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Botchan schedule clarified

May 1, 2007 by

Jog looks at the upcoming offerings from Fanfare/Ponent Mon and wonders if the publisher is really going to release seven volumes of The Times of Botchan during the remainder of 2007, as could be construed from this piece at Anime News Network.

I checked in with Fanfare’s Stephen Robson, who said that volumes four through ten are in the making but not on the 2007 calendar:

“I expect to get two more volumes out this year to bring us to the half way point then let’s see what pans out next year. But I do expect a quicker pace (but not too quick).”

Even without the five additional Botchans, 2007 does seem to promise a comparatively heavy line-up for Fanfare. That’s a good thing, obviously.

Filed under: Fanfare/Ponent Mon 1 Comment

I will rename it "The Month of David"

April 6, 2007 by

Each June, comics publishers seem to join forces to drive me to poverty. Based on the latest Previews catalog, 2007 will be no exception. At least the weather will be warm.

The manga arrival of the month would have to be Masashi Tanaka’s Gon, in a new edition from CMX. Wordless, gorgeously illustrated stories about a tiny dinosaur who defends “the friendly and furry from the mean and hungry.” Sorry, Avril. (Pages 96 to 98.)

I’ve enjoyed a lot of comics either written or written and drawn by Andi Watson (Little Star, Love Fights, Paris, Princess at Midnight), so I’ll definitely give Clubbing (Minx) a look. It’s been illustrated by Josh Howard of Dead @ 17 fame. (Pages 113 to 115.)

In a couple of cases, well-written solicitation text was enough to interest me in books even though I knew nothing about them or their creators. First up in this category is Jamie Tanner’s Aviary from AdHouse Books, which promises “a world of mysterious corporations, foul-mouthed robots, drunken ghosts, amputee comedians, wealthy simian pornographers, and canine scientists.” Why not? (Page 215.)

I really liked the first volume of Kye Young Chon’s DVD (DramaQueen), about a dumped, possibly delusional young woman and the two slackers who give her renewed purpose (or at least are weird enough to distract her from despair). And now DramaQueen is offering the first four volumes. When they go Diamond, they don’t mess around. (Page 292.)

A new arrival from Fanfare/Ponent Mon is always worth a look. This month it’s Tokyo Is My Garden by Frédéric Boilet and Benoît Peeters. “With the collaboration of Jiro Taniguchi” is an effective extra inducement. (Page 295.)

The other Spring First Second release I’m eagerly anticipating (in addition to The Professor’s Daughter, recently given five stars by Tangognat) is Eddie Campbell’s The Black Diamond Detective Agency. Many gorgeous preview pages are available at First Second’s web site. (Page 300.)

Not everyone likes to buy even great books in hardcover, so kindly publishers almost inevitably offer soft-cover version eventually. Houghton Mifflin will roll out a paperback version of Alison Bechdel’s justly acclaimed Fun Home in June. (Page 312.)

I know nothing about Byun Byung Jun’s Run, Bong-Gu, Run! (NBM), but the preview pages at the publisher’s web site look absolutely exquisite. I may not like painted comics as a general rule, but I’m a sucker for watercolors. (Page 328.)

It’s been out for ages, but I’ve made a personal vow to mention Bryan Lee O’Malley’s wonderful debut graphic novel, Lost at Sea, at every opportunity, because I love it. Oni is releasing a new edition. Even if you aren’t eagerly anticipating a new volume of Scott Pilgrim, give it a look. (Page 329.)

Not being much of a webcomic reader, I didn’t check out the Young Bottoms in Love portal very often, but I liked what I saw when I did. Now Poison Press is releasing a print collection for geezers like me who don’t want to squint at a computer screen. Lots of talent, 328 color pages, $22. I can’t complain. (Page 335.)

As with Aviary, the solicitation text for David Yurkovich’s Death by Chocolate: Redux (Top Shelf) sells me. If anyone honestly thought I’d be able to resist “a series of bizarre, food-inspired crimes” investigated by “an unlikely hero comprised of organic chocolate,” they just don’t know me very well. (Page 364.)

