Kurozakuro: The Final Volume

I read Kurozakuro, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS: New Stories #1

LOVE AND ROCKETS: NEW STORIES #1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

WRITERS: Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Mario Hernandez
ARTISTS: Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez
COVER: Jaime Hernandez
ISBN: 978-1-56097-951-7; paperback
104pp, B&W (with some color), $14.99 U.S.

Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 is the third incarnation of Love and Rockets, the best American comic book ever, rebooting this phenomenal comic as an annual graphic novel length package. Why do this? The publisher, Fantagraphics Books, has been gearing their business towards book and graphic novel publishing since the 1990s, and like Fantagraphics acclaimed anthology, Mome, this book/literary magazine format is designed for bookstore shelves and sales.

Other than the format change, everything is the same; cartoonist brothers Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez will continue to create their unique comics visions, with brother Mario Hernandez collaborating with Gilbert as a writer on a story or two.

Along with Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg, Love and Rockets was the most influential comic book to come out of independent comic book publishing in the early 1980s. The magazine-sized comic book, featuring the work of brothers Gilbert, Jaime, and (sometimes) Mario Hernandez, ran for 50 issues, ceasing publication in 1996. The title returned as Love and Rockets, Volume II in 2001, running for 20 issues until 2007.

Jaime launches Love and Rockets: New Stories with a super-hero yarn. A serialized graphic novel, Ti-Girls Adventures Number 34 doesn’t focus on signature Jaime character, Maggie, but on Maggie’s neighbor, Angel, and Maggie’s longtime friend, the celebrated Penny Century. Penny has finally realized her longtime dream of acquiring superpowers, but at a terrible personal cost. As Penny rampages through the galaxy, half mad with grief, a motley and varied group of eccentric female superheroes plot to stop her. Angel, herself a superhero, acts as the narrative’s center, with supporting characters: the screwy Russian badass babe, Alarma Kraktovilova (another neighbor of Maggie’s), Golden Girl, and Espectra. The latter two were members of the Ti-Girls, a 1960s and 70s superhero group formed by women who were rejected from other teams.

The epic-length 50-page Ti-Girls Adventures Number 34 (apparently the first half of this story) recalls Jaime’s early work, as seen in the original Love and Rockets. Those comix were a combination of screwball, B-movie science fiction and two-fisted Jack Kirby-style superhero action with a side of comedy. The difference here is that the potential Jaime showed then as an illustrator has been met, surpassed, and then some. This graphic novel does drag a little, but Jaime’s ability to mix genuine human emotion with kooky fantasy, both in his razor-sharp dialogue and supreme black and white drawings, surpasses any lapses in pace. The subtle shifts in Espectra’s facial expressions and her body language are like a tapestry revealing the mental and spiritual state of late middle-aged woman who has seen better days. Jaime’s achievement in Espectra is the way he can also show how steady and resolute she is in a very crazy world. She’s still a hero even if her life has seen better days.

Gilbert Hernandez is creative and prolific, and sometimes explodes on comic book fans with a flurry of releases across multiple publishers over the period of a year or so. Here, he also returns, in a sense, to his early work. Gilbert has always tackled deeper spiritual, philosophical, and societal issues in his work, but the seven stand-alone stories here recapture the rawness or perhaps a sense of newness of the first few years of his Love and Rockets work. Like the old, this new material is a mixture of B-movie sci-fi comedy, stoicism, surrealism, and social farce.

“Papa” is a turn-of-the-century story involving a traveling businessman (which reads like Cormac McCarthy). “The New Adventures of Duke and Sammy” features a pair of stage comics who are a cheap copy of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in a story that’s like one of those corny Three Stooges sci-fi/fantasy movies. Of all these stories, the best is “Chiro El Indio,” written by Mario. It deals with a lowdown attempt to steal some valuable land belonging to a crazy Indian couple. “Chiro” reads like it could be turned into one of those great Latin American movies that foreign film fans and Oscar love so much (Y Tu Mama Tambien).

This isn’t stellar work by the Hernandez Brothers, considering the chunky body of stellar work that they’ve produced over a quarter century. What is good about Love and Rockets: New Stories, however, is that it throws readers and fans a curve. Just what are Los Bros. going to do now? By going back to their early styles, in essence, they’ve allowed themselves a re-launch or at least a chance to throw many surprises at our expectations. Whatever they choose to do, it’ll still be the most interesting comics coming from America’s most literate, experimental, and adventurous comic book creators.

