'Crimson Hero' #1 Review

This manga was a very pleasant surprise! This is pretty much what I was looking for when I picked up Red River the other day; a good shoujo! I love sports manga and this is a good example why. The first thing I noticed about this series is the art is pretty great! I can't stand when shoujo manga ka create a series that looks exactly like every other shoujo. Crimson Hero's art is a lot better than most shoujo series out there, especially the faces and clothes. There's still a heavy use of screen tone, like all shoujo, but not so much that it bothered me while reading it.

Plot Summary

The lead character Nobara Sumiyoshi is a tomboy with serious love for volleyball. Her family owns an old fashion japanese resteraunt (ryotei) and Nobara's mother wants her to become the next hostess. She attends a new high school purely on the fact that it has a popular volleyball team but soon learns that it's the boy's team that's popular and the girl's team has been shut down this year. After being sick of all the crap her mom is giving her, she decides to move out and goes to her aunt's (who is also the school nurse) for help. Her cold but caring aunt sets Nobara up at a boy's volleyball team dorm working as their dorm mother. Now we've got a good shoujo setting: girl surrounded by lots of hot guys.

We've got the asshole hot guy and the quiet hot guy in the main cast so I'm sure there'll be a love triangle happening between them. There wasn't a lot of sports action going on in volume one but I can tell there's going to be a lot coming up. Volume one is all pure set up for the series and I think volume two onward will start to have the plot actually moving forward. There are obviously still a lot of main characters that havn't even come into play yet. This series reminds me of Hikaru no Go in a lot of ways and I'm actually excited to read more! I'm glad I found a shoujo sports manga, I honestly didn't know those existed. I think this is a great series for guys who love sports manga and are intested in shoujo and girls who love shoujo and are interested in sports. IT'S A FUSION. I'm surprised to read that this series is still running and is twenty volumes strong. I'll definitely pick up volume two and read it if I can find it!

Crimson Hero #1 - 8.3/10

'Red River' #1 Review

Since I've gotten back into this, I've only been reviewing American comics so let's get back into some manga! Like I've mentioned before, I usually get most of what I review on here from the library. I've been seeing this series Red River there for a very long time and they have over twenty-five volumes there! So I figured I'll review the first volume, if it's good then I'll read more and if it sucks then I probably won't. Well...it was alright. I'm pretty neutral about it. Before I go into Red River, I'd like to bring up something that's on the first page of this volume. It's VIZ's super hip layout, they've got a definition of Shoujo, Pulp Fiction style. It says SHOUJO n. 1. Manga appealing to both female and male readers.
...what the hell? I was amazed by this. Are they saying that shonen (or any other type of comic for that matter) isn't appealing to males and females? Like they're being so edgy and radical by having their type of comic appeal to both sexes? For the record, I know a LOT more gals who like Naruto and Bleach than I do guys. Have I ever met a guy who liked any shoujo? No. I'm not saying it's impossible for a guy to like shoujo, there are some out there that I really like! (Absolute Boyfriend, Alice 19th, CLAMP shoujo) I was just really surprised by this whole GUESS WHAT OUR MANGA ACTUALLY APPEALS TO EVERYONE thing they had to say.
Now that I've got that out there, I'd like to say that Red River is most definitely for female readers. I can't see many dudes spending money on this manga.

Also, check out that cover. Our heroin looks like she's about to be stabbed or worse by multiple people. That's pleasant, right? And the with a title like RED RIVER, my mind is automatically thinking blood since we've got knives on the cover. THIS IS SHOUJO?

