The Squirrel Machine: It should be the girl machine, due to all the ladyparts

Elsewhere: I did what was probably an overly laudatory review of Avengers Vs. Atlas #1 over at Comics Bulletin, and nitpicked last week's Dollhouse at The Factual Opinion.

Link: I liked this look at all of Takehiko Inoue's covers to the collected volumes of Vagabond.  That's some nice art there.

And, if you're curious, I decided to forego the weekly preview thing, since I didn't feel like talking about whatever was on there.  I've been strapped for time lately, so we'll see if I keep it up or give it up entirely.  Sorry, any fans of my oft-tiresome blathering.  You'll have to settle for Jog, I guess.  Or Caleb.  Or somebody else, I'm sure.

The Squirrel Machine
By Hans Rickheit

Some comics (along with works in other mediums, of course) are near-impossible to describe, or even understand, really.  Or maybe that's just an easy way out: "I don't get it, so I'll just say it's too weird to understand!"  Hans Rickheit's The Squirrel Machine seems to lean in that direction, but as strange as it is, it's interesting and seemingly substantial enough to make examination worthwhile, even if a final summation will probably come up lacking.  The story, such as it is, involves two brothers who pursue weird experiments with technology and organic objects, mostly animal corpses, although to what end, or even what result, is mostly left up to readers to discern.  One could accuse it of being willfully obscure and an excuse to present an array of grotesquerie without much in the way of explanation, but there's more to it than that, and while a final answer is difficult to discern, it's a book that compels re-reading and attempts at interpretation.

One thing Rickheit does here to make the work so compelling is to present everything in a realistic style, full of minute, exhaustive detail:

His settings seem fully realized, packed with grittiness and dirt, decay and collapse. The people move through it believably, fitting into what seems like a normal Victorian-era town on first glance, until more and more strange imagery is floated before our eyes and we get creeped out at the entire thing.  The two brothers, Edmund and William, don't present very good reader-identification figures, mostly approaching their world inexpressively, committing weird acts without much of a show of emotion at all.  But that in itself is a bit of a damper for all the weirdness; if they go about their actions without any indication that it is extraordinary, then one almost thinks of it as normal, to some extent.  But their creations are so inhumanly inexplicable, with intricate machinery (clockwork gears, pipes, tubes, tanks, light bulbs, and so on) connecting to bloated carcasses, aquariums full of dead things, or cages enclosing skeletal fauna.  And their laboratories themselves become increasingly impossible, cavernous rooms and tunnels whose walls are bursting with arcane mechanisms that stretch below their house that seem to connect to exits all over the town:



There's also a semi-feral young woman who raises pigs, a town populace increasingly hostile to the boys' creations, a mother who disapproves of their actions but can't seem to bring herself to do anything about it, and another young woman who takes up with Edmund without much of a reason outside of animalistic attraction.  And that's not even getting into the odd visions that periodically appear, the young girl who haunts the caverns, the rampant vaginal imagery, and the strange creatures that present themselves:

One could come up with any number of explanations for the imagery here, from the encroachment of technology on the 20th century and the perversions of nature that followed, to the awakening of sexuality in the adolescent and the fascination with organic processes like reproduction, birth, and death that can dwell in the mind.  Or maybe it's all a trip into Rickheit's subconscious, a slaved-over jaunt through the nightmares that haunt his waking mind.  Whatever the case, it's a compelling, fascinating journey through an often creepy and always striking world, one that's regularly quite hilarious, as when Edmund, having a sexual tryst with a young woman who willfully accompanied him back to his mad scientist's lair, turns a spigot to release hundreds of snails upon their contorting, commingling bodies.  What can one make of that sort of thing?  You might be able to attempt an interpretation, one that will be just as valid as any, but it's just as legitimate to go along for the ride and see where Rickheit takes you.  It won't be where you expect, that's for sure.

Slam Dunk: Gotta get that PT

Elsewhere: I reviewed Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1 at Comics Bulletin. Modern update-tastic!

Another double review? It's like I read a bunch of these at once or something!

Slam Dunk, volume 4-5

By Takehiko Inoue

It's obvious that Takehiko Inoue loves basketball, and in this series he's depicting it as faithfully as he can, with a bit of the old manga exaggeration (these are some ridiculously athletic high school kids). And this enthusiasm translates really well for the reader, who is able to get right into the story and follow the action of the game. And follow it we do; Shohoku High is playing their rivals Ryonan in a practice game, and it lasts throughout these two volumes, a total of eighteen chapters, and isn't even finished yet. Talk about not sparing any details.

But in addition to the exacting athleticism, the other thing Inoue does so well is humor; the previous volumes established Hanamichi Sakuragi as a loud, obnoxious, bumbling oaf who has a higher opinion of himself than anybody else, and that characterization comes into play here as we agonize along with him while he sits on the bench during the entire first half of the game. We get antics galore, as he shouts at the players, jumps around like a goofball, messes with the scorekeepers, tries to wheedle the coach into putting him in:

And even kanchos the other team's coach for urging his players to build up a 30-point lead:

His ridiculousness is laugh-out-loud funny, but the antsy feeling of wanting to play is relatable, so when he finally does make it in, it's not only a release, but an opportunity for more hilarity, as he gets overly nervous, turns the ball over by travelling, and accidentally tackles another player. But once he gets it together, he's an unstoppable ball of energy, leading to another hilarious scene in which he dives after a loose ball into the other team's bench:

I love the way Inoue makes time slow down in the first two panels, removing any "motion blur" effects, and then brings the leap to a crashing conclusion. Oh, man, that's some funny stuff.

