Dark Horse from Diamond Distributors for December 29 2010

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP100054 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER TALES HC $29.99

NOV100022 HELLBOY SLEEPING & DEAD #1 (OF 2) MIKE MIGNOLA CVR $3.50

JUL108139 HELLSING TP VOL 02 NEW PTG $13.99

SEP100119 JOHN CARTER OF MARS WEIRD WORLDS TP $14.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 29 2010

IMAGE COMICS


OCT100543 DARKNESS ACCURSED TP VOL 04 $14.99

OCT100545 ECHOES #1 (OF 5) $2.99

JUN100459 ELEPHANTMEN #29 $3.50

AUG100439 EMITOWN TP $24.99

OCT100541 MAGDALENA ORIGIN TP VOL 01 (OF 2) $14.99

SEP100540 TRACKER TP VOL 01 $19.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for December 29 2010

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
NOV100006 PREVIEWS #268 JANUARY 2011 PI

COMICS
OCT100859 AMORY WARS KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH 3 #5 (OF 12) NYCC $9.99

NOV100727 ARCHIE & FRIENDS TP VOL 07 BETTY & VERONICA STORYBOOK $9.95

SEP100847 FAME LADY GAGA #2 $3.99

SEP100849 FEMALE FORCE BETTY WHITE $3.99

OCT100856 FRANK BELLAMY COMP SWIFT STORIES DLX LEATHER ED $225.99

AUG101154 GATCHA GACHA GN VOL 08 (OF 8) (NOTE PRICE) $12.99

OCT101143 HAPPY CAFE GN VOL 06 (OF 15) $10.99

AUG101254 JIM SILKE JUNGLE GIRLS SC $24.95

OCT101144 KARAKURI ODETTE GN VOL 05 (OF 6) $12.99

OCT100783 LIFE WITH ARCHIE MARRIED LIFE #6 $3.99

OCT101142 NEKO RAMEN GN VOL 03 (OF 4) CAT AFTER ALL $10.99

OCT101147 NG LIFE GN VOL 08 (OF 9) (NOTE PRICE) $12.99

JUN100736 PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR #2 (OF 4) $3.95

OCT101141 SECRET NOTES OF LADY KANOKO #1 (OF 3) $10.99

APR100722 SHREK #2 (OF 4) $3.95

OCT101139 SILVER DIAMOND GN VOL 08 (OF 20) $10.99

JUL101163 STREET FIGHTER II ULTIMATE EDITION TP $59.99

JUL101164 STREET FIGHTER ULTIMATE EDITION TP $59.99

OCT101145 VB ROSE GN VOL 11 (OF 14) $10.99

OCT100787 VERONICA #204 $2.99

OCT100788 WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #3 $3.99

OCT100729 YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES ADVENTURES GN $15.95

MAGAZINES
OCT101257 007 MAGAZINE ARCHIVE BOND GIRLS O/T 1980S $17.00
OCT101261 CINEFEX #124 JAN 2011 $12.50
OCT101102 JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #305 $11.99
OCT101214 JUXTAPOZ #120 JAN 2011 $5.99
OCT101265 SFX SPECIAL #47 DR WHO $18.99
JUL101341 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #12 COUNT DOOKU $14.00

I Reads You Review: FAMILY COMPLEX

Creator: Mikiyo Tsuda (cartoonist); Duane Johnson (translation)

Publishing Information: Digital Manga Publishing; B&W, paperback, 200pp, $12.95 U.S.

Ordering Numbers: ISBN 13: 978-1-56970-771-5

 

Rated “T” for “Teens 13+”

Mikiyo Tsuda is a manga writer and artist; she also creates under the name Taishi Zao. Tsuda is known for her comedy-shojo manga (with shojo being comics for teen girls). In the comedy-shojo vein is the manga, Family Complex, originally serialized in Japan in 1999 and 2000 and published in the U.S. by Digital Manga Publishing in 2008.

Essentially, a collection of inter-connected short stories, Family Complex focuses on the Sakamotos, a family of extremely beautiful people. There is the 41-year-old father, Hidetoshi, who is pretty rather than handsome, and the 41-year-old mother Nanami, who is more girlish than womanly. The oldest child and son is the tall, dark, and handsome, 17-year-old Harumi, and the 16-year-old elder daughter is Natsuru, a robust young woman. The youngest child is the silent and alluring 10-year-old, Fuyuki.

The only exception to the rule of beauty in the Sakamoto family is the rather ordinary younger son, 14-year-old, Akira Sakamoto. He feels out of place with his family, because people outside the family are taken with the beautiful Sakamotos, but don’t think Akira belongs with his own family! Akira has developed a complex about being different, and it may cause him to turn away from the family that loves him.

