About Heroes

Emma vols. 5 & 6
Story & Art: Kaoru Mori
Translation: Sheldon Drzka
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Publisher: CMX

I remember reading the first two volumes of Emma and thinking….oh man, here comes some more maid stories from Japan and rolled my eyes. Of course there are some exceptions like Hand Maid May and Mahoromatic, but I was so tired of maids when I opened the first book. Well, if you read my review you know the books took me by surprise. Although I found these two volumes, not as captivating as the first volumes; they were still fun to read. Emma is kidnapped and sent off to America, but William tracks her down. This is portrayed so abruptly that she may as well of just been hiding in the basement. William breaks off his engagement to Eleanor and her parents seem to take it rather well. This all turns into a darker plot to get rid of Emma once and for all. Other problems arise, but frankly it seems that the focus of these last volumes is just to get things over with. Emma & William may find happiness at some point, but the books are starting to feel a little rushed. I was very disappointed with this volume in comparison to the earlier ones. Mori’s artwork certainly fits this story with the use of crisp, clean pristine lines that are reminiscent to the print style used back in the Victorian age. The reconstruction of Victorian England is careful, but above all, the character of Emma is so lovely, so tender, that I was absolutely taken by her and her history. As much chasing around and betrayals that there are in these volumes, you can’t forget that Emma is a tale of love, and it’s beautifully crafted. B-

Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture vol. 1
Story & Art: Masayuki Ishikawa
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

I can usually tell what a book is going to be about by looking at the cover. I guess, yes there were a few exceptions in my time. Watchmen # 1, Y The last man #1, and Fables #1. Well I can certainly add Moyasimon to the list. At first glance I thought I was going to be reading another Obama manga, but it turned out to be something else complete. Tadayasau 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. That may not seem like much of a talent, but when the produce of a country depends on cultural processes, the skill becomes more valuable. For his fellow students saved from food poisoning, he is appreciated. For his classmates, who look for his assistance on their assignments and sake brewing activities, he is also appreciated. To his professor, his grandfathers' friend, he is invaluable. For a young man, eager to enjoy his first university experience, his special talent also carries a burden. One of the most intriguing parts of this manga is the information presented by Masayaki Ishikawa when the narrative stops frequently to explain the science of, say, how sake is made, or yogurt. I find notes like that help carry the story for someone who knows little about agriculture or wasn’t a member of the FFA. He explains how invaluable fermentation is to food supply and drug manufacturing for readers. His art style is a nice blend that mixes realism with a bit of exaggerated cartoonish faces. But his attention to detail really pay off when it comes to differentiating the bacteria. It’s an odd book, I’ve never really read anything like this and the cover really threw me off. I guess that’s why I enjoyed it so much. A

Oh My Goddess vols. 31-33
Story & Art: Kosuke Fujishima
Translation: Christopher & Dana Lewis
Lettering & Touch-up: Susie Lee & Betty Dong
Publisher: Dark Horse

It’s been a while since I read new Oh My Goddess adventures; recently I read the classic volumes 9 through 12. Sometimes it feels like reading a different series with an almost different artist. There is a nice race between her broom Stringfellow against Hild’s. Chichiro makes her return just in time to take the gang to her hometown to make her dream to make motorcycles come true. Of course when you involve Urd and Skuld in the story, there is going to be some modifying. By far my favorite story is the one focusing on why Urd didn’t get to become a first class goddess. 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 33 volumes and the characters really haven’t changed that much except in the style in which they are drawn. 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. They also seem to be more story driven than character driven nowadays. With lots of grunts, interjections, and exclamations of powers in every battle, this leaves very little room for those more of the character driven stories from the past. I still think this is a must read series for any manga fan or anyone wanting to try something new. B+

Samurai Deeper Kyo vols. 35/36
Story & Art: Akimine Kamijyo
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: Michael/Carpelis Design
Publisher: Del Rey

It’s not that I am reviewing two books, it’s just that Del Rey decided to release volumes 35 and 36 in one book format. That’s right! This book is no longer being published by Tokyopop. The kind folks at Del Rey are nice enough to finish the series. When I mean finish, I mean finish the book only had four more volumes before Tokyopop lost the rights to it. Well, if you aren’t familiar with Samurai Deeper Kyo, it’s a story that 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. Meanwhile Shiina is still being held prisoner by the former Crimson King. Only two more elders before they reach the end of their journey! This has been a epic story of massive proportions!! It’s taken years to get this far and I have been along for the ride since volume one. While some volumes toward the middle of the series were a bit dull; Occurrences in these two volumes has really picked the series up! 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 will warn the squeamish that there is a lot of blood flying in the battles, but I personally find that much like Blade of the Immortal, it's done elegantly and that it's necessary for Demon Eyes Kyo to maintain his persona. A

Last Minute Gift Ideas:

Pop Wonderland: Thumbelina
Story: Michiyo Hayano
Original Story: Hans Christian Andersen
Art: POP
Translation: Camelia Nieh
Publisher: Dark Horse
I figure I throw a couple of gorgeous books as last minute gift ideas at the end of the review. The first book is an interesting take on the classic tale of Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen. Thumbelina is a very special girl, not only because she captivates everyone she meets with her charm and innocence, but she is no bigger than your thumb. This sweet little girl emerges from flower that a witch created to give to a woman who couldn’t have a child of her own. Soon after, Thumbelina was spotted by a frog, who stole her away to marry his son. Trapped floating on a lily pad, Thumbelina was rescued by a beetle who took her back to his family. Thumbelina's adventures were just beginning. Later she would meet fish, butterflies, moles, and other woodland creatures, all enchanted by the littlest girl in the world. But I guess her most exciting meeting was meeting the Prince of Flowers.POP is the creator behind the educational series Moetan. POP uses his unique style of pastel palette which flatters the story. I read this to my little girl and even if you don’t have kids and are just a kid at heart, I highly recommend this book even if it’s just 32 pages long. A

Tsubasa Album De Reproductions Original Art Collection
Art: CLAMP
Publisher: Del Rey
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of CLAMP and with more than 1 million copies of Tsubasa manga, this is an art book that you knew was going to happen. Originally published in Japan in 2007, this amazing art book contains every piece of color artwork created by CLAMP for Tsubasa. It includes every cover published in the United States, as well as rare hardcover images never seen before in America. Each image is reproduced in full-color with amazing clarity and quality. An original bonus short makes this a must-have for CLAMP's many fans. At the end of book is five black-and-white pages titled: World of the Untold Story #8. This story happens to be an original Tsubasa manga that will appear only in this book! In it, the characters from the series try to get gifts for Yuko…yep it crosses over with xxxHolic! There is an additional four pages dedicated to explaining the artwork and where you can see thumbprints of the original artwork. If you are a fan of CLAMP, Tsubasa, or just an admirer of beautiful images in general, chances are you owe it to yourself to buy this book. It makes a nice addition to the manga series, I just wish it was a little longer. A-