The Prince and the Dressmaker is a fairy-tale like story about Prince Sabastian who likes to wear dresses on occasion and requires the quiet assistance of a talented seamstress to create wonderful haute couture for him. However, the Prince's parents are pressuring him to find a bride and settle down to carry the Royal lineage forward, unknowing of his secret. How long will his penchant for wearing dresses remain a secret and how long can his seamstress, the hardworking and career minded Frances, be able to support him in his secrecy?
I've been reading comics for a long time (about 33 years to be precise) but I've never really read a story like this. I am glad that the ever-dependable Jen Wang has created this comic as the central premise could have been problematic, what with portraying the Prince sympathetically without seeming false or trite, but the gender fluidity represented here is wonderfully represented and realised. I recently had a conversation with a transitioning friend of mine, who is transitions from a he to a she, and she said that sometimes she feels like a male and sometimes a female. It's difficult for her but it's not always binary for her and Wang gets to this in her story, gender is different from the sex you were born with and this nuance is carefully portrayed.
Aside from the carefully considered story and dialogue, the artwork is beautiful and the level of detail on the background scenes and dresses is astonishing. You can see that Wang clearly loved creating beautiful dresses for the Prince to wear and as Lady Crystalis, her true personality comes through.
Even though the topics covered are controversial and may be uncomfortable for some, I think the book is good to share with young people who are questioning their own gender or are just interested in it.
Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter- Comic Review
Onibi is a beautiful graphic novel about Japanese culture and its connection with the spirit world. The setup is quite simple, a young couple find a magic camera, the camera obscura, which is said to show ghosts, yokai, which apparently roam the lands but are invisible to the naked eye. The couple travel through the Japanese countryside, visiting places that have a reputation of paranormal activity and take pictures, hoping to glimpse the yokai.
The graphic novel is beautiful and the watercolours are lush!
Over the course of 8 short stories we see the couple explore different regions of Japan, trying to lay their eyes on the yokai prize. As a result the story is quite choppy and disjointed, with some stories being better than others, but it is a novel that requires thought and maybe a re-read after reaching the end.
That's not a knock as you get another chance to enjoy the stunning pencil and water-colour art. The considered palette and use of shading adds to the atmosphere of the story and there are a few larger panels where the majesty and artistry is on full display.
As a graphic novel, the premise appealed to me as I had seen this trope before in a video game series I like, Project Zero/ Fatal Frame, so to see a graphic novel take on this premise intrigued me. However, I feel that it wasn't executed as well as I'd have liked. I think the fact that the story kept changing locations and times so suddenly didn't give us a chance to understand the two protagonists and it felt a little like a walking simulator videogame, where you expect something to happen or a jump-scare but... It doesn't materialise.
It's a good graphic novel with a great premise but for me, it feels like a promise unfulfilled. Well worth a read but I’m not sure I’d have it in my graphic novel collection for posterity.
Zita the Spacegirl Trilogy- Comic Review
The Zita the Spacegirl trilogy is a young adult graphic novel series that starts with a simple premise but builds into something so much more over time.
The story begins when Zita and a friend find a mysterious box with a huge red button on it, which seems to have fallen from space. Being ever adventurous, young Zita presses the button, a portal opens up and tentacles grab her friend and drag him through it. As she is to blame for her friend’s kidnapping, Zita feels that she must rectify the situation and so she presses the red button once again and travels through the portal and this is where her wild adventure begins. She soon realizes getting back to earth is not going to be easy and spends three graphic novels travelling through space helping various aliens she meets along the way whilst still trying to find her lost friend, kinda like an intergalactic Littlest Hobo.
After saving a planet in her first adventure (in Zita the Spacegirl) she discovers that fame has its price in the second novel ( in Legends of Zita the Spacegirl) and must recover her spaceship after a doppelgänger robot assumes her identity and goes off on a mission to fight an evil alien horde. In the third and final novel, The Legend of Zita, she must stop a crazy dictator as he plans to invade Earth with his galactic army. Can she stop him? What do you reckon?
The character of Zita is wonderfully realised as she no real powers, just her intelligence, determination and her sense of loyalty. She makes friends with some pretty reprehensible and unlikeable people but through her sheer good will and kindness, she commands loyalty and respect and turns some people around... like a pre-teen Teen Angel (yes, my references are old)
Writer and illustrator Ben Hatke has a fun, almost naive art style but this betrays a world building masterclass; what he has created is similar in style to the imperious Saga or Star Wars... high praise indeed, but when you read the novels you know that there is a bigger world with a wide and varied bestiary with potentially an entire lore-filled universe.
The Zita trilogy is an excellent graphic novel series that I wish I'd had in my youth, alongside Asterix and Tintin. Its premise is fun and instantly engaging and, with an expanded universe potentially presented at the story's conclusion, ripe for an imagination to let loose on and let fly. Check it out or miss it at your peril graphic novel fans!
