West Coast About Heroes Episode 3 - Sin CIty

On the third episode of West Coast: About Heroes...

Chris Heltzel, Joshiebear, Chris Kanchananon, Justin Quizon, Brooke Martin and Rummy watch Sin City.

West Coast About Heroes - Episode 3

The Glowing Blue Penis Frenzy Continues...

So, at this time I feel like I should say sorry, but I was cracking up when Max from Streets of Rage 2 makes a fantastic dong-fighting cameo, so now I'm making you watch this.

TECHNICALLY, it's work safe, but it's nowhere near work appropriate.

There you have it.

Manga Reviews: Momo Tama, Peace Maker, Tsubasa, Yokaiden

Momo Tama vol. 1
Story & Art: Nanae Chrono
Translation: Beni Axia Conrad
Adaptation: Lorelei Laird
Publisher: Tokyopop

I thought the artwork seemed familiar. Funny enough I read two books by Nanae Chrono this past week. It took me a long time to realize that Kokonose is not coming out of an egg, but he is coming out of a peach. Anyway….on to the small summary. Kokonose Mutsu is a cute little guy, who also happens to be a descendant of ogres who were banished from their own island. You see in ancient Japan the mythical Japanese hero Momotaro defeated and banished all the ogres from their own island. Now Kokonose wants to reclaim that home that has been turned into a military school for ogre exterminators. Of course things don’t go as plan because everything gets in the way and he ends up getting enrolled in the school. The only thing he has managed to do is let everyone know he is going to take his land back and overthrow the current Momotaro. It’s a little different than Peacemaker and Peacemaker Kuragane. The main character is adorably cute and has powers that can take down his enemies. The story is really easy to follow and everything starts coming together, even though it has plenty of Japanese folklore like the boy born from a peach. Please don’t let the pink make you think that this is a girly manga (not that there is anything wrong with those). B

Peace Maker Kurogane vol. 1
Story & Art: Nanae Chrono
Translation: Bruce Dorsey
Adaptation: Christine Boylan
Publisher: Tokyopop

As I mentioned in the review right above this one; I happened to have read two Nanae Chrono manga this week. This one however is a little different because it is inspired by the anime series of the same name. I had never watched the anime of Peace Maker, but two years ago I got to read the manga and I became hooked on the story. I did cheat and went ahead and watched the anime of Peace Maker Kurogane and the first thing I noticed was the character designs. In the anime the characters looked very bubbly and with strong defining lines, but in the manga they look very dark and sketchy at times. The artwork matches the personalities of each character, from the mysterious Hajime to the seriousness of Tatsunosuke. There is really nothing to compare about in Chrono's work here; sure it’s not original in any way at all, but it still felt refreshing, which I think works better for a story like this. Speaking of story, this is a follow-up to the original Peace Maker series. Three months have passed since the incidents in the original story and now the Shinsengumi is the peacekeeping force in Kyoto. Tetsunosuke and his brother Tatsunosuke are back and still trying to get revenge for the death of their parents. It may be a little confusing to new readers, but it’s a story about samurai, sword fighting, and historical Japan it might be to your best interest to check this book out. A-

Tsubasa: Those with Wings volume 1
Story & Art: Natsuki Takaya
Translation: Kinami Watanabe
Adaptation: Stephanie Duchin
Publisher: Tokyopop

Let’s just make this clear that this book has absolutely nothing to do with CLAMP’s Tsubasa series that is published by Del Rey. I guess it’s only fair to say that the Japanese word Tsubasa means wing. You may have heard the name Natsuki Takaya before. Tokyopop also publishes Takaya’s other series Fruit Basket, which is a bestselling manga that is almost finished here in America. Tsubasa shares very little aspects with Fruits Basket. This is more of an adventure quest than a shojo manga. Orphan and ex-thief Kotobuki has a love/hate relationship with military commander Raimon and they have to team up to find the legendary Tsubasa, a legendary object that grants its beholder any wish. Other people want this Tsubasa and want to hire Raimon and Kotobuki. The story was written and drawn in the mid 90’s and you can really tell from the artwork alone. The character designs look very generic and the facial expressions are emotionless at times. Raimon has a dark past, but it’s really difficult to see this come across with the artwork. The story is intriguing enough for me to keep getting the series; I just hope they keep with the same 400+ pages for 15 bucks. There is also a 25 page preview of Phantom Dream, another manga by Takaya included in the back. This is definitely a book worth checking out. B