Then, suddenly, volume 5 changes things up, spending the entire page count on the last few minutes of the game as Hanamichi gets a taste of real competition and learns about rebounding, blocking out, and passing on the fly. It's tense stuff, and we watch pretty much every possession, as the teams jostle for the lead before the clock runs out. The humor doesn't completely go away, but when Hanamichi has a reason to focus, we see him concentrate on the game and become an intense athlete rather than just a bumbling doofus. And Inoue can deliver the sports action just as well as the comedy, whether in depictions of athleticism:

Or intense rivalry:

It's tons of fun to watch, and seeing Hanamichi continue to develop and learn new facets of the sport should make further volumes compellingly readable. Hell, the game still isn't over yet, so the next volume is going to be worth rushing out to get as soon as possible.

This week, comics are late, due to labor (or the lack thereof)

One quick link: Since I pointed to that post of Urasawa sketches the other day, here's another one, featuring Takehiko Inoue's work on Vagabond. Sweet.

And here's the list for the week, delayed by a day because of Labor Day. Oh, lazy Americans!

New comics this week (THURSDAY, 9/10/09):

Cursed Pirate Girl #2

Here you go, all those of you who weren't fortunate enough to meet Jeremy Bastian at a convention and buy this issue from him. It's now out through the direct market, and I assure you, it's awesome. Sure, you might want to get the first issue if you haven't already, but this still works on its own, I think. Whatever the case, don't pass it up, because this is a crazy, fun, and beautifully detailed comic. Here's more about what I thought, if you really want to know.

Dead Space Extraction

I never did read the original Dead Space miniseries (which was a tie-in to the video game of the same name) by Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith, but I was interested in it. I still might pick up the trade at some point, since I'm a fan of both creators. But here's a follow-up one-shot to tie into the Wii version/sequel of the game. I might have to try that one out at some point. Zombies in space, right? Why not?

DMZ #45

Brian Wood is still doing his thing, and I'm still liking it. I need to read the trade that just came out...

Hellboy The Wild Hunt #6

Mignola/Fegredo, still appearing. I believe this mini is eight issues long, so there will be a few more before it ends and gets collected, and then I can read it and attempt to follow what the hell is happening. That's what I did on that last series, but I sure enjoyed it through my confusion.

House of Mystery #17

Have I jumped off the boat on this series? I wasn't too keen on the last collection, so I don't know if I'll bother keeping up with the book. Who knows what the future holds. Anyway, the guest artist this issue is Al Davison (The Dreaming?); they might be running out of the big-name contributors...

Kick-Ass #7

Oh lord, this comic is stupid. I guess people like it, but man, it's just dumb people committing violent acts against each other, with little of actual interest happening. This isue is no exception, although we do finally circle back around to that opening scene from the first issue where the lead character gets his testicles electrocuted. Enjoy, Millar fans!

Life And Times of Savior 28 #5

So, is this series any good? I think I read a review or two of the first issue, and it didn't sound all that great. I like Mike Cavallaro's art (his Parade (With Fireworks) was pretty damn great), but yet another superhero riff doesn't excite me too much. Somebody tell me what they think.

Models Inc #1

Ah, another attempt by Marvel to lure the elusive female reader (at least, I assume that's the point, but who really knows). This series follows the adventures of some of the various romance comics models of the past, including Millie the Model and Patsy Walker as they deal with job-related intrigue and a murder mystery, or something. Also, there's a backup strip featuring Project Runway's Tim Gunn, who gets to wear Iron Man's armor for some reason. Weird shit; I'll have a review up on Comics Bulletin tomorrow.

Muppet Robin Hood #4

I think this is the last issue of Boom!'s other Muppet series. I haven't read any of it, but it does look nice, and I imagine it's fun. The poor creators can only suffer in comparison to Roger Langridge though.

Nomad Girl Without a World #1

Here's another interesting Marvel project, which sounds in theory like it might be terrible, but becomes intriguing due to the presence of writer Sean McKeever, making his return to Marvel after slaving away at DC doing by-all-accounts-terrible books like Countdown and Teen Titans. The concept here is that the girl version of Bucky from Rob Liefeld's "Heroes Reborn" Captain America series gets transported to the main Marvel universe. It's pretty funny; the title page reprints some terrible Liefeld art (you can see it here), which should immediately make anybody who peeks inside the cover throw the thing down in disgust. The actual story art by David Baldeon isn't bad though, so maybe this will be worth reading after all. We'll see how it goes.

Olympus #4

Here's another series that looked interesting, but I've heard little about it. Again, somebody let me know if it's any good, for I am innately curious.

Red Herring #2

This one sounded interesting, and I bet it's a pretty good read, if only because of Philip Bond's art. Maybe worth checking out at some point.

Rotten #3

I think I mentioned this when the first issue came out? It's about zombies in the Old West, which could be all right. Another one to glance at if I see it.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #2

More Millar/Pacheco action centering on Captain America and his nazi son, along with a drunk Iron Man and who knows what else. I liked the first issue; it had some of that good Millar action. Hopefully he'll be able to keep it up and not do anything too stupid. That'll be the day.

Wednesday Comics #10

It's getting closer to the end of this thing, and I'm still digging it. I don't think I need to go over each strip this time, but I'll mention that Flash was pretty great last week. Superman still sucks though; it seems he should have taken that super-Prozac after all.

Achewood HC Vol 2 Worst Song, Played on Ugliest Guitar

This might have come out last week, or maybe not; I dunno. It's the second print volume of what seems to be everybody's favorite webcomic (which you can read here, I mention perfunctorily), although rather than collecting a single storyline, it seems to be going back to the beginning and printing the first few years of the strip, with lots of extras. I will say, I've finally come around on the comic; I didn't like it much the first several times I read it, mostly due to the still rather poor art, but at some point I just dove in and read a whole bunch, and it finally clicked. I still have to tolerate the artwork, but the writing is just regularly hilarious. I might have to check out this volume and see what it was like back in the beginning. Here's a preview, which seems odd for some reason.

