I Reads You Review: HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT Volume 6

Creator: Kazune Kawahara

Publishing Information: VIZ Media, paperback, 192 pages, $8.99 (US), $10.50 CAN

Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-1733-9 (ISBN-13); 1-4215-1733-9 (ISBN-10)

The heroine of High School Debut is Haruna Nagashima, a high school girl who was a tremendously talented and prolific athlete in junior high school. Now, a high school student, Haruna has changed her focus from athletics to boys. She consults fashion magazines and shojo manga (comics for teen girls) for advice on everything from what to wear to how to attract a boyfriend. It doesn’t work because she can’t get even one boy to make a pass at her.

Haruna finally gets an idea. When she wanted to get better at sports, she found an athletics coach. So, she thinks, if she wants to get better at attracting boys, why not hire a love coach. Haruna recruits the very popular upperclassman, Yoh Komiyama, as her dating coach. He agrees to help her as long as she doesn’t fall in love with him… but how will Yoh feel when boys start hitting on Haruna?

Eventually, Haruna and Yoh became a couple, and many were the tests of their love’s strength and endurance. High School Debut, Vol. 6 presents the biggest test. Yoh’s former girlfriend from junior high school, Makoto Kurihara, has returned, and Haruna has unknowingly befriended her. Helping Makoto reconnect with her old flame, Haruna is too clueless to realize that she is helping Yoh’s ex-girlfriend reestablish contact with him. Yoh insists that he’s through with Makoto, but Haruna wonders if he is really being honest.

High School Debut is a high school shojo romance similar to Aya Nakahara’s Love*Com, as both are about mismatched couples. The reader would not be blamed for doubting that the taciturn Yoh and the frantic, chatterbox Haruna will last as a couple. That, of course, is the draw of High School Debut. The tenuous nature of the Haruna/Yoh relationship is what’s at stake in this series, and lovers of such tales of shaky romances will enjoy this.

Although High School Debut, in a sense, is standard fare, creator Kazune Kawahara tells the story in a way that transforms teen romance into a pot boiler of a soap opera. Her graphic storytelling mixes taut compositions (especially on the figure drawing) and atmospheric toning and sparkly effects. That makes for a visually sparkling romance.

A Legacy Worth Following

I finished reading Legacy

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin. This is a fun to read superhero novel, featuring an original superhero, although The Raptor is sort of like Batman with Iron Man tech.

TOKYOPOP Announces Books for Next Summer

Press release from TOKYOPOP:

TOKYOPOP Presents: A Blazing List of Manga for Summer 2010

New manga from FRUITS BASKET creator Natsuki Takaya and the conclusions to Jim Henson's RETURN TO LABYRINTH and LEGENDS OF THE DARK CRYSTAL highlight a glorious summer for manga lovers

Tohru Honda's adventures may have come to a close with volume 23 of the bestselling shojo manga on Pekopon, but that doesn't mean the world of FRUITS BASKET is over. TOKYOPOP will shower bookstores in May with two offering from Natsuki Takaya. The second and final official fan book FRUITS BASKET BANQUET is a feast for anyone who wants to find out everything about Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, and the rest of the FURUBA gang (warning: spoilers abound!). Not to be outdone this month, TOKYOPOP presents MY SONG, YOUR SMILE, JUST BECAUSE: STORIES FROM THE CREATOR OF FRUITS BASKET*, filled with unforgettable tales from Takaya-sensei, including a side story to TSUBASA: THOSE WITH WINGS.

May also brings up the most amazing superhero: RATMAN by Sekihiro Inui, the creator of COMIC PARTY and MURDER PRINCESS. RATMAN tells the story of Shoto Katsuragi, who is a superhero fanatic. Unfortunately for him, he's too short to achieve his dream of becoming just like his idol, Mr. Thunder...That is, until he's tricked into participating in a mad science experiment!
The hot action continues with .HACK//LINK by Megane Kikuya, on sale in July. The World has been closed for three years following the events of .HACK//G.U., and no one is more excited for the release of The World R:X than Tokio Kuryuu. But little does Tokio know that his life will never been the same once he gets his hands on a copy!

Also in August comes the release of THE QUASAR OF STIGMATA by the bestselling artist of MY-HIME. QUASAR inspired the anime that will release in January 2010. The manga takes place in a near future, and follows the trials and tribulations of two students from a Japanese Eastern Orthodox school. The students and the whole school are confronted with an all-out war between the Church and the Adepts, a sect of powerful individuals. Filled with violence that's not for the faint of heart, the manga also takes a cue from MY-HIME with a liberal dose of fan service!

Rounding out the summer are two offerings from TOKYOPOP's bestselling publishing program with the Jim Henson Company. In the thrilling conclusion to LEGENDS OF THE DARK CRYSTAL, Lahr and Neffi travel to the crystal castle to rescue their friends and family. And in the stunning final volume of the New York Times Bestselling manga, RETURN TO LABYRINTH, will Toby be able to save the labyrinth and his kingdom?

