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Saturday, May 08, 2010 ( 5/08/2010 02:59:00 PM ) Bill S. WEEKEND PET PIC: A foto of  THE USUAL NOTE: For more cool pics of companion animals, please check out Modulator's "Friday Ark." # | Thursday, May 06, 2010 ( 5/06/2010 07:40:00 AM ) Bill S.  “MAGIC IS TOXIC; IT ERODES THE FLESH.” Radical Comics’ reimagining of the Aladdin story, Legend of the Lost, concludes with its third issue this month. With the aid of a grizzled Sinbad (who first popped up in ish #2), our rapscallion-thief-turned-hero rescues the spirited Princess Soraya from the clutches of villainous sorcerer Qassim -- but not before we’re provided a visit to the underground city of the Aramaspi, with its Moorcockian named Tabernacle of the Dreaming Jewel. More than one magical alliance is made against Qassim (who clearly has a knack for betraying and pissing off), but in the crunch it’s a well-swung sword to the neck that saves the day. As well it should.Can definitely see this ‘un being made into a spirited CGI-flavored movie fantasy -- just hold back on the Russell Crowe-styled bellowing, please -- as several moments in this third issue (the assault on an Aramaspi sorceress by a trio of stone titans, the high-pitched sword battle between our heroes and heroine against Qassim’s army of winged bird/monsters) cry to put in motion. First issue artist Reilley appears to have been nudged aside in #2 by the similarly painterly Stjepan Sejic: another unfamiliar name to me, though I have to admit that the transition went smoothly. As for Ian Edginton’s script, it remains admirably straight-faced -- at least until the penultimate panel where he has Soraya hearkening back to Disney by telling our hero, “There’s a whole new world to explore out there.” That aside, I wouldn’t mind reading another one of these boyishly entertaining Arabian Knights comics. Especially if they provide Soraya more of an opportunity to show off her swashbuckling chops. (First published as a "Review in Brief" on Blogcritics.) Labels: fifteen-minute comic # |Tuesday, May 04, 2010 ( 5/04/2010 07:42:00 AM ) Bill S. AN ARIZONA THOT: Some days, while catching a glimpse of Mount Graham or the Arizona desert in spring bloom, I find myself wondering how just how this state can produce so many repressive tight-asses. But then I remember how the curse of the familiar can diminish the power of even the most humbling sight. # | Sunday, May 02, 2010 ( 5/02/2010 07:12:00 AM ) Bill S.  “I MADE YOU LISTEN TO A LOUSY PERFORMANCE.” Having dispensed with its gender challenging drag subplot by the end of its first volume, shojo romance Venue Capriccio (CMX) starts out aimless in its follow-up book. You can see creator Mai Nishikata desperately testing new complications to toss at our central couple, tomboyish high school girl Takami and prickly young pianoboy Akira. Our heroine gets a job waitressing at a jazz bar, which worries Akira but doesn’t yield any real dramatic moments; the series’ piano school sees the return of a flirty older teacher, which also concerns Akira but similarly proves unpromising.It isn’t until the volume’s fourth chapter -- wherein our twosome enters the Aoba Piano Competition -- that Capriccio lights up. Thoughts of the Richard Dreyfuss/Amy Irving flick, The Competition, come to mind, but in this case there’s no real question as to who will win the contest. The big concern here is what effect Takami’s growing proficiency will have on their still nascent romance (whereas, in the earlier movie, the issue was whether the duo’s budding relationship would color the contest itself). The difference in focus proves ultimately less gripping, but Nishikata’s couple remain distinct enough to keep shojo addicts reading. Even when it’s obvious that the manga artist is temporarily marking time, her commitment to her characters keeps you involved. Dunno how many volumes she can maintain this sleight of hand, though. (First published as a "Review in Brief" at Blogcritics.) Labels: sixty-minute manga # | |
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