LINK- Comics in the Classroom (article)
Bizenghast- Complete Series Comic Review
Bizenghast is a gothic manga-influenced comic series written and illustrated by M. Alice LeGrow, who won the chance to pitch the concept after placing in Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga competition. The 8 part graphic novel series was published from 2004 to 2012, the final part being released after a lengthy 2 year gap due to complications with the publisher.
I got on the ground floor with the graphic novel in 2004 and got the first 7 as they were released but the final one took me many years to pick up. Due to its small print run and Tokyopop’s financial complications as it wound down its business, the comparative rarity meant that the book was changing hands at ridiculous prices. I remember seeing it for £79 on Amazon second hand and it was a similar situation in other market places. However, I finally managed to get part 8 for a reasonable price (£17) recently and so used this opportunity to revisit the whole series again. So, was it worth the 15 year wait to get closure?
It took me many years but I managed to finish the whole series and complete my collection.
The story is intriguing and typical teen gothic horror fare but with a lolita fashion flourish:
In the mysterious town of Bizenghast a young orphaned teenage girl named Dinah lives with her aunt after the death of her parents. After trespassing in an ancient mausoleum, Dinah is tasked, alongside her friend Vincent, to return each night and free the ghosts within the building. After 10 ghosts are freed Dinah is assisted by tower guardians, Edaniel and Edrear. As the series moves on Dinah realises that there may be more to Bizenghast and its history than meets the eye, and its all tied to the curious Addie Clark and a strange incident that occurred many years ago.
Over the course of the series, there is the typical monster of the week format but the larger narrative arc in novel 3 changes the story and the feel of the story becomes much darker, violent and bloody. The death if a prominent character changes the mood of the series considerably and it becomes a study of death and the effects it can have on the living, covering the 5 stages of grief.
The series is a horror tale told well, with nightmarish creatures that terrify and haunt your dreams softened with beautifully intricate gothic lolita designs. The artwork lurches from stunning to workaday, sometimes feeling distinctly amateurish but the whole Burton-esque vibe is there. The story unfolds well and while in some places it can drag, as a whole it comes together in a suitable spectacular if sombre ending.
The long wait wasn't worth it in my opinion but enjoyed as is, Bizenghast is a solid story told well but with a few pieces of clunky dialogue and pacing issues. It is well worth a read though.
Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 5- Comic Review
With volume 5 we are given more insight into Baron Muster, a true comic book villain; all twirling moustache and cackling but in the very best sense. The previous volume had us judge him as a power crazy monster, however a flashback to his youth shows his motivation and brings a bit of humanity into the proceedings. His descent into madness and mania is operatic and tragic but is interspersed with the darkest of humour that Kishiro does so well. He goes full Cronenberg and the body horror is truly grotesque.
We get a little more information on Alita’s origins but yet again, they remain shrouded in mystery as her ‘birth’ is anything but normal. I won’t spoil it here but it Kishiro sure knows how to keep people on tenter hooks.
Vol. 5 goes into deep Martian lore.
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 4- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 3- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 2- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 1- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends
LINK- The Moomins 80's Soundtrack Vinyl Review
LINK- Inspector Gadget Retro Soundtrack Review
Silver Surfer by Slott and Allred- Complete Comic Series Review
I'm a huge comic nerd and have been for over 30 years. Of course I've known of the Silver Surfer for many years, but he just wasn't a character I was that interested in... he just seemed a little, well, lame. I read a few of his comics back in the early 90s and found his brooding angsty vibe a bit too edgy for its own good. My only recent experience with the Silver Surfer was with the second Fantastic Four movie and that certainly didn't help to adhere him close to my heart. However, over the past couple of years I've been hearing people raving about the recent Dan Slott and Michael Allred run so I thought I'd give the Surfer another chance and by gosh I'm glad I did.
Over the course of 29 issues Slott's Surfer takes us on quite the journey. He still carries the weight of the worlds he helped destroy with Galactus on his shoulders, but with the help of young human Dawn Greenwood, he realises he must move forward and make amends for his past misdeeds.
The Surfer and Dawn are perfect travel companions and as their friendship grows through the various adventures you find yourself rooting for this couple. You see sides of the Surfer that are rarely explored (at least in my experience from his cartoon show and frequent guest appearances in other comics) as he often 'Silvers Down' to talk about the existential crises he often faces; how can he enjoy life when he has led so many to their doom? It's not all serious though, the entire run has goofy humour and silliness galore as the Dr Who influence is placed front and centre. Cases in point: After performing a tonsillectomy we have our hero take Dawn to the universe's best ice cream parlour, take her on (frequent) bathroom breaks and keeping her constantly fed and watered.
One of the most interesting storylines sees the Surfer confront his past sins and the 6 billion survivors of the many worlds he led Galactus to destroy on a new planet called Newhaven. He knows he must atone for this and seeks to offer an apology and help the survivors, when Galactus arrives... hungry for more planets and souls. What follows reminds me of the most recent incarnation of Battlestar Galactica, as the Silver Surfer and Dawn look for a new, safer home for the inhabitants of Newhaven, the space flotilla search for the Promised Land.
