Hey, how about them Coen brothers? They got their Oscar, for an excellent movie. Good times. Here's my usual weekly preview, and I should also point out my contribution to Comics Bulletin's Sunday Slugfest of The Megas, a new series from Virgin Comics created by director Jonathan Mostow. It's not bad, but not great either. Yet. Anyway:
New comics this week (Wednesday, 2/27/08):
Army @ Love #12
Hey, looks like there's enough of this series for a second trade now. So DC, hurry up and put this out so I can read it already!
Criminal 2 #1
All right, the new volume of the awesome series is out, in a new, bigger format. It looks cool. Can't wait to read it.
Dan Dare #4
I've been so-so on this series so far, but I saw some preview art for this issue, and it looks really sweet. But even at its worst, it's still some cool Garth Ennis comics.
Gravel #1
I bought the zero issue of this series, and it seemed interesting enough, but for the sake of funds, I think I might skip out on the series. I've just never been too into the Strange Kiss comics, so I think I'll pass. But I'm enough of a Warren Ellis follower that I'll probably regret it.
Jack of Fables #20
I'm forgetting what was happening in this story. I think Jack and company are still searching for treasure in the land of American fables. Maybe they'll find it. I bet it will be fun, no matter what.
Kick-Ass #1
Ah, Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.'s new "ultra-realistic" superhero comic. I've read a preview PDF, and I should have a review up on Comics Bulletin tomorrow, so tune in then to see what I think. I'll say this though: if you didn't like Millar's nihilistic tendencies in comics like Wanted, you probably shouldn't read this. (EDIT: here's the review)
Megas #1
Here's the aforementioned Virgin series "created by" Jonathan Mostow, director of Breakdown, U-571, and Terminator 3. It's got an interesting hook, positing an alternate history in which the United States was founded as a monarchy rather than a democracy, but not a lot happens in the first issue. It could turn into something interesting, but it's kind of dull right now. We'll see. Feel free to read my review for more details.
Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #3
Is there an actual schedule for this book, or does it just come out whenever? I forget when the last issue was. Maybe November? I'm trying to recall what was going on, but I'm sure I'll get caught up. It's a beautifully-illustrated series, so I'm sure I'll still dig it.
Narcopolis #2
I didn't write anything about the first issue of this miniseries, but it was kind of cool. I liked the speech patterns the characters used, and I do enjoy some nice, splatterific gore. Keep it up, Delano!
Rasl #1
New Jeff Smith! This isn't seeing much fanfare, but it seemed like a big deal when it debuted at San Diego last year. I believe it has to do with a dimension-hopping thief or something, but Smith's name is all I need to hear to get me on board.
Rex Libris #10
Ooh, this is also always fun. More adventures of everyone's favorite wordy, hard-boiled librarian (if he's not your favorite, he should be!).
Donald Duck Adventures Barks Rosa Collection Vol 2 Donalds Atom Bomb TP
Sweet. I love the Carl Barks and Don Rosa duck comics, so it's always cool to see them being collected into nice volumes like this. If I had more money, I'd buy as many of them as I could.
Franklin Richards Collected Chaos Digest
I've kind of quit buying these Franklin Richards comics, but they are quite fun, so I do recommend them if you like cute kiddy comics that ostensibly tie in to Fantastic Four.
Grease Monkey TP
I'm not familiar with this comic, but it does look nice. It appears to be about a talking gorilla mechanic who fixes spaceships. Hey, why not? Here's the official site, which has lots of information and previews and whatnot.
Hieronymus B GN
New from Top Shelf, it's a book by German artist Ulf K., about "a lovable and humble clerk". It's always good to get some European comics published over here, so I might try to check this out. Here, have a preview.
Krash Bastards GN
A new graphic novel from Joe Casey and Alex#13. I'm not sure what it's about (crazy, manga-style action, as far as I can tell), but I dig Casey's writing, so I'll try to score a copy. For more information, here's an interview with the creators that contains some preview art.
Maakies With Wrinkled Knees HC
I thought this came out last week, but it's on my shop's list for this week, so maybe it was delayed. Not that I'm going to be able to afford it, but I figured I would point it out again, since Tony Millionaire is awesome.
Mixtape Art of Jim Mahfood vol. 1 HC
Also awesome: Jim Mahfood. That guy has a wild, fun aesthetic that I really like. I don't know if this is comics or just art, but it will be worth checking out (but not buying, for me, because it's too expensive. Sorry, Jim!).
Punisher Max HC vol. 4
Damn, I just keep getting farther and farther behind on these. Someday I will read these. Someday. Really!
Beauty Pop Vol 7 TP
I hear this is a good shojo series, so I suppose I could read it someday. Probably not anytime soon though.
Crayon Shinchan vol. 1
I should really check this out. I like the TV show on Adult Swim. It's like a weird collection of Japanese neuroses, in which no characters have any internal monologue; they just spit out whatever horrible thoughts they are thinking. Ah, misanthropy!
Gin Tama Vol 5 TP
Another series I hear is quite enjoyable, about samurai and aliens, or something. Maybe I'll get to it someday.
Honey and Clover Vol 1 TP
But this one shouldn't wait. It's really, really good. I already read it every month in Shojo Beat (here, read my reviews!), but I recommend everybody check it out. It deserves to be super-successful. Let's make it the next Naruto, people! Okay, that's not going to happen. How about the next Fruits Basket or Hikaru No Go? Eh, I'd settle for Yotsuba&!.
Monkey High Vol 1 TP
This was previewed in Shojo Beat a couple months ago, and it doesn't look too bad. If only the title was literal, I would be all over it...
NANA Vol 9 TP
Oh, crap! I'm gonna have to rush out and get this one. What will happen next in the tumultuous saga of the Nanas and their pals? I can't wait to find out. Here's my look at volume 8, if anyone missed it.
Wild Ones Vol 2 TP
And here's another shojo series that I could get into, given the chance. It's the one about a girl and her yakuza bodyguards, for anyone who doesn't remember. I think it might be one of the few series that got previewed in Shojo Beat that I feel like I might want to buy. Like I always say, maybe someday.
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And I think that's everything. Not a huge week for pamphlets, but there are plenty of manga and graphic novels to get. I guess I'll be busy. Okay, come back later for more content!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Jumper: Jumpscars: These scars are of the emotional variety, I suspect
Not too much news at the moment, so let's get right to tonight's thing:
Jumper: Jumpscars
Written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
Art by Brian Hurtt
I never finished reading the novel that the new movie Jumper is based on (there's kind of a story behind that, but it's probably only interesting to me, so I'll skip it), and I always regretted not knowing how it turned out. I'll probably end up seeing the movie (I don't think too highly of Hayden Christensen, but Samuel L. Jackson is always cool, and the action scenes look pretty awesome and innovative), but from what I hear, it doesn't have too much in common with the book, other than the central premise of a guy that is able to teleport himself to anywhere in the world. But while I doubt I'll get to the book anytime soon, and the movie will probably have to wait until DVD, I do have this prequel comic that effectively sets up the background of the plot. So at least there's some outlet for my teleportation cravings (I can also dig up some comics featuring Nightcrawler if they get especially bad).
Apparently, in the world of the film, people occasionally are born with the special ability to teleport, or "jump". But there's also a secret police force, called "Paladins", who hunt down these "jumpers" and terminate them. Judging by the reviews I've read, the movie doesn't give them much motivation, other than a line or two in which one of them says something like, "Only God should have the ability to be everywhere at once." That's not too egregious for an action movie; people would probably rather just focus on special effects and teleporation-based fighting. But it's an interesting idea, and writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir use this prequel to explore it a bit, giving the Paladins a bit more backstory and motivation.
It's an interesting reversal; rather than following a jumper, the book sticks with Jessica, a young woman who is a Paladin-in-training. Actually, her younger, earlier days as a trainee, which make up the bulk of the story, take place in flashback; in the present, she is tailing Hayden Christensen's character in order to determine whether he should be terminated. She ends up making a decision and taking a side in the conflict (I'm not sure if her character shows up in the movie or not), but the flashbacks show us what led her to that point.
