Clover also crosses the boundaries of girls or boys comics, the two audiences CLAMP commonly writes for, by packing a wrenching examination of love into an action-packed drama full of genetic experimentation and explosive battles. As is common in the best Japanese work, Clover explores all of the usual questions around genetic engineering people as weapons or slaves -- there's a reason Blade Runner remains one of the most recognized Western films in Japan. At the same time, Clover's focus on the people involved, and not their genetic make-up, makes the story a uniquely human story at it's core. read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Complete Series

Clover Volume 1
Clover Volume 2
Clover Volume 3
Clover Volume 4
reviews by robin

Tokyo Babylon follows the adventures of Sumeragi Subaru, the head of Sumeragi clan and an onmyoji, or a master of spirits, more powerful than any other of his generation. Subaru, though only 16, manages to exorcise ghosts as much through talking to them as through magical means. At his side is his twin sister, Hokuto, who provides a hyper sense of humor to the proceedings and takes advantage of Subaru's giving nature by dressing him up in every elaborate outfit she can think of, much to Subaru's chagrin. Her brightness is mirrored in their caretaker and neighbor, the older but equally cheerful Sakurazuka Seishiro, a veterinarian and sorcerer with his own legendary pedigree. Seishiro is, in fact, the heir to the Sakurazuka clan, historically enemies of the Sumeragi clan, assassins by trade, and practitioners of the dark opposite of Subaru's magic.

This odd trio takes on case after case, and though Subaru does most of the work, Seishiro will step in to defend his Subaru. On the surface, Seishiro appears to be everything the Sumeragi twins need -- a confidant, a friend, and a guardian -- but every once in a while he seems to display an alarmingly cold side. Could he be something different from what the Sumeragi assume?read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Series

Tokyo Babylon Volume 1
Tokyo Babylon Volume 2
reviews by robin

An angel, Kohaku, is rescued from being tangled in a tree by an unsuspecting but chivalrous doctor, Shuichiro. Once freed, Kohaku proclaims that Shuichiro has earned a wish granted for lending her aid. Unfortunately, Shuichiro cannot think of a single thing he wants or needs. Thwarted in her act of goodwill and reciprocation, Kohaku is a bit thrown. Unsure of what else to do, she decides to stay with Shuichiro until he discovers whatever it is he wishes for. Shuichiro is puzzled but enchanted by his new houseguest, and grows quite fond of her naive exploration of his life and interests.

Kohaku's decision, of course, has repercussions. read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Complete Series

Wish Volume 1
Wish Volume 2
Wish Volume 3
Wish Volume 4
reviews by robin

If this book had a plot I would summarize it. However, the sheer lack of plot is precisely the problem. This is a pity since Peter David has some remarkably funny gags that poke fun at comic book writing conventions. Unfortunately, there is not more to this book except a series of jokes. There is no character development or larger theme to tie the jokes together. All in all this isnÕt really worth buying or reading unless you have rabid fans.
review by petra

Unlike Young Justice: A League of Their Own this book does not suffer from a lack of plot. If anything, it has far too much plot, and far far too many characters. On occasion it seemed as if every superhero the DC Universe has ever spawned turned up in this book. The basic plot is that Klarion (bum bum bum . . . the Witch Boy) orchestrates an occasion at which all members of the DC superhero universe both old and young will be in one place and then turns a magic ray on them, making the adult superheroes into teenagers and the teenage superheroes into adults. The amusement factor of Batman as a teenager aside, what follows is a heavy handed and unnecessarily lengthy and didactic demonstration that teenagers are misunderstood and that being an adult isnÕt all fun and games. I went looking for it because I was/am on a Bat-verse kick and I have a fondness for Tim Drake, and even I was bored. Again, if you have rabid fans you might want to consider this book, but otherwise skip it and suggest they read Teen Titans: A Kids Game instead.
review by petra

This is the sixth volume in the Nightwing series, and rumor has it the last one DC is planning on releasing in trade paperback form (rumor being the ever helpful guys at my local comic store). Just because Blockbuster is out of commission for the time being, and Soames has gone underground, doesnÕt mean that Nightwing can relax and rest on his laurels. Nite-Wing is back. Nightwing just got his ass kicked by a woman dressed entirely in super strong, experimental red microfibers. ThereÕs a woman in a mask and black leather body suit tattooing mysterious numbers on to her victims. And last, but not least, Dick Grayson has just become the newest member of the Bludhaven PD, but his new partner doesnÕt think heÕs going to make it beyond being a rookie. The artwork here is a perfect compliment to the story. It manages to show what is not an explicit part of the written story ų the intersection of Dick GraysonÕs multiple lives ų as Nightwing, as police rookie, and a friend and neighbor ų and how completely they are intertwined.
Read the rest of the series reviews here
review by petra

