Slam Dunk Heaven and Hell

I read Slam Dunk, Vol. 15

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

Fantagraphics Books to Publish Paul Nelson Bio

Music Critic Paul Nelson Finally Gets His Due

MARCH 31, 2011, SEATTLE, WA—Fantagraphics is proud to announce Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson. Author Kevin Avery spent four years researching and writing this unique anthology-biography. This book compiles Nelson’s best works and also provides a vivid account of his life.

In the ’60s, Paul Nelson pioneered rock & roll criticism with a first-person style of writing later coined “New Journalism.” During a five-year detour at Mercury Records, he signed the New York Dolls to their first recording contract, and then settled back down to music criticism at Rolling Stone. Through his writing, Nelson championed the early careers of artists like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Warren Zevon, The Sex Pistols, and The Ramones.

But in 1982, he walked away from it all. By the time Nelson died in his New York City apartment in 2006, everything he’d written had been relegated to back issues of old music magazines.

“My original idea for this book was simply to anthologize Paul Nelson’s best work so that today’s readers could discover, as I had in my youth, his elegant and brilliant writings,” explains author Kevin Avery. “But I soon realized that, in doing these pieces, Paul was ultimately telling his own story. And his story was so damn compelling it was impossible for me not to write about it.

American journalist, biographer, and poet Nick Tosches wrote the foreword to this landmark work of cultural revival, which stands as a tribute to and collection of one of the unsung critical champions of popular music.

Rosario+Vampire Season II Love Bites

I read Rosario+Vampire: Season II, Vol. 4

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

I Reads You, April's Fool

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 have another blog: http://www.negromancer.com/. I also write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).
 
All images and text appearing on this blog are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

I Reads You Review: BUTTERFLY, VOL. 1

Creator: Yu Aikawa with Stephen Paul (translation and English adaptation)

Publishing Information: TOKYOPOP, B&W, paperback, 208 pages, $10.99 (US), $13.99 CAN

Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4278-1852-2

 

Fantasy/Horror; Rated “T” for “Teen 13+”

 

Butterfly is shonen manga from creator Yu Aikawa. It is about a pair of ghost busters, but the story always seems to ask this question: what are the protagonists really busting?

In Butterfly, Vol. 1, readers meet Ginji Ishikawa, a young man who despises all things related to the occult. This hatred causes him to do something careless and stupid, which puts him deep in debt. Enter a boy named Ageha who pays off Ginji’s debt, but to repay Ageha, Ginji will have to partner with the child in a ghost-busting business.

As one would expect of a comic book series built around ghosts, Butterfly does have a creepy edge. However, this series, at least at this early point in the story, seems intent on hunting and busting the ghosts of the characters’ pasts. This kind of ghost is more metaphysical and family-related than it is supernatural. It makes for an intriguing read.

As I read Butterfly, I kept hoping that it would get scarier. I was also drawn into the mysterious of the characters’ pasts and into the seemingly odd relationships these characters have with one another. While the art is not spectacular, it does serve Butterfly’s vibe, style, and character-heavy drama quite well.

I won’t give Butterfly a grade, yet, but I very much look forward to reading the next volume of this peculiar tale of strange ghost busters. I like this kind of haunting.

Latest Arina Tanemura Series Arrives in April

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF NEW MANGA SERIES SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA

Latest Fantasy Series By Visionary Shojo Creator Arina Tanemura Launches In April

San Francisco, CA, March 29, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight shojo readers and fans of creator Arina Tanemura with the North American premiere of her current manga (graphic novel) series – SAKURA HIME: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA – on April 5th. The new title launches under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her...

“Arina Tanemura returns to fantasy in her latest series, SAKURA HIME,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Editor. “The story takes place during the Heian period of Japan and interweaves the myth of the moon princess with magical shojo and the supernatural. Wanting to escape a life arranged by others, Princess Sakura runs away from an impending arranged marriage to a man she’s never met, only to find she’s caught up to her true destiny as a descendant of the moon princess. This manga features the beautiful artwork and emotional impact that has given Tanemura a worldwide following.”

Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 when her short stories debuted in Ribon magazine. She gained fame with the 1997 publication of I•O•N (published by VIZ Media), and ever since her debut Tanemura has continued to be a major force in shojo manga with popular series such as TIME STRANGER KYOKO, SHORT TEMPERED MELANCHOLIC, FULL MOON, and The Gentlemen’s Alliance † (all published in North America by VIZ Media) as well as Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne. Both Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne and FULL MOON have been adapted into popular animated TV series.

For more information on SAKURA HIME or other works by Arina Tanemura, please visit http://www.shojobeat.com/.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 30 2011

DC COMICS

JAN110287 ACTION COMICS #899 $2.99

JUL100283 ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN MINI STATUE $80.00

AUG100296 AME COMI DONNA TROY AS WONDER GIRL VARIANT FIGURE $60.00

AUG100295 AME COMI SUPERGIRL V.1 BLACK SUIT VARIANT FIGURE $60.00

JAN110416 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #13 (MR) $2.99

DEC100246 BATMAN AND ROBIN BATMAN REBORN TP $14.99

DEC100291 BRONX KILL TP (MR) $12.99

JAN110405 CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #58 $2.99

JAN110270 DETECTIVE COMICS #875 $2.99

JAN110281 GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #21 $2.99

JAN110251 GREEN ARROW #10 (BRIGHTEST DAY) $2.99

JAN110241 GREEN LANTERN EMERALD WARRIORS #8 (WAR OF GL) $2.99

AUG100292 HEROES OF DCU VIOLET LANTERN STAR SAPPHIRE BUST $70.00

DEC100295 JACK OF FABLES #50 (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $4.99

JAN110291 JIMMY OLSEN #1 $5.99

JAN110305 JLA THE 99 #6 (OF 6) $2.99

JAN110306 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #49 $2.99

JAN110433 SCALPED #47 (MR) $2.99

NOV100233 SUPERMAN THE BLACK RING HC $19.99

JAN110312 TEEN TITANS #93 $2.99

JAN110293 WONDER WOMAN #609 $2.99

JAN110415 WORLD OF WARCRAFT CURSE OF THE WORGEN #5 (OF 5) $2.99

DEC100287 WORLD OF WARCRAFT TP VOL 03 $17.99

JAN110315 ZATANNA #11 $2.99