5 comments about Alichino Volume 1.

1. I admit that I am attracted to pretty boys. Pretty girly boys. But Alichino takes this whole 'pretty girly boys' to a ridicuous level! >.<
   
   I mean honestly, when a person has read the story twice and STILL doesn't know the gender of half of the characters, something is SERIOUSLY wrong.
   
   My first attraction to the book was its cover. The artwork was amazing, and I knew with art that detailed and well-done, I would be hooked. Unfortunately, I'm a writer myself, and was immediately disappointed by the huge lack in storytelling. Kouyu Shurei either has no storytelling skills at all, or after all that hard work on the pretty faces, she forgot to make their dialogue anything worth telling.
   
   The story has a confusing beginning, the characters have little or no personalities (the only one with promise is Ryoko, and he doesn't show up until the last few pages, in which his scenes are blocked out by flashbacks and Tsugiri dialogue anyway), and the action scenes are crap. Except for blood dripping everywhere, and lots of long hair being swished around, you don't get any sense of fighting. I would think the amazing artwork had to be a drawback on such scenes, and I'm sorry that Shurei thought it would be alright to continue her detail work when there are guts spilling.
   
   But not to worry those of light stomachs, no intestines are shown, or anything of the kind. The pretty boys don't dip their pretty fingers in anything but earnest, angst-ridden blood spillage (and never in mass quantities, excepting finger pricks) and the storyline doesn't dip its delicate fingers into anything but a confusing and extremely dull plot. Nothing happens, and no one says anything interesting. There is no humor, no romance (although with all these pretty boys running around, we can only imagine the hentai that is going to start) and no interesting characters take the stage.
   
   You will love the art, appreciate the effort, but you are probably going to be extremely bored by the storyline. I am going to read the next ones because I feel obligated to finish the story, but my hopes are not high for improvement.



2. I heard about "Alichino" via a promo freebie from Suncoast. Now, I've gotten some good manga that way, but most of them have been titles that require some close attention. (In other words, there's no real hook.)
   
   Alichino has the best artwork I've seen outside of the "Angel Sanctuary" manga, and is at least as confusing. The sheer detail to the artwork is amazing (strongly featuring fineline and lots of delicate lines without being overly wispy, good use of tone and ink), and if you believe in letting the picture tell the story... well, they won't, but you'll enjoy the view.
   
   The "world" of Alichino is vague at best. It's obviously a fantady world--maybe, judging by the outfits which fit into no established culture (lots of draping lace-up tunics, sashes, strange bodice/girdles for the female characters) and the ready availability of swords. It appears to have some level of technology/industry, and scienctific development, but there just isn't enough to say just what kind of world we're dealing with.
   
   The focus is on Tsuguri, a 'kusabi' (the term is not defined in Vol. 1, and while I've seen the word before, I have no idea what it means), who is feared by humans, fought over by the Alchino (who also fear him). He grew up in the Stereotypical Manga Isolated Village, where Bad Things Happened. He has the requisiite blocked memories of a gothic manga hero, and the mysterious companions to hammer home the idea that the supernatural will be a major theme in this story.
   
   (That may sound facetious, but that's pretty much the framework we have to deal with.)
   
   I'd love to give a summarization of the story/plot... but there really isn't much to tell. The girl who introduces the reader to the world of "Alchino" and Tsuguri isn't even given a name, so her grief loses much of its impact, and it's utterly unclear why, after failing in her quest to find an Alichino, she's still hanging around. Nor is it apparent why an Alichino is living with him as an owl--apparently under orders, who/what Enju is, and the most fascinating character, Hyura, appears so briefly there's nothing to say about him. (Except I immediately got a BL sense from the way he was acting/waiting for Tsuguri to grow up, but by that point, I was looking desperately for *anything* to make sense in the story.)
   
   While the art is gorgeous beyond words, it does become difficult to tell the characters apart. There's an attempt at humor which falls flat, subtle horror (which works very well), and mystery to the point of bafflement.
   
   The high point for me (which may not apply to all readers) is that I'm learning Japanese, so the 'sneak peek' which is all in Japanese provided a nice addition to my reading material. (Not that it makes any sense, so out of context.)
   
