9th Sleep for Nine Lives

I read 9th Sleep (Yaoi)

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Top Shelf Makes Big Announcements

From Chris Staros:

TOP SHELF ANNOUNCES NEW WEB SITE, SIGNINGS, AND MORE!

Hey Gang,
Tons of news in Top Shelf land this month, not the least of which is that we just launched a brand new web site! We've also got a bunch of killer books available for pre-order in your local comic shop (including new books from Jeffrey Brown, Kathryn & Stuart Immonen, and Rich Koslowski)! Then there's news of future projects, a hilarious video put together by our "Swedish Invasion" cartoonists, a look at the Surrogates Blu-Ray special features, and a video game from none other than James Kochalka. Whew! Let's get started!

TOP SHELF LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE
We'll start with the biggest, shiniest, and most obvious news – our web site got an incredible upgrade! The new TopShelfComix.com should make it easier for find what you're looking for – with more frequent news updates, a powerful new "smart search" box up top, better connections between books, authors, news, and interviews, and overall a much more user-friendly look. Check out the randomly changing background images from the Top Shelf family of artists! And if you've got an iPhone or other mobile browser, try the phone-friendly mobile version of our site, so you can keep up with all the latest happenings – and even order books – on the go!

We're very proud of the new site, and grateful to webmaster supreme Nate Beaty, who made it all happen. Check it out, and let us know what you think! -- And be sure to take advantage of free (media mail) shipping on all domestic orders this week!

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/mobile

PREORDER TOP SHELF'S MAY RELEASES IN THE CURRENT (MARCH) DIAMOND PREVIEWS CATALOG!
The new Diamond Previews catalog has FIVE new titles available for pre-ordering. Now's the time to let your friendly neighborhood retailer know that you want to pre-order them –- that really helps them and us. You can also pre-order direct on our web site! To see covers, descriptions, and sample pages, just click on the links below:

MOVING PICTURES by Kathryn & Stuart Immonen

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/moving-pictures/647
-- A 144-Page Graphic Novel with French Flaps, $14.95 (US)
-- ISBN 978-1-60309-049-0, Diamond: MAR10-1136
-- Set during World War II, a story of the dangerous relationship between curator Ila Gardner and officer Rolf Hauptmann, while the Nazis pillage Europe's great art treasures.

UNDELETED SCENES by Jeffrey Brown

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/undeleted-scenes/712
-- A 352-Page Graphic Novel, $15.00 (US)
-- ISBN 978-1-60309-058-2, Diamond: MAR10-1140
-- A huge compendium collecting a decade's worth of shorter works from indie comics legend Jeffrey Brown.

BB WOLF & THE 3 LP'S by J.D. Arnold & Rich Koslowski

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/bb-wolf-and-the-3-lps/620
-- A 96-Page Hardcover Graphic Novel, $12.95 (US)
-- ISBN 978-1-60309-029-2, Diamond: MAR10-1137
-- A classic story of racism, murder, revenge, and music, all filtered through the clever re-telling of a timeless fairy tale.

THREE FINGERS (new edition) by Rich Koslowski

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/three-fingers/58
-- A 144-Page Graphic Novel, $14.95 (US)
-- ISBN 978-1-891830-31-0, Diamond: MAR10-1138
-- The horrifying untold story behind the cartoon industry and our most celebrated cartoon actors… an award-winning graphic novel from the artist of BB WOLF and THE KING, now re-presented in a new edition!

GREETINGS FROM CARTOONIA by Stripburger
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/greetings-from-cartoonia/713
-- A 220-Page Anthology, $20.00 (US)
-- ISBN 978-961-6553-34-6, Diamond: MAR10-1139
-- A tour of the imaginary land of Cartoonia, as viewed by twelve wonderfully creative European cartoonists.

TOP SHELF WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING CREATORS AND PROJECTS TO THE FAMILY!
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/futurereleases
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/2010releases

It's always exciting when we discover new talent, or get a brilliant new proposal from one of our established masters. At the moment we can announce several of BOTH! The upcoming graphic novels we've recently signed include five new kid-friendly series, five new graphic novels by wonderful female creators, a massive award-winner from France, a full-length graphic novel from mini-comics master Will Dinski, the writing debut of Eric Skillman (designer of the beautiful ALEC omnibus, as well as the upcoming PLAYWRIGHT and AX anthology), and eight (!) incredible new graphic novels from our all-time greats.

