There’s plenty of intriguing stuff in the February 2008 Previews catalog. Let’s get to it, shall we?
I’ve seen lots of excitement about Hiroya Oku’s Gantz (Dark Horse, page 34), and the solicitation does make it sound intriguing. It promises recently deceased average folks put through their paces by a bossy, alien orb. I’m not usually drawn to crazy violent manga, but there’s something about Dark Horse’s taste in those kinds of books that works for me. Usually.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, but also from Dark Horse (page 57), is Simone Lia’s Fluffy, which is about a preschool-aged rabbit and his human father. If the premise makes you want to check your glucose levels, the absolutely charming preview pages feature Fluffy’s teacher sneaking out of dad’s bedroom. Father and son also go to Sicily. I’m there.
In other comics travel news, Del Rey launches Yuko Osada’s Toto! The Wonderful Adventure (page 270). Wanderlust drives young Kakashi to stow away on a zeppelin filled with crooks.
I’m a huge fan of Takako Shigematsu’s Tenshi Ja Nai!!, so I’m glad to see that Go! Comi has picked up another of her titles, Ultimate Venus (page 303). Honestly, I wasn’t crazy about Shigematsu’s King of the Lamp, but it was hardly bad enough to put a dent in the positive impression left by Tenshi.
The premise of Lars Martinson’s Xeric Award-winning Tōnoharu (Top Shelf, page 356) sounds great. It’s the semi-autobiographical tale of an American teaching English in rural Japan. Martinson has a blog about the book and the experiences that inspired it.
There’s always justifiable excitement when Vertical announces that they’re releasing another beautifully produced translation of Osamu Tezuka’s work. This month, it’s Dororo (page 362). There doesn’t seem to be any room in it for cross-dressing sociopaths, but I’m sure it will offer its own unique charms.