ComicBitsOnline.com

..And Other Tales Of The Supernatural.

ITCH

56pp

b&w/grey tones

£3.50 [check re. p&p]

It was nice toeventually catch up with Willie Hewes at the Expo and buying this comic was one of the few exceptions I made to my “I DO NOT buy review copies” policy.  I think that regulars will be aware we mentioned this book a while back -but it is now in print.

Willie wrote “The Witch” which was illustrated by Karen Rubins who I last met with her sister a good while back when they were producing DARK.

Witch hunt,shape-shifting and more is what you’ll find her. It is well written -as if Ms Hewes writes badly!- and Karen’s artwork has really developed since the days of DARK -a nice use of black and grey tones.  A nice read.

“Fix-a-Heart” is both written and drawn by Willie.  What is it about?  Well,to quote the book:”..a light-hearted comedy about heartbreak and pain.  Says it all really”  After the incident on the second page I thought “light-hearted?” but then the Hewes magic kicks in.  Wonderful.

Gwen Kortsen,of whom I know little,writes “Shinagami”.  To sum it up “Shinji the Shinagami,who saves the world with pretzels and toilet rolls..”  It is quite funny and Karen is the artist on this strip -even better art than in “The Witch”!

It’s a very nice book that Manga or general comic fans should enjoy.  And you can find out more at the ITCH web site:

www.ITCHpublishing.com

Incidentally,there is a very slight delay to Willie’s collected Amaranth book as more is being added to make it the ultimate collection!  Worth the wait I think you’ll find.

Please,give The Witch a try if you normally only buy US comics and I’m sure you’ll not regret it.

I think that it was at the Classical Comics table that I met Martyn Parkinson.  In fact,I met quite a few people at the Classical Comics table!  If I remember correctly the unrecognised star of British comics,Jon Haward,pointed Martyn in my direction.

Martyn had with him copies of a 16pp,full colour,glossy dummy issue of Mask.  The hope is that,if he can get backing,the magazine would be the complete printed source for comic fans.  The dummy covers “Secret Invasion”,comic-related movie features focussing on the likes of Iron Man,The Dark Knight,The Incredible Hulk and Hellboy II.  Other articles explain Ms Marvel;her origins and more,a look at Classical Comics and more.

The package is high quality -paid for by Parkinson to show what can be done. 

I think that I have written and said many,many times that what the UK is desperately lacking on the news stands or in speciality stores is a quality comic-based genre publication. The United States and European countries [and countries beyond] have their magazines but we have only Comics International which is far from interesting these days and centred on the big names and promoting those who feed it!

That is it.

I don’t think we have a good general magazine centred on the massive comics industry in the UK since the late 1980s/early 1990s.

Would such a magazine sell to the public outside of comics?

Yes.  The X-Men and Fantastic Four films -and the others- have created huge interest and more mundane magazines featuring news on big events in comics or films have attracted readers.  So,yeah,the “civilians” as one comic pro called the General Public over the weekend,should be attracted to something like Mask.

Comic fans I would think will  be interested.  Good news is hard to get when you think that the internet has so much junk in the way of rumour and even mischief-making from ’sources’.  Something they can pick up with their comics or in the local newsagents ought to be successful.

In fact,I think the last quality magazine we had of this type was Fantasia under the editorship of Paul H. Birch.  So,I was very excited to learn that he is assisting/advising Martyn with Mask.

More and more companies and fans are reverting to hard copies of material rather than just the internet.

If any publisher out there has an ounce of business sense then they should back this project. Mask looks good.  Mask reads well.  Mask is very much needed and if I had the money I’d certainly have jumped in to back it.

Let’s keep our collective fingers crossed.

GLAMOUR GIRL KATY KEENE RETURNS IN A GRAPHIC NOVEL COLLECTING HER MODERN-DAY MODELING MISADVENTURES!   

  

Yes, it’s another great entry in the ARCHIE GRAPHIC NOVEL series, now with a new 6 x 9 trim size and increased page count of 112 pages!  Our focus this time is that queen of chic, KATY KEENE. 

Since the 1940s, fashion model supreme Katy has enthralled audiences with her own self-titled series as well as KATY KEENE PIN-UP PARADE and KATY KEENE FASHION BOOK MAGAZINE. Readers have long thrilled to her adventures on the runway as well as her intriguing romances.  Best of all, Katy Keene was one of the first interactive comic book series, inviting readers to send in fashion suggestions of their own that were turned into pin-ups and paper dolls that they could cut out and keep! 

