Incorruptible #6
Secret Avengers #1
Wolverine: Origins #48
Madame Xanadu #23
The Return of Bruce Wayne #2Power Girl #12
The Amazing Spider-Man #632
Wonder Woman #44
Dark Wolverine #86
Girl Comics #2
Detective Comics #865
Gotham City Sirens #12
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Review - Pumpkin Scissors
Pumpkin Scissors
FUNimation
Pumpkin Scissors was a show that was caught in the ADV bankruptcy. Eventually FUNimation picked it up and released the 24 episode series in two thinpack boxes. RightStuf was selling these for $8.99 each, so I picked them up for myself a little while ago and finally got around to watching them.
Set in and idealized Europe shortly after what seems like World War I, the military unit Section 3 is setup to provide relief for the ravaged population. Nicknamed Pumpkin Scissors because like sharp scissors they can cut through the tough pumpkin rind of corruption. (I know, the metaphor a little bit of a stretch.) Made up of just a few members, they try and eliminate corruption in the military and government as well as help peasants and refugees. The main characters are Alice L. Malvin, a young, idealistic aristocratic lieutenant who is driven by a sense of fairness to always try solve any inequalities she sees. And Randel Orlando, a large enlisted man who was a member of a secret anti-tank unit during the recently ended war. He also carries a blue lantern, which when opened, puts him in a killing trans and is able to withstand inhuman punishment.
This show is very typical for a Gonzo production. The animation is quite good, but the story meanders and never really gets focused. Initially, the Pumpkin Scissors in their duties find non-government militias using new weapons technology. They then begin to investigate to try to determine who is making and distributing the technology. But later on in the series, it seems more to focus on class politics. With peasants uprising against the nobles as the military seemingly is trying to take control. Then after 24 episodes, the story ends without any really satisfying conclusion to any of the ongoing plot elements. I'm sure that the original manga has a more complete story, but that really doesn't help the anime viewer.
As for getting this series for a library, there should be no real content problems. Rated by FUNimation for ages 14+, I would find that assessment fair. There is a couple jokes about giving urine samples and some suggestive situations that might not be understood by pre-teens. But for the most part, though not the greatest show, it is not objectionable either.
FUNimation
Set in and idealized Europe shortly after what seems like World War I, the military unit Section 3 is setup to provide relief for the ravaged population. Nicknamed Pumpkin Scissors because like sharp scissors they can cut through the tough pumpkin rind of corruption. (I know, the metaphor a little bit of a stretch.) Made up of just a few members, they try and eliminate corruption in the military and government as well as help peasants and refugees. The main characters are Alice L. Malvin, a young, idealistic aristocratic lieutenant who is driven by a sense of fairness to always try solve any inequalities she sees. And Randel Orlando, a large enlisted man who was a member of a secret anti-tank unit during the recently ended war. He also carries a blue lantern, which when opened, puts him in a killing trans and is able to withstand inhuman punishment.
This show is very typical for a Gonzo production. The animation is quite good, but the story meanders and never really gets focused. Initially, the Pumpkin Scissors in their duties find non-government militias using new weapons technology. They then begin to investigate to try to determine who is making and distributing the technology. But later on in the series, it seems more to focus on class politics. With peasants uprising against the nobles as the military seemingly is trying to take control. Then after 24 episodes, the story ends without any really satisfying conclusion to any of the ongoing plot elements. I'm sure that the original manga has a more complete story, but that really doesn't help the anime viewer.
