Boyfriend, Zombie, Nothing Lasts Forever.

5. "Little Red Boots" by Lindi Ortega - Full of sassy country songs, this CD is fast-talking and feisty one minute, and heartbreaking and sympathetic the next. Boasting a unique voice, Ortega proves her song-writing talent with this album full of winners. Hands-down the best country CD released this year. Key Tracks: Little Lie, Little Red Boots, Fall Down or Cry, Jimmy Dean.

6. "Red" by Dia Frampton - I really liked songs like "Here, Here and Here" from Meg & Dia, and this is half of that duo, Dia Frampton, with her debut CD. People probably recognize her more recently as a finalist from The Voice, but Dia's already a seasoned musician, as she proves with this CD, playing multiple instruments and demonstrating a strong songwriting talent. Her sound is more mature than her Meg & Dia days, even if they are still playful and youthful. This is one consistently good album, with great ballads like the emotionally powerful "The Broken Ones" and fun experimental songs like "Billy the Kid." Key Tracks: Don't Kick the Chair, The Broken Ones, Billy the Kid.

7. "The Waking Sleep" by Katie Herzig - Katie Herzig has been making music for awhile, but her latest CD is something to be reckoned with. This album is full of unique sounds and experimentation, with beautiful swells of vocals. It's very atmospheric and expertly assembled, with lovely lyrics. Everything you could want in a great album.

8. "Sparks EP" by Breanne Duren - This five-song EP introduces listeners to a unique voice, with playful songs like the irresistible "Gold Mine" and songs like "Summer Days" that suck you into her vision of Summer and forces heartache upon you. Duren illustrates on "Summer Days" how to sing perfectly for that emotional reaction, with the perfect pace and accompaniment of music. It's this masterful arrangement that she brings to her songs, bringing to life five beautifully rich songs. Key Tracks: Gold Mine, Daydreams, Summer Days.

9. "Bells" by Laura Jansen - Laura Jensen's songs are simple and elegant, with plenty of emotion pouring forth through her voice. This is her first full-length album, but she gets it right with her pared-back sound. The lyrics are vulnerable and honest, and she strikes a chord with her beautiful dreamy voice. Key Tracks: The End, Bells, Use Somebody.

10. (TIE) "Circus Girl" by Sherrie Austin - Country singer Sherrie Austin's first CD in eight years represents a welcome comeback. Admittedly, I was a huge fan of Sherrie growing up. She's one of the few people I actually stood in line for to get an autograph (at the Mall of America). She spawned some great CDs back then, and she shows that she's still got the goods. As before, she releases songs that sound like instant classics, like "Get Your Leavin' Done," and has those sassy, fun-loving songs that I loved growing up like "I Didn't" and "That Kind of Happy." The songs can be a little cheesy at times, but they're so much fun you hardly care. Her strong voice shines through wonderfully in this album, which was released on her own record label. I'm very excited to have Sherrie back, as she's a breath of fresh air to country music, truly embracing the medium, and just having fun with it. Key Tracks: Get Your Leavin' Done, Sleep With Me, That Kind of Happy.

10. (TIE) "Two" by Lenka - I loved Lenka's debut CD from a few years back, so was very excited to see a new one from her come out. I was a little disappointed at first, but this is a CD that really grows on you the more you listen to it. Lenka's songs are fun, with great beats, and once you have a song in your head, it's hard to get rid of it, let alone keep from singing it. Listening to her music is like listening to sunshine. Key Tracks: Roll With the Punches, Everything At Once, You Will Be Mine.

Honorable Mentions
"The Noise Some People Make EP" by Madison - A great EP of dance songs, lots of fun and upbeat with cool sounds. I'll be really looking forward to the full-length CD from Madison. Key Tracks: #1, Lights Low, Hot Hot Love.

"Born This Way" by Lady Gaga - This 80's-tinged CD had some great songs, and were very different from one another, yet cohesive as a whole album. I'm not a huge fan of 80's music, but this CD wanted me to like it more because it was a pretty impressive final product. Key Tracks: Judas, Scheibe, You and I.

Paying For It

2011-12-14T23:11:00.000-06:00

Chester Brown

Paying For It is the first book I've read from Chester Brown, and is described as "a comic-strip memoir about being a john." This graphic novel comes with an introduction from R. Crumb and extensive appendices and notes. This book, about paying for sex, follows Chester Brown's experiences in the world of prostitution. I was kind of surprised to find that it was less autobiographical than I'd expected. Even though it does follow Brown through his own experiences as a john, it's more a commentary on prostitution itself. He doesn't necessarily glorify it, but dissects it through his experiences, and puts forth some pretty compelling arguments on why it shouldn't be illegal. He also questions the ideas of love and how society views marriage and monogamy, and it's really interesting stuff that he brings up. He also humanizes the prostitutes, as he sits and chats with them before or after sex, and through this book, we get to hear their stories, and kind of understand why they do what they do. And Chester Brown doesn't really sugarcoat anything. He shows us the great experiences he has paying for sex, as well as the awkward and strange. It's surprising how many stereotypes he shatters, about these women and how escort services operate and pimps and whatnot, and it all remains pretty compelling throughout. Besides the fact that it was less about Brown than it was a commentary on the prostitution industry, I was also surprised by how this story just wasn't very sexy. You'd think a book that's pages upon pages about a man who pays to have sex (and illustrates him having said sex) would be sort of erotic, but there are few genuinely sexy moments, and it's more a pretty removed look at how things work, and his personal discoveries of how to navigate this world. I did have fun reading this title, despite how it turned my expectations upside-down, and I'm looking forward to reading more from the creator.

Pick of the Week 12/14

2011-12-13T23:59:00.001-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Jim Henson's A Tale of Sand HC - This graphic novel is illustrated from a complete screenplay found in the archives of The Jim Henson Company, written by Jim Henson himself and partner Jerry Juhl.

Other Noteworthy Releases
500 Portraits HC
Absolute Promethea (Volume 3) HC
Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (of 4)
Carnage USA #1 (of 5)
Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was HC
DC Comics: The New 52 HC
Essential Rawhide Kid (Volume 1) TP
Fables (Volume 16): Super Team TP
Garth Ennis' Complete Battlefields (Volume 1) TP
Killing Pickman HC
The Ray #1 (of 4)
The Red Wing TP
Salt Water Taffy (Volume 5) GN
The Sigh HC
The Strain #1 (of 11)
Tales of the Batman: Don Newton (Volume 1) HC
The Walking Dead (Volume 15): We Find Ourselves TP

Comics-and-More Podcast: TMNT

2011-12-11T18:07:00.001-06:00

On the latest Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I take a look at IDW's new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, as well as the new ultimate collection of the original TMNT material.

Reviewed:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011) #1-4
Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz and Dan Duncan

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection (Volume 1) HC
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

For further reading:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series: Raphael #1
Brian Lynch & Franco Urru

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (Volume 1): Heroes In a Half-Shell TP
Michael Dooney, David Weiss & Patti Howeth
Based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Previews HYPE: January '11

2011-12-10T20:23:00.001-06:00

Here are the books I noted after trudging through Previews Catalogue, for books shipping to comic shops in January...

Steve Canyon (Volume 1): 1947-1948 HC - Finally, nice editions of Milton Caniff's adventure strip, his follow-up to Terry and the Pirates, featuring all of the color Sundays and dailies in deserving hardcover volumes.

Whispers #1 - A new series, the first solo effort from Joshua Luna, featuring different art than we're used to seeing attached to his name.

X-Men: Mutant Genesis 2.0 HC - The first seven issues of the relaunched X-Men from 1991 is collected in this hardcover, featuring the writing of Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, John Byrne and Scott Lobdell, and the pencils of Jim Lee.

Fantastic Life GN - Kevin Mutch's Xeric award-winning graphic novel.

Danger Girl: Revolver #1 (of 4) - A new Danger Girl is introduced to the team in this brand-new mini-series from creators J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell, with Chris Madden. Also available this month is the Danger Girl: The Danger-Sized Treasury Edition.

Gone To Amerikay HC - A new sweepeing epic story featuring Irish immigrants, this is a Vertigo OGN from Derek McCulloch and the talented Colleen Doran.

Fatale #1 - Monster mobsters and deadly dames in a new series from the Criminal, Sleeper team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

The Sunday Funnies #1 - This seems like a fun idea. An anthology series that republishes classic Sunday comic strips, 32 pages of full color strips in their original size, in each issue. Including titles like Gasoline Alley, Polly and Her Pals, Terry and the Pirates, Little Nemo and more.

The Sincerest Form of Parody: The Best 1950's MAD Inspired Satirical Comics SC - The title kind of says it all. This collects stories from artists such as Jack Kirby, Bill Everett and Bob Powell.

Hawk and Dove: Ghosts and Demons TP - A new collection of the 1988 Hawk and Dove mini, sure to be of interest to fans of the new Hawk and Dove series.

I, Vampire TP - Also sure to have some followers in light of the new series from DC's New 52, this is the original fan-favorite material.

Infestation 2 #1 (of 2) - Because one wasn't enough, here comes another Infestation from IDW, bringing together different IDW properties for one crossover event, including Transformers, Danger Girl and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Steed and Mrs. Peel #1 - Grant Morrison writes this new series featuring the Avengers TV show's John Steed and Emma Peel.

Monster Mess HC - From Lewis Trondheim, this all-ages book is about some kids who draw monsters that come to life.

Wally Wood: Strange Worlds of Science Fiction Deluxe HC - Collecting rare science fiction comics from 1950 by Wally Wood.

Bulletproof Coffin: Disintegrated #1 (of 6) - A new Bulletproof Coffin mini-series!

Scarlet Spider #1 - A new Spider-Man title spinning out of Spider-Island, featuring a new Scarlet Spider.

The Avalon Chronicles (Volume 1) HC - A fantasy about a girl transported to Avalon, recalling the stories she was read from her parents' magical book The Avalon Chronicles.

Lucille GN

2011-12-08T01:13:00.000-06:00

Ludovic Debeurme

The first book to be printed in English (courtesy of Top Shelf) by celebrated cartoonist Ludovic Debeurnme is the Rene Goscinny Prize and Angouleme Essential Award-winning graphic novel Lucille. And it's not hard to see why this is such a lauded work. The story immerses readers in this world where two teenagers, Lucille and Arthur, come together despite their personal struggles, and run away to build a life together. You can't help but feel it's doomed from the beginning, as these are two very damaged individuals that seem much too fragile for the real world, but they manage to get by as they travel across Europe, trying to free themselves from their ghosts and learn to love. Opening up this book and glancing through the pages, it looks deceptively simple. Debeurme uses sparse line work to tell his story with no panels, but manages to weave such a rich story with engaging characters, that you fall under his spell quickly enough, and the fast pace of the book propels you through this fluid story quickly, making the pages just fly by. Lucille and Arthur are such tragic characters that it's hard not to feel for them as the story shifts between their perspectives. Lucille is a girl who grew up with poor self-image who becomes anorexic and very sick, while Arthur was witness to an environment where his father was an alcoholic, and is plagued by a form of OCD. You might think that the "issues" these teenagers deal with is trying to make it an edgy story, but they deal with their issues in realistic ways, and as the story progresses, it plays into how they react to things, but isn't just about these issues. Lucille and Arthur are individuals beyond their illnesses, and by the end of the book, you really come to care for them and hope that things will turn out okay for them. Lucille was an absolute pleasure to read, and I hope to see more from Ludovic Debeurme translated in the near future.