In 2005, Katy returned in a big way in the FREE COMIC BOOK DAY entry for that year.  By popular demand, Katy soon began appearing again on a regular basis in the pages of ARCHIE & FRIENDS. 

Her new adventures were charted by writer-artist Andrew Pepoy, and were filled with the same adventure and romance Katy fans had come to expect, served up with a modern-day twist of course – now Katy is a model, movie actress and pop singing sensation rolled into one!  Now these popular Katy stories are collected together for the first time. 

This handsome, fully colored edition features not only every KATY KEENE story from ARCHIE & FRIENDS #101 through #110, it also includes an ALL-NEW story from Pepoy that charts Katy’s whirlwind career.  Don’t miss the high fashion hijinx!  Stories include:   

  

“Katy’s Diary”: Discover how a Michigan girl went from a Chicago

University student to a sensational celebrity supermodel!

 “…And the Award Goes To”: An appearance at the “VTV Movie Awards,” where she’s nominated for “best kiss” in “The Web” movie affords Katy an opportunity to sing on stage!  .   

“Paparazzi Problem”: Katy spirits off to a secluded seaside town, hoping to relax and avoid the press… but even there, tabloid shutterbugs lurk!  .

“Love in Blum”: Katy Keene lands a plum role in “Johnny the Pirate III,” but all her sister MacKenzie cares about is crashing the set so she can meet hunky heartthrob Oleander Blum!

“Music Magic v3.0”: Entertainment reporter Margot Vhang pulls out all the stops hoping to catch Katy in a scandal she can exploit.  Leaving no slimy rock unturned, imagine Margot’s surprise when she learns the scandal-LESS truth about Katy!  .    

“Beaches, Bikinis & Backstabbing”: Katy frolics on the beach in the middle of winter…on a working vacation in sunny

Central America !  But things soon go from sweet to sour when spoiled supermodel Mischa Mucha joins the photo shoot.

“May I Have This Dance?”: Katy’s sister MacKenzie has a crush, but her crush has designs on Katy! Can MacKenzie find a way to swing the subject back around to herself?

 “The Web Returns”: It’s the return of that “Mighty Hero,” the Web… sort of!  It’s the filming of the latest super-heroic multiplex mega hit starring everyone’s OTHER favorite arachnid-inspired hero, the Web.  Katy has the plum role of the hero’s spunky girlfriend, but when things get seriously deadly on the set, Katy may have to put on her detective hat.  Who is sabotaging the stunts, and why? 

“Viva

Las Vegas ”: The glittery city never saw anyone as glittering as Katy!  Katy is in town to present the awards at an extreme sports skateboarding competition, but she isn’t winning any awards with her love-interest, stuntman K.O. Kirby. 

“

America ’s New Best Model”: Call it “designer satire” when Katy takes on television model competitions!  Katy of course is the nicest contestant on the reality series hosted by Tyrant Brinks…and that makes her a real winner, no matter how the judges vote!    

“Four Color Fun”: Katy is clearly a hero to the many fans who show up to meet her at the mammoth

California Comic-con, where she’s promoting her epic “Web Returns” film.  While there, she sets out on a comics quest of her own that’s sure to be as thrilling as her celluloid exploits!        

KATY KEENE SPECIAL #1 

SCRIPT AND ART: Andrew Pepoy.      

Shipping Date: August 13th, 2008 

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: August 20th, 2008 

On Sale on Newsstands: September 2nd, 2008  

112-page, full color graphic novel 

$10.95 US.  

Yes,it has been quiet over the weekend at CBO.  Reason?  Well,the Comic Expo and Manga Festival for one thing -and the searing Mediterranean heat of Bristol,heralded on Friday with a 4 hour thunder storm.

Anyhoo,rather than write over the weekend [which would have been hindered by all the re-uploading of software I had to do thanks to Virgin Media and their PC Guard],I thought,rather than a very long drawn out report,I would do a couple each day of the week to break things up.

Before I do begin I would like to get the negative aspects out of the way.

