Friday, November 11, 2011

Review: X 3-IN-1 EDITION Volume 1

X 3-IN-1 EDITION, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA

CREATORS: CLAMP
Story and Script and Book Design: Nanase Ohkawa
Art/Cover Illustration: Mokona Apapa
Art Direction: Mick Nekoi
Art Assistance: Satsuki Igarashi
TRANSLATION: Lillian Olsen
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4041-2; paperback, Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
584pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S. $22.99 CAN

CLAMP (or Clamp) is an all-female manga artist group and studio. The group began in the mid-1980s as a self-publishing collective of amateur artists. The group’s first professional work, RG Veda, apparently was started when the creators were still amateurs. Some of their best known titles are Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and xxxHolic.

One of CLAMP’s most famous/infamous series is X, which is also known as X/1999. The series debuted in 1992 in the manga magazine, Monthly Asuka. X follows a young man who must deal with the fact that his destiny will determine the fate of humanity. VIZ Media is currently publishing the series as “X” in their omnibus 3-in-1 editions, which collect three volumes in one large size paperback volume.

X 3-in-1 Edition: Vol. 1 introduces the major players. After the recent death of his mother, Kamui Shiro moves back to Tokyo following a six-year absence. His dear friends, Kotori Monou and her older brother, Fuma Monou, find that Kamui is not like they remember him. Now, sullen and withdrawn, Kamui seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he actually does.

According to the blind seer, Hinoto, the fate of humanity rests on Kamui’s narrow shoulders. Meanwhile, the Seven Seals, who are Kamui’s allies, and the Seven Angels, who are to be his adversaries, gather. The year 1999 will be the year of the great battle in which Kamui will decide the outcome. Or will he? Could there be another?

I was brief in my summary of the first volume of X 3-in-1 Edition, but so much more happens and practically all of it is fun to read. X is not as polished as Clamp’s later work, and its unrefined nature shows on every page. However, there is something very alluring about this rawness. Lacking the ability or, more likely, desire to be subtle, Clamp filled X with high-strung characters whose emotions are not hidden or quiet. The conniving are really conniving. The sullen are particularly sullen. And when a young woman is in love, as Kotori is, she’s ready to stand by her man and make him soup if he won’t eat what she has already cooked.

The art emphasizes big panels which usually contain battle scenes. Those battle scenes depict energy and magic unleashed in a fast and furious display. What the art lacks in draftsmanship, composition, and figure drawing, it makes up for in sheer bravado. The characters are likeable and though the subplots are a mess, X is that kind of large scale fantasy that attracts readers – like me.

B+


Tesoro: A Short Story Treasury

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

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.


Thursday, November 10, 2011

Review: OKIE DOKIE DONUTS: Open for Business (OGN)

OKIE DOKIE DONUTS: OPEN FOR BUSINESS
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

CARTOONIST: Chris Eliopoulos
ISBN: 978-1-60309-068-1; hardcover
48pp, Color, $9.95 U.S.

Chris Eliopoulos is a prolific and acclaimed comic book letterer and has won or been nominated for several awards for lettering comic books. He is also a cartoonist and comic book creator, producing the Calvin and Hobbes-inspired Desperate Times and, for Marvel Comics, the Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius series of backup features and comic book one-shots.

Top Shelf Productions recently released Okie Dokie Donuts: Open for Business, a graphic novel and children’s book from Eliopoulos. This full-color, 5” x 7.5,” hardcover book is the story of a portly matron who owns and operates a hugely popular donut shop.

Okie Dokie Donuts may be the best little donut shop anywhere. People line up outside the shop for its treats. Baker and owner, Big Mama, does practically everything by hand and from scratch, but she could use a little help.

In walks kitchen appliance salesman, Mr. Mayweather, who is in the employ of the “Great Cooks Cooking Corporation.” Mayweather swears that the corporation’s latest contraption, Mr. Baker (Brilliant Apparatus Kooks Every Recipe”), will help Big Mama because it can cook “over 1000 donuts in 40 seconds.” This oven-like robot may do just that, but when it is through, Big Mama and Okie Dokie Donuts may be through as well.

