About Heroes

Episode 141 - Psychic Tylenol

This week we talk about....

-Spider-Man : One Moment In Time
-Uncanny x-Men
-Hulk/Red Hulk Discussion
-Inception
-Scott Pilgrim (the books & movie)
-The Expendables
-Machete
-Kick-Ass
-Justice League : Generation Lost
-Upcoming Walking Dead tv series
-Sherlock

...even a little Super Mario Bros talk

All this AND MORE!

Episode 141 - Psychic Tylenol

Manga Reviews: Farewell Ginko and hello Sasha!

Black Jack vols. 11 & 12
Story & Art: Osamu Tezuka
Translations: Maya Rosewood & Kate Robinson
Publisher: Vertical

Who would have thought that after 12 volumes Tezuka still keeps the stories fresh? Who would have thought that after 12 volumes I am still enjoying the adventures of a superhero/surgeon? I never imagined that a doctor would be the best protagonist and eventually you would have healed any type of wound that there ever was. But I guess shows like House MD, ER, and Grey’s Anatomy have proven me wrong. Well, damn Black Jack was wayyyy ahead of its time if that’s the case. Since I can’t talk about every story I’ll just mention a couple from the two volumes. The first is a story about a man who wants to implant his dead girlfriend’s voice in his dog. Of course this doesn’t go over well at all, but it’s such an emotional story when the dog recognizes who he was at one time. There is a touching story that takes place in Black Jack’s past when he tries to help out an old school mate laugh again. Throw in some cameos by The Professional: Golgo 13 and a kid that strongly resembles Astro Boy and you got a recipe for awesome! Those are just some of the stories you’ll find in this great series. I guess my only gripe with the series as a whole is the dialogue. It's a bit clipped and relatively simple, which I’m sure is likely due to the complexities involved in the translation from the original Japanese text to the English language. By no means are words dumb down or stories cut shorter, it just feels that there is no time for character interactions at times and they get right to the point. Just when I think that Tezuka is out of stories for our great doctor, he sideswipes me with some new material. His storytelling techniques might seem unusual to some because the man did love to throw in jokes and visual gags at inappropriate times, but I think it’s just his way to remind us that these are still just stories and not to get too intertwined in the tale. A-

Mushishi vols. 8,9, & 10 Omnibus
Story & Art: Yuki Urushibara
Translation: William Flanagan
Publisher: Del Rey

Since volume one I have always loved the covers to this series. For some reason they have an aged look to them and the paper the art is printed on really makes those water colors stand out on the covers. In many ways the story of Ginko reminds me of Black Jack. I guess because each story is a stand-alone story where he goes around on his journey to find Mushi. I guess a little background is due here. The book chronicles the journey of Ginko, a shaggy looking, chain-smoking guy who aids people afflicted by mushi. Mushi are ancient creatures that can come into contact with humans, the relationship frequently turns parasitic, with the mushi feeding off their human hosts and producing painful, even life-threatening symptoms. Ginko is part herbalist and part exorcist, who helps the afflicted exorcise themselves of the mushi and at the same time teaching the humans to respect the power and beauty of these ancient creatures. The writing is excellent even though some of the translation seems a bit odd at times. The point of the stories is to show us how we as humans can be part of nature or how we can abuse it at any time. So many of the stories deal with moral issues that appear when humanity interacts with the Mushi and get greedy or when the Mushi just want to be left alone. You are left to wonder who is more important: Humanity or the Mushi?

Now let’s talk about Urushibara’s art and what else can I say about the art? Other than its rich and detailed and certainly has been polished to perfection over the years. By the end of the series you see how strong and comfortable Urushibara is with her artwork. Although the episodic nature of the series prevents extended supporting character development, the reader does get to know Ginko and a limited cast of repeating characters quite well. Mushishi is a wonderful collage of Japanese folklore and fantasy coming together in an elegant and hauntingly beautiful title. I love how it introduces so many fascinating elements of the Japanese culture and maintains those themes with the entire series. The fantastic notes by Del Rey in the afterword really help the reader get to know some of these cultural references, so I applaud Del Rey for taking the time to make something more enjoyable. I was just a little sadden by the final story, because it really doesn’t end and I guess the story of Ginko can never really end, so it’s not that big of a complaint. It’s a series that I enjoyed and I hate to see it go, but I guess it did go out on a high note. A Must Have for any manga fan and a brilliant introduction to the genre for newcomers, I highly recommend this series, you won’t be disappointed. A-

