Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy - Omelet Rice

I read Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 8

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

Review: PUNKS: The Comic #3

PUNKS: THE COMIC #3
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

CREATORS:  Joshua Hale Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain – @JoshFialkov @KodyChamberlain
COVER: Kody Chamberlain
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2014)

Rated T+ / Teen Plus

I'm just getting to the third issue of Punks: The Comic.  This series is a revival of writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Kody Chamberlain's 2007 small press comic book, Punks.  Chamberlain produces Punks' “original art” by cutting up various photographic images and compiling them to create the characters, settings, and storytelling.  Punks focuses on a quartet of cut-ups:  Dog, Skull, Fist, and Abe Lincoln.

As Punks: The Comic #3 opens, Abe is readying their humble abode for his family's arrival.  It's Thanksgiving, a time for family gatherings.  Skull, Fist, and Dog aren't to excited about this holiday visit.  Can they get excited about the ACLU, Sean Connery, and some Baldwin brothers?

[Punks: The Comic #3 includes some story pages from the original Punks comix and a strange interview with pre-superstar Rick Remender.]

It's a coincidence.  I was reading Punks: The Comic #3 around the same time actor Chris Pine was apologizing for the tepid reception of Jack Ryan film series reboot in which he starred, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (not the best title).  It isn't Pine's fault.  Maybe Jack Ryan movies should be based on actual Jack Ryan novels written by the late Tom Clancy and not on screenplays written by gilded studio hacks like David Koepp.

But I digress...  It's just that The Hunt for Red October, a movie based on a Tom Clancy Jack Ryan novel, plays an integral part in Punks #3.  This issue, although quite good, does not hit the highs reached by the first two issues, but #3 hints at Punks' seemingly endless possibilities for humor, satire, and farce.  Fialkov and Chamberlain have a weapon by which they can eviscerate the current social-political, cultural, and pop culture landscapes of America (and maybe even the old landscapes).

I assume both creators want to “work in this town again,” so American comics, both as an industry and as a culture, are probably safe.  That and the zealous protection of copyrights and trademarks may keep this dynamic duo from slaying comic book sacred cows.  Still, the sky's the limit for Abe, Skull, Fist, and Dog, and I'm sure they'd take a crap on the sky, too.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE Volume 5

PHANTOM THIEF JEANNE, VOL. 5
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

ARTIST: Arina Tanemura
TRANSLATION: Tetsuchiro Miyaki
LETTERING: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6629-0; paperback (November 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
274pp, B&W, $10.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

VIZ Media's English-language publication of Arina Tanemura's Phantom Thief Jeanne came to an end with the November 2014 publication of the fifth graphic novel of the manga.  The series focuses on Maron Kusakabe, a 16-year-old high school student who sometimes transforms into Phantom Thief Jeanne.

Jeanne foils demons that reside in certain paintings.  She sneaks into private art collections and steals paintings possessed by demons, sealing the demons before they can devour human hearts.  However, Jeanne has a rival, Phantom Thief Sinbad, but he is also Chiaki Nagoya, a boy in love with Maron.

As Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 5 (Chapters 26 to 29 to Final Chapter) opens, Maron realizes that Chiaki is under a spell.  Perhaps, that is why he is dating Maron's friend, Miyako Todaiji, even after declaring his love for Maron.

Also, Finn Fish, the “Minor Angel” that, until recently, served Maron, explains her dark actions – including betraying Maron.  That seems minor next to the fact that it is time for Maron to visit God, who created her.  It is also time for Maron to face the Demon Lord.

[This volume includes four bonus stories:  “Let's Go, Silk Road,” “The Memory of the Fish, the Snow Crystals of the Moon,” “I Will Be You Happiness,” and “The Memory of the Fish, the Snow Crystals of the Moon 2.”]

The Phantom Thief Jeanne manga (originally titled Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne) is an early work from beloved manga creator, Arina Tanemura.  Phantom Thief Jeanne Volume 5 does not demand the emotional involvement from readers that the fourth did (which was not that much, actually).  Still, these characters are full of love and a strong desire to sacrifice for the ones they love, and that is hugely evident in this final volume.  So we get a super-happy ending in the way that only Arina Tanemura can do it, so fans of Tanemura’s manga will want to try the Shojo Beat title, Phantom Thief Jeanne.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

I Reads 2015; Goodbye 2014

Happy New Year's Day.  It's January 2015.  I want to thank all readers and visitors for a surprisingly good year.  I am surprised because I devoted less time to this blog in 2014 than I did in 2013.  So...

Welcome to I Reads You, a ComicBookBin web and sister publication (www.comicbookbin.com).  We write about the things we read:  mostly comic books, comics, and related books.  Sometimes, we’ll write about or link to other topics:  typically books, politics, and entertainment.  You can also follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.

All images and text appearing on this publication are copyright ©2015 and/or trademark their respective owners.

Kimi Ni Todoke: Giri-choco or Honmei-choco?

I read Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 20

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

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 31, 2014

DC COMICS

OCT140292     BATMAN ETERNAL #39     $2.99
OCT140243     EARTH 2 WORLDS END #13     $2.99
OCT140259     NEW 52 FUTURES END #35 (WEEKLY)     $2.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 31, 2014

MARVEL COMICS

OCT140868     ALL NEW MIRACLEMAN ANNUAL #1     $4.99
OCT140813     SHIELD #1     $4.99