From the front flap: London, 1898. The Victorian Era draws to a close and the twentieth century approaches. It is a time of great change and an age of stagnation, a period of chaste order and ignoble chaos. It is an era in need of champions. Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin, Dr. Henry Jekyll, Mr. Edward Hyde, and Mina Murray are those champions and together they … [Read more...] about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1 by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill: B-
Comics
Banana Fish 3-4 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
The action ramps up in these two volumes of Banana Fish as Ash and his allies follow the trail of the drug known as “Banana Fish” from New York to Los Angeles and more details about its nature, as well as Ash’s background, come to light. There’s a lot going on here, including prison power struggles, an incredibly badass assassination attempt in a Chinatown fish market, a … [Read more...] about Banana Fish 3-4 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
A Royal Proposition by Marion Lennox and Harumo Sanazaki: C-
Before he died, the king of a vaguely European country called Castaliae drafted a will to reign in his son’s profligate tendencies. This will calls for the next would-be king to marry a woman of faultless virtue before he can ascend to the throne. Alas, that son is now dead too, and the new heir, Alastair, must also abide by the bizarre terms set forth by his predecessor. … [Read more...] about A Royal Proposition by Marion Lennox and Harumo Sanazaki: C-
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You 4 by Karuho Shiina: A-
When Sawako Kuronuma was ostracised by her class due to her gloomy disposition and resemblance to a character from a horror movie, she never would have guessed that there are so many nuances to interactions with other people. Because of her inexperience in this area, she hasn’t learned to be distrustful, and so accepts as genuine the friendly advances of Kurumi, a girl who … [Read more...] about Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You 4 by Karuho Shiina: A-
Flower in a Storm 1 by Shigeyoshi Takagi: B
After being rejected by her first love because of her superhuman strength, Riko is trying to live as unremarkable a life as possible. She believes that the only way she’s going to fall in love is to be “normal,” but this point of view is challenged by the dramatic arrival (with gun and menacing retinue) of rich boy Ran Tachibana, who barges into her classroom one day and … [Read more...] about Flower in a Storm 1 by Shigeyoshi Takagi: B