I'm About to Read September 2012

Welcome to I Reads You, a blog about comic books, comics, related books, and sometimes personal stuff. Occasionally, there will be posts about other subjects such as books, politics, and entertainment.

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Itsuwaribito: The Eyestone Gem

I read Itsuwaribito , Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Ikigami: The True Face of Love

I read Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, Vol. 8

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Review: THE EARL AND THE FAIRY Volume 3

THE EARL AND THE FAIRY, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Ayuko
ORIGINAL CONCEPT: Mizue Tani
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4170-9; paperback, Rated “T” for “Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S. $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Mizue Tani is a Japanese author of several fantasy novel series. One of her series is a collection of light novels entitled, The Earl and the Fairy. Manga creator Ayuko has adapted these novels into a shojo romantic fantasy manga also entitled, The Earl in the Fairy.

The series focuses on Lydia Carlton, a young woman living in 19th century England. She is a fairy doctor, a specialist who can see and talk to fairies, an ability which allows her to resolve problems (or attempt to) between fairies and humans. During a trip to London to visit her father, a young man, Edgar Ashenbert, rescues Lydia from kidnappers. A nobleman sold into slavery, Edgar is also tied to the Fairy Realm as the Blue Knight Earl.

As The Earl and the Fairy, Volume 3 opens, London is in the grip of fear. Someone (or something, of course) called the Fogman is snatching up children and young people all over town. Lady Doris Walpole has been missing for three days. Is she a victim of the Fogman? Lydia has been asked to help find her, and her investigation leads her to think that the Fogman has ties to Edgar’s dark past.

Every now and again, I come across a manga title that is new to me, but seems tailored made for my reading tastes. The Earl and the Fairy manga is one of those titles. To semi-quote Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, I love this manga the way a fat kid loves cake. Why do I like The Earl and the Fairy so much?

I think I love the London setting, and the role that fog plays in the series (at least, in this part of the narrative). I like stories about fairies, and I have to admire the restraint in which Ayuko uses actual fairy creatures in this story. Judicially using flashbacks, Ayuko builds the mystery around her characters, making even the little details about them intriguing. Plus, Ayuko makes excellent use of Nico the cat/fairy as a kind of Greek chorus and quasi-narrator.

A

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 29 2012

DC COMICS

JUN120278 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #30 (MR) $2.99

JUN120152 AQUAMAN #12 $2.99

JUN128159 BATMAN AND ROBIN #10 2ND PTG $2.99

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JUN120228 BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #7 $3.99

JUN120139 BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN #3 (MR) $3.99

JUN120141 BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN #3 COMBO PACK (MR) $4.99

JUN120184 DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #1 $4.99

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JUN120290 DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #6 (MR) $2.99

APR120277 END OF NATIONS TP $14.99

JUN120160 FLASH ANNUAL #1 $4.99

JUN120199 GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 $4.99

JAN120308 GREEN LANTERN ARCHIVES HC VOL 07 $59.99

JUN120142 JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 $3.99

JUN120145 JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 COMBO PACK $4.99

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JUN120288 SPACEMAN #9 (MR) $2.99

JUN120170 SUPERMAN ANNUAL #1 $4.99

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MAY120310 SUPERNATURAL THE DOGS OF EDINBURGH TP $14.99

JUN120265 YOUNG JUSTICE #19 $2.99

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JUN120615 AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #11 $3.99

JUN120590 AVX VS #5 $3.99

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JUN120647 JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #642 BURNS $2.99

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JUN120744 MACHINE TEEN TP HISTORY 101001 $14.99

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SEP110626 POWERS #11 (MR) $3.95

JUN120729 ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES BY HICKMAN TP VOL 01 $19.99

JUN120636 ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #15 DWF $3.99

JUN120692 UNCANNY X-FORCE #30 $3.99

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JUN120640 WINTER SOLDIER #9 $2.99

JUN128116 WOLVERINE #311 2ND PTG BIANCHI VAR $3.99

JUN120608 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #15 AVX $3.99

JUN120735 X-MEN LEGACY TP FIVE MILES SOUTH OF UNIVERSE $15.99

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APR120380 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FORGOTTEN REALMS #3 [DIG/D+] $3.99

JUN120354 GHOSTBUSTERS ONGOING #12 $3.99

JUN120372 GI JOE / TRANSFORMERS TP VOL 01 $24.99

JUN120365 GI JOE FIELD MANUAL SC VOL 01 $19.99

JUN120324 GODZILLA ONGOING #4 [DIG] $3.99

JUN120391 LOCKE & KEY GRINDHOUSE ONE SHOT [DIG] $3.99

JUN120395 POPEYE #4 [DIG/D+] $3.99

MAY120459 SMOKE AND MIRRORS #5 [DIG/D+] $3.99

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JUN120402 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES CLASSICS TP VOL 02 $17.99

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