MARVEL COMICS
JUL200608 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 $9.99
JUL200610 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 ASRAR VAR $9.99
JUL200611 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 BACHALO VAR $9.99
JUL200609 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 BAGLEY VAR $9.99
JUL200624 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 BLANK VAR $9.99
JUL200612 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 BRADSHAW VAR $9.99
JUL200613 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 BROOKS VAR $9.99
JUL200614 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 COIPEL VAR $9.99
JUL200616 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 GLEASON VAR $9.99
JUL200617 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 JS CAMPBELL VAR $9.99
JUL200621 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 RAMOS VAR $9.99
JUL200622 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 TIMM VAR $9.99
JUL200623 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49 YOUNG VAR $9.99
AUG200763 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 BY PATRICK GLEASON POSTER $8.99
MAR200918 BLACK WIDOW #2 $3.99
AUG200680 BLACK WIDOW #2 ALEX ROSS BLACK WIDOW TIMELESS VAR $3.99
MAR200920 BLACK WIDOW #2 DE IULUS VAR $3.99
MAR200922 BLACK WIDOW #2 GAME VAR $3.99
JAN209095 BLACK WIDOW #2 JS CAMPBELL VAR $3.99
AUG200681 BLACK WIDOW #2 SWABY TOMB BLACK WIDOW HORROR VAR $3.99
APR201109 BLACK WIDOW EPIC COLLECTION TP COLDEST WAR $39.99
FEB200806 CHAMPIONS #1 $3.99
AUG200714 CHAMPIONS #1 (OF 5) RON LIM VAR $3.99
FEB200809 CHAMPIONS #1 ANDREWS MARVEL ZOMBIES VAR $3.99
FEB200808 CHAMPIONS #1 DI MEO VAR $3.99
APR201094 DAWN OF X TP VOL 08 $17.99
MAR201056 DEADPOOL #7 $3.99
JUN209247 FANTASTIC FOUR #24 2ND PTG ART ADAMS VAR $3.99
AUG200764 FANTASTIC FOUR #25 BY MARK BROOKS POSTER $8.99
JUL209238 FANTASTIC FOUR ANTITHESIS #1 (OF 4) 2ND PTG VAR $4.99
MAR201122 JUGGERNAUT #1 POSTER $8.99
MAR201096 KING DEADPOOL TP VOL 01 HAIL TO THE KING $17.99
MAR200928 MAGNIFICENT MS MARVEL #15 OUT $3.99
AUG200614 MARAUDERS #13 ALEX ROSS ICEMAN TIMELESS VAR XOS $4.99
JUL208879 MARAUDERS #13 DAUTERMAN FORTNITE VAR XOS $4.99
AUG200612 MARAUDERS #13 HANS VAR XOS $4.99
AUG200613 MARAUDERS #13 RANDOLPH HELLS STORM HORROR VAR XOS $4.99
AUG200611 MARAUDERS #13 XOS $4.99
FEB200832 MARVEL FANFARE #10 FACSIMILE EDITION $3.99
FEB201076 MARVEL FANFARE #10 FACSIMILE POSTER $8.99
APR200992 MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #19 OUT $3.99
APR201111 NEW MUTANTS EPIC COLLECTION TP CABLE $39.99
AUG200719 OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF CONAN UNIVERSE ANNIVERSARY EDITION $5.99
FEB200804 ORIGINAL MARVEL ZOMBIES MARVEL TALES #1 $7.99
AUG200663 RISE OF ULTRAMAN #2 (OF 5) $3.99
AUG200666 RISE OF ULTRAMAN #2 (OF 5) ARTGERM VAR $3.99
AUG200665 RISE OF ULTRAMAN #2 (OF 5) GOTO VAR $3.99
JUL200692 ROAD TO EMPYRE TP $19.99
APR201121 SHANG-CHI #1 POSTER $8.99
MAR200970 SPIDER-MAN MARVELS SNAPSHOT #1 $4.99
MAR200971 SPIDER-MAN MARVELS SNAPSHOT #1 CHAYKIN VAR $4.99
JUL200699 SPIDER-MAN TP ROAD TO VENOM $34.99
AUG200765 SPIDER-WOMAN #100 BY GREG LAND POSTER $8.99
APR201053 STAR WARS #7 $3.99