Plot Summary

So the manga opens with Yuri Suzuki getting her first kiss. Then the guy immediately ditches after kissing her like a jackass. Later than night, Yuri notices water seems to be acting different around her. Cups of water are sloshing and bubbling when she's near them. At school the next day, two arms shoot out of a fishtank and grab her but then disappear. When she takes a bath at night, the arms reappear and drag her under the water. She nearly drowns before her family busts in from all the noise. She decides to stay away from water  (so i'm guessing she didn't shower for a while) and later when she's walking with her beloved Satoshi, the water hands strike again!! They emerge from a puddle and drag her all the way in by the feet. She's under the water for a while and manages to break free and reaches the surface. She finds herself in an old bathhouse looking area full of strangely dressed folk. She's been transported BACK IN TIME to what is now TURKEY! She meets up with a super hot, angsty guy while on the run (he's destined to be the main hot guy of this manga) and he saves her from being captured. She runs away from him and gets captured anyway and we meet the antagonist of the tale, this crazy ass magician woman who is also the queen. We find out the super hot guy is one of the princes (there are six and I'm sure they're all super hot). So they're about to sacrifice her because the crazy queen bitch wants her dead when suddenly the hot prince KAIL says that she isn't a virgin and he was unaware she was supposed to be a virgin sacrifice. Yuri goes along with his lie and he takes her to his bachelor pad. Prince Kail tries to have her for real but she freaks and yells SATOSHI! So Kail leaves her alone and we all know she's gonna get with him eventually anyway. She gets a servant guy named Tito (which I thought was hilarious) and he's a cool kid. But the queen hypnotizes him and has Tito try to kill Yuri. The volume ends with her still on the run from the queen with Kail.

I didn't have much of an opinion on volume one. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great. The art style almost reminds of Osamu Tezuka's (Astro Boy) whimsical kind of style. Unfortunately there was one panel in here that was pretty awful looking, it actually scared me. It's just a shot of Yuri's profile view but the placement of her GIANT eye is so low on her head, it's practically below her nose. Pretty terrifying.
I might read volume two if I'm up for it.

Red River #1 - 5.3/10

'Legionnaires' #7 Review

So I'd like to review this issue for a number of reasons. I picked this up at a local comic store for 50 cents for one reason: Adam Hughes! One of my favorite comic artists, Hughes' art is very recognizable and I had to pick this up. I'd never read a Legionnaires issue before but this is #7, still pretty early in the game. Not only was this issue GREAT, but it's one of the best illustrated comics I've ever seen. Adam Hughes' pencils with Mark Farmer's thick black outlines really makes some phenomenal artwork. Attempting to be something of an artist myself, I find this issue to be very inspirational. Since this adventure takes place underwater and everyone is in very little clothing, this issue is a great study of the human figure. Hughes' facial expressions are very well done and really bring all the characters to life.

Plot Summary



So the Earth has been destroyed (I'm not completely sure how or when) and our heroes are visiting Atlantis, which is very big in tourism. This is basically their vacation getaway and in the Legionnaires are big celebrities to the public. Inferno takes a liking to a local mermaid and hey follow her to her family's Inn and decide to stay there. Meanwhile, local Atlanteans are being randomly slaughtered by some MYSTERY BEASTS. All the Legionnaires start splitting up throughout Atlantis and doing their own thing. Matter-Eater Lad (great name) keeps trying to hit on Shrinking Violet but she keeps shutting him down. Inferno is spending time with the hot mermaid chick when some blaster fire interrupts their good time! A local starts attacking one of the "devil-fish" that's been killing people. Inferno destroys his gun and goes on a mission to figure out what's been happening in Atlantis to cause this. Later the other half of the gang is off having fun when more locals and devil-fish start fighting. The Legionnaires are caught up in the crossfire and Brainiac suddenly interrupts the quarrel speaking the devil-fish language. He explains that he's ordered them to cease their attacks on people and that they're actually intelligent creatures. He explains their history and how the rivalries started and basically patches things up between the two parties. When the Legionnaires are leaving the next day they assume that they don't have to pay anything and the inn owners didn't want to shame themselves by asking for money. Shrinking Violet realizes this was RUDE of them, they talk about it and send Matter-Eater Lad and Inferno back to ask about paying. They find the mermaid girl crying and saying her family's inn has been closed down because they were way behind on payments. The team decides to all chip in for the payments and the issue ends with Shrinking Violet commenting that Tenz (matter-eater lad) is KINDA CUTE. hee hee!

There was one panel where Triad (who is split into three different people) is commenting to herself on a previous "encounter" with Inferno. "Last time we listened to Inferno, we couldn't sit down for a month." "D-Don't bring that up again!" "Hey, the skin grew back, didn't it?"
Disturbing to say the least.

