RONIN HOOD OF THE 47 SAMURAI
Written by Jeff Amano and Drawn by Craig Rousseau and Wayne Faucher
Published by Image Comics

What do you get when you cross the traditional Japanese story of the Chushingura with one of the great British folk heroes of all time? You get this nifty graphic novel, which uses the classic Robin Hood tale to flesh out a fallow period in the Bushido legend. Immediately, the book draws all kinds of extra points for cleverness.

In the original story of the Ronin, there is an 18-month period between the death of their lord and the time the samurai take their revenge. This is where Amano sets his tale, sending the Ronin into the woods and against local evils. They function exactly as Robin and his merry men did, becoming men of myth and legend, yet battling their own demons at the same time. The Ronin have not only a duty to avenge, but a duty to themselves and their code, which creates strong conflict for the characters and helps give the tale resonance.

Wisely, Amano scales back his dialogue, creating a perfectly terse and spare environment for the characters. These were men of action, not words, and Amano treats them as such. That leaves the bulk of the storytelling on the backs of Rousseau and Faucher, and they do brilliant work, adapting their style to create a sort of minimalist American comics look mixed with a traditional Japanese art style (not manga). The panels are solid and dynamic, conveying a nice combination of action, character, and just enough background to give the moments heft. It may be the best stuff I’ve ever seen from Rousseau.

This book also has a strong appeal to readers who might normally have no interest in comics. Fans of Robin Hood or Asian film would be well-advised to pick this up and give it a read. You’ll really enjoy it.

SIBAM?

This would make for a terrific film. Of course, no one in Hollywood has the courage to make it, so the point is moot.

LONG HOT SUMMER
Written by Eric Stephenson and Drawn by Jamie McKelvie
Published by Image Comics

Steve’s best friend Ken is a mooch. He has no car, he has no money, and he’s kind of a pain in the ass. But we’ve all had a friend like that, and we know what it’s like to stick with someone everyone else thinks is a waste. You stick up for your friends and you help your friends, damn the consequences. But sometimes, the walls break down, and those friendships take a beating. Especially when Ken meets a girl and falls head over heels… and she turns out to only have eyes for Steve.

There are a number of strong elements to the book, particularly the characters. Stephenson doesn’t sugarcoat any of the goings on; Ken is an ass, Steven is an amoral and apathetic dick, and Ashley, the girl who comes between them, is a manipulative snot who doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings but her own. And in a short graphic novel, that’s risky; we don’t really develop a rooting interest in anyone. But Stephenson seems to be looking to make a point, evidenced by his ending. To wit: what really seems to endure through all things are our faults, and we have to live with their consequences.

ELECTRIC GIRL VOL.3
Written and Drawn by Mike Brennan
Published by AiT/PlanetLar

I am strongly anti-drug. But for ELECTRIC GIRL, I’m afraid I have to change my tune and advocate the use of methamphetamines.

ELECTRIC GIRL isn’t just one of the best books published over the last five years; it’s the best graphic novel series for young female readers being published period, manga included. AiT’s best seller, this multi-award winning, library-friendly book offers wonderful characters, strong storytelling, gorgeous art, and intelligence, both from its creator and in what he expects from the reader. Wry humor, silliness, heart warming moments…it doesn’t get much more perfect than that in any form of entertainment.

But… man, is Brennan slow. The last one of these came out it seems like two years ago. So, Mike, I’m begging you: it’s time to fire up the crystal meth pipe. Snort some coke. Start chopping up caffeine pills and mixing them into your dinner. Whatever it takes. Get the blood flowing. Sleep is for lesser men. Let’s see what a step into illegal substances can do for your productivity! Your readership is starving, dude!

GACHA GACHA VOL.1
Written and Drawn by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi and Adapted by David Ury
Published by Del Rey

Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Girl develops multiple personality disorder, and the second personality is juuuuuuuuust a bit bold and sexually aggressive. Boy is asked by girl to guard her when she slips into the second personality, but what is the poor horny bastard to do when the second personality keeps stripping down and trying to seduce him?

Especially when she changes back at inopportune times, making him look like the world’s biggest pervert…

Yep, it’s a wacky bit of fan service manga, and one that might make you feel a little bit dirty just by reading it. But it’s also pretty funny, tapping the hardest bit of comedy to pull off: sexual farce. There’s never any real danger of Kouhei (the boy) ever actually getting some action with the object of his affections; instead, like LOVE HINA, the real danger is in just how much he’s going to suffer (emotionally and physically) for his inability to control his lust. GACHA GACHA isn’t breaking new ground, but it does have its charms. Plus, there’s an interesting twist at the end explaining where the MPD came from that opens up the plot possibilities for future volumes quite nicely.

GHOST HUNT VOL.1
Manga Adaptation of Fuyumi Ono’s Novel by Shiho Inada
Adapted by David Walsh
Published by Del Rey

Now this is an honest-to-God rarity: a pure whodunit mystery in graphic novel form. A number of different occult experts are called to the scene of an old high school reputed to be haunted. Stuck in the middle is schoolgirl Mai, forced to work for the primary investigator because she broke some of his equipment.

Of course, with so many experts on the scene, no one can agree on what’s really happening in the old school, and as the number of bizarre incidents increase, chaos rules, and Mai gets more frustrated with her role in it all. But soon, she begins to gain some self-confidence, and finds herself becoming a key element in the investigation.

Unlike many graphic novels, this one truly feels like a novel, not for the least reason that it’s actually adapted from one. There’s some nice movement in the plot structure, and Inada does a nifty job of condensing elements and relying on visual cues to propel the story forward. The one real problem lies in the characters, as Mai plays as too much of a ninny for too long in the story, and the primary investigator, Kazuya, never rises above being a complete dickhead. Still, this works as a terrific setup, and there’s loads of potential to take this series in interesting directions.

MOME
Written and Drawn by Various
Published by Fantagraphics

This is a gorgeous anthology featuring some of the better alt-comics talents working today, put together with wonderful production values in an over-sized package. I can’t help but think that this was directly pointed towards the bookstore market rather than comics shops, as this seems meant to find readers in the discerning coffee shop crowd, rather than amongst the fanboys.

Standout efforts in the book come from such talents as Paul Hornschemeier, Jeffrey Brown, Sophie Crumb, and Gabrielle Bell. Interestingly enough, Hornschemeier’s effort is printed in color (as are a couple of other pieces in the book), and it really makes his stuff pop off the page like I’ve never seen before. Lovely stuff. Beyond that, I think that Bell’s story, “I Feel Nothing”, which leads off the book, is the strongest piece offered. There’s something incredibly sad and haunting about this story of an empty man looking for anything to fill his life just grips you by the heart and blows you away.

MOME is a very noble experiment, and it makes me wonder about perhaps another future market for comics. Many musical artists have been creating exclusive content for Starbucks, and I can’t help but wonder if that might be the way to go with a book of this nature in the future.

See you in seven.

Review materials may be sent to: Marc Mason, P.O. Box 26732, Tempe, AZ 85285. You can also find me at Happy Nonsense and The Comics Waiting Room

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