Pick of the Week 12/7

2011-12-05T21:28:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

X-Statix Omnibus HC - Kind of a light week, but this is a cool release. This omnibus collects over 1200 pages of Peter Milligan and Mike Allred's great series, including its beginnings in X-Force, the mini-series Wolverine/Doop and X-Statix Presents Dead Girl, and other odds and ends. It's $125, but you get a lot of bang for your buck there.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Art of Spider-Man Classic HC
Captain Canuck Complete Edition TP
Defenders #1
The Eyes of the Cat Deluxe HC
Girls Complete Collection TP
I Thought You Would Be Funnier HC
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus (Volume 1) TP
Johnny Hazard Dailies (Volume 1): 1944-1946 HC
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro Series #1: Raphael
Villains For Hire #1 (of 4)
West Coast Avengers: Sins Past HC

Comics-and-More Podcast: Disney

2011-12-03T20:09:00.000-06:00

This time around, Patrick Markfort and I take a look at Fantagraphics' archival reprint projects of Disney creations for the Comics-and-More Podcast.

Reviewed:

Part One:

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson (Volume 1): "Race To Death Valley"
Floyd Gottfredson

Part Two:

Walt Disney's Donald Duck by Carl Barks (Volume 1): "Lost In the Andes"
Carl Barks

For further reading:
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson (Volume 2): "Trapped On Treasure Island"
Floyd Gottfredson

Pick of the Week 11/30

2011-11-28T17:02:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Salvatore (Volume 2): An Eventful Crossing GN - French cartoonist Nicholas de Crecy's (Glacial Period) series of animorphic characters is a fun, crazy tale about an auto repair mechanic dog, who, in volume two, traverses the land in search of his sweetheart.

Other Noteworthy Releases
The Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks TP
The Complete Invincible Library (Volume 3) HC
The Definitive Flash Gordon & Jungle Jim (Volume 1) HC
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Volume 6): Cabin Fever HC
RASL (Volume 3) TP
Rust (Volume 1) HC
Spider-Man Marvel Team-Up by Claremont & Byrne TP
Thor by Kieron Gillen Ultimate Collection TP
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents (Volume 2) #1 (of 6)
Wonder Woman Chronicles (Volume 2) TP
X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan (Volume 3) HC

Hunters of the Dark Omnibus Edition

2011-11-28T11:53:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to let my followers know that Hunters of the Dark is now available in an omnibus edition through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This edition includes the first three books of the series plus the prequel, and a few goodies like a never-before-seen bonus chapter and an author interview. It's going to be on sale for $2.99 for a limited time only, which is cheaper than the cost of the second two books and the prequel individually. It's also available in four different colored covers, so you can pick which one you like best (check out the illustrated covers below).

Comics-and-More Podcast: Savage Dragon

2011-11-27T23:59:00.001-06:00

On the latest episode of the Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I take a look at Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon #175 and the anthology based on Erik Larsen's characters in Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies.

Reviewed:

Savage Dragon #175

Erik Larsen

Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies TP

Edited by Michel Fiffe
Based on characters created by Erik Larsen

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

For further reading:
Savage Dragon #1-174
Erik Larsen

Freak Force #1-18
Erik Larsen & Keith Giffen

Pick of the Week 11/23

2011-11-21T16:27:00.001-06:00

Here are the books you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Fantagraphics Collections - Damn, this is a great week for comics! The collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles material or Lynda Barry's Everything could have easily been the pick of the week, but even those massive projects were overshadowed by Fantagraphics' releases this week! Two big archival projects that people have been anticipating for a long time have finally arrived, making their debut this week: Walt Kelly's Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips (Volume 1): Through the Wild Blue Wonder HC and Walt Disney's Donald Duck (Volume 1): Lost In the Andes HC from Carl Barks.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Everything (Volume 1): 1978-1981 HC
Fantastic Four #600
Green Lantern Omnibus (Volume 2) HC
The Innocent GN
The Mighty Thor by Matt Fraction (Volume 1) HC
Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad HC
Rovers GN
Royal Historian of Oz TP
Showcase Presents: Ghosts (Volume 1) TP
The Smurfs (Volume 9): Gargamel and the Smurfs GN
Super Dinosaur (Volume 1) TP
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection (Volume 1) HC
Tesoro TP

Free "Hunters of the Dark" E-book

2011-11-19T18:26:00.003-06:00

Since the latest book in my Hunters of the Dark series has been released, I wanted to offer the first e-book in the series to my followers for FREE! Who doesn't like free stuff, right? It's about a group of monster hunters, and has been compared to Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and X-Men (it was definitely influenced by comics books). If it sounds good, check out Her Dark Destiny (Hunters of the Dark #1) for free at Smashwords. Just use coupon code NL95K when checking out and sideload it to whatever e-reader device you use. The coupon will work through the end of November. And hopefully, you will check out the sequels and prequel.

Hunters of the Dark series:

Her Dark Destiny (Hunters of the Dark #1)

Night Cries (Hunters of the Dark #2)
Face the Dark (Hunters of the Dark #3)
The Tomb (Hunters of the Dark prequel)

Manga Friday: Kekkaishi

2011-11-18T20:31:00.000-06:00

Kekkaishi 3-in-1 Omnibus Edition (Volume 1)
Yellow Tanabe

I really love these omnibus editions. Just having so much material together in one volume somehow makes it much more appealing to me (576 pages in this thick collection). Anyways, Kekkaishi is about a teenage demon hunter who has inherited the mark to become his family's next Kekkaishi, or demon hunter. His family is actually in a feud with a neighboring family who also have a mark passed down through their bloodline, over which family are the "true practitioners." I don't really see what the big deal is either way, since the current Kekkaishi can both do pretty much the same things, and doesn't having more than one make it easier? Oh, well. The families are feuding over who has the right to this title, but in the meantime, our protagonist, Yoshimori Sumimura is learning the craft despite having little interest in carrying on the family work. The rival family's daughter however, Tokine Yukimura, is really invested in demon hunting and is very good at it. Basically Kekkaishi use spells to trap demons in a magical barrier, then say some magic words to destroy it while it's trapped. It takes quite a bit out of them to use this magic, especially when it comes to bigger demons. And demons come in all shapes and sizes, and have plenty of tricks up their sleeves. It's a little complicated, with all sorts of little things to know about the world that Tanabe has constructed here: some demons appeared as demons from the get-go, but some were originally ghosts, although not all ghosts are bad, etc. And there's some sort of grounds beneath the local school that draws the demons to it, where they can grow stronger. Readers definitely have to invest in understanding the world and sorting through the rules, and none of it is particularly interesting, even how they hunt the ghosts, which should be the coolest part. The real star here is the relationship between Yoshimori and Tokine. They have a sort of star-crossed things going on here ala Romeo and Juliet, what with their families hating one another so passionately. Tanabe does a great job of drawing this relationship out, and using subtle interactions to explore it. It's very well done. Tanabe also illustrates this very nicely, with clear action sequences and nice character designs (although the monster designs are a little underwhelming so far). Overall, this is a decent book. Nothing has really blown me away at this point, and the main demon-hunting-action stuff is the weakest part about it, which is a problem, although other aspects of the title have compensated for that deficiency. Hopefully it all pays off and becomes something more intriguing as the series goes along.

Manga Thursday: A Zoo In Winter

2011-11-17T12:49:00.000-06:00

A Zoo In Winter
Jiro Taniguchi

I had a blast reading Jiro Taniguchi's The Quest For the Missing Girl recently, so was excited to pick up his new book A Zoo In Winter, in which he recounts scenes from his youth surrounding his beginnings in manga. I love Taniguchi's art style. It's very realistic and lush, very detailed with beautiful scenery. While this book had less breathtaking surroundings than The Quest For The Missing Girl, his cityscapes are just as dazzling as the mountains he portrayed in that book, and the cartooning he brings to the expressions of his characters is just a perfect marriage of art. Of course, reading this autobiographical account of breaking into manga brings to mind Yoshihiro Tatsumi's recent A Drifting Life and it's hard not to compare this unfairly to that master work. This is a much shorter glimpse into Taniguchi's life, whereas Tatsumi's work is a sprawling masterpiece. But A Zoo In Winter is a really riveting, well-crafted piece of work in its own right. I like how the manga that he works on in this title parallels his own feelings for the girl in his life, and I enjoyed the oddness of the situation with his boss' daughter. I think the manga industry is really fascinating too, so this glimpse into that world is a real treat. It's something I love about Bakuman, and while this doesn't go into as much detail, it's much more grounded and I appreciate that. It was also nice to see some awkward humanizing moments in Taniguchi's life: getting drunk and dancing with a drag queen, getting aroused while drawing a nude, getting taken advantage of by a pretty face... It makes you feel closer to the author for his admissions and I grew to really like him. Overall, this is a pretty solid, if quiet, story. Moments from it kind of stay with you, which is the mark of good storytelling.

Manga Wednesday: Stargazing Dog

2011-11-16T20:43:00.105-06:00

Stargazing Dog
Takashi Murakami

Stargazing Dog is a story about a man and his relationship with his dog. After he loses his job and his wife leaves him, "Daddy" (as his dog calls him) drives south on a road trip where we get to see the two bond. We know from the opening scene that things aren't going to end well for the two, as their bodies are found in his car near a camp site, long dead, but we get to see the events that lead to that lonely tragic scene. Much of the story is told through the eyes of the dog, with a naive, loyal voice, as we see "Daddy" spiral closer and closer to his death. I found seeing this story from the dog's point of view kind of irritating, to be honest. It's something else when a manga like Chi's Sweet Home is all about a cute animal doing cute things and getting some laughs out of it, but Stargazing Dog is a pretty bleak, serious story, and the dog's naive voice just kind of clashes with the overall tone. It's distracting even. I think it would have been stronger watching the dog do the things he did silently and interpret his actions ourselves. Instead of making him more sympathetic, I'm afraid that Murakami just makes this dog seem like he could have easily been interchangeable with a naive kid. He kind of humanizes the dog, which seems to contradict his overall portrait of dogs in this book. It was just an odd fit for this specific story. I did like some aspects of the relationships between man and dog, especially in the short that follows the main story, about the man who tries to identify the body of the homeless man and prepare a burial for him. This man recalls his own experiences with his dog growing up, particularly how loyal it was to him despite his own aloofness toward the dog, and his regret for not being a better owner to him. Murakami's art is pretty solid with very nice backgrounds and designs for the dogs, and boxier forms for the humans of the story that give it a little character. Unfortunately, I just didn't really connect with this story. I felt like it pushed a little too aggressively for an emotional reaction when it was hardly earned. It seemed a little too orchestrated for that response and just left a bad taste in my mouth instead. I can see some people really enjoying a book like this, but it was not for me.

