Day 4 - First comic series you seriously pursued (31 Days of Comics)

That would be Geoff Johns' Green Lantern, starting with Sinestro Corps War. All naturally because of the magnificent first issue of that storyline.

This was bang in the middle of GJ's golden period and it showcased his greatest strengths, writing sophisticated superhero work from plots which a fan would dream up, but making sure it is not immature or in the realms of fan-fiction. This was also before Johns' penchant for gory killings became completely wanton. Have a look at the issue's cliffhanger which set up the storyline, it still makes DC fanboys go squeal. 

Day 3 - Great adaptation or remake of another work (31 Days of Comics)

Now I'm not someone who is usually the greatest fan of an adaptation, I prefer to experience any work in its original form. Nonetheless, that is not to say that I don't enjoy them when they are well. In the field of comics my favourite adaptation would be (perhaps partially because I have not experienced the original source so I did not make any comparisons while reading it) P. Craig Russell's adaptation of The Ring of Nibelung.

Admittedly mostly for Russell's gorgeous art, which I can never get tired, his rendition of Wagner's Norse operas in four volumes is quite a beautiful read. That is not too say the writing is sub-standard, Russell has a clear gift of translating ballads and more into the sequential storytelling page. The comics have their own rhythm and you could almost be swaying your head while turning the pages at times in cadence with the beats of his storytelling. If beautiful art and a classic Norse story is for you, you could do worse than pick this up. Below are a few pages from the first volume. For a little background, the giants have built Valhalla for Voton (Odin) and have come to claim payment from him, his fair sister-in-law. Voton has turned to Loge (Loki, natch) for help in getting out the contract.

Masterclass in diplomacy that ain't

Day 2 - A comic you recommend to everybody no matter what (31 Days of Comics)

Something which I can recommend to kids and adults alike, and which I am fairly confident they will like? I have just the thing - Young Justice

What is not to like? It's a superhero comic which is funny as hell, with believable and relatable characterisations. And there is Impulse, I dare you to find a human being who is not fond of Impulse. It has that perfect collaboration of writer and artist in Peter David and Todd Nauck which hit all the right beats. And like all good comedies, there is an incredible amount of heart and just the right undercurrent of darkness behind it all. I can probably put this in several categories in this challenge but well, you can see for yourself. Here's a few pages from issue #31, the classic wordless issue which spotlighted all that is awesome about Impulse, which I will humbly put forth as one of the greatest single issues of all time.

Day 1 - Your Favourite Comic (31 Days of Comics)

We start the challenge off with a well, pretty difficult ask. It is really hard to pick a favourite at the drop of a hat, since so much of what I have read I have loved and has touched me in so many different ways that it is next to impossible to start comparing my feelings about one comic to another. Still, after some deliberation, I found my answer, cliched as it is, to what I would think is favourite comic was pretty clear - Sandman

(minor spoilers ahead)

I don't think I need to describe much about Sandman, it is perhaps the definitive pinnacle of the modern age comic, and an argument can be made as to being the pinnacle of the whole medium as well. But this post is not for me to justify why it is so very good, better people than me have put that it into words, should you care to search for them. No, this post is for me to tell why it is my favourite. More than the excellence in writing, the consistently wonderfully evocative artwork, Sandman is at heart a journey I could instantaneously identify, a story of how change is inevitable, and one way or the other, one is compelled to deal with it. I don't think I am alone in feeling like this, it is a very human trait to resist change after all. Despite the protagonists being godlike entities in a high fantasy setting, the oddly personal and human nature of the comic for me meant that the comic resonated with. Of course, Gaiman's remarkable skill with the written and wonderfully imaginative storytelling, a pre-requisite for any fantasy, backed by an array of perfectly chosen artists did not hurt. Sandman was also one of my first non-superhero loves in comics, at a time when I had properly started exploring the medium, and sometimes your first favourites stay with you while the later ones run their course. 

And of course, Sandman's Death is hands down one of the most awesome characters ever. She's alone worth the price of admission. Here's her first appearance.

Not the grimmest of reapers

31 Days of Comics

So here is a little thing. Inspired from Seth Hahne of Good Ok Bad fame, and Brian Cronin's excellent ongoing series on the same over at Comics Should Be Good, this is my humble take on the the 31 Days of Comics challenge. It's a fun away of revisiting the various comics I have read and loved over the last many years (and a good excuse to attempt a return to blogging as well).