This arc is quite dramatic as Dawn realises the true nature of Surfers past but she forgives him and gets him to reflect on what little choice Galactus gave him, easing his conscience. After this drama, events seems to peater out and never quite achieve the sense of pathos I feel that it was striving for but it is an intriguing arc nonetheless as it offers the Surfer a redemptive arc and brings Dawn closer to Norrin Radd.
In the forth graphic novel Dawn and Norrin become a couple as Norrin chooses to save the culture of Earth from the Zenn-Lavians. It is a dramatic arc as Norrin understands what it is to be the last of your kind on an alien planet (much like Dr Who being the last Gallifrayan) as he is excommunicated from Zenn-La but is welcomed as a citizen of Earth. Dawn also meets her estranged mother but at her time of most need, Dawn is abandoned again. The forth graphic novel is full of high emotion and unresolved strands, showing how messy life can get.
For the final graphic novel collection, the Surfer and Dawn are very much in love and enjoying the different worlds. Dawn seeks high adventure and danger but it comes at a high cost when her father passes away whilst they are away on their escapades. Stricken by grief, they attempt to travel back in time but overshoot somewhat and end up at the birth of the current universe. As they are isolated, the Surfer creates a new world and spends his life with Dawn until she passes. Being immortal, he feigns growing older with her and it is here that the true moment of beauty and philosophy come into play; what does it mean to be human and what is the meaning of life?
The love between the Silver Surfer and Dawn Greenwood is well earned and slowly reveals itself ©Marvel
To hammer home the gravitas of Dawn's passing, the Surfer must watch the new (current) worlds events unfold in front of him and not interfere in any way, lest he affect the timeline. This is all very wibbly wobbly time wimey stuff a la Dr Who.
Over the course of 5 graphic novels, 29 issues, Slott and the Allred’s have created a momentous story arc for the Silver Surfer that joins the pantheon of the greats. The art style complements the writing and whilst not as detailed as the super shiny muscular versions from the 90's, it shares much with the cartoony but heartfelt look and feel of much of the Marvel Now imprint, things like Howard the Duck, Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel.
This version of the character makes the Silver Surfer more relatable and likeable than ever before. Dawn Greenwood is an excellently realised character who brings the humanity out of the Zenn-Lavian and the storylines are similar in style to the Kirby/Lee run. More than anything Slott's Silver Surfer has amazing storylines that ring with pathos and humanity and deserve to be read. This may not be your dad's Silver Surfer but it's a brilliant one that deserves to be appreciated.
LINK- Comics in the Classroom (article)
LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 3- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 2- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle Vol. 1- Comic Review
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends
LINK- The Moomins 80's Soundtrack Vinyl Review
LINK- Inspector Gadget Retro Soundtrack Review
LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review
LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review
LINK- Sonic Mania Video Game Vinyl Soundtrack
Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle- Comic Review
So, after 28 years we have reached the final arc of Alita’s story in Mars Chronicle but has it been worth the wait? I've spoken at length about how the initial 9 graphic novel run of Battle Angel Alita was one of the finest sci-fi tales of all time but the sequel, Last Order, was meandering and overlong at 19 graphic novels. So, does Mars Chronicle return the series to greatness or does it end on a whimper, continuing the downward trajectory with a creator past his best and out of cohesive ideas?
Well, we will have to wait a while to find out but I've read the first graphic novel of the Mars Chronicle, which has been finally translated from the Japanese some 3 years after its initial release, and based on this novel the last arc shows signs of promise.
The novel begins by taking us back to Alita's origin as a young orphaned 80% cyborg child named Yoko living on the war-torn surface of Mars. Yoko and firm friend Erica are brought to an orphanage and start to make friends after a hostile start with young Queen Ninon. The town comes under attack by an army and a battle ensues. All that Yoko and Erica know is destroyed and their friends are killed. It’s exquisitely paced and dramatic, as well as tragic and heartbreaking as the frequent deaths are accompanied by genuine pangs of loss and heartbreak. It’s a real skill for the author to have the reader empathise with some of the characters, who we may only have had the briefest of introductions to.
As this is a flashback to Alita’s origin, we know that she and Erica survive, which removes some of the tension, but Yukito Kishiro ensures that no-one else is safe so anyone can die. He also cranks up the mystery behind how Alita learnt her Panzer Kunst skillset and through the political intrigue on Mars, created an interesting multi-layered story.
The original run of Battle Angel Alita is one of my favorite manga ever. Last Order was a sprawling mess which lost its momentum but still had some great ideas. Mars Chronicle could be a return to form; the setup is all there, a child prophesied for greatness, an alien landscape which is hostile and strange, and the promise of closure at finally finding out who Alita/ Yoko actually is and why she fights in the legendary martial art style. The first volume of Mars Chronicle is good but not extraordinary but I am pleased to be back in the Battle Angel Alita universe, I just hope it keeps its focus and provides long term fans with the closure they want and need. After what will be probably over 30 years I so hope Kishiro sticks the landing of this often masterful series.