Pick of the Week 11/16

2011-11-16T02:16:00.000-06:00

I hope you're enjoying Manga Week here at Comics-and-More! Here's a little break to take a look at the books hitting comic shops today. This is the book you should be paying attention to...

Mudman #1 - Kind of a slow week, but this could be a lot of fun. A new superhero series from Paul Grist (Jack Staff)!

Other Noteworthy Releases
Archie: The Best of Samm Schwartz (Volume 1) HC
Bob Powell Terror HC
Candlegrave GN
Captain Swing GN
Classic Next Men (Volume 2) TP
Green Lantern: War of the Green Lanterns HC
The Marvel Art of John Romita Jr. HC
Next Men (Volume 2) HC
X 3-In-1 Edition (Volume 1)

Manga Tuesday: Princess Knight

2011-11-15T23:54:00.068-06:00

Princess Knight (Volume 1)
Osamu Tezuka

Originally beginning its serialization over fifty years ago (in 1953) in Shojo Club, Princess Knight was reworked and serialized three more times in different magazines, spawning a TV series, a film, and shaping the future of shoujo manga for generations to come. The version that Vertical collects here, in the first of two collections, is translated from the Tezuka Osamu Manga Zenshu edition from 1977, but the story was very similar from one serialization to another.

Princess Knight follows Princess Sapphire, who pretends to be a prince to inherit the throne one day. A little trouble-making cherub named Tink gave her a boy heart to go along with her girl heart before she was born, so she has aspects of both genders (she's very courageous and good with a sword, and also gentle and empathetic). Despite the significant risks involved, Sapphire does dress as a girl sometimes, and it's as a girl that she falls for a prince from a neighboring kingdom, who also falls for her. But after an assassination attempt against Sapphire, the prince is mistakenly imprisoned and from then on, he swears Prince Sapphire as an enemy. There's plenty of more stuff that occurs in this first volume, including a witch who wants her girl heart, a pirate who wants to win her over, and a transformation into a swan, but it's really the quest to retake the throne, and win over her handsome prince that drive this title. Tink makes for a cute little side character for Sapphire, but Sapphire is completely likeable in her own right. I'm a huge Tezuka fan, so I wasn't surprised that I really enjoyed this book, but even my high expectations were exceeded by this title. Great cartooning, fantastic plot twists, tons of suspense and action, and a romance that has you rooting for the main character to beat the odds. This is Tezuka at his best, and it hardly surprises me that this title has been such an influencial work.

Manga Monday: The Drops of God

2011-11-14T19:32:00.000-06:00

The Drops of God (Volume 1)
Tadashi Agi & Shu Okimoto

The Drops of God is an award-winning manga that actually influences the wine industry, and is highly-regarded in many countries, including France. The story follows Shizuku, the son of a world famous wine critic, who has turned his back on wine his whole life since his father, Kanzaki, kind of forced techniques to enjoy wine down Shizuku's throat his entire life. When his father dies, the terms of the will state that Shizuku must compete to inherit the fortune that is Kanzaki's wine collection, against a top wine critic whom his father recently adopted. And so the competition begins to identify the twelve wines that Kanzaki has deemed "the drops of god."

Shizuku's motives are not profit-based, but are more about trying to understand his father, which makes his journey into the world of wine one where readers wish to see him succeed (especially against such an arrogant competitor). As I'm not a wine drinker myself, I wasn't sure that I would really get much out of this book, but Shizuku really is just beginning to learn about wine in this volume, so people unfamiliar with the subject can follow along easily.

Shizuku's father gave him the tools to identify and appreciate wine when he was growing up, unbeknowst to him, and he's now using them to learn from an eager young sommeliere who joins him in his quest. The world of wine is really fascinating - I had no idea that wine was so complex. And the way the creators take the readers away with taste, transporting the characters to memories and breathtaking landscapes, is a smart choice that gets the point across quite nicely. But as interesting as all of the subtleties of wine is, the art on this title is just drop-dead gorgeous and steals the show. From that beautifully-designed cover to the detailed backgrounds to panel-upon-panel of beautifully-rendered talking heads, this books looks fantastic. Especially noteworthy are scenes when characters are interacting with wine: holding a glass up to the light, decanting it, tasting it... You really get a sense that the creators love the subject, and it's hard not to feel the excitement that the characters do throughout their journey. This really is an amazing work.

Comics-and-More Podcast: Sailor Moon!

2011-11-13T01:32:00.001-06:00

It's Manga Week at Comics-and-More, and to kick it off, this week's Comics-and-More Podcast is dedicated to Naoko Takeuchi's Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V! Expect to see manga reviews all week here at Comics-and-More!

Reviewed:

Part One:

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Volume 1)
Naoko Takeuchi

Part Two:

Codename: Sailor V (Volume 1)
Naoko Takeuchi

And for your further viewing pleasure, don't miss the Comics-and-More Podcast that sees us discussing the first volume of Shimura Takako's Wandering Son!

Comics-and-More Podcast: X-Men

2011-11-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

On this episode of the Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I discuss the two big titles from the newly relaunched X-Men line.

Reviewed:

Part One:

Uncanny X-Men #1
Keiron Gillen & Carlos Pacheco

Part Two:

Wolverine and the X-Men #1
Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo

For further reading:
X-Men Schism #1-5
Jason Aaron, Carlos Pacheco & Cam Smith

X-Men Regeneration #1
Kieron Gillen & Billy Tan

Pick of the Week 11/9

2011-11-08T18:57:00.000-06:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow!

Princess Knight (Volume 1) - Finally somebody has translated this - thank you, Vertical! Osamu Tezuka's manga that was extremely influential in shaping shoujo manga. And on that note, next week Comics-and-More will be dedicated to manga for Manga Week! See reviews of manga every week day (including Princess Knight), as well as a podcast devoted to Sailor Moon!

Other Noteworthy Releases
Dominion GN
Essential Sgt Fury (Volume 1) TP
Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (Volume 2): The Mad Scientist and a Dusting of Mummies HC
Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus (Volume 1) HC
Lily Renee, Escape Artist GN
Northanger Abbey #1 (of 5)
The Occultist #1 (of 3)
PC Cast's House of Night #1 (of 5)
Point One #1
Return To Perdition HC
Saga of the Swamp Thing (Book 6) HC
Simon and Kirby Library: Crime HC
Spy vs Spy by Prohias Omnibus HC

Manga Monday: No Longer Human

2011-11-07T12:25:00.000-06:00

No Longer Human (Volume 1)
Usamaru Furuya
Based on the novel by Osamu Dazai

Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human is the second bestselling novel in all of Japan, and Usamaru Furuya adapted that beloved story into a manga for Dazai's 100th birthday. And is very successful. This book sees a manga artist looking for inspiration for a new story, and stumbling across the on-line journals of Yozo Oba. Oba is a student loved by his fellow classmates, smart but modest, and entertaining and funny, as well as handsome and rich. But his life is a charade. He's very calculating in how he acts around people and puts on a show so that people will like him. He doesn't connect with other people, doesn't understand them, and so his life has become a farce. Oba soon meets Masao Horiki, a bad boy who's used to indulging his whims: drinking, smoking and going to prostitutes for sex. And it seems that Oba isn't new to this world. When he sleeps with prostitutes is the only time that he feels like he can really be himself. He gives them money and indulges himself completely, without the pretense and showmanship that the rest of his life has become. Throughout the first volume of this series, we see Oba travel a slippery slope, disconnected from those around him, while satisfying his desires, watching the people around him, and going as low as he can go. I really liked following Oba through this journey. No Longer Human is a thoughtful, sexy read, and it's illustrated absolutely beautifully. I can't imagine that Dazai wouldn't be extremely proud of Furuya's adaptation of his work.

Previews HYPE: December '11

2011-11-06T23:57:00.034-06:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging, but I'm finally getting around to my picks from Previews Catalogue for December. Here are the books that I think may get overlooked, or that I'm just plain excited about...

Memorial #1 - This new title from Chris Roberson (iZombie) and Rich Ellis sees a young woman inherit a magic shop, and propels her into the world of the supernatural.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 - This 80-page one-shot kind of wraps up Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated series, but with Batman Inc still a part of DC's New 52, this may not be the last we'll see of it.

Defenders #1 - A relaunch of a title that has had several incarnations, this time with former members like Dr. Strange, and new faces like Red She-Hulk.

Kramer's Ergot (Volume 8) - Smaller in scale (I'm talking content and physical size here), the new Kramer's Ergot anthology is sure to please, whatever the format.

John Romita's The Amazing Spider-Man: Artist's Edition HC - The latest in IDW's Artist's Editions is a head-turner.

Polly and the Pirates (Volume 2): Mystery of the Dragonfish - I'm very happy to see Ted Naifeh's Polly and the Pirates back, and in a new full-length graphic novel no less! The down-side: It's not drawn by Naifeh, but by Robbi Rodriguez. Not that Rodriguez' art looks bad or anything, but it's not Naifeh.

The Strain #1 (of 11) - I read the book by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro, and this is a pretty gruesome, but fast-paced horror story that could translate to comics really well.

The Ray #1 - The latest superhero to debut in the DC Universe is this glowing ray of light.

Nancy Is Happy: Dailies 1943-1945 SC - A new ongoing reprint project featuring three years of Ernie Bushmiller's strips in each volume.

The Complete Flash Gordon Library (Volume 1): On the Planet Mongo HC - Including the dailies and Sundays, this collection begins a reprint project that showcases Alex Raymond's epic science fiction series.

Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (of 4) - The new big crossover from Marvel features the return of the recently-deceased Cable. But few stay dead at Marvel, especially a time traveller.

Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby's 1940s-1950s Romance Comics - The title kind of sums it all up, this collection coming from Fantagraphics.

Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll (Volume 1) - It's just fun to say. This all-ages series featuring a dog with a tail like a cinnamon roll is sure to please the little ones.

Essential Rawhide Kid (Volume 1) TP - Marvel moves into western territory with their black and white reprint series.

Pick of the Week 11/2

2011-11-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Ganges #4 - It's kind of a slow week, but it's always cause for celebration when a new issue of Kevin Huizenga's comic comes out!