APR201054 STAR WARS #7 SPROUSE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK VAR $3.99
MAR201055 SWORD MASTER #11 $3.99
AUG200710 THOR #8 $3.99
AUG200713 THOR #8 ALEX ROSS THOR TIMELESS VAR $3.99
AUG200711 THOR #8 FRANKENSTEINS THOR HORROR VAR $3.99
FEB200838 TRUE BELIEVERS BLACK WIDOW & DAREDEVIL #1 $1.00
FEB200837 TRUE BELIEVERS BLACK WIDOW RED GUARDIAN #1 $1.00
FEB200836 TRUE BELIEVERS INTRODUCING BLACK WIDOW #1 $1.00
JUL209241 VENOM #27 3RD PTG VAR $3.99
AUG200766 WARHAMMER 40K MARNEUS CALGAR #1 BY JACEN BURROWS POSTER $8.99
FEB201080 WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #1 BY OKAZAKI POSTER $8.99
AUG200606 WOLVERINE #6 ALEX ROSS WOLVERINE TIMELESS VAR XOS $3.99
AUG200607 WOLVERINE #6 JOHNSON VAR XOS $3.99
AUG200605 WOLVERINE #6 XOS $3.99
AUG200609 X-FORCE #13 ALEX ROSS BEAST TIMELESS VAR XOS $3.99
JUL208883 X-FORCE #13 CASSARA FORTNITE VAR XOS $3.99
AUG200610 X-FORCE #13 COELLO VAR XOS $3.99
AUG200608 X-FORCE #13 XOS $3.99
Monday, October 5, 2020
Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 7, 2020
Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for October 7, 2020
COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
JUL201452 ADLER #4 CVR A ROYLE (RES) $3.99
JUL201453 ADLER #4 CVR B MCCAFFREY (RES) $3.99
JUL201454 ADLER #4 CVR C VICTORIAN HOMAGE (RES) $3.99
AUG201214 AMERICAN RONIN #1 (OF 5) CVR A ACO (MR) $3.99
AUG201215 AMERICAN RONIN #1 (OF 5) CVR B DEODATO JR (MR) $3.99
JUL201779 ANCIENT MAGUS BRIDE GN VOL 13 $12.99
APR208553 APOCALYPSE GIRL #6 (OF 6) $3.99
AUG201211 ARCHANGEL 8 TP $9.99
AUG201177 ARCHIE SHOWCASE DIGEST #2 JUGHEAD $7.99
AUG201175 ARCHIES HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR #1 $2.99
AUG201394 ARIO & PIPS YR HC GN VOL 01 KING OF BIRDS $12.99
AUG201393 ARLO & PIPS YR GN VOL 01 KING OF BIRDS $7.99
MAR202300 ATTACK ON TITAN COLOSSAL ED TP VOL 05 (MR) $49.99
APR208554 BACKFIRED #3 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99
AUG201488 BACKTRACK #7 (MR) $3.99
AUG201378 BOOK OF SECRETS GN $14.99
APR208555 BROKEN GARGOYLES #2 (OF 3) (MR) $3.99
APR208556 BUG BITES #2 (OF 3) $3.99
AUG201901 CASE CLOSED GN VOL 76 $9.99
AUG201119 CAT NINJA GN VOL 01 $9.99
AUG201120 CAT NINJA HC GN VOL 01 $13.99
AUG201527 CAT STORY GN $12.99
AUG201528 CAT STORY HC GN $22.99
JUL200939 CIMMERIAN PEOPLE OF BLACK CIRCLE #2 CVR A EJIKURE (MR) $3.99
JUL200940 CIMMERIAN PEOPLE OF BLACK CIRCLE #2 CVR B JAE KWANG PARK (MR $3.99
JUL200941 CIMMERIAN PEOPLE OF BLACK CIRCLE #2 CVR C MONTLLO (MR) $3.99
JUL200942 CIMMERIAN PEOPLE OF BLACK CIRCLE #2 CVR D CASAS (MR) $3.99
AUG201836 CITY GN VOL 09 $12.95
AUG201529 CLASS ACT GN $12.99
AUG201530 CLASS ACT HC GN $22.99
AUG201387 CLEOPATRA IN SPACE GN VOL 06 (OF 6) QUEEN OF NILE $14.99
AUG201388 CLEOPATRA IN SPACE HC GN VOL 06 QUEEN OF NILE $24.99
JUL201723 COMBATANTS WILL BE DISPATCHED GN VOL 03 (MR) $13.00
JUL201171 COMPLETE NOIR MANCHETTE TARDI HC VOL 02 STREETS PARIS $29.99
FEB201491 CRIMSON SCORPION #2 (OF 3) $3.99
JUL201782 CUTIE & BEAST GN VOL 01 $12.99
JUN201222 DASH #6 (OF 6) (RES) $4.99
JUN201489 DEADLOCK GN VOL 02 (MR) $14.95
AUG201086 DISASTER INC #4 $3.99
AUG201622 DOCTOR WHO TIME LORD VICTORIOUS #2 CVR A TONG $5.99
AUG201623 DOCTOR WHO TIME LORD VICTORIOUS #2 CVR B PHOTO $5.99
