Comics and More

This week, I read a lot of Hana-Kimi . I love buying a lot of a manga series and reading it in quick succession. I did the same thing with Death Note . The stories just seem to flow better, and Hana-Kimi is a series with several volumes already out, so I have a lot of catching up to do... Hana-Kimi (Volumes 2 - 4) Hisaya Nakajo This is a really fun shojo series to follow. Like I said before , this series follows a young girl named Mizuki who has left her family in America to go to an all boys' school in Japan in secret, to be close to Izumi Sano, her inspiration. She quickly makes friends and happens to be the roommate of her heart's desire... Each subsequent volume of the series is just as fun as the first. Silly, dramatic, funny and lovely. I really enjoy the supporting character in the series named Nakatsu, who has a crush on Mizuki without knowing she's a girl, but unable to help himself and his "gay" feelings. He's always funny and I keep help root...

Joann Sfar Vampire Loves contains some beautiful art from Joann Sfar. The art was probably the primary reason for picking this title up in the first place, that and I can be in the mood for a cute, silly supernatural book such as this sometimes, and the mood struck me when I saw this title. And it is all of that: cute, silly and beautiful. Unfortunately, the rest doesn't hold together all that well. This is a good book, but like the book jacket says about Sfar's writing style, it's rambling. And when I agree with that description, I mean it meanders. It's all over the place, without much focus. The book basically follows Ferdinand the Vampire as he goes on several adventures, seeking love in all the wrong places. But the story also shifts to scenes of Ferdinand's friends (sometimes even before they've crossed paths with Ferdinand) in their relationships and extracurricular activities. I guess if there is a theme to the book it's summarized in the ...

Hana-Kimi (Volume 1) Hisaya Nakajo I noticed this book while I was shelving manga at work...it was a really tame design - not as in-your-face-read-me as a lot of other manga, and I noticed that there were plenty of volumes out already. Then I saw the first volume at a used bookstore and read the back cover, consequently picking it up. And I'm glad I did. It's not the most original premise in the world or anything. It's about a young girl, Mizuki Ashiya, who goes all Mulan and joins an all-boys school when she leaves her parents back in America to attend school in Japan. She decides to pose as a boy so she can be close to high jumper Izumi Sano, who's a big inspiration to her, and whom she wants to high jump with some day. As luck would have it, not only is she in the same class, but she also becomes his roommate! Of course, this presents problems in itself, along with the infatuation most of the school seems to have for this new "pretty boy" who acts so...

This is a great review of the fantastic 28 Weeks Later , courtesy of Sean Collins. And here is a thought-provoking essay on something that should be rule-of-thumb.

Eden: It's An Endless World! (Volume 5) Hiroki Endo The fifth installment of Hiroki Endo's post-apocolyptic sci-fi series delves into the past of one of the most intriguing characters of the cast of characters - that of Sophia, the "pretty hate machine" the first two chapters of the book are named after. Sophia shares her disturbing past, void of feeling, physically and emotionally, with a program that's manifested in her mind as she's being repaired. Afterward, the cast of characters involved in previous epic battles use their skills in an attempt to rescue the main character of the series' - Elijah's - mother and sister from enemy hands. Unfortunately, this volume of the series is very disappointing compared to previous installments. Sophia's past isn't very interesting and only serves to strip away much of the mystery that makes her character cool in the first place. The big battle that ensues is a pale shadow of former battles in the series...

Family Matters Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung, Andrea Divito, Michael Gaydos & others . The second volume of Young Avengers takes place before the events of Civil War turned the Marvel Universe on its head, so the arguments that take place between the kids and the New Avengers is whether they are too young to fight as superheroes. Captain America believes so and would tell the kids' parents to stop them. Secrets are revealed as the Young Avengers debate the best course of action, and find themselves unable to hang up their tights. This volume also blatantly addresses the blooming love between two male members of the team: Wiccan and Hulkling, and portrays their relationship in a positive way, pretty much scrapping any stereotypes associated with homosexuality (aside from the obligatory coming out scene) and making them, for all intents and purposes, like any heterosexual couple in comics, but for the fact that they are both male. . This book sees the young heroes battle Mr. H...

