Bokurano: Ours - Operation Yoshishi

I read Bokurano: Ours, Vol. 8

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Book Review: THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON

THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON
IT BOOKS/HarperCollins – @ItBooks

AUTHOR: Kevin J. Anderson
COVER: Don Sipley
ISBN: 978-0-06-221985-5; paperback (December 4, 2012)
430pp, B&W, $15.99 U.S.

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster

Written by author Kevin J. Anderson, The Last Days of Krypton is a 2007 prose novel that is based on DC Comics’ Superman mythology. The book, originally published in hardcover by HarperEntertainment, is the never-before told story of the last few years of Krypton, the planet upon which Superman was born as the baby named Kal-El. This past December (2012), It Books published The Last Days of Krypton in a paperback edition.

The Last Days of Krypton opens in the laboratory of Jor-El, Krypton’s most revered scientist and the man who would become Superman’s father. Jor-El’s research and inventions are groundbreaking and cutting-edge. However, Krypton has a conservative, backward-looking, ruling body known as the Kryptonian Council, located in the capitol city of Kandor. For ages, the Council believes that all the necessary inventions have already been created. New science, they believe, is dangerous.

Jor-El usually relinquishes most of his creations and inventions to the Commission for Technology Acceptance in Kandor, which is headed by the ambitious Dru-Zod. Zod is supposed to destroy dangerous inventions, but he has plans of his own. He is embittered because he has not been appointed to the Council seat that he believes is rightfully his.

Jor-El puts aside his disappointments with the Council and with Zod’s commission, as he turns his attention to a young woman he meets. She is Lara, an accomplished artist, historian, and aspiring writer, and the woman who would become Superman’s mother. Jor-El and Lara are like-minded and kindred spirits and seemed destined for marriage.

As Jor-El and Lara’s happiness grows, a horrifying incident occurs. An android called the Brain Interactive Construct (a.k.a Brainiac) attacks Kandor. The diabolical Zod (destined to be the future enemy of Superman known as General Zod) uses Brainiac’s actions to seize power. Although he is initially blind to Zod’s true ambitions, Jor-El joins his brother, Zor-El, who is the mayor of fabled Argo City, in an attempt to save Krypton, both from Zod and from impending disasters.

In The Last Days of Krypton, author Kevin J. Anderson offers appealing characters and a narrative full of compelling plotlines. Jor-El and Lara, as the parents of baby Kal-El the future Superman, are naturally attractive to the readers. Anderson does not rely on that, instead creating characters the readers will want to know. Who are they? What are their hopes, dreams, and fears? What kind of parents will they be?

Anderson also creates and constructs other characters that he brings fully to life. Dru-Zod, who becomes General Zod, is definitely part of the quartet of co-leads, which includes Jor-El, Zor-El, and Lara, that drives this novel. With his colossal ambitions, quicksilver personality, and stormy nature, Zod could be the lead in a novel of his own.

Anderson turns Krypton’s halcyon days of peace and plenty into the waning days of world of oblivious people. This world has multi-faceted political troubles, a few external threats, and an internal menace that is a ticking, time bomb. I found myself reading just to see which disaster would ultimately do-in the mythical Krypton.

In some ways, The Last Days of Krypton is an old-school science fiction novel. Its ambitions are not directly about the affect of science on a world or even speculative about a possible future. It is a quasi-planetary romance set on a faraway alien world and is also reflective of the sci-fi infused fantasy that was the nature of many of DC Comics’ publications in the 1950s and 60s. This is a novel for comic book readers and for fans of Superman, simply because Kevin J. Anderson really makes Krypton live again. That is why The Last Days of Krypton feels like a part of Superman proper.

B+

http://youritlist.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Book Review: ENEMIES AND ALLIES

ENEMIES & ALLIES
IT BOOKS/HarperCollins – @ItBooks

AUTHOR: Kevin J. Anderson
COVER: Alex Ross
ISBN: 978-0-06-221380-8; paperback (December 4, 2012)
336pp, B&W, $15.99 U.S.

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster; Batman created by Bob Kane

Enemies & Allies is a 2009 hardcover novel starring Superman and Batman. Written by author Kevin J. Anderson (The Last Days of Krypton), the novel depicts the first encounter between Batman and Superman. In December 2012, It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, released a paperback edition of Enemies & Allies.

