KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS Volume 1

KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Aya Shouoto
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7366-3; paperback (November 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
188pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Kiss of the Rose Princess is a nine-volume graphic novel series from manga creator, Aya Shouoto.  The series focuses on a mystical girl and the four magical knights who help her on a quest to save the world from the Demon Lord and the forces of evil.

Anise Yamamoto cannot remove the rose choker from her neck or she will suffer a terrible punishment.   That is what her father told her, and she takes his dire warning quite seriously.  Then, a strange creature falls from the sky and hits Anise, causing her to lose the choker.  Instead, she gains four cards representing four knights, each of whom she can summon by kissing a card.

Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) opens at Shobi Academy.  As usual, Anise begins the school day running from the dress code enforcer who wants to remove the choker, which is a violation of the school dress code.  However, Anise is more afraid of her father than anything, so she won't remove that choker.

Then, the bat-like/cat-like Ninufa falls from the sky and knocks the choker off her neck.  He gives her four rose cards and exhorts her to kiss each one.  Each card summons a Rose Knight who is bound by an ancient Contract of the Rose (the Rosette) to the one who summons him.  Each knight is handsome, but Anise wonders why she needs them.

I think the Kiss of the Rose Princess manga is one of those shojo manga about a magical girl.  I think VIZ Media describes Anise as a “mystical girl,” but whatever she is, this plucky heroine is a funny girl at the head of comic fantasy romance.

The humor is what surprises me about Kiss of the Rose Princess Volume 1.  Creator Aya Shouoto has a funny “straight man” in Anise, who plays the grown-up in a reverse-harem situation.  Honestly, I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this first volume.  Where does this series go?  Well, there is a lot about Anise's magical destiny and about her father that has yet to be revealed.  In fact, I think it is worth coming back at least one more volume to get some answers.  Fans of magical/mystical girls will want to try the “Shojo Beat” title, Kiss of the Rose Princess.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: BATMAN #35

BATMAN #35
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Scott Snyder – @Ssnyder1835
PENCILS: Greg Capullo
INKS: Danny Miki
COLORS: FCO Plascencia
LETTERS: Steve Wands
COVER: Greg Capullo and Danny Miki with FCO Plascencia
VARIANT COVERS: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson; Brian Stelfreeze (Monster Variant)
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2014)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Endgame #1

How do writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo follow their 12-issue Batman epic, “Zero Year?”  Well, pitting Batman against his super-powered teammates from the Justice League sounds like a idea.

Batman #35 (“Endgame” Part 1) opens Bruce Wayne reworks his infrastructure and recovers from the beatings he took during the events still being depicted in Batman: Eternal (because the events depicted in Batman #35 take place after whatever will be depicted in Batman: Eternal).  Suddenly, Wonder Woman drops by Bruce Wayne's new Batman base of operations at Old Wayne Tower, and, much to Bruce's surprise, she wants to kill him.

No, she really wants to kill him... as in homicide.  And so do Flash, Aquaman, and Superman.

The art team of Greg Capullo, inker Danny Miki, and colorist FCO Plascencia are visually and graphically a truly unique Batman art team, but it is not just about pretty pictures.  Their graphical storytelling heightens the sense of drama and conveys subtlety in character, emotion, and conflict.  Superheroes with colorful costumes usually seem odd and out of place in the moody shades of Gotham City.  They might seem so even in the more sparkly version of Gotham of this current ongoing Batman comic book series.  However, these artists make the Justice League seem a natural part of the ebb and flow of the weird crime and conflict of the Dark Knight's stomping grounds.

I think the reveal on the last page of who is behind the Justice League attack means that Endgame just might be something special.  In fact, that is what Scott Snyder's run as Batman writer has been, special.  I actually was not sure that I was ready for another long Batman story arc, but I am now.

A-

[This comic book includes the short story, “The Paleman” by writer James Tynion IV, artist Kelley Jones, colorist by Michelle Madsen, and letterer by Dezi Sienty.]

Batman #35 features the first chapter of “The Paleman,” which looks to be a backup feature that is tied to Endgame.  I don't know how long this feature will run, but I hope it is for several issues because the artist of “The Paleman” is one of my favorites, Kelley Jones.

I have always thought that Jones was influenced by Berni Wrightson and also by an artist Jones once replaced on a 1980s comic book series, Mike Mignola.  Jones spun those influences into his own potent and idiosyncratic style.  It is just right for James Tynion IV's grim thriller of a script, and Michelle Madsen's brooding coloring is just right for Jones' shadowed compositions.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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