Comics Books

As I'm sure we all know, the oldest of the Three Norns is half demon, half-god. Urd's father was God, and her mother was Hild, the queen of the Netherworld. Naturally, Urd is less than pleased with her half nature and struggles to forget the demon inside her. But her old pal/enemy Mara is determined to keep Urd's demonic heritage fresh in everyone's minds. So, she creates a clone of Urd and splits the divine demon's personality in half, filling the clone with the demon half and leaving the divine in Urd's original body. Thus, Urd becomes, well...schizophrenic. Her two halves battle, and all her sisters and Keiichi can do is watch.

Can Urd recombine her soul before her demon half does something she will regret?

There's nothing funnier than Japanese Bathhouse Humor. Keiichi and the Goddesses win a free trip to a traditional bathhouse (little do they know it was set up by their demonic nemesis, Mara).
Things go from bad to worse. First Urd decides to conduct her usual, "Big Sister Bust Size Check." Then Keiichi runs into Mara herself on the men's side of the bathhouse.
And then there's the Karaoke war!
And just when you thought it was safe, Mara has gone and made a demonic clone of everyone's favorite sake swilling Goddess, Urd.

Hilarious Hijinx and Hottub humor. You gotta love it.

This is the first Oh, My Goddess I've read. Urd is the new female with attitude along with Ryoko. If she wasn't there,the manga would lose something. Get this volume!

Urd gets split into her good and evil halves by her nemesis demon (whose name escapes me at the moment), an entertaining but also dramatic event.

I like it.....it's neat...but a little...well-unusual.....I'd recomend it for older people...who understand it.

I have seen the Ah! My Goddess anime, so naturally I wanted to read the manga as well. I just have one question.

Which first volume of the manga should I get? I see this one, "Oh My Goddess: Wrong Number", but I also see "Oh My Goddess tome 1", and "Oh My Goddess Volume 1". Is there a difference between them all? And if there is, which is the best one to get?

I'd heard of this before, but I didn't know any details. Keiichi Morisato dials a wrong number and ends up magically bound to the goddess Belldandy. The art in this book is lovely, and many of the stories are hilarious. Belldandy is probably the nicest person/celestial being I've ever seen in a comic, and the way people reacted to her was really funny. I can't wait to get my hands on more "Oh My Goddess" books.

Reading this visual novel by Kosuke Fujishima was a treat, indeed! Consider its beginning: Keiichi Morisato, a loser student phones for a pizza, but gets the goddess help line instead and is offered a single wish. His choice: for a goddess to stay with him always! He thus is paired with the goddess Belldandy, and experiences a series of hilarious misadventures beginning with their being kicked out of his dorm room. However, this allowed him to leave the company of his loutish housemates in preference for the company of a real goddess.

Belldandy and Keiichi encounter some surprising characters: an otaku (obsessive anime fan), a priest with an unusual mastery, a feckless, forlorn lover, a queen bee of a university scene, and the manipulative little sister! These episodes set the stage for explaining circumstances that were unclear in previously-published works. We find out more about our two main characters, including the abilities of Belldandy.

The motif of a girl or woman with preternatural or magical capacities is found in other Japanese manga works, notably the equally delightful Lum Urusei Yatsura. But Belldandy is unfailingly pleasant and serene: a true goddess in her patience with Keiichi and with the sometimes difficult ways of humans. This provides an effective device for critiquing the ways of humanity and for exploring philosophical questions.

While Fujishima did change his style in later episodes, I found that his style in these early stories was also engaging. Belldandy is beautiful, and sweet. The artwork is interesting and dynamic: worth the price of the book in itself. I recommend this book 100% and suspect that it might serve to lift up the spirits of someone who is having a bad day. It does for me!

If you have seen the 5 episode OAV series, then you will love this. As it starts of, Keichi Morisato is a college student who doesn't really have any luck with women, until one day he calls a beautiful goddess of the name Belldandy. She says she can grant him anything he desires and Keichi of course, thinks this is a joke by his mates wishes that a girl like her would be with him forever. Their life from then on continues through the series.

As you know, this is contains previous material from 1-555-GODDESS but also contains the lost stories which will answer many a question you might have.If you see this book for the first time and see it isn't as great as it looks on the OAV series, Dont Worry! Because at this time, Fujishima was just getting use to drawing the characters and throughout the series gets to look better and better.

If you are wondering if you should get this or not, the answer is obviously yes! The humour in this book is funny as but if you already own 1-555-GODDESS and are a bit worried if you should waste your money on this, you're not. Because 7 of the 8 chapters are lost and new.

1st Chapter: Wrong number
2nd Chapter: Into the lair of the Anime Otaki
3rd Chapter: A man's home is his....temple?
4th Chapter: College exchange Goddess
5th Chapter: Those whom goddess has jointed together, let not woman put asunder
6th Chapter: SLP Camera- Mission Accomplished!
7th Chapter: The lullaby of love
8th Chapter: The Megumi Problem

I Recommend this book for manga collectors, OMG! Fans and all newbies!

I saw the 5-part OAV (original animation video) "Oh My Goddess" DVD's and was very impressed. However, because the series was so short, I went online to see if there was a manga (Japanese comic book) series since most anime is from manga.