With a story seemingly inspired by DC Comics’ Elseworlds imprint, Enemies & Allies is set in the late 1950s. The Dark Knight of Gotham City and The Man of Steel of Metropolis, the two iconic heroes that have appeared in many DC Comics’ titles, join forces to save the world. A shadowy vigilante named Batman haunts the streets of Gotham, while the police hunt him. In Metropolis, Superman is a comforting presence, there to make the impossible rescues when first responders cannot.

High above both cities, however, the first human made satellite, Sputnik, the creation of the USSR, orbits the planet. This small metal sphere symbolizes the state of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Bruce Wayne (Batman’s secret identity) and his company, Wayne Enterprises, battle for military contracts to arm and supply the USA, competing with the military-industrial empire of Metropolis’ Lex Luthor and his LuthorCorp.

Meanwhile, at the Metropolis newspaper, the Daily Planet, reporters Clark Kent (Superman’s secret identity), Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen chase big stories. Lois Lane has discovered a sinister conspiracy involving Lex Luthor, and follows a trail of dead LuthorCorp employees. Clark and Jimmy race across country to investigate a rumored UFO crash, and Clark, who was born on another planet, is desperate to learn if this flying saucer means that he isn’t the lone alien visitor on this planet.

These separate missions lead to Batman and Superman crossing paths for the first time. This moment will change their lives, and maybe save the world.

Many people (including some comic book artists I’ve encountered) have described comic book writers as frustrated screenwriters and/or novelists. The prolific author Kevin J. Anderson, with his large bibliography, obviously isn’t frustrated, at least not the way some comic book creators are. Free of the need to write “literary” superheroes to prove himself, Anderson writes a damn good novel. Enemies & Allies is Superman and Batman as well written as the characters have ever been.

Anderson presents something of a fresh take on these beloved comic book characters. Enemies & Allies depicts a youthful Clark Kent, a thoughtful man, a good man, and a good friend to his coworkers. He shyly pines for Lois Lane, a sistah doing if for herself and letting absolutely no one stand in the way of her being the best she can be. Clark also learns to be a friend to the Daily Planet’s exuberant photographer, Jimmy Olsen, making him a partner rather than a sidekick or little brother. Anderson plays Superman as having a heart as big as the world, but the young hero struggles with how and when he should use his powers. How he can best help people or when he should let them help themselves is something to which he gives much thought.

Anderson doesn’t portray Bruce Wayne as merely a mask that Batman wears, although both as billionaire and as hero, both identities are on a mission; nor does Anderson portray Batman as grim and gritty. Rather, Batman is a brilliant, determined man – a Dark Knight for a gothic city weighed down by despair and corruption, but the hero is not a dark, obsessed man.

Anderson’s take on Lex Luthor is also interesting. Luthor may be the planet’s biggest brain, and he has an uncanny knack for adapting other people’s technological and scientific innovations for his purposes. On the other hand, he is so beset by vanity, greed, and envy that he is like an adversary out of C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity or a comical knave envisioned by a great satirist.

Through these representations of classic characters – portrayals that are familiar, but offered from a fresh perspective, Anderson composes a novel that is a character drama wearing the accessories of pulp fiction. Enemies & Allies is full of weird sci-fi fun, cliffhangers galore, and the epic battles we expect from our superheroes and super-villains, but it is also simply a good book with winning characters. My highest recommendation is to demand “Encore!”

Enemies & Allies has that same spirit of joy and wonder that Richard Donner’s 1978 film, Superman: The Movie, has. Readers who liked that film will certainly enjoy Enemies & Allies.

A-

http://youritlist.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The Story of Saiunkoku: Final Volume and Side Stories

I read The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 9

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

Review: 21ST CENTURY BOYS Volume 2

21ST CENTURY BOYS, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

WRITER: Naoki Urasawa with Takashi Nagasaki
ARTIST: Naoki Urasawa
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4327-7; paperback (March 2013); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Naoki Urasawa’s epic 20th Century Boys comes to an end with the second volume of 21st Century Boys.

The war is over. The “Friend,” leader of the worldwide cult known as the “Friends,” is dead. But has peace really come to Tokyo, after the world was on the brink of destruction? Many mysteries concerning the Friend remain, such as the Friend’s true identity. Are any of his diabolical plans still in motion? The answers may be in the memories of Kenji Endo, the returning hero and the Friend’s sworn enemy. 20th Century Boys has concluded. Welcome to 21st Century Boys.