We'll have more details on each book as they get closer to publication, but for now we'll tease you with the titles, and direct you here to check out the details we have available:

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/futurereleases
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/2010releases
(as some will debut this year)

FOR ALL AGES
Five New Graphic Novel Series:
-- MADDY KETTLE by Eric Orchard
-- MONSTER ON THE HILL by Rob Harrell
-- PIRATE PENGUIN VS NINJA CHICKEN by Ray Friesen
-- OKIE DOKIE DONUTS by Chris Eliopoulos
-- DRAGON PUNCHER by James Kochalka

FOR MATURE READERS
New Faces:
-- THE STORY OF MY TITS by Jennifer Hayden
-- UNDERWIRE by Jennifer Hayden
-- CHESTER 5000-XYV by Jess Fink
-- WE CAN FIX IT by Jess Fink
-- AUGUST MOON by Diana Thung
-- FINGERPRINTS by Will Dinski
-- LIAR'S KISS by Eric Skillman & Jhomar Soriano
-- INFINITE KUNG-FU by Kagan McLeod
-- JUNCTION TRUE by Ray Fawkes & Vince Locke

A French Superstar:
-- LUCILLE by Ludovic Debeurme

Encore Performances from our Award Winners:
-- THE UNDERWATER WELDER by Jeff Lemire
-- ANY EMPIRE by Nate Powell
-- SUPER NATURAL by Matt Kindt
-- HEY MISTER: COME HELL OR HIGHWATER PANTS by Pete Sickman-Garner
-- THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE by Robert Venditti & Mike Huddleston
-- BACCHUS (THE TWO-VOLUME OMNIBUS) by Eddie Campbell
-- KISSYPOO GARDEN by Craig Thompson
-- THE MOON & SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC by Alan Moore & Steve Moore

Hope you're as excited as we are!

THE SWEDISH INVASION HITS YOUTUBE!
Holy lingonberries! The crazy geniuses over in Sweden are so excited about their books coming out in English from Top Shelf that they put together this awesome video to introduce themselves! What can we say, except that this demonstrates perfectly the amazing charm, creativity and offbeat sense of humor that make their books so great. Check out the video below, pre-order their books now at your local shop, those of you in the Chicago and New York areas should make plans to party with the Swedes in April! Leve den svenska invasionen!

YouTube Swedish Invasion Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-IGJNJRwk

The Swedish Invasion Graphic Novels
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/swedish-invasion


SURROGATES DVD RELEASED WITH AWESOME COMIC-TO-FILM FEATURETTE
The blockbuster film SURROGATES, based on the Top Shelf graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, was recently released on DVD and Blu-Ray, and the Blu-Ray contains a 7-minute featurette delving deep into the original graphic novel. In this preview clip, you'll see interviews with both Rob and Brett, plus some amazing animated graphics that bring Brett's outstanding art to life in "motion comic" form. Both DVD and Blu-Ray are available at amazon.com, but the Blu-Ray is the one you want. Don't miss it!

Preview of the featurette:
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/news/508

Surrogates Graphic Novels:
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/robertvenditti


JAMES KOCHALKA'S GLORKIAN WARRIOR VIDEO GAME PROJECT AT KICKSTARTER
Acclaimed indy video game designers Pixeljam and award-winning cartoonist James Kochalka are making a video game called Glorkian Warrior. They're trying to raise the necessary funds to complete the project through Kickstarter.com, and have put together a really amazing set of prizes for people who pledge money. Learn more about this exciting project here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixeljam/james-kochalka-pixeljam-glorkian-warrior

That's all for now! Thanks for reading.
Your friend thru comics,
Chris Staros

Welcome to I Reads You

Welcome to I Reads You, my blog about the things I read (mostly comic books, comics, and related books) and about the things I come across worth reading (mostly about comic books, politics, and entertainment). Sometimes I’ll comment on “real” books and the mass media. I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I also have another blog: http://www.negromancer.com/.  All images appearing on this blog are copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

#IReadsYou Review: GOGO MONSTER

 

GOGO MONSTER
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Taiyo Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: Camellia Nieh
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Annette Roman
LETTERS: Susan Daigle-Leach
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3448-0; paperback; Rated “T” for “Teen”
459pp, B&W, $27.99 US, $36.00 CAN

GoGo Monster is a Japanese seinen manga written and illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto.  Japanese publisher, Shogakukan, published it in a single tankōbon (graphic novel) volume in October 2000.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of GoGo Monster as a single-volume graphic novel under its VIZ Signature imprint in November 2009.

GoGo Monster, a thick manga graphic novel by Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet), takes readers into the make-believe life of a third grader.  A mystery and sleight-of-hand fantasy, GoGo Monster asks what is real and what is childhood obsession?

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, our world, Yuki is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see.  In the other world, these supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits that bring chaos into the school, the students’ lives, and even nature itself.