To quote the official site:

“Goodie Bags:
As is now traditional for Bristol 500 Goodie bags will be given away over the weekend. Sponsored by Forbidden Planet (London). Advance Ticket holders and the first attendees will be able to pick up a goodie bag. Contents will be announced shortly. “

While I was trying to find out who was where at the entrance,no fewer than 6 people asked about the goody bags but were told they were “reserved for those who had booked their tickets online”.  They were showing that their tickets were [in two cases] 365 and 367 but even when they quoted the “first 500″ they were told “sorry”. 

That left a rather negative atmosphere because not everyone has a computer and it does not say “who book tickets online”.  You declare these items are for the first 500 then that’s who should get them -get extra goody bags for those who reserve online if you have to.

Press Pass.  Got mine.  Asked if there was a press info pack and got a blank look.  Apparently not.

One thing that is evident as you approch the main entrance are the queues -this year going out in two directions and in previous years it has taken so long for people to get their tickets that they’ve missed the first talk or event. 

As Friday is a day only for Diamond Distributor customers and not open to the public,I wondered why,as many attendees get to Bristol on Friday -and some live in the City,on the Friday to ticket desk could not be opened while things are set up.  Reserved ticket -pick it up.  Buy a ticket so you don’t have to queue next day -it would sort out the ticket queues and even help sort out the goody bag question.

Why not?

However,at 4 a.m. on a sleepless Monday morning,I suddenly realised:I had not spotted or seen one obviously drunken guest.  And language at certain panels was toned down. 

Normally,each year I have noticed,as have others,that guests “over enjoy” their drinking making for rudeness and dull panels as well as lots of bad language.

Whether or not anyone else noticed I do not know but it was evident that this year there were -or seemed to be- more family groups moving around the Expo and making it a family day out.  This is something that even the much more travelled guests mentioned;the Expo is excelling at making itself a family event.  What I must admit to really finding interesting were the comments from creators such as Yishan Li that they would always have time for and try to get to the Bristol event.

A few people I spoke to had attended the first two Bristol events and this year was a big surprise for them.  I even caught a couple of teachers looking for material for their classes to get interest going.

So,despite the odd negative aspect there was a major -major- difference in the atmosphere this year.  From Olivier Cadic and Cinebook,the Classical Comics team [who still,incidentally,owe me..three coffees -I’ll add a fourth as an interest charge,thank you,Karen] to even some of the usually,uh,”grumpy” traders there was such a buzz that you could almost physically touch it [the Buzz that is].

I think that the International Comic Expo and Manga Festival has found its niche and come of age,thanks to Mike and all those other behind-the-scenes folk.

A big THANK YOU to them and to all who made this year’s Expo the best so far. 

Can it be topped? 

I just cannot wait to see!

 

 

 

You’d be insane not to take advantage of this offer –but you notice they don’t use a quote from me!  Oh no. I’m not bitter,though. 

So here are the details and you can check this site out for some Graphic Classic reviews.

 

A FREE OFFER!

GRAPHIC CLASSICS®: SPECIAL EDITION is a 64-page anthology of all-new comics adaptations, originally produced for distribution in comics shops on Free Comic Book Day (May 3 , 2008). But if you missed that opportunity, don’t despair! You can still get a copy, free with the purchase of any regular GRAPHIC CLASSICS volume during May from the GC website, http://www.graphicclassics.com.

 

 

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: SPECIAL EDITION presents more tales by five favorite authors from the GRAPHIC CLASSICS series. Included are Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat,”  adapted by Rod Lott and Gerry Alanguilan, Arthur Conan Doyle’s eerie mystery “John Barrington Cowles,” adapted by Alex Burrows and Simon Gane, and fantasy master Lord Dunsany’s “A Narrow Escape,” adapted by Milton Knight. Plus a one-page fable by Ambrose Bierce, illustrated by Mark Dancey, and “Frankenstein” author Mary Shelley’s mediaeval romance “The Dream,” adapted by Antonella Caputo and Anne Timmons.  With a dramatic cover illustration by Gerry Alanguilan.

 

 

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: SPECIAL EDITION is a $6.95 value, FREE with purchase, for a limited time only. Limit one copy per customer. Web sales only.

 

 

“A splendidly inventive series.”

— Malcolm Jones, NEWSWEEK

“Innovative visual entrées to great writers and their legacies.”

— Stephanie Zvirin, BOOKLIST

“In short, every volume is highly recommended.”