In that first mission, she moves into an apartment building where jumper activity has been detected, hoping to find out who the culprit is. We learn that they are usually young kids, since the Paladins catch and do away with jumpers before they get old enough to be really dangerous. This sounds pretty horrible, and we see a sequence in which she and Samuel L. Jackson (that's him on the cover, before his hair turned silver) hunt down another kid jumper with the intent of killing him. It's hard to take (they are the bad guys, after all), but we do also learn some of their motivations, which make it seem like they aren't completely misguided. Basically, they assume that jumpers, lacking any physical (and thus moral) restraints, will begin to view themselves as above other humans, and thus endanger everyone else. It's a bit of a weak justification for child murder, but wars have been waged for less.
So anyway, Jessica suspects that this kid in the building is the jumper, but she wants to get concrete proof, if possible. Hey, you don't want to go around killing kids for no reason, right? She also ends up forming a relationship with the building supervisor, a cute guy who travels around a lot. You can probably see the obvious twist coming, but that's part of the tragedy of the story, and it helps us understand the choices she makes in her career. It's not a bad bit of writing, and I bet it will inform my viewing of the movie, whenever I get around to it.
And luckily, illustrator extraordinaire Brian Hurtt (The Damned, Hard Time, Queen and Country) provides the artwork, so it's also a great-looking book, full of nice character work and beautifully-realized locales. He really makes the characters come to life, putting the reader right in the moment. And he also makes the action jump right off the page; there are some bursts of violence that are really shocking (I did mention the child-murdering, right?). As much as I like Hurtt's moody black and white art in The Damned, it's also really nice to see it colored, and Jared M. Jones, Dean Trippe, and Pop Art Studios do and excellent job on that here. I especially dig the teleportation effects, which seem to mirror the style of the movie very well.
So, it's a pretty good little book, in my opinion. It's probably not of much interest to anybody who doesn't plan to see the movie, but it seems like it's been doing pretty well at the box office, so maybe some of those viewers will want to seek out this prequel. So if you're one of those people, I urge you to give the book a try.
This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by Oni Press.
Jumper: Jumpscars
Written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
Art by Brian Hurtt
I never finished reading the novel that the new movie Jumper is based on (there's kind of a story behind that, but it's probably only interesting to me, so I'll skip it), and I always regretted not knowing how it turned out. I'll probably end up seeing the movie (I don't think too highly of Hayden Christensen, but Samuel L. Jackson is always cool, and the action scenes look pretty awesome and innovative), but from what I hear, it doesn't have too much in common with the book, other than the central premise of a guy that is able to teleport himself to anywhere in the world. But while I doubt I'll get to the book anytime soon, and the movie will probably have to wait until DVD, I do have this prequel comic that effectively sets up the background of the plot. So at least there's some outlet for my teleportation cravings (I can also dig up some comics featuring Nightcrawler if they get especially bad).
Apparently, in the world of the film, people occasionally are born with the special ability to teleport, or "jump". But there's also a secret police force, called "Paladins", who hunt down these "jumpers" and terminate them. Judging by the reviews I've read, the movie doesn't give them much motivation, other than a line or two in which one of them says something like, "Only God should have the ability to be everywhere at once." That's not too egregious for an action movie; people would probably rather just focus on special effects and teleporation-based fighting. But it's an interesting idea, and writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir use this prequel to explore it a bit, giving the Paladins a bit more backstory and motivation.
It's an interesting reversal; rather than following a jumper, the book sticks with Jessica, a young woman who is a Paladin-in-training. Actually, her younger, earlier days as a trainee, which make up the bulk of the story, take place in flashback; in the present, she is tailing Hayden Christensen's character in order to determine whether he should be terminated. She ends up making a decision and taking a side in the conflict (I'm not sure if her character shows up in the movie or not), but the flashbacks show us what led her to that point.
In that first mission, she moves into an apartment building where jumper activity has been detected, hoping to find out who the culprit is. We learn that they are usually young kids, since the Paladins catch and do away with jumpers before they get old enough to be really dangerous. This sounds pretty horrible, and we see a sequence in which she and Samuel L. Jackson (that's him on the cover, before his hair turned silver) hunt down another kid jumper with the intent of killing him. It's hard to take (they are the bad guys, after all), but we do also learn some of their motivations, which make it seem like they aren't completely misguided. Basically, they assume that jumpers, lacking any physical (and thus moral) restraints, will begin to view themselves as above other humans, and thus endanger everyone else. It's a bit of a weak justification for child murder, but wars have been waged for less.
So anyway, Jessica suspects that this kid in the building is the jumper, but she wants to get concrete proof, if possible. Hey, you don't want to go around killing kids for no reason, right? She also ends up forming a relationship with the building supervisor, a cute guy who travels around a lot. You can probably see the obvious twist coming, but that's part of the tragedy of the story, and it helps us understand the choices she makes in her career. It's not a bad bit of writing, and I bet it will inform my viewing of the movie, whenever I get around to it.
And luckily, illustrator extraordinaire Brian Hurtt (The Damned, Hard Time, Queen and Country) provides the artwork, so it's also a great-looking book, full of nice character work and beautifully-realized locales. He really makes the characters come to life, putting the reader right in the moment. And he also makes the action jump right off the page; there are some bursts of violence that are really shocking (I did mention the child-murdering, right?). As much as I like Hurtt's moody black and white art in The Damned, it's also really nice to see it colored, and Jared M. Jones, Dean Trippe, and Pop Art Studios do and excellent job on that here. I especially dig the teleportation effects, which seem to mirror the style of the movie very well.
So, it's a pretty good little book, in my opinion. It's probably not of much interest to anybody who doesn't plan to see the movie, but it seems like it's been doing pretty well at the box office, so maybe some of those viewers will want to seek out this prequel. So if you're one of those people, I urge you to give the book a try.
This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by Oni Press.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Oscars 2007: In which I am conflicted
It's that time of year again, when Hollywood gets together to celebrate itself. I looked at the Oscar nominees and offered commentary last year, so why not do it again? But first, I wanted to link to my review of Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now #5, which adapted the short story "I, Robot", over at Comics Bulletin. It's kind of a negative review, so if Dara Naraghi reads this, I hope I didn't offend you or anything; I was trying to be as honest as possible about what I thought. Overall, I've found the series interesting, with the adaptation of "Craphound" being the best entry. This one isn't terrible, but I just didn't like it enough as an adaptation of the story. Eh, you can read the review for details.
I also wanted to point out this news story on Newsarama, which reports that David Fincher will be directing a movie adaptation of Charles Burns' Black Hole. That should be pretty awesome, although I don't know how well it will work as a movie, since it's kind of a set of serialized chapters. I'll interested to see how it works out.
Okay, On to:
Oscars 2007:
2007 was a pretty darn good year for movies, so I don't think I'll have as many complaints or objections to the nominees as I did last year. Let's see how it goes, starting with the more "minor" categories first. And I'll leave out the ones in which I have no idea, like Best Short Film.
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And that's everything. Anybody else have any picks or guesses? We'll see how close we are are on Sunday, after which I might add some comments or something. See you then, and I should be back with more comics content tomorrow, hopefully.
I also wanted to point out this news story on Newsarama, which reports that David Fincher will be directing a movie adaptation of Charles Burns' Black Hole. That should be pretty awesome, although I don't know how well it will work as a movie, since it's kind of a set of serialized chapters. I'll interested to see how it works out.
Okay, On to:
Oscars 2007:
2007 was a pretty darn good year for movies, so I don't think I'll have as many complaints or objections to the nominees as I did last year. Let's see how it goes, starting with the more "minor" categories first. And I'll leave out the ones in which I have no idea, like Best Short Film.