Chuck Dixon is one with his inner Dick Grayson. This is a good thing, because the original Boy Wonder leaps off the page at you. He is a real, engaging and endearing character. He takes the bad guys down with a well-placed kick and a bad pun, and he makes Batman smile. IÕm not sure which is the more impressive feat. This is the story of RobinÕs first mission with Batman, the first time that he flies solo, and his first encounter with the big bads of the Batverse. His encounter with Two Face will haunt him for the rest of his life, and will force him to prove both to himself and to Batman that this life choice is not only something that he is capable of, but one that he wants. The artwork captures the feel of the old comics without looking dated. The clean lines and relatively spare color palette suit the story being told.
review by petra

Jumping jets! ItÕs Kid Flash, and heÕs about to subdue a zoo full of angry circus animals! Yes, the year is 1962 and DC Comics has just published the shocking story of how The Flash accidentally ended up with a young partner-in-crime-fighting. Just a few pages away in 1960 Jimmy Olsen and Robin are hiding out in the Fortress of Solitude and planning to fake their own deaths to protect Superman and Batman from a fortune-telling enemy. Somewhere high above the city Hawkman is in pursuit of an extraterrestrial criminal, and Green Lantern is explaining the origin of his Oath to a man named "Pieface." The six Comics-Code-approved tales reunited in this volume reveal origin stories and little-known adventures of many of the DC stable of superheroes, and provide an interesting taste of how they talked (stiltedly), thought (slowly), and flew (horizontally) during their earliest incarnations. Although it can be hard to take these big-jawed, heavy-eyebrowed characters seriously, Even More Secret Origins is a fascinating look back in time for modern-day fans of Green Lantern, Superman, Batman, The Flash and others.
review by alison

What's a 6th grader to do when he's suddenly cohabiting his own body with a master Go player from the Heian period (think early medieval Europe in the West)? Well, basically, he plays go. Go is a game similar to chess (apparently, if chess is a batlle, go is a war). Hikaru Shindo finds himself trapped when he attempts to sell his ancestral Go board and uncovers instead that its history, and his own hidden talents, allow the ghost of Fujiwara-no-Sai to possess him at will. Sai, though by nature a sweet-tempered man who's only desire is to play Go and achieve the "divine move," get's a wee bit stressed when he's not allowed to play. This stress manifests itself by making Hikaru vomit suddenly, and as much to keeps things clean as to pacify the ghost, Hikaru journeys into a Go salon for the first time. As he learns more from his new guest, and gets to like being able to beat the pants off unsuspecting players, Hikaru manages to catch the eye of Akira Toya, a prodigy player who's startled at Hikaru's novice clumsiness paired with the wisdom of his moves. What Hikaru doesn't know is that he's just picked an opponent who's one of the best in Japan, and who's father, Toya Meijin, is the world's leading player. This sweet and energetic book manages to make Go exciting and suspense-filled. The characters are all natural and at the same time show the marks of any serious players: they are committed, focused, and always striving for the next level of play. The artwork is also wonderfully clean and sweeping, giving Hikaru an adorable swagger while Sai retains his robed majesty even as a spirit.
review by robin

My initial reactions to Teen Titans: A KidÕs Game were:
1. It is possible that I have the tiniest crush on Tim Drake (Robin III).
2. Conner Kent is the clone of Superman and Lex Luthor, and for anyone whoÕs watching Smallville on the WB thatÕs just endlessly amusing.
3. IÕm starting to think that StarfireÕs hair is actually one of her superpowers. People are just so frightened of it that they donÕt stick around to find out what else she might do.
4. This series has potential. There are some clunky bits, and sometimes the dialogue is a little cheesy (witness Superman giving Superboy Krypto, the Superdog), but a lot of it is also funny, the characters are endearing, and the story line is sound.

When the volume starts none of the characters want to be involved in a new iteration of the Teen Titans, which is a nice bit of self-reflective narrative on the part of DC Comics. Robin thinks he gets enough training and mentoring from the Bat. Superboy doesnÕt really want to get up early on the weekends. Kid Flash has some serious guilt issues and wants to be taken seriously for a change. Cassie, Wonder Girl (II), wants to be there but Wonder Woman is adamantly opposed to the idea. It takes the reappearance of Slade, a classic villain from the Titans universe, a realization that the Titans Tower offers them some freedom, and the uninvited and unwelcome intervention of the JLA for the new Titans to come together as a team. The book is an appealing combination of fluff ų teenage superheroes actually being teenagers for a change ų and a story line that asks the question of what determines who we grow up to be -- is it predetermined or is it our choice?
review by petra