A-

Small Press Art Show at Fantagraphics Bookstore November 12th

Short Run exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on November 12th

Features small press comics and art by emerging regional artists.

In this age of ubiquitous digital media and gadget fatigue, it’s refreshing to find a community of artists working with their hands to produce tactile works of art on paper. Such is the case with the young cartoonists in the Short Run exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle. This art party on Saturday, November 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM follows the Short Run Small Press Fest at the Vera Project at the Seattle Center earlier that day.

The Short Run art show, curated by Kelly Froh, features original comix art, illustration and book works by Max Clotfelter, Patrick Keck, Martine Workman, Elaine Lin, Jason T. Miles, Chris Cilla, Andrice Arp, Tim Root, Billis Helg, Marc Palm, Eroyn Franklin, Tom Van Deusen, Tim Miller, Tory Franklin, Jesse Reklaw, Sean Christensen, and Erin Tanner. A selection of publications by these, and other local artists, will also be available.

The public is invited to meet these remarkable artists at a festive reception on Saturday, November 12 at 6:00 PM. Entertainment will be provided by DJ/musician “Brainfruit.” This event coincides with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic arts community.

Listing Information:
SHORT RUN: Small Press Fest After-Party & Art Show

Featuring artwork from Max Clotfelter, Patrick Keck, Martine Workman, Elaine Lin, Jason T. Miles, Chris Cilla, Andrice Arp, Tim Root, Billis Helg, Marc Palm, Eroyn Franklin, Tom Van Deusen, Tim Miller, Tory Franklin, Jesse Reklaw, Sean Christensen, and Erin Tanner. Curated by Kelly Froh

Saturday, November 12, 6:00 – 9:00 P M. Show continues through December 10, 2011

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) Seattle. 206.658.0110. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM

Kimi Ni Todoke: First Date

I read Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 11

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.

Dark Horse Digital to Offer Manga

MANGA COMES TO DARK HORSE DIGITAL!

TRIGUN, OLD BOY AND MORE ADDED TO LINEUP!

Manga has arrived! The Dark Horse Digital store now offers a full and ongoing Manga selection featuring Trigun, Crying Freeman, Hellsing, Lady Snowblood, Old Boy and Path of the Assassin. Not only are these titles available digitally, but also the latest version of the Dark Horse Digital app lets you read them in the way Manga was meant to be read…right to left!

Don't have the App? You can download it for free!

As Always, make sure to visit Digital.Darkhorse.com weekly for more great sales and offers.

Until next week, may your battery be fully charged!

Release Date: 11/02/2011
Trigun vol. 1 & 2
BPRD: 1947 #1-5
BPRD Hell on Earth: Russia #2
Crying Freeman vol. 1 & 2
Hellsing vol. 1-3
Lady Snowblood vol. 1
Lone Wolf and Cub vol. 10
Old Boy vol. 1 & 2
Path of the Assassin vol. 1
Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #3
Star Wars Legacy #13 - 15
Chimichanga
The Goon #26
Star Wars: Crimson Empire III: Lost Empire #1

Release Date: 11/09/2011
House of Night #1
Baltimore: The Curse Bells #3
Conan the Cimmerian #13 - 16
Gear School #2
Lady Snowblood vol. 2
Orchid #2
Paradox Entertainment Presents: Kult #4
Serenity: Downtime and Other Half
Star Wars: Empire #1 - 4
Star Wars: Boba Fett: Overkill
The End League #1 - 4
The Goon #27

Release Date: 11/16/2011
Mass Effect: Invasion #2
Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest #2
Gigantic #1 - 5
Hellboy: Weird Tales #1-4
Kull: The Cat and the Skull #2
Dark Horse Presents # 5
Samurai Executioner vol. 6
Star Wars: Purge #2
Star Wars: Dark Times #1-5
The Goon #28
The Occultist #1
Fallout: New Vegas

Release Date: 11/23/2011
Usagi Yojimbo # 141 (200th Issue)
BPRD: The Ectoplasmic Man
Conan: Road of Kings #10
Groo: Hell on Earth #1-4
Hellsing vol. 4
Path of the Assassin vol. 2 & 3
Rex Mundi: Book Three
Star Wars Adventures: Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear
Star Wars Invasion #0-5
Star Wars: Invasion: Revelations #5
Star Wars: Knight Errant: Deluge #4
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #19-24
The Goon #29
Trigun Maximum vol. 4

Release Date: 11/30/2011
Hellboy: House of the Living Dead
Color of Rage
Conan the Cimmerian #17-20
Hellboy: House of the Living Dead
Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader
Star Wars Legacy #17-20
The End League #5-9
The Goon #30


About Dark Horse Digital Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has grown to become the third-largest comics publisher in the United States and is acclaimed internationally for the quality and diversity of its line. Now, in 2011, the company that revolutionized the comic industry proudly presents its groundbreaking digital-publishing program, Dark Horse Digital.