Okie Dokie Donuts: Open for Business opens with a musical number (or the comic book version of one), so I knew I was in for an unpleasant reading experience. But I wasn’t. Okie Dokie Donuts is not just a cute kids’ comic book, but it is also simply a funny tale. Chris Eliopoulos makes comedy out of the unappetizing idea of the mechanization of food, which is the current status of our food processing. Of course, Mayweather’s robot can work, but without the ability to “think on one’s feet” or troubleshoot the unexpected, the robot is just another thing in the way – a disruptive nuisance.

Okie Dokie Donuts slyly preaches for hard work and making things with one’s hands, but uses vibrant colors and comic book graphics to deliver an entertaining message. Okie Dokie Donuts has the manic energy and sarcastic charm of a Marx Bros. movie, so don’t sell it short. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this sweet treat.

A-

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Next Two Volumes of Naruto Will Be Digital Before They Will Be Print

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS TWO LATEST NARUTO VOLUMES AHEAD OF PRINT COUNTERPARTS ON VIZMANGA.COM AND THE VIZ MANGA APP FOR iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH

November Digital Manga Update Also Sees Debut of Natsume Ono’s RISTORANTE PARADISO And GENTE, As Well As Updates to 17 Popular Series

VIZ Media continues to lead the digital manga (graphic novel) revolution with a variety of new titles just announced for November that are available to read online on VIZManga.com and also for digital download on the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ touch.

Among the notable new releases will be the two latest editions of NARUTO – Volumes 54 and 55 – which will be made available on VIZ Media’s digital platforms several months in advance of their print counterparts. This is part of the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a speed-up of selection titles to bring North American readers up-to-date with Japanese releases to prepare fans for the debut of the digital WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA in January 2012.

NARUTO Vol. 54 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available Today!
Viaduct to Peace: Naruto and his team engage in an intense battle with the Akatsuki organization as both sides seek the power to determine the future of their land. Internecine fighting weakens the Akatsuki, but will their dark forces sideline Naruto?! Print edition debuts on January 3rd, 2012.

NARUTO Vol. 55 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Available November 21st
The Great War Begins: Evil masterminds Kabuto and Madara instigate a skirmish with Naruto and friends on Turtle Island. The Allied Shinobi Forces prepare to attack, but are they ready for Kabuto's horde of reanimated dead ninja?! Print edition debuts on March 6th, 2012.

November also sees the debut of two titles from the critically acclaimed Natsume Ono. RISTORANTE PARADISO weaves a story around the lives of the staff of a restaurant in Rome, and in the follow-up manga, GENTE, continues to follow the character’s romances, heartaches, hopes and dreams.

RISTORANTE PARADISO · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available Now!
At the age of 21, Nicoletta travels to Rome to find her mother, Olga, who abandoned her long ago. Nicoletta finds her at Casetta dell'Orso, a charming little restaurant owned by Olga's husband. The staff of bespectacled gentlemen welcomes Nicoletta warmly, but Olga's reception is not so pleasant. Olga has never told her husband that she ever had children--and he must never know.

GENTE Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · Available November 14th
Buona sera! Welcome to Casetta dell'Orso, a quaint little restaurant in the heart of Rome. The food's delicious, but the handsome staff of bespectacled gentlemen is the real draw. Follow these dashing men home and witness their romances, heartaches, hopes and dreams in this delightfully whimsical continuation of Natsume Ono's beloved RISTORANTE PARADISO.

Additions to 17 popular VIZ Media series are scheduled for November, with over 30 new manga volumes scheduled to make their digital debut. Updates include the rock-and-roll romantic drama of AI ORE and the courtly royal intrigue of THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU, as well as the supernatural adventure of BLEACH, the ongoing high seas pirate fun of ONE PIECE, and the kinetic sci-fi action depicted in new weekly chapters of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION.