Testament is a work I was not expecting to adore for the very simple reason that I'm entirely unaware of most of the stories of the Old Testament. I have virtually no religious background and so even well-known stories are new to me, so I was worried the stories would not resonate with me as they might with another, more familiar reader. First off, I was wrong -- the stories are presented in simple language and with outstanding illustrations across the board. The fact that I didn't know them may have in fact been a bonus -- the drama was all new to me -- but I've compared my reactions with friends who knew more ahead of time and they were equally impressed. The frame for these tales is conversation in a bar with a familiar bartender, but each tale has its own art and style. My only quibble is that many of the stories felt rushed -- I wanted more detail, more time to digest each. This title is published by a subsidiary of the American Bible Society, and Testament is refreshingly free of any preachiness -- they are presented as stories, not a religious text, nor are they intended to be taken as such. The violence represented, for certainly the old Testament is not full of peaceful stories, is at around a PG-13 level. For anyone looking for a unique and excellently illustrated addition to their collection, check Testament out.
review by robin

Batton LashÕs Supernatural Law series bases its comedy on a simple and elegant premise: lawyers are hilarious and given the proper circumstances their clients are even better! The Law Office of Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, caters to a very specific clientele, representing Ghoulies, Ghosties, Long-Leggity Beasties, and the often-persecuted Things that go Bump in the Night. The cast of characters includes lawyers Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd, their devoted office manager Mavis, and their young starlet of a receptionist Corey Wolff. In this volume, among other legalistic adventures, the intrepid foursome engage the ghost of a cursed Egyptian nobleman, represent Susann the Muse of Potboilers in a royalties suit, and assist a demon in his quest for freedom of religious expression. All these stories are spiced with subplots following the soap-operatic love lives of our various protagonists, often complicated by supernatural interference, not to mention the demands of a thriving practice. Amid all this excitement, astute readers will note some entertaining references to other popular fantasy characters from Harry Potter to the heroes of Monsters Inc. LashÕs amusingly retro drawings call to mind a melding of Steve Canyon and the Archie comics, expanding the goofy humor even farther.
review by alison

Often mentioned in favorable comparison to the anime film Princess Mononoke and authored by one of the most loved manga authors in Japan, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind combines heart-thumping battle action with struggling for honor and a strong ecological message. Nausicaä is a passionate defender of the natural world on a ravaged Earth where plant spores and massive insects roam wild and few humans survive in pockets of safety. Intrigue between the ruling family's brother and sister drag Nausicaä into the politics which may mean the end of humanity unless she can find a way to take control. read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Complete Series

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Volume 1
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Volume 2
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Volume 3
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Volume 4
reviews by alison

Hawaiian Dick reminds me of those great 1950s crime dramas, full of speeding cars, jumpin' jazz scores, and tough P.I.'s looking for balancing shaky moral ground. It's full of great reaction shots, car chases, snappy dialogue, and a few zombies. Wondering about the zombies, are ya? Not too many scenes of Bogie staring down the walking dead, but I'm all for it. This first volume follows the wavering career of Byrd (gotta dig the single name), a cop exiled from the mainland and cooling his heels on Hawaii trying to make a buck. He and his old army buddy, Detective Mo Kalama, get roped into a dubious case trying to retrieve a car for a less than trustworthy fellow who soon meets his own mysterious end. The local drug king, one Bishop Masaki, has lost something he treasures, and he implores Byrd and Kalama to track it down. Never mind that Masaki's treasure is a woman, and that woman was dead last time Byrd and Kalama saw her. Or was she? Toss in island prejudices, voodoo, haunting pasts, and one sassy, sexy bartender and shake well, and you get one heck of a refreshing drink. The artwork perfectly matches the style of the story, with strong lines and stronger lighting melding with a cool palette of contrasting colors to add energy to all of the scenes. Most fitting, this title also features a full menu of mixed drinks at the end, courtesy of San Francisco's Isotope, the comic book lounge. Older teens and adults will appreciate the slow wit and burn of this story.
review by robin

Volume 2 of Maki Murakami's soap opera/comedy Gravitation ended on an appropriately soap operatic note with the arrival of Eiri Yuki's fiancee from an arranged marriage. How much of a rival will innocent country girl Ayaka be? How will she react to the knowledge that her long-lost Yuki has a male lover? read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Series

Gravitation Volume 1
Gravitation Volume 2
Gravitation Volume 3
Gravitation Volume 4
Gravitation Volume 5
Gravitation Volume 6
reviews by jen