And that's just a taste of things to come this summer. Check back with TOKYOPOP.com and Twitter.com/TOKYOPOP for up-to-the-minute news. [END]

EC Comics Library Enters New Media Development Deal

Press release from Business Wire:

Notorious EC Comics Library Creeps to EMO Films

Shingle to Rep Comics Brand for Film, Radio and Television

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joel Eisenberg and Timothy Owens’ EMO Films has formed a specialty division, EC Film, Radio and Television, Ltd., in association with rights-holder William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., to exploit the notorious EC comics library in all related media platforms. Titles included in the deal are “Tales From the Crypt” (based on the original works, as opposed to the HBO intellectual property version), “Vault of Horror,” “Haunt of Fear,” “Weird Fantasy,” “Shock SuspenStories,” “Two-Fisted Tales” and the remaining horror, science fiction, crime, humor and dramatic library, with the exception of “Mad Magazine,” presently owned by Time-Warner.

Deal was brokered by Eisenberg and Cathy Gaines-Mifsud, the daughter of EC publisher William M. Gaines, representing William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. Corey Mifsud, Cathy’s son, has been assigned VP of Development for the new company.

William Maxwell Gaines is widely considered one of the most influential figures in comic book history. Gaines' father, M.C. (Max) Gaines, was the publisher of Educational Comics (EC), offering such parent-friendly fare as “Picture Stories From The Bible.” When the elder Gaines died in 1947 as a result of a freak boating accident, the younger Gaines, who was studying to become a chemistry teacher, unwillingly took over the family business. Losing most of the old guard and hiring an anti-establishment band of writers and artists, Bill canned the educational titles, changed the E in EC to Entertaining, and focused his efforts on maintaining a primary line of horror, crime and science fiction books. The new EC was an immediate though short-lived smash.

By 1955 a festering backlash against comics, spearheaded by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, had picked up steam. Though Wertham argued that comic book violence led to juvenile delinquency, the EC brand was not all blood and guts. Stories about racism, substance abuse and war crimes were glossed over, however, by the lurid imagery of the line’s most successful titles. A Senate investigation followed, which led to the end of the classic EC era.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for EMO Films,” says Eisenberg. “The amount of source product here is staggering, and we look forward to both developing projects in-house and setting up the material with outside entities.”
EMO Films’ recent release, the Columbine-themed “April Showers,” has set sales records on its digital release platforms. [END]

Fourth Quarter Books from VIZ Media

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA SERVES UP SCIENCE FICTION, ACTION FANTASY, ROMANCE AND JAPANESE CUISINE FOR NEW FOURTH QUARTER MANGA RELEASES

New Titles Span A Variety Of Genres To Delight Fans Of All Ages And Interests

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has previewed an array of new manga (graphic novel) releases scheduled to debut throughout the Fourth Quarter of 2009. The new titles span a diverse range of genres everywhere from science fiction, fantasy/adventure, and crime thrillers to shojo (comics for girls) and teenage coming-of-age stories.


The new manga titles debuting are as follows:
YU-GI-OH! r, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now!

YU-GI-OH! R is the shocking manga-only sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist and the prequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World. Volume 1, with story and art by Akira Ito, begins when the follower of an old enemy returns to take revenge. Yugi Muto must duel to save a friend's life, but can he overcome the power of the three "Jashin," the terrifying Evil God Cards? Creator Kazuki Takahashi built an action-packed adventure based on themes of friendship and fighting, and combined lots of weird and imaginative monsters to make YU-GI-OH! an international smash hit that spawned a real-world card game, multiple video games, and three anime series. Exclusive bonus card in the first print run!



RIN-NE, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now!

RIN-NE is the brand new series from celebrated manga creator Rumiko Takahashi (INUYASHA). As a child, Sakura Mamiya mysteriously disappeared in the woods behind her grandma’s home. She returned whole and healthy, but since then she has had the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! At school, the desk next to Sakura’s has been empty since the start of the school year, then one day her always-absent classmate shows up, and he’s far more than what he seems!

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available Now!
A poignant collection of intersecting vignettes depicting twenty-something angst, Inio Asano’s WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD explores the various ways that modern life can be at once ridiculous and sublime, terrible and precious, wasted and celebrated. In Volume 1, what begins with a college dropout bored of her mediocre routine soon becomes a fantastic series of stories about the unexpected ways that different lives intersect. Filled with magical realism in the face of the cold reality of daily modern life, at their core these stories are about young people discovering something precious amidst the chaos of existence.