Other Noteworthy Releases
Absolute Sandman (Volume 5) HC
Batman: Noel HC
Black Widow: Itsy-Bitsy Spider HC
Hellboy: House of the Living Dead HC
Joe the Barbarian HC
No Longer Human (Volume 1)
Peanuts #0
Savage Dragon #175
Six Guns #1 (of 5)
Uncanny X-Men #1
Villians For Hire #1 (of 5)

Legion of Monsters #1 (of 4)

2011-10-31T14:08:00.000-05:00

Dennis Hopeless & Juan Doe

Happy Halloween!! And what better book to review for Halloween than Marvel's Legion of Monsters? This is a four issue mini-series that follows monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, a character who headed her own mini-series Bloodstone years ago, and more recently, was a kick-ass member (and my favorite member) of Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen's Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., which had quite a loyal following at the time. And it seems like Marvel is trying to recapture some of those fans, as Juan Doe's art is very reminiscent of Immonen's artwork on Nextwave. Doe's pencils do end up being second best, but they're really rather nice when not unfairly comparing them to what's come before, especially his designs of the cool monsters in this issue. Elsa Bloodstone is basically tracking a monster that's eating teenagers in a small town, and follows the culprit through a portal to Monster Metropolis, under New York City. Here she is arrested for murder, as monsters are really quite civilized, it seems, and there is an organized police force called the Legion of Monsters in place to sustain order and justice. But that misunderstanding is set aside soon enough as the monsters realize that someone is making monsters like the one that Elsa killed into your typical bloodlusting monsters. A pact is then formed, and Elsa hunts alongside the Legion of Monsters to find the culprit. The Legion of Monsters in Monster Metropolis is headed by Morbius, the vampire, with other officers including a werewolf, a mummy, and some sort of sea creature. They're for the most part kind of a joke, but they somehow manage to get the job done. I think I would have enjoyed this more had I not been recently so enamored by Jeff Lemire's Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. This book has the same flavor as Frankenstein, with a cool team up of monsters injected with a good amount of humor and oddness, and Frankenstein is just written sharper and better illustrated. If not for that title, Hopeless and Doe's book would have probably seemed fresher to me and excited me more, but Lemire has no problem demonstrating his superior crafting skills, and Legion of Monsters just looks like a watered-down version in comparison.

Comics-and-More Podcast: Richard Sala

2011-10-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

This week on the Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I discuss Richard Sala's work, including his Peculia books and his new graphic novel The Hidden, perfect books to read for Halloween.

Reviewed:
The Hidden
Richard Sala

Peculia
Richard Sala

Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires
Richard Sala

Part One:

Part Two:

For further reading:
The Chuckling Whatsit
Richard Sala

Cat Burglar Black
Richard Sala

Delphine #1-4
Richard Sala

X-Men Regenesis #1

2011-10-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

Kieron Gillen & Billy Tan

I'm a big fan of Kieron Gillen's X-Men material for the most part, especially his short-lived series S.W.O.R.D., however this one-shot that sees the relaunch of the X-Men line is a complete throw-away, a waste of time and talent. It shows the fall-out from the X-Men: Schism mini-series, where Cyclops and Wolverine have an ethical disagreement that leads to them deciding that they can no longer work with one another. Basically, Wolverine doesn't think that children (teenagers really) should be fighting as X-Men, and Cyclops thinks that not teaching them to fight will get them hurt in this hard world they live in, where mutants are pretty much attacked from every front. So Wolverine has decided to move back to Winchester, New York to restart a school to teach mutants, while Cyclops plans to remain in San Francisco. X-Men Regenesis pretty much shows which X-Men are siding with which new team, as Logan and Scott approach various members of the X-Men to recruit them. As each member decides on which side they are on, the artist flashes to this weird scene where Cyclops and Wolverine are battling each other in loincloths and animal skins, and each X-Man is depicted in this garb. It's...weird. The conversations that the X-Men have that lead them to their decisions are pretty shallow too, not insightful or interesting, but just...seemed like they were talking to fill the pages. I hope the rest of the X-Men relaunch is better than this, because this was completely underwhelming and just plain bad. Not a good start.

Pick of the Week 10/26

2011-10-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Manara Library (Volume 1): Indian Summer and Other Stories HC - The first in a nine-part series publishing the works of European superstar artist Milo Manara, this is a fantastic way for readers to jump right into his work, if you can afford the price tag ($59.99). Manara is known for drawing beautiful women, and readers may recall Marvel's Chris Claremont/Milo Manara collaboration X-Women from last year.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Dagar the Invincible Archives (Volume 1) HC
Disney's Mickey Mouse (Volume 2): Treasure Island HC
The Drops of God (Volume 1)
The Frank Book SC
Incredible Hulk #1
Iron Age HC
Legion: Secret Origin #1 (of 6)
Smurfs (Volume 8): The Smurf Apprentice GN
Sonic the Hedgehog: Legacy (Volume 1)
Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic (Book 2) TP
Tank Girl: Carioca #1 (of 3)
Ultimate Comics X Origins HC
Wolverine and the X-Men #1
Yotsuba&! (Volume 10)

Manga Monday: Animal Land

2011-10-24T19:38:00.000-05:00

Animal Land (Volume 1)
Makoto Raiku

A human baby finds himself in a world populated by only animals, and relies on the kindness of a tanuki (raccoon dog) to save him from certain death after his mother abandons him. Monoko is the tanuki who raises him as her own, having lost her own family recently to this cruel world where "survival of the fittest" is everyday life. It's a premise with a lot of promise, but it never lives up to that promise. In fact, I can't say I remember the last time I was so disappointed by a book. This manga is geared toward ages thirteen and up, but I can't imagine anyone that age finding anything to like about this title, which had to have been geared for a much younger audience in Japan. Monoko is perhaps the most irritating character I've ever come across, boasting a deep desperation to love the human baby and care for it and be its "mommy." She cries whenever anything goes awry, and is so suffocating and selfish in her need to "love" this child that she comes across as utterly pathetic. The human baby, who can magically talk, although can only crawl, has the ability to talk to all animals, whereas the other animals of the world are only able to speak to their own species. This helps out the tanuki in a few places, especially when it comes to a huge black cat that is protecting them, but is feared by the tanuki (who wears clothes for some reason, even though no other animals do). Raiku shamelessly uses the baby to try to bring emotion to a book that, while characters show a lot of emotion, is pretty emotionless. Just because a character cries, the audience is expected to feel upset, despite no feeling or genuine emotion behind the gesture, and this happens often. Plot points are solved very conveniently as well. The baby is sad that he doesn't have a name, and the paper that Monoko hid from him says his name on it (and that's all). The end. It's almost insulting how little thought seemed to go into the writing here. I can't imagine anyone caring about the characters in this book, let alone remembering it the moment they set it down.

Comics-and-More Podcast: Hernandez Brothers

2011-10-21T16:24:00.003-05:00

Patrick Markfort and I discuss Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez's latest volume of Love & Rockets, and Gilbert's new graphic novel Love From the Shadows.

Reviewed:
Love & Rockets: New Stories #4
Jaime Hernandez & Gilbert Hernandez

Love From the Shadows GN
Gilbert Hernandez

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Part Four:

For further reading:
Heartbreak Soup
Gilbert Hernandez

Maggie the Mechanic
Jaime Hernandez

Love & Rockets: New Stories #3
Gilbert Hernandez & Jaime Hernandez

Huntress #1 (of 6)

2011-10-20T01:06:00.001-05:00

Paul Levitz & Marcus To

It's been nearly a month since DC's New 52 launched, and the publisher's showing no signs of slowing down. New books such as The Ray have been solicited to add more books to the DC Universe line, and I'm afraid a little mini-series like this one may get overlooked amid all of the exciting ongoing book releases. Especially since it's really pretty good. If this had launched as an ongoing alongside DC's New 52, I feel like it would have been noted as one of the best of the debut issues. But as is, DC fans have their plates full of dozens of books, trying to sort out which to follow and which to pass on, while this may just sneak by unnoticed. But whether it sells or not, Huntress is a good read. Fans of Birds of Prey will be happy to see the capable vigilante established in the new DC Universe as she works to try and stop shipments from making their way to Gotham City. Shipments of guns and women. Huntress tracks the shipments back to their source, in Italy, where she tries to keep a low profile, but that's pretty short-lived as she finds herself in the middle of a kidnapping ring with arms dealers she's trying to shut down. The story is pretty straight-forward really, but full of action and intrigue. The stand-out element here is definitely the art from Marcus To. It's fantastic. The many fight sequences in this title are executed clearly and thoughtfully, with some good-looking battles. And even the scenes where it's just Helena lounging about look stunning. As Paul Levitz is a co-creator of the character, it's nice to see him working with Huntress again, as he obviously knows how to write her in the best possible way.

Pick of the Week 10/19

2011-10-18T19:46:00.001-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Bubbles & Gondola HC - An inspirational, lyrical all-ages fairy tale featuring a cute little mouse with writer's block, from Renaud Dillies, and published by NBM, who put out some great European comics in the states.

Other Noteworthy Releases
15 Love TP
30 Days of Night (Ongoing) #1
Al Jaffee's Mad Life TP
Batman: Odyssey (Volume 2) #1 (of 7)
Cold War #1
Critical Millennium (Volume 1): Dark Frontier HC
Dear Creature GN
Fear Itself: The Fearless #1 (of 12)
Freakangels (Volume 6) GN
Gate 7 (Volume 1)
Marzi TP
Mutts: Our Little Kat King Mutts Treasury SC
New Warriors Classic (Volume 3) TP
Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes HC
Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes #1 (of 4)
Twilight Manga (Volume 2) GN
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man HC
X-Men #1 20th Anniversary Edition

Manga Monday: Drifters (Volume 1)

2011-10-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

Kohta Hirano

From the creator of the popular manga Hellsing comes a tale of renowned warriors throughout time being whisked away to a foreign world populated by magical creatures like elves. American audiences will recognize the names of warriors like Joan of Arc, but Japanese names will likely be lost to most readers. However, it's still a great concept that plays out with plenty of action. When these heroes of Earth arrive on this new world through portals, at the brink of death during battles on Earth, they find themselves known as "drifters," foreigners with the power to protect a weak world from a tyrannical ruler. While much remains a mystery at this point, it seems that one man is gathering these heroes to aid him in his cause in defeating this threat, and small factions of these drifters form, usually from similar geographical locations, and while some have come to save the peaceful world, some are also helping evil try to claim it. I've never read a book from Kohta Hirano before, and the art is pretty distinct from many manga titles on the shelves. Everything seems bulkier and carefully drawn without the sleek light hand that you see in a lot of titles. Events play out very smoothly and cinematically in a story that is quick and keeps readers turning pages. In the end, however, I wish I'd liked this book more than I did. With such a rich, cool premise, a lot of neat stuff could have been done, but it ends up being a pretty standard battle manga, just using historical figures in place of the artist's own creations. Perhaps this series turns into something more exciting as it goes along, but by the end of volume one, it didn't sustain my enthusiasm and didn't leave me with much of an impression.