Oh My Goddess vols. 33 & 34
Story & Art: Kosuke Fujishima
Translation: Christopher Lewis
Lettering & Touch-up: Susie Lee & Betty Dong
Publisher: Dark Horse

It always feels so weird going back and reading new OMG adventures. Last month I reviewed volumes 13 and 14 and sometimes it feels like reading a different series with an almost different artist. Chichiro is back, but she’s not the only one that has a reunion with the gang! It seems that Skuld’s old boyfriend is back too only to tell her that his family is moving away. So Skuld and Sentaro have an adorable moment together about being kids and not growing up quite yet. The stories were fun to read, I literally couldn't put these books down and read them all in one sitting and re-read them again to just awe at the beautiful artwork. Every time I read these books they always seem to take me away to a more innocent time. The Love story of Keichi and Belldandy is still touching to this day. Even though the author is beyond 34 volumes; the characters really haven’t changed that much except in the style in which they are drawn. Believe it or not this is a series I don’t mind the characters not changing, I mean it’s part of their charm to be innocent, naïve, and naughty. The aspect I have always been interested in is the borrowing of Norse mythology in this series. But who am I kidding? That’s not why I read this series, I read for the fun it brings into my day of reading dark and depressing comics! My only gripe is that the books seem to read faster than they used to. Not only that, but the pages seem to have gotten thinner, ranging from 140 to 150 or so pages. Volume 34 in particular was smaller than any other volume, but it did have that breath of fresh air that the series needed after huge battles, so I won’t complain that much. B+

The Qwaser of Stigmata volume 1
Story: Hiroyuki Yoshino
Art: Kentsu Sato
Translation: Angela Liu
Adaptation: Paul Morrissey
Publisher: Tokyopop

I guess I will have to be the one that reviews a brand new series, because everyone around here wanted to review an already established series. But in this case I really am not complaining. Some of my favorite series have wrapped up or are on hiatus in Japan so I was looking forward to reading something new. Qwaser is said to have inspired the anime and I really thought I was out of the loop because I had never heard of the anime and I think it’s because it just finished in June of this year and it hasn’t been licensed for release in America. Hey, this is a good thing because I dove into this book not knowing what to expect. The story centers around Mafuyu Oribe and her cousin Tomo Yamanobe (her cousin that she has sworn to protect). They attend St. Mihailov Academy, where they get bullied by Miyuri and Hana. However, everything in their world turns upside down when they encounter a Russian boy named Sasha and nurse him back to health. Unfortunately for them he happens to be a Qwaser from the Adepts and now their school is a battleground between Sasha and the Adepts. Sasha happens to fight with a gigantic scythe and when his powers are weakened all he needs to do is breastfeed. I have to say this is one of the most interesting and beautifully drawn books I have read all year. They even manage to throw in a little science into the mix of sex and violence when each of the Qwaser wields one chemical element. I think the only turn off for me was the editing of the vulgarity. If the book already gets a mature rating, why not go all out? This series is definitely not for kids, hence the M rating and if you are easily offended by religious aspects, then it would be wise to stay away from the series. Going into it with an open mind and not knowing what to expect I was blown away and anxiously await the next volume. A-

About Heroes @ Comic Con 2010: Tron Legacy-Flynn's Arcade

I got a chance to do the TRON LEGACY experience at Comic Con this year by going to Flynns Arcade.

I was hoping to play some cool old school video games...what I got was something completely different....

Yes, that last shot is my real expression from the night.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!...in 1952?

For shits and giggles, lets imagine that an Avengers movies was already made...58 years ago....

Did you catch the little cameos from other Marvel heroes not mentioned in the role call?

Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below

Writer: Jerry Holkins
Artist/Writer Mike Krahulik

Published by Del Rey, The Halls Below is the 6th volume collecting the popular webcomic series, Penny Arcade

For those that have read an enjoyed prior PA volumes, your pretty much gonna get more of the same here. This book contains the complete collection of Penny Arcade webcomics done throughout 2005 with added commentary from Jerry “Tycho” Holkins, looking back 4 or 5 years later. All strips are reprinted in color per usual and laid out chronologically. Mike Krahulik's art style can be seen to evolve with each passing strip as one notices the lines of the two main characters (Gabe & Tycho) becoming smoother and better defined by the end of 2005. This evolution of style (and possibly tech) can also be seen in the background environments within the strip. While still being somewhat ancillary to the strip itself, the color and feel of the backgrounds begin to take on a more vibrant feel/punch to them by the year's end. Holkins overall writing doesn't change much from its usual funny/witty/sarcastic tone but, within the contexts of this book you do see once or twice wherein he shows his true full chops along with Krahulik an his versatility as an artist (see below)

Ok, so what is there to gripe about?

Well from a critical non-biased standpoint the book is fine, from my standpoint however (fanboy), there isn't enough of the staple “fan-favorite” characters. You have maybe one or two appearances of the Fruit Fucker, DIV, etc, for all of 2005 and like four or five strips totally focused on the character of The Merch/Fleshreaper, which honestly just doesn't feel as funny as the Fruit Fucker or even DIV....maybe that'll change with time I don't know but yeah, Merch/Fleshreaper < Fruit Fucker.

The other complaint I have with this volume is the Elemenstor Saga stuff at the end. It takes up over 12 pages, an ruins the flow of the book at the end. Some people will enjoy it as it delves into an obscure Penny Arcade thing but for the rest of us it's just kinda random, an yeah, somewhat meta.

Bottom Line: If you like geeky references, gaming humor, a panel of Santa Claus unloading a shotgun, and talk of a wookie penis killing a stormtrooper, pick up this book, you'll get a laugh or two out of it.

B+

Episode 140 - WOLVERINES!

This week we talk about....

-SDCC News (Walking Dead, new Flash series, Green Lantern, etc)
-Wolverine Origins ends
-Shadowlands
-Second Coming
-Batman, Inc.
-X-Factor
-True Blood
-Red Dawn...yes THAT Red Dawn.
-Spider-Man: One Moment In Time

all this an more!

Episode 140 - WOLVERINES!

Manga Reviews: Goodbyes and Farewells!

Gunsmith Cats Burst vol. 5
Story & Art: Kenichi Sonoda
Translation & Lettering: Studio Cutie
Publisher: Dark Horse

It seems that two of my favorite series have come to an end this week; Samurai Deeper Kyo and Gunsmith Cats. I promised myself I wouldn’t break down and cry, but then I decided to start taking shots of whiskey to properly say goodbye to Gunsmith Cats and it was Niagra Falls. Okay….I lied I did not cry, but I did drink that bourbon! I mean it’s not like this is the first time that the series has ended. So what happened in this volume? Pretty much everyone who has ever graced the pages of Gunsmith Cats in some way or another makes an appearance in the grand finale. The main plot is about a drug that can make anyone susceptible to persuasion. Bean Bandit shows up, because he still owes Rally and she aims to collect, but by the end he is only taking work out of the state. Roy is now working for the Rosemont Police Department. Misty has left the gun shop to return to Goldie, but not before she can plant a wet one on Rally. It seems that Becky has moved on to insider trading Goldie shows up in a great cameo of lesbian sex. There is a nice throwback (well, at least for Ken) to the first volume with Minnie May giving him a sexual service. By the end of the book her and Ken are shown with a baby boy after May left the gun shop. Rally is still and probably will always be a bounty hunter. This time the ending really did feel like an ending to the series. Sonoda’s designs remain sharp edged and detailed. However it’s great to see a combination of detailed machinery and cute anime faces. Throw in some guns and some fantastic action sequences and Dark Horse have themselves a winner. I would definitely recommend going back and reading the Omnibus collections, because they are amazing and affordable. A-

The Last Airbender
Story: Dave Roman & Alison Wilgus
Art: Joon Choi
Publisher: Del Rey

