The Manga Curmudgeon

Spending too much on comics, then talking too much about them

My first manga

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I finally had the chance to sit down with IRON WOK JAN! Vol. 1 over the weekend, and I have to say it’s probably the best introduction to manga I could have asked for. As a fan of cooking shows, comedy, and comics, this book really speaks to me.

The premise seems basic: rival trainee chefs butt heads in the kitchen of Tokyo’s best Chinese restaurant. But the stories and characters unfold in surprising ways. Best of all, the rivalry between the two chefs, arrogant Jan and traditionalist Kiriko, stems from a fundamental difference in culinary philosophy.

Jan thinks cooking is a competition, an ongoing opportunity to outdo and surprise. Kiriko thinks it’s about devotion and commitment. They’re both right, obviously, and they’re both flawed enough to make the proceedings an engaging, evenly matched battle.

Hopelessly arrogant, Jan is also wonderfully enthusiastic and focused. He may view the kitchen as a battleground, but he comes alive at the stove. Underneath her beliefs on tradition and emotion, Kiriko is almost as conceited and competitive as Jan. So while she may have a nobler take on the culinary arts, she isn’t a plaster saint. And both seem to spark at the presence of a worthy rival; they don’t cut each other any slack, but they’re delighted to have someone at their level as a sparring partner. It’s a charming and promising relationship.

The supporting cast is nicely rounded, though I particularly love loathesome food critic Otani and the kitchen crew that serves as something of a Greek chorus to the headstrong star trainees. Each is a bit distinct, with passions and proclivities of their own, but their reactions to the wokside antics of Jan and Kiriko are almost always priceless.

The dialogue is hyper-dramatic, which is funny in part but at the same time manages to convey the seriousness of the characters for their craft. It’s a nifty effect, a kind of comic sincerity. The art is marvelously kinetic, a perfect match for the scripts. Basically, it takes kitchen drama to the level of opera, and yet it works perfectly.

IRON WOK JAN! is by Shinji Sayjyo, English translation by Sahe Kawahara, published in the United States by ComicsOne Corporation. I’ll definitely be picking up other volumes of this wonderful story, and I’m grateful (again) to Johanna Draper Carlson at Comics Worth Reading for profiling it. Now that I’ve taken the manga plunge, I can’t wait to see what else is out there.

This week's stack, part two

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I’ve got the rest of this week’s comics. While they’re a fairly middling lot, I’ll still take a crack at them. Comments contain spoilers, so be warned.

DISTRICT X 2: This issue builds on the strengths of the last, revealing more about the setting and the characters in satisfying and interesting ways. Officer Ortega takes Bishop on a tour of his beat, meeting more of the citizenry and circling around what may be a budding gang war. The mutations continue along the same vein, more grotesque than useful, giving the neighborhood sadness and a strange resilience at the same time. There are moments of pathos (a promising athlete turned aquatic exotic dancer), horror (a mother addicted to her mutant son’s narcotic perspiration), and genuine pain (the moving revelation about Ortega’s home life). Bishop remains something of a peripheral figure, but that isn’t really a problem. It’s wonderful to see a comic create a genuine sense of place and to explore the dynamics of an unusual community.

EMMA FROST 12: “Mind Games,” the second major arc of the book, comes to a conclusion as Emma extricates herself from her kidnapping predicament. In doing so, she demonstrates what seems like a heretofore unseen level of control over her telepathic abilities. In previous issues, she’s shown as having only marginal control over her powers. Here, she’s intruding in a half-dozen minds, planting telepathic illusions, and exhibiting not a hint of strain. Maybe the peril and adrenaline of the situation is giving her a boost, but that isn’t really made explicit, and it leaves me wondering when she picked up such mad psi skillz. Still, it’s satisfying seeing her pull her own fat out of the fire, and it’s pretty a great device to have the protagonist pretty much immobile throughout. This title is solidly entertaining if nothing special, and the cover is probably the best Greg Horn has done to date.