AUG201624 DOCTOR WHO TIME LORD VICTORIOUS #2 CVR C QUAH $5.99
AUG201115 EL DEAFO SUPERPOWERED ED HC GN $19.99
APR202254 FAIRY TAIL BOX SET VOL 03 $120.89
JUL201614 GRAND BLUE DREAMING GN VOL 11 (MR) $12.99
APR208557 GRIEF TP 2ND PTG (MR) $9.99
JUL201564 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #41 CVR A VITORINO $3.99
JUL201565 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #41 CVR B GOH $3.99
JUL201566 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #41 CVR C SANTACRUZ $3.99
JUL201567 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #41 CVR D GARVEY $3.99
AUG201389 GRUMPY UNICORN YA GN VOL 01 HITS THE ROAD $8.99
JUL201744 HATSU HARU GN VOL 12 $13.00
APR208558 HOLLOW #3 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99
AUG201464 HOLLYWOOD TRASH #1 (OF 5) $3.99
JUL201445 HORIZON ZERO DAWN #3 CVR A MOMOKO $3.99
JUL201446 HORIZON ZERO DAWN #3 CVR B GAME ART WRAPAROUND $3.99
JUL201447 HORIZON ZERO DAWN #3 CVR C LOISH $3.99
AUG201212 HOTELL TP $9.99
JUL201793 HOW NOT TO SUMMON DEMON LORD GN VOL 09 (MR) $12.99
FEB201490 ILLUM TP VOL 01 $14.99
JUL201615 INTERVIEWS WITH MONSTER GIRLS GN VOL 08 $12.99
AUG201600 JOHN CARPENTER PRESENTS STORM KIDS STANLEYS GHOST #1 (OF 1) $4.99
JUL201794 KINGDOM OF Z GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.99
AUG201884 KOMI CANT COMMUNICATE GN VOL 09 $9.99
AUG201459 KUSAMA HC GN $19.99
AUG201230 LADY MECHANIKA OVERSIZED HC VOL 04 $32.99
AUG201090 LONELY RECEIVER #2 CVR A HICKMAN (RES) $3.99
AUG201206 LONG WAY DOWN HC GN (MR) $19.99
AUG201533 MAX MEOW CAT CRUSADER GN VOL 01 $12.99
AUG201379 MEGA DOGS OF NEW KANSAS GN VOL 01 $10.99
AUG201719 MONEY SHOT #9 (MR) $3.99
APR208560 MONSTROUS WITCH HUNT #3 (OF 4) $3.99
JUL201800 MY NEXT LIFE AS A VILLAINESS GN VOL 04 $13.99
JUN201460 MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY ARES #1 CVR A VITORINO (RES) $8.99
JUN201461 MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY ARES #1 CVR B TOLIBAO (RES) $8.99
JUN201462 MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY ARES #1 CVR C GARVEY (RES) $8.99
JUN201463 MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY ARES #1 CVR D ROYLE (RES) $8.99
AUG201043 NATHAN HALES DONNER DINNER PARTY BIGGER BADDER ED $19.99
MAR201578 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #177 $3.99
MAR201579 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #177 RETRO B&W VAR $1.50
APR208561 NO HEROINE #3 (MR) $3.99
JUL201553 NO ONES ROSE #5 $3.99
APR208350 NO ONES ROSE #5 CVR B GORHAM $3.99
APR208562 NORAH VOL 2 #3 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99
JUN200937 PATRIOTIKA #2 $3.99
AUG201096 PENULTIMAN #1 (OF 5) CVR A ROBINSON (RES) $3.99
AUG201097 PENULTIMAN #1 (OF 5) CVR B IGLE (RES) $3.99
APR208563 PRISONER #1 (MR) $3.99
AUG201213 RED BORDER TP $9.99
AUG201747 ROBYN HOOD JUSTICE #4 CVR A COCCOLO $3.99
AUG201748 ROBYN HOOD JUSTICE #4 CVR B VITORINO $3.99
AUG201749 ROBYN HOOD JUSTICE #4 CVR C CARDY $3.99
AUG201750 ROBYN HOOD JUSTICE #4 CVR D ROYLE $3.99
AUG201362 RUSH MAKING OF A FAREWELL TO KINGS GN $24.99
JUL200997 SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE LIQUIDATED TP VOL 01 (RES) $16.99
