News and reviews for the discerning manga fan
Is it possible for the artwork in a kid-friendly comic to be… well, too good? I found myself wrestling with this question while reading Kitty & Dino, a playful, visually sophisticated graphic novel for young readers. The story is standard kid-lit fare, using animals to dramatize the dynamic between older and younger siblings. In this [...]
Of all the artists whose work appears in The New Yorker, Charles Barsotti is my favorite. His cartoons aren’t as edgy as Roz Chast’s, or as elegantly drawn as Harry Bliss’s, but Barsotti’s dog cartoons are an exquisite theme-and-variations on the same joke. That joke, of course, is that Barsotti’s dogs talk, walk, and do [...]
Visit the kids’ section at any Barnes & Noble and you’ll see: the fractured fairy tale is one of the most ubiquitous genres in children’s book publishing today. And while many of these Mother Goose mash-ups have undeniable entertainment value — especially for the parents who’ve read and re-read the originals on a nightly basis [...]
It doesn’t take a village to write a review, but darned if it isn’t more fun when you tackle a challenging book with a neighbor. That’s exactly what David Welsh and I did this month: we both read Nicolas de Crécy’s latest work, Salvatore, then spent a couple of weeks comparing notes on the book. [...]
I was six in 1978, the year DC Comics first published Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, so I can’t claim to have fond memories of reading it or seeing it on the newsstand. But as a product of the 1970s, the idea of putting a superhero and a celeb in an “event” comic makes intuitive sense [...]
Modern governments from the Bolshevik regime to the Bush presidency have sought simple, appealing ways to present complex information to their citizens, from “Red Pinkerton” novels (think politically correct Communist detective stories) to televised public service announcements. Ernie Colon and Sid Jacobson’s The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation is one such effort, produced with the [...]
WARNING! I discuss plot points from the final scene in issue one. I wouldn’t exactly call them spoilers (well, only in the sense that they spoiled the story for me), but if you’re the kind of person who gets antsy when reviewers divulge such details, then I suggest you check out these spoiler-free reviews at [...]
The very first Sinfest strips tell you everything you need to know about Tatsuya Ishida’s cheeky yet surprisingly reverential comic. In them, we see a young man seated at a table across from the Devil, negotiating a contract that would enable him to enjoy — among other perks — a “supermodel sandwich” in exchange for [...]
I’m not a big fan of squirm-inducing comedies like The Office; it’s hard to root for a loser who … [Read More...]
Are you an adult reader new to manga? Or a librarian who's looking to add more graphic novels to … [Read More...]
Back in the 1990s, Matt Thorn labored hard to make Keiko Nishi a household name among American manga … [Read More...]
Between the Manga Movable Feast and end-of-the-semester duties, I've fallen hopelessly behind in my … [Read More...]
Below is a list of helpful English-language web resources about manga and manhwa. I update this page on a regular basis, so … [Read More...]
Since joining the Good Comics for Kids team in 2008, I've reviewed a variety of comics, graphic novels, and manga for younger … [Read More...]
Though Vertical has published two series by Keiko Takemiya, the Magnificent 49ers' work remains largely unavailable in … [Read More...]
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