IDENTITY CRISIS 1: I can’t possibly comment on this title with any objectivity. The driving event of it strikes me as so crass and misguided that there’s no way I can make any kind of qualitative evaluation. I will say, though, that the subset of Justice League members starring in this book (Atom, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and Zatanna) have always defined who the League is for me. They were the core of the group when I started reading it, more than the big guns. To have them spotlighted in a story I find empty and repulsive only compounds the aggravation. I won’t be buying the rest of this series.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN 84/428: The fanboy in me couldn’t resist the “Disassembled Prologue” teaser on the cover. Iron Man finds his roles as Secretary of Defense and member of a United Nations strike force in conflict, which is a perfectly reasonable premise for this title. He is asked to retrieve something from Avengers Mansion for the government without alerting his allies. Since the Avengers aren’t stupid (in this title if not their own), they catch on fairly quickly. Mayhem ensues, and there’s sure to be fallout in future issues. The conflict is explored on a couple of different levels, including an anti-U.N. protest outside the mansion. The protestors are played for laughs, so it doesn’t really add anything to the theme. For a millionaire superhero cabinet member here, Iron Man seems too subject to the whims of the government, with underlings scolding him at just about every turn. There’s nothing seriously wrong with this comic, but I don’t really have any desire to pick up the next issue. I think it’s inoculated me to future tie-ins. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t take note of the Wasp’s terrifying body thong and giant breasts. Is this some side effect of her recent dabbling in growth powers? She looks like a pornographic version of Tinkerbell.

ULTIMATE X-MEN 47: And my interest in this version of Xavier’s mutants comes to a screeching halt with the Ultimate Universe introduction of some villains who soured my enjoyment on the Marvel Universe version. It’s nice to see writer Brian K. Vaughan pick up on some of the themes and developments his predecessor put in place, and he’s making progress towards giving the rather large cast distinctive personalities. Art by Brandon Peterson serves the book well, too, and I’m pleased by the fact that none of the women resemble auto-show hostesses. They’re attractive but realistically proportioned, which is always nice. Still, when Apocalypse enters the building, I start looking for the door.

Clear out room in the fridge

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I still haven’t gotten the second half of this week’s comic stack, but they should be in today. Self-important remarks on them (including IDENTITY CRISIS 1) should appear sometime over the weekend.

Of course, I’ve never met a spoiler I didn’t like, so I’ve already heard plenty about who dies in that comic and the many different ways it sucks. I hate being right sometimes.

In the spirit of the moment, why not pop by Gail Simone’s blistering examination of a depressing comic trope at Women In Refrigerators? It’ll make you feel much worse, I promise.

Another annoying thing about the delay in comics gratification this week is that I’ve finally decided to bust my manga cherry this week with the first volume of IRON WOK JAN! Johanna Draper Carlson recommends it on her site, Comics Worth Reading, which I’ve found to be a really reliable source of information on titles I wouldn’t otherwise run across. Books I’ve tried (and really enjoyed) based on Johanna’s reviews include Electric Girl, Amelia Rules!, and Jack Staff.

So, in short, if Big Two summer blockbusters are sapping your will to live, stop by Johanna’s site and try something unusual. I’ll bet you’ll be glad you did.

This week's stack, part one

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I’ll be going through the stack in two parts this week, as one of the shops I use didn’t get their shipment in yesterday. Still, plenty of books to make it worth an entry.

AQUAMAN 19: This title has improved vastly since the end of the incomprehensible and overlong Waterbearer/Thirst arc. While this issue is basically a chat with the architect of San Diego’s destruction, it offers some twists to that formula. The antagonist of the piece views his actions as a necessary evil, difficult choices serving a heroic aim. He’s also clearly withholding a lot of details, and it’s nice to see the protagonists figure that out fairly easily. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it is a solid chapter in the ongoing story. And the Alan Davis/Mark Farmer cover is predictably gorgeous.

BATMAN, DEATH AND THE MAIDENS 9: Maybe it’s the extended gap between this issue and last, but the concluding chapter of this story is somewhat anticlimactic. It seems more like an epilogue than a finale. Still, the story as a whole has been an interesting character study while shaking up the status quo of Ra’s al Ghul, his daughters, and his organization. It also positions Nyssa as a promising new addition to Batman’s roster of enemies, vastly more interesting than Hush (not that that’s saying a great deal, but I mean it as a compliment). When time permits, I’m going to have to read these issues at once, as I suspect they’ll work better as a collection.