Batgirl reminding Oracle of Batman is probably not a ringing endorsement for the state of BatgirlÕs mental health. On the other hand, Batman is in awe of her fighting skills and she looks really good in a batsuit. Cassandra Cain, daughter of renowned/infamous assassin David Cain first appeared in the "No Man's Land" series. Cain raised her to be a killer. Deprived of speech, she relies solely on body language to communicate. It makes her a frighteningly efficient warrior, but she has turned her back on her fatherÕs training and with OracleÕs blessing she has become the new Batgirl. Scott has managed to capture CassandraÕs reliance on the unspoken. He uses her body language to convey what she is feeling, and even behind the mask her facial expressions are evocative. In this story Batgirl is coming to terms with who she was raised to be, and who she wants to become. The question, however, is whether Batman can allow her remain with his team as he reluctantly discovers more about her past. read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Series
Batgirl: Silent Running
Batgirl: A Knight Alone
Batgirl: Death Wish
Batgirl: Fists of Fury
reviews by petra

It has been three months since Bruce Wayne escaped from prison. It has been three months during which Batman has had no obligations to anything other than his mission. His friends/family have figured out that he was framed, but Batman seemingly isnÕt interested in proving Bruce WayneÕs innocence because so long as Bruce Wayne is a guilty fugitive he is free. As usual, it is Alfred, always the voice of concern and reason in the Batverse, who reminds Batman that he is needed as Bruce Wayne too. What follows is the slow unraveling of the mystery of who framed Bruce Wayne for Vesper FairchildÕs murder and why. The artwork in this series remains consistently elegant, using cool tones and sharp color contrasts to build dramatic scenes. This wasnÕt my favorite volume in the series. It was well written, but it lacked the emotional impact of the other volumes, although it was definitely necessary for plot continuity.
review by petra

The mystery is solved, Bruce Wayne is cleared of the murder charge and both Batman and Bruce are back in Gotham. Bruce/Batman has even admitted to his Bat-family that he knows heÕs not the easiest person to live with (and their expressions of shock and amusement are priceless). Before reading this volume I did wonder what exactly there was left to talk about. Which just goes to show I should have more faith, because this is the most introspective volume of the series. Having been Batman and Bruce and reconciled his need to be both, Bruce now has to face what the sublimation of himself into Batman has cost him over the years. Sasha Bordeaux was Bruce WayneÕs bodyguard and before the Vesper Fairchild murder fought at BatmanÕs side. She chose to protect both Bruce and Batman because she was in love with him, and Batman allowed her to discover his secret because he was afraid he was falling in love with her and he needed a way to control and distance his relationship with her. While Bruce escaped prison to be Batman, Sasha was tried and convicted of murder. Bruce/BatmanÕs seeming indifference to her has broken her love for him just at the moment when he is realizing that perhaps it is important for him to allow people to be close to him and possible for him to be close to them.
review by petra

GothamÕs shadows color every Batman story. Her buildings loom better than the Bat himself. She has always been the unnamed lead actor in the Batman universe. As Bruce asks himself in this series, did Gotham make him, or did he make Gotham? No Man's Land is about Gotham and her residents. In the absence of any of the rules of civilized society, without electricity or running water, in a city run by gangs, GothamÕs citizens find a way to survive. This is their story. read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Series
Batman: No Man's Land Volume 1
Batman: No Man's Land Volume 2
Batman: No Man's Land Volume 3
Batman: No Man's Land Volume 4
Batman: No Man's Land Volume 5
reviews by petra

I suppose that it is possible that someday Greg Rucka will write something that I donÕt like, but it hasnÕt happened yet. Hiketeia is a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated book which is both a gripping story and a thoughtful meditation on the changing conceptions of justice, obligation, and the price of keeping promises. The rite of hiketeia is one of supplication and obligation. The supplicants debase themselves to a protector who in turn is sworn to shield them from all harm. In Ancient Greece this rite was understood and ensured by the vengeance of the Furies for those who broke hiketeia. However, when Danielle Wellys recites the ancient pledge to Diana, Princess of Themyscira, events begin to unfold which trap Wonder Woman between her sworn word and BatmanÕs dedication to justice. Batman cannot compromise his ethics to allow Danielle to escape the penalty for the murders which she has committed, no matter how compelling her reasons. Equally, Wonder Woman cannot afford to break her oath to Danielle to protect and defend her. The artwork here is gorgeous. Muted color tones echo the meditative nature of the story, but the panels are alive with detail and depth.
review by petra

All is not well on the tiny Malaysian island where our story takes place. Maybe something bad happened here long ago... or maybe the near future holds a dark fate for the villagers under the protection of Marsiti, the local healer. Whether the sense of menace in the air comes from supernatural causes or from the oppressive presence of Dutch colonialists on the island is a subject of heated debate in the village, as farmers and merchants continue about their daily routines. When a woman is murdered and a baby disappears, Marsiti is the only one who recognizes the ominous traces of their killer. MarsitiÕs knowledge of healing and "the old ways" of magic lead her towards the solution of the villageÕs mystery, but as she comes closer to revealing the evil in their midst, the townspeopleÕs fear and anger threaten to overwhelm their judgement.