JUL201609 SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH US GN VOL 03 $12.99
AUG201390 SPARKS GN VOL 02 DOUBLE DOG DARE $14.99
AUG201391 SPARKS HC GN VOL 02 DOUBLE DOG DARE $26.99
AUG201426 STRANGELANDS TP VOL 02 (RES) (MR) $14.99
AUG201209 THE RESISTANCE TP $9.99
AUG201578 THE TIMES I KNEW I WAS GAY GRAPHIC MEMOIR HC (MR) $25.00
JUL201811 THERES A DEMON LORD ON FLOOR GN VOL 08 (RES) (MR) $12.99
JUL201179 TIMO ADVENTURER GN $10.99
JUL201180 TIMO ADVENTURER HC GN $19.99
APR208564 TOUCHING EVIL #8 $3.99
AUG201891 TRANSFORMERS CLASSIC TV MAGAZINE MANGA HC VOL 03 $24.99
DEC191321 VAMPBLADE SEASON 4 #10 (#47) CVR A MACCAGNI (MR) $4.99
DEC191322 VAMPBLADE SEASON 4 #10 (#47) CVR B MACCAGNI RISQUE (MR) $4.99
DEC191323 VAMPBLADE SEASON 4 #10 (#47) CVR C JOE PEKAR (MR) $4.99
DEC191324 VAMPBLADE SEASON 4 #10 (#47) CVR D JOE PEKAR RISQUE (MR) $4.99
DEC191325 VAMPBLADE SEASON 4 #10 (#47) CVR E CELOR (MR) $4.99
DEC191326 VAMPBLADE SEASON 4 #10 (#47) CVR F CELOR RISQUE (MR) $4.99
JUN200938 WALL MIGHT 3 THE MAGALORIAN ONE SHOT $4.99
JUL201289 WILLIE NELSON HC $16.99
APR201713 WORLD OF WARCRAFT COMIC COLLECTION HC VOL 01 $14.95
AUG201210 YEAR ZERO TP (MR) $9.99
AUG201124 ZITS TREASURY TP SCREENTIME $19.99
JUL200971 ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #74 CVR A MACCAGNI (MR) $4.99
JUL200972 ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #74 CVR B MACCAGNI RISQUE (MR) $4.99
JUL200973 ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #74 CVR C YOUNG (MR) $4.99
JUL200974 ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #74 CVR D YOUNG RISQUE (MR) $4.99
JUL200975 ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #74 CVR E TARUSCOV (MR) $4.99
JUL200976 ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #74 CVR F TARUSCOV RISQUE (MR) $4.99
MAGAZINES
JUL201132 COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1729 (RES) $PI
AUG201727 CREEPS #27 (MR) $5.95
BOOKS
JUL201819 CLASSROOM OF ELITE LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 06 $13.99
AUG201517 DOLPHIN GIRL YA GN VOL 01 TROUBLE IN PIZZA PARADISE $12.99
AUG201518 DOLPHIN GIRL YA HC GN VOL 01 TROUBLE IN PIZZA PARADISE $22.99
AUG201438 FROM FILMS OF HARRY POTTER MINI BOOK SPELLS & CHARMS HC $11.99
AUG201116 GARBAGE PAIL KIDS HC VOL 01 WELCOME TO SMELLVILLE $14.99
AUG201439 HARRY POTTER COLORING WIZARDRY SC $12.99
JUL201821 HIDDEN DUNGEON ONLY I CAN ENTER LIGHT NOVEL VOL 01 $13.99
JUL201657 HOW TO MAKE CAPCOM FIGHTING CHARACTERS HC $49.99
AUG201283 I AM ANNE FRANK YR HC $15.99
AUG201284 I AM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN YR HC $15.99
AUG201290 LEGO MINIFIGURE VISUAL HISTORY NEW ED HC $40.00
AUG201392 MARVEL AVENGERS ASSEMBLY NOVEL VOL 01 ORIENTATION $13.99
AUG201540 MELLYBEAN & GIANT GHOST MONSTER GN $12.99
AUG201541 MELLYBEAN & GIANT GHOST MONSTER HC GN $20.99
JUN201562 MONSTER HUNTER ILLUSTRATIONS 3 HC $54.99
AUG201579 NEXT WORLD TAROT ART COLLECTION HC (MR) $50.00
AUG201272 ROBERT E HOWARD RATTLE OF BONES HC $29.99
AUG201580 SICK TATS FLASH QUARANTZINE ANTHOLOGY ONE SHOT (MR) $10.00
JUL201351 STAR WARS FASCINATING FACTS HC $15.99
JUL201257 STAR WARS ROGUE ONE BOOK & MODEL HC $11.99
MAR201809 STAR WARS THRAWN ASCENDANCY HC $28.99
AUG201044 STEVEN UNIVERSE END OF ERA HC $35.00
