Post by SilvaShado on Dec 13, 2005 17:45:34 GMT
It sure has been a while since I last wrote a column. Having gotten married in October has changed a lot of how I live my life. As a consequence of my hectic schedule, this column will be very different from my previous columns and reviews. I won’t be going as in-depth as before and my writing will be a lot more free-flowing. I hope you’ll still find it interesting, informative and enjoyable.
So in today’s column, I’ll be covering FABLES #43, HENAGI: THE NINJA GIRL #1, OASIS DESTINY: THE NEW GODDESSES, NEXT EXIT #6, SABRINA #71, UNEARTHLY Vol. 1, and VAMPIRE HUNTER D novel 2. Quite a lot of manga, but that’s what I’ve been reading recently.
FABLES #43 (Vertigo)
I haven’t talked about Fables in what seems like ages. And it used to be my all-time favorite comic. So much so that I created the first Fables fan site (still viewable at www.geocities.com/silva_shado/fables.htm). It’s also been ages since I updated the website. Partially because of my increasingly busy life, but also because I haven’t been actively reading my comics! What a crime! Fables is still one of my favorite comics, never fear, and it is slowly becoming my all-time favorite again. Again, I’m not sure if it’s just that I wasn’t as interested in the last few story arcs or I wasn’t paying attention to what I was reading, (I think more of the latter). This issue is part 2 of the Arabian Nights and Days story arc and I find myself quickly drawn into the culture clash between Sinbad’s people and the fables of Fabletown. It’s also a treat to see King Cole back in a position that he deserves. The end of the issue promises a lot of chaos and an exciting battle of large proportions (*Spoiler* the North Wind vs. a D’Jinn). If you’ve lost interest in the last story arc of Fables, it may be time to give it another try.
HENAGI: THE NINJA GIRL #1 (Black Sheep Comics)
I picked this up by chance while I was waiting at a comic convention earlier this year. I, of course, had meant to talk about it before now, but… well, you know. Anyway, this is a pretty cute and funny indy book. It has some room for improvement, but there were quite a few good points. One, the characters are unique and interesting. Henagi is a lazy foul-mouthed ninja who steals and drinks too much. If it were up to her that’d be her entire life. But her grandfather has other plans for her. Two, the artwork is really stunning at times – the two page spread of the village is breathtaking. The funny antics of Henagi and the others is also well portrayed, but there were times where there was a lot of posing. The dialogue, though flavorful, sometimes sounded too much like our reality. Still, I’m curious about the next issue. She obviously doesn’t want to go on an adventure and the people she’s going with don’t want her company, but then the village wants to get rid of her too. Quite a situation she’s gotten herself into. I wonder how she’ll grow and change.
OASIS DESTINY: THE NEW GODDESSES (Petting Zoo Press)
This sure has been a long time coming with quite a lot of anxiety and anticipation for its complete release. Not to go into too many details of what happened, let’s just say that Katie Bair finally decided to take things into her own hands and publish it herself. I and many others are really glad she did. While I thoroughly enjoy finally getting to read the second half of this, I felt a little confused when it got to the end. I thought there was going to be more of a conclusion, but it feels like there is much more to the story. I asked Katie about it and even though The New Goddesses is the first book in the trilogy, the second book will be going back into the past and then the third book will take place after this story. Now that that bit of confusion is cleared up, I would recommend this to fantasy adventure fans. The characters are very enjoyable, each with their own quirks and oddities. The plot and setting are quite rich in detail. And I would be remiss if I didn’t say how much I like Katie’s artwork. You can find out more at www.oasisdestiny.com. Also check out her new webcomic Aesir Corp at www.aesircorp.net. Hopefully in the next column I’ll have actually read some of it and be able to talk about it.
NEXT EXIT #6 (Slave Labor Graphics)
Next Exit is one that I’ve wanted to talk about for a very long time, but just haven’t found the time or words to do so. I’m still not quite sure how to describe it, but it certainly has captured my attention. I love the manga-style artwork and the characters are quite dynamic. There’s still a lot of mystery to the characters and their past, but this issue finally shed some light on them. The basic story is that there’s this sealed world and the only way to leave is to find an Exit. A girl named Retrab has found a map to an exit so she and her friend Markesh start on their long and harrowing journey. I feel a little confused about everything so far, mostly because the issues were a bit spread out, but lucky for you new readers, there’ll be a trade soon collecting these first issues. It’ll probably read better that way. I know I want to make some time to re-read all the issues, though I don’t know when that’ll be!