— Paul Buhle, RAIN TAXI

 

 

 

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: SPECIAL EDITION

Edited by Tom Pomplun

Published May 2008, Eureka Productions

(ISBN 978-0-9787919-4-0)

64 pgs, 7 x 10″, paperback, b&w, 4c cover, $6.95

 

 

The Graphic Classics® series:

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: EDGAR ALLAN POE  (978-0-9746648-7-3)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (978-0-9746648-5-9)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: H.G. WELLS  (978-0-9746648-3-5)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: H.P. LOVECRAFT  (978-0-9746648-9-7)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: JACK LONDON  (978-0-9746648-8-0)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: AMBROSE BIERCE  (978-0-9712464-6-1)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: BRAM STOKER  (978-0-9787919-1-9)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN  (978-0-9787919-2-6)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON  (978-0-9746648-0-4)

HORROR CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Ten  (978-0-9746648-1-1)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: O. HENRY  (978-0-9746648-2-8)

ADVENTURE CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Twelve  (978-0-9746648-4-2)

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: RAFAEL SABATINI  (978-0-9746648-6-6)

GOTHIC CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Fourteen  (978-0-9787919-0-2)

FANTASY CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Fifteen  (978-0-9787919-3-3)

Comic Expo Up-Date 

Due to illness Valerie Perez (Lara Croft: Tear of the Dragon) will be unable to attend the Expo this year.  The film will be shown as planned and the Costume Competition and Masquerade are going ahead. 

  

If you would like to discuss any of the films or the event itself please contact Cheryl Donovan either by email

cherie.donovan@hotmail.com

or by telephoning 07814497166. 

As an experienced Cosplay participant Cheryl will be best placed to give you an insight into the entire scene and pastime. 

The full schedule of the nights events can be found at http://www.myspace.com/bicefilmnight.

We wish her a speedy recovery. 

Gavin Jordan

www.comicexpo.net

 

 

 

And I’ve heard from Shrouded creator,Vanessa Wells,that she will be unable to attend the Expo.  Pity.

 

 

ALTER EGO #77

 

Ahh,you can only compliment a superb magazine so many times.  Ah! My copy has a crease in the top right hand corner. There –a complaint!

 

So here are the details.

 

May 2008 - 100 pages

 

ALTER EGO 77 tells the Comic Book Gospel According to St. John, featuring a fabulous Golden Age Tor cover by JOE KUBERT (who else?)! Inside, KEN QUATTRO relates the full legend of St. John Publishing and the man behind it, ARCHER ST. JOHN—with art by KUBERT, NORMAN MAURER, MATT BAKER, LILY RENEE, BOB LUBBERS, RUBEN MOREIRA, RALPH MAYO, AL FAGO, ENRICO BAGNOLI—and the very special reminiscences of ARNOLD DRAKE! Plus, JIM AMASH interviews Golden Age artist TOM SAWYER. There’s also other features on the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics, including P.C. Hamerlinck’s FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) section with Marc Swayze, C.C. Beck, and others, Michael T. Gilbert and Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and more! Edited by Roy Thomas. 

 

And equally good and slick,as well as a bargain read,is Back Issue.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Back Issue #28 

 

100 pages - May 2008

 

BACK ISSUE 28 shakes down the dirty laundry of men in tights in our “Heroes Behaving Badly” issue! The Hulk and the Thing—why can’t they get along? Heavy-hitting interview subjects HERB TRIMPE and RON WILSON share their thoughts. We reopen the “Trial of the Flash,” blow the lid off JOHN BYRNE’s heroes who cross the line, and duck for cover as Teen Titan Terra, Kid Miracleman, and Mark Shaw Manhunter go bad! Also: the B&W Ramgaging Hulk magazine, the Hulk’s

U.K. comic, and a new chapter in BOB ROZAKIS’ fantasy history of AA Comics! With contributions by MARV WOLFMAN, GEORGE PĖREZ, CARMINE INFANTINO, JIM SHOOTER, DAVID LLOYD, PHIL JIMENEZ, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, JUSTIN GRAY, and others. And Iron Man hits the bottle in an all-new, utterly intoxicating cover by DARWYN COOKE! Edited by MICHAEL EURY. 

We’re also selling the complete PDF for $2.95.

 

 

And if you can’t find Back Issue,Alter Ego or any of the Twomorrow Publications check out the web site for bargain pdf details.  The link is: http://twomorrows.com/

 

Why don’t we have great magazines like this in the

UK?

