House of Five Leaves: The Final Volume

I read House of Five Leaves, Vol. 8

I posted a review at ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Review DOROHEDORO Volume 7

DOROHEDORO, VOL. 7
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Q Hayashida
TRANSLATION: AltJapan Co., Ltd. (Hiroko Yoda + Matt Alt)
LETTERER: Maui Girl
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3381-0; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
184pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN

Q Hayashida (Kyū Hayashida) is a Japanese female manga artist. Her best known work is the fantasy manga, Dorohedoro. A seinen comic (adult male demographic), Dorohedoro began publication in 1999 in the manga magazine, Ikki, where it is still being published today.

Dorohedoro is set in two worlds: the Hole and the world of the magic users. People who do not have the ability to wield magic live in The Hole, a dismal city neighborhood. The Hole is also the place where Sorcerers (or “Magic Users”) abduct people to use in their awful black arts experiments.

A young woman named Nikaido hunts and kills sorcerers. Her partner is Caiman, a male mutant with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. Caiman chomps down on the head of each sorcerer the duo finds, hoping to discover the one that transformed him. However, this couple has drawn the attention of En, the head Sorcerer and crime boss, who wants them dead.

As Dorohedoro, Vol. 7 begins, Caiman is trying to rescue Nikaido from En’s clutches. In order to break into En’s sprawling estate, he will have to don a disguise and sell President Tanba’s meat pies! And Caiman will need the help of the devil, Asu. Meanwhile, Professor Kasukabe and his companions escape En’s clutches, but drive right into the backwoods trouble of “Hydra Forest.” Now, Shin and Noi have to rescue them.

I have read countless manga that are strikingly similar to other manga, but each usually has its own idiosyncrasies and other elements that make it different from others. The Dorohedoro manga is so strikingly different from every other manga that I have read that I sometimes have trouble believing that it is a manga title, but is rather some strange Eurocomic.

I have noted Dorohedoro’s similarities to such international comics as the works of Moebius and the Jamie Hewlett-drawn Tank Girl comics. However, that does not come close to describing this crazy manga from creator Q Hayashida. I’ll say what I said before, that this is a gumbo of uncanny landscapes, kooky mushrooms, bizarre tattoos, a peculiar rookery of flying devils, and funky meat pies. As the series progresses, however, the characters become more developed, so I want another serving.

A-

Bokurano: Yosuke Kirie

I read Bokurano: Ours, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phones apps and comics).

Saturn Apartments: Eggs and Fried Chicken

I read Saturn Apartments, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

Dorohedoro: The En of History

I read Dorohedoro, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

House of Five Leaves: Imminence

I read House of Five Leaves, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps and comics).

Bokurano: Maki Ano

I read Bokurano: Ours, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

House of Five Leaves: Maple

I read House of Five Leaves 5 / Name Your Link

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

I'll Give It My All... Tomorrow: Set Back

I read Name Your Link

I posted a review at Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

Saturn Apartments: Forced Retirement

I read Saturn Apartments, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Tesoro: A Short Story Treasury

I read Tesoro (Tesoro: Ono Natsume Shoki Tanpenshuu 1998-2008)

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Afterschool Charisma: Attack of the Clones Continues

I read Afterschool Charisma, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Kingyo Used Books: Devil Power

I read Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

House of Five Leaves: Ginta

I read House of Five Leaves, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

La Quinta Camera Welcomes the New

I read La Quinta Camera: The Fifth Room

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Afterschool Charisma: Attack of the Clones

I read Afterschool Charisma, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Saturn Apartments Cleaner

I read Saturn Apartments, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

I'll Give My All to EKKE

I read I'll Give It My All...Tomorrow, Vol. 3 (See all Manga)

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

VIZ Media Titles Earn Eisner Award Nominations

VIZ MEDIA NOMINATED IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES FOR THE 2011 WILL EISNER COMIC INDUSTRY AWARDS

Naoki Urasawa, NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS and HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES Nominated

San Francisco, CA, April 8, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announced today that two of its manga titles and one creator have been nominated in several categories for the 2011 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards for a total of 4 nominations, as announced by Comic-Con International on April 7, 2011.

Named for pioneering writer and comic artist Will Eisner, the awards recognize exemplary comics, graphic novels and other pop writings, and are given each year as part of the annual Comic-Con International convention. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 22nd during Comic-Con, at which VIZ Media will be a major exhibitor and participant in the programs offered. VIZ Media titles are consistently nominated for the Eisner Awards, and in 2008, took home the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan for TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, by acclaimed creator Taiyo Matsumoto.

The nominated titles from VIZ Media are:

HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, by Natsume Ono
• Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia

NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS, by Naoki Urasawa
• Best Continuing Series
• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

In addition, Naoki Urasawa is nominated for Best Writer/Artist, for his work on NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS.

“We are thrilled that VIZ Media has several nominees for the prestigious Eisner Awards,” states Alvin Lu, SVP and General Manager, VIZ Media. "The Eisners highlight the best in the comics industry each year, and we are honored to be considered among such a diverse group of nominees.”

Kingo Used Books Meet Nekotama-do

I read Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).