Review: MASTER KEATON: The Perfect Edition, Volume 12

MASTER KEATON: THE PERFECT EDITION, VOL. 12
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Naoki Urasawa
STORY: Hokusei Katsushika, Takashi Nagasaki, and Naoki Urasawa
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Steve Dutro
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8380-8; paperback (September 2017); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
322pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN, £12.99 U.K.

VIZ Media has completed its initiative to publish Master Keaton in English for the first time.  This is one of the early works from award-winning mangaka, Naoki Urasawa.  Master Keaton was first published beginning in the late 1980s and was created and drawn by Urasawa, who co-produced the story with Hokusei Katsushika and frequent collaborator, Takashi Nagasaki.

The English-language version of Master Keaton is a 12-volume, graphic novel series, published in a deluxe format called the “Perfect Edition.”  Each volume includes a few pages of full-color material to go along with the black and white comics.  VIZ Media began publishing Master Keaton quarterly under the VIZ Signature imprint in December 2014.

The hero of Master Keaton is Taichi Hiraga Keaton, the 30-something son of a Japanese zoologist and an English noblewoman and mathematician.  Although Keaton is an archaeology professor, he does not have a job at a university.  Thus, most of the series' action focuses on Keaton's job as a part-time insurance investigator.  Known for his successful and unorthodox methods of investigation, Keaton's abilities are based on his Oxford education in archaeology and also on his time as a member of the British elite special forces, the S.A.S. (Special Air Service).  Keaton uses his knowledge and combat training to uncover buried secrets, to thwart would-be villains, to pursue the truth, and sometimes just to lend a helping hand.

Master Keaton: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 12 (12 chapters) opens with the story, “The Scholar's Day.”  Keaton is on the verge of finally getting a job at a university, but he discovers that his superiors are quite disappointing.  Then, Keaton learns of the recent death of his mentor, Professor Urey W. Scott.  It was through Prof. Scott that Keaton came to believe European civilization was born on the plains around the Danube river.  Scott may have left something behind for Keaton, but the professor's daughter, Maggie Scott, is not impressed with Keaton.

Later, Keaton heads to Romania to investigate a car theft and smuggling ring.  The case seems like providence to Keaton, as Prof. Scot's final work may have discovered in Romania the proof for he and Keaton's Danube theories.  However, Keaton becomes involved in a conspiracy that ties into Romania tumultuous recent history, and his quest to help an orphaned boy may cost Keaton his own life at the place that could provide the answers he seeks.  On the lighter side, Keaton's daughter, Yuriko, makes plans to attend Oxford, like her father, and is laser-focused on her future... until a young man with bad luck captures her interest.

The Master Keaton manga has come to an end with the publication of the twelfth graphic novel in its English-language publication.  And as it was for the end of 20th Century Boys and Pluto, I am having a difficult time accepting that the series has ended.  Dammit, I want more!

Master Keaton: The Perfect Edition Volume 12 offers some of the best of what has become familiar in this series.  We get international intrigue filled with murder, secret police, vicious killers, people in need of a hero, and buried treasure.  There is some nice family comedy featuring Keaton's daughter and his father, Taihei Hiraga, and some surprisingly entertaining workplace drama featuring a longtime colleague, and old friend/rival, and a newcomer.  As sad as I am about the ending, at least I know that Keaton is leaving us behind to do what he has wanted to do for a long time.

Hopefully, Master Keaton will remain in print for a long time to come, but it is also available on various platforms for readers who prefer to read digital manga.


A+
10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: GOODNIGHT PUNPUN Volume 7

GOODNIGHT PUNPUN, VOL. 7
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Inio Asano
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8626-7; paperback (September 2017); Rated “M” for “Mature”
272pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN, £9.99 U.K.

The English-language publication of the manga Goodnight Punpun comes to an end with the publication of the seventh volume.  The creation of Inio Asano, Goodnight Punpun is a coming-of-age story that focuses on Punpun Onodera and chronicles his life from middle school through his adolescent and into his twenties with its trials and tribulations.  VIZ Media is publishing Goodnight Punpun as a seven-volume graphic novel series.  Each volume (except the final one) is an over-sized manga paperback containing two individual volumes (called “parts).

Goodbye Punpun, Vol. 7 contains Part 13 (Chapters 135 to 146 to Final Chapter) and opens with the final conflagration of the cult leader, charlatan, sorcerer, Toshiki Hoshikawa, a.k.a. “Pegasus,” and his obedient followers.  Meanwhile, Punpun and his “girlfriend,” Aiko Tanaka remain on the run, more or less, in the wake of Punpun killing Aiko's mother.  The star-crossed couple is moving towards a doomed ending... at least for one of them.