Garlands of Moonlight, a pocket-sized story, is distinguished by Shoto PressÕ characteristically gilded artwork. Wasisto EdiÕs pencil drawings, illuminated with metallic silver, make every landscape ghostly. Individual characters seem to shine with an inner light as they move through darkened surroundings, heightening the storyÕs feeling of oppression. This is definitely a ghost story, and like the best around-the-campfire tales of its kind, weÕre left with a lingering sense of dread after the last page.
review by alison

Eerie Queerie follows the adventures of one Mitsuo, a loner high school student who has the misfortune of also being a medium. Due to his gentle nature, he's prone to being taken over by any strong-willed ghost in the vicinity. Possessed, he ends up apparently afflicted with multiple personalities, professing his undying love to a classmate one minute and then running away shamefaced the next. His classmates all think he's got a screw loose, but Mitsuo is determined to figure out how to control these spirits once and for all. It doesn't help that he always attracts female spirits who can't move on until they've proclaimed their feelings to one dashing boy or another. Situations only get more complicated when one of the dreamboats Mitsuo asks out "under the influence," Hasunuma, doesn't think dating is such a bad idea. Dealing with homophobic taunting from his classmates, ghosts determined to express their feelings, and conflicted yearnings for his new friend, Mitsuo is on the verge of totally losing it. read more...

If you like, you can skip to individual volumes:

The Series

Eerie Queerie Volume 1
Eerie Queerie Volume 2
Eerie Queerie Volume 3
reviews by robin

For years Dick Grayson was the eternally youthful, fearless and wisecracking boy wonder Robin. Then he grew up and became the first leader of the Teen Titans and later a superhero in his own right, Nightwing. This left Batman without a Robin, and everyone agreed that Batman needed a Robin, if only to provide some much needed levity. Thus, Jason Todd was introduced as the second Robin. He was originally written to be a very similar character to Dick Grayson, however, somewhere along the line his character started to write himself and Jason Todd turned out to be a little bit sullen and a lot rebellious. The problem was, nobody really liked him very much. In response DC Comics did something unprecedented. They opened up the fate of Jason Todd to the readers. By calling in readers could decide if he lived or died, and by a narrow margin readers opted to kill him off.

This is the story of how Jason Todd died. It is partly a story about JasonÕs search for a mother he never knew he had ų a search which takes him to the Middle East and Africa and winds up involving international arms trafficking and the Joker. But the emotional impact in the story comes from tension in Batman. His choices, his dedication to justice and the protection of strangers at all costs, are instrumental in the death of Robin. He has to confront the consequences of who he is, and the kind of life that he lives and asks others to live.
review by petra

A vigilante, a meta-human, and a costumed superhero walk into a bar . . . it sounds like the start of a painfully bad joke. Except that this comic is written by Judd Winick, so actually itÕs a very good joke with plot, angst, compelling characters, and witty quips. Following on from the events of Young Justice: Graduation Day (incidentally, also where Teen Titans: A Kids Game picks up) Arsenal (former sidekick of Green Arrow, and founding member of the original Teen Titans) is forming a new superhero group. Nightwing wants nothing to do with it; he doesnÕt want to see any more of his friends and family die. However, Arsenal is nothing if not stubborn and he goes ahead with his plan and recruits four other members ų Jade (daughter of the first Green Lantern), Indigo (android), Grace (meta-human bouncer at a Gotham nightclub), Thunder (daughter of former superhero Black Lightening), and Metamorph (old school superhero suffering from selective amnesia after saving the world). The Outsiders arenÕt an ordinary superhero group. They arenÕt interested in reacting after the bad guys make a move and cleaning up mayhem that they create. TheyÕre interested in hunting the bad guys and getting to them before they act. Nightwing finally joins and, of course, ends up being the team leader. As he tells Batman, the Outsiders arenÕt the Titans. They arenÕt friends. They arenÕt family. Being a member is not a vocation; itÕs a job for which they get paid (funding by mysterious industrial conglomerate ų and I predict thatÕs coming up again in later volumes). The art in this volume suits the story with the right balance of intensity and attention to detail. NightwingÕs jaw was occasionally a little more chiseled than it needed to be, but the artists captured nuances of expressions even in the midst of battle in way that I wish more comics did.
review by petra

When a damaged cyborg from the future arrives in our world and our time she starts trying to find some like her so that she can repair herself. Unfortunately, she first finds and almost kills Cyborg and then, when he canÕt provide her with what she needs, she wakes up a deactivated Superman robot. These Superman robots were built by Superman to be used in his absence, they have almost all of his power but none of his humanity and ultimately they were deemed too unstable. Star Labs kept one, and that secret may cost lives. I read this after I read the first Outsiders and Teen Titans: A KidÕs Game and they both abruptly made much more sense (particularly Outsiders). This is the story that both books reference to, and these are the events that changed the characters, making them wary of being a part of a superhero group. I donÕt think it's as well written as either one of the books that come after it. Given the nature of the story I felt that it lacked emotional impact, although that might also be because I never followed the story before that volume so I have no particular connection to the characters. I would recommend it for a collection, however, if only to make the stories that come after it make sense.
review by petra