Yokaiden volume 1
Story & Art: Nina Matsumoto
Publisher: Del Rey

I had no idea that Del Rey was doing any OEL (Original English Language) until I checked out The Reformed last year. This seems to be their latest OEL manga from the lady that brought you the manga style Simpsons artwork. Yokai are Japanese spirits that can be anything from mischievous to deadly. This doesn’t matter to Hamachi, because he just wants to be friends with all of them. When his grandmother is apparently murdered at the hands of a Yokai, Hamachi journeys into their realm. Along his way he runs into different kinds of spirits and particularly two who befriend him a talking lantern and a talking umbrella. In between chapters there is Inukai Mizuki’s Field Guide to Yokai. These are notes to differentiate the different spirits that live in this realm. I found myself loving this book. It was full of adventure, comedy, and a dramatic pursuit for the truth. It has very smart and snappy dialogue, which brings a light-heartedness to what could have been a dark story. The art I’m still trying to get used to. It really does look like one of those How to Draw Manga books, but it is very clear and easy to follow. I’m excited to see where this series takes us. A

Episode 122 - Blue Man Balls

This episode we have Ray on and talk about comics an our impressions of Watchmen

Editor’s Note: Ray’s audio will be on one channel and ours on the other, SOO if you only listen to the podcast with one headphone on, your gonna be REALLY confused this ep. Put both headphones on and you should be good. Also round min 27 the Skype call disconnected and we had to call Ray up again, there is a brief pause but nothing big.

(Techy side note: Based on this recording…ya know…NOT crashing….Audacity is gonna be used from now on, should make editing and posting this sucker easier/faster, GarageBand is being left where it belongs, in the damn garage)

Episode 122 - Blue Man Balls

Pic of the week

This makes me think that Watchmen Babies: V for Vacation would actually be kinda cool...

Which then makes me think that you should shut up and stop looking at me like that.

A simple question for you folks...

Us simple folks at West Coast About Heroes are looking for new and exciting ways to bring you podcasts, and while the tried and true format of us babbling our heads off about comics without rhyme or reason will never be abandoned, we feel it might suit us all to try something a bit out of the box.

Essentially, we're bouncing around the idea of totally ripping off the rifftrax fellas (click here to go check 'em out. They're worth every penny.) by releasing audio tracks that line up with movies. Of course, instead of the incredibly witty and hilarious jokes and observations of that crew, we'll just be doing what we always do, babbling incoherently, making jokes, observations, discussing what's going on, or wandering into the conversational realm of Gossip Girl, as we seem to keep doing (also, still for free). Generally doing what we do, but to a movie. Which movie? Glad you asked. That's essentially what this post is for.

We thought we'd run this by you first. Since we do the work for you, we figured we'd let you have a say in it. First off, does this sound like something you'd enjoy? If so, what movie would you like us to start with? Please don't pick a random movie nobody's ever heard of or is likely not to have in their DVD collection. We have at least 3 people reading / subscribing to this podcast, so pick something at least 2 out of 3 people would listen to, alright? Oh, and try to stay in the realm of 'geek'. If you ask us to do Garden State or Laurence of Arabia, we'll endlessly mock you behind your back and then pretend we still like you when we meet on the street.

Ok kiddies! Any feedback would be awesome, so let it rip! What do you think of this idea?

About Episode 122

Just wanted to let you guys know that it was recorded, but due to some unforseen computer error we lost the complete track. So we will be recording another one sometime really soon. Should be out early next week.

Manga Reviews:Even the 08 election made it to this one!

08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail
Story: Michael Crowley
Art: Dan Goldman
Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Okay okay, why am I reviewing this in the manga section? Well it’s the standard manga size book and it is in black and white; soooo that is my only reason. I read this book while I was a sick a couple of weeks ago and never had a chance to review it. I just kept pushing it off until I could take a time to devote to it. Like most people in the world Election 2008 was the first time I took so much interest in the race for the white house. I really didn’t see myself watching so many biographies on Barak Obama and John McCain, let alone reading books on them. Now that the election was over, I kind of wish I had read this book before election night. Done through the eyes of two fictional reporters this book really served as a reminder of how crazy and intense the election of 2008 was. It serves as a time capsule of each blow by blow event. It can’t really be considered a comic book or graphic novel retelling of the events because it works more like a slide-show focusing on main parts of the campaign trail. It is very fast-paced and done with a sense of enough experience to be covering the real election. While the artwork was great at times, sometimes I noticed Hilary Clinton looking more and more like a demon. But McCain, Bush, and Obama look dead on. I have to admit it was an enjoyable read and like I said it really did serve as a reminder about a great historical moment in this nation’s history, but it still didn’t have any sequential art; just a bunch of stills. B

