It’s a slim one, but let’s take a quick look at this week’s ComicList:
The week’s standout (at least in terms of items actually confirmed to be shipping through Diamond) is Osamu Tezuka’s Swallowing the Earth (DMP). Early reviews have been mixed on some points, most notably a rather un-evolved portrayal of women, but we all know that any newly translated Tezuka is worth reading. And when it’s crazy early gekiga from Tezuka, it’s even worthier. Here’s part of the plot summary: “What brought this woman to conspire for decades against patriarchal society – against an entire gender – and can anything be done to stop her plans?”
I don’t see it on the ComicList, but the weekly arrivals e-mail from the local shop indicates the arrival of Jeff Smith’s Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon Books). As with Tezuka, anything from Smith is worth reading, and this book looks adorable: “There’s lots to do before Little Mouse is ready to go visit the barn. Will he master all the intricacies of getting dressed, from snaps and buttons to Velcro and tail holes?” Yes, it’s a book for children, but that’s never stopped me before, and it certainly isn’t going to stop me now.
If you find yourself with extra cash in the comics budget and a surfeit of new arrivals to meet your needs, you might head on over to Twitter and check out the weekly #mangamonday tweets. The recommendations range from hot-off-the-press items to vintage oddities.
And while it isn’t a new release yet, I’m thrilled to read Deb Aoki’s news that Last Gasp will be publishing a hardcover version of Fumiyo Kouno’s exquisite, extraordinarily moving Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms. I already own the softcover, but I’ll definitely go for the hardcover as well, then donate the paperback to the library.