This particular manga has me a little confused, because it based on the screenplay for M. Night Shyamalan’s Last Airbender, which is really based on the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. At first glance judging by the goofiness of the book it seems it’s based on the animated series and not the live action movie. Thank goodness for that, because if you have seen the movie, you know that Shyamalan really destroyed a fun series without the help of Mr. Glass…but we aren’t here to talk about movies. However, after reading the book and seeing how fast it read and how little character development there was, it seems it is based on the movie. Katara and Sokka of the water tribe release a boy named Aang who is frozen in an ice sphere. This boy seems to be the Avatar, a master of all four elements who has been missing for 100 years. Now it is up to them to help Aang fulfill his destiny as the Last Airbender to restore balance to the four kingdoms. The book is an easy fast read that seems to have kids as its primary targeted audience. I’m okay with this…some of my favorite manga and comics are target towards kids. I think the problem with the book is that we just jump in the middle of a story and the readers are left to fill in the gap of what happened before. Characters show up for no reason and leave just as fast as they arrived. The narration is really poorly written and really bland and there aren’t that many transitions from panel to panel. I’m not sure if this was initially meant to be a longer book and was cut down for some reason…but something feels like it’s missing from the story. Choi’s art gets the job done, his facial expressions are nice, but his handling of martial arts and action sequences are very sloppy at times. I think if you’ve seen the movie or better yet, have watched the animated series you can skip this book. D

Red Hot Chili Samurai vol.2
Story & Art: Yoshitsugu Katagiri
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Adaptation: Bryce P.Coleman
Publisher: Tokyopop

Something needed to take place of Samurai Deeper Kyo. Some book needed to fill that hole that was in my heart because I was used to reading samurai adventures every month. I remember looking at the cover of volume one and thinking of Samurai Champloo. However, Samurai Champloo or Kyo this is not. The story centers on Sento Kokaku (who loves to eat peppers) and his three friends Ento, Ran, and the silent Shou. Kokaku and his friends work for his father and they pretty much just go around helping people like hookers and gamblers get out of trouble. There is a great fight between Kokaku and Ento that gets really vicious. Katagari really impressed me with the artwork in that particular fight and it seemed to have improved over the first volume. I think that the cast is what really keeps me interested in the book. Kokaku is kind of bland and childish and doesn’t really shine or stand out. The book is very vague about a couple of things: It never really explains what a Hanshu is, but that is his profession. He has a tattoo of a Black Crane to prove that he is the son of a Hanshu. I’m still unclear if eating the peppers really gives him an edge when fighting. Much like the first volume, this one had little character development; rather it had more fights and more cheesy confrontations. To be fair, it was a fun read. Maybe I was just missing my Samurai kick, but there is really nothing that stands out about the book. It has some nice artwork, but it can get confusing during fighting sequences. I’m really hoping future volumes have more character development and the story goes somewhere. C+

Samurai Deeper Kyo vols. 37/38
Story & Art: Akimine Kamijyo
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: Michael/Carpelis Design
Publisher: Del Rey

The journey finally comes to an end with volumes 37 and 38. I remember years ago going to my local comic shop and picking up the first volume of SDK. I was hooked from the beginning. There are very few series that I pick up as they come out and this book was no exception. The story takes place in the Edo era of Japan. The story mainly focuses on Mibu Kyoshiro, a wandering medicine peddler whom tires easily, whines every now and then, is very clumsy, and, of course, is quite peaceful despite it all. That is, until you make him mad, much like the Hulk you wouldn't like him when he's mad. His eyes turn blood red, and the innocent Kyoshiro transforms into the murdering Demon Eyes Kyo. Who is the "legendary killer of a thousand men"? No longer is he reluctant to participate in any acts of violence; on the contrary, Kyo, the dark spirit residing within Kyoshiro, actually enjoys slaying. Along his journey he gathers a group of warriors: Benitora, Shiina Yuya, Sanada, Sakuya, Sasuke, and even the Four Emperors. After a long journey they finally reach the top of crimson tower to do battle with Fubuki and Hishigi. We learn how Kyo and Kyoshiro first crossed paths through a series of flashbacks. Kyo and Yuya finally get together, but come on who was reading this book not expecting that to happen? This is the fight we have all been waiting to see since the very beginning Kyo versus Kyoshiro and to call it amazing would be an understatement. Seeing the last splash page was like saying goodbye to some good friends and it was actually emotional. These volumes tied up the series very nice and no loose ends are left when you finish the book. The art for this series is gorgeous. The characters are well drawn and expressive and the backgrounds are elaborate. The fight scenes are well done and well paced, allowing the reader to easily follow the battle without words. I think this 38 volume masterpiece has left me breathless and begging for more so many times that I would put it in my top 10 manga series of all time. Although some parts in the middle were drawn out too long, overall it is a great solid story worth reading. It would be a damn shame if you like reading manga or comics to miss out on this series. A+

