Hot Gimmick volume 1

Hot Gimmick volume 1
by Miki Aihara
Viz Communications
BW, 192 pgs w/ ads, $9.95 US / Higher in Canada

Hot Gimmick is the first of Miki Aihara’s manga to reach North American shores, a shojo that at first glance sticks to the tried and true formulas of the genre. Where it differs though is in its art, which in itself is enough to convince the reader to check out subsequent volumes. This is fortunate for the reader because if online research is to be believed, Hot Gimmick deviates from the norm starting with volume 2.

Case Closed volume 1

Case Closed volume 1
by Gosho Aoyama
Viz Communications
BW, 192 pgs w/ ads, $9.95 US / Higher in Canada

High school student Jimmy Kudo uses keen powers of observation and astute intuition to solve mysteries that leave local law enforcement baffled. As such, Jimmy has become somewhat of a local legend, helping the cops when all clues have lead them to dead ends. Jimmy is a modern day Sherlock Holmes, possessing the talents that made that fictional detective such a renowned investigator. Jimmy has, in fact, learned his skills from reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes stories and other detective novels in a vast library belonging to his own father, a famous writer of mysteries.

Ranma 1/2 volume 3

Ranma and Akane put on their ice-skates to finally duel with the ‘Golden Pair”, Azusa and Mikaao. The victors of the battle win the pig P-Chan and the loser gets nothing. As always, the events get crazy and everybody is fighting for the love of someone else and by the end of it nobody is really sure what happened.

As I started reading this trade paperback, I couldn’t help but feel the series Ranma ½ was going nowhere. The transformation of the characters into different forms was unlike anything I’ve read before, but I was starting to think this premise was getting stale after about three trades. Rumiko Takahashi can write funny situations and her gag timing is almost perfect, but the stories were being told over again in different ways.

Ranma 1/2 volume 2

The adventures of Ranma, Akane and Ryoga continue in this second edition. This series is jam-packed with crazy love triangles; everyone is smitten with someone else but no one is able to get together. In poor Ranma’s case, he’s just trying to avoid the whole affair. Everyone seems to fall in love with Ranma whether he is a boy or if he’s turned into his female form.

Ranma 1/2 volume 1

Both martial artist Ranma Saotome and his father are cursed. They were training and honing their skills in China at a legendary place where they were surrounded by magical pools, sparring on the tops of bamboo sticks. Ranma’s father fell into the “spring of drowned panda” and who ever falls into that pool takes on the body of a big ole panda bear. Ranma, shocked by the transformation of his father and surprised by what happened, couldn’t fight off his panda dad and so he was tossed into a neighbouring pool, the “spring of drowned girl.” And if you hazard a guess at what happened next you’re most likely right. Ranma surfaces with a girl’s body, breasts and all. Boy was he surprised.

GYO volume 2 (2nd Edition)

can’t say I’ve ever been scared reading a comic. There are horror comics out there, but they’re not likely to make you jump in your chair like some horror films. That’s actually fine by me because that jumpiness is the most basic form of horror there is. It’s a one trick pony. The momentary fright isn’t going to linger. You’ll probably even laugh immediately after jumping.

DEATH NOTE volume 12

The great moral conundrum: Does the ends justify the means?

I believe Neil Gaiman once said all stories if left to their own devices would inevitably end in death, as that’s life’s natural course. What about a manga that begins with death and is all about death? Of course it ends with death, does it not? And does creating a perfect world mean it’s all right to kill thousands? Do the ends justify the means?

Death Note volume 1

What is the difference between right and wrong? When is it acceptable to say a person who has done something wrong and they should die because of it? Is it acceptable at all? What happens when a single person decides who lives and who dies? These are just a few of the many questions that come to mind when one reads Death Note.

When I mention manga to friends, random strangers and even some co-workers, I’ve found most people who haven’t read much manga will have at least heard of titles like Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Lone Wolf and Cub. This small selection though is just a glimpse at the wildly different types of manga available. For instance, the fact that not a lot of people have heard of Death Note is a crime.

Uzumaki volume 1

It is rare that the mundane be made truly unsettling. Manga-ka Junji Ito manages to achieve this in Uzumaki volume 1. He makes the pattern known as spirals a device of horror.

The first instance of this pattern occurs on the very first page. Kirie is overlooking the seaside town in which she lives. The sky above is grey and spirals can be seen in the clouds. This is a subtle instance of the spiral and almost goes unnoticed. A couple pages later, Kirie is walking down a street and a whirlwind rushes past. On the heels of that, she spots her boyfriend’s father crouched in a grubby alley. His attention is fixated on a small object. That object is a spiral shaped snail shell. It’s a quietly unsettling moment because such fixation is unnatural and as such just simply feels wrong.

Gyo volume 1 (2nd Edition)

One of the great things about my gig here at comicreaders.com is the very fact I have access to a wide variety of comics. When I buy comics I need to be selective because my money can only go so far. I will admit to you too that I’m a very cautious shopper. I’m more apt to buy a new series written by a writer I’ve enjoyed in the past then branch out and try a comic from someone with whom I’m not familiar. I don’t have that worry when reviewing comics. I can pick and choose whatever I want without thinking about my pocketbook. In doing so, I’ve been able to make some fantastic personal discoveries. I’m talking about the cool comics that grab you by the short and curlies of your interest and don’t let go. These are the comics for which I get up on my soapbox and shout. These are the comics I want you to read.

Gyo is that kind of comic.