Comics-and-More Podcast: Ultimate Comics

2011-10-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

In the latest Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I discuss Marvel Comics' recently relaunched Ultimate line. This podcast is divided into four videos, each focusing (mostly) on one of the new titles.

Reviewed:

Part One:

Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1-2
Jonathan Hickman & Esad Ribic

Part Two:

Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #1-2
Jonathan Hickman & Rafa Sandoval

Part Three:

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-3
Brian Michael Bendis & Sara Pichelli

Part Four:

Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1-2
Nick Spencer & Paco Medina

For further reading:
Ultimate Fallout #1-6
Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer, Luke Ross & Billy Tan

Pick of the Week 10/12

2011-10-11T01:43:00.004-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

The Death Ray HC - Dan Clowes' acclaimed (and truly fantastic) story from Eightball is expanded and released in a deserving hardcover.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Absolute Identity Crisis HC
Alan Moore Conversations HC
Archie Archives (Volume 3) HC
Bloom County Complete Library (Volume 5) HC
John Carter of Mars: World of Mars #1 (of 5)
Legion of Monsters #1 (of 4)
Marvel Firsts: 1960's TP
Nuts HC
Shade #1 (of 12)
Wolverine by Jason Aaron Omnibus (Volume 1) HC
X-Men Regenesis #1

Comics-and-More Podcast: Habibi

2011-10-09T23:07:00.001-05:00

In the latest Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I take a look at Craig Thompson's new graphic novel Habibi.

Reviewed:

Habibi

Craig Thompson

Part One:

Part Two:

For further reading:
Blankets
Craig Thompson

Pick of the Week 10/5

2011-10-04T14:40:00.002-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Hark! A Vagrant HC - Many of Kate Beaton's witty comics about historical figures, literary figures, and whatever the hell else she wants to focus on, are collected in this nice deserving hardcover from Drawn and Quarterly. Check out the webcomics at her site if you haven't had the privelege, and laugh.

Other Noteworthy Releases
30 Days of Night Omnibus TP
Archie: Best of Harry Lucey (Volume 1) HC
Archie Americana (Volume 2): The 50's HC
Avengers 1959 #1 (of 5)
Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth TP
Best American Comics 2011 HC
The Book of Human Insects HC
Captain America: Red Glare HC
Huntress #1 (of 6)
Laddertop (Volume 1)
Last of the Greats #1
Psyren (Volume 1)
Roger Langridge's Snarked #1
Star Gazing Dog GN
Two Generals SC
The Walking Dead (Volume 7) HC
X-Men by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee Omnibus (Volume 1) HC
X-Men: X-Cutioner's Song HC

Manga Monday: Velveteen & Mandala

2011-10-03T22:39:00.001-05:00

Jiro Matsumoto

Velveteen & Mandala marks the English-language debut of Jiro Matsumoto, a manga creator known for being very explicit. Vertical picked the perfect title to showcase just that, as this book features two teenage girls armed with rifles in a world populated with zombies. Matsumoto doesn't shy away from the violence and gore in this book at all, and doesn't bat an eyelash at nudity. One scene that will give you an idea of his sensibilities involves one of the girls leaving the tank that they sleep in, because she's sick from both ends, when a horde of zombies decide to take advantage of the situation and try to gang bang her for her earlier sexual taunting. There's a sense of humor in its over-the-top ridiculousness, but it's certainly not for everybody. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it, to be honest. I definitely enjoy Matsumoto's gritty art, depicting this ugly world, but the story is pretty out there.

Velveteen and Mandala have an antagonistic relationship. They kind of live in their own little worlds, but will irritate each other to no end if they get the chance...and shoot each other, and lock the other out of the tank for the zombies...it's pretty screwed up. There's also a man in the area in charge of disposing of the zombie bodies dropped from airplanes overhead, who kind of takes care of them in a roundabout way, but for the most part, it's the two girls kind of fending for themselves. The book features some very surreal moments and sometimes you just don't know if what you're reading is actually happening or not, since it has this sort of dream-like quality to it, but the twists and turns that get sprung on readers toward the end of the story kind of frame it all nicely, and are really pretty smart. Velveteen & Mandala is definitely a unique read and despite its over-the-top storytelling and explicit art, it's kind of a sophisticated story with how the story is presented to the audience. I kind of don't want to like it for many of the elements that I mentioned earlier, but in the end, I can't help but be impressed. Definitely not for the squeamish, this will however remain one of the most interesting manga debuts of the year.

Comics-and-More Podcast: The New 52, Week Four

2011-09-30T23:21:00.000-05:00

Patrick Markfort and I take a look at the final week of DC Comics' New 52. This podcast is divided into six videos, with the comics reviewed listed with each. The final video offers our final thoughts on The New 52.

Reviewed:

Part One:

Aquaman #1
Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis

Part Two:

The Flash #1
Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato

Part Three:

I, Vampire #1
Joshua Hale Fialkov & Andrea Sorrentino

Justice League Dark #1
Peter Milligan & Mikel Janin

Part Four:

The Savage Hawkman #1
Tony S. Daniel & Philip Tan

Part Five:

Voodoo #1
Ron Marz & Sami Basri

Part Six:

For further reading:
All-Star Western #1
Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti & Moritat

Batman: The Dark Knight #1
David Finch

Blackhawks #1
Mike Costa & Ken Lashley

Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1
Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone & Yildiray Cinar

Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1
Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham & Batt

Superman #1
George Perez & Jesus Merino

Teen Titans #1
Scott Lobdell, Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund

Pick of the Week 9/28

2011-09-27T11:49:00.001-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

Habibi GN - It's been eight years since Craig Thompson released the highly successful graphic novel Blankets, so this is obviously a very exciting release, one of the biggest graphic novel releases of the year. This will also be the subject of the Comics-and-More Podcast following this week's final DC Comics: The New 52 podcast.

Other Noteworthy Releases
1-800 Mice HC
All Star Western #1
Alpha Flight Classic (Volume 2) TP
Annihilators: Earthfall #1 (of 4)
Aquaman #1
Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Blackhawks #1
Brilliant #1
Captain Britian (Volume 2): Siege of Camelot HC
Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm HC
Codename Sailor V (Volume 1)
Daybreak HC
Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz #1 (of 8)
Emma HC
Feeding Ground HC
FF Fifty Fantasy Years #1
The Finder Library (Volume 2) TP
Flash #1
Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1
Grave Doug Freshly GN
Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
Holy Terror HC
I Vampire #1
Justice League Dark #1
Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth Omibus (Volume 1) HC
Love and Rockets: New Stories (Volume 4) TP
Pure Pajamas HC
Sailor Moon (Volume 1)
Savage Hawkman #1
Sigil: Out of Time TP
Spell Checkers (Volume 2): Sons of Preacher Man GN
Superman #1
Teen Titans #1
Voodoo #1

Manga Monday: Psyren

2011-09-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

Psyren (Volume 1)
Toshiaki Iwashiro

Psyren begins as an intriguing mystery, but soon turns into something much more as the book plays out. The story follows Ageha Yoshina, who picks up a phone when a random pay phone begins to ring. No one answers, but he is left with a phone card with the words "psyren" printed on it. When Ageha inquires into what this could mean, he discovers that people are disappearing with no explanation and some sort of "psyren cult" is allegedly to blame. There are also some powerful men who will pay dearly for one of the unused "psyren" phone cards, and there is a substantial reward out there for whoever can solve the mystery behind it. When one of Ageha's classmates becomes one of the latest disappearances, Ageha decides to use the card, and is magically transported to a desolate wasteland, where creatures called "Taboo" hunt the humans chosen to play this deadly game of "psyren." After tracking down his classmate, Ageha finds himself fighting for his life as he tries to make it to the gateway that will end this level of the game and send him back home. Meanwhile, it seems his classmate knows a little about what's going on, as she offers up several cryptic clues, and points the way a few times. Overall, Psyren is a pretty entertaining action manga, illustrated competently with clear action sequences. I like the game aspect of the book that comes out of the initial mystery, and it seems like there's a lot of potential for some great stories in later volumes of this series as well, as this volume seems like just the tip of the iceberg as far as the game goes. Ageha is a little more well-rounded than you often see in shonen manga, with conflicting feelings and hardships in his life, and his ability to fight well makes him a prime candidate for the game. The game itself is pretty creepy and really cool, as are the monsters who populate the levels. The "surprises" that come along in this volume are pretty predictable, especially that last panel, but overall, Iwashiro knows how to create a suspenseful, engaging read.

Comics-and-More Podcast: The New 52, Week Three

2011-09-22T18:13:00.001-05:00

Patrick Markfort and I take a look at week three of DC Comics' New 52. This podcast is divided into three videos, with the comics reviewed listed with each.

Reviewed:

Part One:

Birds of Prey #1
Duane Swierczynski & Jesus Saiz

Part Two:

Catwoman #1
Judd Winick & Guillem March

DC Universe Presents #1 (featuring Deadman)
Paul Jenkins & Bernard Chang

Part Three:

Wonder Woman #1
Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang

For further reading:
Batman #1
Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

Blue Beetle #1
Tony Bedard & Ig Guara

Captain Atom #1
J.T. Krul & Freddie Williams II

Green Lantern Corps #1
Peter Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin & Scott Hanna

Legion of Super Heroes #1
Paul Levitz & Francis Portela

Nightwing #1
Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
Scott Lobdell & Kenneth Rocafort

Supergirl #1
Michael Green, Mike Johnson & Mahmud Asrar

Bonnie Lass #1 (of 4)

2011-09-21T20:33:00.002-05:00

Michael Mayne & Tyler Fluharty

Bonnie Lass is a happy-go-lucky outlaw pirate who, along with two goofy sidekicks, is notorious for kicking butt and causing trouble. After delivering a statue to a client, who tries to trick her into delivering a valuable scroll, she demands compensation, and when she doesn't receive it, she keeps the scroll and continues on her way, this time with a crew of cutthroat thugs on her tail. But with some creative nautical maneuvering and some upgrades to her ship, Bonnie leaves her pursuers in the dust, happily on her way toward more adventure and (hopefully) treasure. This story is full of action and competently introduces a fun set of characters, however there's nothing here that we haven't really seen before, and the art is the kind you'd more likely see in a webcomic than on the printed page. It just looks messy despite the nice cartoony expressions of the characters. I actually like how every so often a panel will sort of look like a stained glass window, nicely laid-out and kind of pretty, like that cover, but those panels are few and far between, leaving the rougher, clumsier art to illustrate the rest of the tale. This book is obviously very influenced by manga, from the rubbery faces of the characters, to the over-the-top personalities, to the super-deformed scary Bonnie seen in one panel. While Bonnie Lass is sort of charming in a way, it's just not unique enough to set itself apart from other pirate comics, with inconsistent art and a generic quest that just makes you wish you were reading something better in this vein of story, like One Piece or Cursed Pirate Girl. Yeah, you should just read those instead.

