Manga

Sep 272014
 

After four years in the wilderness, Canadian comics hero Bryan Lee O’Malley has returned with fantastical graphic novel Seconds, a more-than-worthy successor to the cult phenomenon that was his Scott Pilgrim series.

While Pilgrim was lauded for its inventiveness in bringing the pace and aesthetic of video games to the comic book format, Seconds takes its inspiration from a much older source, namely European folklore.  Its heroine, Katie, is a chef who dreams of opening a new restaurant, despite the catalogue of romantic, financial and culinary woes already besetting her daily existence.  Desperate to wipe out some of her past mistakes, she accepts a (literal) magic mushroom from a mysterious white-haired girl who appears in her room one night, and discovers that it gives her a “do-over” of the things in her past she’d like to change.  As Katie begins to abuse this new-found power in pursuit of creating the perfect life for herself, something dark and terrible starts to grow under the floorboards in her pantry, an ancient force which will threaten everything she still holds dear.

With its cautionary tale of the fantastical intruding upon the everyday, Seconds at times feels reminiscent of the work of Neil Gaiman, a very different vibe from the kung-fu sugar rush of Scott Pilgrim.  But O’Malley has never been one to emphasise style over substance; one of his greatest strengths is a depth of characterisation which ensures that even the quirkiest of his creations display a profound humanity.  This is certainly the case with Seconds, where the relationships between a group of flawed but likeable characters provide the poignant backdrop to a story ostensibly about magic powers and vengeful spirits.  Katie in particular makes for a great central character; opinionated, talented and passionate but occasionally given to deceit and selfishness, she’s the heart of a story which never gets lost in its own mythology.  Fans of Scott Pilgrim will find plenty to enjoy, but Seconds is clearly the work of a writer who has matured considerably over the last few years.

Perhaps the only thing on display more impressive than O’Malley’s writing is his artwork.  Cute but expressive, cartoonish but emotive, his manga-influenced designs leap from the page in a rich array of colours, creating an atmosphere of haunting beauty throughout the book.  There are a couple of splash page cross-sections which stand out as particularly breathtaking, and it’s nice to see O’Malley experiment with more fantastical subject matter, too; the latter part of the book sees him display a hitherto unknown talent for conveying eerie menace, which feels all the more jarring when set alongside his usual warm and fuzzy stylings.  Seconds is proof that O’Malley has grown as both an artist and a writer, whilst retaining the stylistic quirks which make him unique.  We can, it seems, continue to expect great things from him.

Jul 172013
 
CULT CLASSIC:  'The Drifting Classroom' by Kazuo Umezu (1972-74)

Jonny rediscovers a classic horror manga from the ’70s, and finds it a mixed bag despite its towering reputation…. The Drifting Classroom, by Kazuo Umezu, was first serialised between 1972 and 1974 in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine – “Shonen” essentially translating as “for boys”.  It instantly set the benchmark for Manga horror, and has […]

Jan 212013
 
Classic Manga: Domu by Katsuhiro Otomo

Stuart MacDougall, the Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Graphic Novels buyer at the Waterstones West End branch in Edinburgh, examines the little known pleasures of Domu: A Child’s Dream by Akira creator, Katsuhiro Otomo. A little girl and a crazy old man battle it out for the control of an apartment complex in suburban Japan. It might sound […]

Aug 242011
 
Domu: A Child's Dream by Katsuhiro Otomo

  Domu: A Child’s Dream by Katsuhiro Otomo (published by Titan Books at £12.99. It is currently reprinting) A little girl and a crazy old man battle it out for the control of an apartment complex in suburban Japan. It might sound like a strange concept for a comic, but throw in some psychic powers, a […]

Aug 242011
 
Hipira by Katsuhiro Otomo & Shinji Kimura

Hipira written by Katsuhiro Otomo & illustrated by Shinji Kimura (first published in 2002 by DH Press, prices vary, U.S. import, out now) After having read Otomo’s amazing Domu, I did a bit of research and discovered this little oddity (and happened to pick it up for a bargain price online…). Welcome to the wonderful […]

Aug 242011
 
Biomega by Tsutomu Nihei

Biomega by Tsutomu Nihei (Viz Media, £8.99 – volumes 1 to 6 are currently available) Injecting a much needed zest of fresh awesomeness into the manga marketplace comes this visionary title, Biomega. It’s set in the future after a devastating virus, called N5S, has swept across the Earth, turning most of the population into vicious zombie-mutants. So […]