Asian 5 - World Comic Book Review

Zsazsa Zaturnnah’s Marvelous Adventure (Review)

July 11, 2017November 30, 2016 by Neil Raymundo

Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah
Self-Published (2002)/Visual Print Enterprises, 2004 (Graphic Novel)
Author: Carlo Vergara

Carlo Vergara’s “Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah” (in English, “Zsazsa Zaturnnah’s Marvelous Adventure”) was originally released as a two-part, independently-published miniseries in 2002, before being picked up later by Philippine book publisher Visual Print Enterprises and re-released as a trade paperback graphic novel to a much wider audience. The comic attracted attention from mainstream media and built a big enough fanbase to warrant a live-action film and theater adaptation.

“Zsazsa Zaturnnah” is a spoof of a classic Filipino superhero named “Darna”. A blatant amalgamation of influences from Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel (this character is the subject of litigation for ten years in the 1940s and 1950s over allegations that it was a copy of Superman) and DC’s Wonder Woman, “Darna” is a poverty-stricken, crippled young woman who, upon swallowing a small stone that fell from outer space, turns into an adult superheroine with inhuman strength, speed, powers of flight, and metal cuff bracelets that can deflect bullets or energy projectiles.

Dragon Ball Super (Review)

July 11, 2017November 10, 2016 by Neil Raymundo

“Dragon Ball Super” Shueisha/VIZ Media, June 20, 2015 – ongoing Writer: Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou Dragon Ball Super is the manga sequel to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball shonen franchise, which originally ran from December 3, 1984 to June 5, 1995. The franchise became globally successful due to the anime adaptation, which was dubbed and released outside … Read more

Yon and Mu (review)

July 11, 2017October 10, 2016 by DG Stewart

“Yon and Mu”
Kodansha Comics USA, October 2015
Writer: Junji Ito

“Yon and Mu” is an autobiographical exercise, the description of a dog person’s slow transformation into a cat person.

Writer and artist Junji Ito marries his sweetheart, described as “A-ko” (“ko” being the Japanese suffix meaning “child”, but has affectionate and cute connotations- “nekoko” for example means “kitten”) and they move in together. What Mr Ito entirely forgets is that A-ko has a cat, named Jun, which has been residing with her parents. And Mr Ito does not like cats.

Because he is an artist of horror manga, Mr Ito reverts to his tradecraft when describing his interactions with the cat. Jun is described as having an alien stare and a sinister bearing. When Jun sticks out his tongue to vomit, the image is captured with photorealistic horror – jaw almost disengaged and tongue projecting out out like a ghastly protuberance. At one point, when Mr Ito is out to meet a deadline, Mr Ito’s fatigue causes Jun to transform into a variety of monsters. It does not help that Jun has patched markings on his coat which look like a ghoul’s face. Mr Ito starts muttering to himself about curses, the cat causing anxiety and creeping horror.

Shekhar Kapur’s Devi: Rebirth #1 (review)

September 23, 2016September 21, 2016 by DG Stewart

Shekhar Kapur’s Devi: Rebirth #1 (review)
(Graphic India, August 2016)
Writer: Ashwin Pande

This title has come back into existence following a crossover event in January 2016 between the title character, a warrior goddess named Devi, and Top Cow Production’s character “Witchblade”. “Witchblade” reached the height of popularity in the late 1990s when comics featuring beautiful, under-dressed superheroines sold stock. This vogue prompted the term “T&A” (“tits and ass”) to describe comic books, such as “Tomb Raider” and the truly awful “Mike Deodato’s Jade Warriors” which sat on the hazy border of soft pornography and comic book entertainment for teenaged boys.

devi