Naoki Urasawa’s 21st Century Boys, Vol. 2 (entitled 20th Century Boy) is the final volume of the series. It opens in the Friends’ virtual reality game. Working with United Nations Forces, Kenji Endo entered the game, which is mostly a simulation of Kenji and his friends’ childhood neighborhood. Kenji’s goal is to learn the secrets behind the Friend’s final plot – an anti-proton bomb that can apparently destroy the world.

Meanwhile, Kanna (Kenji’s niece), Yukiji, Chono, and Maruo race to help Kendo. Yukiji, the woman Kendo has loved since they were children, and Kanna, however, are about to endanger themselves in their attempt to help Kenji. Can he save them and the world before it’s too late? And why does he keep going back into the Friends’ virtual reality game? The answers are in Kenji’s memories.

Whodunit? What is the face behind the mask? Who is pulling the strings? After reading two other fantastic Naoki Urasawa manga (Monster, Pluto), I get it, or I think I do. The fun in reading Urasawa and the greatness of his work are found in the journey. It’s the threat, the conflict, the desires and goals, the plot, the subplots, the cast of thousands, the action, the mystery, the surprises, the stunning revelations, the cameos, and the narrative. The bad guy is lost in all of that, at least after awhile.

Naoki Urasawa’s manga are just as fantastically conceived and executed as the work produced by the top names in comic books from American publishers. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, and Grant Morrison: Urasawa’s manga are just as good (if not better, hmm?) than these creators’ most famous works. The last volume has been published, but Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys and 2lst Century Boys will be fresh to new readers looking for great comic books. People who have already read the books may return to the Boys and find things they missed.

As we close out this great series, I must say again that comic book readers who want great comics want 20th Century Boys and 21st Century Boys.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: THE BLACK BEETLE #3

THE BLACK BEETLE #3
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

CREATOR/CARTOONIST: Francesco Francavilla
LETTERS: Nate Piekos (of Blambot)
COVER: Francesco Francavilla
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2013)

“No Way Out” (Part 3 of 4)

Created by artist Francesco Francavilla, The Black Beetle is a comic book character that blends the aesthetics of pulp fiction, mystery, and the superhero. The Black Beetle is a super-heroic sleuth, and his base of operations is Colt City, a classic pulp and noir-type urban landscape.

In his first comic book series, the Black Beetle attempted to infiltrate a meeting of Colt City’s two crime families, the Galazzos and the Fierros. Shortly after he arrives at Spencer’s, the site of the meeting, the place goes up in a tremendous explosion – killing everyone inside. Determined to discover who came between him and bringing these gangsters to justice, the Black Beetle meets a wily adversary, the enigmatic Labyrinto.

The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3 opens at The Coco Club, a music club and gathering place for Colt City’s high society. The club was also owned by the late Joseph Fierro, A.K.A. “Faccia D’Angelo,” one of the crime lord’s killed in the explosion at Spencer’s. The club certainly seems to be doing well with its owner dead, so who’s operating it now?

In disguise as a stranger-in-town named Ray Steves, the Black Beetle visits the Coco Club. He even makes a new friend in hot singer, Miss Ava Sheridan. But something else catches his eye, something that should not be.

As I wrote in my review of The Black Beetle #2: it is good when a comic book series proves itself not to be a fluke after a dynamite debut issue. Well, sometimes, it is the third issue of a comic book series where the actual slump or letdown occurs. If there is a slump coming in The Black Beetle, it will have to wait because issue #3 is as good as the issues before it.

I think the Black Beetle is so appealing a character because Francavilla went back to the roots of the superhero to create him. The character captures the essence of a costumed hero, without covering him with the barnacles of modern relevance and fake psychological claptrap. So, this is simply the mystery man taking on colorful villains.

The thing that makes this first Black Beetle comic book series so attractive is the graphic design and page layout. Reading this comic book is like following a trail of my favorite treats as my vision pursues the sparkling visual elements on each page. The colors, which switch from muted to vibrant, are simply appealing to the eye. Damn, I love this comic book.

A+

http://pulpsunday.blogspot.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Itsuwaribito: Kuroshiro the Black Castle

I read Itsuwaribito , Vol. 8

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.