Ai Yori Aoshi Volumes 1-3 Collection
Story & Art: Kou Fumizuki
Translation: Alethea & Athena Nibley
Publisher: Tokyopop

Being a fan of anime and manga comes with prices. There are certain genres of anime that I just don’t get, but I always end up liking some after reading a few issues or watching few episodes. Anything from maids to hentai and the harem anime/manga I just never got into. Ai Yori Aoishi (the title is a play on words Bluer than Indigo and love is thrown somewhere in there) happens to be a harem manga. All the hot sexy women are for some reason attracted to the dorky virgin kid. Kaoru Hanabishi is setting off to go to college when out of nowhere his childhood friend Aoi Sakuraba enters his life to be his wife. Apparently Kaoru’s late mother agreed for the two to get married. Since the two were escaping family duties they needed a place to live and money. Enter Miyabi Kagurazaki who offers them a place to live. A nice summer house for Aoi since her family owns the place and a little hut out back for Kaoru. In no time the summer house becomes a dormitory for Kaoru’s friends and classmates, who all happen to be hot chicks. Tina is an American hottie from Texas that is studying in Japan, Taeko becomes the clumsy house keeper at the summer house she even moves her little cousin in Chicka, and Mayu has had a crush on Kaoru since she was 12. What we have here is a normal story that doesn’t have any extra terrestrial invasions or magical twists. It turns out to be a very sweet story. I do enjoy seeing that all the girls are different in their own way. Aoi constantly agonizes whether or not her fiancée is going to accept her, but I really don’t know how this charm is going to last for more than six volumes though. I guess the only way to find out is to keep reading. If you liked Love Hina, Negima, and Maison Ikkoku you should definitely check this out. B

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo volume 1
Manga: Mahiro Maeda
Scenario: Yura Ariwara
Planning: Mahiro Maeda & Gonzo
Translation: Gemma Collinge
Publisher: Del Rey

I have never seen the anime Gankutsuou, but I did have to read the Count of Monte Cristo when I was in middle school, oh so many years ago. The first thing I noticed is the dramatic change in artwork from the cover to the inside of the book. Sure the cover is full of beautiful colors, but it is also more detailed and defined than the sketchier looking inside artwork. This is not a bad thing, because the Maeda’s art is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of something from the early days of Studio Ghibli and even has a dash of the art in Nausicca mixed with Moebius in there. The sketchy lines and rough outlines blend so well with the toning effect that Maeda creates a highly detailed world and gives life to each character. This art style might not be for everyone because it does take some getting used to if you are not used to it. The story is the same as Alexandre Dumas’ tale of betrayal and revenge, but it’s supposed to have a futuristic sci-fi twist. But it really doesn’t seem that way to me, because everything looks so 19th century Europe. The Count wants revenge against the families that conspired against him and imprisoned him for so many years. The story stays pretty faithful to the original, but it’s hard to keep up with such a vast amount of characters. There is just way too many to keep up with and while the art is lovely, it gets difficult to tell them apart sometimes. It’s a classic story with some great artwork so I will be following this series; I just hope they explain why the count has pointy ears. B

Orange Crows volume 1
Story: James Perry II
Art: Ryo Kawakami
Lettering: Lucas Rivera
Publisher: Tokyopop

There are times I’m so glad that manga has come a long way from the way it used to be when I first start reading it 20 years ago. Never in that time did I think I would live to see American’s writing and drawing their own manga. Not just Americans, but the OEL (Original English Language) line is all over the globe. Pretty much it serves as a means of finding talent in different places other than Japan. Orange Crows falls under the OEL category, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a strike against it. Over the last two years I have found to love some OEL, although I still don’t get the love for Megatokyo. The story centers around a witch named Cierra Pensblood and her exile to her Wilderness for having broken a sacred law of trying to create her own magic (and managing to scar herself and hurt her best friend in the process). After five years of surviving in the barren wasteland she returns to her old city only to realize that it’s not the same as she once left it. After five years of being absent her world is not the only that changed; now her old friend Natty Batsgrave is distant and Cierra’s dark side is awakening. The story is simple enough to follow and enjoy, but it’s really the possibility of this series becoming darker and darker. There are things laid out in the first volume that make me think that and Kawakami seems more than capable of drawing a different range of story-telling. The only problem I see is that at times the art can be a bit confusing and hard to follow. Fans of Negima, Harry Potter, Spiderwick Chronicles and His Dark Materials should check this title out. B