Filed under: AdHouse, CMX, DramaQueen, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, First Second, Houghton Mifflin, Minx, NBM, Oni, Poison Press, Previews, Top Shelf 5 Comments

Manga chic

March 13, 2007 by

Manga Month may still be down the road a ways, but it seems like it’s Boutique Week on the ComicList, with welcome arrivals from smaller publishers.

Take the pick of the week, Fumiyo Kouno’s Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms from Last Gasp. The U.S. publisher of Keiji Nakazawa’s legendary Barefoot Gen offers another perspective at Japan after the atomic bomb, and I’ve heard nothing but enthusiastic responses from people who’ve read it in scanlation or Japanese.

Fresh on the heels of MangaBlog’s interview with Stephen Robson, Fanfare/Ponent Mon releases the third volume of Times of Botchan, scripted by Natsuo Sekikawa and conceived and drawn by the superb Jiro (The Walking Man) Taniguchi, and re-offers Yukiko’s Spinach, written by Frédéric Boilet and drawn by the fabulous Kan (Kinderbook) Takahama.

Gullywasher offers Danica Novgorodoff’s Isotope Award-winning mini-comic, A Late Freeze, which I really enjoyed.

Okay, CMX is an arm of DC, so it’s not really boutique-y, but Kaoru Mori’s Emma feels boutique-y, and I’m holding on to this theme with my fingernails. The third volume ships on Wednesday, and it’s lovely.

And Blu offers Hirotaka Kisaragi’s Innocent Bird, which I bought over the weekend because it seemed like it would be enthusiastically tawdry but turned out to be sort of interesting and thoughtful instead. I liked it, but I can’t say I’m not a little bit disappointed by the smut shortage. Stupid plastic wrap.

Filed under: Blu, CMX, ComicList, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, Last Gasp, Mini-comics 7 Comments

Delayed reaction

January 8, 2007 by

I read Hideji Oda’s A Patch of Dreams (Fanfare/Ponent Mon) over the weekend, and I was clearly pretty intrigued by it, because I later had a nightmare that seemed to be based loosely on the story. It’s not that the manga is especially terrifying (though there are moments), but it clearly planted enough food for subconscious thought that I could find my dream self being stalked in a Paris suburb and, immediately upon waking, come to the conclusion that the dream was all Oda’s fault.

It’s possible that I’m placing too much causality on A Patch of Dreams and that it could more likely be pinned on the egg rolls I had for dinner. Either way, it’s an intriguing book, one I’m not quite ready to review formally, but it certainly conveys dream logic effectively. It’s one of those books that puts you in a sort of mental loop – maybe your response to the initial reading isn’t overwhelming, but as you consider aspects of the story, more and more thematic possibilities emerge.

Filed under: Fanfare/Ponent Mon 2 Comments

Vacant lot?

December 20, 2006 by

Has anyone ever seen a copy of Vanyda’s The Building Opposite (Fanfare/Ponent Mon) in a bookstore or comic shop? I remember ordering it via Previews over a year ago, heard that it was delayed, and check periodically to make sure it’s still on my order list at the local comic shop, but the shop owner insists that it’s never shipped through Diamond.

I’ve seen a couple of reviews of it, but I can’t remember if the reviewers mentioned if the publisher had provided a complimentary copy or if they’d picked it up in a store. Apparently it’s one of the 10 best manga of 2006, and given Fanfare/Ponent Mon’s track record, that’s certainly plausible, but where can I buy it, exactly? The English version isn’t listed at Amazon or Barnes and Noble (though both offer the Spanish version), and there’s no joy at Buy.Com either.

Update: At MangaBlog, Brigid tracks down some sightings of this mysterious, reclusive book. In the comments below this post, Patrick provides visual confirmation of the Nessie of nouvelle manga’s presence at The Beguiling in Toronto. Makes sense. I ended up ordering Walking Man and Kinderbook from that fine establishment.

Filed under: Awards and lists, Fanfare/Ponent Mon 9 Comments

You're always a day away

November 7, 2006 by

Another week, another opportunity to ponder the mysteries of the ComicList. Some weeks I get lucky, and Del Rey titles show up earlier than they do from Diamond (as with the excellent Genshiken vol. 7). Some weeks I’m left to writhe in jealousy as everyone else gets Love Roma vol. 4 before I do. MangaCast has a preview of Del Rey’s shôjo version of Train Man, which I believe is due in bookstores today, if not in comic shops tomorrow.

