Sunday, May 11, 2008
Spring Cleaning: Keep or Drop?
Realizing my ambivalent feelings about Alive, I wondered if there were any other manga series I follow that I was becoming less enamored of, so I decided to run down my current reading list and assess my feelings toward each title:
So overall it looks like I'm still enjoying most of what I'm reading. I was surprised to find that I don't really seem to be following that many manga series. While it's possible I'm forgetting something, I think it's true that my reading list has been shrinking lately. Part of it is that several series I had been following, such as Dragon Head and Emma, recently ended; but I also think I'm going through a period where I'm reluctant to try out new titles due to limitations of time and money. Still, I know there are upcoming series I'm looking forward to (such as Real, Slam Dunk, and the VIZBIG version of Vagabond — notice a pattern?), so I'm sure the reading list will continue to expand and contract over time.
So how about you? Are there any series that you're considering dropping? Are there any series I'm not following that I should be?
Realizing my ambivalent feelings about Alive, I wondered if there were any other manga series I follow that I was becoming less enamored of, so I decided to run down my current reading list and assess my feelings toward each title:
| Series | Notes | Verdict |
| Alive | After a strong start, the series seems to be spinning its wheels somewhat, relying too much on a stale "introduce new super-powered characters for our hero to fight" formula. Plus, four volumes in, and I'm not feeling very invested in Taisuke, the series' main character. He comes across as a stock, cipher-like lead with nothing that really distinguishes him from any other bland shonen guy. | On probation: One more chance to prove itself |
| Bleach | On the other hand, I never tire of Bleach's formulaic fights, thanks mainly to Tite Kubo's energetic artwork. Keep the epic battles (and epic cast) coming!! | Keep |
| Flower of Life | The only problem with this delightful series is that there's only one more volume left and we won't see it until at least 2009! | Keep |
| Gon | I like the series but there's definitely a sense of "if you've read one Gon adventure, you've read them all." Still, Masashi Tanaka's insanely detailed artwork could be enough of a draw even if the stories aren't always fresh. This may move from an essential read to an optional one. | Possible "bored buy" or Move to Library List |
| Kekkaishi | This series continues to pick up steam, with events increasing in intensity with each volume. I'm looking forward to Yoshimori's showdown with Kaguro next volume, so this series maintains its "definite buy" status. In fact, not only will I be buying new volumes, but I'm also thinking about going back and buying the earlier volumes I'd originally read through the library. | Keep |
| Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service | This series has been a delight so far, from its exquisitely designed covers to its extensive and entertaining endnotes. My only concern is that the series will end prematurely if it can't find enough readers. | Keep |
| Parasyte | I've enjoyed the first two volumes so far, but the series doesn't stick out in my mind as a "must-buy." I'll give it a couple more books to see if it makes more of an impression on me. | Monitor |
| Sgt. Frog | Even though the last volume had perhaps the fewest memorable moments of any Sgt. Frog manga so far, I still don't think I'm suffering from the Keroro Gunso fatigue afflicting so many former fans of the series. My fondness for the characters and the creator's work will keep me buying this, even if it has become rather familiar/predictable at this point. | Keep |
| Yotsuba&! | This series should be called Yotsuba&#@%! due to all the delays that plague it! What the #@$% ever happened to volume six?!? Wasn't it originally due back in February?!? Sigh. Despite the frustrating delays, this remains one of my all-time favorite series, so I'll continue to buy it, whenever it happens to come out. | Keep |
So overall it looks like I'm still enjoying most of what I'm reading. I was surprised to find that I don't really seem to be following that many manga series. While it's possible I'm forgetting something, I think it's true that my reading list has been shrinking lately. Part of it is that several series I had been following, such as Dragon Head and Emma, recently ended; but I also think I'm going through a period where I'm reluctant to try out new titles due to limitations of time and money. Still, I know there are upcoming series I'm looking forward to (such as Real, Slam Dunk, and the VIZBIG version of Vagabond — notice a pattern?), so I'm sure the reading list will continue to expand and contract over time.
So how about you? Are there any series that you're considering dropping? Are there any series I'm not following that I should be?
Labels: Manga, Pruning the Reading List, Series on the Brink
8:44 PM | |
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Ambivalent about Alive
Reading the latest volume of Alive, I was left with ambivalent feelings. There are still aspects of the series I enjoy, particularly Adachitoka's artwork, which improves each volume. But overall I feel the series is drifting from its initial, intriguing premise. I know there are still references to the mysterious mass suicides that opened this series, but they feel perfunctory. Instead the book seems to have settled on a formula of pointless fight scenes between Taisuke and that volume's new super-powered characters. It's a strange criticism coming from someone who laps up each new battle in Bleach, but I was really hoping for Alive to be something more than a series of random video game face-offs (even if they are staged quite skillfully, as demonstrated below).