   The layout of the text is confusing in places, with the sentences broken up in odd places, even for a translated work. Worse, too many of the speech ballons have no tails, so it's difficult to determine who is speaking, and many of the balloons/captions are on a tone background, with a tight white space "halo" around them to make them a little more legible. (Black ink on textured gray is very difficult to read.)
   
   I honestly don't know if I'll buy Vol. 2. I want to know more about Hyura than I do anyone else in the storyline, so if there's a change of his return...



3. I saw an ad for this manga in my GL magazine, and it looked pretty interesting to me. I didn't even get to the next chapter of the book when I bought it. I thought that the art work was horrible and the story line was awful! I thought that this would be a good story because the author is very famous for his stories and his art work and he has won very many awards. I don't think you would want to waste your time reading this book.
   
   -Chibi



4. Sometimes artwork is so beautiful that it can cover up even a limp storyline. That's nearly the case in the first volume of "Alichino," where exquisite beings grant wishes in exchange for the wisher's soul. It's graced with Kouyu Shurei's exquisite, luxurious artwork, but it can't hide that the plot is thin as worn silk.
   
   Tsugiri has a deep loathing of alichino, even the one who lives in the same house as him. And when he stops an alichino from feeding on a vulnerable young girl, the alichino reveals something terrible -- Tsugiri is a "kusabi," a human with a powerful and pure soul. He is the only one who can kill an alichino, but if one devours HIS soul, it will become incredibly powerful.
   
   Shocked, Tsugiri is only narrowly saved by a friend of his foster father Enju. Though he knows alichino can lie, he is having dreams of death and terror that seem to reveal him as a kusabi. So he enlists the help of the alichino Myobi, who can show how the part of his past that he cannot remember -- and the key to what and who he is.
   
   The alichino are a very interesting idea -- exquisite winged beings who will grant whatever you wish, but will take your soul as payment, and can be very nasty if you don't do what they want. And artistically, "Alichino" is an exquisite trip for gothic aesthetes. As a story, it's pretty limp. Not bad, just limp.
   
   Shurei's artwork is absolutely stunning -- detailed, sensual, with a gothic flair in the elaborate clothing and luxurious settings. It's also populated by beautiful, androgynous men, who are indistinguishable from women, and have long flowing hair and what appears to be lots of makeup. The one exception is Myobi, a kindly alichino who looks like a little girl in elaborate Victorian dress.
   
   Too bad the plot isn't nearly as good. We're thrown in without much explanation, and everything that happens after that is pretty cliched. Special powers, a clueless young man, and creatures who are out for his blood. Sadly Shurei doesn't add much to this story, and as a result, nothing unusual or unpredictable happens for... the... whole... story.
   
   Nor do the characters really get developed, since only Myobi has any dimensions beyond angsty-young-man. They don't grow, and they don't even change expression, which adds to the feeling that we're watching a beautiful painting that hints at a story, but never actually tells one.
   
   The first volume of "Alichino" is a case of "style over substance," with its staggeringly beautiful artwork and limp plot. Worth checking out for a pretty, light read.



5. This is a Really good book. It's a dead end series though...It's been over 3 years and the fourth book never came out.
   
   The stroyline is nothing to amazing until the third manga, but the art is the best in the world. I love the art. The art on the cover is just as detailed as the art in each and every panel of every page.
   
   It's a fantasy story about alichino who grant your deepest wish for your soul. It goes into the story of a boy's past and his life. The boy is to be sacrificed to the alichino.
   
   
   I recommend this to everyone just because of the art. even to those who don't like anime will like the art.

5 comments about The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide.

1. If you sell on EBAY or just want to track the condition/current value of your personal collection, this is the quintisential book to have.Every major player in the world of comics bases their grading on this book.A wonderful guide with picture representation to ensure accurate grading of individual comics.From the beginners to the experts,a true comic collectors "Must Have!"



