Comic A Day
Reviewing comic books of all descriptions!
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Death Note Volume 3
Title: Death Note
Issue: Volume 3
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: November, 2006
Writer: Tsugumi Ohba
Artist: Takeshi Obata
I read the first two volumes of this series quite a while ago, and I remember enjoying them, but not quite seeing what the hype was about. The premise is intentionally ridiculous: A death god lets a human (teenager Light Yagami) take possession of a notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. There is a whole series of complex and arbitrary rules that go along with the notebook, and Light's plan to rid the world of criminals puts him up against the mysterious L, a young genius detective.
This volume is where the two main characters meet, and it's also where I began to buy into the hype. The intricate game of second-guessing, third-guessing, and beyond plays out like an elaborate version of Who's the Werewolf/Mafia, with increasing levels of duplicity.
Then a series of events at the end of this volume introduce a massive additional plot twist, further complicating an already-tangled story. This was loaded with tension. It does require a bit of suspension of disbelief to accept the premise of the story, but the author then takes that premise to all sorts of logical extremes, adding layer upon layer of intrigue. I wasn't sure I'd be interested in reading more Death Note after the first two, but this one hooked my right back in.
Rating: 8.5/10
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #3
Title: Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong
Issue: 3
Date: 2024
Publisher: DC Comics / Legendary Comics
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Christian Duce
Colorist: Luis Guerrero
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Ben Abernathy, Robert Napton
This was back to being a bit of a setup issue, with quick and relatively indecisive conclusions to the giant monster attacks on Central City and Themyscira. In fact, the destruction of Iron Heights Prison and the escape of most of the Flash's Rogues Gallery causes more problems than the titan Scylla does (Hey, look! It's Captain Cold!).
Meanwhile Superman appears to be dead as a result of taking a direct hit from Godzilla's atomic breath. Well, dead in the DC Universe, anyway... I mean actually, this isn't in regular continuity, so I suppose it could go either way. But it still lacks impact much in the same way most deaths or apparent-deaths in alternative continuities lack impact.
Supergirl's scene with Kong doesn't end up amounting to much either, and by the end of this, we're left with an ominous Lex Luthor bit and something of a pause in the action.
Going into this, it felt like it shouldn't be a transitional issue, but that's what we ended up with.
Rating: 5.5/10
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
The Deep
Title: The Deep
Date: 2023
Publisher: Penguin Workshop (an imprint of Penguin Random House)
Writer: Lindsey Leigh
Artist: Lindsey Leigh
This is an illustrated survey of the creatures of the deep ocean, full of some amazing biology mixed with a lot of goofy humor. The author does a great job of highlighting some of the most interesting adaptations to life in the ocean depths, organizing most of the book by the different zone of the deep sea. There are also some special topics such as chemosynthesis and whalefalls that get a bit of extra coverage.
Some really alien-looking creatures come off as quite charming, and the range of deep sea life that is included is impressive, given the size of the book.
Rating: 7.5/10
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1
Title: Fullmetal Alchemist
Issue: Volume 1
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: January, 2005
Writer: Hiromu Arakawa
Artist: Hiromu Arakawa
Editor: Jason Thompson
This story introduces Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers who suffered a terribly fate when they tried to use their alchemical powers to resurrect their mother. Edward lost an arm and a leg, replacing them with robotic prosthetics, while his brother's mind was entirely trapped in a living suit of armor.
They seek the legendary Philosopher's Stone in the hope of restoring their bodies, while having a series of adventures across a vaguel-steampunk nation.
The first volume is told in three distinct vignettes. In the first, the brothers deal with a religious demogogue who has used alchemy to convince the people of his town that he has miraculous powers. The second story concerns a remote mining outpost run by a thoroughly corrupt military official. And the third is a more action-oriented story about the brothers intervening in a hostage situation aboard a train.
This is a solid introduction to the main characters, with a few small hints as to where the long-term plot is heading, and plenty of worldbuilding. The alchemical magic is cleverly done, with a concept of "equal exchange" as its central premise. I enjoyed the interactions between Edward and Alphonse, and the fight scenes were well-constructed with some good surprises.
Rating: 7.5/10
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Tears of a Lamb Volume 1
Title: Tears of a Lamb
Issue: Volume 1
Date: 2008
Publisher: CMX
Writer: Banri Hidaka
Artist: Banri Hidaka
Editorial Director: Jim Lee
High school romantic drama that starts light and builds into more serious issues as it goes. Kei Hasumi only wants one thing from her classmate, Kyosuke Kanzaki. She wants to get into his apartment. She's lost something, and she believes the apartment, when it was rented to a previous tenant, is where she misplaced her treasure.
It begins as something of a silly argument, with Kanzaki reluctant to show Hasumi his place because it was previously rented to his sister and still has all of her feminine decor. But as the story continues, additional layers of drama and misfortune are revealed about the two lead characters and their families.