FABLES 26: The citizens of Fabletown try to fend off the attack of an army of disturbingly polite wooden soldiers. Essentially an issue-long battle sequence, it’s a lot richer than other stories of its kind. Filled with character moments, plot twists, politics, and sacrifice, it’s a standout entry from a consistently fine title. There’s also a preview of THE WITCHING included in this issue, which didn’t do anything to make me want to pick up that title. It looks competent, but the characters aren’t particularly vivid, and the art is kind of a queasy blend of cartoon and titillation.

FALLEN ANGEL 12: Peter David heads back in time to the first meeting of the Angel and Doctor Juris. Angel tracks a criminal to New Orleans and runs into Juris on his yearly day off. It’s a perfectly competent story, but I didn’t really learn anything new about either of the protagonists. It’s a decent stand-alone issue, though, and if you’ve been curious about the book, this would be a good chance to give it a try.

GLOBAL FREQUENCY 12: This is the last issue of the series of stand-alone action stories written by Warren Ellis and illustrated this time around by the very talented Gene Ha. The lack of any ongoing narrative from issue to issue doesn’t really make for much analysis, and the formula – mysterious threat to the public, creative and aggressive response by Global Frequency agents – is solidly in place. It’s been a good title, finely crafted entertainment. If it’s all a bit inconsequential, there’s nothing really wrong with entertainment for its own sake.

GREEN ARROW 39: The crisis in Star City concludes in a grimly predictable manner. The point, once again, is that Oliver is a success as a hero and a failure as a person. That’s been established pretty well by now, and perhaps we could move on to some slightly different subject matter? No? Okay, just asking.

IDENTITY DISC 1: I’m a big fan of Robert Rodi’s novels, and I want to like his work in comics, but he still doesn’t seem to have found his stride in the medium. His novels (particularly Fag Hag and What They Did to Princess Paragon) are tightly plotted screwball comedies that are grounded in very recognizable human emotions. You’d think that skill set would translate better to comics than it does. While he manages to humanize some of his characters – a mixed bag of villains blackmailed into pulling off a convoluted caper – it doesn’t hang together very well. (Continuity buffs will also wonder how the events square with any number of other Marvel titles, too.)

NIGHTWING 94: The spotlight is still locked on the truly repellent Tarantula, as Nightwing continues to be completely ineffectual. This book is grim far beyond the point of dramatic, and this is the last issue I’ll be buying for a while.

More to come tomorrow.

Ending inertia

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There’s been some interesting discussion in Usenet lately of why people continue to collect comic titles they actively dislike. The foundation seems generally to be optimism and protectiveness of beloved characters, which I can certainly understand. But, in my case, I think inertia has more to do with it than anything, so I’m making some cuts:

NIGHTWING: Once a reliable action-adventure book, this title has become a relentlessly grim, psychosexual slog, substituting brutality and sensationalism for any genuine narrative innovation or craft. Frankly, Nightwing simply isn’t a character who can carry this level of Sturm und Drang. And since the misery isn’t written very well in the first place, it’s cut. (I’m getting this week’s issue, just because I decided too late to stop the pre-order, so look forward to a few more grumblings on #94.)

DETECTIVE: As I’ve said, I only ever picked up this title because Rucka was the writer, and I admire his work a great deal (BATMAN: DEATH AND THE MAIDENS, QUEEN AND COUNTRY, WONDER WOMAN). Now, it’s a mediocre offering in the Batman line, and the money could be better spent trying new titles in different genres.

JLA: Honestly, I don’t know why I stuck around for Byrne’s multi-issue pimp for his new DOOM PATROL series. With #100 serving as a launchpad for the spin-off title and the issues after featuring the generally dreadful authorship of Chuck Austen, this is a perfect jumping-off point. While I’ve liked a lot of Joe Kelly’s work (particularly DEADPOOL), I’m not really interested in the premise of JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE. None of the new characters he’s created for this title have caught my interest, and they comprise much of the cast of the spin-off.