As for getting this series for a library, there should be no real content problems. Rated by FUNimation for ages 14+, I would find that assessment fair. There is a couple jokes about giving urine samples and some suggestive situations that might not be understood by pre-teens. But for the most part, though not the greatest show, it is not objectionable either.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Comics for the week of May 19, 2010
Deadpool #23
The Avengers #1
Age of Heroes #1
Joe the Barbarian #5
American Vampire #3
X-Men Legacy #236
Zatanna #1
Battlefields #6
Haunt #7
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Comics for the week of May 12, 2010
Fantastic Four #577
Amazing Spider-Man #631
Jack of Fables #45
Teen Titans #82
Black Widow #2
New Mutants #13
Echo #21
Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis #1
Fables #95
Thor #609
Amazing Spider-Man #631
Jack of Fables #45
Teen Titans #82
Black Widow #2
New Mutants #13
Echo #21
Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis #1
Fables #95
Thor #609
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Review - The Unknown
The Unknown
written by Mark Waid
art by Minck Oosterveer
Boom Studios
The book for The Unknown collects the first 4 issues of the comic series. It is about a world famous detective named Catherine Allingham who uses Sherlock Holmes like hyper-logic to solve closed room murder cases. The story opens up where Catherine hires as an assistant a muscular bouncer who has an natural ability to read people named James Doyle. We learn early on the Catherine is dying of a brain tumor and suffers from hallucinations. One reoccurring vision she has is of a tall, pale man with a thin smile. Though disturbing, Catherine knows it's just a figment of her condition and ignores her fear. Ultimately, Catherine with her rational mind and terminal condition, is compelled to try and understand what happens to people after they die. Her investigations lead her to take cases that might shed some tangible scientific truths about an afterlife.
I really liked this book. I remember seeing it at the comic shop when it first came out, but it was a thick week and I couldn't justify picking up another book to myself. The characters are interesting. The really interesting character in the story is James Doyle. We really don't know his past. There are some flashbacks to tragedy, but we're not privy to what his background might have. Catherine is interesting in that she is focused on solving problems all the time. We don't get any real glimpses into her background. But we really don't need any. She is driven to find the Truth, no matter where it leads while James seems to question weather finding the Truth is a good or bad thing.
The artwork by Oosterveer is really good. The narrative is clear and the characters are expressive. Catherine almost always has a smug expression while James has more range from confused to concerned. Readers will be able to follow the action easily and should be really creeped out by his hallucination character of the pale man.
I'll catalog this book in the teen area. There is no bad language, nudity, sexual situations or gratuitous violence that would offend sensitive parents. This is a good mystery with a supernatural twist that people who don't want to read super hero stories should check out. I just hope that they make more so we can follow Catherine and James to see if they can find the answer to the ultimate question.
written by Mark Waid
art by Minck Oosterveer
Boom Studios
I really liked this book. I remember seeing it at the comic shop when it first came out, but it was a thick week and I couldn't justify picking up another book to myself. The characters are interesting. The really interesting character in the story is James Doyle. We really don't know his past. There are some flashbacks to tragedy, but we're not privy to what his background might have. Catherine is interesting in that she is focused on solving problems all the time. We don't get any real glimpses into her background. But we really don't need any. She is driven to find the Truth, no matter where it leads while James seems to question weather finding the Truth is a good or bad thing.
The artwork by Oosterveer is really good. The narrative is clear and the characters are expressive. Catherine almost always has a smug expression while James has more range from confused to concerned. Readers will be able to follow the action easily and should be really creeped out by his hallucination character of the pale man.
I'll catalog this book in the teen area. There is no bad language, nudity, sexual situations or gratuitous violence that would offend sensitive parents. This is a good mystery with a supernatural twist that people who don't want to read super hero stories should check out. I just hope that they make more so we can follow Catherine and James to see if they can find the answer to the ultimate question.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Comics for the week of May 5, 2010
I, Zombie #1
Sweet Tooth #9
New Ultimate Avengers #2
Incorruptible #5
S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Irredeemable #13
Uncanny X-Men #524
Monday, May 3, 2010
Two Historical Graphic Novels from First Second
Booth
written by C.C. Colbert, illustrated by Tanitoc
Resistance: Book 1
written by Carla Jablonski, illustrated by Leland Purvis
These two books were received by the library last month and are interesting since they are both based on actual historical events. Booth shows the life of John Wilkes Booth from 1863, two years before the assassination of Lincoln to Booth's death shortly thereafter. And Resistance is less biographical, but tells the story of a family in Vichy France during the Nazi occupation and how they became members of the French Resistance.
I like to think of myself as pretty smart about the Civil War. I've taken a couple college courses. Read all the Bruce Catton books. And even seen the Ken Burns Civil War series a couple times on PBS. So maybe I'm a little biased about the lack of information in the book Booth, but I found it to be rather terse and somewhat superficial. I know, more books have been written about Lincoln than anyone in history. And the timeline and plots around the conspiracy of his death have been well documented. So I won't consider this a definitive biography of the actor, but I would of like a little more historical though and context in the story.