All & Sundry Uncollected Work HC 2004-2009

The title doesn't really indicate it, but this is by Paul Hornschemeier, and it contains what the title actually does say. I bet his name will be on the cover, so no worries. Anyway, it's a bunch of random stuff from over the years (you can read the introduction for more information), and since I really dig Hornschemeier, I'll probably have to drop the 30 bucks on it. And here's where you can see a preview; enjoy.

Art of Tony Millionaire HC

Ah, it's one of those books that collects non-comics artwork from folks. Tony Millionaire is pretty great though, so this will probably be nice. Here, have another preview.

Biographical Novel Che Guevara TP

Well that title doesn't make sense; I suppose it's meant to be a play on the term "graphic novel", but whatever. The life of Che, yada yada yada, by Kiyoshi Konno and Chie Shimano. Notable? Maybe. Here's the official site, which has one of those "trailer" type previews.

Fantastic Four Lost Adventures by Stan Lee TPB

Wow, this book seems hella overpriced at $25 and only containing that "lost" issue that came out a while back (I reviewed it here and did another post about a page layout from it here) and "three other classic stories" written by Lee. Maybe that "Last Fantastic Four Story" with art by John Romita, Jr.? I dunno, that seems like not very much content for the price. I would skip it if I were you. And then I would probably ruin your life and get fired from your job, because I don't know any of those people.

Giraffes In My Hair A Rock N Roll Life HC

I guess it's necessary to mention most every book Fantagraphics puts out, even if I'm not all that interested in them. This one is by Bruce Paley and Carol Swain, and it's autobiographical, about Paley and the music of the 60s and 70s. It's probably good, but I've got other stuff to read, man. Here's a preview.

Gotham Central HC Vol 02 Jokers and Madmen

I'll admit it again; I've never read any of this series, but I always hear that it's really good. I'll have to look for this and the previous volume at the library or something. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka telling street-level crime stories; what's not to like? Other than lame superhero nonsense, that is.

Grimwood's Daughter HC

I had no idea this existed before today, and I might forget about it tomorrow, but I'll mention it for now. It's apparently an early work by Kevin Nowlan, some sort of fantasy thing from the early 80s written by Jan Strnad. There you go; early stuff from a good artist. If that's something you want to read, go for it.

Grown-Ups Are Dumb No Offense SC

You know, I don't mean to be a jerk or anything, but would Alexa Kitchen be known at all if she weren't Denis Kitchen's daughter? Her comics are supposedly really good, but from what I've seen of them (I think the Sexy Chix anthology is the only place I've read any), they're fairly typical kid art. Lots of people have praised them though, so maybe they're not just sucking up to her dad. This book is even being published by Harper Collins; wow. Lucky kid; read her book if you want, but I think I can safely skip it.

I Kill Giants TPB

I've been saying this for a while now, but I might as well mention once again that I should check this out because I've heard good things, even though I wasn't all that thrilled with the first issue of this miniseries. As it came to an end though, people were talking about it being a good look at childhood fantasies and abuse and whatnot; I'm intrigued, so I'll have to look for this collection and see what I think of the whole package. Don't let me down, Joe Kelly!

John Stanley Library Nancy Volume 1 HC

Another volume of comics by what people are calling one of the greatest children's comics artists. Maybe it'll be good? I'm not that into Nancy, but I kind of like what I've seen of the Ernie Bushmiller strips. I don't know how these full-size comics stand up to those though. Eh, worth a look, right?

Love & Rockets New Stories TP Vol 2

Ooh, here's the big release for the week. The second "issue" of volume 3 of the Hernandez brothers' series, featuring more superheroics by Jaime and probably more weird shit from Gilbert (and Mario will probably be in there somewhere). I can't wait. Here's where you can see your preview, as if you really need one.

Marvel Superhero Team Up TPB

Formerly known as "Marvel Bromance". That's the only reason to mention it though; I doubt there's much of anything in here that begs to be read. I recommend hunting for cheap back issues of Marvel Team-Up instead.

Paul The Samurai Complete Works TP

I was not aware of this character/comic, but it's apparently a spin-off of The Tick. That means it's probably pretty enjoyable. That is all.

Process Recess HC Vol 03 Hallowed Seam

More of James Jean's art. I bet it's pretty.

Red Monkey Double Happiness Book HC

Another Fantagraphics release! They're busy this week. This one is by Joe Daly, and Tom Spurgeon's recent review got me interested in checking it out. I guess it's about stoners or something? I dunno. Here's where you can see a preview.

Runaways Good Die Young HC

Marvel's latest attempt to bilk people out of money by overpricing something that was previously packaged in a cheaper form. It's actually the final part of the first volume of the series, and it's a good story, with a surprising reveal and some big drama. If you haven't read it before, this is good stuff, but I recommend getting one of the earlier, better-priced versions of the story.

Squirrel Machine HC

More Fantagraphics! This book by Hans Rickheit is one that people have been talking about for a while now, and it's finally out. I wasn't previously aware of Rickheit, but I realized that he's the guy behind the Kirby/Freud mashup comic that I linked to a few months ago. That was some crazy shit, and judging by the art samples I've seen from this book, it's going to be good. I'll have to try to read it, yes I will. Here, preview.

Storm In The Barn GN

I'm not sure what this is exactly, but it seems to be about a Depression-era kid encountering supernatural forces in a barn near where he lives. It's by Matt Phelan, and you can see a bit of the interior art on the publisher's page.

Super Human Resources TP Season 1

People seem to like this series, which is a humorous take on superheroes as seen by cubicle-dwelling office functionaries in their crime-fighting organizations. That's cute and all, but isn't everybody sick of all the various variations on superhero stories? There are other genres, dudes! Anyway, here's the first collection. You can read the entire first issue here, if you wish.

