You can also check out reviews by Johanna Draper Carlson. I don't agree with some of her evaluations, but she is interested in many of the same books I read, so you can get an alternate view there.

• Age of Bronze Eric Shanower brings us the Trojan War via Image of all publishers. Currently at issue 12 plus a special. Paris is a real jerk. The latest issue is just getting into the story of Achilles, the original cross-dressing draft dodger. I wonder how he'll deal with the fates of all those tragic Trojan princesses. This is still coming out as individual issues, but it's easier to find in the TPB form. (12-27-2007)

• Beowulf from Thecomic.com. Completed three issue retelling of the Nordic saga. Powerful artwork and great stuff in general. This came out before the recent literary "rediscovery" of Beowulf. (c. May 2000) Go procure.

• Clan Apis The life story of a bee named Nyuki by Jay Hosler. For real! Five issues from Active Synapse. I cried when Nyuki died. Beautifully done.

• The Five Star Stories by Mamoru Nagano from Toys Press, Inc. Beautiful large format translation of Japanese story. All eight issues are out, available from Kinokuniya Bookstore. Wait, they're releasing more issues! Up to 12 now with more colorful covers. 2/3/2002

• Mad Raccoons by Cathy Hill from Mu Press. The title says it all. Beautifully illustrated and clever. Stopped at issue 7 as far as I know. I received this email from Billy Bond@aol.com:
  Cathy Hill is a good friend of mine, and was very pleased to see that you listed her short-lived comic book among your favorites. 4/10/2002

• Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka is a real classic. It's available from Kodansha Bilingual Comics, which, however, are unfortunately not being printed anymore. Six expensive volumes, but worth it. There was also an animated TV series.( 8/26/2002)

• My favorite comic book of all time is Tailgunner Jo from DC . A tale of cyborgs, evil corporations, and the fantasy world of a cruelly disembodied little girl. Available in 25 cent bins. Lasted for 6 issues. It's a strange combination of a beautiful childhood fantasy world and an ultra-violent and ruthless corporate dystopia. Sort of like many manga. I've created my own shrine.

Other comics I've read or am reading and are worth a mention. I'll write up better descriptions when I have some time:

• 2001 Nights, Japanese science fiction, Hoshino,1990. Takes the Kubrick 2001 idea a little further. These were beautiful volumes.
• The Adele Blanc Sec stories from France about a very modern woman in 1911. La belle Ade'le by Tardi. They are scattered in early issues of Cheval Noir from Black Horse (Yes, I go t the title!) One stand-alone comic in English was published.
• Baoh, Viz, 1984. I also like the anime. Shumire means Violet. First mention I've seen of unit 731 in Japanese popular media. Doomed teenage victim of illegal government biological experiments befriends and saves a young esper before he meets his fate. Although gory, there is a good story and the innocent relationship between the doomed teenage boy and the preadolescent girl is well handled, similar to the relationship between Mai and the college student who rescues her. Most reviewers didn't care for either the anime nor the manga.
• Battle Group Peiper, Tome (Caliber),1991. Great Battle of the Bulge one-shot about the misadventures of Kampfgruppe Peiper which was implicated in the Malmedy Massacre. After the war French vigilantes tracked down former commander Joachim Peiper and burned him to death.
• Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samuara, I wait for the TPBs. Non-reversed manga from the Masters at Dark Horse.
• Chiaroscuro by Pat McGreal & David Rawson, Chas Truog, Rafael Kayanan, DC, 1995, 10 issues. A very serious telling of the life of Leonardo de Vinci.
• Cyber 7, Eclipse, 1989. Very early manga, series translation never finished.
• Dreadstar. Great stuff that started in the wonderful Epic Illustrated. Also published by First and others. Waited years but they finally finished the series, if not the story. Willow.
• Dynamo Joe, First, 1986. Vietnam told as a Giant Robot story. Too bad they had to cut it short, but at least they did wind it up. I don't like cats, but this one is okay. Written by a vet. Catch the C'Mel reference nod to Cordwainer Smith. Somebody actually put up a webpage on the character Pomru. The story has some inconsistencies about space travel, but heck, it was only a comic book. Good characters and some story lines that were never fully developed because of the premature termination.
• Elric of Melnibone stories created by Michael Moorcock, initially from First. Took a long time to finish this one.
• Evangeline, the original Warrior Nun. Published by First, among others. Evangeline is the pawn of a renegade cardinal who has decided to use any means to defend the Church. Evangeline is an orphan traumatized by the massacre of her orphanage. She always wins and never seems to have any weaknesses. Sometimes aided by the outlaw Johnny Six who has a crush on her.
• Grey, vintage manga from Viz. Also an anime. Don't trust those computers. In a dystopic future a master computer manipulates humans into killing each other in meaningless wars. (3-2-2003)
• Halo and Sprocket has an angel mentoring a robot while both impose on a cute girl who has a boorish neighbor. The first two issues look promising. (8/26/2002)
• Hearts of Africa, Slave Labor Graphics, 1994. Peace Corps tales.
• High Shining Brass, Apple, 1990. A book I read on SOG implies that some of this story is true.
• Jezebel Jade, Comico, 1988. Another three issuer. I don't need Johnny Quest, but Jezebel is okay.
• Joan by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is a beautiful three part book that has been available as an e-book and is now coming out in hardcopy in English from Comicsone. I first saw the original Japanese version at the now defunct Books Nippan. I wondered what it was-I thought it was a retelling of the Jeanne d'Arc story, but it's much more complex than that. Emily is the beautiful illegitimate daughter of the same nobleman who started the now martyred Joan on her career. To escape the wrath of the wronged wife, Emily was disguised and raised as the boy Emil. Although she doesn't hear the voice of God, she does have visions of Joan and her actions are guided by Joan. She follows Joan's orders to protect the King of France which starts her on a quest that leads to most of Joan's old comrades in arms, who each in his own way is trapped in his personal memory of Joan. Her opposite and adversary is the new Dauphin. He is ambitious, angry, cruel and coldly logical. Emil can't answer his arguments with her faith and simple minded devotion and is finally cast into self-doubt and confusion as the defeated Dauphin prepares to execute her. He in turn is confused by her beauty, offering to make her his mistress, and by his awe of the memory of Joan. The artwork is impressive and Emil/Emily is a complex if monomaniacal character. 2/3/2002
• War Story, Johan's Tiger from Vertigo, by Garth Ennis, Christ Weston, and Gary Erskine. This is a fantastic story about the last days of a Tiger Tank crew as they make a fighting retreat from the advancing Russians. Issues also about doomed British troops on Sicily, the Screaming Eagles, and the crew of a British destroyer seeking redemption. 2/3/2002
• Kamui, Eclipse, 1988. Good stuff and the notes alone are worth the price of admission. Also see the anime, The Dagger of Kamui. They should translate more of this story.
• Lost Continent by Yamada Akihiro , Eclipse, 1991. Early manga. Never figured out the story, but great art. Another lost world story.
• Mai the Psychic Girl, what a classic. Go find the Perfect editions.
• Medal of Honor, Dark Horse, 1994. Great war anthology stuff. Five issue series, but numbered from 0-4. The covers were often out of synch with the contents.
• Nam, Marvel,1987. Some issues are great. The story of the Vietnamese soldier carrying a child's picture to the father was the best.
• Nausicaa, another classic from Miyazaki. We had to wait, but it was worth it. Who cares if Nausicaa isn't human?
• The New Kindaichi Files, another bilingual production from Kodansha. Kind of expensive at around $15, but I like Miyuki. In the first couple of TPBs the kid is a pretty disgusting lech, constantly trying to grope Miyuki. However, around volumes 3 and 4 he seems to mature a little bit and seems to be able to deal with at least some women with sensitivity. The series kept on going for many more volumes in Japanese and there was an anime series. (10-27-2002)
• Pixy Junket by Pure, Viz,1993. Sort of like Nausicaa the manga in that the protagonists are pseudo people who are only caretakers for the real people who are sleeping away.
• Redfox, Harrier Comics, 1986. I spent years looking for issue 16, and it was worth it. Actually, Whitey, the good clone is my favorite. Good English comic.
• Spirit of Wonder by Kenji Tsuruta was published by Dark Horse in 5 issues, translated by Studio Proteus. This is a beautiful book, but it's only part of a series of stories. There are at least two other story arcs besides the Miss China one we see a little of here. Unfortunately, the manga is now out of print. The Tsuruta picture book Hydrogen is a real gem. You can still order it from Asahiya for $62, and it's worth it. The complete set of tanks is now available from German Amazon, in German of course. The editions are available, especially if you remember your German. (2/1/2003)
• Urusei Yatsura, Takahashi's classic, translations on hiatus from Viz.
• Vietnam Journal, from Apple. Gritty and excellent.
• You're Under Arrest by Fujishima Kosuke, Dark Horse Comics,1995. From the same source as "Oh My Goddess" and just as cute. Too bad they didn't translate that much. There are 7 tankouban you can buy at Japanese book stores or on the net if you want to see how the art work evolved. The stuff that was translated was the later work. Dark Horse says the Japanese publisher won't give them the rights to the early stuff. The original style is less realistic and cute, but does have an angular sincerity that I like. (10-27-2002)