Every month, WWAC’s staff reads a lot of comics. A lot. Short & Sweet (Or Sour) is our regular showcase for bite-sized reviews of the latest books!
What’s in a Medium? The Three Faces of “The Devil is a Part-Timer!”
The Devil is a Part-Timer! Satoshi Wagahara (writer); 029 (Oniku) (illustrator); Kevin Gifford (translation) Yen On (Please note: review copies of the manga and light novel were provided by Yen Press.) Once upon a time, in the cross-shaped kingdom of Ente Isla, the devil had his day. Or many days, really. In fact, he and…
Tokyopop Up Like a Phoenix: The Good Times, The Bad, The Then, and The Now
Now that Tokyopop is rising from the ashes, it’s time to talk about the glory days (and the grotty secrets). Roundtable time!
Claire Spills Her Guts Again: Teen Things, ParaKiss, & Velvet Goldmine
Stories might be best told in certain media, but their reflections are ever-refractable: a lyric written in the back of an image puts a song into an imaginary world, a game cabinet in the background of a scene tweaks your understanding of the character who owns it. So, I’m going to talk about a film…
Making the Old New Again: The Heroic Legend of Arslan
The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Volumes 1-3 Yoshiki Tanaka (original story) & Hiromu Arakawa (manga adaptation) Kodansha Comics August 2014 – May 2015
A Silent Voice Speaks Out Against Bullying: A Review
A Silent Voice vols. 1 Kodansha Comics Yoshitoki Ōima (mangaka), Ben Applegate (Editor), Steven LeCroy (Translator/Letterer) Release Date: May 26, 2015 A review copy was supplied by Kodansha.
Short & Sweet: Sandman, Lucy the Octopus, Ghouls, and Ghosts!
Sandman: Overture #5 Neil Gaiman (writer), J.H. Williams III (artist), Dave Stewart (colorist), Todd Klein (letterer) Vertigo May 27, 2015
Noragami, a Tale of a Stray God and a Cat-Tailed Girl
Noragami: Stray God volumes 1-4 Adachitoka (mangaka); Alethea Nibley & Athena Nibley (translation); Lys Blakeslee (lettering) Kodansha, September 2014-April 2015 Note: this essay contains mild spoilers; review copies provided by Kodansha. You’ve got a sassy small god who wants to be a big god. You’ve got a girl who sometimes has a catlike tail. You’ve…
Hungry for Definition: xxxHolic’s Addiction to Food
xxxHolic Omnibus editions vols. 1–5 CLAMP (mangaka studio); William Flanagan (adaptation and translation); Dana Hayward (letters) Kodansha 2014–2015 (first published 2003–2009) Note: this essay contains some light spoilers; review copies were provided by Kodansha. Watanuki Kimihiro sees spirits. Even worse, they want to eat him, and so they chase him. All the time. Big, scary,…
Relive, Rewrite, Restore: Yukarism Volume 1
Yukarism, Vol. 1 Chika Shiomi Viz Media 2014 It’s hard to pin Yukarism down, even after a few rereads. Chika Shiomi throws several tropes together—history, reincarnation, romance, time-travel—and while the result is entertaining at first, the story quickly loses its ability to intrigue the reader. Main character Yukari Kobayakawa’s literary talent is evident at 17 years…
Making Manga is Hard—and Funny: Manga Dogs Reviewed
Manga Dogs, vols. 1–3 Ema Toyama (mangaka); William Flanagan (translation); Jennifer Skarupa (lettering); Phil Balsman (cover design) Kodansha What do you think of comics artists and writers? Okay, I can probably answer some of that: if you’re reading this, you’re probably not among the camp who thinks of them as weirdos. Or maybe you do,…
Sexy Losers, Or, How to Draw A Rascal and Make Him Look Good
I’ve been watching a lot of Magnum, P.I.