Achievement in sound editingI'm never sure about these technical categories, but I would go for either No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood. They both sounded great. But these categories usually go to loud movies, right? So maybe Transformers will win. Eh, whatever. There's a reason I get these out of the way first.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins
Achievement in sound mixingUh, ditto what I said for the last category. Maybe Ratatouille? I dunno.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin
Achievement in film editingAh, now this is one I feel like I'm better able to comment on. I'll say No Country for Old Men should win, since that's one nice, tightly-structured film (and by the way, for anybody who doesn't know, "Roderick Jaynes" is a pseudonym for the Coen brothers). There Will Be Blood could also compete (those two will probably be duking it out in quite a few categories). I didn't see The Bourne Ultimatum yet, but if it was anything like The Bourne Supremacy, I wouldn't want it to win, since all the camera shaking and fast cutting in the latter film made me feel like I was missing all the action. But maybe that's a question of cinematography rather than editing. And here's where I start mentioning the movies I thought should have been nominated (but never would be because they didn't make enough money): Sunshine, which had some incredible stuff, including excellently-edited subliminal imagery. Okay, that's all.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor
Achievement in makeupNorbit?! Really? Come on, that's ridiculous. There must have been something else worthy of recognition than yet another guy in a fat suit. I saw Mrs. Doubtfire 15 years ago. So it's gotta be one of the others (I can't think of any that should have been nominated). We already saw Bill Nighy with tentacles on his face in the second Pirates movie, so I don't see what would have made the third one any better. So I'll go with La Vie en Rose, even though I haven't seen it yet. Why not?
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
Achievement in visual effectsThis one will probably go to Transformers, which was cool-looking enough to win, I guess. But maybe Pirates has a chance. My only choice that I can think of to add would be Sunshine. Usually, I can think of a movie that had more subtle effects instead of the big, loud CGI variety, but nothing comes to mind from 2007.
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier
Achievement in art directionThese seem like pretty good choices. I would think it will come down to Sweeney Todd or Atonement; both those films were beautiful. If I was going to add one (or replace, say, The Golden Compass), I would say The Darjeeling Limited, which had Wes Anderson's usual awesome style. But nobody else seemed to like that one.
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
Achievement in cinematographyMan, this is a tough category. I saw all of these except The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (which looked incredible, judging by the previews), and they all looked really good. So any of them could win. I would add Rescue Dawn, Away From Her, Black Book, Across the Universe, and Gone Baby Gone to the list of possible other nominees. And I'll choose The Assassination of Jesse James, since it's not up for much of anything else.
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit
Achievement in costume designWhoa, another good category. I don't have anything much to add, except maybe Black Book. I expect it will go to Sweeney Todd, or maybe La Vie en Rose, unless Atonement is on a roll or something. I don't know, I'll choose Sweeney Todd. I liked Johnny Depp's suits.
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)Atonement should definitely win this one; it had an amazing score that used typewriter noises as percussion in a really cool way. Ratatouille was also nice enough. And I think There Will Be Blood should have been nominated; the way the score would swell to a piercingly-loud crescendo was almost unbearably tension-raising.
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)If Once doesn't win this one, I'll be pissed. The scene where they sang that song was incredible. Also, did Enchanted really need three out of five nominations? There must have been something else that could have gone in the place of at least one of them.
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
Best animated feature film of the yearI hope this goes to Persepolis, even though I haven't seen it yet. But it looks great. Ratatouille is also pretty good, but it's not one of my favorite Pixar movies. My suggestions: Meet the Robinsons and Paprika. The former might have stood a chance of being nominated, but not the latter; non-Miyazaki anime doesn't usually get any mainstream recognition.
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
Best documentary featureI haven't seen any of these, but I bet there could have been some others here, like The Devil and Daniel Johnston (unless that didn't come out in 2007). I don't know if Sicko will win, since Michael Moore is too controversial a figure, and he didn't really make a huge splash with the movie. So maybe it'll go to No End in Sight; liberal "issue" docs usually seem popular. I'll go with that one.
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine
Best foreign language film of the yearI didn't see any of these, but they seem like a weak bunch. I would suggest Black Book, and there must be something else. Maybe 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days? I don't know, I'll go with 12.
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia
Adapted screenplayMan, another tough category! I think any of them could win (although I haven't seen The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), since they were all really good. I'll go with Away From Her, since it's one of its only nominations, but any of them would be a good choice.
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
Original screenplayOoh, I need to see The Savages. This one will probably go to Juno, since the popular quirky indie of the year often wins this category. Although Michael Clayton might also have a chance. Myself, I would add The Darjeeling Limited, but that's just me.
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins
Performance by an actor in a supporting roleI don't think anybody's going to beat Javier Bardem here; he was awesome. Casey Affleck was also really good, but there's no way he's beating Javier. And I can't think of any other possible nominees. That's all.
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actor in a leading roleAnd nobody's going to beat Daniel Day-Lewis here, although Viggo Mortensen was also really, really good. Any other year, and he would be my pick. Oh, and my other suggestions for nominees would be Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Lookout.
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
Performance by an actress in a supporting roleFrom what I've seen, both Amy Ryan and Saoirse Ronan were quite good, and I've also heard Cate Blanchett did a good job. I'll go with Ronan. I can't really think of any other possibilities. Maybe Marketa Irglova in Once? Helena Bonham Carter in Sweeney Todd? Zoe Bell in Death Proof? I dunno.
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a leading roleEverybody loves Ellen Page these days, but I really hope Julie Christie wins. She was incredible as a women succumbing to Alzheimer's. Why did Cate Blanchett get nominated? I heard that movie was awful. Marion Cotillard might also have a chance, since that movie is supposed to be really good. I would also submit Carice Van Houten in Black Book.
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)
Achievement in directingI think it's another showdown between No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Maybe it's finally the Coen brothers' year. I'll go with them. As for other suggestions, I'll make another pitch for Wes Anderson and The Darjeeling Limited. Oh, and Joe Wright did an awesome job with Atonement.
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson
Best motion picture of the yearDitto the last entry; it comes down to No Country and Blood. Although Atonement also stands a chance. Michael Clayton doesn't seem likely, although maybe I'll change my mind when I see it. Juno is the "lucky to be included" choice for the year, but it's also quite good. Really, I can't complain about this set of nominees. But if I was going to throw out my own choices, I would include The Darjeeling Limited, Rescue Dawn, and Black Book, which I think are all "best picture" material.
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production) A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers
-----
And that's everything. Anybody else have any picks or guesses? We'll see how close we are are on Sunday, after which I might add some comments or something. See you then, and I should be back with more comics content tomorrow, hopefully.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Shojo Beat: Good riddance to bad (i.e. poorly-designed) robots
I thought I would have some external reviews to link to, but I guess not, or at least not yet. So I'll get right to business:
Shojo Beat
March 2008
That's right, Bryan Lee O'Malley provides the awesome cover to this issue! Check out that kick-ass image! He's a pretty cool fellow, methinks. The interior sees him do a standard interview, and I learned from the introduction that he is "known to his fans as 'BLOM'". I guess I'm not much of a fan, because I had never heard that before. Is it actually true? The nickname I hear used most often is "Mal". Anyway, he also contributed a yonkoma-style four-panel strip, which I hope I won't get in trouble for reproducing here, for any non-subscriber fans of BLOM/Mal:
As you probably saw from the cover, this is "the art issue", which means there are a few pages discussing artistic tools and techniques, including an interesting comparison between a page of Japanese manga (with notes about artistic details like screentones and effects) and its English translation (with details about translating dialogue and sound effects). It's not really anything groundbreaking; if you've read anything about comics art production or translation, you'll be familiar with everything discussed. But it's a good start for any of the kids, who are, you know, the actual intended audience of this magazine.
We also get to hear the first mention of the new series to replace Absolute Boyfriend, Gaba Kawa. It's only five chapters long, and it's something about a trouble-causing demon girl. We'll see what that's like next month.