I’ve come to enjoy Mikiyo Tsuda’s work, although some of it seems to be the comic book equivalent of mindless, American television situation comedies. Even with elements of and references to Gothic-Lolita, bishounen, boys’ love, and girls’ love, this frothy concoction is for readers who love “cute” and teen-oriented manga about close and lovey-dovey relationships.

I think Family Complex works because the Sakamotos are like a cotton candy version of the Addams Family, except that unlike the Addams, the Sakamotos are liked because they are so pretty, lovable, and open-hearted. Not only are the characters within the manga drawn to them, but so are the readers. Tsuda also manages to tell a sincere story about adolescent insecurity that, in spite of the cuteness, feels authentic when it depicts the struggles of a teen to fit in with family, friends, and schoolmates.

The Sakamotos appear in another Tsuda work, Princess Princess, with Akira being a supporting character in the series. They shine in their own story, Family Complex.

B+

Elephantmen "Jump-on" Issue Coming in March 2011

ELEPHANTMEN: MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN

 

A perfect jump-on issue!

SFX Magazine praises the world of ELEPHANTMEN, calling it "a future gone wrong made to look nightmarishly beautiful," and Comic Book Review Power Rankings says "ELEPHANTMEN is continually one of the most engaging and beautiful books on the stands." The critically praised series that Comic Book Resources calls "subtle, smart and succinct" is seeing a slew of new releases in 2011, particularly during March!

In March 2011, comics fans will get a special treat with ELEPHANTMEN: MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN #1, an INVINCIBLE RETURNS-style one-shot that will please current readers and garner new fans for the series. It's a perfect jump-on issue!

Readers will also get an advance sneak peek of MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN in Robert Kirkman's THE WALKING DEAD #82!

This stand-alone oversized issue from Image Comics, written by Richard Starkings and drawn by Axel Medellin, will feature variant covers by Starkings, Ian Churchill (MARINEMAN, Supergirl) and Ed McGuinness (Superman, Deadpool). It will also feature a special retailer incentive cover by the incomparable J. Scott Campbell (Danger Girl, Fairy Tale Fantasies), the first of triptych of covers that will continue with issues #31 and #32 of the ongoing series.

March 2011 also sees the release of ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 4: QUESTIONABLE THINGS, a gorgeous hardcover that collects issues #24-30 and features art by Möritat (The Spirit), Medellin, and Marian Churchland (BEAST).

Starkings explains, "We just rounded out our fourth year of publication with Image Comics in 2010, so it's fitting that we move into 2011 with our fourth hardcover collection, featuring the first issues by our new regular artist, Mighty Axel Medellin. After contributing a page to our All Star 25th issue, his first complete issue was #27 and since then he's consistently blown me away with his versatility on each and every issue. He has been a fan of the series from the get-go, and it shows on every page; his work on MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN will make you lick every page -- and I still think I've barely scratched the surface of his abilities. I'm very happy to be starting our next story arc with Axel and a special number #1 issue!"

Adds Image Publisher Eric Stephenson, "Richard has a fantastic eye for talent, and after introducing the world to the stellar work of Möritat and Marian Churchland, he's found another winner in Axel Medellin. If you haven't been picking up ELEPHANTMEN before, now is definitely the time to get hooked on one of the most original and exciting series in comics!"

The Elephantmen are the survivors of genetic engineering experiments by a sinister organization that sought to create biological weapons of mass destruction. Freed and rehabilitated, the Elephantmen now live among the people they were designed to destroy, continually treated with suspicion and contempt except by a handful of trusted allies.

ELEPHANTMEN: MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN #1, a 40-page full-color comic book for $3.99, will be in stores March 30, 2011. ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 4: QUESTIONABLE THINGS HC, a 312-page full-color graphic novel, will be in stores March 23, 2011. Both books can be ordered through the January issue of Previews.

Also out in early 2011: ELEPHANTMEN: WAR TOYS, VOL.2: ENEMY SPECIES OGN (January 26, $9.99, NOV100423), an all-new 104-page full-color graphic novel by Starkings and artist Boo Cook; and ELEPHANTMEN: COVER STORIES #1 (February 16, $5.99, DEC100455), a 64-page full-color collection of covers and sketches by Ladrönn and Boo Cook that features a flip cover by Cook.


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 five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound 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/.

Children of the Sea of the Universe

I read Children of the Sea , Vol. 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

I Wishes You a Very Merry Christmas

This is I Reads You's second Christmas, and I am as thankful as ever for you, dear reader.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.