AUG201583 WALKING DEAD NOVEL SC TYPHOON $16.00
AUG201514 XAVIER RIDDLE & SECRET MUSEUM HC ELENOR ROOSEVELT $15.99
AUG201513 XAVIER RIDDLE & SECRET MUSEUM SC ELENOR ROOSEVELT $4.99
JUL200947 X-FILES OFFICIAL ARCHIVES CRYPTIDS ANOMALIES & PHENOMENA HC $50.00
DC Comics from Lunar/UCS Distributors for October 6, 2020
DC COMICS:
American Vampire 1976 #1 (Of 9)(Cover A Rafael Albuquerque), $3.99
American Vampire 1976 #1 (Of 9)(Cover B Dustin Nguyen ), AR
American Vampire 1976 #1 (Of 9)(Cover C Blank Variant), AR
Batman #100 (Cover A Jorge Jimenez Wraparound Variant), $6.99
Batman #100 (Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman #100 (Cover C Purple Blank Variant), AR
Batman #100 (Cover D Jorge Jimenez Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman #100 (Cover E Lee Bermejo Team Variant), AR
Batman Adventures Nightwing Rising TP, $9.99
Batman Black And White Statue Armored Batman By Frank Miller Statue, $95.00
Batman Gotham By Gaslight The Deluxe Edition HC, $34.99
Batman Rogues Gallery Multi-Part Statue #4 Harley Quinn, $90.00
Batman The Adventures Continue #5 (Of 7)(Cover A Paolo Rivera & Joe Rivera), $3.99
Batman The Adventures Continue #5 (Of 7)(Cover B Sean Cheeks Galloway), AR
DC Classics The Batman Adventures #5, $1.99
DC Essentials #25 Nightwing New 52 Action Figure, $28.00
DC Essentials #26 Superman The Return Of Superman Action Figure, $28.00
DCeased Dead Planet #4 (Of 6)(Cover A David Finch), $3.99
DCeased Dead Planet #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), AR
DCeased Dead Planet #4 (Of 6)(Cover C In-Hyuk Lee Movie Homage Card Stock Variant), AR
Dreaming Waking Hours #3 (Of 12), $3.99
Far Sector #8 (Of 12)(Cover A Jamal Campbell), $3.99
Far Sector #8 (Of 12)(Cover B In-Hyuk Lee), AR
Harley Quinn Red White And Black Harley Quinn By Guillem March Statue, $95.00
Harley Quinn Red, White And Black Harley Quinn By Amanda Conner Statue, $95.00
Justice League #54 (Cover A Liam Sharp), $3.99
Justice League #54 (Cover B Howard Porter), AR
Legend Of The Swamp Thing Halloween Spectacular #1, $5.99
Legion Of Super-Heroes Volume 1 Millennium HC, $29.99
MAD Magazine #16 , $5.99
Mister Miracle The Deluxe Edition HC, $49.99
Sandman Trade Paperback Expanded Edition Box Set , $250.00
Super Sons Volume 3 Escape To Landis TP, $9.99
Superman Vs Darkseid Battle Statue (Third Edition), $300.00
Wonder Woman #1 (1987 Facsimile Edition), $3.99
Young Justice #19 (Cover A John Timms), $3.99
Young Justice #19 (Cover B Darko Lafuente Card Stock Variant), AR
Sunday, October 4, 2020
#IReadsYou Review: NOT YOUR IDOL: Volume 1
NOT YOUR IDOL, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia
MANGAKA: Aoi Makino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1516-9; paperback (May 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
168pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £7.99 UK
Sayonara Mini Skirt is a shojo manga written and drawn by Aoi Makino. The series has been serialized in the Japanese manga publication, Ribon Magazine, since August 2018. VIZ Media is publishing an English-language adaptation of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, entitled Not Your Idol, under its “Shojo Beat.”
