The year is 2024. Fourteen years ago, Japan’s first attempt at a manned space mission ended in disaster, as something went wrong 72 seconds into the flight, causing the craft, “The Lion,” to crash in the middle of a city. The crew, and many civilians, lost their lives. Asumi Kamogawa’s mother was among the wounded, lingering in a coma for five years before finally succumbing to … [Read more...] about Twin Spica 1 by Kou Yaginuma: A-
Sci-Fi
Planetary 1: All Over the World and Other Stories by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday: A-
From the back cover: This is Planetary: three people who walk the world for strangeness and wonder, uncovering things others wish were left covered. They are the mystery archaeologists, explorers of the planet's secret history, charting the unseen borders of a fantastic world. Review: I loved John Cassaday's art in Astonishing X-Men, and even I have heard the name Warren Ellis … [Read more...] about Planetary 1: All Over the World and Other Stories by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday: A-
Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, and Richard Isanove: B
From the front flap: The year is 1602, and strange things are stirring in England. In the service of Queen Elizabeth, court magician Dr. Stephen Strange senses that the bizarre weather plaguing the skies above is not of natural origin. Her majesty's premier spy, Sir Nicholas Fury, fends off an assassination attempt on the Queen by winged warriors rumored to be in service to a … [Read more...] about Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, and Richard Isanove: B
Dr. Slump 1 by Akira Toriyama: C+
From the back cover: When goofy inventor Senbei Norimaki creates a precocious robot named Arale, his masterpiece turns out to be more than he bargained for! Basking in the glow of his scientific achievement, Senbei scrambles to get Arale in working order so the rest of Penguin Village won't have reason to suspect she's not really a girl. But first Senbei needs to find her a … [Read more...] about Dr. Slump 1 by Akira Toriyama: C+
X-Men: Misfits 1 by Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, and Anzu: C-
Having fortified myself with some small exposure to Marvel-style Kitty Pryde, I felt equipped to tackle the first volume of Del Rey's X-Men: Misfits for Manga Recon. Whether you're an X-Men fan or a shojo manga fan, you're bound to be disappointed (if not dismayed) by this hybrid. In this shojo-style X-Men “remix,” Kitty Pryde is a fifteen-year-old girl who is an outcast … [Read more...] about X-Men: Misfits 1 by Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, and Anzu: C-