Zuko's Story

I read The Last Airbender: Prequel: Zuko's Story

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has updated its iPhone app).  This is an OEL manga, which is a prequel story to the upcoming movie.

Rabbit Nabokov

I read Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 9

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has updated its iPhone app).

Archaia Press for June 23 2010

MOUSE GUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD #2 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.50
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
On-sale date: June 23, 2010
Writers: David Petersen, Alex Kain, Terry Moore and Lowell Francis
Artists: David Petersen, Sean Rubin, Terry Moore and Gene Ha
Cover: David Petersen
Rating: All ages

MOUSE GUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD is a continuing anthology series with artists and storytellers handpicked by MOUSE GUARD creator David Petersen.

Inside the June Alley Inn, located in the western mouse city of Barkstone, mice are in the midst of an enthralling tall tale-telling competition. In this issue, Sean Rubin (REDWALL) and Alex Kain tell the story of what it takes to be a member of the Mouse Guard. Terry Moore (STRANGERS IN PARADISE) relates how two Guard Mice cleverly wriggle out of a potentially lethal situation. And Gene Ha (TOP 10) and Lowell Francis chronicle the legendary exploits of Worley, a stubborn mouse banker who stumbles upon danger...and a mink!


FRAGGLE ROCK #3 (of 3)
Retail Price: $3.95
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
On-sale date: June 23, 2010
Written by Adrianne Ambrose, Grace Randolph and Bryce P. Coleman
Illustrated by Joanna Estep, Whitney Leith and Michael DiMotta
Cover A: Joanna Estep
Cover B: Whitney Leith
Rating: All ages

The Fraggles are back, but where have all the Doozers gone? They’ve disappeared from the Rock, and it’s up to the Fraggles to find them! Adrianne Ambrose and Joanna Estep (ROADSONG) bring us an exciting lead story that finds the Fraggles searching for their tiny friends, and discovering them in the most unlikely of places! Then, learn how to “Party, Doozer Style” in a lively backup tale written by Grace Randolph (MUPPET PETER PAN) and drawn by newcomer Whitney Leith! Finally, find out why Junior Gorg wants to catch a Fraggle so badly in writer Bryce P. Coleman and artist Michael DiMotta’s story, “To Catch a Fwaggle.”

Welcome to Gestalt

I read Gestalt, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has updated its iPhone app).

Ryan Kinnaird Presents "Next Gen Warz"

NEXT GENERATION CONSOLE CONFLICT

NEXT GEN WARZ battles for your disposable income in September

Forget waiting in line for the next game system -- get in line for Ryan Kinnaird's NEXT GEN WARZ, a hilariously satirical take on anthropomorphic video game systems! The first issue of the miniseries from Image Comics will hit stands September 22.

"Next Gen Warz is a fun and satirical look at the world of video games," says Kinnaird. "From those who play them, to those who create them, and to those who make the machines the games are played on."

In NEXT GEN WARZ, writer/artist Kinnaird (X-Men: Phoenix - Legacy of Fire, PSM) pens a titillating comedic tale. A hardcore gamer replaces his broken console while it is in the repair shop. When he brings home his repaired console to meet his new console, the female-embodied video game consoles battle for supremacy. The greatest conflict for disposable income begins!

NEXT GEN WARZ #1 (of 2), a 32-page full-color comic book for $3.99, will be in stores on September 22, 2010.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit http://www.imagecomics.com/.

I Reads You Review: 20TH CENTURY BOYS, VOL. 8

Creators: Naoki Urasawa with Akemi Wegmüller (English adaptation)
Publishing Information: VIZ Media, paperback, 216 pages, $12.99 (US), $16.99 CAN, £8.99 UK
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-2343-9 (ISBN-13)

20th Century Boys, a science fiction adventure series from famed manga creator, Naoki Urasawa, began with Kenji Endo. A hardworking, honorable man that some considered a loser, Kenji ran the family business (a convenience store). Some people, including his big-mouthed mother, thought that he wasn’t doing that well at it. Kenji also took care of Kanna, the infant daughter his sister abandoned before she disappeared. Kenji may have considered himself a failed rock musician, but he turned out to be the most important man in the world. Someone from his past was behind the rise of a bizarre religious cult called the Friends that was planning millennial doom.

On December 31, 2000, Bloody New Year’s Eve brought the world to the brink of destruction. Fourteen years later, Neo Tokyo is a thriving multiethnic, metropolis that lives under the shadow of the worldwide cult of the Friends. Now, Kenji’s niece, Kanna, finds herself caught in another Friends’ plot.

In Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Vol. 8 (entitled Kenji’s Song), the narrative focuses on Koizumi Kyoko, a student at the high school Kanna’s attends. Because of her history project on Bloody New Year’s Eve, Koizumi has earned herself an extended stay at the surreal, hellish theme park/re-education camp, Friend Land. There she meets a former friend of Kenji’s, which leads her even deeper into the secrets of the Friends. Meanwhile, still more of the events of Bloody New Year’s Eve and an incident from Kenji’s youth are revealed in two separate flashbacks.

As is usual with a Naoki Urasawa manga, 20th Century Boys is an absolutely fantastic read. Once you start, you won’t want to stop. Naoki spins this narrative from the point of view of multiple protagonists and antagonists, which can sometimes be confusing. The suspense, action, and breakneck speed of the narrative, however, delivers such joys that the reader will work hard not to be confused by the menagerie of characters. This manga jumps off the page like a summer potboiler.

A+

Second Volume of "Liquid City" Due in September

LIQUID STATE

Image Comics to release second volume of critically acclaimed LIQUID CITY anthology in September

In September, you'll be able to explore the mutable landscapes of LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2, an anthology collecting work from celebrated Southeast Asian creators. Editor Sonny Liew promises unforgettable tales of cities and the people who live in them.

LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2 once again brings together creators from Southeast Asia to offer an amazing diversity of stories. From Lat's vignette of a soccer game in Malaysia, to Ivan Song's poignant near-future tale of childhood memories, to Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thahn Phong's account of his adventures in South Korea, this collection showcases an incredible variety of styles and genres. War, fantasy, drama, road trips and Robot Rabbits -- you'll find it all and more in LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2.

"The name itself -- LIQUID CITY -- is meant to suggest the fluidity and ever-changing nature of cities," relates Liew. "The second volume of LIQUID CITY features both established creators, as well as new voices, offering a fascinating glimpse of the exciting work in comics coming out of Southeast Asia."

LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2, a 312-page full-color trade paperback from Image Comics, will be on sale for $29.99 on September 29, 2010.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.