Not Your Idol, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 3) introduces Nina Kamiyama, a high school freshman. Unlike other girls who wear miniskirts, Kamiyama wears slacks and has cut her hair so that she looks like a boy. You see, Kamiyama was once Karen Amamiya, the “center” of the “miniskirt” pop idol, girl group, “Pure Club.” One day, at a “handshake” event where the girls get to thank fans, a male fan brutally attacks Karen.
In the wake of an assault, Kamiyama quits Pure Club, shuns her femininity, and starts dressing as a boy. At high school she keeps to herself, but fellow student, Hikaru Horiuchi, realizes who she is. So is Horiuchi, a judo club member, more than what he claims to be.
[This volume includes a message from the author and an illustration.]
THE LOWDOWN: The Not Your Idol manga is one of the most shocking manga that I have read this year. It isn't as twisted as the other manga to shock me this year, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, but it is quite intense.
Not Your Idol Graphic Novel Volume 1 dives deep into the subject matter of violence against women and girls. The themes of obsession and trauma infuse this story with an edgy atmosphere that makes Not Your Idol as searing as one of those pot-boiler, suspense-mystery crime thriller novels. [The ones about demented men who hurt women.] Aoi Makino has developed Nina Kamiyama in such a way that readers will feel her psychological torments, constant fear, and self doubt, but she does so in such a manner that the readers will not be turned off by the darkness and certainly will not want to turn away from Kamiyama.
Tetsuichiro Miyaki's translation and the English adaptation by Nancy Thislethwaite yield a story that is hard to stop reading. As soon as I was finished, I wanted more. Inori Fukuda Trant's lettering conveys Not Your Idol's interior torments and slashing emotions. Yes, you will want more, too, dear readers, when you try Not Your Idol.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of edgy shojo high school dramas will want the Shojo Beat title, Not Your Idol.
A
9 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia
The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
------------------------------
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Saturday, October 3, 2020
#IReadsYou Review: BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1
BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Joe Hill
ART: Leomacs
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITORS: Mark Doyle and Amedeo Turturro
COVER: Reiko Murakami
VARIANT COVER: Joshua Middleton
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2019)
“Ages 17+”
Basketful of Heads created by Joe Hill
Bestselling dark fantasy and horror novelist, Joe Hill, and DC Comics have launched a new “pop-up line” of horror comics entitled “Hill House Comics.” The initial offerings from Hill House consist of five comic book limited series: The Dollhouse Family, written by Mike Carey and illustrated by Peter Gross; The Low, Low Woods, written by Carmen Maria Machado and illustrated by Dani; Daphne Byrne, written by Laura Marks and illustrated by Kelley Jones.