The romantic direction is clear, but it's on slow-build, and the lead characters don't start off with much chemistry between them. The relationship between Hasumi and her older twin brothers does more for character development than here interactions with Kanzaki do.
This had a slow start, but it does do a good job of building some tension and complexity. Possible trigger warning: An eating disorder is a major plot point, and it's not always handled as sensitively as it could be.
Rating: 5.5/10
Monday, January 22, 2024
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2
Title: Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong
Issue: 2
Date: 2024
Publisher: DC Comics / Legendary Comics
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Christian Duce
Colorist: Luis Guerrero
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Ben Abernathy, Robert Napton
With all of the preliminaries out of the way, we get right to the mayhem in this issue. Godzilla takes on Superman, Hawkgirl, and Captain Marvel (you know, the Shazam one), while the Batman and a bunch of Bat-family members go after um... okay, I need to look up a list of members of the Monsterverse B-team... Camazotz, who is attacking Gotham City. Two other Titans, Scylla and Behemoth, are attacking Central City and Themyscira respectively, but those battles will wait until next issue. No problem with that; this issue packs plenty of action.
The Justice League characters all get some good moments, and writer Brian Buccellato does a nice job of keeping them true to their characters while delivering fun interactions, including a feel-good moment of Batgirl knocking out Jason Todd.
Godzilla no-sells pretty much everything thrown at him. looking like a Doomsday-level threat to the Man of Steel by the end of this.
This was a fun issue that delivered on what it promised.
Rating: 7.5/10
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Updated All-Time Top Rated Comics
Here is my updated list of all of the comics I've rated a 9 or above. Only one book (White Bird, with a 9), was added in 2022/2023.
9/10
All In The Family Part Two: Angel
Amulet Book Two: The Stonekeeper's Curse
Amulet Book Seven: Firelight
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You
Boxers
Dog Man And Cat Kid
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment
The Flutter Collection
Ghosts
Guts
Life With Archie #16
Lumberjanes Volume 3: A Terrible Plan
Lumberjanes Volume 4: Out of Time
Lumberjanes Volume 5: Band Together
Machiavelli
Rival Angels Season 3 Volume 2
Saga Compendium 1
Small Town Type #1
Understanding Comics
Warriors: Graystripe's Adventure
We Won't Be Erased
White Bird
With the Light Volume 2
9.5/10
Amelia Rules: When the Past is a Present
The Arrival
Castle Waiting Volume 1
I Kill Giants
A Monster Calls
The Prince and the Dressmaker
Vietnamerica: A Family's Journey
10/10
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic In One Volume
Looking forward to reading more great books in 2024!
2022/2023 Comic Review Recap
As mentioned in the previous post, 2022 (especially) and 2023 were pretty unproductive for this blog. I'm back settled in the US and have just reorganized the Random Stack of Unread Comics, and I've also got lots of graphic novels and manga on the to-read shelf, so expect more in 2024. My most recent review was actually for a comic I read in 2023, so 2024 reviews will start soon.
My total number of comics read in 2022 was a miserable 3. I did a bit better in 2023, but only a bit, with a total of 18.
Highest-rated comics in 2022/2023:
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt (8.5)
Keep the Home Fries Burning: A For Better or For Worse Collection (8.5)
The Sands of Time: Accidental Time Machine (8.5)
White Bird (9)
Lowest-rated comics in 2022/2023:
Dork Diaries: Tales From A Not-So-Happily Ever After (5)
Snow Drop Volume 2 (5)
Star Wars: Allegiance (4)
2022/2023 Recap: My Top 5 Books (Prose or Comics) Read
Due to internet connectivity issues in China, lockdowns, and being generally busy with plans to move home, I only added a couple of entries to this blog in 2022. There were a few more in 2023, but I never did recaps for 2022, so I am combining them here, starting with my overall top books from each year. No comics or graphic novels made the list in 2022 or 2023, mostly because I was concentrating on reading prose.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1
Title: Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong
Issue: 1
Date: 2023
Publisher: DC Comics / Legendary Comics
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Christian Duce
Colorist: Luis Guerrero
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Ben Abernathy, Robert Napton
There is a lot more focus on the DC characters than the Monsterverse in this mostly-setup introduction to this epic crossover. That being said, the setup for the crossover, featuring a series of mishaps in a plot by the Legion of Doom (remember Challenge of the Superfriends?), and the Toyman in particular, as they attempt a raid on Superman's Fortress of Solitude.
Clark, meanwhile, is in the midst of getting his act together to propose to Lois (she knows he's Superman, but they aren't yet married in this version of whatever continuity we're in here), only to have the moment (of course) interrupted by the arrival of Godzilla in Metropolis. Pretty much all of the expected mayhem is saved for next issue, but the interactions between Clark and the rest of the Justice League are really good, and the interplay between the Legion of Doom is at least entertaining.
Good setup. The action was a bit on the generic side, but business should pick up (as Jim Ross would say) once the Monsterverse Titans get fully involved.
Rating: 6/10