Ultimatum Spider-Man Prem HC

It's the ignominious end of the first volume of one of Marvel's best comics, but it's pretty poor going, completely hamstrung by the beyond-awful Ultimatum series that kind of ruined the Ultimate universe. Still, you've got some nice Stuart Immonen art, and Brian Michael Bendis does his best to keep things going with what he was handed, but unless you're a completist or something, it's eminently skippable.

West Coast Blues HC

More Fantagraphics! This is the first in their new series of Jacques Tardi imports, a noir story about one of those normal guys that gets sucked into a world of crime and intrigue and whatnot. I've been looking forward to reading these Tardi books, so I'm excited to hunt this down and see what all the fuss is about. For now, here's where you can see a preview.

Which Witch's Wand Works TP

This appears to be a children's book from the UK, released in the US by IDW. It's about two bumbling witches having silly misadventures, or something. Probably cute.

With The Light Raising An Autistic Child Vol 5 GN

On the manga front, here's a series that I've read one volume of, and thought was quite good. Since then, there have been four more installments (with each one being of massive size), so I'm way behind. Maybe I'll catch up someday; I do want to see Hikaru become a cheerful working adult.

Yakitate Japan Vol 19 TP

The bread-making continues. I still haven't read any of this; maybe someday, maybe, maybe, maybe.

Yotsuba Vol 1 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 2 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 3 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 4 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 5 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 6 GN

Ah, and here's one to get everybody excited, along with a bunch of reprints. Yen Press picked up this popular title when ADV went under (or whatever happened to them), so they're putting out new versions of the first five volumes, and also the long-awaited sixth one. Everybody can cheer in the streets; our favorite green-haired cutey pie has been released from captivity! This series is really fun and cute and everything, so check it out if you can stand the sweetness. I've only read up through volume 3, so I've got some catching up to do...

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And that's everything? That's a bunch of book-format stuff that will keep me busy (and poor). Better than rich and bored, I always (never) say!

Athletic Monster Mash interlude #2: Slam Dunk lightens the mood a little

Hey, it looks like Eric Powell is going to be doing a crossover between The Goon and Metalocalypse sometime this summer.  That's pretty awesome.  Here's the trailer.

And I don't know if I've linked this before, but the late, great Seth Fisher's mom is continuing to post on his blog, analyzing his work and posting some of his short stories.  Good stuff, including this one that originally appeared in Heavy Metal.

Slam Dunk, volume 3

By Takehiko Inoue

Wow, this manga is about as enjoyable as comics get.  As we've seen in previous volumes, Takehiko Inoue has a real flair for goofy comedy, exciting sports action, and appealing characters, and that's as true here as ever.  He gets a lot of mileage out of just bouncing his obnoxious lug of a main character off of the rest of the cast, and at times, it seems like he's walking right up to the limits of likeability while still remaining on readers' good sides.

This volume sees Hanamichi, that doofus of a protagonist, constantly goofing around, bickering with his rival Rukawa, and refusing to cooperate when the team captain tries to get him to practice and actually learn how to play.  He just wants to do slam dunks all the time, so when he is forced to learn to do a simple lay-up, he struggles hilariously:

He also can't stand to see Rukawa get any attention, so he keeps throwing balls at him:

This leads to at least one laugh-out-loud moment; Hanamichi is a boundless source of slapstick comedy, since he's completely external.  Other than occasional pinings for his crush Haruko, nothing crosses his mind that he doesn't shout out to everyone nearby.  He's also constantly bragging about how good he is, even though he barely knows anything about basketball.  He's only interested in self-glorification, so learning about such basics as rebounding is beneath him:

The only reason anybody even puts up with him is due to his excellent natural athletic ability.  With some training, he could be a great addition to the team, but he's such a force of nature, it's near-impossible to get him to do anything constructive.  Hilariously, the other characters are already learning how to manipulate him into actually following instructions, as when the coach infoms him that the reason he's not in the starting lineup is because he's the team's secret weapon.

This all makes for some great reading, and you can see some canny moves on Inoue's part as he introduces his readers to the sport along with his protagonist.  It's easy to see why this manga made the sport so popular in Japan; things start out simple, rather than barraging the reader with rules and technicalities.  So far, Hanamichi has learned about the slam dunk, basic dribbling and ball-handling, the lay-up, and rebounding.  He's got a long way to go, with much, much more to learn; topics like man-on-man defense, full-court press, and blocking out are sure to pop up on the curriculum, with Hanamichi probably complaining about them all the way.

That's another thing that works so well about the series: while Hanamichi is self-centered and obnoxious, he doesn't get away with acting like a jerk.  He's constantly reprimanded by Akagi, the gorilla-like captain of the team:

And he makes himself look ridiculous more often than not; it's hilarious to watch him try to look cool and completely screw up nearly every time.  Hopefully, Inoue will continue to develop him as a character and actually have him learn some teamwork and respect for his fellow players.  In the meantime, we'll get plenty of great moments, with many more sure to come next volume when the team plays an exhibition game against a rival school.  I can imagine all sorts of hilarity stemming from the situation, and expecting Inoue to exceed my expectations is a pretty sure bet.

Worthwhile Monster Mash interlude: Takehiko Inoue is the Real Deal

Links: Check out this explanation of Geoff Grogan's process in creating the book Look Out!! Monsters.  I really want to read that one.

And there's some good stuff on this month's MySpace Dark Horse Presents, especially this short comic by Kate Beaton.  There's also a Goon story with art by Kristian Donaldson, a Wondermark strip, and an Achewood comic.  Nice.

Real, volume 3

By Takehiko Inoue

Three volumes into this series, Takehiko Inoue is still laying the groundwork, slowly introducing us to his characters and letting us get to know them.  The first volume was mostly about troublemaker Nomiya, while the second focused on Togawa, his past, and his continued coping with life in a wheelchair.  This time around, we get to spend time with Takahashi as he finally starts to come to terms with his injury and accept that he'll never walk again.  Inoue is fully fleshing out his cast, making them seem like real human beings, rather than two-dimensional plug-and-play sports manga stereotypes.  As with most anything Inoue does, it's amazing to watch him at work.