 

 

MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS and GEMIN exclusive variant covers available at Emerald City Comic Con!

8 May 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - Image Comics’ Pacific Northwest bred heroes, MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS and GEMINI, celebrate Emerald City Comic Con with exclusive covers not to ever be made available anywhere else!

“Emerald City Comic Con is my hometown convention,” GEMINI co-creator and writer Jay Faerber said. “Debuting my newest creation there, with an exclusive cover nonetheless, was too perfect an opportunity to pass up.”

 

 

 

MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #8 is also a starting point for the veteran hero, as Frank Einstein’s backstory acts as a jumping point for readers old and new. To celebrate, the Emerald City Comic Con variant is a throw back for Frank’s very first appearance in Caliber’s CREATURES FROM THE ID #1. The GEMINI cover, all-new illustration by series co-creator and artist Jon Sommariva, displays the unique dual nature of Faerber’s all-new sleeper super-agent. A select few of each cover will be given away at the IMAGE COMICS SHOW, featuring Faerber, WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman and ELEPHANTMEN’s Richard Starkings.

 

 

MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS creator Mike Allred added, “There’s a lot of buzz up here in the Pacific Northwest for the Emerald City Comic Con and since I wasn’t able to attend this year, I still wanted to do something very special. I hope folks will get a big kick out this.”

 

 

The Emerald City Comic Con will take place May 10th and 11th at the Washington

State

Convention & Trade

Center. More information on both covers can be found at the Image Comics booth, #602. In addition, THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW will be on Saturday in Panel Room B from 3-4 PM. Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.

 

Thor to be played by Kevin McKidd,who I first saw in Dog Soldiers and then in the awful BBC TV series “Rome”.  He also starred in the rather slow TV series “Journeyman”.  Well,that’s what some are saying as the movie rumour-mill gets into its pace. You can bet your money that there will be many other actors named before the actual actor is named.

 

 

Of course,being incredibly old,I recall all those 1970/1980s TV movies [TVM] such as Captain America and Dr Strange [but John Mills as “The Ancient One”? Come on!!] but then we got The Incredible Hulk series starring the late great Bill Bixby.

 

 

Sure,the TV folk changed Bruce Banner to David Bruce Banner because they thought “Bruce” sounded a little “gay”!  And the end piano theme –“The Lonely Man” was very poignant.

 

 

After the series was cancelled Bixby,and Lou Ferrigno [Hulk] returned in a 1988 TVM titled ,oddly enough,”The Return Of The Incredible Hulk”.  In this,Banner meets a former student who possesses the Hammer of Thor..and Thor was played wonderfully over the top [in the nicest sense] by Eric Allan Kramer!

 

 

 

 

But remember the Marvel Comic characters who appeared in the other two Hulk TVMs?

 

Well…

 

 

 

 

 

The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk [1989].  Daredevil/Matt Murdock was played by Rex Smith.  Smith you might remember from the 1985 TV series  about a super-bike riding crime-fighter –Streethawk! 

And the Kingpin,of course there had to be the Kingpin because DD was in this one!  Well,John Rhys-Davies took the crime lord role.

 

 

 

 

 

The Death Of The Incredible Hulk [1990].  Very very sad film for two reasons. 

Firstly,the Hulk [far more vulnerable to harm on TV!] falls from an aircraft and crashes to the ground,dying and transforming into Banner for a few final very poignant words.  The second reason was that Bixby was perfectly aware that he was dying from cancer so Banner,a character he was known world wide for playing,preceded him into the dark.  And that “The Lonely Man” theme..very dusty in the house that day ~sniff~

 

In this final outing,Banner/Hulk were protecting an East European agent played by Elizabeth Gracen,not sure if she was actually called this in the movie,but her character has been called the Black Widow in many sources.

 

 

You see,Ang Lee’s version needed that “The Lonely Man” theme at the end.

 

 

Never seen the 1980s Fantastic Four film so won’t comment.  But could it have been any worse than the recent Bionic Woman TV series?

 

 

Yeah,I enjoyed Daredevil,Elektra and The Fantastic Four and Iron Man –WHOA! Iron-Man looks incredible. 

So we have to wait for Thor [2009 and 2010 depending on who you believe] but The Watchmen movie is fast approaching.

 

 

And in case you never used those links from last week –Speed Racer Go! Is hereand it looks fun.