Interwebs Funnies

In recent months, I have taken the opportunity (read: procrastination) to the useful ends of increasing my webcomics library. Webcomics hold a unique position in sequential art. They perform the same roles as newspaper comic strips but can push the limits a lot farther because their forum is the internet which isn't bound by censorship. Several webcomics also use unique technological aspects such as flash and GIFs to achieve interesting results. This post is a short but certainly not an exhaustive list of webcomics which I have liked and are worth checking out because, let's face it, you have nothing better to do as well. (Note: If any picture is too small to be legible, don't be stupid and start complaining, just click on it.)

Creme de la Creme
These are the webcomics which are nothing short of trailblazing. They have made the rules which others followed and are some of the finest in humour literature. Definite must reads.

xkcd
One of the all time classics, this self styled "webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language" is easily one of the most intelligent webcomics around. Rightly regarded as one of the best ever, some of the trains of thought explored in this comic are truly and absurdly unique. You are not an internet geek until you have experienced xkcd.

Sample:

Bonus: Roll over mouse on the cartoons in the site for extra quip.


The Perry Bible Fellowship
I was recently introduced to this webcomic and I am still angry at myself at not having discovered it earlier. An absolute gem, each and every one of the comics is a classic in itself. This comic mastered dark humour, hardly anything else has come close in terms of shock value. Another highlight is the excellent art, a rarity for webcomics, the artist is able to switch from disparate styles like hard boiled noir to pretty pink ponies nonchalantly. A must read, if you can stomach it at its worst.

Sample:


Bizarro
Not exactly a webcomic as the Bizarro strip is an old and popular syndicated newspaper strip, but the creator Dan Piraro does put up his offerings on his blog. The forte of this comic is surreal, wacky humour backed by the art to pull it off. Its a wonder how this hasn't become as popular as some of the truly insipid offerings in newspaper funnies but it deserves its spot among the top. His blog is an excellently bizarre read as well, one could do worse than taking the crazy train with him.

Sample:

Bonus: Go treasure hunting for his hidden symbols inside every comic


Best of the Rest
This are some webcomics which are brilliant and deservedly lauded in their own right, although they may lack just that extra bit to not make it to the cream. Nevertheless, they are definitely essential reading as well and are excellent ambassadors of the medium.

Cyanide and Happiness
A controversial choice to be put in the second tier I am sure, C&H (not the one with the boy and his stuffed tiger) is widely regarded as one of the best webcomics ever created. Created by a four member team, each member is able to bring his unique perspective while conforming to the overall theme of the comic to maintain the flow. And that theme is vulgarity, dark, dark humour and extreme political incorrectness. Not for the easily offended, definitely for the rest.

Sample:
Bonus: Check out their animated shorts too.

Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD)
A webcomic which is a must read for any student. Astonishingly hilarious, the travails of a bunch of graduate students in Stanford is made all the more awkwardly funny by the fact that so much of it is actually true. Who here hasn't experienced the scoffing of the clock because he plans to pull an all nighter and then opened his eyes five minutes later to see its morning? Or waited all day outside the professor's chambers only to be told to come tomorrow? Or.. well, the examples are endless. PhD is to students what Dilbert is to office goers, the sarcastic humour lightens the mood and makes the journey that much more bearable.

Sample:

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
The webcomic which I have been reading the archive of in the last week or so and what inspired me to write this post. An excellent politically incorrect comic, the common trick in the strips is to give a normal situation and then make it absurd through a subsequent comment or caption which totally changes the perspective. This can make it a bit predictable at times, which is why its in the second tier. A special mention to the recurring Jesus and sexist jokes. They are some of the best.

Sample:
Bonus: Roll over mouse on the red button underneath the comic in the site for extra comic.


Worth a Glance
These are some webcomics which are either not as good to be clubbed among the ones in the above lists or are just too specific to be for everyone's tastes. Nevertheless, they offer something different and will give good value if your taste coincides with theirs. If you're interested by its concept go for it.

Studs Up
A bloody brilliant webcomic on football, it would have definitely made it above the list if everyone loved the game. Sadly, most of the world's problems can perhaps be attributed to this failing of a good chunk of humanity. As for me, since I love both football and comics, how can I possibly not like it. Since he's best when poking fun of something current in football, here's a recent offering.