SABRINA #71 (Archie)
I’m a manga nut, I admit. I’m also a fan of Sabrina, have been since I was little. So when I heard that Sabrina was going manga, I knew I had to get it. And I have been thoroughly enjoying it since the beginning (issue 57?). Each issue has been a self-contained story, yet Tania Del Rio has been slowly threading things towards something big. I’ve been feeling a build for quite a few issues now and I certainly hope it’ll get to a climax soon. Even if it doesn’t, I’ll still enjoy the twists and turns of being a teenage witch in the mortal realm – trying to balance math with spell practice as well as her relationships with Harvey, a mortal, and Shinji, a witch. I just wonder whether Archie will collect it into GNs. I’m sure it would sell well in bookstores.
UNEARTHLY Vol. 1 (Seven Seas)
Ted Naifeh is one of my favorite creators. I’ve gotten almost everything he’s ever done. As much as I wanted to get Unearthly and Polly the Pirate, I’m gonna have to wait on Polly for trades. I’ve been on a manga streak for a while now and the idea of Ted doing a manga was just too good to pass up. The downside is he’s only writing it. I can understand why – he has a rather distinct gothic style (which I love!). Thankfully, they got a very good artist – I can’t find any faults in the art. Definitely not in the story! One thing that bugs me about a lot of manga for girls that it’s always set in high school. While Unearthly starts in high school, at the end of the volume they’re off into outer space. I can’t say how anxious I am to read the next volume, which comes out in Spring! Ted Naifeh has created a new set of unique and dynamic characters in an equally unique and dynamic world. Visit www.gomanga.com for an extensive preview – several chapters are available online to read.
VAMPIRE HUNTER D novel 2 (Dark Horse/Digital Manga)
I’m not a Vampire fan. Sure I read some Anne Rice in high school, but never really got drawn into the whole goth thing. But I do remember watching the Vampire Hunter D anime in high school and finding myself drawn into that world. I (and I’m sure many others) wished there was more. It took several years and there was finally another movie, but it wasn’t as good – the audio was off. Still it filled that craving for more of the delectable D and his fantastic world. Then just a year ago, I heard that they were going to start translating the novels that the animes were based on. Finally! It’s about freaking time! When the first volume came out, I devoured it in 2 days. It enthralled me so much that I could hardly put it down. The writing style, the characters – everything was so much more incredible than I could have imagined. And now I’ve started on the second book. I’m not reading it as fast as the first, but I’m using every spare moment to read it. If you’ve been wanting to sink your teeth into a good book, then this may be just the thing for you. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
CONCLUSION
Hope you enjoyed that. I really enjoyed having the time to write again. So now it's your turn. Take a look at the comics, manga or related books you've read recently. Write up a paragraph or so about it and post. Maybe we can get a discussion going!
So in today’s column, I’ll be covering FABLES #43, HENAGI: THE NINJA GIRL #1, OASIS DESTINY: THE NEW GODDESSES, NEXT EXIT #6, SABRINA #71, UNEARTHLY Vol. 1, and VAMPIRE HUNTER D novel 2. Quite a lot of manga, but that’s what I’ve been reading recently.
FABLES #43 (Vertigo)
I haven’t talked about Fables in what seems like ages. And it used to be my all-time favorite comic. So much so that I created the first Fables fan site (still viewable at www.geocities.com/silva_shado/fables.htm). It’s also been ages since I updated the website. Partially because of my increasingly busy life, but also because I haven’t been actively reading my comics! What a crime! Fables is still one of my favorite comics, never fear, and it is slowly becoming my all-time favorite again. Again, I’m not sure if it’s just that I wasn’t as interested in the last few story arcs or I wasn’t paying attention to what I was reading, (I think more of the latter). This issue is part 2 of the Arabian Nights and Days story arc and I find myself quickly drawn into the culture clash between Sinbad’s people and the fables of Fabletown. It’s also a treat to see King Cole back in a position that he deserves. The end of the issue promises a lot of chaos and an exciting battle of large proportions (*Spoiler* the North Wind vs. a D’Jinn). If you’ve lost interest in the last story arc of Fables, it may be time to give it another try.
HENAGI: THE NINJA GIRL #1 (Black Sheep Comics)
I picked this up by chance while I was waiting at a comic convention earlier this year. I, of course, had meant to talk about it before now, but… well, you know. Anyway, this is a pretty cute and funny indy book. It has some room for improvement, but there were quite a few good points. One, the characters are unique and interesting. Henagi is a lazy foul-mouthed ninja who steals and drinks too much. If it were up to her that’d be her entire life. But her grandfather has other plans for her. Two, the artwork is really stunning at times – the two page spread of the village is breathtaking. The funny antics of Henagi and the others is also well portrayed, but there were times where there was a lot of posing. The dialogue, though flavorful, sometimes sounded too much like our reality. Still, I’m curious about the next issue. She obviously doesn’t want to go on an adventure and the people she’s going with don’t want her company, but then the village wants to get rid of her too. Quite a situation she’s gotten herself into. I wonder how she’ll grow and change.