While Takahashi gets the main focus this time around, we still see some important developments with the other principals, including the results of an especially emotional game for Togawa's wheelchair basketball team.  He originally quit the team when he felt like he was the only one who cared whether they won or lost, with the others just happy to be playing at all when they were disabled.  But now that he's returned to the team, some of his fire seems to have spread to the others, and when one character disparages the idea of even putting forth the effort to win:

Another one who was struggling to keep up takes a stand against him, refusing to succumb to self-pity:

In a recognition that this is the important moment, Inoue doesn't even show us the end of the game; the results are offhandedly admitted in a bit of dialogue.  No, this is the real victory; Togawa's desire to do his best is finally spreading to the others.  Previously, he was pursuing this goal selfishly, but now he's working with the others and inspiring them to give it their all; it's a great moment.

As for Nomiya, he's still trying to get over the fact that he is responsible for the injury that put Natsumi in a wheelchair, and he travels to Nagano to see her.  He learns that she's managing as well as she can, learning to live with her disability and moving on with her life.  We see some foreshadowing for the rest of the volume in a scene in which Nomiya glimpses her doing some physical therapy:

I'm amazed by how well Inoue manages to present the grueling physical struggle that she is enduring there, from the expression on her face to the effort that it takes to accomplish such a seemingly simple task.  Incredible artwork, as always.

Nomiya's glimpse into Natsumi's life clarifies things for him as well; she is able to continue her life, but he's still stuck suffering regrets.  He wants to prove himself worthy of her, but he's never going to be able to do so if he keeps wallowing in the past.  He also needs to move on before he can ever even face her again.  Whether and how he'll be able to do so remains to be seen, but he's an enjoyable character to watch, so his struggles should make for some great reading.

But Nomiya and Togawa aren't the key figures in this volume; instead, we get an up-close and personal view of Takahashi as he continues to sink into depression about his lot in life.  Laid up in bed in the hospital, he can only feel sorry for himself and refuse to admit that the use of his legs is forever lost.  It's heartbreaking to see him deny his circumstances, even when presented with the evidence of his own useless appendages:

The beginning of his rehab is no better; when he learns that he's just going to be put on an incline table that raises him to an upright position, he gets angry:

But even that is too much for his body, and it's a crippling blow that really shows how far he has fallen.  And then, in what is obviously a choice that won't lead to much in the way of happiness or resolution, he insists on seeing the father that left him and his mother when he was young.  The man who shows up turns out to be nothing like the heroic figure that he remembers:

It's another crushing blow, and maybe one that will make things even worse.  Of course, the real last straw comes when Nomiya comes to apologize to Takahashi, and ends up bawling him out for feeling sorry for himself.  Along with some encouragement from a coach who once acted as a father figure for Takahashi, maybe this will finally get him to turn things around and stop giving up on himself.  But that will be for future volumes to depict.

The thing is, while this is hard to watch, it's a testament to Inoue's skill that we want to continue to do so.  Takahashi might not be the most likeable character, but he still feels like a real person, and we can't help but want him to succeed.  When he and Nomiya are reminiscing about the good old days when they played basketball together, it's heartbreaking, because they've both fallen so far from their dreams.  Somehow, they've come to feel like friends, and we just want them to be happy, even though that seems so impossible.  But that's what future volumes are for, and Inoue is eminently trustworthy when it comes to delivering on that promise.  I can't wait to see what he has in store.

Slam Dunk: Tight shorts or a bathrobe? Tough decision.

It's-a some links:  Hey, Mike Allred is doing some sort of project at DC, and Neil Gaiman is writing a Metamorpho story for it.  Interesting.  I'm always ready to read more Allred, so I'm looking forward to this one, even though it probably won't show up until 2010, I'm guessing.

And speaking of projects at DC, I'm actually interested in Kyle Baker's upcoming Hawkman thing, of which a couple pages can be seen here.  I have basically zero interest in the character, but I really love Baker's work, and this looks quite beautiful.  Now if only he would finish Special Forces...

Slam Dunk, volume 2

By Takehiko Inoue

Last time around, we ended with a highly intense cliffhanger.  Well, not really; Hanamichi may have quit the basketball team in a huff, but he's obviously not going to be gone for long, or else there wouldn't be much of a series.  And sure enough, a showdown with some thugs convinces him to return.  I'm not sure of the logic of that decision, but whatever, that means more sports comedy!  And so Takehiko Inoue spends a good half of the volume detailing a practice game between the team's newcomers and the upperclassmen.  But unfortunately, the headstrong Hanamichi isn't allowed to play, no matter how much he begs.  But while the action heats up on the court, he makes a comedic spectacle of himself on the sidelines, insulting the coach, yelling at the girls who are there to watch the cute boys, and cheering against Rukawa, his rival for Haruko's heart.  With Inoue's skill at crafting goofy comedy, it's hilarious to watch, and the sports action is exciting too.  And when Hanamichi finally convinces the coach to let him play, the two elements combine for a laugh-out-loud moment that has to be seen to be believed.

And then in the second half, we switch gears to off-court intrigue, as Aota, the captain of the judo team and a longtime rival of Takenori, the basketball team's captain, decides to recruit Hanamichi, sure that a tough guy like him would prefer the impact of martial arts.  This ends up lasting for the rest of the volume, as Aota ends up alternately fighting with Hanamichi and attempting to entice him with pictures of Haruko.  It's a funny sequence, again combining Inoue's flair for comedy with his skill at depicting physical movement.  It does go on a bit long though; I was waiting for the action to get back to the basketball court.  But that's just an impetus to pick up the next volume, for which I will be waiting anxiously.

