Arata: The Legend - Demon Tree

I read Arata: The Legend, Vol. 20

I posted a review at ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.

Read Webcomic Grumble: Chapter One - Page 12

Page 12 is here: http://www.comicbookbin.com/grumbleone012.html

Comic Book Movies Score 2015 Oscar Nominations

The 87th Academy Award Nominations for the 2015 Oscars were announced Thursday, January 15, 2015.  Three comic book films:  Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, scored a total of four nominations over two categories.  The title of the film is followed by the names of the individuals receiving the nominations.

CATEGORY: Makeup and Hairstyling

Foxcatcher
Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier

Guardians of the Galaxy
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White


CATEGORY: Visual Effects

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist

Guardians of the Galaxy
Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould

Interstellar
Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher

X-Men: Days of Future Past
Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer


Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2014 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Review: JACO the Galactic Patrolman

JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Akira Toriyama
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz
EDITOR: Alexis Kirsch
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6630-6; paperback (January 2015); Rated “A” for “All Ages”
248pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Jaco the Galactic Patrolman is a shonen manga comedy from Akira Toriyama, best known as the creator of his breakout and breakthrough hit manga, Dragon Ball (published in the U.S. as Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z).  Jaco was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan from July to September 2013.  Jaco the Galactic Patrolman focuses on the unlikely friendship between a stranded alien cop and a reclusive, island-dwelling scientist.

VIZ Media recently published Jaco the Galactic Patrolman as a paperback graphic novel, with the story being complete in one volume.  This stand-alone book is published under VIZ Media's Shonen Jump imprint, and is rated “‘A’ for All Ages.”  The printed edition of Jaco the Galactic Patrolman has a MSRP of $9.99 in the U.S. And $12.99 CAN.

The digital version of Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, which is also currently available, is $6.99 (USD/CAN) from VIZManga.com and through the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones.  The digital volume of Jaco the Galactic Patrolman can also be purchased through the Nook, Kobo, ComiXology, Kindle, iBooks and GooglePlay stores.

As Jaco the Galactic Patrolman opens, we meet Jaco Teirimentenpibosshi (or Jaco the Galactic Patrolman), an interstellar cop.  He crashed his ship on the moon, which forces him to make a crash-landing on a small island on Earth.  There, he meets retired scientist and engineer, Omori Tokunoshin.  A widower, Omori lives alone on this deserted island, while continuing his research into time-travel.

Omori is perturbed that his quiet life is interrupted by Jaco, who decides to move in with Omori.  A member of the Galactic Patrol (which protects the peace of the galaxy), Jaco claims to be “Super Elite,” but he is quite clumsy and always gets into trouble, which aggravates Omori.  Can Jaco get along with old man Omori long enough to save the earth from a dangerous threat... and also to save Tights, the 17-year-old girl about to embark on a dangerous rocket ride?

[This volume includes the bonus story, “Dragon Ball Minus: Departure of the Fated Child.”]

Akira Toriyama seems to have a magic touch when it comes to creating manga for young readers, from the Halloween-appropriate COWA! to the beloved Dragon Ball.  Jaco the Galactic Patrolman is perfect for young readers.  It is cute and fun, but it isn't simple-minded.  Like Toriyama's other manga, it is quirky, delightful, and especially inventive and imaginative.

The other cool thing about Jaco the Galactic Patrolman is that it is tied to Dragon Ball, with Jaco and Omori's adventures mostly taking place just as the beginnings of Dragon Ball come together.  I have to admit, with some embarrassment, that I was quite happy to discover this connection – like a little kid.  In fact, this volume's bonus story is a kind of prequel to Dragon Ball, as it tells the story of how Goku's journey to Earth began.  If you need a reason to buy Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, this is it.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: SPIDER-MAN & THE X-MEN #1

SPIDER-MAN & THE X-MEN #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Elliot Kalan
ART: Marco Failla
COLORS: Ian Herring
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Nick Bradshaw with Ian Herring
VARIANT COVERS: Skottie Young; Pasqual Ferry
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2015)

Rated T+

Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko; X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

The recent death of Wolverine/Logan meant an end to the comic book series, Wolverine and the X-Men.  In its place, Marvel Comics launched Spider-Man & the X-Men.  This new series is written by Elliot Kalan, drawn by Marco Failla, colored by Ian Herring, and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Spider-Man & the X-Men #1 opens with Spider-Man's arrival at the X-Men's Jean Grey School as a “Special Class Guidance Counselor.”  He is not exactly welcomed by the X-Men, nor is he telling the truth about why he wants to be at the school.  Spider-Man is not at the school so much to teach, as he is there, at Wolverine's behest, to find a mole at the school.  Logan did not know the mole's identity, so he didn't know for whom that mole was working.  Spider-Man tries to be at least as good as a substitute teacher, but his role is tested on his class' first field trip.

Spider-Man & the X-Men reminds me of the old NBC Saturday morning animated series, “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” (1981 to 1983).  The difference is that this comic book has more amazing mutant friends, and they aren't so friendly to Spider-Man.  I don't know why “T+” is the rating for this comic book; unless there is something shocking coming in later issues.  Spider-Man & the X-Men #1 seems like a kid's comic book, even if it might not qualify for an “all-ages” rating.