What's a 6th grader to do when he's suddenly cohabiting his own body with a master Go player from the Heian period (think early medieval Europe in the West)? Well, basically, he plays go. Go is a game similar to chess (apparently, if chess is a batlle, go is a war). Hikaru Shindo finds himself trapped when he attempts to sell his ancestral Go board and uncovers instead that its history, and his own hidden talents, allow the ghost of Fujiwara-no-Sai to possess him at will. Sai, though by nature a sweet-tempered man who's only desire is to play Go and achieve the "divine move," get's a wee bit stressed when he's not allowed to play. This stress manifests itself by making Hikaru vomit suddenly, and as much to keeps things clean as to pacify the ghost, Hikaru journeys into a Go salon for the first time. As he learns more from his new guest, and gets to like being able to beat the pants off unsuspecting players, Hikaru manages to catch the eye of Akira Toya, a prodigy player who's startled at Hikaru's novice clumsiness paired with the wisdom of his moves. What Hikaru doesn't know is that he's just picked an opponent who's one of the best in Japan, and who's father, Toya Meijin, is the world's leading player. This sweet and energetic book manages to make Go exciting and suspense-filled. The characters are all natural and at the same time show the marks of any serious players: they are committed, focused, and always striving for the next level of play. The artwork is also wonderfully clean and sweeping, giving Hikaru an adorable swagger while Sai retains his robed majesty even as a spirit.
review by robin

"Dreams are windows to the spirit world," Thorn tells Fone Bone, so perhaps itÕs not surprising that Eyes of the Storm begins with a pair of dreams ų The Hooded One visits Thorn in a nightmare, and the great red dragon appears to Fone Bone in a dream based on his favorite book, Moby Dick. The war between good and evil has begun, and the battleground encompasses both the physical and spiritual worlds. At the heart of the conflict is Thorn Harvestar, Grandma BenÕs granddaughter. The Hooded One, who is the catÕs paw of the Lord of Locusts, wants to kill her; Fone Bone, who is the catÕs paw of the great red dragon, wants to protect her.

Eyes of the Storm holds many revelations for Thorn. Grandma Ben tells her that she is the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Atheia, and that her parents were murdered by the rat creatures when she was a little girl. ThornÕs reaction to this bit of news is totally realistic; she is devastated, and furious at her grandmother for lying to her. Those who have read Rose, the prequel to the Bone series, know that Grandma Ben had terrible judgment as a young girl, and in Eyes of the Storm we learn that she has terrible judgment as an old woman. The most memorable scene in Eyes of the Storm is Grandma Ben stomping off into the woods in the middle of the night to confront the dragon; Fone Bone and Thorn follow, stumble into a patrol of rat creatures, and the dragon must intervene to save the day.

Eyes of the Storm is the third volume in the first Bone trilogy, and it is a turning point in the life of Thorn Harvestar. Her childhood has ended, and she takes the first steps towards her destiny, for good or for ill.
review by george

Warren Ellis has a penchant for creating kick-ass female leaders. Miranda Zero of the Global Frequency is the most recent addition to the ranks of strong women to emerge from Warren EllisÕ fertile and strange imagination (see also ų Jenny Sparks from The Authority and Jakita Wagner of Planetary). Ms. Zero is the somewhat mysterious leader of the civilian organization known as the Global Frequency. There are 1001 members of the Global Frequency, scattered across both disciplines and the globe. When a situation arises she calls on them to respond depending on their proximity, expertise and the degree of desperation. Efforts are coordinated through the punk wild child Aleph, the nexus point for the Global Frequency. They are the self-appointed defenders of the world, and their ranks are made up of those whom the system has betrayed. In this first volume they stop a black hole from opening in San Francisco, disarm a bioweapon before it can detonate, and neutralize a new age geek cult before they can suicide taking innocents along with them. Each story is illustrated by a different artist, which makes the artwork on this volume inconsistent. Some of it I loved, like Jon J. MuthÕs work on ŌBig SkyÕ showcasing gorgeous colors and a beautiful simplicity of line, and some of it I didnÕt care for much. Like most of Warren EllisÕ work this is not for the faint of heart, or for younger readers ų although in this case thatÕs more because of blood, guts and gore, than for language or content. IÕm curious to see where he is going to go with this series, and what kind of social commentary he is going to make.
review by petra

