Fans of classic video games got some good news this week, because Viz is reprinting the Nintendo Power-era The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past comic. The comic adaptation of the super popular Zelda game was written and drawn by legendary manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, creater of Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series. Probably not many ten year olds reading the comic realized a creative genius was behind their Nintendo Power comic fix, but now they can get a whole new appreciation as adults.
Also, in video game comic news, a glimpse at what might have been. There was nearly a 4-issue Final Fantasy miniseries by Kurt Busiek, Del Barras, and Mike Mignola. It was going to be an adaptation of Final Fantasy IV that never came to be, but some of the art and one of the covers has come to light twenty years later.
This interview came out a few weeks ago and got lost in the holiday shuffle, but this project looks awesome. Ethan Young talks about his upcoming Chinese historical fiction graphic novel ‘Nanjing: The Burning City’. The book follows two Chinese soldiers just before and during the Nanjing Massacre, one of the worst atrocities committed during WWII by Japanese soldiers against the Chinese army and citizens. This part of WWII history gets so overlooked it’s scary, so it’s exciting to see a work focused on telling that story, especially from a Chinese-American creator.
Of all the indie creators out there, Michael DeForge might just be my favorite. This is a great interview with him about his process and recent projects. Because some of his works tend to be shorter or mini-comics, there’s not as much focus on his work in the direct market, but he puts a ton of work on his blog so check it out.
