From the back cover: The definitive collection of the first Buffy comics series starts here. This volume begins at the beginning—"The Origin," a faithful adaptation of creator Joss Whedon's original Buffy screenplay. The newly chosen Slayer's road to Sunnydale continues by way of Vegas and a mental institution, and scenes of high school, the early Scoobies, and an English … [Read more...] about Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus 1 by Joss Whedon, et al.: B
Supernatural
Time and Again 1-3 by JiUn Yun: A-
It's China during the Tang Dynasty. Exorcist Baek-On Ju travels with his bodyguard, Ho-Yeon Won, dealing with ghosts, crafting talismans for his customers, and advising on various mysterious phenomena. The series is primarily episodic but is nonetheless affecting, owing to the quality of the stories and the painful memories that unite Baek-On and Ho-Yeon in self-incriminating … [Read more...] about Time and Again 1-3 by JiUn Yun: A-
Saiyuki 1-3 by Kazuya Minekura: B
Although Saiyuki's sequels and prequel ran/run in magazines aimed at a female audience, the original was serialized in GFantasy, which, as MJ pointed out in her Black Butler review, features many shounen series created by and appealing to women. Therefore, while I associate Saiyuki with intense female fandom, it still technically qualifies for inclusion in the Shounen Sundays … [Read more...] about Saiyuki 1-3 by Kazuya Minekura: B
Claymore 1-2 by Norihigo Yago: B+
With the ability to take over human bodies and blend in with ordinary people, monsters known as yoma have a (relatively) easy time finding humans to feed upon. The only weapons humans have against them are the “Claymores,” humans who have taken yoma flesh and blood into their own bodies in order to gain the power to defeat the monsters. Only females are able to successfully … [Read more...] about Claymore 1-2 by Norihigo Yago: B+
Fairy Navigator Runa 1 by Miyoko Ikeda and Michiyo Kikuta: C
Stop me if you've heard this one before. There's this clumsy, kind-hearted girl who learns she's really a princess and... Oh. You've stopped me. When the female protagonist of a series is “a completely uncoordinated fourth grader,” you just know you’re dealing with a magical girl story. Fairy Navigator Runa is an unoriginal example of the genre, starring a clumsy but … [Read more...] about Fairy Navigator Runa 1 by Miyoko Ikeda and Michiyo Kikuta: C