23 Jun, 2008

Fancy a bit of the ultra-violence? If so, you’ll be thrilled to learn that Gantz (Dark Horse) arrives in stores this week, complete with shrink-wrap and parental warning sticker. This much-anticipated sci-fi series is really a video game in disguise, as it consists primarily of elaborately choreographed combat scenes (usually resulting in baroque bodily mutilations). Not exactly my cup of tea, but the art looks sharp. At the other end of the spectrum is the ultra-cute Kamichama Karin-Chu (Del Rey), yet another Koge-Donbo comedy starring a saucer-eyed moppet with hidden powers. I’m finding the middle ground a more congenial place to be this week, as stores stock up on new volumes of Cat-Eyed Boy (Viz), Nodame Cantabile (Del Rey), and Pumpkin Scissors (Del Rey). My top picks for Wednesday, related in haiku form for no particular reason other than my personal amusement:

Apple, Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Korean comics
In glorious full color
Kind of like Robot.

Dororo, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Hyakkimaru
Is missing forty-eight parts
That has got to hurt.

xxxHolic, Vol. 12 (Del Rey)
Poor Watanuki
Should make out with Domeki
And give up on girls.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Alive: The Final Evolution, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
Apple Anthology Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Cat-Eyed Boy, Vol. 2 (Viz)
Don’t Blame Me, Vol. 2 (DMP)
Dororo, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Flock of Angels, Vol. 3 (Aurora)
Gantz, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
Great Place High School (DMP)
Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, Vol. 2 (DMP)
I Shall Never Return, Vol. 3 (Aurora/Deux)
Kamichama Karin-Chu, Vol. 1 (Del Rey)
Le Chevalier d’Eon, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
Love Recipe, Vol. 2 (DMP)
Moon Child, Vol. 11 (CMX)
Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 14 (Del Rey)
Oh! My Goddess Authentic Edition, Vol. 9 (Dark Horse)
Pumpkin Scissors, Vol. 3 (Del Rey)
Suzuka, Vol. 8 (Del Rey)
Tomcats (DMP)
Tower of the Future, Vol. 11 (CMX)
xxxHolic, Vol. 12 (Del Rey)

- Katherine Dacey