Midwest Book Review
July 2008
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers.
Kirby Five-Oh!: Celebrating 50 Years Of The "King" Of Comics
John Morrow, Editors
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781893905894, $19.95 www (dot) twomorrows (dot) com
Jack 'King' Kirby is co-creator of the Marvel Comics line; "Kirby Five- Oh!" is a celebration of his 50-year career gathers regular columnists from the Jack Kirby Collector magazine to provide the best Kirby story published each year, from 1938-87. The oversized, mostly black-and- white reproductions include writings about Kirby's career and contributions, and makes for an outstanding analysis of his impact. Libraries will find "Kirby Five-Oh!" difficult to shelve due to its oversized format -- but then, this book shouldn't disappear on a shelf; it should be displayed for eye-catching interest.
Modern Masters Volume 16: Mike Allred (Modern Masters) (Modern Masters)
by Eric Nolen-Weathington, Mike Allred
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www (dot) twomorrows (dot) com
Eric Nolen-Weathington's MIKE ALLRED (189390861, $14.95) I featured in Volume 16 of the 'Modern Masters' of comic and graphic art. Comics fans may note him from his creation The Atomics and Red Rocket 7: black and white coverage of his artistry accompany interviews with Allred exploring the sources of his creations. Stan Lee, Brian Bendis and others are featured in the collection THE BEST OF WRITE NOW! (1893905926, $19.95), a compendium of interviews, writings, and more compiled and edited by Danny Fingeroth, a Marvel Comics writer and editor. It's an outstanding compendium about writing for comics and graphic novels and gathers the best of Write Now's interviews and professional tips -- making it a 'must' for any who would write for the comics market, and for any library catering to graphic novel fans.
The Trouble With Girls Volume 1
The Trouble With Girls - Volume 2
Tim Hamilton & Dave Garcia
Checker Book Publishing Group
2044-A South Alex Road, West Carrollton, OH 45449
www (dot) checkerbpg (dot) com
Volume 1: 1933160454, $17.95
Volume 2: 1933160462, $17.95
In the latter years of the 1980s a series of comics from Malibu Comics did something now other comic book publisher was able to accomplish to such critically acclaimed success -- lampoon the well established international action/adventure characters as represented by the likes of James Bond and other extraordinary spies, CIA operatives, FBI agents, and government sanctioned hit men. Now all of these long out of print and unavailable issues have been collected together into two graphic novel anthologies. Volume 1 comprises the first seven issues of this remarkable series beginning with its debut in 1987. Volume 2 offers issues 8 through 14. Together they present the story of Lester Girls, a man who must suffer the attentions of countless beautiful women, have fancy cars, palatial estates, and overwhelming wealth imposed upon him. All Lester wants is a simple life with a loving wife and a small town in which to enjoy them both. Alas, no matter his desires, he and his sidekick and friend Apache Dick (plus Lester's mischievous two nephews) are constantly attacked by every manner of villain and villainess. Then there is 'Scoops', a determined young lady reporter seeking to uncover Lester's personal story. A masterpiece of satire from beginning to end, "The Trouble With Girls" is intended for and enthusiastically recommended to a mature readership who appreciates the well crafted and thoroughly entertaining lampooning of countless literary sacred cows arising from the hero and villain stereotypes that at the core of contemporary comics and movies.
Street Fighter II - The Manga Volume 3
Masaomi Kanzaki
Udon Entertainment
PO Box 32662, PO Village Gate, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4X 0A2, Canada
9780978138639, $12.95 www (dot) udoncomics (dot) com
The third graphic novel of Japanese author and artist Masaomi Kanzaki's Street Fighter II manga has never before seen publication in North America. Picking up after the conclusion of the epic saga in the first two volumes, Street Fighter II volume 3 brings the World Warriors Guile, Ken, and the beautiful (but fierce!) Chun-Li together again. Following rumors of the resurrection of the evil organization Shadaloo, they come up against the most intractable foes of all - themselves! Even Ryu and M. Bison must test their ultimate strength against their own mysterious doppelgangers, in this action-packed martial arts saga based on the wildly popular Street Fighter II video game. Street Fighter II, volume 3 is in black-and-white, enhanced with a handful of color plates, and "unflipped"; the graphic novel is presented and read left-to-right, just as Masaomi Kanzaki originally drew it. A bonus afterword by Masaomi Kanzaki and a preview of the manga "1520" round out this absolute "must-have" for Street Fighter II fans!
Sakura Taisen Volume 7 (Sakura Taisen)
Ohji Hiroi, author; Ikku Masa, artist; Kosuke Fujishima, characters
Tokyopop
c/o Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781427810342, $9.99 www (dot) viz (dot) com 1-800-394-3042
The seventh graphic novel of the Sakura Taisen series (loosely based on a Japanese video game) continues the adventures of the mostly female Imperial Fighting Troupe, who control giant robots in their efforts to defend their home city from invaders! But two of the flower troupe, the high-class lady Sumire and the tough fighting woman Kanna, have quarrelsome personalities. In a last-ditch effort to get the two to work together, captain Ogami feigns a stomach illness, prompting the two to investigate mysterious happenings in a haunted house. A hostile ghost lurking in the mansion turns out to be the least of the threats in wait - a powerful female sorceress has made the area her base of operations in her plan to engulf the Imperial City in a sea of flames! Presented in original right-to-left format so that readers can enjoy the creators' artwork as it was originally drawn, Sakura Taisen volume 7 lives up to the series' fine blend of action, fantasy, and heart. Highly recommended.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
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Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