Okay, on to the manga! There are two previews this month, starting with:
ION
By Arina Tanemura
This is only a short preview, excerpting less than a full chapter of this early work by Arina Tanemura, creator of Full Moon and Gentlemen's Alliance, and a popular creator that Viz has been promoting the hell out of (she was their special guest at last year's San Diego Comicon). Myself, I don't really like her style, since the ridiculously large, sparkly eyes she draws on all her characters creep me out. This one was earlier in her career though, and it seems like she hadn't quite reached her later heights of ocular dysmorphism, so it's not as offputting here. The story concerns a girl named Ion who recites the letters of her name as a sort of good luck charm, which usually works. Apparently, she's going to find out from the leader of her school's occult club that she has psychic powers or something, but we don't actually get that far in this preview. Instead, the focus is on the annoying student council president, who is determined to make her his girlfriend, prompting her to flee whenever he draws near. Eh, it's cute and everything, but not something I would read. But I did want to comment on the costume design. It seems like manga creators (especially in shojo) like to design neat uniforms for their fictional schools (see Vampire Knight, or Tanemura's own Gentlemen's Alliance), and this one is no exception. Tanemura's design of a sort of belly shirt over a dress (or pants) looks cute enough on girls, but absolutely ridiculous on the boys. And the class president's "long hair tied back with a bow" look doesn't help matters:
I don't know, I just found that hilarious. That's all.
B.O.D.Y.
By Ao Mimori
This preview is a full chapter about a girl who likes a boy in her class because he seems quiet and studious. But then she finds out he works for a host club, and is scandalized. And that's about all there is to it, at least in this first chapter. It doesn't seem like a premise that would lead to much of a variety of stories, but maybe Mimori expands the cast a bit in later chapters or something. It seems cute enough, and the art is fairly appealing, if not especially memorable. So, yeah, I don't think I'll bother keeping up with it. Somebody let me know if it turns out to be great or something.
Absolute Boyfriend
By Yuu Watase
Here's the big event of this issue, the final chapter of one of the series that started running in the first issue of the magazine. And, as I had heard, it's a pretty awful, anticlimactic ending. The series was never great (it seemed like Watase lost interest somewhere around the "Night gets turned into a tiny version of himself" storyline), but it deserved a better sendoff than this. What happens is [SPOILERS, even though I've pretty much made clear that I don't think the series is really worth reading. But if you can't bear to find out what happens until you read the final collection, skip to the next review], after Soshi moved away last chapter and left Riiko and Night to live happily ever after, Night burns out his circuits and "dies" (although Watase does leave open the possibility of a sequel, so he could come back someday). But it's not like he gets to profess his love to Riiko as she holds him in her arms and he breathes his last breath (fires his last electron?); instead, it happens off-panel, and Riiko comes home to discover his body being taken away. Maybe Watase was depressed or something. "You thought you were going to get a happy ending?!? Suckers!!! There's no such thing as 'happily ever after'! Love dies for no reason, and you will never find true happiness! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!" So, yeah, it's a crappy ending to a pretty sub-mediocre series. I will say that there is one bit that is kind of affecting; when Riiko discovers that Night is "dead", she desperately and frantically tries kissing him to wake him up, like she did way back at the beginning of the series. Watase doesn't back down on that point; she portrays the loss as a devastatingly sad scene:
So it's not like she just has Riiko move on with her life like she had lost a toy or something. I'll give her that point; she's a good enough creator that she managed to wring a slight bit of real emotion out of a terrible anticlimax. But only a little. Now I'm going to have to try to read Fushigi Yugi or something, and try to forget about this little misstep.
Crimson Hero
By Mitsuba Takanashi
Ah, now we're finally getting to the good stuff (along with the promise of a return to the series' regular plot). This chapter sees Nobara's adopted volleyball team, the Eagles, challenged to a high-stakes game against the college team that her mentor Ryo supposedly plays for, but was kicked off because...you know what? I'm not going to go into a long explanation. It's all soap operatics and whatnot, so I'm sure you get the idea if you haven't been reading the series, and if you have been reading, you know what I'm going to say anyway. So I'll just say that I'm looking forward to the next chapter, which will hopefully be full of good volleyball action, which I've always thought was the best part of the series. And it'll be extra dramatic for all involved, with Nobara needing to prove herself, Ryo needing to obtain a prominent place on the college team in hopes of an international career, and other characters all invested in the outcome in some form or another. Plus, Nobara's not-quite-boyfriend Yushin shows up, so there will be that added drama. Good times, I hope, and even if it's disappointing, they've stated that Nobara will be returning to Tokyo after the game, so we can all get on with the normal drama of her high school team.
So this chapter is mostly setup for that upcoming game, with a nice flashback involving Ryo's high school days and his relationship with a girl that wasn't as dazzled by his talent as everyone else was.
Since she died tragically, he'll get to prove his worthiness to her and earn her love from beyond the grave. Ah, the stuff of teenage romance. Anyway, it's a decent chapter, but I'm excited for some hot court action next month. Don't let me down, Takanashi!
Vampire Knight
By Matsuri Hino
After the big "Zero confronts his evil vampire creator" storyline that recently concluded, we get some hints as to possible future storylines, as Zero gets framed for her death (which Kaname actually committed...and I'm probably trying to explain the plot too much again). But the real highlight of the chapter for me was this scene, in which Yuki tries to convince Zero to drink her blood:
We need more comedy like that; this series is too serious for its own good. Other than that scene, there's not much of note going on here. Maybe something will happen next month (but probably not).
Honey and Clover
By Chica Umino
This series continues its excellent mix of humor and character-based drama, as we see the gang scramble to finish their final projects by the end of the school year. Morita's project is especially funny:
But will he finish it on time and be able to graduate? Here's a hint: he's already been in college for seven years, and doesn't seem too keen on leaving. We also get some of the series' now-trademark drunkenness and violence, and a nice moment between Mayama and Ayumi. And that's just in this month's first chapter (each issue contains two chapters of the series).
In the second chapter, Professor Hanamoto gets the opportunity to travel to Mongolia with a colleague to do some research for a book, and he asks if Hagu would like to go with him. This leads to an excellent, affecting flashback about how Hanamoto convinced Hagu to come and attend the college, leaving the home she shared with her elderly grandmother. He decides to ask her after he discovers her artwork and can tell that she is trapped by her circumstances:
It's a quick, simple scene, but it's lovely, conveying Hagu's artistic drive and Hanamoto's protectiveness and encouragement. It's the kind of thing Umino does so well, building her characters through quiet, personal moments in between the loud, wacky antics.
The chapter closes out with a bit in which the whole gang ends up helping Hagu search for a four-leaf clover to give Hanamoto as a going-away present:
Good times. I can't wait to read more next month.
Sand Chronicles
By Hinako Ashihara
This month, we get to see Ann and Daigo's reunion, as he comes to visit her in Tokyo for her birthday. So there are a bunch of cute scenes of them going on a date, and some teenage awkwardness that seems pretty realistic:
We also see Fuji's meeting with the man who might be his father, and it's pretty disappointing (for him). The guy doesn't seem very accepting or even interested in him, and Fuji is obviously left reeling, although he does his best not to let it show. Then he meets up with Ann (after Daigo has left for home) and does something rash (buy the series to find out what. Mwa ha ha ha!). It's a nice portrait of a reserved teenager struggling with emotion and trying to keep it all on the inside.
So it's another fairly quiet chapter in this notoriously bumpy series. I'm expecting some highly emotional drama to come crashing in and upset everything really soon. Or maybe Ashihara has gotten the big tragedy out of the way and is settling down to tell a story of teenage romance. We'll see what she has in store; I expect it will be good reading.
-----
So that's it for this month. Ah, I do love my Shojo Beat! And isn't everybody proud of me actually doing some regular posting? I hope I didn't speak too soon. More tomorrow, if all goes well, and I'll probably look at the solicitations that are coming out this week. And I'm thinking of doing a sort of "special event" soon, so watch this space!
Shojo Beat
March 2008
That's right, Bryan Lee O'Malley provides the awesome cover to this issue! Check out that kick-ass image! He's a pretty cool fellow, methinks. The interior sees him do a standard interview, and I learned from the introduction that he is "known to his fans as 'BLOM'". I guess I'm not much of a fan, because I had never heard that before. Is it actually true? The nickname I hear used most often is "Mal". Anyway, he also contributed a yonkoma-style four-panel strip, which I hope I won't get in trouble for reproducing here, for any non-subscriber fans of BLOM/Mal:
As you probably saw from the cover, this is "the art issue", which means there are a few pages discussing artistic tools and techniques, including an interesting comparison between a page of Japanese manga (with notes about artistic details like screentones and effects) and its English translation (with details about translating dialogue and sound effects). It's not really anything groundbreaking; if you've read anything about comics art production or translation, you'll be familiar with everything discussed. But it's a good start for any of the kids, who are, you know, the actual intended audience of this magazine.