There's not a whole lot going on in the story for this issue but the art makes it a damn good read. The character relationships are pretty interesting on the team and I'd definitely like to read more in the future. It was fun to see how their hair is constantly moving underwater, usually standing straight up. I can't say enough about how great Adam Hughes is, and this issue is a great example!

Legionnaires #7 - 8.4/10

'Batman and Robin' #3 Review

YEAH. Look at that cover! My favorite one yet, the fluid motion of the capes is amazing. It's a very minor detail but I really like how the artist signed his name on the cover by making out out of Robin's bootlaces. Very clever and cool signature.

Plot Summary

So this issue opens with Damian and Alfred playing a game of chess with all these really cool chess metaphors for what's happening in the comic. Bruce is outside setting up perimeter defenses like a "knight protecting his castle". Alfred shows he's a complete badass by attaching a few homing devices on Damian as he's trying to leave. Alfred is a big character so far and I really like that, rather than just being the butler in the background that says "Yes, Master Bruce." Damian confronts some bad apples in an alley and kicks the shit out of them (he punches an iphone right into a guy's face). He goes a little crazy at the end and you see a little of bit of the beast inside. Morgan appears, gives a little speech and knocks Damian out. THEN Bruce appears and they throw hands! After a pretty brutal fight, Bruce is knocked into the road and hit by an oncoming car, blacking out. Later (how much later it doesn't say) Batman and Robin wake up in an old car sitting in an abandoned drive-in. A countdown on the large screen begins and the issue ends with Morgan's voice on an intercom. "Glad to see everyone's coming around. Make yourselves comfortable. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show." GAHHH I WANT MORE. Seriously intense cliff hanger of an ending.

I caught up now, haven't read any more of the series. I'm excited to buy the next issue. What's gonna happen next?!! THE TENSION'S KILLIN' ME! This issue also has an ad for the new series Red Hood and the Outlaws. It looks SUPERB. I've never heard of this?? I'll definitely keep my eye out for that and do a review if I find it!

Batman and Robin #3 - 8.3/10

'Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane' Review

Take a look at this! Marvel attempting to make Shoujo. Wow. I've been seeing this thing at the library for months and finally decided to pick it up. It wasn't until I had it checked out that I realized it's actually volume 4 in the series, but it's not hard to follow. Degrassi meets Spider-Man. I can see where the idea of this could sound good. There are so many different characters Peter has had relations with throughout the history of Spider-Man and putting them all in a high school setting sounds interesting. I think this series is very much directed at a target audience and I am not in that audience. They even collect it into a volume like this to make it look like a shoujo series. I mean the color scheme even looks like Fruits Basket!!


Plot Summary

So Peter and MJ aren't together anymore. Now MJ is with Harry and I guess they've also been together in the past but they broke up previously. It seems like every character has dated every other character at some point. Everyone is a whore. Not really. Spider-Man starts hanging out with Firestar and that eventually turns into make out sessions. Liz is having problems with her boyfriend Flash. They actually made Flash out to be a pretty cool guy in this series rather that just the normal Flash Thompson who yells "PARKER!!". MJ and Harry don't want to get serious but they do anyway. This comic is just constantly jumping around between relationships very fast. Warning to all guys thinking about reading this - There is no action. At all. No violence. Nothing. There's one bad guy on one page. Iceman has a random appearance at the end. That's about as Marvel Comics as this thing gets. Felicia Hardy is in it. I don't think she's Black Cat yet? They don't mention it at all. She's just a random whore who wants to screw up everyone else's relationships. She has no heart and wants everyone else's love life to fail. That's what I got out of it. She also speaks in cat metaphors. "Are you feelin' lucky?!" Recurring words like 'catch' 'bad luck' 'thief' 'jinx' and so on. They really lay it on thick. Harry opens up his 'soul' to MJ and admits that he loves her but she still loves Peter deep down. They break up and the comic ends with MJ and Peter on a bench together.