Testament is a work I was not expecting to adore for the very simple reason that I'm entirely unaware of most of the stories of the Old Testament. I have virtually no religious background and so even well-known stories are new to me, so I was worried the stories would not resonate with me as they might with another, more familiar reader. First off, I was wrong -- the stories are presented in simple language and with outstanding illustrations across the board. The fact that I didn't know them may have in fact been a bonus -- the drama was all new to me -- but I've compared my reactions with friends who knew more ahead of time and they were equally impressed. The frame for these tales is conversation in a bar with a familiar bartender, but each tale has its own art and style. My only quibble is that many of the stories felt rushed -- I wanted more detail, more time to digest each. This title is published by a subsidiary of the American Bible Society, and Testament is refreshingly free of any preachiness -- they are presented as stories, not a religious text, nor are they intended to be taken as such. The violence represented, for certainly the old Testament is not full of peaceful stories, is at around a PG-13 level. For anyone looking for a unique and excellently illustrated addition to their collection, check Testament out.
review by robin

Bandaged, exhausted, and scarred mentally as well as physically, Keiko is taken from prison by an agent of the Noh and "reassembled" into "Scarab" a woman with no friends, no lover, no past, and no clear future beyond revenge against the Yakuza underground. From street punk to deadly assassin, Lost in Translation details how the Noh finds and molds its new agents into the masked killing machines we know from Kabuki volumes 1-5. In a series of flashbacks Scarab recounts her past to fellow Noh operative Tigerlily: running away from an orphanage, living a wild life in TokyoÕs back alleys, getting mixed up with some business for the Yakuza... and finally losing everything in a spray of bullets and broken glass. Chronologically, Lost in Translation takes place at the same time as Kabuki Volumes 3 and 5. As Kabuki languishes in a Control Corps hospital and the Noh agents set out to track her down, Scarab and Tigerlily snatch an evening alone together to recapture their past lives before risking everything to kill one of their own. Scarab traces a series of repeated images and symbols throughout her life, seeking to reconstruct the memories, grief, and hope for the future that the Noh has forbidden.

Lost in Translation was published in 2002, but most of its episodes were written by Mack and drawn by Mays between 1999 and 2001. Artistically this installment of the story of the Noh is most like the earlier volumes of Kabuki, made up of starkly black and white panels across which blood, glass, ink, and smoke drift in beautiful abstract patterns. The story ends with a hauntingly familiar picture of KabukiÕs distorted face as she crosses the borders of sanity in an attempt to second guess the Noh and save her own life.
Read more Kabuki reviews here...
review by alison

Fake's final volume starts out with Dee and Ryo being dragged into an FBI witness protection case -- their witness being an informant on the mob who also just happens to be the wife of Ryo's parents' killer. Neither partner is looking forward to the work, especially as the wife seems to be up to quite a bit more scheming than usual for an innocent witness. The one nice part of the case is reteaming with the high-energy and blunt Special Agent Diana Spacey. In getting reacquainted, Diana casually asks just how far Ryo's progressed with Dee, and when Ryo blushingly admits to only kisses, she's astounded. Knowing a bit about pining herself, she gives Ryo a good kick in the pants and warns him if he doesn't figure himself out, all he'll be doing is breaking Dee's spirit and heart slowly instead of showing Dee the honesty he deserves. Ryo strains to maintain balance as he's confronted once again by his parents' murderer, but in the end he finds himself in Dee's comforting embrace, acknowledging at least that side of his heart. Will he backpeddle the morning after, or will Dee finally get his heart's desire? As they work through their case, the very twisted example of love and loyalty at its climax jolts both into realizing that the time has come to admit their feelings (finally, amid the cheers of readers everywhere).

As a finish for the series, this volume is a fine achievement, though any fans of Bikky and Carol will be disappointed at their absence. The sex is more explicit than a traditional teen manga, and thus why this series is in the lair, but it's also sweet and passionate, as anyone with an ounce of schmoopiness wants it to be. This volume also features Dee giving one of the sweetest and most jumbled confessions of love I've seen, which makes him, and it, all the more convincing.

The rest of the series can be found here:

Fake

Fake Volume 1
Fake Volume 2
Fake Volume 3
Fake Volume 4
Fake Volume 5
Fake Volume 6
Fake Volume 7
reviews by robin