Hill is writing the other two – Plunge, which will be illustrated by Stuart Immonen, and Basketful of Heads, the first Hill House release and the subject of this review. Basketful of Heads is drawn by Leomacs; colored by Dave Stewart; and lettered by Deron Bennett. The series will feature a young woman and an ax that has the supernatural power to lop off a human head in a single stroke. But the lopped-off heads keep talking!
Basketful of Heads #1 opens on Brody Island, Maine in September 1983. There, we meet a young couple staying on the island for the summer. They are vivacious party girl, June, and Liam Ellsworth, who is working as a temp officer with the Brody Island Police Department. They are enjoying a day in Liam's “dune buggy” police car when they get a call from Brody Island Police Chief Wade Clausen.
It seems that some prisoners have managed to escape from “Shawshank Prison” (a reference to a fictional state prison that appears in the work of Joe Hill's father, legendary novelist, Stephen King). The escape leads to June and Liam inadvertently house-sitting, which is when the story really begins.
Basketful of Heads #1 is mostly an introduction to the series' setting. Eighteen of the twenty-two pages of this first issue walk us through the world of Brody Island and introduce the main characters, while hinting at what will be June and Liam's first deadly dilemma. The narrative really does not begin until the twenty-first and twenty-second pages of this issue – the last two pages.
Hill does a good, but not great job with this first issue, and I find the characters and the setting only mildly interesting. But the last two pages make me think that I will be more than mildly interested when the proverbial shit hits the fan – hopeful in issue two.
Artist Leomacs' graphical style seems just right for a horror, thriller, or crime comic book, and Dave Stewart's coloring establishes a sense of foreboding. Deron Bennett's lettering does most of the heavy lifting in giving this story a sense of rhythm and the feeling that it is actually going somewhere and is not just introducing some people who live on a tourist-trap island. Basketful of Heads #1 is good enough to make me want to check out another issue.
“Sea Dogs” Part One: “Boarding Party”
STORY: Joe Hill
ART: Dan McDaid
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Wes Abbott
EDITORS: Mark Doyle and Maggie Howell
“Sea Dogs” is a comics serial that will run in four-page increments at the back of every issue of Hill House Comics (apparently in the initial run of series). “Sea Dogs” will tell the tale of how werewolves helped the Thirteen American Colonies and its Continental army win their war against Great Britain.
The first chapter, “Boarding Party,” opens in May 1780, at a secret rebel stronghold in upstate New York. The mysterious Mr. Bolton meets a trio of men, who can transform into werewolves. He wants to recruit the men and their special abilities in order to help the American rebels. Their target is the powerful British Navy, which is destroying the Continental navy and other colonial ships by the hundreds and is also creating a blockade that has left the Continental army half-starved and poorly equipped.
The art by Dan McDaid and colors by John Kalisz recall the comic book art of classic DC Comics horror titles of the late 1960s and 1970s like House of Mystery and Ghosts. Letterer Wes Abbott's fonts are delightfully old school, and I must admit that I am quite intrigued by Joe Hill's concept here. Plus, I also love werewolves!
[This comic book also contains an essay by Joe Hill.]
7 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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Friday, October 2, 2020
#IReadsYou Review: SPY X FAMILY Volume 1
SPY X FAMILY, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
MANGAKA: Tatsuya Endo
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Casey Loe
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1546-6; paperback (June 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
220pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK
Spy × Family is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. It has been serialized biweekly for free on the Shōnen Jump+ application and website since March 25, 2019. VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint in June 2020.
Spy × Family, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) introduces a mysterious man known as “Twilight.” He is the master spy of the country of Westalis. A man of a hundred faces, Twilight has extraordinary combat, memory, and information processing skills. His latest mission takes him to Westalis' neighbor to the east, The People's Republic of Ostania. There is a fragile truce between Westalis and Ostania, but a political leader named Donovan Desmond threatens that and foments war. Twilight's mission is to get close to Desmond and to spy on his activities.
To do that, Twilight must pose as a family man! One problem is that Twilight has never been a family man. So how does he end up with a wife named “Yor Briar” and an elementary school-age daughter named “Anya?” Heck, the even bigger questions are does he know that Yor is a ruthless assassin and that Anya is a telepath?
[This volume includes bonus material, “Spy × Family Confidential Files,” which is comprised of bonus comics, a character profile, and a “thank you” to the art and production staff of Spy × Family.]