We also get to hear the first mention of the new series to replace Absolute Boyfriend, Gaba Kawa. It's only five chapters long, and it's something about a trouble-causing demon girl. We'll see what that's like next month.
Okay, on to the manga! There are two previews this month, starting with:
ION
By Arina Tanemura
This is only a short preview, excerpting less than a full chapter of this early work by Arina Tanemura, creator of Full Moon and Gentlemen's Alliance, and a popular creator that Viz has been promoting the hell out of (she was their special guest at last year's San Diego Comicon). Myself, I don't really like her style, since the ridiculously large, sparkly eyes she draws on all her characters creep me out. This one was earlier in her career though, and it seems like she hadn't quite reached her later heights of ocular dysmorphism, so it's not as offputting here. The story concerns a girl named Ion who recites the letters of her name as a sort of good luck charm, which usually works. Apparently, she's going to find out from the leader of her school's occult club that she has psychic powers or something, but we don't actually get that far in this preview. Instead, the focus is on the annoying student council president, who is determined to make her his girlfriend, prompting her to flee whenever he draws near. Eh, it's cute and everything, but not something I would read. But I did want to comment on the costume design. It seems like manga creators (especially in shojo) like to design neat uniforms for their fictional schools (see Vampire Knight, or Tanemura's own Gentlemen's Alliance), and this one is no exception. Tanemura's design of a sort of belly shirt over a dress (or pants) looks cute enough on girls, but absolutely ridiculous on the boys. And the class president's "long hair tied back with a bow" look doesn't help matters:
I don't know, I just found that hilarious. That's all.
B.O.D.Y.
By Ao Mimori
This preview is a full chapter about a girl who likes a boy in her class because he seems quiet and studious. But then she finds out he works for a host club, and is scandalized. And that's about all there is to it, at least in this first chapter. It doesn't seem like a premise that would lead to much of a variety of stories, but maybe Mimori expands the cast a bit in later chapters or something. It seems cute enough, and the art is fairly appealing, if not especially memorable. So, yeah, I don't think I'll bother keeping up with it. Somebody let me know if it turns out to be great or something.
Absolute Boyfriend
By Yuu Watase
Here's the big event of this issue, the final chapter of one of the series that started running in the first issue of the magazine. And, as I had heard, it's a pretty awful, anticlimactic ending. The series was never great (it seemed like Watase lost interest somewhere around the "Night gets turned into a tiny version of himself" storyline), but it deserved a better sendoff than this. What happens is [SPOILERS, even though I've pretty much made clear that I don't think the series is really worth reading. But if you can't bear to find out what happens until you read the final collection, skip to the next review], after Soshi moved away last chapter and left Riiko and Night to live happily ever after, Night burns out his circuits and "dies" (although Watase does leave open the possibility of a sequel, so he could come back someday). But it's not like he gets to profess his love to Riiko as she holds him in her arms and he breathes his last breath (fires his last electron?); instead, it happens off-panel, and Riiko comes home to discover his body being taken away. Maybe Watase was depressed or something. "You thought you were going to get a happy ending?!? Suckers!!! There's no such thing as 'happily ever after'! Love dies for no reason, and you will never find true happiness! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!" So, yeah, it's a crappy ending to a pretty sub-mediocre series. I will say that there is one bit that is kind of affecting; when Riiko discovers that Night is "dead", she desperately and frantically tries kissing him to wake him up, like she did way back at the beginning of the series. Watase doesn't back down on that point; she portrays the loss as a devastatingly sad scene:
So it's not like she just has Riiko move on with her life like she had lost a toy or something. I'll give her that point; she's a good enough creator that she managed to wring a slight bit of real emotion out of a terrible anticlimax. But only a little. Now I'm going to have to try to read Fushigi Yugi or something, and try to forget about this little misstep.
Crimson Hero
By Mitsuba Takanashi
Ah, now we're finally getting to the good stuff (along with the promise of a return to the series' regular plot). This chapter sees Nobara's adopted volleyball team, the Eagles, challenged to a high-stakes game against the college team that her mentor Ryo supposedly plays for, but was kicked off because...you know what? I'm not going to go into a long explanation. It's all soap operatics and whatnot, so I'm sure you get the idea if you haven't been reading the series, and if you have been reading, you know what I'm going to say anyway. So I'll just say that I'm looking forward to the next chapter, which will hopefully be full of good volleyball action, which I've always thought was the best part of the series. And it'll be extra dramatic for all involved, with Nobara needing to prove herself, Ryo needing to obtain a prominent place on the college team in hopes of an international career, and other characters all invested in the outcome in some form or another. Plus, Nobara's not-quite-boyfriend Yushin shows up, so there will be that added drama. Good times, I hope, and even if it's disappointing, they've stated that Nobara will be returning to Tokyo after the game, so we can all get on with the normal drama of her high school team.
So this chapter is mostly setup for that upcoming game, with a nice flashback involving Ryo's high school days and his relationship with a girl that wasn't as dazzled by his talent as everyone else was.
Since she died tragically, he'll get to prove his worthiness to her and earn her love from beyond the grave. Ah, the stuff of teenage romance. Anyway, it's a decent chapter, but I'm excited for some hot court action next month. Don't let me down, Takanashi!
Vampire Knight
By Matsuri Hino
After the big "Zero confronts his evil vampire creator" storyline that recently concluded, we get some hints as to possible future storylines, as Zero gets framed for her death (which Kaname actually committed...and I'm probably trying to explain the plot too much again). But the real highlight of the chapter for me was this scene, in which Yuki tries to convince Zero to drink her blood:
We need more comedy like that; this series is too serious for its own good. Other than that scene, there's not much of note going on here. Maybe something will happen next month (but probably not).
Honey and Clover
By Chica Umino
This series continues its excellent mix of humor and character-based drama, as we see the gang scramble to finish their final projects by the end of the school year. Morita's project is especially funny:
But will he finish it on time and be able to graduate? Here's a hint: he's already been in college for seven years, and doesn't seem too keen on leaving. We also get some of the series' now-trademark drunkenness and violence, and a nice moment between Mayama and Ayumi. And that's just in this month's first chapter (each issue contains two chapters of the series).
In the second chapter, Professor Hanamoto gets the opportunity to travel to Mongolia with a colleague to do some research for a book, and he asks if Hagu would like to go with him. This leads to an excellent, affecting flashback about how Hanamoto convinced Hagu to come and attend the college, leaving the home she shared with her elderly grandmother. He decides to ask her after he discovers her artwork and can tell that she is trapped by her circumstances:
It's a quick, simple scene, but it's lovely, conveying Hagu's artistic drive and Hanamoto's protectiveness and encouragement. It's the kind of thing Umino does so well, building her characters through quiet, personal moments in between the loud, wacky antics.
The chapter closes out with a bit in which the whole gang ends up helping Hagu search for a four-leaf clover to give Hanamoto as a going-away present:
Good times. I can't wait to read more next month.
Sand Chronicles
By Hinako Ashihara
This month, we get to see Ann and Daigo's reunion, as he comes to visit her in Tokyo for her birthday. So there are a bunch of cute scenes of them going on a date, and some teenage awkwardness that seems pretty realistic:
We also see Fuji's meeting with the man who might be his father, and it's pretty disappointing (for him). The guy doesn't seem very accepting or even interested in him, and Fuji is obviously left reeling, although he does his best not to let it show. Then he meets up with Ann (after Daigo has left for home) and does something rash (buy the series to find out what. Mwa ha ha ha!). It's a nice portrait of a reserved teenager struggling with emotion and trying to keep it all on the inside.