Some volumes of the Goodnight Punpun manga have left me feeling down with stories of death and despair (Vols. 3 and 4) and others have thrilled me with bold and scathing examinations of callow youth (Vol. 6).

Goodnight Punpun Volume 7 closes out the series as if the characters were entering a state of death.  Considering the ambitions and dreams these characters had when they were younger, well, maybe they are dead... in a manner of speak, of course.  There have been a few manga that I enjoyed that did not end in a spectacular fashion; they just sort of ended.  I am not disappointed in the ending of Goodnight Punpun; in fact, I don't want the series to end.  The ending is a new beginning, or maybe I am missing the point.  What begins is really no story at all, but if there is a story, it's certainly not like the one that came before it.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: GOLDEN KAMUY Volume 1

GOLDEN KAMUY, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Satoru Noda
TRANSLATION: Eiji Yasuda
LETTERING: Steve Dutro
EDITOR: Mike Montessa
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9488-0; paperback (June 2017); Rated “M” for “Mature”
192pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Golden Kamuy is a historical drama from manga creator Satoru Noda.  The story follows a war veteran's quest for hidden gold in Japan's wild northern frontier and the native Ainu girl who helps him.

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 7) opens early in 20th century Japan.  Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto, a veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, is scrapping out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush on the wild frontier of Hokkaido.  Sugimoto is called “Immortal” because he refused to die during the war and killed anyone who tried to kill him.

Sugimoto will need all his survival skills after he stumbles upon the first “piece” of a map leading to a fortune in hidden gold belonging to the Ainu (an indigenous people of Japan and Russia).  However, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers are also hunting for the gold in the harsh northern wilderness.  It will take all Sugimoto's skills and the help of a immensely-skilled Ainu girl named Asirpa to survive, let alone find the gold.

The Golden Kamuy manga simply stuns me.  It is one of the best comics that I have read all year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it make some “best of 2017” lists.

In the seven chapters that compose Golden Kamuy Volume 1, creator Satoru Noda seems to do everything right.  There is tremendous technical details concerning costumes, uniforms, tools, guns and ammunition, etc.  The story deftly mixes elements of both man vs. man and man vs. nature, with a battle against a monstrous brown bear being a standout.  In a way, Golden Kamuy seems like an American frontier Western film or story.

There are scenes of taut action, intimate drama, and tense duels played out between well drawn characters.  The Ainu girl, Asirpa, is not really a supporting character.  She is every bit as interesting as Sugimoto (if not more so).  The adversaries of the series leads are a growing menagerie of mysterious, lethal, and alluring characters.  I can't wait for the second volume.  Fans of Westerns and of Japanese historical dramas will want to try the VIZ Signature title, Golden Kamuy.

A
9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Manga Review: GOODNIGHT PUNPUN Volume 2

GOODNIGHT PUNPUN, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Inio Asano
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8621-2; paperback (June 2016); Rated “M” for “Mature”
432pp, B&W, $24.99 U.S., $28.99 CAN, £16.99 U.K.

Creator Inio Asano (Solanin, What a Wonderful World!) has a new manga.  Entitled Goodnight Punpun, the series is a coming-of-age story that focuses on Punpun Onodera, a boy in middle school and his adolescent trials and tribulations.

VIZ Media is publishing Goodnight Punpun as a seven-volume graphic novel series.  Each volume is an over-sized manga paperback containing two individual volumes (called “parts).  Goodbye Punpun Vol. 2 contains Part 3 (Chapters 24 to 34) and 4 (Chapters 35 to 46).

In Part 3, Punpun agonizes over former elementary school crush, Aiku Tanaka.  They have had no contact for two years and now Aiku seems to be dating Mamoru Yaguichi, Punpun's teammate on the badminton team.  Yaguichi, rumored to be well-endowed, also has his own doubts, about both Aiku and badminton, so he is ready to bargain with Punpun about Aiku.

In Part 4, Punpun's uncle, Yuichi Onodera, his mother's younger brother who lives with them, is also going through a crisis.  He has seemingly had a reunion involving Midori Okuma, a 25-year-old.  She resembles a 16-year-old girl with whom Yuichi once had a trouble/edgy relationship.  Meanwhile, Punpun has a chance to be with the girl of his dreams...

The Goodnight Punpun manga is bold and adventurous.  It is a teen drama that goes where only the best teen drama comics dare to go.  Teen angst, family dysfunction, sex and sexual tension, and social politics bubble and toil under the surface of what looks to be straight-forward adolescent drama and melodrama – but is more..

