Wednesday, January 6, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: NYANKEES Volume 6

NYANKEES VOL. 6
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Atsushi Okada
TRANSLATION: Caleb D. Cook
LETTERS: Rochelle Gancio
ISBN: 978-1-9753-1109-4; paperback (May 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
226pp, B&W, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Nyankees is a shonen-action manga written and illustrated by Atsuchi Okada.  It was serialized in the manga magazine, Shounen Ace, from July 2016 to August 2019.  Yen Press is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a six-volume graphic novel series.

Nyankees is the story of stray cats sometimes told as a fable of human street thugs.  The stray cats are mostly male street cats protecting their turf, keeping other guy-cats from pawing at their girl-cats, and showing everyone who is really boss.

Nyankees, Vol. 6 (Chapters 26 to 31) opens with the tale of Madara, a “calico tomcat, as told to series regular, Ryuusei.  Madara is connected to Ryuusei's former mentor, Gekka, who is also a calico tom.  Humans believe that a calico tom brings good luck, but many cats believe that calico toms bring nothing but bad luck.

Triggered by his tale, Ryuusei strikes out at Madara with a mighty cat punch, but he realizes that there is more to the calico tom than meets the eye.  Now, untold grudges and secrets and lies are laid bare as the strife in Nekonaki draws to a close... hopefully with a happy ending.

[This volume includes bonus art.]

The Nyankees manga is entirely new to me.  I did like how creator Atsushi Okada draws the characters as street cats and then, as human street thugs.  It is a little off-putting, at first, but soon, the allegory kicks in.

Nyankees Graphic Novel Volume 6 is the final volume of the series.  First, I want to say that the English translation by Caleb D. Cook, one of the best translators of Japanese comics, is wonderfully composed.  These final chapters are epic in scope, but intimate in character drama; Vol. 6 is poignant and sad, but also joyous and hopeful.

Okada gives us a closing suite of chapters that is timeless, as the conflicts, plots, and relationships could repeat themselves for an untold amount of time.  Nyankees Vol. 6 does not say that life is what you make of it or even that it is about the choices you make.  Nyankees ends by saying that life is who not what.  With whom do you make your life, now what you do with it.

Vol. 6 is the only volume of this series that I read (thanks to a review copy).  I can say, however, that it makes me interested in the earlier volumes.

7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL (2016)

HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL 2016
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, Chris Roberson, Chelsea Cain, Dean Rankine
ARTISTS: Tim Sale; Michael Walsh; Michael Avon Oeming; Dean Rankine
COLORS: Dave Stewart; Dean Rankine
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Tim Sale with Dave Stewart
EDITOR: Scott Allie
VARIANT COVER: Mike Mignola with Dave Stewart
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2016)

Hellboy is both a superhero and horror comic book character.  Created by writer-artist Mike Mignola, Hellboy first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (cover date: August 1993).  The character's debut in his own comic book was Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 (March 1994).  However, some of the best Hellboy stories are short stories, and for over two decades, Hellboy shorts have appeared in a number of Hellboy comic books and also in the classic anthology, Dark Horse Presents.

Hellboy Winter Special is a recently published Hellboy anthology that offers four Hellboy short stories and features two covers – a Tim Sale regular cover and a Mike Mignola variant.  The first of the three snowbound stories is “Broken Vessels,” written by Mignola and Scott Allie and drawn by Tim Sale (in his Hellboy or “Mignolaverse” debut).  In the story, which is set in Mignolaverse prehistoric mythology, a warrior shares his campfire with a seemingly deranged man who claims to be a shaman.

Writer Chris Roberson and artist Michael Walsh enter the world of Hellboy in “Wandering Souls,” a Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1953 story.  This tale opens in Sweetwater County, Wyoming in 1953.  Hellboy and Agent Susan Xiang are investigating a seemingly haunted camp, a place where Xiang will discover why she felt so compelled to accompany Hellboy on this mission.

In “Mood Swings,” Chelsea Cain (another Mignolaverse debut) and Michael Avon Oeming present Liz in a bad Christmas mood.  Also, writer-artist Dean Rankine finds fun with Chinese takeout in “Kung Pao Lobster.”