So it's another fairly quiet chapter in this notoriously bumpy series. I'm expecting some highly emotional drama to come crashing in and upset everything really soon. Or maybe Ashihara has gotten the big tragedy out of the way and is settling down to tell a story of teenage romance. We'll see what she has in store; I expect it will be good reading.
-----
So that's it for this month. Ah, I do love my Shojo Beat! And isn't everybody proud of me actually doing some regular posting? I hope I didn't speak too soon. More tomorrow, if all goes well, and I'll probably look at the solicitations that are coming out this week. And I'm thinking of doing a sort of "special event" soon, so watch this space!
A quick post, relating to my Nana obsession
I just read this post on Manga Xanadu, and I felt like I had to point it out and offer my own commentary. If you're interested in Nana, I suggest reading the post (unless you haven't read the eighth volume yet; it's got spoilers!), since it brings up an issue that I never really considered: namely, that the series was probably dropped from Shojo Beat due to possibly controversial subject matter rather than sexual content. While there was a pretty risque scene (which I excerpted in my review of the volume), it wasn't really any worse than previous sex scenes. Instead, the issues raised by the direction of the plot may have been considered too "adult" for the teenage audience, at least to the point where the editors probably worried about parental complaints. However, as "manga mom" Lori Henderson mentions in her post, this was exactly the wrong moment to stop teenagers from reading; it's the point when the series breaks from its lighthearted tale of girly soap operatics and starts considering the consequences of a sexually promiscuous lifestyle. I hadn't even considered this idea, but I think I'm in total agreement; if you're going to show teen (or young adult) sexuality, it's better to show the consequences instead of hiding them behind a protective (shrink-wrapped) barrier. I guess it's another example of the weird attitude toward sexual matters in the United States. Ah well, it doesn't affect me too much (I'll still be reading the series!), but it's an interesting issue. Make of it what you will.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Suppli: It doesn't exaclty supply the adult content promised
Get it? Eh? Eh? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, etc., etc. Okay, enough of that nonsense. Here's a book I've been meaning to talk about:
Suppli, volume 1
By Mari Okazaki
At first, I just didn't think this manga was for me. Its tale of a career woman who realizes that she has no friends or social life outside of her job after breaking up with her boyfriend simply wasn't connecting with me. I thought maybe as a josei manga that was aimed toward adult women, it was too far out of my range of experience, and I just couldn't relate to the travails of a Japanese woman trying to balance love and work. Or maybe it was a poor translation, and various cultural jokes and references just weren't making the transfer from Japanese to English. Bits like this one kind of supported that theory:
But as the volume went on, I found these thoughts disappearing. After a few chapters, Mari Okazaki starts to develop the cast, focusing on main character Minami's interactions with her coworkers. There's a bit of romantic intrigue, with a couple of other love interests introduced, but just as much of it is about Minami connecting with other women in the office and trying to make friends. And there's also an emphasis on her job; we see that she is very driven and hard-working, wanting to make a real impact in her career as an advertising executive. It's a well-rounded portrait of a character, showing us her goals, troubles, habits, and flaws.
And on top of the good story, Okazaki delivers some really nice artwork. Her characters are expressive and relatable, sometimes morphing into cartoony drawings and performing silly antics:
But they're also often drawn in really nice portrait views:
Okazaki also fills the pages with some beautiful design work. In one chapter, Minami and a coworker (and possible love interest) make a business trip via train, and Okazaki fills the margins of a double-page spread with intertwining train tracks:
She uses the same effect later in a scene involving cherry blossoms:
The overall effect is like a more sophisticated, grown-up version of shojo manga, which makes sense, since that's exactly what josei manga is (as I understand it).
So while I started out wondering if I was not in the book's target audience (actually, I guess I'm still not), it quickly drew me in with its nicely-done character drama. I'll definitely seek out future volumes.
One one final note, I did find it odd that the book was shrink-wrapped and labeled with "parental advisory - explicit content" sticker, since there's nothing objectionable here, other than maybe some alcohol consumption or mild swearing. Maybe it gets more explicit in future volumes, and Tokyopop decided to just label the whole series as "Mature". But it still seemed odd to encounter zero salacious content. Maybe next time.
Suppli, volume 1
By Mari Okazaki
At first, I just didn't think this manga was for me. Its tale of a career woman who realizes that she has no friends or social life outside of her job after breaking up with her boyfriend simply wasn't connecting with me. I thought maybe as a josei manga that was aimed toward adult women, it was too far out of my range of experience, and I just couldn't relate to the travails of a Japanese woman trying to balance love and work. Or maybe it was a poor translation, and various cultural jokes and references just weren't making the transfer from Japanese to English. Bits like this one kind of supported that theory:
But as the volume went on, I found these thoughts disappearing. After a few chapters, Mari Okazaki starts to develop the cast, focusing on main character Minami's interactions with her coworkers. There's a bit of romantic intrigue, with a couple of other love interests introduced, but just as much of it is about Minami connecting with other women in the office and trying to make friends. And there's also an emphasis on her job; we see that she is very driven and hard-working, wanting to make a real impact in her career as an advertising executive. It's a well-rounded portrait of a character, showing us her goals, troubles, habits, and flaws.
And on top of the good story, Okazaki delivers some really nice artwork. Her characters are expressive and relatable, sometimes morphing into cartoony drawings and performing silly antics:
But they're also often drawn in really nice portrait views:
Okazaki also fills the pages with some beautiful design work. In one chapter, Minami and a coworker (and possible love interest) make a business trip via train, and Okazaki fills the margins of a double-page spread with intertwining train tracks:
She uses the same effect later in a scene involving cherry blossoms:
The overall effect is like a more sophisticated, grown-up version of shojo manga, which makes sense, since that's exactly what josei manga is (as I understand it).
So while I started out wondering if I was not in the book's target audience (actually, I guess I'm still not), it quickly drew me in with its nicely-done character drama. I'll definitely seek out future volumes.
One one final note, I did find it odd that the book was shrink-wrapped and labeled with "parental advisory - explicit content" sticker, since there's nothing objectionable here, other than maybe some alcohol consumption or mild swearing. Maybe it gets more explicit in future volumes, and Tokyopop decided to just label the whole series as "Mature". But it still seemed odd to encounter zero salacious content. Maybe next time.
Monday, February 18, 2008
This week, I see that comics will be published
Man, I haven't been writing much, have I? I might be burning out or something, or I might just be preparing for an upcoming lack of content due to decreased discretionary funds. But I'll try to get something up here soon, since I do have several things I want to talk about. Also, I'll point out Warren Ellis's new webcomic, Freak Angels, is now running, so go check that out. And on to:
New comics this week (Wednesday, 2/20/08):
Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death
So, I don't plan to get this, since I'm hoping it will end up in one of the trades, but I bet it'll be good. Gotta love the crazy kung-fu (gun-fu?) adventures that Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have been dreaming up.
Iron Man #26
And speaking of Matt Fraction, I'll take this opportunity to say that I'm fairly excited about his new Iron Man comic. I bet he'll be able to do some awesome stuff with the character.
The Order #8
And then there's another one, which I feel really bad about, since I was waiting for the trade. Sorry, everybody, it's my fault this book got canceled. I do still plan to get the collection(s), the first of which is also coming out this week. Oddly, it collects the first seven issues, leaving the final three kind of hanging in the wind. Will Marvel bother to collect those last three? If not, they're total bastards. Hey, they already were for canceling it, right? Bastards!
Programme #8
I have been getting this odd little book though. We finally got some super-fights last issue, so I expect the rest of the series to be balls-to-the-wall action. Yeah, somehow I doubt that will happen. But it should still be interesting.
Runaways #29
Oh yeah, for anybody who forgot this was still coming out, it looks like the team is still involved in time-travel shenanigans. Enjoy, if you can remember anything about it.
Spirit #14
And we finally get to the new creative team. I'm quite curious to see what Aragones, Evanier, and Ploog have in store; I bet it will be fun.
Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite #6
Ooh, and here's an exciting conclusion to this miniseries. Gory violence and familial angst will be the order of the day, I expect. Also, really cool art. Bring on the next miniseries, please!