This week, two quick reviews of books illustrated by Takeshi Obata... Death Note (Volume 11) Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata The latest installment of one of the best manga out there presently sees many pieces being set into place before the endgame between Light and Near. I believe there are two volumes left of the series, but I've heard from other sources that there is only one more, because they were published differently in America. Either way, the ending is going to be tense with what we've seen leading up to it thus far. The art is beautiful as ever among a few surprises and high tension between all of the players. Unforunately, this particular volume felt like it was leading up to something big with little in terms of memorable scenes. It's great in the context of the bigger picture of the series, but on its own, it hardly stands as something spectacular. B+ Hikaru No Go (Volume 9) Yumi Hotta & Takeshi Obata Takeshi Obata also does fantastic work on the ne...

Emily Blair A one-shot comic from the talented Emily Blair hits comic shelves this July (courtesy of Locust Street Comics) and should get more notice than it inevitably will. The black and white issue follows a cynical teacher on a trip to Florence with his class, where he sees that things have changed from his visit as a college student, for the worse. Particulalry in the form of the living statues, who pose as David and Neptune, stone-still, for money. But his contempt goes beyond that, as he sees all of the tourists, his students, his fellow chaperones, as simple and unappreciative beings. This lonely, bitter man wonders how those around him would react to different situations (like if he fell over a guard rail) and lets a stray word slip here and there as he does his best to alienate himself among the beautiful art that I can only think of calling a woodcut sort of style. It's a very interesting look and a work with a lot of depth, particularly impressive for a single 32-page w...

I don't get it when people say that they won't see a movie with Justin Timberlake in it. His performance in Alpha Dog is supposed to good, but because it's Justin, people won't see it. And people say they "can't stand" Sarah Michelle Gellar or Katie Holmes. I personally don't like Tom Hanks' performances because I think he overacts in a manner that I find abrasive, but that's the art and is fair game. Not liking a celebrity is just kind of immature. Because they're a celebrity, people suddenly have the right to make snap judgments? How would these people like the same treatment? I'm prone to like celebrity gossip as much as the next person, but some people are just so mean-spirited toward celebrities. Is Sarah Michelle Gellar too pretty, and women are jealous? Does Katie Holmes remind someone of a stepsister? I don't get it. Justin Timberlake is extremely talented. He's a great performer, great songwriter and singer, and he can...

Brandi Carlile Brandi Carlile's lastest CD release The Story was recorded almost completely live and boasts collaborations from the likes of The Indigo Girls. This was my first CD from the guitarist/songwriter. It's an in-store play at my Barnes & Noble and I liked what I heard, so I had to buy it. Brandi reminds me quite a bit of the sort of rock music you would hear coming from Melissa Etheridge, although it has a country edge to it that's more apparent in some songs than others, when it leans more toward a Bonnie Raitt sound. One thing is certain about Carlile in the end: she has a damn strong voice. Even when she sings softly, you can almost feel the power behind it. Unfortunately, there were too many of those ballads. I wish she'd showcased that voice a bit more than wasting it on so many slow numbers. She has such command over her art, and such confidence that I believe her to easily be one of the best vocalists working presently, but aside from a handful of ...

Check out the new sidebar links if you get the chance. One you may know, as Sean Collins used to blog on comics before getting a job at Wizard . His AttentionDeficitDisorderly Too Flat is now primarily a horror film blog. Critical Mass is a new blog from my articulate roommate Jordan that focuses on film and music reviews.

The Mysterious Play (Volume 1): Priestess Yu Watase This manga has been on my periphery for awhile now. With my manga pile receding, I took the opportunity to peruse the bookshelves at work and with a recent reminder of this title from Patrick, I picked this up on impulse. I follow Watase's Absolute Boyfriend in Shojo Beat monthly, and while I enjoy it, it's not quite at the level where I feel compelled to buy the volumes, let alone seek out other works from the creator. But comparatively, I like Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play much better. Absolute Boyfriend kind of hits the same note over and over and never really does anything all that interesting, and I also sometimes get confused with the characters, particularly the boys, who all seem to look the same with similar hairstyles. I don't have this problem with many manga, but Absolute Boyfriend is really a problem, especially when a third boy joins the storyline or the "other" love interest takes off his ...