In Grade 3, Class 2, Yuki is a good student, but he is preoccupied with the struggle between his good supernatural friends and the bad ones who break windows and paint graffiti on the school walls.  Makoto Suzuki is the new kid sitting next to Yuki, and although the other students warn him against this, this boy becomes Yuki’s steady companion.  Yuki also finds sympathy in Ganz, the elderly caretaker of the school’s flower and vegetable gardens and also Sasaki a.k.a. IQ, a boy who wears a large box over his head.  Makoto isn’t sure if Yuki is making up his fantasy world or not, while Ganz and IQ are cagey about what they believe.  As he becomes more withdrawn, Yuki will have to depend on the friends that stick with him – whether he realizes it or not.

THE LOWDOWN:  The answer to whether Yuki Tachibana’s claims are true or not is obvious to most readers, but the validity of this child’s fantasies are not necessarily the heart of GoGo Monster’s narrative.  The genre to which Monster is closest is not fantasy, but rather the coming of age story.  In fact, Monster is a coming of age story presented in such a fashion that the reader must be a detective – searching for the truth by discovering Tachibana’s motivations and by dissecting what little of his past is presented to the reader.  The star of the story is Yuki Tachibana and he doesn’t disappoint.

Taiyo Matsumoto’s tale mixes environmental and green metaphors and symbols which gives the story’s themes of renewal and rebirth, not only for Yuki, but also for his classmates.  What Matsumoto does best, however, is engage the reader.  Matsumoto structures the story so that the reader is constantly trying to find the truth.  The execution of this comics or graphical storytelling is such that the reader is always looking for something – a strange looking creature or a subtle movement in the face of a staff member or student at the school – that will answer a question.

You will want answers, and you will be won over by this maddening complicated child, Yuki Tachibana.  He is our surrogate into this literary world.  GoGo Monster is a monster of a read, filled with a sense of wonder about the natural world, about the supernatural world, and also about living in the real world.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the manga of Taiyo Matsumoto will want GoGo Monster.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Revised and Posted on Friday, September 18, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Moonstone Books Has "Zombies vs Cheerleaders" in June

JUNE 2010 release:


ZOMBIES vs CHEERLEADERS #1
(W) Steven L. Frank
(A) Benjamin Glendenning
(C) Jason Worthington, Justin Ridge
32pgs, color, $3.99

Morbid or funny, and sometimes morbidly funny, top talent bring eclectic tales of Zombies vs Cheerleaders. Based on the hit trading card series from 5FINITY Productions, read the exciting stories of the two things everyone loves: zombies and cheerleaders!

Writer Steven L. Frank teams with artists Benjamin Glendenning, Jessica Hickman, Frankie B Washington, and David Namisato in this rip roaring first issue! Variant covers by Jason Worthington, Justin Ridge, & Jessica Hickman. The back cover is sketch friendly!

**Retailer Incentive: Buy4 or more copies get one copy free!** (Ridge = 50%, Hickman =20%, Worthington = 20%, Black = 10%)

Marvel Comics Television Sets

I found this at io9 about Marvel licensing their characters to a manufacturer for a line of expensive TV sets (about 1700 to 2000 dollars a set):

These 22, 32, 42 and 55-inch LCDs/40 and 46-inch LED HDTVs feature Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Wolverine, Thor and others embellished on the bottom corners of the frame as well as a themed splash screen that appears for 8 seconds when you turn on the TV.

Tracy Chapman said, "Consume more than you need.  This is the dream."

WWE Comics Announces "WWW Heroes #3"

WWE HEROES COMIC #3


-Issue series & number: WWE Heroes comic #3
-On sale: May 25 2010
-Details: 32 pages, full color
-Writer: Keith Champagne
-Artist: Andy Smith
-Cover Artists (50/50 covers): Andy Smith (cover A) and Gary Erskine (cover B)

Brief synopsis:
After the shock ending of the last issue, the whole roster of the WWE has been left reeling! But there is no time to waste because now that Reverend Josiah is in charge he has some cruel and unusual ideas for how things should be run. First up - Big Show versus the world! Will the biggest man in the WWE be able to take on... everybody?

WWE Heroes comic #3 on-sale May 25 2010.  Available from all good retailers and specialist comic stores. For your nearest comic store, visit: http://www.comicshoplocator.com/

For more information on WWE Heroes comic, visit:
http://www.wwecomics.com/
http://twitter.com/wwecomics
http://www.facebook.com/WWEComics

For more information about WWE Heroes comic artist Gary Erskine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Erskine

For more information about WWE Heroes comic writer, Keith Champagne: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Champagne