Pick of the Week 9/21

2011-09-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow...

A Zoo In Winter HC - Jiro Taniguchi's latest US release features a glimpse of the artist as he recalls the time he spent in Tokyo as a youth in the 60's, including his beginnings in manga.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Archie Christmas Classics (Volume 1) TP
Archie's Joke Book (Volume 1): Bob Montana HC
The Art of Joe Kubert HC
The Armed Garden & Other Stories HC
Batman #1
Birds of Prey #1
Blue Beetle #1
Captain Atom #1
Catwoman #1
DC Universe Presents #1
Creepy Archives (Volume 11) HC
Game of Thrones #1
Green Lantern Corps #1
Hellboy (Volume 11): Bride of Hell & Others TP
Legion of Super Heroes #1
The Man Who Grew His Beard GN
Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010 HC
Marvel Ghost Stories TP
Mnemovore HC
Morning Glories (Volume 2) TP
Nightwing #1
Prison Pit (Book 3) GN
Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
Ruse: The Victorian Guide To Murder TP
Showcase Presents: All Star Comics (Volume 1) TP
Star Trek Ongoing #1
Supergirl #1
Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1
Witch & Wizard Manga (Volume 1)
Wonder Woman #1

Previews HYPE: November '11

2011-09-16T20:36:00.001-05:00

Here are the highlights of books that I'm excited about, or think may get overlooked, in Previews Catologue for November...

The Sigh HC - Marjane Satrapi of Persepolis fame returns with a new graphic novel, published by Archaia.

Mudman #1 - A new superhero from Jack Staff's Paul Grist.

Guns and Dinos #1 (of 3) - A military base sent back in time. It's Frank Cho drawing dinosaurs, guys.

Peanuts #0 - From Kaboom! comes new Peanuts comics! This #0 launches a new monthly comic featuring the old gang.

New Avengers #18 - Norman Osborne's new team of Dark Avengers makes its debut!

Essential Sgt. Fury (Volume 1) TP - Finally, the noticeable gap in the Marvel Essential series is being collected. Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, and a bunch of howling commandoes.

Fantastic Four #600 - Fantastic Four returns as an ongoing series in addition to FF, also boasting Jonathan Hickman as writer.

Northanger Abby #1 - They just keep rolling these out. Not my favorite Jane Austen novel, but since I love Austen, I'm happy to see they're successful enough to keep adapting to graphic novels. The cover to this one looks a little darker and less cutesy than previous Austen adaptations, which is appropriate for a story about a girl obsessed with Gothic literature and the mysteries of castles.

The Rocketeer Jetpack Treasury Edition - The first release in IDW's new line of retro treasury editions. Also available this month, the anthology Rocketeer Adventures (Volume 1) HC, featuring the talent of artists like Mike Allred, John Cassaday, Darwyn Cooke, Ryan Sook, Mark Waid and Kurt Busiek.

Avengers Omnibus (Volume 1) HC - This was inevitable with next Summer's movie, collecting plenty of 60's Lee and Kirby (30 issues).

Hawkman by Geoff Johns Omnibus (Volume 1) HC - Also inevitable was this collection of superstar Geoff Johns' run on Hawkman.

House of Night #1 - A lot of the adaptations of young adult paranormal romances lately look pretty lame, especially the ugly Twlight graphic novels. But this one looks like something I actually want to pick up. P.C Cast and Kristin Cast's House of Night looks cool as a comic.

Walt & Skeezix (Volume 5): 1929-1930 HC - Skeezix is looking pretty old already!

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse HC - Want the entire Age of Apocalypse epic, including all of the little spin-off series, under one cover? Well, here you go.

Brothers of the Spear Archives (Volume 1) HC - Russ Manning and Jesse Marsh illustrate this comic that I've never heard of from The Golden Age, a story by Gaylord DuBois.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 - A lot of people like this DC series, which is restarting with a number one issue, like all of the DC Universe title. Nick Spencer writes.

Elektra: Assassin HC - Back in print, in a deserving hardcover edition.

Batman: Through the Looking Glass HC - An original Batman graphic novel from Bruce Jones, with art by Sam Keith.

Amazing Mysteries: The Bill Everett Archives (Volume 1) HC - A nice companion to Fantagraphics' Fire and Water, edited by Blake Bell.

Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm - A nice art book showcasing the talent of Bruce Timm.

Uncanny X-Men #1 - The X-Men title relaunches this month in wake of Schism.

Spirit World HC - Collecting hard-to-find content from Spirit World magazine, which Jack Kirby worked on, along with names like Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier.

Spider-Man: Marvel Team-Up by Claremont & Byrne TP - From the Marvel Team-Up series, comes this collection of John Byrne comics, written by Chris Claremont and Ralph Macchio.

Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was HC - A little-known comic strip from legendary animator Chuck Jones.

Mr. Twee Deedle: Raggedy Ann's Sprightly Cousin - The Forgotten Fantasy Masterpieces of Johnny Gruelle HC - Another rediscovered masterpiece, this one contains an introduction by Tony Millionaire.

Shaky Kane's Monster Truck - It's Shaky Kane craziness.

The Extraordinary Adeventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (Volume 2): The Mad Scientist/Mummies on Parade HC - Finally, a second volume of the Jacques Tardi series is being released!

Six Guns #1 - Classic Marvel Western characters team up and get a modern makeover in this new title.

Comics-and-More Podcast: The New 52, Week Two

2011-09-14T23:28:00.001-05:00

Patrick Markfort and I take a look at week two of DC Comics' New 52. The podcast is divided into four videos, with the comics reviewed listed with each. Sorry about the first few minutes of Batwoman sounding a little soft, but please enjoy!

Reviewed:

Part One:

Batwoman #1
J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman

Part Two:

Demon Knights #1
Paul Cornell & Diogenes Neves

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1
Jeff Lemire & Alberto Ponticelli

Part Three:

Green Lantern #1
Geoff Johns & Doug Mahnke

Red Lanterns #1
Peter Milligan & Ed Benes

Part Four:

Resurrection Man #1
Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino

For further reading:
Batman and Robin #1
Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason

Deathstroke #1
Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett & Art Thibert

Grifter #1
Nathan Edmonson, CAFU & BIT

Legion Lost #1
Fabian Nicieza & Pete Woods

Mister Terrific #1
Eric Wallace & Roger Robinson

Suicide Squad #1
Adam Glass & Marco Rudy

Superboy #1
Scott Lobdell, R.B. Silva & Rob Lean

Pick of the Week 9/14

2011-09-13T23:35:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comics shops tomorrow!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #1 - Joss Whedon brings a new season of the slayer to fans in the form of another Dark Horse comic book series. It all starts here, with part one of "Freefall."

Other Noteworthy Releases
Amulet (Volume 4): Last Council SC
Archie: The Married Life (Volume 1) TP
Archie Archives (Volume 2) HC
Astonishing Thor HC
Barks' Bear Book HC
Batman and Robin #1
Batwoman #1
Bonnie Lass #1 (of 4)
Captain America by Dan Jurgens (Volume 2) TP
Deathstroke #1
Demon Knights #1
Evolutionary War Omnibus HC
Fantastic Four: Overthrow of Doom HC
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1
Green Lantern #1
Grifter #1
John Carter: A Princess of Mars #1 (of 5)
Korgi (Volume 3): A Hollow Beginning GN
Legion Lost #1
Mister Terrific #1
Optic Nerve #12
Red Lanterns #1
Resurrection Man #1
Sugar and Spike Archives (Volume 1) HC
Suicide Squad #1
Superboy #1
Three Thieves (Volume 2): Sign of the Black Rock GN
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1
Wonderstruck HC

Manga Monday, Bloody Monday

2011-09-12T13:59:00.000-05:00

Bloody Monday (Volume 1)
Ryou Ryumon & Kouji Megumi

Bloody Monday, a new offering from Kodansha Comics, features a young prodigy, Takagi Fujimaru. From the outside, he seems like an average high school student, but he's really Falcon, a brilliant hacker able to do amazing things with a computer. And he's not a malicious hacker, but works for the good of others, as is seen with the first threat that Falcon goes up against, a teacher who tries to sabotage students' academic careers by abusing a demerit system, ultimately leading to the attempted suicide of a teenage girl. The teacher is a very one-dimensional villain who lusts after his female students, and Falcon is easily able to expose him, for the overall good of the school. Falcon's father works for a super secret government cell, and when he is framed for murder, Falcon vows to track down the real killer and restore his father's reputation. But it's not quite that simple, as the events that lead to his father's status as an outlaw have to do with a much bigger threat, that of a virus able to kill a mass population quickly, to horrifying results. All around Falcon are agents trying to trip him up or outright kill him, but Falcon has a group of friends at school who help him during this trying time, and together with his hacking skills, they just may be able to save the day.

Bloody Monday is a flashy spy thriller, but beyond those action elements, it's pretty meager storytelling. The characters are flat and one-note, leading to little investment from the audience, especially in characters like Falcon's sick sister, who the creators use shamelessly to try to create empathy. The gore and fan service is also ridiculously over-the-top. The inappropriately oversexualized teacher-spy (Maya Orihara) who takes over for one of Falcon's classes is especially silly when she interacts with the class, the male students lusting over her, unable to control themselves, and the females arguing with her, in a world where a teacher can insinuate that the girls' bodies need to mature to be competition, without repercussions (although the teacher that she replaced was fired for his oversexual behavior, so it seems to be a double-standard here that if the teacher is attractive, it's okay). The creators go just too far to cater to the male adolescent reader here, neglecting to base the story in any semblance of reality, and with little regard for the characters of the story. The surface spy elements can be fun, but this is one book that you forget the moment you put it down.

Comics-and-More Podcast: The New 52, Week One

2011-09-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

For the next four weeks on the Comics-and-More Podcast, we will be taking a look at the DC Comics' New 52. In this first week, we review Justice League #1 and a sampling of titles launched this week during this exciting overhaul of the DC Universe line. The five videos below are separated by title, for your convenience, but we hope you watch them all!