Sample:


Loli Loves Venom
A cute little webcomic with excellent art, the premise is that the mean old Marvel supervillain Venom somehow becomes the pet of a little girl. This leads to bizarrely hilarious situations (all within the awww quotient of course). A pity that the comic was cut short when real life caught up with the creator. The good news is that she is thinking of bringing it back now.

Sample:

Batman and Sons
It started out as a response by the creator who had got tired of heavy continuity laden superhero stories and wanted to see something which harkened back to the clean, fun days of yore. So he made a short stand alone story of Batman and his Robin kids and put it up on his deviantart profile. The concept became so popular that it grew and now it is a respected webcomic among superhero comic lovers. Requires a minimum knowledge of DC to properly appreciate but don't let that stop you. I have linked to his deviantart profile because that's where it all started but if you google the name, you'll find his blogs where he puts them up as well.

Sample:




Well then, that's three webcomics in each category and I think I'll stop here. There's a lot more which could have been added into any of these lists but these posts is too long already. It's not going to help my reputation of writing long, meandering posts. I can always bring out a Volume 2 if need be. Later.

Indie Richness: Review of "Too Cool to be Forgotten"

There are times when I get in the mood of reading comics which I have never heard of. At these times I trawl through the offerings of certain publishers like Top Shelf, Oni Press and Fantagraphics who consistently bring out top draw stuff in the writing department, even if the overall effect isn't as flashy and clean as the ones brought out by bigger publishers with better budgets. I also keep an eye out for certain scanners who specialise in making these unheralded comics available, one is especially indebted to Dts who happens to be one of my favourite scanners for this reason. I am rarely disappointed by these comics and they offer a clean outlet for someone who is fatigued by epic, connecting storylines as I, being a voracious DC reader, often get. This then is how I keep expanding my Indie comics collection.

One of the comics I encountered in this way was this - "Too Cool to be Forgotten". I had absolutely no idea what the graphic novel is about, the description offered little, but the cover and name were intriguing and Top Shelf is stunning when it comes to delivering human stories. So I decided to take the plunge. What I got was a brilliant emotional roller-coaster of a tale of reflection, humour and ultimately of denial and acceptance. As with most good things, the setup is simple. The protagonist is a man in his forties who wants to stop smoking but has tried and failed every conventional method to do so. At his wife's insistence, he decides to go to a hypnotist who believes that the power of mind and belief can help one cure anything. For their session she sends him back to his high school years without warning and the rest of the comic has him reliving those days as a 40 year old in his 15 year old body.

The storyline is taut and the awkwardness of an old man going through high school is brilliant. It's a good setting for humour and Alex Robinson doesn't disappoint. The scene where his head starts swimming when he sees long forgotten algebra and trigonometry equations is hilarious. (Hell, I left maths four years ago and I felt the same when my sister came to me to teach her.) And of course, experiencing the sudden rush of teenage hormones again would leave anyone disoriented.


The humour is ultimately a brilliant easing of a poignant tale on his search for why he has been transported to this period. His search leads him to the recollection of a party where he smoked his first cigarette and he comes to the conclusion that if he attended it again and declined the offered cigarette then his problems are solved and he'll go back to his time a cured man. After suitable drama and mishaps he manages to say 'no' but the solution fails. Confused, he becomes resigned to living his entire life all over again when the true reason of his affliction hits him. The final scene of him coming to terms with it is one of the most powerfully written scenes in fiction and one cannot help but feeling what he is feeling when he is going through those raw emotions.

The writing and pacing is exceptional and is the definite highlight of the comic. The dialogue, while messy and forced at times, is otherwise natural manages to drive home the point. The art while being simple complements the story well and it probably helped that nothing too complicated was required to embellish it. Any lover of humane stories with a touch of surrealism must read this and for the rest, what's stopping you anyway? It's a pity how there are so many unheralded works in fiction just because they are low-budget and not advertised well. The Indie comics scene is filled with rich stuff, methinks I will plunge into it now.

Century Babies and Multiversal Snowflakes

Planetary #27 released this week, a few dinosaur years after the penultimate issue, and a little piece of comics history is finally complete.



Planetary is science fiction at its very, very best. A Warren Ellis creation, the comic has unique takes on life, death, souls, the universe, micro/macro scale realities and a number of other concepts, ably supported by a good plot which is simple to understand. A known superhero hater, Ellis has taken classy digs at most superheroes imaginable, in fact the villains are a highly skewed version of the Fantastic Four. Also included are several classic fictional characters in their familiar forms or as obvious inspirations, ranging from Sherlock Holmes to James Bond. It's not unlike League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in a way.

