Okay, this has to be quick.
*I'm way behind.
LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS:
A Distant Neighborhood Vol. 1 (of 2) (Jirô Taniguchi, gone back in time)
Inglourious Basterds (wait, this isn't a comic; I mean, it was when it ran in Playboy for a few pages, but this is a family site and shit)
Plus!
Ponyo (another movie, albeit one by comics artist and animator extraordinaire Hayao Miyazaki)
At comiXology.
*Okay, onto the print stuff -
THIS WEEK IN COMICS!
King City #1 (of 12): Being the revival and completion of this much-admired series by Brandon Graham, who debuted it 2007 through Tokyopop and saw it fall into limbo. Now Image brings you the whole story of Joe the Cat Master as he wanders the mysterious, elastic streets of the city, shooting the breeze as trouble surrounds him, in a series of large-format pamphlets perfect for soaking in the detail of Graham's unique blend of international influences. This is a fine-looking comic, let me tell ya, and while issues #1-6 will mainly be reprinting the Tokyopop stuff, various backmatter bonuses are planned. Just $2.99 for 32 b&w pages. Preview here; my original review here.
Little Fluffy Gigolo Pelu Vol. 1: And with a title like that, who could resist? This is a 2003 release from Junko Mizuno, one of the most distinctive mangaka to find real purchase in North America; it concerns a wee puffball alien from space that storms weird contemporary Japan in search of a human bride. I am told that gross and/or sexy things occur. It's a slick 8" x 10" softcover production from Last Gasp, $17.95 for 172 pages. I dunno if the series is finished, but there's two more volumes out in Japan right now, so more may be on the way to us.
The Color of Heaven: A new First Second release, wrapping up a trilogy of truly unique comics by Korean artist Kim Dong Hwa, following a young girl through the many phases of her maturity (it follows The Color of Earth and The Color of Water). More of a narrative poem than a serialized novel, the work is relentless in matching natural images -- flowers, rain, fruits -- with aspects of female sexuality, thus casting the girl's physical and emotional growth (and her mother's own interests) as something as indelibly beautiful as it is primal. It's equal parts curious, mildly comical and genuinely moving; I really can't think of anything else like this series, one of the more sadly overlooked works of 2009. Keep an eye out, huh? It's 320 pages for $16.99; my review of the first book is here.
Jennifer's Body: An all-new $24.99, 112-page Boom! Studios color hardcover, set to tie in with the upcoming Diablo Cody-scripted horror picture. Noteworthy for art by Jim Mahfood, along with Tim Seely, Nikki Cook and Ming Doyle. Written by Rick Spears. Big preview here; also a preview here.
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Missed out on Roger Langridge's almost startlingly dead-on evocation of that old show tonite? Boom! now has a softcover collection of the first four issues (it's a series of miniseries; the second, The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson saw its first issue released a few weeks ago, and issue #2 is out this very week), priced at only $9.99. Very much worth a flip; preview here.
Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Vol. 3: I like this oddball series by Kōji Kumeta, a blend of social satire and character-driven comedy (expect translation notes, oh yes), fixed on a theatrically depressed teacher and the many strange girls in his class, drawn in an often striking flat, iconographic style. It's up to vol. 18 in Japan, so brisk sales will ensure years more work in English. From Del Rey; $10.99 for 176 pages.
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo Vol. 3 (of 3): Wrapping up artist Mahiro Maeda's manga adaptation of the Dumas-in-space anime he directed himself. There's an off-kilter, almost concept drawing-like visual style at work, sometimes erupting into near-abstract collaged vistas. The anime was pretty weird too, actually. Space vampires and crazy textures and stuff. Your $10.99 nets you 240 pages.
Gantz Vol. 6: Oh Hiroya Oku, this just might last forever. Won't it? Only $12.95 for 228 pages of tender emotions.
Citizen Rex #2 (of 6): Gilbert & Mario Hernandez - of the future! Still only $3.50, which bodes well for the coming times. Peek.
Batman and Robin #3: Yep, the final Frank Quitely issue for at least half a year; Philip Tan is the next penciller set to join writer Grant Morrison.
Detective Comics #856: Woah, Quitely and J.H. Williams III in one week! Must be... aw, actually it's because Quitely's issue is a few weeks late, I won't fuck around with ya. Greg Rucka continues to write, Cully Hamner continues to draw the second feature.
Madame Xanadu #14: And Matt Wagner & Michael Wm. Kaluta too, gee.
Fantastic Four #570: Starting up writer Jonathan Hickman. Go.
Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #3 (of 3): Ending the miniseries from writer Kieron Gillen. Stop.
Herogasm #4 (of 6): Or, The Boys bi-weekly, as I like to call it. I didn't check if it actually comes out bang-on like that, but... you know what I'm saying. Here.
Cerebus Archive #3: More '70s Dave Sim rarities an vintage correspondence, annotated as you like it, all for $3.00.
Wednesday Comics #8 (of 12): I hope the dinosaur doesn't step on the little child. Gotta wait three weeks.
Abhay Khosla's Bram Stoker's Dracula #5 (of 5): All right, this isn't print at all. Actually its the conclusion of a webcomic by one of my sitemates, but let me tell you - some laughs.
LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS:
A Distant Neighborhood Vol. 1 (of 2) (Jirô Taniguchi, gone back in time)
Inglourious Basterds (wait, this isn't a comic; I mean, it was when it ran in Playboy for a few pages, but this is a family site and shit)
Plus!
Ponyo (another movie, albeit one by comics artist and animator extraordinaire Hayao Miyazaki)
At comiXology.
*Okay, onto the print stuff -
THIS WEEK IN COMICS!
King City #1 (of 12): Being the revival and completion of this much-admired series by Brandon Graham, who debuted it 2007 through Tokyopop and saw it fall into limbo. Now Image brings you the whole story of Joe the Cat Master as he wanders the mysterious, elastic streets of the city, shooting the breeze as trouble surrounds him, in a series of large-format pamphlets perfect for soaking in the detail of Graham's unique blend of international influences. This is a fine-looking comic, let me tell ya, and while issues #1-6 will mainly be reprinting the Tokyopop stuff, various backmatter bonuses are planned. Just $2.99 for 32 b&w pages. Preview here; my original review here.
Little Fluffy Gigolo Pelu Vol. 1: And with a title like that, who could resist? This is a 2003 release from Junko Mizuno, one of the most distinctive mangaka to find real purchase in North America; it concerns a wee puffball alien from space that storms weird contemporary Japan in search of a human bride. I am told that gross and/or sexy things occur. It's a slick 8" x 10" softcover production from Last Gasp, $17.95 for 172 pages. I dunno if the series is finished, but there's two more volumes out in Japan right now, so more may be on the way to us.
The Color of Heaven: A new First Second release, wrapping up a trilogy of truly unique comics by Korean artist Kim Dong Hwa, following a young girl through the many phases of her maturity (it follows The Color of Earth and The Color of Water). More of a narrative poem than a serialized novel, the work is relentless in matching natural images -- flowers, rain, fruits -- with aspects of female sexuality, thus casting the girl's physical and emotional growth (and her mother's own interests) as something as indelibly beautiful as it is primal. It's equal parts curious, mildly comical and genuinely moving; I really can't think of anything else like this series, one of the more sadly overlooked works of 2009. Keep an eye out, huh? It's 320 pages for $16.99; my review of the first book is here.
Jennifer's Body: An all-new $24.99, 112-page Boom! Studios color hardcover, set to tie in with the upcoming Diablo Cody-scripted horror picture. Noteworthy for art by Jim Mahfood, along with Tim Seely, Nikki Cook and Ming Doyle. Written by Rick Spears. Big preview here; also a preview here.
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Missed out on Roger Langridge's almost startlingly dead-on evocation of that old show tonite? Boom! now has a softcover collection of the first four issues (it's a series of miniseries; the second, The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson saw its first issue released a few weeks ago, and issue #2 is out this very week), priced at only $9.99. Very much worth a flip; preview here.
Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Vol. 3: I like this oddball series by Kōji Kumeta, a blend of social satire and character-driven comedy (expect translation notes, oh yes), fixed on a theatrically depressed teacher and the many strange girls in his class, drawn in an often striking flat, iconographic style. It's up to vol. 18 in Japan, so brisk sales will ensure years more work in English. From Del Rey; $10.99 for 176 pages.
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo Vol. 3 (of 3): Wrapping up artist Mahiro Maeda's manga adaptation of the Dumas-in-space anime he directed himself. There's an off-kilter, almost concept drawing-like visual style at work, sometimes erupting into near-abstract collaged vistas. The anime was pretty weird too, actually. Space vampires and crazy textures and stuff. Your $10.99 nets you 240 pages.
Gantz Vol. 6: Oh Hiroya Oku, this just might last forever. Won't it? Only $12.95 for 228 pages of tender emotions.
Citizen Rex #2 (of 6): Gilbert & Mario Hernandez - of the future! Still only $3.50, which bodes well for the coming times. Peek.
Batman and Robin #3: Yep, the final Frank Quitely issue for at least half a year; Philip Tan is the next penciller set to join writer Grant Morrison.
Detective Comics #856: Woah, Quitely and J.H. Williams III in one week! Must be... aw, actually it's because Quitely's issue is a few weeks late, I won't fuck around with ya. Greg Rucka continues to write, Cully Hamner continues to draw the second feature.
Madame Xanadu #14: And Matt Wagner & Michael Wm. Kaluta too, gee.
Fantastic Four #570: Starting up writer Jonathan Hickman. Go.
Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #3 (of 3): Ending the miniseries from writer Kieron Gillen. Stop.
Herogasm #4 (of 6): Or, The Boys bi-weekly, as I like to call it. I didn't check if it actually comes out bang-on like that, but... you know what I'm saying. Here.
Cerebus Archive #3: More '70s Dave Sim rarities an vintage correspondence, annotated as you like it, all for $3.00.
Wednesday Comics #8 (of 12): I hope the dinosaur doesn't step on the little child. Gotta wait three weeks.
Abhay Khosla's Bram Stoker's Dracula #5 (of 5): All right, this isn't print at all. Actually its the conclusion of a webcomic by one of my sitemates, but let me tell you - some laughs.
Labels: this week in comics
posted by Jog at 11:59 PM
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