OASIS DESTINY: THE NEW GODDESSES (Petting Zoo Press)
This sure has been a long time coming with quite a lot of anxiety and anticipation for its complete release. Not to go into too many details of what happened, let’s just say that Katie Bair finally decided to take things into her own hands and publish it herself. I and many others are really glad she did. While I thoroughly enjoy finally getting to read the second half of this, I felt a little confused when it got to the end. I thought there was going to be more of a conclusion, but it feels like there is much more to the story. I asked Katie about it and even though The New Goddesses is the first book in the trilogy, the second book will be going back into the past and then the third book will take place after this story. Now that that bit of confusion is cleared up, I would recommend this to fantasy adventure fans. The characters are very enjoyable, each with their own quirks and oddities. The plot and setting are quite rich in detail. And I would be remiss if I didn’t say how much I like Katie’s artwork. You can find out more at www.oasisdestiny.com. Also check out her new webcomic Aesir Corp at www.aesircorp.net. Hopefully in the next column I’ll have actually read some of it and be able to talk about it.
NEXT EXIT #6 (Slave Labor Graphics)
Next Exit is one that I’ve wanted to talk about for a very long time, but just haven’t found the time or words to do so. I’m still not quite sure how to describe it, but it certainly has captured my attention. I love the manga-style artwork and the characters are quite dynamic. There’s still a lot of mystery to the characters and their past, but this issue finally shed some light on them. The basic story is that there’s this sealed world and the only way to leave is to find an Exit. A girl named Retrab has found a map to an exit so she and her friend Markesh start on their long and harrowing journey. I feel a little confused about everything so far, mostly because the issues were a bit spread out, but lucky for you new readers, there’ll be a trade soon collecting these first issues. It’ll probably read better that way. I know I want to make some time to re-read all the issues, though I don’t know when that’ll be!
SABRINA #71 (Archie)
I’m a manga nut, I admit. I’m also a fan of Sabrina, have been since I was little. So when I heard that Sabrina was going manga, I knew I had to get it. And I have been thoroughly enjoying it since the beginning (issue 57?). Each issue has been a self-contained story, yet Tania Del Rio has been slowly threading things towards something big. I’ve been feeling a build for quite a few issues now and I certainly hope it’ll get to a climax soon. Even if it doesn’t, I’ll still enjoy the twists and turns of being a teenage witch in the mortal realm – trying to balance math with spell practice as well as her relationships with Harvey, a mortal, and Shinji, a witch. I just wonder whether Archie will collect it into GNs. I’m sure it would sell well in bookstores.
UNEARTHLY Vol. 1 (Seven Seas)
Ted Naifeh is one of my favorite creators. I’ve gotten almost everything he’s ever done. As much as I wanted to get Unearthly and Polly the Pirate, I’m gonna have to wait on Polly for trades. I’ve been on a manga streak for a while now and the idea of Ted doing a manga was just too good to pass up. The downside is he’s only writing it. I can understand why – he has a rather distinct gothic style (which I love!). Thankfully, they got a very good artist – I can’t find any faults in the art. Definitely not in the story! One thing that bugs me about a lot of manga for girls that it’s always set in high school. While Unearthly starts in high school, at the end of the volume they’re off into outer space. I can’t say how anxious I am to read the next volume, which comes out in Spring! Ted Naifeh has created a new set of unique and dynamic characters in an equally unique and dynamic world. Visit www.gomanga.com for an extensive preview – several chapters are available online to read.
VAMPIRE HUNTER D novel 2 (Dark Horse/Digital Manga)
I’m not a Vampire fan. Sure I read some Anne Rice in high school, but never really got drawn into the whole goth thing. But I do remember watching the Vampire Hunter D anime in high school and finding myself drawn into that world. I (and I’m sure many others) wished there was more. It took several years and there was finally another movie, but it wasn’t as good – the audio was off. Still it filled that craving for more of the delectable D and his fantastic world. Then just a year ago, I heard that they were going to start translating the novels that the animes were based on. Finally! It’s about freaking time! When the first volume came out, I devoured it in 2 days. It enthralled me so much that I could hardly put it down. The writing style, the characters – everything was so much more incredible than I could have imagined. And now I’ve started on the second book. I’m not reading it as fast as the first, but I’m using every spare moment to read it. If you’ve been wanting to sink your teeth into a good book, then this may be just the thing for you. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
CONCLUSION
Hope you enjoyed that. I really enjoyed having the time to write again. So now it's your turn. Take a look at the comics, manga or related books you've read recently. Write up a paragraph or so about it and post. Maybe we can get a discussion going!