Truthfully, Goodnight Punpun Volume 2 defies description.  It deals with the turmoil and struggles of early teens, of course.  However, creator Inio Asano digs hard into the dread that is the uncertain future.  The stress of the now always seems to coexist with the unknown shape of things to come.  We could always tell the characters to not worry about tomorrow – to simply live in the now.  But where is the fun in that?  We wouldn't have the wonderful Goodnight Punpun and its constantly agonizing characters if they didn't worry about next year.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: ULTRAMAN Volume 3

ULTRAMAN, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Eiichi Shimizu
ART: Tomohiro Shimoguchi
TRANSLATION: Joe Yamazaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Stan!
LETTERING: Evan Waldinger
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8184-2; paperback (February 2016); Rated “T” for “Teen”
188pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

The character, Ultraman, appeared in Japanese sci-fi/fantasy films and television, beginning in the 1960s.  Ultraman was an alien entity that merged with a human host, creating a superhero that fought aliens trying to invade Earth.  Ultraman (stylized as ULTRAMAN) the manga, written and drawn by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, is a sequel to the television series, “Ultraman” (1966).

The new Ultraman is 17-year-old Shinjiro Hayata.  He is the son of Shin Hayata, the man who first merged with Ultraman 20 years earlier.  A new threat is growing, and that kind of danger requires a new kind of Ultraman.

As Ultraman, Vol. 3 (Chapter 15 to 20) opens, the Science Special Search Party (SSSP) goes deeper into a sinister investigation to learn the identity of a mysterious new serial killer.  The victims are human, but the killer may not be human.  Meanwhile, Dan Moroboshi takes Shinjiro to a mysterious alien city, but the location of that city shocks Shinjiro.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Ultraman manga is an easy and enjoyable read.  In fact, it is such an easy read that I find myself finishing too quickly and wishing that there were more.  Ultraman is something like an American superhero, and I think of Iron Man with a touch of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Ultraman Graphic Novel Volume 3 continues to expand the world of this new Ultraman character.  At the same time, the creative team continues to tease the ghosts of the past, which might entertain readers already familiar with earlier incarnations of the character.  I'm invested in this series, and being unfamiliar with old Ultraman only makes me even more interested in getting answers.  I won't act as if this is an instant classic, but the mixture of science fiction action and mystery really work for this new Ultraman.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of Ultraman and readers looking for superheroes from another land will want to try the VIZ Signature title, Ultraman.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Tokyo Ghoul: Vs. The Gourmet

I read Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Master Keaton: The New Adventures of David Bobbid

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 5

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Terra Formars: Joseph C. Newton - Superstar

I read Terra Formars, Vol. 10

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Tokyo Ghoul: You're for Dinner

I read Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 4

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Dorohedoro: Central Department Store

I read Dorohedoro, Vol. 17

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Afterschool Charisma: Revenge of the Farner Twins

I read Afterschool Charisma, Vol. 10

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Terra Formars: Bullet Ant

I read Terra Formars, Vol. 9

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Review: OOKU: The Inner Chambers Volume 11

OOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS, VOL. 11
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Fumi Yoshinaga
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERER: Monlisa De Asis
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7979-5; paperback (November 2015); Rated “M” for “Mature”
232pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is an alternate history and romance manga created by Fumi Yoshinaga.  The series presents an alternative version of Japan’s history in which a strange disease, called the Redface Pox, begins to kill young men and boys  in the 1600s.

The male population falls to about one-fourth of the female population, and men eventually become protected as precious “seed bearers.”  Japan becomes a matriarchal society, with women taking on the roles traditionally held by men, including the role of Shogun.  This story focuses on life at Edo Castle and is set inside its Inner Chambers, a sort of harem filled with men who serve the female Shogun.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 11 (Chapters 44 to 47) opens early in the reign of the 11th shogun, Lord Ienari, the first male shogun in 150 years.  Tokugawa Harusada has schemed for many years to make her son, Tokugawa Ienari, shogun, but she is the one who truly holds the reigns of power.  Ienari is merely a “studhorse,” pleasuring the now female-dominated Inner Chambers.  However, Ienari has been reading “The Chronicle of a Dying Day,” and he dreams of a better future for his country.

Meanwhile, after being thrown out of Edo Castle, former Inner Chamber men, Kuroki Ryojun and Ihei, operate an infirmary together.  Kuroki, an assistant to the late Aonuma, who found a way to cure the Redface Pox, experiences a great change in his life.  Now, he must rediscover his former mentor's miracle.