Also, Nick Bradshaw (art) and Ian Herring's (colors) cover art for Spider-Man & the X-Men #1 is fabulous.  It is a great first issue cover and perfectly suggests both the tone and story of this particular first issue.  However, the cover art made me think that Bradshaw's art would be the graphic style for the interior art, and it was not.  Series artist Marco Failla is competent, but his mange-influenced style seems like it would have been a better fit a decade ago, when Marvel was trying to do the manga thing.

Remember that short-lived New Mutants series that was launched as part of Marvel's Tsunami initiative?  Spider-Man & the X-Men is that comic book reborn – a Tsunami reboot of Wolverine and the X-Men.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 14, 2015

DC COMICS

SEP140337    AMERICAN VAMPIRE HC VOL 07 (MR)    $22.99
OCT140386    ANIMAL MAN TP VOL 07 RED PLAGUE (MR)    $29.99
NOV140284    ARROW SEASON 2.5 #4    $2.99
NOV140330    ASTRO CITY #19    $3.99
NOV140251    BATGIRL #38    $2.99
OCT140367    BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE TP VOL 04    $19.99
NOV140238    BATMAN ETERNAL #41    $2.99
NOV140192    CONSTANTINE #21    $2.99
NOV140194    EARTH 2 WORLDS END #15    $2.99
NOV140326    FABLES THE WOLF AMONG US #1 (MR)    $3.99
NOV140333    FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #17 (MR)    $2.99
OCT140357    FLASH TP VOL 04 REVERSE (N52)    $16.99
NOV140255    GRAYSON #6    $2.99
NOV140273    GREEN LANTERN #38 COMBO PACK    $3.99
NOV140274    GREEN LANTERN CORPS #38    $2.99
OCT140361    GREEN LANTERN CORPS TP VOL 05 UPRISING (N52)    $19.99
NOV140289    INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR THREE #7    $2.99
NOV140184    JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #8    $3.99
NOV140204    KLARION #4    $2.99
NOV140281    MORTAL KOMBAT X #1 CVR A SCORPION (MR)    $3.99
NOV140282    MORTAL KOMBAT X #1 CVR B SUB ZERO (MR)    $3.99
NOV140211    NEW 52 FUTURES END #37 (WEEKLY)    $2.99
NOV140214    NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #6    $2.99
NOV140322    SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #53    $2.99
NOV140292    SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 CONTINUITY #2    $3.99
OCT140364    SUPERGIRL TP VOL 05 RED DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON (N52)    $17.99
NOV140231    SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #15    $3.99
NOV140233    SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #15 COMBO PACK    $4.99
OCT140365    TRINITY OF SIN PHANTOM STRANGER TP VOL 03 (N52)    $19.99
NOV140236    WORLDS FINEST #30    $2.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 14, 2015

MARVEL COMICS
NOV140784    ALL NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #3    $3.99
NOV140819    ALL NEW GHOST RIDER #10    $3.99
NOV140829    ALL NEW ULTIMATES #12    $3.99
NOV140849    AMAZING X-MEN #15    $3.99
NOV140894    ANT-MAN #1 BY BROOKS POSTER    $8.99
NOV140757    AVENGERS #34.2    $4.99
NOV140753    AVENGERS #40 TRO    $4.99
NOV140896    AVENGERS ANTI-BULLYING POSTER    $8.99
OCT140917    AVENGERS TIME RUNS OUT PREM HC VOL 01    $24.99
NOV140823    CAPTAIN MARVEL #11    $3.99
NOV140837    CYCLOPS #9    $3.99
NOV140805    DAREDEVIL #12    $3.99
NOV140852    DEADPOOL #40    $3.99
NOV140772    DEATHLOK #4    $3.99
OCT140938    DEATHLOK TP SOULS OF CYBER-FOLK    $39.99
NOV140825    GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT TWO #5    $3.99
NOV140801    GUARDIANS 3000 #4    $3.99
OCT140936    IRON MAN TP VOL 04 IRON METROPOLITAN    $19.99
NOV140793    MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE SEASON TWO #3    $2.99
NOV140830    MILES MORALES ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #9    $3.99
APR140746    MMW INCREDIBLE HULK HC VOL 01 NEW PTG    $49.99
NOV140842    NIGHTCRAWLER #10    $3.99
OCT140908    POWERS TP VOL 03 LITTLE DEATHS NEW PTG (MR)    $15.99
OCT140909    POWERS TP VOL 04 SUPERGROUP NEW PTG (MR)    $15.99
OCT140910    POWERS TP VOL 05 ANARCHY NEW PTG (MR)    $15.99
MAY148280    SECRET SERVICE TP KINGSMAN MOVIE ED (MR)    $12.99
NOV140759    SHIELD #2    $3.99
SEP140889    SILVER SURFER #8    $3.99
NOV140762    SPIDER-VERSE #2    $4.99
NOV140709    STAR WARS #1    $4.99
AUG140892    STAR WARS MARVEL YRS OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 CHAYKIN CVR    $125.00
NOV140790    THANOS VS HULK #2    $3.99
NOV140897    UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #1 BY ADAMS POSTER    $8.99
OCT140933    UNCANNY X-MEN TP VOL 03 GOOD BAD INHUMAN    $19.99
NOV140743    WOLVERINES #2    $3.99
NOV140841    X-FORCE #14    $3.99