Even though it's still early in this series, it's easy to see why it was so incredibly popular in Japan; Inoue is putting together a cast that is highly enjoyable to watch, and he plays their strong personalities off each other exquisitely.  It's fun to imagine some of the future developments, as the sports action kicks into high gear with actual games, and Hanamichi learns more about actually playing the game.  At the moment, he's a force of nature, all bluster and only a little skill; eventually, he's going to have to learn about teamwork and put aside any off-court rivalries in favor of actually playing real basketball.  I'm sure Inoue will make this simply delightful to observe, along with all the interpersonal and romantic drama that will surely transpire.

But while we're looking at what we already have, I can't help but point out how well Inoue does what he does.  The near-constant goofiness is perfectly executed, making Hanamichi such a lovable lug that you can't help but want him to succeed, while still feeling some satisfaction when he gets comeuppance for being such a selfish jerk.  It's a great balance, and as with the elements mentioned above, I can't wait to see how Inoue develops the character.  But for now, I can glory in scenes like this one:

Aw, jeez, you know he's going to get in trouble for that attitude (if you hadn't figured it out already, that's the coach he's messing with).  It's also fun to watch him interact with the other characters, and see his tough-guy demeanor melt when he's around Haruko.  And the way he gets flustered when she demonstrates her crush on Rukawa is hilarious:

And on the other front, Inoue's action is unparalleled, filling his layouts with motion that doesn't seem to sit still on the page.  The way he draws limbs as if they are blurred out because they are moving so fast, combined with the excellent use of speed lines that don't overwhelm the image, make for some incredibly eye-catching scenes:

And that's one of the less-dramatic scenes; the moments of really big athletic feats are given full-page or even-double page spreads, freezing characters in isolation on the page as if everything has switched to slow motion:

It's beautiful, and while I love to analyze this sort of thing, Inoue is so good at storytelling that I don't even notice this stuff until I look back at it a second time.  The first time through, I'm flipping pages as he propels me through the story, breathlessly awaiting each new development.  It's glorious; I can't get enough of it.  As I said, it's easy to see how this sold 100 million copies; with this kind of skill, Inoue can drive volumes right off the shelf and into readers' hands through sheer artistic force.  I cannot wait to see what's coming next.

Real: I sure feel like it is

I could link to some stuff here and there, but I'll just go with this one:  blog pals Tucker Stone and Noah Berlatsky are collaborating on a sort of tag-team review of Showcase Presents The Brave and the Bold.  That should make for some good reading.  Here's the first installment.

Real, volume 2

By Takehiko Inoue

Takehiko Inoue is an incredibly talented creator, delivering high-intensity drama that often either involves matters of life or death, or makes seemingly normal events seem that way.  This series would be one of the latter, and it's amazingly compelling reading, looking at real-life scenarios and putting readers right inside the heads of the characters, viscerally causing their emotions to leap right off the page.  It makes for a great read, and it's fascinating to see Inoue accomplish it so effectively.

This second volume of Inoue's series about wheelchair basketball takes a bit of a step back from advancing the plot, spending some time developing the characters instead.  The three leads each get their own plotline, barely even interacting with each other for the whole volume.  First, the recently-injured Hisanobu Takahashi deals with the emotional repercussions of being paralyzed and realizing he'll never play basketball again.  It was obvious that he's going to end up playing wheelchair basketball with the others as soon as he got injured in the last volume, but Inoue isn't going to just plop him in a wheelchair and have him join the team; he's exploring what the loss of mobility and freedom does to somebody, especially one that is as sure of himself as Takahashi is.  He says that he's going to walk again and keep playing basketball, but it's obviously a front, and we see the emotion come pouring out:

As a counterpoint to Takahashi's anguish, we see Nomiya's own emotional turmoil as he watches what would have been his last high school basketball game from the stands.  Without Takahashi's lead or Nomiya's skill, the team ends up floundering, and Nomiya has a similar emotional meltdown as he watches:

We see some flashbacks to his time playing with the team, and he remembers how important it was to him and how passionate he was about it, causing him to get that much more upset when he realizes it's all over.  It's tough to watch, especially since we've come to like the character and know that he's caught in a tailspin.  Will he be able to break out of it?

But the real meat of the book is the story of the third lead character, Kiyoharu Togawa (unfortunately referred to as Kiyohiku on the back cover).  After getting his ass handed to him by a better wheelchair ball player last volume, he's consumed with bettering himself, in classic manga style.  This means rejoining the team that he previously walked out on, and while he has a new resolve, they don't necessarily like the idea of him coming back and taking a position of leadership again.  It's a good conflict, but it gets taken over (for now, at least) by a lengthy flashback to before Togawa lost his leg to cancer, as he was discovering the competitive urge and the desire to better himself.

This flashback (or series thereof) starts out as a memory of Togawa's friend Azumi, but Inoue slips into an omniscient narrator voice in the captions as the story shifts to events that she couldn't have known about.  We see that Togawa became interested in track, but his father insisted that he play piano instead.  It's the classic Japanese father-son conflict that probably comes up in at least two thirds of the narratives produced by that culture; Togawa's father wants him to succeed at piano like he was never able to, but Togawa has discovered a new passion: running.  It turns out he's really good at it, and even has a chance at the national junior high meet.  Of course, we know what's coming in his future, so the buildup to what must eventually happen is excruciating.  But it's great drama, especially as Togawa's father comes to realize the importance of the sport to his son; it's like a miniature version of one of those family bonding movies.