Flight Volume 7 Review

Contributors: So Many
Art Director/Editor: Kazu Kibuishi
Publisher: Villard

It’s amazing how excited I get when a new volume of Flight gets announced and I have been anxiously awaiting this volume of Flight since that announcement. I think we have reviewed every single volume of Flight one way or another here at Aboutheroes so you know how we feel about the formula and the end product. There is a certain joy that I get out of Flight that I don’t get out of most graphic novels. If you’ve never heard of this series, think of it like a comic anthology featuring over 15 creators all with different art styles and storytelling methods. Each story is a stand-alone tale, with the exception of a couple that keep coming back. Even if many of these creators are not household names, it in no way diminishes their remarkable ability to tell a story, often with limited or no dialogue at all.

With over 15 stories, it’s impossible to talk about each one of them so I will just point out some of my favorite stories in this collection. I guess the one with the most page count is King of Beasts by Paul Harmon, which is a story about Naga, a bounty hunter, who is after the biggest bounty of all: The Beast King. I think I really liked the art in this story, it was dark with lots of maroon tones that set the mood of the story and it was unique to see a character fight with a snake as a weapon. Justin Gerard’s Live Bait is a story was an interesting take on a murder mystery and a revenge story. I guess what makes it so unique is that it features a city rat and muskrat as the main characters in search of a swampland killer. By far my favorite story was Premium Cargo by Kostas Kiriakakis. It’s an emotional tale of an airship captain’s last days with his foster son. The art was completely beautiful and played such an important part of the dialogue shared between Snowball and his father.

Many of the creators followed the flight theme in a loose way, taking it as any kind of journey. So yes, you don’t have to include a wing or plane or even a flight in your story to be included in this collection. While I have enjoyed the previous volumes of Flight, this particular volume was certainly missing something. Sure, we still have our share of science fiction, fantasy and even a war story that range from serious to just fun, but it’s just not as an impressive collection as the previous volumes. I think my biggest gripe is that in this collection the artists don’t have quite a different range as before. There are too many artists that have a similar art style and unfortunately it makes some of the stories forgettable as soon as you put the book down.

It seems that less and less material is being printed as the series goes up in numbers. Unfortunately there is also a price increase too. At 260 plus pages for 27 dollars it’s still a deal for the amount of talent that is packed in this anthology. Trying to find a book for that someone you are trying to get into comics? Look no further. This book is the perfect example of what comics should be about. I think it’s safe to say that volume seven is the weakest of the set, but we have come to expect a certain quality in these stories by now. Don’t get me wrong, it was still fun to read the collection, but I just wish they had made a bigger collection and included more short stories. C+

About Heroes @ Comic Con 2010: The Walking Dead panel

Fans of Kirkmans book...get ready to be VERY happy.

Before we got to seeing some footage, we were first introduced to the creative team to the show.

Director/Writer Frank Darabont, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Make up efx master Greg Nicotero, and head of AMC SVP of original programing Joel Stillerman.

A quick roundup on some of the information we got:

-Gale (having a hand in a few comic-to-movie properties) got involved after hearing the popularity of the series and then reading the book.

-Darabont, a huge horror fan, discovered the series at his local comic shop. Upon reading it he realized that the story that series was telling was the apporach he wanted to do for a zombie movie, a genre he's been trying to figure out.

-Stillerman loved the idea of the series, BUT he loved the talent that was already involved (i.e. when your script says it's written by Frank Darabont and when you find out that the producer is Gale Anne Hurd, you might want to make that show happen.)

-They also annouced that the score of the show would be done by Bear McCreary, the composer for Battlestar Galactica.

Soon, they finally showed the reel.

The first scene we get is the first scene from the comics. Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes and his partner Shane have a blockade in the middle of the road, as a run away car comes straight towards them.

The police blow out the tires and soon the car is tumbling over to the side of the road.

A shoot out with the crimals erupts, ending with Rick getting shot and knocking out.

Suddenly, Rick wakes up alone in a hospital (yeah, yeah, we know, we know “Just like 28 Days Later...”)

