Graphic Novel

Release of the Red Phoenix is the 3rd book in this children's manga series of 10 books by YoYo, a group of manga artists, and is brilliant. The adventures are fast paced and draw you into the story straight away. I find the reading of the manga graphics from back to front and left to right very easy to follow.

In Vermonia 4: The Rukan Prophecy the pace is pretty much supersonic, and gallops along at such a pace, that I was quite shocked to realise that I'd actually come to the end of the book! The story line is brilliant and utterly absorbing - the graphics very clear and easy to read - even if it back to front and right to left. I loved it and highly recommend it - the YoYo artists are doing an excellent job both graphically and story wise.

The story conitinues with friends Doug, Jim and Naomi trying to free their friend Mel.

It is quite a thrilling story with Jim taking on the spirit of Suiran The Winged Panther to guide the group. Each member of the group of friends will be called to take on the spirit of a guardian of Vermonia to not only free Mel but to help free Vermonia - last time is was Doug who heard the call of Raitetse - The Silver Tiger. Again I find myself being utterly enthralled with the story not wanting to put the book down.

Having never read a Manga story before I wasn't sure how I'd get on with Vermonia 1: Quest for the Silver Tiger, but I needn't have worried. Once I'd worked out that reading from right to left and not left to right - i.e. you start at what would be the back of the book and work your way forwards to the front, the story fairly wizzed by, and I found myself being fully involved with all the characters.

The graphics are easy to follow but the only thing I find just a tad weird - is why do the Japanese draw their characters with European faces?

'The course of love never did run smooth', if you're like me and had a boyfriend your parents hated, but you're adamant that you're going to see this relationship through then you'll relate to this Shakespeare novel. Now I'm not really a romance reader, I'm more of Troll Slayer kind of a gal, however, I was pleasantly surprised to pick up this book and keep on reading...with interest! ..read more

The 6th volume of Keikp Tobe's With The Light sees Hikaru trying to fit in with a bigger world as he grows out of childhood, ready to begin puberty. His younger sister, Kanon, also starts elementary school and their parents Sachiko and Masato start to unwittingly draw comparisons about how Kanon is able to manager her life easily whereas Hikaru is still stumbling on. Sometimes it seems that even the littlest things can cause the biggest upsets, and with the onset of puberty looming just how much worse can things get?

'Twelfth Night' Manga style, a truly inviting way to read Shakespeare. Never have I been able to understand, let alone particularly follow, Shakespeare's literature. If you're like me, you always struggled at school to understand the wit and mirth of Shakespeare's plays. The way the manga characters convey the emotional intent of the writing makes it so easy to undertstand characters. So as a result I found myself reading on and laughing at the characters and the cocktail of conniving schemes and mixed messages. And most importantly, I understanding it.

I'll be honest, I'm not too sure what to make of this as it's the first time I've seen the American Civil War treated this way. This is certainly an amusing read and borders on farcical at times, reminding me of Asterix & Obelix in so many ways -but that is probably down to the style of illustration than anything else.

Well, this story doesn't disappoint. The intrigue keeps building as the tale unfolds, but rather than answering all the questions it poses many more, allowing the narrative to unfold in an almost dreamy pace. The artwork is uniformly superb and heightens the atmosphere adding so much character and realism to the story.

But, yet another cliff-hanger!!! This, to me, is the one downside to these graphic novels, they need to be far longer. Just when I've gotten into the story, the chapters over and I have to wait for the next one to be released!

I enjoyed this - Blake & Mortimer seem to be the French Equivalent of Holmes and Watson; but with far friendlier banter and no constant grandstanding from "Holmes". In this episode, their "Moriaty" Olrik escapes and steals a priceless necklace and flaunts this in front of the press threatening to create a very nasty diplomatic incident.