Reviewed:

Part One:

Justice League #1
Geoff Johns & Jim Lee

Part Two:

Animal Man #1
Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman

Part Three:

Action Comics #1
Grant Morrison & Rags Morales

Part Four:

Batgirl #1
Gail Simone & Ardian Syaf

Part Five:

Hawk & Dove #1
Sterling Gates & Rob Liefeld

For further reading:
Batwing #1
Judd Winick & Ben Oliver

Detective Comics #1
Tony S. Daniel

Flash Point #6 (of 6)
Geoff Johns & Andy Kubert

Green Arrow #1
J.T. Krul & Dan Jurgens

Justice League International #1
Dan Jurgens & Aaron Lopresti

Men of War #1
Ivan Brandon & Tom Derenick

OMAC #1
Dan Didio & Keith Giffin

Static Shock #1
Scott McDaniel & John Rozum

Stormwatch #1
Paul Cornell & Miguel Sepulveda

Swamp Thing #1
Scott Snyder & Yanick Paquette

Pick of the Week 9/7

2011-09-06T12:24:00.002-05:00

It's a big week this week, as DC's first wave of all new number ones launches. Watch for our podcast later in the week, discussing several of the new titles, if you want to know which ones are worth checking out. Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

The Hidden HC - I'm a big Richard Sala fan, so, of course, I'm excited for a new graphic novel from him, sure to feature creepy, dark imagery.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Action Comics #1
Animal Man #1
Animal Land (Volume 1)
Atomic Robo: Ghost of Station X #1 (of 6)
Awakening Omnibus SC
Bake Sale GN
Batgirl #1
Batwing #1
Bloody Monday (Volume 1)
Brightest Day (Volume 3) HC
Cage of Eden (Volume 1)
Casanova: Avaritia #1 (of 4)
Detective Comics #1
Green Arrow #1
Hawk and Dove #1
Justice League International #1
Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot HC
Little Lulu Giant Size (Volume 4) TP
Men of War #1
Mome (Volume 22): Spring 2011
New Avengers Annual #1
OMAC #1
Ozma of Oz HC
Static Shock #1
Stormwatch #1
Swamp Thing #1
True Blood: French Quarter #1 (of 6)
Until the Full Moon (Volume 1)
Velveteen & Mandala GN

Comics-and-More Podcast: Gunnerkrigg Court

2011-09-04T18:00:00.001-05:00

On this week's Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I discuss the latest volume of Thomas Siddell's fantasy series Gunnerkrigg Court (as well as the first two volumes). Sorry about the audio being a little soft in the first three-ish minutes of the podcast.

Reviewed:
Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 3): Reason
Thomas Siddell

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

For further reading:
Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 1): Orientation
Thomas Siddell

Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 2): Research
Thomas Siddell

Read the webcomic.

Pick of the Week 8/31

2011-08-30T08:42:00.001-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

Justice League #1 - The book that kicks off DC's relaunch of their entire DC Universe line, from the superstar team of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, arrives this week. Beginning with next week's podcast, Patrick and I will be devoting a month of podcasts to DC's new books each week. Justice League #1 will be part of week one's podcast, with next week's new releases (including Action Comics #1). So watch for it!

Other Noteworthy Releases
Angel & Faith #1
Annhilators HC
Any Empire HC
Clockwork Girl HC
Creepy Presents Bernie Wrightson HC
Drifters (Volume 1)
Eden: It's An Endless World! (Volume 13)
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story HC
Infestation (Volume 2) TP
The Last Dragon HC
New Teen Titans Omnibus (Volume 1) HC
The Steve Ditko Omnibus (Volume 1): Starring Shade, the Changing Man HC
Thunderbolts By Ellis and Deodato Ultimate Collection TP
Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #1 (of 4)

Manga Monday: Shigeru Mizuki

2011-08-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
Shigeru Mizuki

This World War II manga from legendary cartoonist Shigeru Mizuki follows a troop of the Imperial Army stationed in the South Pacific. It begins with illustrating the everyday life of a soldier in the battle field, the waiting and wondering, and the constant threat of enemy fire, not to mention the natural dangers of animals and disease. There's cruelty from commanding officers, there's unfairness towards the rookies, bonding over stupid pranks, and plenty of humor. It is sort of an odd mix here to blend humor in with this dark material, but it helps to lift it from being bogged down in too depressing material. Mizuki also chose to draw the troops in a cartoony style that contrasts with the dangerous, realistic surroundings. I liked that. He kind of depicts these troops as goofy, but it makes them more lovable and more human, I suppose. There are a lot of characters, however, and only a few that stand out, so it is difficult to really connect with a single character, but it's that camaraderie between the soldiers that Mizuki creates from the pranks and humor that makes you sort of feel for the troop as a whole that makes what occurs later so much more tragic. Once the enemy really begins to invade the area where this troop is stationed, the book becomes much more bleak and bloody, showcasing the true terror of war as soldiers bury the body parts of their friends, etc. It also becomes a commentary of the Imperial Army in general, specifically its code of honorable death and suicide. I was surprised and impressed with how contemporary this books feels for a manga that's almost forty years old, but I think that that really speaks to the strength of the creator. This was a fascinating book, and more than likely one of the best manga that will be released this year.

Comics-and-More Podcast: Franco-Belgian Comics

2011-08-26T00:55:00.001-05:00

This week on the Comics-and-More Podcast, Patrick Markfort and I review two new releases from Fantagraphics' line of Franco-Belgian comics.

Reviewed:
Sibyl-Anne vs. Ratticus
Raymond Macherot

Gil Jordan, Private Detective: Murder By High Tide
Maurice Tillieux

Part One:

Part Two:

For further reading:
The Littlest Pirate King
David B.

Toys In the Basement
Stephane Blanquet

Pick of the Week 8/24

2011-08-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow!!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 - Very exciting!! A new ongoing Ninja Turtles series is definitely something to celebrate, especially as series co-creator Kevin Eastman is co-writing and doing layouts for the new title!

Other Noteworthy Releases
Archie Americana (Volume 1): The 40's HC
Big Questions HC
Blackjacked & Pistol Whipped: Crime Does Not Pay Primer
The Comics Journal #301
Esperanza: A Love & Rockets Book SC
FF by Jonathan Hickman (Volume 1) HC
Infinite Kung Fu GN
Knuckles the Echidna Archives (Volume 1) TP
Malinky Robot: Collected Stories & Other Bits TP
Marineman: A Matter of Life and Depth TP
Milton Caniff's Male Call HC
Pin-Up Art of Humorama GN
Serenity (Volume 2): Better Days & Other Stories HC
Spider-Man: The Next Chapter (Volume 1) TP
Superman Beyond #0
Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1

Manga Monday: Cage of Eden

2011-08-22T23:26:00.000-05:00

Cage of Eden (Volume 1)
Yoshinobu Yamada

Akira and his classmates' plane crash lands on a deserted island after a class trip in this new title from Kodansha Comics. Creator Yoshinobu Yamada sets this title up pretty nicely, with the major players all interacting in a normal setting on the plane to give readers an idea of their relationships with one another, and a little bit about their backgrounds, which may or may not come into play in the volumes to come. There's also plenty of fan service in this part, as the teenagers prove all too eagerly to be a cast of voyeurs, having recorded their female classmates in bikinis during their trip, and ogling over the final product. And that's not the end of the fan service throughout this book. There's also a good amount of violence, so boy readers are really getting what they want with this book. Anyways, something odd happens to the plane they are on and they crash land, Akira waking up alone without so much as a scratch on him. He bumps into a few fellow passengers soon enough, that of a brainy smart kid and a clumsy stewardess, before combing the area to look for other survivors (which they stumble upon as the book continues). A couple of odd things are noted about this island, however. First of all, it's not on any map. And secondly, it's inhabited by creatures that have been extinct for millions of years. We see at least one familiar creature among the animals they encounter, but there are plenty of new scary creatures long-dead that we get to become familiar with as the volume progresses and the students explore the island. I'm assuming Yamada has other fun surprises in store for future volumes when it comes to the inhabitants of this odd place. But it does seem as if Yamada is making the bigger threat on this island the other students. After crash landing, the camera that Akira finds shows scenes of mass hysteria. That coupled with the knife embedded in the pilot's stomach (not to mention this book's final scene), suggest that despite the terrible animals they must face in this horrid place, the key to their survival will lie with how they can defend themselves from each other. This is a book about survival, and what happens to people when they no longer have to abide by the rules of society. But while those themes are certainly a part of this book, Cage of Eden doesn't take itself too seriously either. It's more of an exciting backdrop to give you the fan service and violence that you crave. The mysteries introduced are pretty flimsy and the characters are very broad types, and overall, there's nothing new in this book that you haven't seen elsewhere plenty of times. But it's still kind of fun if you're looking for some light entertainment. Just don't expect to be blown away.

Previews HYPE: October '11

2011-08-21T22:14:00.002-05:00

Here are the highlights of books that I'm excited about, or think may get overlooked, in Previews Catologue for October...

Walt Disney's Donald Duck in "Lost In the Andes" by Carl Barks - Carl Barks' beloved duck comics are finally being collected, beginning with this hardcover.

Everything (Volume 1): Comics From 1978-1981 HC - The first collection in an effort to bring all of Lynda Barry's works together (including Ernie Pook's Comeek).

Princess Knight (Volume 1) GN - Finally!!! Osamu Tezuka's pioneering shojo manga is reprinted for American audiences.

The Annotated Sandman (Volume 1) HC - A panel-by-panel in-depth look at Neil Gaiman's acclaimed series, wih an introduction and notes by Leslie S. Klinger. Also available this month, a look at another important comic in Metamaus: A Look Inside a Modern Classic, Maus HC.

X-Men Regenesis #1 - This one-shot will show us just who is following who in the new X-Men titles launching in the wake of X-Men: Schism. One of the two new titles also launches this month, with Wolverine and the X-Men #1.

The Grave Doug Freshley GN - Solicited before, this graphic novel western about a murdered man who comes back to life to protect the child he's been charged with, finally looks like it's going to be coming out.

John Byrne's Cold War #1 - An all-new series from the legendary John Byrne.

DC Comics Presents: The Jack Kirby Omnibus Sampler #1 - A nice sampling of Kirby material to entice you into buying the omnibus.

Hark! A Vagrant! HC - Kate Beaton's web comic strip gets collected to reach a new audience.

Incredible Hulk #1 - Neal Adams and Marc Silvestri team up on a new Hulk book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Volume 6): Cabin Fever HC - Kids will be pining for the latest offering in this best-selling series from Jeff Kinney.

Spera (Volume 1) HC - A new fantasy from Archaia featuring two princesses in a magical realm. Looks pretty.

Wally Wood's EC Stories: Artist's Edition HC - The latest addition to IDW's ambitious Artist's Edition series of deluxe books.

Batman: Odyssey (Volume 2) #1 (of 7) - Neal Adams returns to the Dark Knight.

Tesoro: Short Stories 1998-2008 - Short manga works from Natsume Ono.

X-Men #1: 20th Anniversary Edition - This will be an interesting look back at Chris Claremont and Jim Lee's relaunch of X-Men in 1991, recolored in a modern style.

Bob Powell's Terror HC - From Yoe Books! comes the perfect Halloween collection, the second book in The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics series.

Legion of Monsters #1 (of 4) - A new mini-series featuring Elsa Bloodstone battling all sorts of nasties. I've missed the spunky monster hunter since Nextwave was cancelled.

The Someday Funnies HC - Michael Choquette edits this collection of comic strips from the 70's, from top talent such as Jack Kirby, Art Spiegelman and Gahan Wilson.

1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die HC - I really like this series of books that highlights things like 1001 Records, 1001 Children's Books, etc. Finally, a comic version is coming out, edited by the highly-qualified Paul Gravett.