Simply put, I would recommend Hellboy Winter Special not only to Hellboy fans, but also to anyone who has ever read even a single Hellboy short story, let alone a full comic book.  Hellboy is a true fantasy and horror comic book in a way that Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate comic books have never really been.  Hellboy is a superhero, but Hellboy comics and stories (as well as those of the B.P.R.D.) are fantasy that encompasses action-adventure, mystery, ghost stories, fairy tales, folk tales, myth, etc.

Hellboy is truly unique, and Mike Mignola and his collaborators have executed the long narrative of Hellboy and company with inventiveness and imagination.  In a way, what Hellboy is can be said to be largely unseen in North American comic books.  Hellboy Winter Special is a sampler pack, a taste of that Hellboy and Mignolaverse special way.

The one thing I hate about Hellboy Winter Special is that there isn't more of it.  Yeah, I'm ungrateful, but winter is long, so I wish there was a Hellboy “Mid-Winter” special and a “end-of-winter/turn-of-spring” special and “Ides of March” special and a....

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, January 4, 2021

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for January 6, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

NOV200937    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CVR A MAIN    $3.99
NOV200938    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CVR B SAUVAGE VAR    $3.99
NOV200939    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CVR C CAREY VAR    $3.99
SEP200938    KLAUS NEW ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS GN    $17.99
NOV200876    LAST WITCH #1 CVR A MAIN    $4.99
NOV200877    LAST WITCH #1 CVR B CORONA    $4.99
OCT208392    MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 3RD PTG    $4.99



Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 6, 2021

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP200307    ATOMIC LEGION TP (RES)    $19.99
SEP200305    HARROW COUNTY OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 (RES)    $29.99
SEP200314    SAVOR TP (RES)    $14.99


Dynamite Entertainment from Diamond Distributors for January 6, 2021

DYNAMITE

AUG200840    BETTIE PAGE #4 KANO LTD VIRGIN CVR    $50.00
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OCT200896    VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #13 OLIVER LTD VIRGIN CVR    $50.00
OCT200895    VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #13 PARRILLO LTD VIRGIN CVR    $50.00


IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for January 6, 2021

IDW PUBLISHING

OCT200466    DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AT SPINE OF WORLD #3 (OF 4) CVR A COCCOLO    $3.99
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FEB200711    MARVEL ACTION AVENGERS (2020) #3 CVR A MAPA    $3.99
AUG200547    MARVEL VAULT OF HEROES IRON MAN TP    $17.99
OCT200443    MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #93 CVR A  FORSTNER    $3.99
OCT200444    MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #93 CVR B JUSTASUTA    $3.99
JUL200545    SLEEPING BEAUTIES #5 (OF 10) CVR A WU    $3.99
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OCT200469    STAR TREK YEAR FIVE #18    $3.99
OCT200415    TRANSFORMERS #26 CVR A WILLIAMS II    $3.99
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OCT200463    USAGI YOJIMBO #16    $3.99


Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 6, 2021

IMAGE COMICS

NOV200144    CROSSOVER #3 CVR A SHAW    $3.99
OCT209142    CROSSOVER #3 CVR B MCFARLANE    $3.99
OCT209143    CROSSOVER #3 CVR C BLANK CVR    $3.99
NOV200148    FIRE POWER BY KIRKMAN & SAMNEE #7    $3.99
NOV200075    FIRE POWER BY KIRKMAN & SAMNEE TP VOL 02    $16.99
NOV200149    GETTING IT TOGETHER #4 (OF 4) CVR A FINE (MR)    $4.99
OCT209103    GETTING IT TOGETHER #4 (OF 4) CVR B GRACE (MR)    $4.99
NOV200153    INKBLOT #5    $3.99
OCT200218    RAT QUEENS #24 (MR)    $3.99
OCT200107    SAVAGE DRAGON ARCHIVES TP VOL 10 (MR)    $24.99
AUG200376    UNEARTH #9 (RES) (MR)    $3.99
NOV200177    WALKING DEAD DLX #6 CVR A FINCH & MCCAIG (MR)    $3.99
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