Having launched with hundreds of titles, Dark Horse Digital offers its most popular titles at an unprecedented value, while providing the highest-quality reading experience possible. Single-issue comics are priced as low as just $0.99, and there is also an extensive list of free introductory #1 issues. Additionally, DH Digital’s “bundles” group together story arcs spanning multiple issues into affordable packages, allowing readers to get the three or four issues that comprise a complete narrative, starting at just $3.99 and up. And through cloud-based technology, Digital Store purchases can be read and enjoyed on your laptop, desktop, mobile browser, and Dark Horse Bookshelf app, available now on iTunes.

To get started, simply log on to Digital.DarkHorse.com or download the app to create an account, and begin building your collection today.

I Reads You Review: UNCLE SCROOGE #401

"Graphic Novelistic"

UNCLE SCROOGE #401
BOOM Kids!

CARTOONIST: Don Rosa
LETTERS: David Gerstein
COVER: Don Rosa with Jake Myler
24pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2011)

Way back in my early college years, some comic book reading friends introduced me to Carl Barks. Barks was a Disney Studio illustrator, but he became famous as a comic book creator. Barks invented the town of Duckburg, where Donald Duck and his three nephews: Huey, Dewey, and Louie live. Barks created Donald’s tight-fisted uncle, Scrooge McDuck and McDuck’s frequent adversaries, the Beagle Boys. Known as “The Good Duck Artist,” Barks also created many other characters that populate Donald Duck’s world, including Gyro Gearloose and Magica De Spell, among others.

Many readers consider American comic book artist Don Rosa as the heir to Carl Bark’s legacy. Rosa burst unto the scene with his Scrooge McDuck story, “The Son of the Sun,” which was first published in Uncle Scrooge #219 (cover date July 1987; Gladstone Publishing). The now-retired Rosa apparently idolizes Carl Barks (who died in 2000), and Rosa does indeed build almost all his stories on characters and locations that Barks invented. Many of those stories contain references to some fact pointed out in a Barks story, and Rosa has even created sequels to old Barks stories.

Still, Rosa is also a great talent, and he was one of the best cartoonists working in comic books over a period of two decades from the time he began drawing Uncle Scrooge stories until his retirement back in 2007. One of Rosa’s exceptional stories is “The Universal Solvent,” a 1995 Uncle Scrooge story. First serialized in Denmark, “The Universal Solvent” made its U.S. debut in Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #604, the story was reprinted this year in Uncle Scrooge #401 (cover date March 2011).

The story begins when Gyro Gearloose invents “the universal solvent,” which is a solution that can dissolve anything, for Scrooge McDuck. The bad thing is that this solvent, which Scrooge gives the trade name, “Omnisolve,” actually works. Scrooge wants to use it to create deep mine shafts in which he can mine “super-pure, flawless diamonds,” and to that end, he drops some Omnisolve on the ground.

Before long, Omnisolve is dissolving its way to the center of the Earth, which precipitates a crisis that could destroy the world. To clean up his mess, McDuck leads a team which includes Donald Duck and the three nephews: Huey, Dewey, and Louie on a mission that resembles the events depicted in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Now, can the Ducks save the world?

Like Carl Barks, Don Rosa can create comic book stories of 20 or so pages that could easily be stretched to three times the size. In “The Universal Solvent,” Rosa crams in enough drama, twists and turns, scenes, sequences, and set pieces that it reads like a graphic novel of at least 100 pages in length. This rousing adventure is an excellent read, and I hated getting to the last page.

As usual, Rosa’s strong drafting skills shine through; his meticulous line work and his subtle crosshatching create the most gorgeous, almost jewel-like compositions. The understated touches, like the use of light to create shadows, are the things that always capture the eye. The contraptions, sets, and the windstorms that the vacuums create in the story attest to the fact that Don Rosa is a great Duck artist and is certainly one of the best cartoonists of his time.

A-

We Were There: Reunions

I read We Were There, Vol. 13

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.