New VIZ Media manga volumes launching include:

November 7th:
BLEACH Vol. 32
DENGEKI DAISY Vol. 6
NARUTO Vol. 54
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Chapter 14
OISHINBO Vol. 4
ONE PIECE Vols. 54 & Vol. 55
OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB Vol. 12
RISTORANTE PARADISO Vol. 1

November 14th:
AI ORE Vol. 3
BLACK BIRD Vol. 11
BLEACH Vol. 33
CLAYMORE Vol. 19
D. GRAY-MAN Vol. 21
FUSHIGI YUGI: GENBU KAIDEN Vol. 8
GENTE Vol. 1
KEKKAISHI Vol. 17
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Chapter 15
ONE PIECE Vol. 56
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vol. 26

November 21st:
BLEACH Vol. 34
GENTE Vol. 2
NARUTO Vol. 55
ONE PIECE Vol. 57
NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS Vol. 9
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Chapter 16
SATURN APARTMENTS Vol. 4
THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU Vol. 5

November 28th:
BLEACH Vol. 35
GENTE Vol. 3 – Final Volume!
INUYASHA VIZ Big Vol. 6 – Exclusive to the VIZ Manga App for iPad!
KEKKAISHI Vol. 18
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Chapter 17
ONE PIECE Vol. 58
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vol. 27

VIZ Media’s digital manga platform allows for universal access for fans for reading manga from their iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and now, VIZManga.com for desktop/laptop computers and Android-powered devices with built-in web browsers. With one account, registered users are able to view their purchases across even more devices than ever.

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top app for reading manga on iOS devices and features a rapidly growing library of the most popular manga series in the world, currently offering over 45 series and nearly 500 volumes, with new additions and free Chapter 1 previews added weekly.

For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.


Jack Davis in NYC in December to Promote Books

NEW YORK WELCOMES MAD LEGEND JACK DAVIS IN DECEMBER

One of America’s most beloved and best known cartoonists, Jack Davis, will make a series of extremely rare appearances in New York City and Brooklyn in early December, to promote his new art book, JACK DAVIS: DRAWING AMERICAN POP CULTURE (published by Fantagraphics Books). A living legend, these personal appearances will be a once-in-a-lifetime op- portunity to meet one of medium’s greatest practicioners.

On Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7PM, Davis will appear at New York’s renowned Strand Bookstore, in conversation with Fanta- graphics Books Publisher Gary Groth. The event will feature the world premiere of JACK DAVIS: DRAWING AMERICAN POP CULTURE.

On Friday, Dec. 2 at 6PM, Davis will be in attendance for an exhibition of his original art at the Scott Eder Gallery in Brooklyn.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, Davis will appear with Fantagraphics at the Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Festival, signing copies of JACK DAVIS: DRAWING AMERICAN POP CULTURE throughout the day and participating in a panel discussion with Gary Groth about his life and career (exact times t.b.a.).

Jack Davis arrived on the illustration scene in the euphoric post-war America of the late 1940s when consumer society was booming and the work force identified with commercial images that reflected this underlying sense of confidence and American bravado. Advertising agencies were looking for new ways to tap a rich and expanding market, and there was a vast array of media that needed illustrations. Davis’ animated and exuberant images possessed a sense of spontaneous energy that proved to have universal appeal in every medium he worked in.

Beginning with his masterful pen and ink cartooning at EC Comics, he quickly forged a reputation as one of the most versa- tile artists in comics, drawing humor, horror, and war stories. In Harvey Kurtzman’s MAD, especially, Davis made a mark as a master of caricature, composition, and wild, anarchic crowd scenes, practically vibrating with energy.

After stints at MAD, Trump, and Humbug — three humor magazines that defined the satirical zeitgeist of the ’50s — Davis went on to become the most successful commercial illustrator of his generation, illustrating movie posters, magazine articles, magazine fiction, LP jackets, and more.

JACK DAVIS: DRAWING AMERICAN POP CULTURE is a gigantic, unparalleled career- spanning retrospective, between whose hard covers resides the greatest collection — in terms of both quantity and quality — of Jack Davis’ work ever assembled!