The basic premise of Planetary is that the title is the name of an organisation of "mystery archaelogists" who are always looking out for weird stuff to save and protect as they wish to ensure that the world stays strange because that is how it is supposed to be. And indeed, over the series, it gives food for thought over a good number of things which we take for granted, or worse, don't even bother contemplating. And just like Transmetropolitan, Ellis makes sure that it never gets too heavy and there are more than sufficient doses of action and humour. The characters are unique and typical of Ellis, although they do fall into the clearly defined roles of "the cool, aloof hero", "the all action star", "the maverick young 'un", "the megalomaniac arch-enemy" etc etc. The main character, Elijah Snow, is recruited into it (and more, but that would be a spoiler). Snow is also a "century baby" - people who were born on January 1, 1900 and all of whom are gifted with powers and functional immortality (pretty sure Midnight's Children was an inspiration). Another concept at the the heart of the series is the snowflake shaped structure of the multiverse where every facet is a 2-D universe. Quite interesting, that.

Planetary also has one of the best Batman one-shots ever. It's a pity that Ellis is so allergic to superhero stuff. The very few superhero related stuff he has done (and I have read) are top draw.

It's one of the comics every comic reader must read otherwise their lives will be sadder for missing out on them. It's as simple as that.

Favourite Comic Book Quotes

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Just some quotes I can remember off the top of my head.


The Devil made me do it.
Lucifer: I have never made one of them do anything. They live their own tiny lives. I do not live their lives for them.

- Sandman #23

Phantom Stranger: Can you travel into the future, John Constantine?
John Constantine: Only like everyone else boss. You know. One minute at a time.

- The Books of Magic #3

The Joker: If I am going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice. HA HA HA!!...

- Batman: The Killing Joke

Calvin: The Horrendous Space Kablooie!

- Calvin & Hobbes

Ogami Itto: Tsuwabuki some call it. The only flower to bloom in winter snows. The world all around it is in winter, frigid and cold. But yet it flowers with all its might, this Tsuwa-no-hana. (Note: The analogy is to a prostitute)

-Lone Wolf and Cub: Chapter 14 (Winter Flower)

Fone Bone: Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures!

- Bone

Batman: I keep this city safe, even if it is safer by just one person. And I do not ever give in or give up.

- Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader: Part 2
(Detective Comics #853)

Dandele: There is no goodbye, Chunky Rice.

- Goodbye, Chunky Rice

Rants, News and some 'Tagging'

Intolerance reached a new level of absurdity when protesters prevented the construction of a Charlie Chaplin statue in Udupi on the grounds that he is a Christian... and therefore, our Hindu sensibilities will be offended when we see that famous moustache and bowler hat mocking us from their high pedestal. Some of us will probably succumb to depression and go drown ourselves on seeing that blasphemic sight.



chills my living bones

This is a Cracked.com article waiting to happen. How can anyone take this seriously? Thankfully, no one really has, not even Muthalik, who has condenscendingly rubbished it saying that Chaplin was never projected as a Chritian and therefore, everyone should view him as an artiste. Muthalik's comment has been tagged as 'Surprise of the Day' by Sunday Times, a nicely not-so-subtle dig on our misogynist crusader.

On a slightly related note, one of my favourite sad quotes belongs to this ultimate funnyman, more so because I have done it: "I always like to walk in the rain as no one can see me crying."

.....

The first week of the trimester has rumbled by and with the varying and, so far, mostly chilled out schedule we have had, it actually feels like we're in one of those filmi colleges where no one ever studies. It's not going to last, already the shadow of repeats and placement diary has put brakes to it, but it was nice all the same. And unlike most other pseudos, I had openly admitted that I had become restless sitting at home and was really looking forward to law school reopening. It's amazing how many people have indicated the same after a little prodding. If only we didn't cling to this falsely 'cool' sense of belief that law school is this unbearable hellhole where every minute is torture, then we could really enjoy our last really free years before career drudgery consumes our souls.

.....

Couple of blogs you can visit if you are not doing anything.

Firstly, this crazy one. It's by Dan Piraro who is the creator of the Bizarro syndicated comic strip. It's an absolutely fantastic read. The man's clever and hilarious, the best combination.

Then there is Neil Gaiman' blog. You probably already knew about it but what the heck.