2. Bottom line: Comic book grading is THE most difficult component of the comics collecting business side of the equation. Subjective interpretation lends disparity between any 2 people's grades, but the more experience that you have, the better equiped that you are to make qualified decisions about a book's grade. This book was much-updated from its previous version, so is an improvement. Bashing the book for not giving a "Cliff-notes" version of how to wave a magic wand, and "poof!" get a grade is a poor position to take. Yes, the book needs work in terms of pictures of defects and corresponding adjustments. One should also keep in mind that there is a functional aspect of grading that allows for a given defect to be (somewhat) offset by a strong characteristic in another are (e.g. stress marks bring book to FN, but stunning colors and/or supple white pages might boost it back to VF-, as a potential example). Given that there is NOT a lot of documented information on this subject, this book is helpful as a reference ONLY, and should be used in conjunction with other references (ComicBase, Wizard, Overstreet Guide), to make a good determination of a grade. Certainly times are better now than they were, say, 10 years ago, when only pros in the business for years could make an accurate estimate. Be thankful for that. CGC info, by design, is not going to be released - it's a Trade Secret for their business model, and if they gave it all away, they would not be in business. Does Proctor and Gamble give away its recipe for its products, or DuPont? - of course not. The discerning investigative researcher uses multiple sources. One such source (if you had bothered to read the Overstreet 33rd Edition) is that Metropolis Comics helped CGC develop the standards that they use. Also, many of the MAJOR comic dealers contribute heavily to the Advisory Board for CGC, so if you look at the sources, you could glean more information as well. Stop whining, and start learning ! This book is a valuable tool to be used with the other resources available to comics collectors, but it is not the de facto "guide" for grading. There will never be such a guide, so get over it.



3. This 2nd edition is an improvement over the 1992 edition and bolsters the viewpoint that Overstreet standards must be recognized as the primary source for grading decisions. While this guide does not provide specific CGC guidelines - which CGC refuses to publish - there is an overview of CGC by CGC Primary Grader Steve Borock and there are several examples of CGC-graded comics in various grades pictured. This, of course, merely provides examples of CGC grading and does not address the issue of CGC's well-documented inconsistencies. ***UPDATE: August, 2003 - CGC has announced that it will has adopted Overstreet grading standards as its own! This is a shrewd move by CGC and will help unify overall grading standards.***

   In this guide, you will find advertising by some of the largest retailers in the nation, along with several interesting articles whose topics range from comic book history to restoration to shipping comics. Each grade has a fairly comprehensive one-page description of necessary qualities inherent to the grade, along with a full checklist of 21 grading considerations like spine roll, cover creases and staples. The pages following are filled with clear and illustrative examples of covers of books fitting the grade, with appropriate annotation of defects.

   While there is still room for improvement in future editions, such as addressing the topic of grade "qualifiers" - a defect impacting the grade of a comic whose appearance would suggest a better grade if not for the defect - it is the premier guide to comic book grading and is a must-have for any serious collector or dealer.




4. Sometimes I wonder how major glaring issues get published with something that purports to be a definitive guide. Of course i'm talking about the size of the photos, many labelled flaws are simply undectable and pressing ones face right up to the book to see flaws is well silly and unnecessary. Its sad to see a total compromise of someones product presumably to sell more copies to WaldenBooks or whomever, it shows a lack of integrity and a lack of dedication to ones customers.
   Other than that major disappointment, I'd have to say the only other problem with the book are that the written articles are a bit muddled, the basics of grading seem a bit sparse while some aspects of minutae seem to be overemphasised.
   All the information you need to make grading judgements in todays CGC environment is here though. Most probably wont be too happy to learn that most comics they bought as NM/VF in the 80's/early 90's are probably a 7.5 at best in today's market. But thats not Overstreets fault.
   The part of the book where they take an Atom comic through the grades is very informative and probably the best visual representation of grading to date.
   Theres promise here and the information is factual but presented in a flawed manner, if you need a handy reference guide for comic grading this is it. Surely they cant help but address the basic flaws with their product in later editions?