BEAST MASTER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available November 3rd
Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes, and he goes berserk whenever he feels threatened and sees blood. That doesn't stop animal-lover Yuiko Kubozuka from befriending him, however. In fact, Yuiko is the only person Leo will listen to when he has one of his violent fits...

DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd (Novel) · MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN · Available Now!

DEATH NOTE: L, Change the WorLd introduces the unwritten chapter of DEATH NOTE and reveals how the legendary detective “L” (Kenichi Matsuyama) spends the final 23 days of his life. The story begins as L takes on the “Kira” case, in which countless criminals are dying under mysterious circumstances. L successfully solves the case and stops Kira, but only after sacrificing his life, leaving him with only 23 days left to live. For his final case, L faces down a bio-terrorist group trying to wipe out humanity with a deadly virus ten times more potent than Ebola. As L tries to formulate an antidote with a scientist, he must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to.

The DEATH NOTE novel features the same format as the original Japanese printing with a hardcover and clear acetate jacket with metallic ink. DEATH NOTE is one of VIZ Media’s top five bestselling properties, with over 1 million copies of the manga sold in the U.S. The character of L is extremely popular with fans and has inspired various products such as apparel and stationery as well as spinoff novels and two live action DEATH NOTE films (available from VIZ Pictures).

POKÉMON: Giratina & the Sky Warrior! Ani-Manga, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · MSRP: $11.99 US / $15.99 CAN · Available November 3rd

Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon, usually leads a peaceful life in forests and among flowers. But when it gets swept up in a great battle between Legendary Pokémon Giratina and Dialga, it accidentally becomes part of a struggle to maintain the delicate balance between the Real World and an alternate dimension called the Reverse World. Ash, Dawn and Brock join the fight and soon discover that there's more to Shaymin than meets the eye!



INUYASHA (VIZBIG), Vol. 1· Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN · Available November 10th
Rumiko Takahashi’s epic manga adventure INUYASHA is given an omnibus VIZBIG treatment that combines the first three volumes of the smash hit series. Pulled back in time to Japan's ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named Inuyasha, who remembers Kagome's previous incarnation as the woman who killed him - and to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls," which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inuyasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone's nightmares are given the power they need to come true. Beginning October 3rd, fans can also catch animated episodes of INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT (subtitled) on ShonenSunday.com/anime and Hulu.com mere hours after they air in Japan.

GO GO MONSTER, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $27.99 US / $36.00 CAN · Available November 17th
Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students' lives, and even nature itself.

This gorgeous edition is available in hardcover format with a four-color slipcase.

GO GO MONSTER was created by Taiyo Matsumoto, whose other works include BLUE SPRING, NO. 5 and TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, which are all published in North America by VIZ Media. TEKKONKINKREET won a prestigious Will Eisner Award in 2008 and was also adapted into an animated feature film.

OISHINBO THE JOY OF RICE, Vol. 6 · Rated ‘T’ for Teens · MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available November 17th
Japanese cuisine is the star in this appetite-inducing series that has sold more 100 million copies in Japan. In this volume, Tōzai newspaper writer Shiro Yamaoka and his colleagues look into the single most essential food in Japanese cuisine: rice. Cultivated for millennia, a staple meal in itself and the basis of countless other dishes, rice is an important component not only of the Japanese kitchen but also of Japanese culture. When Yamaoka is asked by Tōzai's head chef for help in coming up with a new rice dish, what starts out as a simple culinary request rapidly grows into a disquisition into the past, present and future of Japan's food culture.

THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †, ARINA TANEMURA ILLUSTRATIONS · MSRP: $19.99 US / $27.00 CAN · Available November 17th

Renowned manga artist Arina Tanemura created this acclaimed series that exemplifies the shojo style with highly stylized artwork and romantic plot twists presented with a swirl of billowing ribbons, romance and heartbreak. The gorgeously illustrated edition features designs for all the major characters from THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † and also includes two exclusive images for North America, author commentary, and a double-sided, full color fold-out poster. Tanemura is a prolific manga artist and is also the creator of several popular shojo series such as I-O-N, TIME STRANGER KYOKO and FULL MOON (all of which are published in North America by VIZ Media).

BUTTERFLIES & FLOWERS, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences · MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available December 1st

Choko Kuze is the sensible daughter of a venerable family who went bankrupt. She joins a real estate company as an entry-level office worker, but her eccentric boss is harder on her than anyone else in the company! After hearing him inadvertently call her "milady," she realizes he was the young servant boy she knew as a child. At work he's a tyrant, but after hours he insists on treating her like a lady of the nobility. Is romance even possible for a couple locked in such a crazy role reversal? [END]

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Waqwaq is not Whack

I finished reading Waqwaq, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin. This is much better than the first volume, or at least I liked it more this time around.

Sweet Liberty

I finished reading Liberty Liberty!

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin. This is a boys' love (shounen-ai) graphic novel.