Bawww Moments in Comics

Comics are supposed to be funny and happy, right? Well, that ship sailed away a long way back. Ever since Eisner wrote his wonderful A Contract With God, sequential art storytelling has deserved to be as highly respected in its maturity as any other form of literature. But then this post is not me justifying why I love comics.

Over the last few years, I've read thousands of comics, of all genres. Some which make me laugh, some which depress the hell out of me, some which are epic and others are brilliant in their dealing with mundane subjects. Every so often, I've come across a point in a comic where something really upsetting happens and which has been so beautifully portrayed that I will never forget it. It is not necessarily very important to the story. It is certainly not an aspect unique to comics, it is a challenge in any art form to memorably show any poignant moment so that it does not get relegated to any of the deaths and losses and sadness which our desentitised brains have seen over the years. But I believe a comic has the unique capability of juxtaposing the written word/dialogue with the image made exactly the way the creator wants it and such that both do not trample on each other.

So what makes such a Bawww moment successfully rendered. The test, to me, is that you should remember it long after you have read it, and indeed, make you want to read it again and again, and curse it under your breath for every single time. It should make you say 'this is not happening' even though you fully expected it to happen and should be incomprehensibly saddening when it is unexpected. It should not be depressing and send you into a black mood. Depression is never beautiful, and these moments are beautiful. This is why nothing from Maus is in the following list, although Maus has some of the saddest moments in fiction. Maus is just too depressing, there's no beauty to appreciate in it.

So here's a list of Bawww moments in comics which have truly hit me when I read them, in no particular order. Most of them are deaths, but I guess that is natural. For the record, each of these comics series/titles are excellent reads and I would recommmend them to anyone (unless you hate comics, but then you have probably stopped reading this anyway). The list has spoilers, so if you are interested in the comic, you may want to skip it.

Y-The Last Man: Okay, I lied when I said this list is in no particular order. There is one scene which is unquestionably on the top and hit me the most and deserves to be first. If I had read it ten years ago, I would have probably cried. It's in the last issue, the epilogue, the scene where the capuchin pet Ampersand dies.

Sandman: This had to be there somewhere, right. Well, yes and no. I'm not talking about Morpheus' death. Not even any other death in The Kindly Ones storyline, most of which were, I think, more heartbreaking than the big one. This scene is in issue #46 in the Brief Lives storyline, the one where the shriveled, weak Bast wakes up from Morpheus' dream conversation. That image was completely unexpected to me, and although it is a footnote in the series, I think it is one of the most powerfully written parts of Sandman.

All-Star Superman: If you have read it, this one is pretty easy. It's Pa Kent's death in issue #7 and Superman's sudden realisation from somewhere far away that he can't hear his heartbeat anymore.

Identity Crisis: The beginning of issue #6, when Robin discovers his father's body, and Batman holds him for comfort. Of all the deaths in the Bat-verse over the years, this one is probably the best written.

Pride of Baghdad: The last scene, when the lions are killed.

Silver Surfer - Requiem: The end where Galactus comes to mourn the impending death of his one-time faithful servant, Silver Surfer. If you have the minimum idea of who Galactus is in the Marvel Universe, then you can guess how this reaction is supremely poignant, especially with the near perfect dialogues which were written here.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Ogami Itto's death. Anyone who's read the comic will understand that the complete abruptness of the ending completely throws the reader off before the realisation of what happened hits. I couldn't sleep the night after I had finished it.


There are more, but I guess these are the biggest bawww moments in comics to me.

Neil Gaiman and Batman

I've been waiting for this comic since news of it was released months back - Gaiman writing a two parter Batman story. My favourite comic book writer on my favourite character (Yes, I'm an unabashed Batfan), it was a match made in fanboy heaven. The details of the story were kept under wraps and I'm not in the habit of reading previews, so when the first part of 'Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?' released a couple of days back, I was more or less going into it with a blank mind. All I knew was that it would somehow tie-in with the current situation of Batman in DC Comics, which is that Bruce Wayne has, let's say, vanished (this is a huge oversimplification), and everyone else thinks he's dead.

It's every bit as good as I hoped for. Though it not clear whether the story is in continuity, it really doesn't matter, the focus is clearly on paying a tribute to the character and all the creators across decades who have made the Bat universe memorable.

*SPOILERS*
The setting is the wake of Batman. His body is lying peacefully in an open caskets and all his villains and friends are attending it. It's the kind of surreal premise which only Gaiman can pull off without confusing the hell out of the reader (well, Morrison too, when he feels like it). There's a couple of conflicting stories which come up regarding how Batman died and in these stories we see Gaiman's brilliance.