5. The problem I find with this book, as with all books on the subject of grading, is that it is getting too complex.
   As a collector of coins and stamps, along with comics, I understand the importance of grading when it comes to the determining the value of your collection; however, when I look at a book, I now find myself trying to determine what this stress line or that OWL interior really does to the grade. How many points deducted? Added?
   Of course, Overstreet is the definiitve book on the subject but there comes a time when a decision has to be made as far as trying to figure out what grade to give it, i.e., VF- or F+, for example, and sometimes there is not enough details on exactly what it is that makes that determination. This is particularly true when it comes to Golden Age or early Silver Age.
   A Goldie is much harder to grade because, given its age, and scarcity, one must decide how much a particular defect will compromise a grade in relation to a modern book. A Goldie with spine stress lines should not be held to the same standards as a modern with the same defect. if you take away one point for that, you then should have the option of adding one point due to its rarity.
   Overstreet, while mentioning this problem, does not give enough information on it to make it clear and decisive.
   The bottom line is that the Overstreet Guide is the 'Bible' of comic collecting and is highly recommended as the definiitve guide to grading BUT......it is still the old axiom of 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'

No comments about The Hulk: The Junior Novel (The Hulk).

No comments about Marvel Illustrated - Homer's The Iliad #2 (Marvel Comics).

1 comments about Testament: Babel - Volume 3 (Testament).

1. This latest installment of Douglas Rushkoff's Testament is as engaging and compelling as the first two. The collection has three Bible stories woven into one modern narrative. In the Job story that opens, Rushkoff plays with time-space a little more, and The Rape of Dinah story is a little more loosely materialized, but both are very interesting and imaginative works of fiction. The four part story of Babel is profound in many ways.
   
   My intent is not to spoil any of the story, because as the other two compilations have shown, even though you might know the Bible, don't think you know what happens next in Testament. This surreal and interesting interpretation of the Bible-as-modern has re-enlivened my interest in this most wonderful ancient text. (And I am not a Christian.) Kudos to Rushkoff for this amazing piece of storytelling, and kudos to him for being brave enough to weave other ancient gods and traditions into the simulation that is our lives. (Joseph Campbell would be proud.) This series has become one of my favorite comics, and better yet, one of my favorite works of contemporary fiction in a very short time.

1 comments about Culdcept (Culdcept), Vol. 3 (Culdcept).

1. Based on the semi-popular PS2/Dreamcast RPG video game, Culdecept is a manga taking place in the same world as the game. Not necessarily based on the game itself, but taking the surroundings and ideas from it, similar to how Wild Arms TV did from its original game series.
   
   Set in the land of Bablascha, special card each contain a monster or creature within them that can be summoned forth to do battle. Sorta like in Yu-Gi-Oh, accept for real. Each card is a piece of an ancient book called the Culdcept which was made by the goddess Culdra in her creation of the universe. Only people called Cepters can actually wield the powers of these cards.
   
   Najaran is an apprentice Cepter, and she gets sent by her master to seek out info about the mysterious Black Cepters who are attacking city upon city in their quest to collect all of the cards, and gain ultimate power. Najaran and her strange comrade Goligan, a living magical staff with the head of an old man, head off to desert town of Soron, and get railroaded into taking part in a Cepters tournament. After defeating all the other contestants, Najaran confronts the cocky elf boy Zeneth. Their fight nearly destroys the stadium, but Zeneth forfits making Najaran the winner.
   
   She then gets invited to the local kings house for a banquet. Najaran soon discovers though that the king has been replaced by evil Black Cepter, Depthera. It looks like she is to be doomed, but Najaran gets saved by the last minute by Zeneth of all people. From this point, it becomes Najaran's mission to hunt down the reminaing Black Cepters, and their dark lord.
   
   Culdcept is a pretty good manga, certainly well drawn. The character designs are a little original for a a manga too, although some seem like their right out of Lodoss War. This is a fine series for otaku and furries. Fans of Final Fantasy will take delight in seeing Cait Sith make a cameo, or at least the Culcept universe version of him.

5 comments about Danger Girl: Body Shots (Danger Girl).

1. This collection can be read .. or looked at, again and again. It's funny and has a "plot". Good drawings! A fine break from super heros . Not for young kids...Just old kids.



2. After reading and enjoying the tongue in cheek humor of the original series maybe my hopes were too high for this one. I thought it was a little forced, the jokes a little too cliched, and the artwork isn't among my favorites. It's not a horrible book, just not what I was hoping to get.