The volume slightly redeemed itself towards the end with the introduction of perhaps the greatest embodiment of fan entitlement ever put to paper: the ultra-otaku Okada has the power to kill (almost) anyone who breaks a promise to him by siccing his very own loli-goth version of the Grim Reaper on the offender. It's an interesting concept, and one that could be played to great meta effect within a manga. However, based on the next volume preview, it looks like he'll mainly be used to set up yet another conflict between Taisuke and Nami. Yawn.
Still, I enjoyed the first two volumes of this series even if the last two have been somewhat disappointing, so I'll probably give Alive one more volume to stay alive on my reading list.
Reading the latest volume of Alive, I was left with ambivalent feelings. There are still aspects of the series I enjoy, particularly Adachitoka's artwork, which improves each volume. But overall I feel the series is drifting from its initial, intriguing premise. I know there are still references to the mysterious mass suicides that opened this series, but they feel perfunctory. Instead the book seems to have settled on a formula of pointless fight scenes between Taisuke and that volume's new super-powered characters. It's a strange criticism coming from someone who laps up each new battle in Bleach, but I was really hoping for Alive to be something more than a series of random video game face-offs (even if they are staged quite skillfully, as demonstrated below).
The volume slightly redeemed itself towards the end with the introduction of perhaps the greatest embodiment of fan entitlement ever put to paper: the ultra-otaku Okada has the power to kill (almost) anyone who breaks a promise to him by siccing his very own loli-goth version of the Grim Reaper on the offender. It's an interesting concept, and one that could be played to great meta effect within a manga. However, based on the next volume preview, it looks like he'll mainly be used to set up yet another conflict between Taisuke and Nami. Yawn.
Still, I enjoyed the first two volumes of this series even if the last two have been somewhat disappointing, so I'll probably give Alive one more volume to stay alive on my reading list.
Labels: Manga, Reviews, Series on the Brink
12:16 PM | |
Monday, May 05, 2008
Tomine & Terror: Comics in The New Yorker
In addition to theirglowing glowering review of Iron Man, the May 5th issue of The New Yorker had some other comic-related content as well.
First was this illustration by Adrian Tomine for an article on how actual residents of L.A.'s Skid Row are being cast as extras in an upcoming film about a musically gifted homeless man from that area.
Next was a piece profiling Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, creators of The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation. They were interviewed at NYCC, where they were attending a panel titled "AMERICA: Through the Eyes of the Graphic Novel," something I don't recall seeing anyone mention in their coverage of NYCC. (Then again, I didn't really read the NYCC reports that carefully, so it's possible someone did write about this and I simply missed it. After all, I missed Tom Spurgeon mentioning this same New Yorker piece a couple days ago.) I learned two interesting things from this article: (1) Jacobson and Colón have a follow-up book coming out in August, After 9/11: America's War on Terror (2001- ), which Jacobson says he hopes will remind readers "how much of what’s happened over the past six and a half years hasn’t really stayed with us." (2) Prior to the success of The 9/11 Report, Colón was working as "security guard on Long Island" at the age of seventy-two, which I found a bit depressing. Another reminder that a long and distinguished career in comics is no easy road to retirement. At least this case has a happier ending than most, with Jacobson and Colón finding fulfilling work in their field, even if it happened long after the comics "mainstream" had forgotten about them.
In addition to their
First was this illustration by Adrian Tomine for an article on how actual residents of L.A.'s Skid Row are being cast as extras in an upcoming film about a musically gifted homeless man from that area.
Next was a piece profiling Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, creators of The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation. They were interviewed at NYCC, where they were attending a panel titled "AMERICA: Through the Eyes of the Graphic Novel," something I don't recall seeing anyone mention in their coverage of NYCC. (Then again, I didn't really read the NYCC reports that carefully, so it's possible someone did write about this and I simply missed it. After all, I missed Tom Spurgeon mentioning this same New Yorker piece a couple days ago.) I learned two interesting things from this article: (1) Jacobson and Colón have a follow-up book coming out in August, After 9/11: America's War on Terror (2001- ), which Jacobson says he hopes will remind readers "how much of what’s happened over the past six and a half years hasn’t really stayed with us." (2) Prior to the success of The 9/11 Report, Colón was working as "security guard on Long Island" at the age of seventy-two, which I found a bit depressing. Another reminder that a long and distinguished career in comics is no easy road to retirement. At least this case has a happier ending than most, with Jacobson and Colón finding fulfilling work in their field, even if it happened long after the comics "mainstream" had forgotten about them.
Labels: Did I Miss This?, Illustration, New Yorker
10:45 PM | |
Sunday, May 04, 2008
So It's Worth Seeing, Then?
But tell us what you really thought of Iron Man, New Yorker's David Denby.
But tell us what you really thought of Iron Man, New Yorker's David Denby.
Labels: Nasty Reviews, Superhero Movies
10:44 PM | |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Judy Drood and the Case of the Ghastly Gallery Ghouls
Noticed this when shopping at a local Creative Kidstuff over the weekend: Richard Sala has done the illustrations for a children's book called Gallery Ghost, where children are encouraged to learn about famous artists and their paintings through an investigative game. (The ghosts of famous artists come out at night and paint details of their works into other artists' paintings; children can use an included magnifying glass to search for the incongruous elements.)