There are constant homages in the issue to the art and writing styles of the different eras of Batman (this issue focuses mostly till the 60s so I guess the rest will be seen in the second issue), even a little nod to the Adam West Batman and we see highly creative alternate realities which could have been. Like Alfred's story in which he says that all the colourful, memorable Batman villains were in reality Alfred and his stage friends (with Alfred as the Joker) who purposefully used outlandish gimmicks, an idea Alfred came up with to keep Bruce happy and not get too tied down by the depressing reality of ordinary crime.

In the background (within captions), is Bruce Wayne observing all this with a mysterious woman who may or may not be Death, and Bruce has no idea what the hell is happening here. The woman does and challenges Bruce to figure out what's going on in the cliff hanger.

The issue is a brilliant tribute to the icon of Batman. Gaiman has successfully extracted the most basic elements from the mythos and weaved it in a highly surrealist manner. Andy Kubert's art is superb, some of the best I've seen from him. Once can see here why the Kubert school and family is so highly rated. Their art may not be the most beautiful, but it is the most crisp and their sense of storytelling is second to none, specially in superhero stuff.

Can't wait for the second issue.

Oh, Robert Miles' 'Dream' started playing on shuffle while I was typing this post. Morpheus approves

The Best Post Apocalypse Story Ever

My first post about comics, in this case a particular comic. A few days back I read a very highly rated manga called Akira, written and drawn by the manga pioneer Katsuhiro Otomo. And by freaking God, was it a mind-blowing experience.

It’s divided in six volumes, which does not come nearly close to the 28 volume ‘Lone Wolf and Cub’, my other favourite manga. But Otomo managed to make it just as epic and, in all the senses of the words, ground-breaking. You can actually see the rules of modern manga being single-handedly made right there. The art is simply superb, better than LW&C, and anyone who has read the latter and knows how highly I regard it (but that’s a post for another day) will know how serious I am when I say this.

When it comes to the story I confess I started it with little optimism. I mostly downloaded it to see what is there to rave about. I have always found post apocalypse stories to be clichéd and mindlessly violent, with more than a hint of a forced depressing atmosphere.

This isn’t.

Akira is set thirty years after an unknown explosion destroyed Tokyo and started World War III. Through the volumes we find what the source of the explosion – ‘Akira’ – really was and how it can potentially impact the future again (and does); in the background of the lives and actions of the two juvenile delinquent protagonists, and a solid cast of supporting characters. We see in the beginning that the people in Neo-Tokyo had mostly healed from the end of the world horrors from thirty years ago and how they keep on surviving whatever Otomo throws at them. Akira is as much a story celebrating human resilience as anything else. Unlike most other pieces of serialised fiction, there is never a fixed status quo (except maybe in the first two volumes) and the frequent restructuring of society is brilliantly handled. Events which you would conventionally have thought would happen somewhere near the end happen as early as the second volume, and this frantic pacing keeps throwing the reader off-guard. The humour is mostly good but it falls flat at times, its probably the weakest link of the manga.

In a very entertaining and completely non-preachy manner Otomo has weaved a beautiful discourse on the subjects of isolation (the character of Tetsuo and his actions remind me a lot of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’), wars and politics, religion, greed and fear, among others. He shows the depths humans can fall and the heights they can rise. Tetsuo in particular remains the most poignant character I have read in quite a while. In fact, I fail to remember the last time I read a comic which had so many memorable characters for me. Perhaps Watchmen comes the closest.

Like I mentioned before, Akira (and the subsequent film adaptation by Otomo – which I’m yet to see) is regarded as a pioneer of modern manga and anime. One can easily see why. The clichés of usual manga/anime fare – annoying, cocky protagonists, obligatory juvenile romances, some absurdly colourful side characters – are all seen here, yet they seemed fresh, even though I’ve experienced a lot of future wannabes over the years. I believe it is because Otomo successfully weaved them into the story rather than merely forcing them on it.

Lone Wolf and Cub still remains my favourite Japanese comic, but this came ever so close to dislodging it. So if you are a comics geek like me, this is a must read. For everyone else except those who absolutely abhor the genre (I can’t help you), its worth picking up and giving it a try. I know what’s the first thing I do when I have a faster net connection once I get back to college, find the movie and watch it.