We soon see the nightmare that Rick as woken up from.

The reel shows scenes with Morgan(played by Lennie James) a survior that finds Rick, a few quick scenes with Lori, Carl(!), and Amy in the survivor camp, Rick walking around dead bodies stacked on top of each other, Rick riding a horse in the middle of Atlanta...oh, and ZOMBIES. Tons, and TONS of zombies.

Great stuff, and the look as this classic cinematic feel to it.

After the footage was shown, some of the cast came to the panel and joined the stage...

Andrew Lincoln (who plays Rick Grimes), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Jon Bernthal (Shane), Laurie Holden (Andrea), and Emma Bell (Amy). Micheal Rooker was hanging in the audience as he will be playing Merle Dixon (a new character made for the show I believe).

Heres a quick breakdown on the Q and A:

-Andrew Lincoln( whos brittish) got wind of the project after his agent gave him the sides. He went to his local comic shop in England and found out that the comic is the stores biggest seller.

-Lincoln auditioned his scenes with Jon Bernthal(who had his dog with him) in Frank Darabonts garage! Lincoln credits Bernthal dog for getting him the part.

-Sarah Wayne Callies blames Greg Nicotero for ruining her life! She points out that up until recently she had no scenes with the zombies yet. After finally sharing screen time with the undead, she's had nightmares since. Funny moment during the panel was that a few Zombies (or Roamers) were walking near the stage, Callies was freaking just a little.

-Frank hopes that some legendary horror directors (::coughGeorgeRamerocough:::) could work on the show in it's second season.

-Fan favorites Micchone won't show up in the show till the second season. (Though Darabont is DYING to bring that character to life)

-The show is shot on Super 16mm, giving it that classic grainy look.

-The chacter of Tyrese will show up in second season too. Darabont , while auditioning actors for Morgan apparently saw plenty of guys he would be great for the part (Kirkman jokes that the show would have 3 Tyrese's)

-The show will follow the series pretty closely, but “vering off the path” to introduce new ideas, Darabont says they will make sure that they will go back to the path that Kirkman left.

-The DVD could have the option (at least for the pilot episode) to watch in black and white!

A great panel for sure.

The Walking Dead comes out in October on AMC.

Manga Reviews: From Video Game Characters to Suicidal Teachers

.hack //link vol. 1
Story: Cyberconnect2
Art: Megane Kikuya
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Adaptation: Peter Ahlstrom
Publisher: Tokyopop

I really wish that Sony would give the God of War Collection or Team Ico Collection to the .hack series. I will be the first to admit that I am only vaguely familiar with the .hack// universe. I have only seen the anime and have wanted to play the games for years. It’s just one of those things I have to get around to doing sometime. This particular title is based on the PSP game of the same name. This particular time the story is written by the same studio that makes the video games. That being said, I’m not entirely sure if they even wrote the script or any dialogue or if it was all just lifted from the game itself. The main character Tokio is to play the latest release of the best selling online game, The World. However, he misses his chance to register for a code online and realizes that all registrations are closed. Not a problem though, because along comes a mysterious hot chick named Saika Amagi that gives him a black labeled copy. This ends up transporting him to the World and he ends up meeting his hero, Kite. But, when Kite is fighting Fluegel and is taken out of commission, it’s up to Tokio to become the hero. I didn’t think I would have enjoyed a manga based on a game, mainly because I had such a bad experience with other .hack manga titles. This one however, I really enjoyed. It’s kind of like a fanboy’s Alice in Wonderland story oh and did I mention that the artwork is great? The character designs are right out of the videogame and the action sequences are nicely laid out. I’m really intrigued to see what happens to Tokio and Kite’s friends. But hey, if you are a fan of the manga or videogame, you already know you are buying this book! B

Happy Café vols. 2 & 3
Story & Art: Kou Matsuzuki
Translation: Alethea & Athena Nibley
Adaptation: Lianne Sentar & Rebecca Scoble
Publisher: Tokyopop