Bill Griffith: Lost and Found 1970-1994 SC - A collection of Bill Griffith's early undeground works.

Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (of 6) - An interesting team-up.

Avengers 1959 #1 - I wasn't a huge fan of the flashback sequences in Secret Avengers that introduced this team of Avengers from 1959, but it's a good mix of characters including Namora, the original Silver Sable, and Sabertooth.

Black Fire GN - I like that image provided for the cover, in a book about two soldiers who stumble upon an isolated town where off things are going down.

30 Days of Night #1 - A new ongoing horror series with Steve Niles returning to his breakthrough title. Appropriately launching in October.

Feel Better Now - Jonathan Hickman writes and draws a new 40-page creator-owned comic at Image.

The Huntress #1 (of 6) - A new mini featuring Birds of Prey member Huntress, which will tie into that other series soon.

The Punisher #1

2011-08-17T21:59:00.001-05:00

Greg Rucka & Marco Checchetto

This is probably one of the first Punisher books that I've ever read. Frank Castle was just never really a character that I was very interested in following. But I really like Greg Rucka's work, so I thought I would give this a shot. Greg Rucka is really known for his strong female characters (Whiteout, Batwoman, Stumptown, etc.), so I thought that this was an interesting choice for him to write. But then again, Rucka also worked on Gotham Central, and as this heavily features characters of a police department, it makes sense that he would enjoy writing something like this. I like that Punisher is presented as a force of nature in this first issue. There are few characters out there that seem so much larger than life, but Frank Castle definitely fits that bill, swooping in to "punish" people for their crimes, before disappearing into the night. Like Batman, he's above the law. A vigilante. A kind of anti-hero factor that adds some dimension to his character (which we really have yet to see in this title). Ironically, another character who's a force of nature in the Marvel Universe is Elektra, assassin for hire. In her Marvel Knights series, she was definitely portrayed as a force of nature swooping in to kill her mark, hints of red in the panels as people were killed in her wake. But Greg Rucka didn't portray her like that when he took over the title. Sandwiched between Chuck Dixon and Robert Rodi who did portray her in that light, Rucka brought a real depth to her character in a really riveting run of comics, yet still managed to make her seem bad-ass and cool. Again, he's great at writing those strong female characters. So it's kind of strange to see, at least in this first issue, that he uses Punisher as that force of nature-type character that he avoided with Elektra. But I'm confident that this won't be that sort of one-note title, as Rucka can write some mean characterization. And I think that if anyone can make Punisher into a character I'd want to follow, it's Greg Rucka.

Pick of the Week 8/17

2011-08-16T16:39:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday...

The Complete Peanuts (Volume 16): 1981-1982 HC - Fantagraphics continues their fantastic reprinting of the entirety of Charles Schulz' classic comic strip. Also available this week, The Complete Peanuts Box Set: 1979-1982.

Other Noteworthy Releases
99 Days HC
Amazing Agent Jennifer (Volume 1)
BPRD: Hell on Earth (Volume 1): New World TP
Fables Deluxe Edition (Volume 3) HC
Fantastic Four by Waid & Wieringo Ultimate Collection (Book 2) TP
Invincible Compendium (Volume 1) TP
Little Lulu (Volume 28): Prize Winner and Other Stories TP
Little Nothings (Volume 4): My Shadow In the Distance GN
Mr. Murder Is Dead HC
New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis (Volume 2) HC
Secret Society of Super Villains HC
Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952-1954 HC
Star Wars: Kight Errant - Deluge #1 (of 5)
The Stuff of Legend (Volume 3): The Jester's Tale #1 (of 4)
Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan (Volume 1) HC
Too Much Coffee Man Omnibus (Volume 1) TP
We3 Deluxe Edition HC

Manga Monday Podcast: Wandering Son

2011-08-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

This week sees the first Manga Monday Podcast! Patrick Markfort (Articulate Nerd) and I focus this week's Comics-and-More Podcast on the first volume of Wandering Son.

Reviewed:
Wandering Son (Volume 1)
Shimura Takako

Part One:

Part Two:

For further reading:
A Drunken Dream and Other Stories GN
Moto Hagio

Comics-and-More Podcast: Mystic & Rachel Rising

2011-08-11T00:05:00.000-05:00

This week on the Comics-and-More Podcast, we review the first issue in two new series.

Reviewed:
Mystic #1 (of 4)
G. Willow Wilson & David Lopez

Rachel Rising #1
Terry Moore

Part One:

Part Two:

For further reading:
Mystic (Volume 1): Rite of Passage TP
Ron Marz & Brandon Peterson

Terry Moore's Echo Complete Edition SC
Terry Moore

Pick of the Week 8/10

2011-08-09T14:28:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow!

Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 3) GN - If you haven't gotten on board with Thomas Siddell's magical all-ages fantasy series, you're missing out! This is the latest volume, sure to feature awesomeness!

Other Noteworthy Releases
Archie's Mad House (Volume 1) HC
Bad Island GN
Deltora Quest (Volume 1)
Hulk Visionaries: Peter David (Volume 8) TP
Infestation (Volume 1) TP
Luz Sees the Light GN
Magnus Robot Fighter (Volume 1) TP
The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury GN
Nipper (Volume 2): 1965-1966 HC
Showcase Presents The Trial of the Flash TP
Space Family Robinson Archives (Volume 1) HC
Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger #1 (of 3)
Spy School GN
Terry Moore's Echo Complete Edition SC
War Goddess #0
X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda HC

Astonishing X-Men #38 & #40

2011-08-06T23:38:00.001-05:00

Christos Gage & Juan Bobillo

I haven't read Astonishing X-Men since Warren Ellis took it over after Joss Whedon's run, but some of the recent solicitations intrigued me. Plus, I really like Christos Gage's recent work (like Avengers Academy), so I thought I would give this storyarc a try. Right now, there are alternating storylines in Astonishing X-Men. Every other issue follows a different set of characters on a different mission. The one that drew my attention was the one following the Brood. The team tackling the Brood consists of my favorite X-Man, Kitty Pryde, as well as Colossus, Storm and Beast. It starts out with Beast coming to the X-Men for help, as his girlfriend, Agent Brand, head of S.W.O.R.D., never came back from a mission from Pandora's Box, a space station that's a part of S.W.O.R.D., where they conduct riskier experiments with extraterrestrial beings. Beast believes that she's still alive, and enlists the aid of his comrades to get her out. When they arrive on the space station, overrun by Brood, they find Agent Brand already infected, but what S.W.O.R.D. scientists were experimenting with was a way to extract the Brood from a host without killing either, something that the X-Men need to save their friend, and something the Brood want to breed more quickly, as they could infest a host body several times over with its use (the Brood homeworld was destroyed during Annihilation, so they are desperate to breed). Astonishing X-Men #38 & #40 are the first two issues in this storyline that has not yet concluded, but are the beginning issues of what is a pretty exciting story thus far.

I really enjoyed these issues for several reasons. First, I love Kitty Pryde, and previews indicate that this is going to end with Kitty Pryde vs. the Brood. Awesome. These issues also talk a little bit about the relationship between Kitty and Lockheed, and the strain on that relationship since it was discovered that he was secretly an agent of S.W.O.R.D. But they are best friends still, and it's wonderful to see them together again. And it's the perfect scenario for them to reunite, as Kitty first met Lockheed when the X-Men confronted the Brood (a fact that they even mentioned in one of the issues, to my delight). I also really loved Kieron Gillen and Steve Sanders' run on the short-lived S.W.O.R.D. series, and this brought some of those elements into play, as most of it takes place at S.W.O.R.D.'s headquarters, which is how we get to see Lockheed (big bad-ass guns in hand like in that series) and, of course, the lovely Agent Brand. These two issues are fast-paced action comics that speak to a promising run of X-Men comics by Gage. Juan Bobillo has a neat art style that works well on this book, especially when it comes to the aliens like Lockheed and especially, the Brood.

Bad Island

2011-08-05T14:56:00.000-05:00

Doug TenNapel

I wasn't a huge fan of Doug TenNapel's previous all-ages graphic novel, Ghostopolis, but I really liked his art and I saw a lot of potential for something great in that story, so I decided to give him another go with Bad Island, another all-ages fantasy. I wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed this new book. TenNapel illustrates this story with the same great cartoony style as his previous book, but couples it with a really neat story that had direction and moved along at a brisk pace without the meandering uninteresting parts that dragged Ghostopolis down. It follows a family that's sort of disconnected, going on a boat trip that nobody is really eager to go on, except for the father, who really wants to bring his family together again during this vacation. Things don't go as planned, however, as a storm causes them to wash up on an island in the middle of nowhere. And the longer they stay on the island, the more strange it becomes, as everything from the animals they see to the vegetation they encounter, seem otherworldly. This book was just a lot of fun. I can see kids really enjoying this one, with its adventure-into-the-unknown feel, the epic space battle scenes mixed in that explain the island's history, and the nice dynamic between the family members who come to bond over the dangerous situation they find themselves in. And beyond the great action seen throughout this book, is a good deal of humor. I chuckled often at the goings-on of the characters, particularly the younger sister, who carries around her dead snake, since it didn't survive the shipwreck. Bad Island can get a little goofy at times, but it's a nice light-hearted adventure that shows off the great cartooning abilities of TenNapel in an engaging story.

Pick of the Week 8/3

2011-08-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday!!

Walter Simonson's The Mighty Thor Artist's Edition HC - Lots of great books come out this week, so it was harder than usual to narrow it down to just one obvious must-have, but I think IDW's new Artist's Edition series is really something to celebrate, and I hope it's successful. Walter Simonson is certainly deserving of a book like this.

Other Noteworthy Releases
Avengers Academy (Volume 2): Real World HC
Best of Archie Comics TP
Caniff HC
Jack Kirby Omnibus (Volume 1): Starring Green Arrow HC
The Infinite #1
Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman HC
Mystic #1 (of 4)
Petrograd HC
Pokemon: Black & White (Volume 1)
Punisher #1
Rachel Rising #1
Rocket Raccoon: Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant HC
Roger Langridge's Snarked! #0
Spider-Man Newspaper Strips (Volume 2) HC
Steve Canyon: The Complete Comic Book Series (Volume 1) HC
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Fun #1 (of 4)
Tank Tankuro HC w/slipcase
Willie & Joe: Back Home HC

Comics-and-More Podcast: Jonathan Hickman

2011-07-31T22:26:00.003-05:00

On this week's Comics-and-More Podcast, we review works by Jonathan Hickman.

Reviewed:
The Red Wing #1 (of 4)
Jonathan Hickman & Nick Pitarra

FF #7
Jonathan Hickman & Greg Tocchini

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

For further reading:
War of Kings #1-6
Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Paul Pelletier

Secret Warriors #1-28
Jonathan Hickman, Brian Michael Bendis & Stefano Caselli