THE LOWDOWN: The title of the Spy × Family manga is apparently pronounced “Spy Family.” That's appropriate because the series will apparently focus on the family as being more than just a cover for the activities of Twilight, ostensibly the series' lead character.
Spy × Family Graphic Novel Volume 1 is a strong first volume for a series that seems a bit eccentric merely on the basis of the premise and turns out to be a bit eccentric upon reading. The art is elegantly drawn with sharp, precise line work, but it is drawn to suggest a sense of humor in the story. The graphical storytelling is witty and sly, and the danger and violence is no more than what readers would find in a shonen manga like Nisekoi: False Love. The art for Spy × Family makes me think of something like a manga adaptation of a Daniel Craig James Bond movie overseen by the legendary American animation filmmaker, Chuck Jones, at the height of his graphic style.
Casey Loe offers a strong English-language adaptation in this first volume of Spy × Family, which is dialogue heavy. Loe conveys the sly wit and deadpan humor that underpins the action in these first five chapters of the series. And, as usual, letterer Rina Mapa gives elegant art some elegant lettering. Yes, Spy × Family is series worth revisiting
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of secret agents and of international intrigue will want to spy on the “Shonen Jump” title Spy × Family.
8 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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Thursday, October 1, 2020
#IReadsYou Review: HOW DO WE RELATIONSHIP Volume 1
HOW DO WE RELATIONSHIP?, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
CARTOONIST: Tamifull
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Abby Lehrke
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pacha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1174-1; paperback (June 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
216pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £7.99 UK
How Do We Relationship? is a “yuri” manga from creator Tamifull. Yuri manga feature love stories in which the romantic lead characters are both female and are both lesbian. Yuri manga, sometimes referred to as “Girls' love” manga, can also feature explicit depictions of lesbian sex.
How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 9) introduces Miwa Inuzuka, a shy young woman who is an incoming college freshman. She accepts that she is a lesbian, but other than having had a “huge crush” on a girl in high school, she has never dated. During “Matriculation Day,” Miwa bumps into Saeko Sawatari, an outgoing and brash young woman who immediately attaches herself to Miwa.
The two students eventually stumble into “going out” as a couple, but each has a different way of presenting themselves and different ideas about presenting each other in public. Miwa wants to be secretive about their relationship, while Saeko always seems on the verge of blurting it out. Will their clash of personalities be an impediment to true love?
[This volume includes bonus manga; an “Author Note” in manga form; and a “Commentary Track” comic.]
THE LOWDOWN: The How Do We Relationship? manga is not my first experience with yuri manga. I am currently reading A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow (also from VIZ Media) and a few months ago, I read Éclair Blanche: A Girls' Love Anthology that Resonates in Your Heart (Yen Press), a recent installment in the Éclair yuri anthology series.
How Do We Relationship? Graphic Novel Volume 1 reminds me of another yuri series, the music and nightlife-themed After Hours (also from VIZ Media) in that After Hours focused on the complications of what happens after the two young women become a couple. In her author's note, creator Tamifull says that she is interested in reading about romance that depicts what happens after the romantic leads decide to become a couple.
In truth, shojo manga, especially those set in high school, often end when the high school girl and boy decide to officially become a couple after overcoming the obstacles that kept them from being a couple. How Do We Relationship? deals with the compromise, misunderstandings, spats, and self-interested calculations that are part of real-world relationships. Tamifull takes a deep dive into all that is fair in love and war, but it does not make How Do We Relationship? any less romantic.
The translation and English adaptation by Abby Lehrke captures the yearning and longing of Miwa and Saeko to love each other and to be loved. Tamifull deftly depicts passion without depicting sex in Vol. 1, which is exemplified in the moment in which Saeko tells Miwa that she thinks Miwa is passionate. Miwa is shocked because she equates passion with the act of sex. However, Miwa's passion in the way she seeks things out and in which she explores new things, even as she struggles with how far she should go with Saeko... and how fast.
I am genuinely curious to see where Tamiful is taking this story. This first volume of How Do We Relationship? ends with a kind of romantic cliffhanger, but I see more complications ahead.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of yuri manga will want to read How Do We Relationship?
7.5 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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