For more information and a preview, please visit www.fantagraphics.com/artofjackdavis

Listing information:

Thursday, Dec. 1, 7PM:
WHO: Jack Davis (with Gary Groth) WHAT: Q&A and book signing WHERE: The Strand Bookstore, 12th & Broadway, New York, NY

Friday, Dec. 2, 6PM:
WHO: Jack Davis WHAT: Exhibition of Original Art and Artist’s Reception WHERE: Scott Eder Gallery, 18 Bridge St. 2-I, Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, Dec. 3, 12PM-9PM:
WHO: Jack Davis WHAT: The Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Festival WHERE: Our Lady of Mr. Carmel Church, 275 N. 8th St., Brooklyn, NY


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 9 2011

DC COMICS

SEP110202 ALL NEW BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13 $2.99

SEP110133 BATGIRL #3 $2.99

SEP110127 BATMAN AND ROBIN #3 $2.99

AUG110246 BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM TP VOL 02 LEVIATHAN $17.99

SEP110132 BATWOMAN #3 $2.99

SEP110176 DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN BAD #1 $7.99

AUG110249 DCU ONLINE LEGENDS TP VOL 01 $19.99

SEP110154 DEATHSTROKE #3 $2.99

SEP110151 DEMON KNIGHTS #3 $2.99

SEP110148 FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #3 $2.99

SEP110137 GREEN LANTERN #3 $2.99

SEP110172 GREEN LANTERN SUPER SPECTACULAR #3 $7.99

SEP110153 GRIFTER #3 $2.99

SEP110136 HUNTRESS #2 (OF 6) $2.99

SEP110166 LEGION LOST #3 $2.99

SEP110112 MISTER TERRIFIC #3 $2.99

SEP110123 PENGUIN PAIN AND PREJUDICE #2 (OF 5) $2.99

SEP110150 RESURRECTION MAN #3 $2.99

JUL110279 RETURN TO PERDITION HC (RES) (MR) $19.99

JUL110281 ROAD TO PERDITION 2 ON THE ROAD TP NEW ED (RES) (MR) $14.99

JUL110280 ROAD TO PERDITION TP NEW ED (RES) (MR) $14.99

JUN110356 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING HC BOOK 06 (MR) $24.99

JUL110276 SPY VS SPY BY PROHIAS OMNIBUS HC $49.99

SEP110157 SUICIDE SQUAD #3 $2.99

SEP110118 SUPERBOY #3 $2.99

AUG110259 SUPERMAN LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON TP VOL 01 $17.99

SEP110231 UNWRITTEN #31 (MR) $2.99

SEP110230 VERTIGO RESURRECTED MY FAITH IN FRANKIE #1 (MR) $7.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 9 2011

MARVEL COMICS

SEP110676 AVENGERS FOREVER TP NEW PTG $29.99

SEP110529 AVENGERS ORIGINS VISION #1 $3.99

SEP110536 AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1 WITH FREE DIGITAL CODE $3.99

SEP110687 AVENGING SPIDER-MAN BY JOE MADUREIRA POSTER $8.99

SEP110505 BATTLE SCARS #1 (OF 6) $2.99

SEP110566 BLACK PANTHER MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE #525 $2.99

SEP110683 ESSENTIAL SGT FURY TP VOL 01 $19.99

JUN110717 FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 $125.00

JUN110718 FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 DM VAR ED $125.00

SEP110499 FEAR ITSELF #7 POINT TWO $3.99

SEP110568 GHOST RIDER #5 $2.99

SEP110664 INCREDIBLE HULKS HEART OF MONSTER TP $16.99

SEP110517 JOHN CARTER OF MARS WORLD OF MARS #2 (OF 5) $3.99

SEP110511 JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #631 $2.99

SEP110613 MAGNETO NOT A HERO #1 (OF 4) $2.99

SEP110533 NEW AVENGERS #18 $3.99

SEP110670 NEW X-MEN BY GRANT MORRISON GN TP BOOK 07 $14.99

SEP110516 NORTHANGER ABBEY #1 (OF 5) $3.99

SEP110665 OZ WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ TP $24.99

SEP110496 POINT ONE #1 $5.99

SEP110667 POWER MAN AND IRON FIST COMEDY OF DEATH TP $16.99

SEP110621 PUNISHERMAX #19 (MR) $3.99

SEP110669 PUNISHERMAX BULLSEYE TP (MR) $19.99

SEP110666 SPIDER-MAN MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH TP $19.99

SEP110520 ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #4 $3.99

SEP110614 UNCANNY X-FORCE #17 $3.99

SEP110686 VENOM BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER POSTER $8.99

SEP110597 WOLVERINE #18 XREGG $3.99

SEP110603 X-MEN LEGACY #258 $2.99