I definitely wouldn't say this series is bad, it's just not that great either...Like a mentioned before, it's all about the target audience. I don't think I'll be reading any more of this series but I'm not horribly disappointed at all. Strangely enough, this was created by two guys. The art style reminds me very much of a female artist, but I suppose the artist might have just been trying to imitate shoujo as best he could. I really didn't like the fact that it's called SPIDERMAN LOVES MARY JANE. I mean, come on, they couldn't think of something better? How about WEB OF ROMANCE? Corny but better, I think. On the back cover it says it's a 'breath of fresh air' and I really can't argue with that. Marvel was definitely branching out and I have to respect that.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane volume 4 - 5.5/10

'Batman and Robin' #2 Review

Time for issue number DOS. Right off the bat (GEDDIT) this issue opens with a 2 page spread showing events throughout Damian's life. His intense training that the League of Shadows put him through since birth. They're really trying to get across that Damian is a monster and Bruce has nurture him back to humanity. Unfortunately Bruce has no idea how to be a dad and that's part of what makes this series so damn interesting! *spoilers* Damian doesn't want to disappoint his father so halfway through the issue they're taking care of some thugs doing a weapons deal and Damian shows restraint when taking them down. Bruce notes this as "commendable". They tie up the thugs and leave them hanging from a light post when suddenly our mysterious villain shows up. He sneaks down right on top of the guys and slits their throats but they even know he's there. There's a page showing him standing under the thugs, a shower of blood flowing all around him. It was gruesome and disturbing and FANTASTIC. This comic book doesn't play games, there is some intense violence in this series. In the last scene with Damian, he's walking back to his room from his exercise session when he catches a bat in mid air and crushes it in his hand. Alfred notices as he tosses it away casually. This kid has problems.

The issue ends with Bruce purchasing a great dane and being confronted by a man named Morgan. It's revealed that this guy is a our stealthy killer. Morgan detonates a little explosive nearby to show he's one step ahead of the game and disappears. The tension is building, I'm eager to read more!! The atmosphere of this comic is so dark and it's complimented nicely at the end outside scene with it's bright colors. I'm always happy to discover new artists I like and the penciller Patrick Gleason is really skilled. I'd really like to post some more pictures from this comic but since it's so new I'm having trouble finding any! Just go to your local bookstore and buy an issue of this, you will enjoy it. I hope. You better. I have issue #3 and I'll review that soon!

Batman and Robin #2 - 8.2/10

'Batman and Robin' #1 Review

Where do I start? It's been a year since I posted anything on here. I've moved around with computers a lot recently and actually forgot my account information on here but I finally got it all sorted out and I'm back.....I don't think anyone missed me. The blog seems to be exactly how I left it..but that's okay! I've been reading a lot of comics lately and I'd like to get some of this out there again. So instead of reviewing random manga from the library, I'm going to review something actually relevent!! If you're a fan of DC comics then you probably (or should) know about DC's new 52 that's happening right now. Fifty two DC titles all rebooting at once! Pretty exciting. I was a little doubtful when I first heard about it but now that I've read quite a few current issues, I'm pretty pleased! I'm going to review my favorite that I've read so far: Batman and Robin!

So Bruce is back. Damian Wayne is now Robin. I picked up issue one because I thought the relationship between father and son would be very interesting for Batman and Robin. And I was right! Normally you've got a brooding Batman and a cheerful Robin. With 2009's Batman and Robin series, you had positive Dick Grayson as Batman and a brooding Robin. Well NOW we've got a brooding Batman and a brooding Robin! DOUBLE BROOD. I thought this might be too much brood for one comic but Alfred balances it out with his awesome self.

This comic is dark. Very dark. My favorite thing about it is probably the atmosphere of it all. Dark colors everywhere. The art is just fantastic and the writing is great. I REALLY like Frank Quitely's art on the previous Batman and Robin but this new guy (Patrick Gleason) is great too. The villain introduced seems really interesting and also quite disturbed. There's some pretty intense violence in this comic, this definitely isn't The Brave and The Bold. A lot happens in this first issue and the end leaves you wanting more! I think if you're new to Batman comics or DC in general, this is a great start. If you're very familiar with Batman, you're gonna love this series. I'm eager to read more!

Batman and Robin #1 - 8.5/10