"This week's historic massacre puts mindless mayhem movies like Hot Fuzz in perspective..." - Scott Holleran ( Box Office Mojo )

Ron Marz & Luke Ross Ron Marz, the former Crossgen creator, writes a samurai epic that's easily superior to his attempt at a samurai story on Crossgen's bland The Path . Collaborating with him on the Dark Horse five issue mini-series is Luke Ross, whose art reminds me quite a bit of Greg Land, without looking as stiff and photo-referenced, but much more natural; Very realistic and really just beautiful with scenes of cherry blossom trees and palaces. And credit has to be given to Jason Keith, whose work on the colors served to bring everything together in a great package. The battle scenes in this collection are pretty fantastic, and even though the protagonist and love interest are the boring iconic characters with little personality you'd expect them to be, there are some supporting characters that make the adventures of our hero worth it as he attempts to reunite with the one he loves. The Three Musketeers in particular are playful, fun characters with witty dialo...

Welcome to Manga Monday! This week, reviews of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service and Dragon Head ! Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (Volume 2) Eiji Otsuka & Housui Yamazaki The second installment of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service continues to follow a group of five (or perhaps six) individuals who collectively work to grant restless spirits their last wishes through their respective gifts, taking on these spirits as clients who are often able to pay through some means to make their interest worthwhile. This volume of the book is a little different than that of the first, with a story covering the entire book instead of working through self-contained chapters. As it is a single story, the focus falls on certain characters, while others are absent through nearly the entire story. But even if a favorite isn't highlighted this time around, this is an incredibly compelling story that really delves into the motivation of Ao Sasaki, the "leader" of the group if there is o...

Sarah Ellerton The second volume of Ellerton's Inverloch follows the young beast-like Da'kor, Acheron, as his quest for the long lost elf Kayn'dar is in full-swing. While this volume contains more action than the first , it's still mostly dialogue, as Acheron journeys south, following clues, and gaining traveling companions that seem to clash, but make for interesting dialogue nonetheless as the politics of the world slowly unfold through their various outlooks. Among Acheron's new friends are Lei-ella the mysterious Elven thief-catcher, Varden the thief, and Neirenn the mage, incorporating several key roles of a typical fantasy, but thus far, surpassing most in quality with its amazing art and really intriguing plot. This is a fine all-ages fantasy with an epic feel that's sure to appeal to fans of Bone , and is in the upper crust of genre comics being published presently, in a beautiful presentation from Seven Seas. A

One of my most highly anticipated films of the year has opened in all of its glory to a shabby fourth place at the box office , but on the bright side, it's one of the best reviewed movies of the year according to Rotten Tomato's counts, it seems to have longevity since it opened over a family weekend of Spring Break and the buzz is positive, and it's likely to make back its production budget, especially with talk of opening the movies separately overseas, and rereleasing them separately in the US as well to make up for some of its losses. Selling it off of the concept of the "Grindhouse" was foreign to a lot of people - that and using the directors' names to fan the fires was probably a mistake. This is America after all: Are We Done Yet was obviously a shoe-in for the top three, especially given its low rating of less than 10% critical approval and atrocious trailers. But enough of the disappointing financials; In the end what matters is the art - and Gr...

Welcome to Manga Monday! This week, reviews of Alien Nine and Drifting Classroom ! Alien Nine (Volumes 2 & 3) Hitoshi Tomizawa The final two volumes of Alien Nine pick up where the first volume left off and continues to tell the story of a world being invaded by aliens, friendly and otherwise. It is a wacky manga that follows three girls who wear aliens as helmets to help them track down hostile entities at their school, and continues in the direction the last book took, into that of a darker tone that all but consumed these last two volumes. All three of the girls are changed by their roles, whether they're possessed by an alien who makes them act differently, or their body is mutated to reflect the bond with the creatures, the permanent changes the girls undergo all but wipe the "cuteness" from the book and leave things unsettling and kind of depressing. It's a great metaphor for the changes of adolescence and growing up, but the energy of the series overall ...

Michael Avon Oeming & Scott Kolins The new mini-series spun out of Civil War begins with a gathering of heroes. In New Avengers , in wake of House of M , Alpha Flight was slaughtered by a cosmic being. Now a new group of heroes must protect Canada. Omega Flight both makes fun of its several past incarnations and holds up the original team to a legendary status. The gathering of the next generation of Canadian heroes is a direct result of Civil War , and Canadian officials aren't happy with the US, watching its mess spill over their borders. They are forced to act quickly in coming up with a solution to control the superpowered criminals who are invading their country to escape registration and the government cells put into play to track down superheroes and villains alike. Indeed, some of the new members of Omega Flight are themselves superhumans who were once regarded as heroes, who have escaped registration to begin anew in Canada. Among these ranks are USAgent and J...

You should see this movie. It's the best thing to come out of the franchise thus far.