3. I think the two things that made the original Danger Girl run so much fun were the unapologetic campiness and the exaggerated artwork. Still, those need to be applied judiciously, and tied together with an engaging plot, and "Back in Black" didn't do that. The artwork just doesn't do it for me. The body work seems to be going more for the Abercrombie and Fitch work than anything. The high fashion influence on Johnny, Zero and Deuce is a little bit irritating -- they were better when they were ripped, and had chests. The chest thing goes for the girls too. What we get a lot of are gazes averted to the top corners of the pages and really big mouths. If you took Lar Desouza's art and cleaned it up, but left it every bit as obnoxious as ever, you'd have a pretty close approximation to the artwork in "Back in Black".
   
   In short: The story isn't as fun, the art isn't as fun, the jokes aren't as funny, but it's still Danger Girl (and I'll take it).



4. I loved the original Danger Girl and have enjoyed the subsequent one-shots that have come out (collected in Danger Girl: Odd Jobs (Danger Girl)), and when a new volume comes out, I just have to check it out. Body Shots does not disappoint by any means, standing up to the usual Danger Girl Standard of naughty spy fun.
   
   Here's the plot: Abbey and Sidney are enjoying a little R&R (and looking to buy a house in Australia) when a new international crisis hits: someone apparently has control of the "Master Key," a device that can detonate any nuclear device on earth on a whim, and is setting off bombs in order to hold the world ransom. As the Danger Girl team tries to track down the device, they find themselves at odds against a beautiful lady sniper and some heavies in the U.S. Army. Can the girls save the earth in time? I think we all know the answer.
   
   Now, of course, we don't read the Danger Girl comics because they're fantastically deep comics - they're fun to read and have great art, and that's their appeal. Though J. Scott Campbell now seems to have totally severed his connection to Danger Girl (he contributes no art, plot or story to this volume, but is still noted as one of the creators, with writer Andy Hartnell), Nick Bradshaw's pencils (in a neo-pseudo-manga style) do a fantastic job of capturing the original energy and verve of Campbell's vision, albeit in a sort of cartoony style. There are times when the dialogue verges on the cringe-worthy (especially when Hartnell tries to do some "A Few Good Men"-type moments), but overall the plot will hold your interest, and the art will wow you. A great addition to the Danger Girl series. Pick it up - you won't be sorry.



5. More issues of Danger Girl. If you know the Danger Girls, you know what you're into with this one. Is more of the same adventures of these girls trying to save the world at the most pure Charlie's Angels or James Bond style.
   
   The only thing I complain about in this issue is that Sydney doesn't have more action, and that maybe there could be more explanation on the snipper. I'm not going to reveal too much, but there's a moment in which Sydney says something like "Ok, she was wrong, now she's done right, but still we have to turn her". Was she laid to? That's why she was doing the wrong thing and then decides to do the right one? Or did the Danger Gils "convince" her to do what she ends doing? That didn't seem clear to me.

No comments about Photo-Journal Guide to Marvel Comics Volume IV K-Z (Photo-Journal Guide to Marvel Comics).

5 comments about The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, 30e (Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide).

1. As always, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide proves to be one of the best resources for the comic book enthusiast.



2. I suppose if you collect modern comics this book is all you need. Sadly, it all but ignores the earliest comics published between 1900 and 1935. The token list in the Platinum section is better than nothing but just barely. These early comics deserve more space in the guide. My guess is that Mr. Overstreet owns none of these books so he has no incentive to list them.



3. Overstreet is the bible for collectors of comic books; a sad fact, considering how lopsided its representation of comic book publishers is. I accept that not everything printed can be represented in a guide, but from the look of Overstreet, everything from either Marvel or DC can be- even a recent Marvel title which had poor sales and remains in low demand is represented here at its original cover price, but where are the independent titles which have enjoyed a substantial share of the same market? Where is the Gold Digger, for example, whose sales held strong even during the B&W bust, and which remains in demand today? It's not a bad guide, really... but for the $22 US cover price, I expect something more thorough.