X-MEN: Another title where Austen is the deciding factor. Admittedly, anyone would have difficulty following in Grant Morrison’s shoes, and my interest in this group of characters usually depends on the writer in question. I’ll probably swap it out for UNCANNY X-MEN, largely due to Alan Davis’s gorgeous art.

Looking back, that’s not a particularly impressive list, but it’s a start.

I do feel strangely guilty about cutting back my purchases, mostly because I’m very fond of the folks at the two comic shops I frequent. I support small businesses in general and comic shops in particular, and while I know cutting a handful of books from my reserve list won’t put their kids in second-hand shoes, it still twinges in the guilt centers of my brain. Of course, then I remind myself of my complete lack of impulse control, willingness to pick up new titles and trades, and I feel a bit better.

Speaking of new titles and trades, I’m looking forward to the next issue of DISTRICT X, which is much more interesting and promising than any title featuring Bishop has a right to be. Also, for those of you who missed the spectacularly entertaining MY FAITH IN FRANKIE from Vertigo, a collection has been announced. It was a wonderful mini, and I highly recommend it.

Recommended rerun

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If you didn’t see it the first time it aired, I highly recommend Kathy Griffin’s “The D-List,” which airs on Bravo at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 9. I didn’t have much use for Griffin prior to this special, but watching her wallow so energetically in her has-been status is good for many, many laughs. There’s something special about a comedienne with absolutely nothing to lose.

There’s also something special about watching Bravo’s continuing evolution into the equivalent of E! for people who read. It is to E! what Entertainment Weekly is to Us Weekly. Upmarket trash that smirks instead of gushes. It’s nothing to be proud of enjoying, but it does induce a little less shame.

Dodged a bullet

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I was thinking of adding Vertigo’s “The Witching” to my pull list until I saw writer Jonathan Vankin describe one of his characters as a “cyber-goth rock star” in an interview at Comics Continuum. A pretty handy disclaimer, if you ask me. Maybe they could put that on the cover. “WARNING: This comic contains cyber-goth rock star. Persons with aversion to dated stereotypes strongly cautioned.”

In other trio-of-witches news, Don MacPherson at the 4th Rail has a priceless alternative title for Marvel’s new title, “Witches.” “Mystical Midriffs.” Hee.

Bust a move, Wolverine!

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I do love the Tony Awards. They make the Oscars look like a Republican fund-raiser.

Not content to be a charismatic presence in a wifebeater in the X-Men movie franchise, Hugh Jackman has decided to launch an assault on Broadway, and his hosting gig, best actor statuette, and high kicking with the Rockettes left the hardened cynics of the New York theatre community offering their only standing ovation of the evening. Surely the gold lame “shirt” and pelvic thrusts alongside Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t hurt, either.

The awards are just so wonderfully gay, and they don’t make a big deal about it. Boyfriends thank boyfriends, producers speak out in favor of gay marriage, people win awards for playing gay pop stars and Nazi-fleeing transvestites. Okay, so Phylicia Rashad seemed to think she was accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, but everyone else pretty much got it. You can’t really go wrong when several major awards go to a musical about dejected, blunt-spoken slacker puppets. (And now that I’ve seen a number from “Wicked,” I’d suggest you just go ahead and read the book.)

This year, they seemed to fold in Hollywood a bit more gracefully. Most of the movie stars on hand — Jackman, Kidman, Linney, even P. Diddy — have actually performed on Broadway in the recent past. There’s no excuse for Jimmy Fallon, but there never has been, so there you have it.

On an entirely unrelated note, I’m plowing my way through the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett. How did it take me this long to discover them? I’m in the midst of “Pyramids” at the moment, which suffers a bit in comparison to “Wyrd Sisters,” but it’s still great fun. I picked up the DVD of the animated version of “Wyrd Sisters” at the comic store, and, blocky animation aside, it was great fun. Faithful, with excellent voice casting and a real grasp of the spirit of the book. Don’t know if I’d invest in the other ones (I think “Soul Music” is also available), but I’m glad I saw this.