I’m curious about Project Romantic from AdHouse, but it wasn’t a book that I was confident in buying sight unseen. I’m sure I’ll get the chance when I hit Columbus for the holidays.

The concept for Hero Heel (Juné) tickles me, focusing on unexpected romance among actors in a super-hero TV show. Pick your favorite Heroes actors and play along!

Looking for something in a chic, josei, nouvelle manga style? Fanfare/Ponent Mon is releasing a new printing of Kan Takahama’s Kinderbook.

Mmmm… Greek food. Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey travel to the cradle of democracy for Action Philosophers #7: It’s All Greek To You.

Oni releases the second issue of Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt’s The Damned, a solid fusion of mob drama and supernatural weirdness.

I’m intrigued by 12 Days from Tokyopop, either in spite or because of its faintly nauseating premise. Here’s a preview from editor Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl.

And of course, there’s always Death Note vol. 8 (Viz – Shonen Jump Advanced). MangaCast notes that the first volume of this series keeps popping up on Japanese best-seller lists.

*

It seems that John Jakala is not alone. At Read About Comics, Greg McElhatton looks at the first two volumes of Drifting Classroom (Viz – Signature) and finds them really, really loud:

“With The Drifting Classroom two of its eleven volumes are now translated, and I can’t help but wonder if publishing the other nine books could somehow result in a worldwide shortage of exclamation points thanks to its relentless intensity.”

*

And in this week’s Flipped, I take the really ill-advised step of reviewing Osamu Tezuka’s Ode to Kirihito (Vertical), in spite of the fact that tons of people have already done it really well. Here are some more successful examples:

Filed under: AdHouse, ComicList, Del Rey, Evil Twin, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, Flipped, Juné, Oni, Tokyopop, Vertical, Viz 3 Comments

Mangalanche!

October 17, 2006 by

There’s an outrageous quantity of good manga coming out this week, and David Taylor has pulled the manga out for your convenience.

If I didn’t already own it, I would name Fanfare/Ponent Mon’s re-release of Jiro Taniguchi’s sublime Walking Man as manga pick of the week. I think I will anyways. (F/PM is another publisher who could play a mean game of “If you like…” Of course, I think every comic shop should have a spinner rack full of their books. Some of their work is on display in a recent article from Paul Gravett, along with other offerings in the still-too-narrow gekiga category.)

In non-manga offerings, I’m most excited about Dave Roman’s Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery from Slave Labor Graphics.

Chris Butcher goes through this week’s releases, hitting the highlights and making an good point about a couple of current manga series:

“Better still, it’s a lot of fun to compare the 1970s suspense-horror of Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezu (essentially: Japan’s Stephen King) to Dragon Head, a more contemporary take on the sub-genre. Drifting Classroom leaves less to the imagination about the fate of the characters and what they face, but it also has the reactions of the characters ratchetted way above Dragon Head to achieve similar effects… You really oughtta be buying and reading both, I think.”

Jog’s rundown of the week’s comics is particularly manga-rich this week. Best line:

“Q-Ko-chan Vol. 2 (of 2): Another model of clarity from writer/artist Ueda Hajime draws to a close. It looks nice!”

What more is there to say?

Dave Ferraro is another Drifting Classroom fan (so am I), and he takes a look at volume 2 in the latest Manga Monday at Comics-and-More, also reviewing Dragon Head 4, Monster 5, and Shojo Beat’s Punch preview.

At MangaBlog, Brigid gives a qualified thumbs-up to the second volume of Boogiepop Doesn’t Laugh; I agree with her that more distinct character design would have helped with clarity. Rereading the first volume before delving into the second was almost essential.

MangaCast keeps the previews and reviews coming. Volume #255 features CMX’s Densha Otoko, Juné’s Close the Last Door, and the second volume of The Great Catsby from NETCOMICS. And MangaCaster Erin F. provides an audio version of the latest Manga Recon column from PopCultureShock. The eclectic collection of titles covered includes the first two volumes of Scott Pilgrim, DMP’s Robot anthology, Ultra Cute, and the excellent Dokebi Bride. Ah, globalism!

