Yaoi Review: AWKWARD SILENCE Volume 3

AWKWARD SILENCE, VOL. 3
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Hinako Takanaga
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERING: Deron Bennett
COVER: Hinako Takanaga and Fawn Lau
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4356-7; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Born in Aichi, Japan, Hinako Takanaga is a female mangaka (creator) known for her yaoi manga work, including such titles as The Devil’s Secret and Liberty Liberty! She has also provided illustrations for light novels.

SuBLime is currently publishing her BL/yaoi manga series, Awkward Silence. “Yaoi manga” is a subset of boy’s love manga (BL) that usually depicts romance and explicit sex between male characters. The third volume of Awkward Silence focuses on a high school student confused after a rascally classmate steals a kiss from him.

Awkward Silence Volume 3 (Voice 6 to 7 and “Side Voice”) focuses on Yuji “Yu” Sagara. In Vol. 1, Sagara was a rival of Keigo Tamiya’s for the affections of shy and introverted Satoru Tono. Now, Sagara is the shy one, and a busy shy guy at that. Sagara’s mother needs surgery, and he works a part-time job to pay bills while his mother is in the hospital. In addition to preparing for college, Sagara also works in the Student Council Office at Nishikou High.

That Student Council is the reason Sagara has to deal with Takahito Kagami, an incorrigible flirt who has all the girls after him. When Kagami steals a kiss from him, Sagara doesn’t know what to do.

While it is labeled as a yaoi manga, Awkward Silence Volume 3 does not feature much in the way of sex, especially of an explicit nature. This graphic novel could be labeled as shounen-ai, the other subset of boys’ love manga. Labels don’t really matter, however, in regards to this book’s quality.

Awkward Silence Volume 3 is like a shojo manga high school romance, but with a same-sex couple rather than with teen boy-teen girl lovebirds. Sagara worries and frets about the way he acts around Kagami. Kagami comes on strong, but is genuinely determined to prove his love to Sagara. This love story is sweet and gentle. It even has light, comic moments, such as when Sagara and Kagami join Tono and Tamiya on a double date at the amusement park, MB Land.

I enjoy the grab-ass-a-rama that yaoi manga can often be, but I also like the pure romance that boys’ love offers, such as in this sweet, shojo-like book. I want more like Awkward Silence Volume 3. Readers looking for love stories about awkward young love can find it in the SuBLime series, Awkward Silence.

A-

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: NARUTO Volume 60

NARUTO, VOL. 60
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Masashi Kishimoto
TRANSLATION: Mari Morimoto
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Joel Enos
LETTERS: John Hunt
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4943-9; paperback (February 2013); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

The worldwide bestselling manga, Naruto, began life as a one-shot comic appearing in the August 1997 issue of Akamaru Jump. Then, it began a still-ongoing serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump #43. The first graphic novel collection (tankoubon) of the series was released in March of 2003 in Japan. VIZ Media published its first Naruto graphic novel in August of 2003.

For the publication of the 60th tankoubon/graphic novel, several artists celebrated the publishing event by contributing pin-ups and art to the book. Naruto Volume 60 contains the work of the following artists: Atsuhiro Sato, Takahiro Hiraishi, Mikio Ikemoto, Yuichi Itakura, Masaki Murakami, Koichi Nishiya, Akira Okubo, Akio Shiraska, and Kenji Taira.

Naruto is the story of a young shinobi (ninja) named Uzumaki Naruto. He has a knack for mischief and is the biggest troublemaker at the Ninja Academy in the shinobi Village of Konohagakure. Naruto is special and an outcast, because when he was a baby, his parents imprisoned a nine-tailed fox spirit within his infant body. Now, 16-years-old and incorrigible as ever, Naruto is still serious about his quest to become the world’s greatest ninja.

The current Naruto story arc continues the Fourth Great Ninja War. The conflict begins when Akatsuki villains Madara and Kabuto declare war on the Five Great Nations, the world of the ninja. The five great leaders, known as the Gokage, form the Allied Shinobi Forces to fight back.

As Naruto, Vol. 60 (entitled Kurama – Chapters 566 to 575) starts, Naruto battles the other tailed beasts. His partner in battle is Killer Bee, the jinchûriki (hosts) to the eight-tailed octo-beast. Naruto’s mentor, Hatake Kakashi, and Guy join them to form a quartet against Madara. Now, Naruto tries to align himself with the other tailed beasts. Will he be successful? Can he also take on Madara? Naruto’s comrades, however, aren’t about to let him fight alone.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto’s former teammate, decides that it is time to fight Naruto again. Kabuto, who revives dead shinobi to fight in the Fourth Great Ninja War, has summoned a special reunion for Sasuke.

The Naruto manga continues the current long story arc, the Fourth Great Ninja War. Once a year or so, we get a volume that shows the evolution of Naruto – how the outcast becomes a hero. It is an ongoing process, as it seems as if Naruto has to learn to become a hero over and over again. Naruto Volume 60 is one of those graphic novels that shows Naruto grasping something, some idea, some technique, etc. essential to his journey to becoming whatever he is supposed to become.

Naruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto keeps the series fresh in this way – not that he really needs to do so. The subplots and characters keep growing, and most of them are fantastically interesting. For instant, this Uchiha family element promises great new fun in the coming graphic novels (or tankoubon).

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: STAR WARS #2

STAR WARS #2
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

["Star Wars Central" review page is here.]

SCRIPT: Brian Wood
ART: Carlos D’Anda
COLORS: Gabe Eltaeb
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Alex Ross
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

“In the Shadow of Yavin” Part Two (of Three)

Star Wars, a new comic book series from Dark Horse Comics, is set during the time of the original and classic Star Wars films: Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Star Wars is written by Brian Wood, drawn by Carlos D’Anda, colored by Gabe Eltaeb, and lettered by Michael Heisler, with covers provided by Alex Ross.

Exploring new story possibilities from that time period, Star Wars opens after the Battle of Yavin. The Rebel Alliance destroyed the Galactic Empire’s fearsome space station, the Death Star. Still, there are a number of post-victory struggles, such as finding a new permanent home base and restocking supplies and armaments.

Star Wars #2 opens aboard the Millennium Falcon. Han Solo and his first mate, Chewbacca, continue their secret mission for Mon Mothma, leader of the Alliance. There, is, however, someone hot on the Falcon’s trail. Meanwhile, Colonel Bircher takes command of Darth Vader’s personal Star Destroyer, the Devastator. Bircher’s specialty is tracking rebels, but he has also decided to target an additional quarry.

Back at the rebel fleet, Leia Organa forms a commando unit. In addition to Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker, this black operations team includes Gram Cortess from Alderran, Rus Kal Kin from Durkteel, Prithi from Chalacta, Falback Kord from Tinnel Four, Tess Alder from Corellia, and Ardana Cinn. Leia names Wedge Antilles her second-in-command, so where does that leave Luke?

The quality of the first issue of Dark Horse Comics’ new Star Wars comic book series was not a fluke. This is Star Wars, so naturally it is filled with pleasing elements of the franchise. However, this particular issue is also edgy and grim.

The edginess comes from the precarious position the post-Battle of Yavin Rebel Alliance is in. That’s what writer Brian Wood uses to make beloved Star Wars characters ruthless, single-minded, and even a bit selfish. These aren’t you or your father’s action figures, and their fight for survival feels genuine.

I find the series grim, because Wood doesn’t allow the original film trilogy’s signature characters, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, to dominate the series. In turn, this does not become a clean good versus evil tale settled by some exciting lightsaber duels. Indeed, thus far, Luke and Vader seem like two guys sent in the corner of the series to wear dunce hats. This is Star Wars off-the-hook and for reals, y’all!

Meanwhile, artist Carlos D’Anda already seems to have improved as a storyteller in this series, and he was really good in issue #1. Oh, this Star Wars comic book is too good to be true. It’s a trap!

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Fantagraphics Unveils New B. Krigstein Collection

Messages in a Bottle: Comic Book Stories by B. Krigstein
edited by Greg Sadowski

272-page full-color 8" x 10.5" softcover • $35.00
ISBN: 978-1-60699-580-8
In-store date: February 2013 (subject to change)

Working in comic books for just over a decade in the 1940s and '50s, Bernard Krigstein applied all the craft, intelligence, and ambition of a burgeoning "serious" artist, achieving results that remain stunning to this day. While his legend rests mostly on his landmark narratives created for EC Comics, dozens of stories for lesser publishers equally showcase his singular draftsmanship and radical reinterpretation of the comics page.

Harvey Award-winning Krigstein biographer Greg Sadowski has assembled the very best of the artist’s work, starting with his earliest creative rumblings, through his glory days at EC, to his final daring experiments for Stan Lee’s Atlas Comics — running through nearly every genre popular at the time, be it horror, science fiction, war, western, or romance.

This edition reprints the out-of-print 2004 hardcover B. Krigstein Comics, with a number of stories re-tooled and improved in terms of reproduction, and several new stories added. Legendary EC colorist Marie Severin, in her last major assignment before her retirement, recolored 20 stories for this edition. The remainder has been taken from printed comics, digitally restored with subtlety and restraint. Original art pages, photostats from Krigstein's personal archives, and an extensive set of historical and editorial notes by Sadowski round out this compelling volume.

"Bernard Krigstein drew comics for less than a decade 50 years ago but in that brief time created some of the most innovative stories the medium has ever seen... Krigstein's reputation is based mainly on his stories for the EC comics, but Sadowski shows that his other work is also extraordinary." – Booklist

"There is no artist in the history of comics that I hold in higher esteem than Bernard Krigstein. No other artist understood the inherent potential of the artform better and no other artist ever demonstrated such a grasp of what was needed in order to reach and exceed both his own limits and those of his chosen medium." – Alan David Doane, Trouble With Comics

ABOUT THE CARTOONIST: Bernard Krigstein (1919–1990) was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005.

ABOUT THE EDITOR: Greg Sadowski is a writer, editor, and designer living in Washington State.

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