On another entirely unrelated note, if anyone out there has any experience with Jackson and Perkins bulbs, can you let me know if they’ve ever germinated? I’d really love for those crocosmia and liatris to emerge, but I’m not holding my breath.

This week's stack

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From the comic shop:

AVENGERS/THUNDERBOLTS #4: This mini seems longer than it needs to be. The first four issues have consisted mostly of internal philosophical arguments on the nature of heroism and trust and some impenetrable pseudo-science about an energy draining… thing. Maybe it’s the pending AVENGERS relaunch that’s making this all seem rather quaint, or it could be the fact that Fabian Nicieza’s take on the Thunderbolts doesn’t really work for me, but the title has become something of a slog.

DETECTIVE COMICS #795: Oh, goody. The Tarantula, who has vaulted to the very top of my “least favorite characters” list, brings her violent and irresponsible shtick to another comic on my pull list. DC surely can’t consider her a reasonable long-term property, can it? I have to admit that I’m not sure why this title is still among my reserves. I’ve been meaning to drop it since Greg Rucka left, but laziness and the general competence of the stories have prevented me from making the cut. Must do something about that.

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #6: This isn’t holding together very well. Largely a chaotic fight sequence (appropriate enough given the protagonist’s inexperience), the character development seemed shoved in with a crowbar. The chatty but fragmented dialogue was actually grating rather than endearing. It’s suddenly become kind of coy, though I’ll stick around to see what the new creative team does.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #60: Wow, the cover managed to be generic *and* misleading. Nicely done. This is a perfectly good book, though it falls squarely into the “empty calories” category of comic books. Engaging characters, clever action sequences, but very little seems to happen in the average issue. Of course, it seems like it comes out every week, so I guess the frequency of publication makes up for low narrative calories. Or not.

UNCANNY X-MEN #445: The Alan Davis art is gorgeous, and I like Chris Claremont’s script a lot better than just about all of his other recent work. Still, there was an unpleasant clenching feeling in my stomach when the issue kicked off with a very retro “Muties suck and aren’t to be trusted” set piece. A similar but unrelated cramping took place at the prospect of another Captain Britain story, given current events in AVENGERS. (That’s hardly Claremont’s fault, of course, but nobody said fandom was fair.)

A couple of days after "The Day After Tomorrow"

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I’m still befuddled about a couple of things about “The Day After Tomorrow.” Not the pseudo-science, mind you, because I can always suspend disbelief on that front. I’m actually obsessing about a couple of things on the fringes:

1. So, Sela Ward’s character, the saintly ex-wife, gets to throw in a few gentle barbs about her former hubby’s workaholism. Because she, as a pediatric oncologist, surely doesn’t know anything about long hours, excessive dedication to one’s work, etc. Nope. Nothing is a more convenient career for a dedicated parent than an extremely complicated medical specialty that demands fierce emotional commitment to desperately ill children. Sure, Sela. And, while I’m at it, Sela was better in those long distance commercials than she was here. Was Rene Russo busy?

2. I’m not one of those people to decry Jake Gyllenhaal’s foray into the blockbuster. If he gets tired of dimly lit indy fare and wants to flee from CGI timber wolves on a derelict Russian cargo ship, more power to him. What I do decry is the suggestion that he looks anything like a high school student. Any credit the casting agent might have gotten for giving Dennis Quaid an age-appropriate ex-wife is squandered on passing off this 30-year-old as a teen. Maybe that’s why his character does so well in school. He’s been a senior for 13 years. (On an unrelated note, I was delighted to see Jake’s indie princess sibling, Maggie, in the truly craptacular “Mona Lisa Smile.” While her role was thankless, at least she didn’t seem to think she was doing Ibsen. I’m looking at you, remarkably realistic android Julia Stiles.)

I’m looking forward to seeing what Alfonso Cuarón does with the next “Harry Potter” movie. When comparing director credits, “Y Tu Mamá También” sure beats the heck out of “Home Alone.”