Inoue's storytelling is pretty amazing here; it seems too obvious to have Togawa's cancer ruin his victory at the national meet, so he throws us off by seemingly showing him failing early on.  This turns out to be a dream, making us think that maybe he'll succeed after all.  But as the lead-up to the nationals continues, Togawa begins getting pains in his leg, and the terrible moment becomes all but inevitable.  It's powerful stuff, and Inoue actually ends the book on something of a cliffhanger, so we won't get to find out exactly what happened until the next volume.  Devious!

Inoue's plotting is incredibly effective, but it's made possible by the beautiful artwork that he delivers on every page.  The techniques he uses to convey emotional intensity are amazing, giving his characters a real expressiveness both in facial expression and body language.  I was especially floored by some of the techniques in the track sequences:

That page is notable for the "jump cut" between the race and the piano-playing, but that first panel is stunning.  I love how the runners' bodies are angled so low to the ground, increasing their perceived speed.  And the speed lines are mostly on the ground in front of them, drawing the eye in that direction and creating the perception that they're going to run right off the page.  But it gets even more impressive; later scenes are even more dramatic, and the background drop out altogether:

Look at the physicality of that figure!  And while he is surrounded by speed lines that make it look like he's moving incredibly quickly, the ones around his body are more sparse, and the lines on the ground are drawn parallel, making it look like Togawa is running right on top of those lines.  That's fast.  And then there's this page, which increases the perceived speed by angling the runners to look like they're charging down a steep hill, then contrasts it with the expressions of the spectators:

That's beautiful stuff.  And it's not all that Inoue manages; in addition to the excellent character work throughout, he delivers some incredible images in other places, like a flashback to Takahashi's accident that's shocking in its violence:

Or an emotional panel of Takahashi that recalls classic Japanese brushwork:

It's an amazing-looking book, and one that hits you right in the heart with its emotional storytelling.  I can't wait to check out the next volume; hopefully we'll get more interaction between the leads and continued growth of the characters.  But whatever Inoue does, it will surely be worth reading; he has demonstrated the ability to enthrall with any story he wishes to tell.  There's no stopping him.

This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

Slam Dunk: Ah, to be young, stupid, and good at sports

Here's that review of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season Two #1 at Comics Bulletin. Now for the business:

Slam Dunk, volume 1
By Takehiko Inoue



Takehiko Inoue obviously loves basketball, judging by the number of manga series he has based around the sport. His current series, Real, is about a wheelchair version of the game, and he has also done a goofy, futuristic hoops series called Buzzer Beater, but Slam Dunk is where it all started, back in 1991. After reading some of the excellent Real (as well as his samurai series Vagabond), it’s fascinating to look back and see how his art style has changed over the years, as well as the development of his storytelling skills.

While his more recent work takes a more serious, adult tone, Slam Dunk is a full-on shonen sports comedy, with an obnoxious, talented protagonist, the requisite love interest, plenty of slapstick antics and comic violence, some locker-room humor, and lots of super-deformed character art. It’s definitely an early work, but you can still recognize Inoue’s art style, and he was a great writer even then, crafting a fun, gripping story with some entertaining drama and lots of truly hilarious moments.

The story here is about Hanamichi Sakuragi, one of those self-confident, full of himself, ridiculously talented shonen characters, who decides to join his new high school's basketball team when he meets Haruko, a cute girl who is just his type, and finds out that she is a big hoops fan. Being a headstrong and not especially bright fellow, he throws himself into the task, but he doesn't know the first thing about the sport, so Inoue gets some good comedy out of his mishaps, like when he tries to perform a slam dunk for her and bonks his head on the backboard. You'll have to read the book to see the actual scene, which is beautifully staged, with a perfect punchline, but here's the aftermath:



Of course, there are some complications, like Hanamichi's tendency to get in tussles with the upperclassmen (most of whom he already towers over), and the existence of Rukawa, another guy who Haruko thinks quite highly of and is already pretty awesome at basketball. And then there's the Takenori, team captain, who Hanamichi picks a fight with and ends up playing a pick-up game against. He's a huge guy, with an awesome (awesomely bad, that is) haircut:



Some (mostly Hanamichi) would even refer to him as a gorilla. Their lengthy game is wonderfully done, drawn out over three chapters and punctuated with some hilarious comedy, including a moment that will probably serve to have Hanamichi perpetually on Takenori's bad side:



It seems like a lopsided contest, but in true shonen manga fashion, Hanamichi is determined and talented enough to learn just enough over the course of the game and prevail. But wouldn'cha know it, Takenori is Haruko's older brother, and she had just wanted them to be friends, so Hanamichi could help lead the team to the national championship. Takenori, humiliated by his defeat, doesn't want anything to do with him, so Hanamichi goes about trying to get on his good side, in the silliest manner possible, of course, doing things like delivering a huge box of bananas to Takenori's desk. Because gorillas like bananas, of course. Hanamichi eventually wins him over by showing more dedication than some of the current members of the team, but once he joins the squad, he gets relegated to the corner of the gym learning fundamentals with Ayako, the spunky team manager:



But he soon gets frustrated because he can't join in the rest of the team's practice activities, leading him to quit dramatically. To be continued! Oh, the drama!

It's an amazingly fun read, showing that even when Inoue was starting out, he knew what he was doing. He's able to draw the reader in quickly and get them invested in Hanamichi's travails, while still laughing at him when he screws up. The art is an interesting early version of his style, usually remaining more spare and clean than his current work, but during moments of action or intense emotion, he sometimes makes it more scratchy and kinetic, similar to how his current artwork. He also does a lot more comedy and chibi here, with characters contorting their faces into crazy expressions and tears flowing freely. And he uses some interesting representations of both physical and verbal conflict, as in this scene when Haruko thinks Hanamichi has been fighting with Rukawa, his rival for her affections:



And I love that dynamic action. Scenes of characters jumping, running, fighting, or performing the eponymous action are beautifully rendered, with rushing speed lines and cool motion distortion. My favorite example is probably Hanamichi's incredible effort to defend against Takenori:



So it's definitely tons of fun, and this is only the initial volume of what was a long-running series, lasting 31 volumes. I expect future volumes will be filled with some excellent, dramatic basketball action. It was good enough that it even sparked a large increase in the popularity of the sport in Japan. When was the last time a comic had that kind of effect on society in the United States? I can't wait to read more, and I'm sure Inoue will continue to blow me away with his excellence.