This week has not been good for this reviewer. I told Omar I needed something to cheer me, I didn’t want to review anything with monsters or swords slashing, just something fun and something to cheer me up. So when I got assigned copies of Café Bonheur, I immediately rolled my eyes and told him I wanted to read something good, not girly. Yes, I’m one of those manga readers unlike Omar and Melanie that sticks to shonen or dark stuff. This was not something I had in mind. So anyway, the story of Happy Café is about Uru, a 16 year old girl who lives by herself because she refuses to accept her mother’s new husband, who happens to be fairly young. Jus t like anyone living by themselves, she has to make ends meet and has to get a job. So eventually she finds a job at Happy Café (I really don’t know how she got this job considering how clumsy she is). So, just what I was afraid of; there were two pretty boys working there. However, what took me by surprise is how different they were: Ichiro falls asleep when hungry and can only be awaken by food and Shindo is kind of a jerk and keeps to himself. By the end of the second volume however, these three become great friends. Things get a little complicated when the trio pays a visit to Uru’s dad’s house and their lack of emotion makes him worry for his little girl. Who really steals the show was Uru’s cousin Kenshi, who happens to look identical to her and has a crazy crush on her too. The story is really quirky, good-feel, and it did the trick of cheering me up. Sure it seems like every other girl wants boy manga out there, but those are not my cup of tea and I highly enjoyed this one. I liked the books so much I went back and bought volume one to add to my collection. I was pleasantly surprised with the story and has me curious who Uru is going to pick to be her man. A

Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture vol. 2
Story & Art: Masayuki Ishikawa
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

I still not sure what they are trying to do with the covers, but I really like the flag designs. Sure, it might throw some people off what the book is really about, specially with a title like Moyasimon, but I’m here to tell you that you will be missing out on a great story if you skip this book. The focus of the story is Tadayasau, who is attending a university for the first time, an agricultural university to be precise. There is a reason he is going to this school; because he has a unique, yet bizarre gift. He can see germs with his naked eye. So what you are looking at on that cover are those germs…yep that’s what they look like. It’s all paid off in the past with his friends and colleagues, but how will his talents help him when the University Spring Festival gets here? He wants to get the grand prize, but his talents can only take him so far and he’s never had this much competition. I think the charm of the first book has died down a little bit. None of the characters have developed since the first volume and their only purpose in the book is for gags. The main intriguing parts of this manga are the information presented by Masayaki Ishikawa when the narrative stops frequently to explain the science of, say, how sake is made, or yogurt. The scientific notes on the side explaining what each germ or bacteria is and I find notes like that help carry the story for someone who knows little about agriculture or was not a member of the FFA. Don’t get me wrong although I didn’t find it as charming as the first volume, I still enjoyed the hell out of the story and the gimmick still works. Never thought I would be enjoying a book about bacteria so much. Are you complaining that you are burned out on superheroes, zombies, mutants, or girly books….well look no further, it doesn’t get more unique then this. B-

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking vol.6 & 7
Story & Art: Koji Kumeta
Translation: David Uru
Letterer: Foltz Design
Publisher: Del Rey

Man, I loves me that title; it’s so long and every time I talk about it to my friends I always say the complete title. Sure it’s a mouthful, but this title has been so fun to read. Seriously, that cover does not do the story justice, because it just looks like always dressed in different kinds of kimonos. The plot is very simple; Nozumo Itoshiki is a school teacher who happens to be so depressed he sees the only way out of this hell hole is suicide. We are first introduced to him when he unsuccessfully tries to hang himself from a tree. He however, is not the only one with mental problems. All his students seem to have issues from an over-optimist to a stalker and emo characters too. By volume 6 I am really missing Nozumo’s suicidal tendencies and for now he just hates the world, but doesn’t want to exit it just yet. The best part is where he goes off on modern inventions like TV remotes and cell phones. There is so much satire humor in this book it really reminds me of a British sitcom. If I were to compare it to another manga, I guess that would be Negima or Great Teacher Onizuka; sure there are plenty of ladies to make it a harem manga, but it would be like Negima or Ai Yori Aoshi on crack! The art style is probably my favorite part of this book. It is very unique and a very flat-looking two-dimensional style--all good things, mind you--that's always visually pleasing. The main characters themselves seem to follow this design, save for the occasional always-hilarious almond-eyed background character. The looks on their faces are always priceless. The rest of the art ranges from very simple to detailed and ornate, especially with some of the backgrounds and settings. Sure the premise of the book has changed a little bit, but it still works for me and I recommend it to anyone wanting to read something out of the ordinary, and loves reading about negative characters! A-