Is it okay if I still continue to admire the Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga?  I have asked this question before because, for a long time, this manga seemed to focus on something different with each volume.  That annoyed me, and I thought that meant the narrative was problematic.  Instead of giving it a negative review, I found myself enjoying Ōoku.  I had to accept the series for what it was and not for what I thought it should be.  My very reservations seemed to suggest that this was an exceptional comic book.

At times, Ōoku is a character drama, historical fiction, historical drama, alternate-world fantasy (or science fiction), soap opera, backstairs drama, or royal drama – depending upon the volume I read.  Just go with it, Leroy.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers Volume 11 embraces it all.  In the chapters that comprise this volume, creator Fumi Yoshinaga fashions humanity for her characters and then, begins an excavation of their personalities, motivations, psych profiles, and desires.  Why do people do what they do the way they do it?  Who knows?  It seems like a deeply held secret, even to the creator of such complex and winning characters.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Master Keaton: The Pied Piper of Hamelin

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Dorohedoro: Cross Time

I read Dorohedoro, Vol. 16

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Terra Formars: Rendezvous

I read Terra Formars, Vol. 7

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Master Keaton: The Flying Hero

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 3

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Dogs: Bullets & Carnage - Einsturzen's Histories

I read Dogs, Vol. 10

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Review: RESIDENT EVIL: The Marhawa Desire Volume 5

RESIDENT EVIL: THE MARHAWA DESIRE, VOL. 5
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Naoki Serizawa
CONCEPT: Capcom
TRANSLATION: Joe Yamazaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Stan!
LETTERING: John Clark
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7376-2; paperback (July 2015); Rated “M” for “Mature”
168pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

VIZ Media's publication of the seinen manga, Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire, has come to an end with the publication of the fifth volume or graphic novel in the series.  An adult horror manga, Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire, serves as a comic book prequel to the story line of CAPCOM’s bestselling video game, Resident Evil® 6.  This iteration of Resident Evil introduces the highly virulent C-virus, and the manga explores the origins of this new outbreak.

The story begins with Doug Wright.  He is a professor in the Department of Sciences and Engineering at Bennett University, and he specializes in bacteriology.  He receives a letter from Mother Gracia, headmistress of Marhawa Academy, Asia's largest and most prestigious school.  Wright, who had a past relationship with Gracia, rushes to the school, with his nephew, 20-year-old Ricky Tozawa, in tow.  Deep in the jungle, Marhawa Academy is located within a giant, self-contained and self-sufficient complex.  There, Prof. Wright and Ricky find themselves caught in a deadly and growing tragedy that is an epidemic of zombie proportions.

Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire, Vol. 5 (Chapters 33 to 39 – Final Chapter) opens as the remaining humans in the Marhawa Academy complex make their last stand against a legion of students, faculty, and staff turned zombies.  Ricky has joined a three-person team from the B.S.A.A. (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance):  Chris Redfield (team leader), Merah Biji, and Piers Nivens.

They believe that they have found a way to escape the campus, but before they do that, they must fight their way not only through zombies, but also through monsters.  The bio-organic weapon (B.O.W.), Nanan Yoshihara, swings her horrible tentacles when she isn't spewing deadly virus gas, and Bendi Bergara has undergone a horrible transformation.  Meanwhile, the Hooded Woman lurks in the background, carrying the truth behind the Marhawa Incident.

[This volume includes a “Special Epilogue.”]

Sigh.  The Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire manga has come to an end.  I want more.  No, I have never played any Resident Evil video games, nor do I play video games in general.  I have not read previous Resident Evil comics, but I am a fan of the Resident Evil live-action film franchise that began with the 2002 film, Resident Evil.  I enjoyed reading the manga more than I have enjoyed watching the films, which I have, for the most part, found entertaining.

Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire Volume 5 offers a satisfying ending, relatively speaking.  Zombie apocalyptic fiction has to break your heart for every time it gives you a good outcome.  Writer-artist Naoki Serizawa gleefully poured on the gore and violence, and he gave us some attractive characters, so that he could use some of them to break our hearts.  He put the reader right in the middle of the action.  I felt that I had to run every time the heroes did, and I felt like every page was about a fight for my life, just as the heroes were fighting for their lives.

Yeah, you might say that this is “just” a Resident Evil comic, so it can't be that good.  Well, it is just a great Resident Evil comic, and it is that good because it is classic monster comics.  Read it by flashlight, under a bed sheet, while something scratches at your window.  Fans of horror manga and zombie comics will want the VIZ Signature title, Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux (Support Leroy on Patreon)


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Gangsta: Long-Lost

I read Gangsta., Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.