This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher. Volume 1 is scheduled to be released on September 2, 2008.

Real: Takehiko Inoue shows off his arm strength

Talk about good manga below, but first, I gotta point everybody to the Umbrella Academy story that's up on this month's MySpace Dark Horse Presents. When's the next miniseries coming out, dammit? Also in this "issue": A goofy story written by Zack Whedon (Joss's brother) and illustrated by Eric Canete that ties in with (Joss) Whedon's upcoming web-musical starring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion, a weird insect-western by John Arcudi and Steve Young, and a short one by Tara McPherson. Good times.

Also, I completely missed this when I was talking to Christopher Mitten at Wizard World, but check out the back cover of the issue of Wasteland that just came out:



Yeah, that's right, I got blurbed! Sweet! I wish it didn't make me sound so monosyllabic (and unoriginal, considering the celebratory interjection I just chose to use), but I'll take it. And I've also got a review of said issue up at Comics Bulletin.

Okay, on to business:

Real, volume 1
By Takehiko Inoue



Takehiko Inoue starts out the Real with an excellent scene that instantly defines its central character and ensures that you'll (probably) want to keep reading about him. Tomomi Nomiya, a recent high school dropout who used to be the captain of the basketball team, makes a visit to his former school to say goodbye to the place. In short order, he confesses a crush to a girl, play-kicks the new team captain (in a way that is obviously joking but still hard enough that you can tell he really does feel like hurting the guy), bequeaths his basketball shoes to a couple friends, and then strips naked and leaves, stopping to take a shit in the entrance gate on his way out:



It's funny stuff, but still pretty tense and kind of disturbing; the kid is obviously a troublemaker, but he must have had some sort of drive to be the captain of the team. What happened to make him give up and quit school? We get a hint of an answer when one of his friends mentions a motorcycle accident, and we learn more about said accident when Nomiya visits the hospital to spend time with a girl named Natsumi, who we learn was rendered crippled and near-comatose while riding on his bike, while he barely suffered a scratch. In a hint of the good-heartedness that he keeps hidden under a tough exterior, Nomiya has pledged to take care of her, even though he doesn't really even know her; he just happened to pick her up and give her a ride before almost getting her killed. He feels responsible, so he tries to visit and cheer her up, even though her sister doesn't approve.

It's a nice establishment of character in a quick, entertaining few pages. Though Nomiya acts all tough and full of braggadocio, he's got a heart of gold underneath. He just needs to mature a little bit. And what could make him mature? Why, the hard work and dedication required to excel at basketball, of course! Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any public basketball courts in Japan (a foreign concept to Americans, since we're used to blacktop courts in every playground, or a hoop set up in our house's driveway), so he seems to be out of luck. That is, until he runs into Kiyoharu Togawa, an athlete who lost a leg to bone cancer but didn't let that stop him from continuing to play basketball, even if he's relegated to a wheelchair. While the two of them are antagonistic toward each other at first, they soon realize that they have a lot in common, especially since Togawa quit his wheelchair basketball team after punching a teammate who wasn't sufficiently victory-minded. They share a desire to play basketball, but lack the resources to do anything about it.

After a couple of Nomiya's friends from school start to get picked on by the new team captain, he recruits Togawa to confront them and settle things, on the basketball court, of course. After that, the two of them start playing games for money with rich kids, teaming up to school them and build a good bankroll. At the same time, Hisanobu Takahashi, the new captain of Nomiya's old team, gets into a bicycle accident and loses the use of his legs, so he is poised to join the world of wheeled athletics. It's all a good introduction to the characters, a deepening of their relationships, and a good setup for plenty of interesting plots to come.

Inoue really demonstrates that he is a master of the comics form here, quickly establishing characters and situations and setting up conflicts and alliances between characters. It's a pleasure to watch as he throws them together and lets them bounce off each other. The characters are so expressive, both in facial movement and body language:



I love the way Nomiya wears such a sad-sack expression all the time, and while he's fairly big, he carries himself kind of slumped over, like he's trying to look smaller. But when he's on the court, he gets such confidence that he acts like nobody can stop him. Togawa is similar, dedicated to doing his best and acting stoic, not letting anybody get close. And then there's the sports action, which Inoue knocks out of the park (to use a metaphor from a different game entirely). As anybody who has seen his artwork knows, he's amazing at depicting movement, really adding a visceral excitement to the on-court action:



But the other thing he does so well is depict the pure joy that comes from athletic activity, as in this scene from Nomiya and Togawa's first meeting and pick-up game, when Togawa actually (almost) jumps his wheelchair over a broom that has fallen onto the court when chasing after a loose ball:



That aura of pleasure and excitement that arises when playing the sport is probably as responsible for Nomiya and Togawa forming a connection as anything else, and Inoue conveys it perfectly, without having to resort to monologues about how much they love basketball, or how it makes them feel better than anything else, or something like that. It's wonderful, true-to-life stuff, and since it's such a relatable feeling, it draws the reader right into the story.

So where is the series going next? Togawa seems dedicated to bettering himself and playing with a wheelchair basketball team. Takahashi will certainly become entangled in matters now that he is crippled. But how will Nomiya remain involved? As a fully-mobile person, will he have to live out his fantasies of competition through his friends? Will he remain forever relegated to pick-up games for quick cash? Will he ever make a connection with Natsumi? I can't wait to read future volumes of the series and find out.

This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher. The book is due in stores on July 15.