 

 

Now,I have to go wax my legs as it’s the Comic Expo this weekend!

The King Of Fighters Art Book

Hung Wing Yan & Choy King Tung 

I’ve already given details of this book but you can check out more details at the company web site; www.DrMasterbooks.com

 

 

Hung Wing Yan was an art assistant for three years before making his debut as a Manga artist in 1983. Choy King Tung,on the other hand,worked as an assistant for eight years before his solo debut in 1994.  In March,1999,the two men set up King Lion Publishing –in 2002 the team got the licence for King Of Fighters. A legend was born!

 

 

What you get in this high quality,90+pp full colour book are King Of Fighters illustrations from 2001-2003.

 

 

These illustrations vary from dramatic action poses to group character illoes.  The quality is,as usual with Dr Master,the best.  The quality of the illustrations go to show how good this creative team is –and why I rave about their books!  If you like making your own T-shirts using comic art [oh,come on –I know you are out there] this is a great book.  If you are a big King Of Fighters fan you’ll love this book.

 

 

At $21.95 US/$11.99 Can [Canada is cheaper?!] this book will –WILL- be a great collectors piece for your bookshelf!

 

 

Remember that,if you cannot get this or any Dr Master books where you are,you can order via the web site.

 

 

 

 

The Art Of Yasushi Suzuki

84pp

Black & White/Colour

Shrink wrapped and in slip cover

$26.95 US/$32.50 Can

 

My copy came with a DVD featuring Dr Master books so I’m assuming that’s in all the copies.

 

 

I’ve already declared myself a fan of Suzuki’s Purgatory Kabuki.  The usual high standard Dr Master publication does one thing –it shows the incredible art of this great artist.

 

 

The book opens with the almost Goth-like colour painting “HGM”.  The series of cover illoes for Kazma Sinjow’s “The Geste of Ithberh” novels are beautifully rendered.  The same can be said for cover illustrations to the “A Storm Of Swords” series –these along with the “Artificial Hands” illo have a veryu strange feel to them. The same can be said of the illustrations from Suzuki’s comic “Phantoms:The Soul In The Cage”.  “Study” [p.38] and “Untitled” [p.39] are two of my favourites.

 

 

This book shows a Master of the Comic Book in full flow,though this is not all you get!

 

 

There is a brief biography followed by thumbnail illoed List Of Works.

And a short interview with Suzuki!

 

 

This is a major treat for any art lover let alone Manga fan.  And since Suzuki “turned” me into a Manga reader I suspect him to be a grand wizard of art!

 

 

I cannot recommend this book highly enough –BUY!

 

 

Dark Edge 1-7

Yu Aikawa 

195pp each

Black & White

$9.95 US

13 years +

 

 

The story begins after Kurou Takagi’s mother’s death and his transfer toYotsuji Private

High School,owned by his father.  There is a rule “No Student On Campus After Dark” –a rule Kurou accidentally breaks.  Result?  A zombie attack! And it’s all go from there.

 

 

This dark action/comedy goes from the zombie attack to vampirism [vol.2] and much,much more!  And I really enjoyed the way the story evolves from book to book and Yu’s art style can be very atmospheric –something you need in a horror book.

 

 

But are only Manga fans going to enjoy these books?

 

 

I run a Yahoo group –britcomicseerietales- and I think these books would appeal to its members or anyone into horror books.  Unless you are rigidly into US style horror comics you should enjoy this –and I’ve avoided the obvious reference to this being like Buffy set in Japan!

It is a very good series and the cliff-hanger ending to vol.7 ,thankfully,gives the reader time to relax and catch their breath.

 

Very enjoyable but why is it so hard to find these books in the

UK?!

Lunar Legend Tsukihime vol.1-3

Sasakishonen

226pp

Black & White

$9.95 US

15 years+

I did review vol.4 [?] of this series and mentioned that the story was well paced,turning up little twists in the tale as the main character tries to recall his hidden/forgotten past.

In fact,the action in vol.2 is well done and,as with Dark Edge,I think this series will really appeal to horror fans.  And that action continues in vol.3 as the storyline twists and turns.

I really do think Dr Master needs to raise its profile in the

UK because their books tend to be a lot better art-wise than some of the Manga you see in comic shops. This series should be one pushed out to stores and perhaps Dr Master could appear at 2009s Comic Expo?

Another series I’d recommend.