I found the book Booth to be very disjointed. And it seems the author takes liberties in creating situations which might be a little outside the historical record. I had not heard of Booth's relationships with either Lucy Hale, a daughter of a Republican Senator, or of a romance with a barmaid named in the book only as "Ella". But the book seems to focus mostly on the relationship Booth had with these two women and the actual conspiracy to overthrow the government is almost like an afterthought in the book.
Though I didn't really like the artwork on first reading the book, it grew on me. It is rough with heavy, dark lines. But slowly I realized that the colors used for the characters made it a little easier to follow the story. Booth is always in a green outfit while his brother Edwin is in blue. Ella has a red dress and purple is the color for Lucy.
I didn't order this book and I don't know if I would of picked this book up for the library. It kind of fails on both sides of its intent. Someone interested in the Civil War or Lincoln would find many things to criticize. And someone interested in graphic novels will find better works elsewhere.
I liked Resistance more than Booth. I think that was because it's not based on a well known historical figure but a fictional French family living in the Vichy France. The Tessier family, whose father has been captured by the Germans. The young daughter Marie and her brother Paul one day return home and their neighbors the Mr. and Mrs. Levy have been taken by German soldiers. Their son Henri Levy was away swimming and was not picked up. So Marie and Paul hide Henri in their wine cellar. As the story progresses and peoples secrets are revealed, we learn more about the France resistance movement. The feeling of paranoia and repression grows as the Tessier's try and reunite the Levy family.
The plot in Resistance is a little clearer that in Booth. However, unlike Booth, the book is not tied to well documented historical events. Indeed, the Author's Note at the end of the book is a fantastic description of historiography and how past events can not be seen as clearly back and white.
The artwork in this book more traditional than in Booth. With cleaner lines and more emphasis on facial expressions, it is easy to follow the story and it's characters.
I feel this book is a good purchase for the library. There are several different themes that would draw readers in. First, the main characters, Paul and Marie can be understood by children reading this book. Also it is a good book that display the treatment of Jewish people without the nightmare inducing imagery. I would definitely recommend this book for kids wanting to know about civilian life in Europe during World War II.
written by C.C. Colbert, illustrated by Tanitoc
Resistance: Book 1
written by Carla Jablonski, illustrated by Leland Purvis
These two books were received by the library last month and are interesting since they are both based on actual historical events. Booth shows the life of John Wilkes Booth from 1863, two years before the assassination of Lincoln to Booth's death shortly thereafter. And Resistance is less biographical, but tells the story of a family in Vichy France during the Nazi occupation and how they became members of the French Resistance.
I found the book Booth to be very disjointed. And it seems the author takes liberties in creating situations which might be a little outside the historical record. I had not heard of Booth's relationships with either Lucy Hale, a daughter of a Republican Senator, or of a romance with a barmaid named in the book only as "Ella". But the book seems to focus mostly on the relationship Booth had with these two women and the actual conspiracy to overthrow the government is almost like an afterthought in the book.
Though I didn't really like the artwork on first reading the book, it grew on me. It is rough with heavy, dark lines. But slowly I realized that the colors used for the characters made it a little easier to follow the story. Booth is always in a green outfit while his brother Edwin is in blue. Ella has a red dress and purple is the color for Lucy.
I didn't order this book and I don't know if I would of picked this book up for the library. It kind of fails on both sides of its intent. Someone interested in the Civil War or Lincoln would find many things to criticize. And someone interested in graphic novels will find better works elsewhere.
The plot in Resistance is a little clearer that in Booth. However, unlike Booth, the book is not tied to well documented historical events. Indeed, the Author's Note at the end of the book is a fantastic description of historiography and how past events can not be seen as clearly back and white.
The artwork in this book more traditional than in Booth. With cleaner lines and more emphasis on facial expressions, it is easy to follow the story and it's characters.
I feel this book is a good purchase for the library. There are several different themes that would draw readers in. First, the main characters, Paul and Marie can be understood by children reading this book. Also it is a good book that display the treatment of Jewish people without the nightmare inducing imagery. I would definitely recommend this book for kids wanting to know about civilian life in Europe during World War II.
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