Things get a little weird toward the end when all the ghosts turn into
vampires and Judy has to burn down the museum to survive.
It looked like a fun book, but I passed on it because I thought our daughter might not be ready for it yet. (It's listed for ages 7+ and she's just turning three in a couple weeks.) However, since I'm unable to find the book for a discount anywhere online, I may have to go back and snatch it up as a future gift. (I'm also curious to page through it and see if Peculia turns up at all.)
Noticed this when shopping at a local Creative Kidstuff over the weekend: Richard Sala has done the illustrations for a children's book called Gallery Ghost, where children are encouraged to learn about famous artists and their paintings through an investigative game. (The ghosts of famous artists come out at night and paint details of their works into other artists' paintings; children can use an included magnifying glass to search for the incongruous elements.)
Things get a little weird toward the end when all the ghosts turn into
vampires and Judy has to burn down the museum to survive.
It looked like a fun book, but I passed on it because I thought our daughter might not be ready for it yet. (It's listed for ages 7+ and she's just turning three in a couple weeks.) However, since I'm unable to find the book for a discount anywhere online, I may have to go back and snatch it up as a future gift. (I'm also curious to page through it and see if Peculia turns up at all.)
Labels: Children's Books, Illustration, Richard Sala
9:35 AM | |
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Yaoi Explained in Two Panels
Fumi Yoshinaga* explains the appeal of yaoi:
From her wonderful series, Flower of Life, where you can also learn about chicken sexing, recipes for various dishes and desserts, and how to put on a successful class play for your school cultural festival. (HINT: make sure your leads are attractive and talented.)
* Note: the character offering the explanation is generally unreliable in everything else he says or does, so take his theory with a couple grams of salt.
Fumi Yoshinaga* explains the appeal of yaoi:
From her wonderful series, Flower of Life, where you can also learn about chicken sexing, recipes for various dishes and desserts, and how to put on a successful class play for your school cultural festival. (HINT: make sure your leads are attractive and talented.)
* Note: the character offering the explanation is generally unreliable in everything else he says or does, so take his theory with a couple grams of salt.
Labels: Fumi Yoshinaga, Manga, Yaoi
9:31 PM | |
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Today's Mangarama Exclusive: Junji Ito & Taiyo Matsumoto New Creative Team on 'Naruto'!
The manga Marvel tributes got me thinking about the differences between manga and Western corporate comics. Chatting with Deb Aoki via email, we were considering the possibility of a whole art book of Japanese artists presenting their takes on famous American superheroes and thought it could be a really fun project. But the idea of the reverse wasn't as appealing to either of us. I think part of is that, whereas a superhero series might change writers and artists every few months, manga series are strongly (pretty much exclusively) associated with their original creators. Perhaps an art book of American creators offering their interpretations of popular manga characters could work, but it's a harder thought experiment for me to wrap my head around.
Anyway, the whole thing led to some questions that I thought readers might be able to help me out with:
1. Has there ever been a manga series that changed creators, for whatever reason? Has a creator ever handed over the rights of his series to another creator? (I'm thinking of something like Miracleman where the rights were passed along as creators moved on.) Have assistants ever taken over when the original creator got bored of the series?
2. Has there ever been a corporate-owned manga that was continued after the original creator left the book? Have any creators ever sold the rights to their works for a lump sum? Have characters or series ever continued to have new volumes published even after the death or retirement of the original creator?
3. What is the longest-running manga series? Has it always had the same creator? (I found some answers relating to the longest-running continuously published serialized manga, but I'm more curious about the manga with the most volumes published.)
The manga Marvel tributes got me thinking about the differences between manga and Western corporate comics. Chatting with Deb Aoki via email, we were considering the possibility of a whole art book of Japanese artists presenting their takes on famous American superheroes and thought it could be a really fun project. But the idea of the reverse wasn't as appealing to either of us. I think part of is that, whereas a superhero series might change writers and artists every few months, manga series are strongly (pretty much exclusively) associated with their original creators. Perhaps an art book of American creators offering their interpretations of popular manga characters could work, but it's a harder thought experiment for me to wrap my head around.
Anyway, the whole thing led to some questions that I thought readers might be able to help me out with:
1. Has there ever been a manga series that changed creators, for whatever reason? Has a creator ever handed over the rights of his series to another creator? (I'm thinking of something like Miracleman where the rights were passed along as creators moved on.) Have assistants ever taken over when the original creator got bored of the series?
2. Has there ever been a corporate-owned manga that was continued after the original creator left the book? Have any creators ever sold the rights to their works for a lump sum? Have characters or series ever continued to have new volumes published even after the death or retirement of the original creator?
3. What is the longest-running manga series? Has it always had the same creator? (I found some answers relating to the longest-running continuously published serialized manga, but I'm more curious about the manga with the most volumes published.)
Labels: Corporate Comics, Manga, My Google-Fu Is Weak
10:44 PM | |