Hawaiian Dick reminds me of those great 1950s crime dramas, full of speeding cars, jumpin' jazz scores, and tough P.I.'s looking for balancing shaky moral ground. It's full of great reaction shots, car chases, snappy dialogue, and a few zombies. Wondering about the zombies, are ya? Not too many scenes of Bogie staring down the walking dead, but I'm all for it. This first volume follows the wavering career of Byrd (gotta dig the single name), a cop exiled from the mainland and cooling his heels on Hawaii trying to make a buck. He and his old army buddy, Detective Mo Kalama, get roped into a dubious case trying to retrieve a car for a less than trustworthy fellow who soon meets his own mysterious end. The local drug king, one Bishop Masaki, has lost something he treasures, and he implores Byrd and Kalama to track it down. Never mind that Masaki's treasure is a woman, and that woman was dead last time Byrd and Kalama saw her. Or was she? Toss in island prejudices, voodoo, haunting pasts, and one sassy, sexy bartender and shake well, and you get one heck of a refreshing drink. The artwork perfectly matches the style of the story, with strong lines and stronger lighting melding with a cool palette of contrasting colors to add energy to all of the scenes. Most fitting, this title also features a full menu of mixed drinks at the end, courtesy of San Francisco's Isotope, the comic book lounge. Older teens and adults will appreciate the slow wit and burn of this story.
review by robin

There arenÕt many career advancement opportunities for Minders, assuming you survive long enough to need them. One of the only options for Minders is to become Director of Operations which makes this book particularly interesting as an indication of who Tara might become, and an examination of why Crocker is who he is. This volume of Queen and Country takes you back to 1986, during the height of the Cold War when Crocker was still a Minder and his mission was to help Valery Karpin escape from East Germany. The consequences of what happens that night will reverberate through the years and are influential in shaping how he acts when he becomes Director of Operations, and perhaps explains some of the leeway that he allows his Minders. HurttÕs artwork is full of detail, without being overwhelming. He is particularly skillful when it comes to showing the toll that being a Minder exacts on both the Minder and their family. The faces and body language of his characters are exhausted and weighed down with the things that they canÕt or wonÕt say.
review by petra

A British media mogul is being blackmailed by the French government for media contract rights. The French have set up a honey trap using his daughter, Rachel, as bait. They have compromising video footage of her with a man they hired to seduce her. Tara is chosen to go to Paris because she used to know Rachel at school. In some ways it is an opportune time for Tara to be out of London, since she just broke up with Ed and things are a little tense between them at work. In other ways, this is an intensely personal case for Tara because Ed fell in love with her but she was just looking to not be alone for a little while, and her guilt over that is affecting how she deals with Rachel and her paid seducer. This is a less action packed volume of Queen & Country. There is more of a focus on introspection, and who the characters are on their off time, and perhaps most importantly on who they arenÕt. J. AlexanderÕs black and white line drawings in this volume are exquisite. He pays a lot of attention to the shades of expression, and to what is not being said out loud by the characters. Tara particularly is not a character who is particularly verbally expressive, and J. Alexander had made her body language and her face speak for her.
review by petra

Reading this volume it occurs to me, not for the first time, that I donÕt want TaraÕs life. When Minder 3 dies unexpectedly in Caracas everyone in the department is affected, none more so than Tara who was sleeping with him and possibly a little in love with him. There is an immediate assumption that he was murdered, and it is almost harder to accept when his death is revealed to be a result of natural causes. In the midst of this shake up Tara and the new Minder 3 are sent to TÕblisi to ŌobserveÕ and ŌinvestigateÕ the kidnapping of Lasha Karpin, Vice President of a Russian technology firm and son of Valery Karpin (see Queen and Country: Declassified). When things go pear shaped, as things are wont to do, Weldon orders Crocker to call them back, but Crocker manages to play the game better. I didnÕt like the artwork in this particular volume. Tara looked a little too rounded to me, but when I expressed that opinion to Robin she disagreed with me and liked the art work a lot, so itÕs a matter of opinion. The image I have of Tara is always angular because that, to me, is a reflection of her character. This Tara was still tough as nails even in grief, but she wasnÕt particularly visually angular.
review by petra

All is not well on the tiny Malaysian island where our story takes place. Maybe something bad happened here long ago... or maybe the near future holds a dark fate for the villagers under the protection of Marsiti, the local healer. Whether the sense of menace in the air comes from supernatural causes or from the oppressive presence of Dutch colonialists on the island is a subject of heated debate in the village, as farmers and merchants continue about their daily routines. When a woman is murdered and a baby disappears, Marsiti is the only one who recognizes the ominous traces of their killer. MarsitiÕs knowledge of healing and "the old ways" of magic lead her towards the solution of the villageÕs mystery, but as she comes closer to revealing the evil in their midst, the townspeopleÕs fear and anger threaten to overwhelm their judgement.

Garlands of Moonlight, a pocket-sized story, is distinguished by Shoto PressÕ characteristically gilded artwork. Wasisto EdiÕs pencil drawings, illuminated with metallic silver, make every landscape ghostly. Individual characters seem to shine with an inner light as they move through darkened surroundings, heightening the storyÕs feeling of oppression. This is definitely a ghost story, and like the best around-the-campfire tales of its kind, weÕre left with a lingering sense of dread after the last page.
review by alison