Vagabond VIZBIG Edition volume 1
Story & Art: Takehiko Inoue
Based on Eji Yoshikawa’s Musashi
Adaptation: Yuji Oniki
Publisher: Viz

I have no idea why I never got around to reading Vagabond. Being such a fan of manga like Blade of the Immortal, Kenshin, and Samurai Deeper Kyo I’m surprised I never checked it out. I had no idea it was based on Japan’s greatest (or at least most popular samurai) Musashi. Well at least the fictional Musashi as written by Eji Yoshikawa. Let me tell you, if you haven’t read Musashi, do yourself a favor and check it out. The story of Vagabond is one you’ve probably read many times before; it’s about the journey of Takezo, a young man, future master swordsman, who is in search of purpose and meaning to his life. At first he thinks to become the best swordsman means to challenge and defeat the best in the world. Takezo wanders from place to place, battling swordsman and other fighters all in his quest to become the strongest fighter alive. Some of these enemies become friends, and some friends become enemies. Sure it sounds like books and movies we have all watched before, but there are so many layers to this formulatic plot that makes everything fresh. But it’s the art that truly draws me in. It gives the book a fleeting and suspenseful sense of what’s going on in each panel. Inoue was born to draw samurai action and he does it so perfect. It is absolutely gorgeous, dense, and very detailed. These characters literally come to life with the help of his pencils and inks. It really does put you in this time and place. I’m so glad I waited to read this wonderful series it was well worth the wait. The first three manga are included in this big version that is oversized and at a fraction of the original cost. Anyone interested in Japanese culture, swordsmanship, or just likes a great story should check out this series. The color pages and the additional sketches really give you no reason to buy this series if you haven’t yet. A

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son

Creators: Dean Koontz & Kevin J. Anderson
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Brett Booth
Colors: Dojo, Andrew Dalhouse, and Mohan
Publisher: Del Rey

This is kind of an interesting idea. A comic based on a book that is a take on a classic piece of literature. Dean Koontz co-wrote a trilogy of books (well the first two books are out) that sets Dr. Frankenstein, now known as Victor Helios in our time and he also happens to be a business man and philanthropist. The comic just brings the first novel to life with the help of Chuck Dixon and Brett Booth. This hardcover collects the entire five issue run and has a new story and a forward by Dean Koontz himself.

As I mentioned earlier the story is set in our time with a serial killer known as the surgeon is running loose in the streets of New Orleans taking body parts from his victims. Ohh yeah, the doctor is at it again trying to assemble parts for his perfect human being or in this case a new race of subordinate genetically engineered creatures. This brings Detectives Carson O'Connor and her partner Michael Maddison to investigate these weird murders. Meanwhile in a Buddhist monastery lives a scarred man named Deucalion, who now feels like something old is still alive in the city of New Orleans and he has to get there. Now the detective must team up with this mysterious scarred man to find the truth behind these murders.

It's very difficult to try to bring classic tales and put a new modern twist on them. It was a real interesting story, something that I probably would have watched on HBO or USA Up All Night. The dialogue and plot really makes this a remarkable and powerful reworking of the classic Frankenstein tale. Chuck Dixon really keeps all the action, mystery, and creepy factors in to make this story stand out. He really makes the city of New Orleans seem like a dark place to visit. What else can we expect from a master of writing?

The only problem I had with the book was the art by Brett Booth; who after years still hasn't improved his style that put him on the map in the 90s at image. Don't get me wrong, at one time I really enjoyed his art in Backlash. Very Jim Lee inspired, but with thinner faces. The problem is this book is supposed to be a dark tale and his characters all look like models and over muscled superheroes. Even his monster looks like a pretty boy with all that hair and perfect body. He is very inconsistent with how tall characters are and hair styles. At times he seems to be limited on how many facial expressions he can give characters. Someone else with a darker tone would have worked better.

It was a fun read that unfortunately set up the next volume and I'm not sure when that will be coming out. Like I mentioned I really dig the story and it keeps me wondering what's going to happen to the cast of characters. But my feelings won't be hurt if they replace the artist. B-

West Coast: About Heroes - Episode 2 - Watchmen Movie Aftermath

On the second episode of West Coast: About Heroes...

Chris, Joshiebear, Chris K, and Kelvin review the Watchmen fresh off the midnight showing.

West Coast About Heroes - Episode 2