This Week's (ish) Manga Pull

Who's a bit shit? Hige's a bit shit! My inactivity has become so bad that I'm starting every entry with apology for never posting. University is just as intense as ever, but the blog is never far from my thoughts and I've finally found some time (albeit at 1:30am) to sit down and write. So, in a bid to reclaim some of my anime blogging childhood, here are some manga thoughts.

Mmm, books with pictures. . . *punches English Literature in the face*

Trigun Max Vol. 10
Another surprisingly enjoyable Trigun Max volume. I was so ready to throw a god-finish-already strop around this point, but the total change of focus onto chain-smoking badass Wolfwood has invigorated an increasingly overwrought plot. There's still the centrepiece fight with the standard eye-popping acrobatics, but this time it actually felt legitimised and meaningful (made all the more so by the conclusion *non-spoilerific emotion*). I'm not too sure how things will be now the story has realigned focus onto the main plot, but I'd be satisfied with another two volumes if they were riddled with conclusive events and Meryl & Millie appeared.

Love Roma Vol. 4
I knew this day would come . . . the biggest surprise is it took this long. Love Roma's formula is showing its age. This barely tarnishes its crowning glory as Sweetest Manga Around, but still. Predicting why/when/how right down to the inevitable touching moment double-page spread is easier than it should be. Yet, Love Roma is still a wonderfully poignant wee comic that provides a restful break from the extreme violence and general mindfuckery of all the other manga I read. Really, I think I'd be more offended by an attempt at sophistication than its current rinse-and-repeat formula. Plus, the time gaps between Del Rey's releases are so broad that it's easy to maintain its esteemed position without the wear & tear being too obnoxious.

Tsubasa Vol. 11
Speaking of extreme violence! Well, speaking of Whacky Racers! We've finally hit the Piffle Country arc in Tsubasa manga and it didn't bother me as much as I'd anticipated. In fact, I was relieved at the lack of an extended fight sequence -- especially after Ashura-ō's prior exploits being as touching as they were. It's still silly fluff, but then I read Tsubasa specifically because I want action pulp done well, and it's hard to fault it on that front. CLAMP's artwork continues to impress the crap out of me, even after eleven volumes. It lacks the occasional stunning beauty of xxxHOLiC, but it's consistently excellent and full of energy. Definitely the most visually impressive long-running CLAMP book I've seen. All in all still thoroughly satisfied with the series and eagerly awaiting the big twist all those MFers on the Internet keep spoiling for me. <3

BLAME! Vol. 6
Thus ends the Mensab arc and with it the last strand of the plot's comprehensibility. Granted, the next volume might bring further explanation, but I barely followed the ending of this one so I'm entirely in the dark to what happens next or what reason, exactly. Still, it's as visually arresting as ever and as compulsively addictive to read, too. I'm just not entirely sure of how fundamentally 'good' it is as a piece of storytelling. I don't want to be too hasty with criticism, however. The guilty pleasures always tend to get too much patience, don't they.

Naruto Chapters 332 - 333
YOU DAMN RIGHT. Ah, it feels good neck-snapping to Naruto with conviction again. It's been a difficult few chapters for me recently, but these two have been fantastic fun. Well paced, well drawn, exciting, informative -- all the stuff you want from Naruto. I hope and pray its kept up until everything is concluded. Is it wrong to want Team 10 (avec Kakashi) to torture Hidan until his eyes go dead and there's not a limb left to mutilate? A fanboy can dream, can't he. ):

Comments

[comic books]

good post, and great site, i'm loving reading all the posts