Dark Horse’s Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service did well in the Direct Market, and TangognaT thinks it deserves four stars (out of five).

And in this week’s Flipped, I think about the children… the murderous, emotionally disturbed children.

Filed under: ComicList, Dark Horse, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, Flipped, Linkblogging, Seven Seas, Viz 11 Comments

Listing

October 4, 2006 by

Ah, the ComicList… some weeks are famine, others are feast. Guess which kind we have this week?

  • CMX releases the eagerly anticipated Emma, which I had reviewed in proof form a while back. The finished cover is quite lovely with an appealingly antique-y paper stock.
  • Pantheon brings the new Marjane Satrapi book, Chicken with Plums. The book made Entertainment Weekly’s Must List without any mention of it being a graphic novel.
  • Tokyopop offers the fourth volume of the little book that might, Dragon Head.
  • Viz has the fourth volume of Ai Yazawa’s Nana, which gets better with every installment. And it started really well.

Okay, that isn’t quite as burdensome as it seemed at first glance, but there’s still lots of nice stuff. The MangaCast of characters hit the highlights of the week’s manga releases. And folks like Jog and Daves Carter and Ferraro take the week’s shipping list out for a spin.

If you’re still looking for reasons to part with your hard-earned cash, there are lots of well-written reviews floating about the blogosphere:

  • Johanna Draper Carlson covers two of my favorite books (Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators and Girl Genius) in her latest column for Comics Unlimited.
  • Dirk Deppey thoughtfully examines the excellent American Born Chinese and continues his scanlation tour.
  • Lyle keeps watch on Shojo Beat previews with a look at Tail of the Moon.
  • Updated to add: Steven Grant reviews two Del Rey books, Ghost Hunt and Q-Ko-Chan, in the latest installment of Permanent Damage. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the first volume of Ghost Hunt, but it sounds like it may be worth another look.
Filed under: CMX, ComicList, Del Rey, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, Linkblogging, Pantheon, Tokyopop, Viz 1 Comment

Catalog shopping

September 15, 2006 by

Okay, order forms are due tomorrow, but the new Previews just showed up in the shop this week. Let’s see what’s there!

If you’ve been even vaguely intrigued with Phil and Kaja Foglio’s Girl Genius, Airship is giving you a great opportunity to see what it’s all about. They’re publishing a black and white, manga-sized Omnibus Edition priced at $14.95 for 312 pages of story.

Who knew First Second’s Mark Siegel had spare time? He’s illustrated two graphic novels for Aladdin Books: A new soft-cover version of Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta, written by Lisa Wheeler, and To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel, written by Sienna Cherson Siegel.

I loved Gabrielle Bell’s When I’m Old and Other Stories, so chances are good I’ll feel the same about her new collection, Lucky (Drawn and Quarterly).

I mentioned it yesterday, but it bears repeating. Fanfare/Ponent Mon has a new collection of stories from Kan (Kinderbook) Takahama, called Awabi. Takahama’s stuff is gorgeous, and chances are slim that you’ll run across much of it in a bookstore, so if you’re interested, you might consider pre-ordering.

The solicitation text for Escape from Special (Fantagraphics) isn’t particularly helpful until it gets around to describing creator Miss Lask-Gross as “a love child of Linda Barry and David B. mid-wifed by Judy Blume.” Now that catches my attention. (Fantagraphics also seems to be having a summer sale with 20% off orders of $40 or more.)

This also seems to be one of those months where new volumes of tons of ongoing manga series I love come out. CMX has Emma vol. 2. Dark Horse has The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vol. 2 (which I’m sure I’ll love if the first volume ever shows up). Del Rey has ES vol. 3. Seven Seas has Inverloch vol. 2. Tokyopop has Fruits Basket vol. 15, Sgt. Frog vol. 12 (of 12, apparently), and Shout Out Loud vol. 3. Vertical has the fourth soft-cover volume of Buddha. Viz has The Drifting Classroom vol. 3 and Monster vol. 6.

Okay, what did I miss?

Filed under: Airship, Drawn & Quarterly, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, Fantagraphics, Previews 3 Comments
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