Angst Best Of Norwegian Comics TP
I don't know if I'll ever see this, but it does look interesting. Jason is featured, but it also features plenty of other talent. Maybe I'll get to read it someday.
Atheist vol. 1
I didn't read this series from Phil Hester and John McCrea, but it did look interesting, possibly along the lines of Hesters work with Mike Huddleston. It might be worth checking out.
The Boys vol. 2
Here's more of Garth Ennis's superhero satire. Most everybody seems to either be on board for it or not, so you probably know where you stand. If it's your thing, enjoy!
Fablewood Vol 1 GN
I've actually read an advance PDF of this fantasy-themed anthology from APE Entertainment. I should probably get around to writing a review (for Comics Bulletin). Unfortunately, it won't be especially positive; some of the stories have decent art, but I didn't find most of them to be worth my time. I'll let you know whenever that review goes up...
Maakies With The Wrinkled Knees HC
I always mean to pick up Tony Millionaire's books, but I never seem to. If it weren't for my current lack of funds, I would love to get this. It's always really funny, and Millionaire's art is beautiful. So I'll go ahead and recommend it, sight unseen. Yeah, I'm very professional.
One Thousand Years Of Manga HC
I've read about this book here and there; it looks pretty cool and informative. Might be a good library checkout, if I run across it.
Sam and Max Surfin the Highway
Hey, this is back in print! I've actually never read it, but I would love to. I saw a couple episodes of the cartoon back in the day, and I played a little of the computer game. Great stuff. So I should really try to read the original material, shouldn't I? Well, the money is always an issue, but it's one of the hundreds of comics that I can keep my eye on...
Death Note Another Note Los Angeles BB Murder Cases Novel HC
And now the manga section of the releases. This appears to be a spinoff to the manga series, in novel form. Could be cool, could be lame and fan-fictiony. I doubt I'll ever get to it, but it's worth noting.
Death Note How to Read 13 TP
And here's another one I'll probably skip, a volume of DVD extra-style bonus material. But if you're obsessed with the series, it's something to devour. Me, I'm fine stopping after volume 12.
Drifting Classroom Vol 10 TP
Man, just when I thought I was catching up with this series (I recently picked up volumes 6 and 7, but I haven't read them yet), another volume comes out. Luckily, it ends atvolume 12 volume 11, so it'll stop outpacing me at some point.
Golgo 13 Vol 13 Flagburner GN
I still haven't read a single volume of this series (it's another one for the "someday" list), but I believe this volume (the final installment of this current series) is notable because it features an infamous story in which the titular assassin gets involved in the Bush/Gore 2000 Florida election dustup. That sounds awesome.
Naoki Urasawas Monster Vol 13 TP
And here's another of the "trying to catch up" series. I've got volume 6 sitting at home, but now I'll still be less than halfway through the series even after I read it. Damn. I'll keep plugging away at it though.
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vol. 6
And finally, another volume of a series that I'll probably continue to fall behind on. It's one I never see at stores, so I always have to order volumes online, which is troublesome even when I have the money to spend. Like a broken record, I'll just say that I hope to read the rest of the series someday.
-----
Okay, that's it for the week. Hopefully I'll be able to buckle down and do some writing. I gotta believe!
New comics this week (Wednesday, 2/20/08):
Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death
So, I don't plan to get this, since I'm hoping it will end up in one of the trades, but I bet it'll be good. Gotta love the crazy kung-fu (gun-fu?) adventures that Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have been dreaming up.
Iron Man #26
And speaking of Matt Fraction, I'll take this opportunity to say that I'm fairly excited about his new Iron Man comic. I bet he'll be able to do some awesome stuff with the character.
The Order #8
And then there's another one, which I feel really bad about, since I was waiting for the trade. Sorry, everybody, it's my fault this book got canceled. I do still plan to get the collection(s), the first of which is also coming out this week. Oddly, it collects the first seven issues, leaving the final three kind of hanging in the wind. Will Marvel bother to collect those last three? If not, they're total bastards. Hey, they already were for canceling it, right? Bastards!
Programme #8
I have been getting this odd little book though. We finally got some super-fights last issue, so I expect the rest of the series to be balls-to-the-wall action. Yeah, somehow I doubt that will happen. But it should still be interesting.
Runaways #29
Oh yeah, for anybody who forgot this was still coming out, it looks like the team is still involved in time-travel shenanigans. Enjoy, if you can remember anything about it.
Spirit #14
And we finally get to the new creative team. I'm quite curious to see what Aragones, Evanier, and Ploog have in store; I bet it will be fun.
Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite #6
Ooh, and here's an exciting conclusion to this miniseries. Gory violence and familial angst will be the order of the day, I expect. Also, really cool art. Bring on the next miniseries, please!
Angst Best Of Norwegian Comics TP
I don't know if I'll ever see this, but it does look interesting. Jason is featured, but it also features plenty of other talent. Maybe I'll get to read it someday.
Atheist vol. 1
I didn't read this series from Phil Hester and John McCrea, but it did look interesting, possibly along the lines of Hesters work with Mike Huddleston. It might be worth checking out.
The Boys vol. 2
Here's more of Garth Ennis's superhero satire. Most everybody seems to either be on board for it or not, so you probably know where you stand. If it's your thing, enjoy!
Fablewood Vol 1 GN
I've actually read an advance PDF of this fantasy-themed anthology from APE Entertainment. I should probably get around to writing a review (for Comics Bulletin). Unfortunately, it won't be especially positive; some of the stories have decent art, but I didn't find most of them to be worth my time. I'll let you know whenever that review goes up...
Maakies With The Wrinkled Knees HC
I always mean to pick up Tony Millionaire's books, but I never seem to. If it weren't for my current lack of funds, I would love to get this. It's always really funny, and Millionaire's art is beautiful. So I'll go ahead and recommend it, sight unseen. Yeah, I'm very professional.
One Thousand Years Of Manga HC
I've read about this book here and there; it looks pretty cool and informative. Might be a good library checkout, if I run across it.
Sam and Max Surfin the Highway
Hey, this is back in print! I've actually never read it, but I would love to. I saw a couple episodes of the cartoon back in the day, and I played a little of the computer game. Great stuff. So I should really try to read the original material, shouldn't I? Well, the money is always an issue, but it's one of the hundreds of comics that I can keep my eye on...
Death Note Another Note Los Angeles BB Murder Cases Novel HC
And now the manga section of the releases. This appears to be a spinoff to the manga series, in novel form. Could be cool, could be lame and fan-fictiony. I doubt I'll ever get to it, but it's worth noting.
Death Note How to Read 13 TP
And here's another one I'll probably skip, a volume of DVD extra-style bonus material. But if you're obsessed with the series, it's something to devour. Me, I'm fine stopping after volume 12.
Drifting Classroom Vol 10 TP
Man, just when I thought I was catching up with this series (I recently picked up volumes 6 and 7, but I haven't read them yet), another volume comes out. Luckily, it ends at
Golgo 13 Vol 13 Flagburner GN
I still haven't read a single volume of this series (it's another one for the "someday" list), but I believe this volume (the final installment of this current series) is notable because it features an infamous story in which the titular assassin gets involved in the Bush/Gore 2000 Florida election dustup. That sounds awesome.
Naoki Urasawas Monster Vol 13 TP
And here's another of the "trying to catch up" series. I've got volume 6 sitting at home, but now I'll still be less than halfway through the series even after I read it. Damn. I'll keep plugging away at it though.
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vol. 6
And finally, another volume of a series that I'll probably continue to fall behind on. It's one I never see at stores, so I always have to order volumes online, which is troublesome even when I have the money to spend. Like a broken record, I'll just say that I hope to read the rest of the series someday.
-----
Okay, that's it for the week. Hopefully I'll be able to buckle down and do some writing. I gotta believe!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Blue Pills: In the book, they're black and white
It's a day later than promised, but here's the review I said I would have. And I've also got that look at Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure up over at Comics Bulletin. Plus, I wanted to point out that the new "issue" of MySpace Dark Horse Presents is up, and it features a new story by Gilbert Hernandez, along with a fun story by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba. Check it out.
Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story
By Frederik Peeters
Blue Pills, being an autobiographical story about the author's relationship with a woman infected with HIV, sounds at first like it would fit in the dubious genre of "cancer comics", the sometimes-loathed type of artsy comics that seek acclaim due to their serious subject matter (it also has elements of the "Shy Schlumpfs in Specs Comics", making it doubly unlikable to the stereotypical comics fan), but it turns out to be a different sort of animal. Rather than wallowing in the depressing sorts of stories that one would expect, the book is more of a love story, with a bit of a twist. There is a fair amount of material dealing with the disease, but Peeters goes with more of an internal focus, detailing his thoughts and feelings and relating how he feels about his life and his relationship with his not-exactly-ailing partner. It's more of a celebration of love and life, instead of a grief-laden depress-o-fest.
Peeters makes an interesting lead, spending most of the book philosophizing about life and love. He doesn't get into the other characters' heads too much, instead focusing on how he relates to them and endlessly working it out. Being an author, he is also obsessed with what type of story he is playing a role in. For some, this might be excruciating, but I found it charming; they're the kind of musings that everybody takes part in at a certain point in their life, wondering where you fit in the "big picture".
But even so, it's good that the entire book doesn't take place in Fred's head. There's an overarching plot involving his relationship with Cati, a beautiful young woman that he falls for. It's nice to see a real-life depiction of the struggle with the disease. She's not consumed by it; it's just a nuisance to be dealt with. The real problems have to do with her son, who also is infected. That's where the guilt and worry take over, and I love the way that Fred helps her with that burden, providing a place of comfort and strength.
Peeters does a great job with the graphic storytelling, beautifully illustrating the conversations and flights of fancy. He uses a lot of thick lines that might seem scratchy or messy at first, but actually are very well-placed, telling the story clearly. He does a great job of detailing environments:
Along with the subtleties of conversation:
That sample is actually from an extended sequence in which Fred and Cati lay in bed discussing their relationship, and it's beautifully done. Rather than keeping the same static view of the pair, Peeters switches their positions back and forth in sync with the rhythms of the conversation, occasionally pulling out to see their entire bodies and making the bedspread seem to continue forever, like they're the only people in the world. It's a lovely scene, and there are many more like it in the book, including a fun penultimate chapter in which Fred discusses his life with an imaginary mammoth. The mammoth, being an extinct species, makes a good symbol of death, and a nice foil for Fred's anxieties about love, death, society, and everything else.
Another excellent bit occurs when Fred and Cati have a scare, thinking that he might have been accidentally infected. It's tense and emotional, especially on Cati's part. We worry for her along with Fred, since she's already so guilty about her son; how could she bear the fact that she also infected her lover? But then the tension deflates when they visit the doctor (another wonderful, realistic character), who tries to reassure them with an odd analogy, saying that Fred has "as much chance of catching AIDS as you have of running into a white rhinoceros on your way out!" All the couple can do is stare blankly and ask if the circus is in town. It's a funny moment, and one that seems all too real.
On a slightly negative note, I do find Peeters' depiction of women (limited to Cati, for the most part) kind of offputting. Cati has a strange face that doesn't quite look right, perhaps because of her huge, manga-esque eyes. But her head is also oddly-shaped, with a large cranium and narrow jawline. This might be a subtle way of making her look kind of thin, like she's losing weight because of the disease. Or maybe it's just a stylistic choice that I don't especially like. It's unfortunate, because everyone else is masterfully realized, even incidental characters like these:
But that's really a minor complaint, and one of taste. The only other thing I would gripe about is the lettering, which is all upper case except for 'i's and 't's, for some reason. It seems a bit odd at first, but you get used to it. Minor grievances are easy to ignore in a story this good. Peeters really weaves a fascinating, moving tale here, one of hope in the face of death and love (of the real-world sort, not the stuff of fairy tales) conquering human problems. It makes me hope for a follow-up, so I can see what has happened to Fred and Cati in recent years. That's the real testament to the book: it makes me feel like I've gained a friend.
-----
God, I hope that ending wasn't too corny. Oh well. More content tomorrow. Maybe?
Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story
By Frederik Peeters
Blue Pills, being an autobiographical story about the author's relationship with a woman infected with HIV, sounds at first like it would fit in the dubious genre of "cancer comics", the sometimes-loathed type of artsy comics that seek acclaim due to their serious subject matter (it also has elements of the "Shy Schlumpfs in Specs Comics", making it doubly unlikable to the stereotypical comics fan), but it turns out to be a different sort of animal. Rather than wallowing in the depressing sorts of stories that one would expect, the book is more of a love story, with a bit of a twist. There is a fair amount of material dealing with the disease, but Peeters goes with more of an internal focus, detailing his thoughts and feelings and relating how he feels about his life and his relationship with his not-exactly-ailing partner. It's more of a celebration of love and life, instead of a grief-laden depress-o-fest.
Peeters makes an interesting lead, spending most of the book philosophizing about life and love. He doesn't get into the other characters' heads too much, instead focusing on how he relates to them and endlessly working it out. Being an author, he is also obsessed with what type of story he is playing a role in. For some, this might be excruciating, but I found it charming; they're the kind of musings that everybody takes part in at a certain point in their life, wondering where you fit in the "big picture".
But even so, it's good that the entire book doesn't take place in Fred's head. There's an overarching plot involving his relationship with Cati, a beautiful young woman that he falls for. It's nice to see a real-life depiction of the struggle with the disease. She's not consumed by it; it's just a nuisance to be dealt with. The real problems have to do with her son, who also is infected. That's where the guilt and worry take over, and I love the way that Fred helps her with that burden, providing a place of comfort and strength.
Peeters does a great job with the graphic storytelling, beautifully illustrating the conversations and flights of fancy. He uses a lot of thick lines that might seem scratchy or messy at first, but actually are very well-placed, telling the story clearly. He does a great job of detailing environments:
Along with the subtleties of conversation:
That sample is actually from an extended sequence in which Fred and Cati lay in bed discussing their relationship, and it's beautifully done. Rather than keeping the same static view of the pair, Peeters switches their positions back and forth in sync with the rhythms of the conversation, occasionally pulling out to see their entire bodies and making the bedspread seem to continue forever, like they're the only people in the world. It's a lovely scene, and there are many more like it in the book, including a fun penultimate chapter in which Fred discusses his life with an imaginary mammoth. The mammoth, being an extinct species, makes a good symbol of death, and a nice foil for Fred's anxieties about love, death, society, and everything else.
Another excellent bit occurs when Fred and Cati have a scare, thinking that he might have been accidentally infected. It's tense and emotional, especially on Cati's part. We worry for her along with Fred, since she's already so guilty about her son; how could she bear the fact that she also infected her lover? But then the tension deflates when they visit the doctor (another wonderful, realistic character), who tries to reassure them with an odd analogy, saying that Fred has "as much chance of catching AIDS as you have of running into a white rhinoceros on your way out!" All the couple can do is stare blankly and ask if the circus is in town. It's a funny moment, and one that seems all too real.
On a slightly negative note, I do find Peeters' depiction of women (limited to Cati, for the most part) kind of offputting. Cati has a strange face that doesn't quite look right, perhaps because of her huge, manga-esque eyes. But her head is also oddly-shaped, with a large cranium and narrow jawline. This might be a subtle way of making her look kind of thin, like she's losing weight because of the disease. Or maybe it's just a stylistic choice that I don't especially like. It's unfortunate, because everyone else is masterfully realized, even incidental characters like these:
But that's really a minor complaint, and one of taste. The only other thing I would gripe about is the lettering, which is all upper case except for 'i's and 't's, for some reason. It seems a bit odd at first, but you get used to it. Minor grievances are easy to ignore in a story this good. Peeters really weaves a fascinating, moving tale here, one of hope in the face of death and love (of the real-world sort, not the stuff of fairy tales) conquering human problems. It makes me hope for a follow-up, so I can see what has happened to Fred and Cati in recent years. That's the real testament to the book: it makes me feel like I've gained a friend.
-----
God, I hope that ending wasn't too corny. Oh well. More content tomorrow. Maybe?
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