4. I've collected comic books for over fifteen years and I have found through my experience that Overstreet's Price Guide serves the purpose of grading comics best. One the opening articles of the guide is decicated to grading comics. This includes grading terminology with a succinct description of each major grade(Near Mint, Very Fine, etc.), factors that will influence the price of a comic(for example, high-grade comics will generally be sold for 50% to 100% over the listed guide price), tips on how to put a collection together as well as sell a collection ( for instance, the guide indicated which category of books would need to be listed individually when selling to a dealer), and a report of some of the top comic book sales of the previous year, plus much more. In my opinion, these opening articles embody the fundamentals of comic book collecting and are required reading for anyone seriously entering the hobby. The Overstreet Guide is also more thoroughly illustrated with black and white photos of comic covers than any other guide I've seen.

   Whether I've bought or sold books (I'm not a professional dealer, by the way, I simply sell books from my collection from time to time to generate cash for a new comic I really want) I've always found that the prices and particularly the grading standards listed in the Overstreet Guide are what is almost universally excepted by collector and dealer alike.

   I've consistently found the listings in the guide to be thorough and complete. Overstreet makes a concerted effort to indicated which issues have artists and key events that many collectors are looking for(An example would be: N.Adams art, 1st appearance Ras Al Gul). Of course, everyone has their own opinion of which issues are most important, but Overstreet does a fine job of listing the ones that most people demand, and there are many. A previouse review indicated that the Platinum Age listings may be incomplete. However, I believe there is an article preceeding this listing that indicates that, because material from this period is so rare, the listing is more than likely incomplete. Additionally, the author invites any collectors who have issues from this period that are not included in the listing to contact the author so that the new information can be incorporated into the new edition. Another reviewer felt that the listing for Modern Age comics was also lacking. There may be two reasons for this. First, the edition you purchase takes several months to prepare, and when it is published, it represents the activity in the comic book market for the previous year. The Modern Age issues in question may have been published durning the period of time that the guide does not cover. Second, the comics produced in the last ten years, with a few exceptions, represent, in my experience, a very glutted market. Supply of these books far surpasses demand. Thus, most of these books don't experience much of a price increase. So it's possible that a book published within the last couple of years that hasn't increased above its cover price in value may not be included in the guide. What would be the point? And in either case, these issues will more than likely be included in a future edition.

   As regards the claim that Mr. Overstreet "fixes" the prices in the guide to suit his personal interests, who can really say? What can be said is this: only a person who has a thorough knowledge of and an avid interest in the medium (i.e. a collector) could produce a comprehensive grading and price guide for the use of other collectors. I can't imagine a guide put together by someone who had absolutely no interest in the hobby. Where whould such a person get his information from? He'ld have to depend on other collectors and thus you'ld more than likely have the same charge of conspiracy all over again. Mr. Overstreet evidently has not only the the knowledge and interest but the experience as well as the knowledge and experience of his many adivsors. He's just as qualified, if not more so, than anyone else.

   Let me provide a word of caution. The Overstreet Guide contains numerous dealer advertisements. Some are genuinely strict graders and provide excellent products and service (Four Color Comics and Metropolis Comics are two of these). However, there are many who are VERY liberal in their grading and whose claim of "unconditional money back guarantee" quickly evaporates when you try and make a return (Want List Comics comes to mind). Buy all means, take advantage of these dealer listings, but do so with carefully.

   To conclude, I sincerely feel the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is the best available. If your serious about collecting comics, it's a valuable tool for buying, selling, and personal research. I've learned much from just going through the guide page by page and discovering books I never thought existed. Additionally, it's more than likely that at some point in your collecting you'll have to deal with someone who uses this guide a the standard.




5. By the time any price guide is printed it is already out of date. The prices for comics from the 1960's to older is fairly accurate. Older comic prices usually have very little change from year to year. The thing is anybody who has older comics probably doesn't need to purchase a new guide. If you have newer comics the prices in the guide can vary wildly in their accuracy. To me the best part of Overstreet is using it as a shopping resource. It is great for identifying comics.

No comments about Coheed & Cambria's Claudio Sanchez presents The Amory Wars #2 : The Second Stage Turbine Blade Part II (Image Comics).