Enter "Wrong Number" done by Dark Horse Comics. This should replace the "555-Goddess" book previously done since this contains the chapters that were not included in that original book 1. People who've watched the OAV's will see the major elements from the first and second videos done in this book. However, there are notable differences such as a monk that lived in the temple that Belldandy and Keiichi end up living in. We are introduced to the following characters:

Keiichi (the guy with the wish), Belldandy (the goddess), Tamiya (large classmate), Aoyama (cool classmate), Sayoko (the girl jealous of Belldandy), and Megumi (Keiichi's sister).

One thing people who've seen the OAV will be surprised at is the art. Belldandy doesn't look like she does in the OAV. Much like many other comic strips or comic books, Fujuishima-san had not yet refined the artwork. Don't worry, the artwork gets better with each volume.

Story-wise, this volume mainly focuses on Keiichi and Belldandy getting to know each other and their life at college.

Bottom line: If you loved the "Oh My Goddess" DVD set, you will REALLY enjoy this manga and all of the manga's in this series. If you've never seen the OAV's but want wholesome, light reading material, get this book!

The story, set in 8th century Japan, follows two men: the one-armed, one-eyed, savage Gao and the handsome, considerate Akanemaru.

The story opens with Gao's birth and the accident that kills his father and costs Gao an arm and an eye. A remarkably strong adolescent, he wins a competition but when the jealous loser ruins Gao's prize, Gao kills him. Outcast, Gao kills and maims men and women and children remorselessly whenever they get in his way or when they have something he needs. Or just for the hell of it, as when he meets and maims his counterpart in the story, the gentle Akanemaru whose arm Gao maliciously slashes.

Taking different paths, Gao and Akanemaru each find a young woman and an old mentor. They meet once more by chance on a road. Akanemaru recognizes the man who had ruined his arm, but nevertheless wishes him well. They each become known as sculptors and artists to the powerful lords ruling Japan. They work tirelessly. Akanemaru is driven by vision and ambition while Gao is driven by rage and by his being baffled when faced with the unfairness of life, death, and suffering.

All this in a comic book... But if you've seen Princess Mononoke, you already know that Japanese manga and animé can offer surprisingly complex heroes and villains who are seldom completely good or completely evil.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

(SPOILERS means this review gives away the end of the story)

Akenemaru

Akanemaru, trained sculptor of wood,
You grew so full of your greatness
That your soul turned upon itself:
You had Gao's (only!) arm cut off
Because he was greater than you.
Why so surprised when the Phoenix told you,
As you lay dying,
That you would never again be born
A human?

Gao

Deprived of an arm, an eye, a father, almost at birth,
You grew up maddened,
Robbing, maiming, killing.
Then you discovered by accident your great gift
For carving.
Your (second!) arm taken from you,
You wandered away to the wilderness,
Lamenting. But there,
Your soul turned upon itself:
You grew to love the nature around you, and the men and beasts
That shared it with you,
Always carving,
A tiny chisel
Held between your teeth.

I've read some Astroboy, and Tezuka's Black Jack and both of these impressed me but it was only when I began reading his Phoenix series that I truly understood why he is known as "the god of manga" in Japan. I've read most volumes in this series (they are not all currently available) and each one is as wonderful as the last. Tezuka's beautiful artwork and his amazing and ground breaking use of frames and layout is worth buying any of the Phoenix series alone. But the stories will never let you down either - Philosophical, funny, fantastic, thoughtful, original, exciting. Karma is a particularly good volume in the series. For me my only regret in buying these books was that I couldn't put them down and got through them so quickly that before I knew it I'd bought and read everyone that was available. Now I have to be patient.

This is, basically, one of the best books I have ever read, and when a say books I mean every kind of books, including literature, history, religion, everything. I am still charmed somehow because of the incredible story of this Osamu Tezuka's book. I haven't read the other four Phoenix Saga books, but I am placing the order today: this book is eye opening, is one of the rare cultural products worth of ordering to Amazon, from my country. In my country you cannont buy it, so I have to pay the expensive shipping price, if you live in the States, don't hesitate once, but it at once! You will feel rewarded when you finish reading it.

Out of the three Phoenix volumes I've read I'd have to say that I think that this is the most effective. Karma follows the journey of two men, Gao and Akanemaru, on seperate but related journeys towards spiritual enlightenment and takes place during the early to mid 8th century, a period when Japanese society was apparently being reshaped to emulate China. Gao is born in a poor fishing village, and as a baby is dropped on his head from a great height when his father tries to take him to give thanks to the Mountain Spirit. The father dies and Gao is left missing an arm and an eye.

I'm realising that this kind of offhand brutality happens all the time in Tezuka's work. Babies getting dropped on their heads is just a start; Gao is ridiculed and maltreated as a child and eventually becomes a thief who kills his neighbours, accomplices in crime, lovers and strangers. He does it all without regret or compassion and with the complete confidence that is he is living in accordance with the nature: "Those that cannot survive are caught by the fisherman and eaten, leaving only a few. The people left alive are the winners." I didn't ever get the feeling that Tezuka was necessarily contradicting Gao's version of Social Darwinism. As those of you who have read The Future might agree, Tezuka's view of the Cosmos and man's role in it could be pretty bleak. Making sense of it may be outside of the scope of human imagination; although we grasp at the meaning, there's no reason that Gao's role in the cosmic scheme of things should easily fit into our system of morality.

"Society made me who I am!" declares Gao, but somehow I got the feeling from the sequence that even Gao didn't believe his own rationalisation. Aside from that, there's really not much hand wringing about his victim hood. Tezuka didn't strain to make the character sympathetic and in a lot of ways it's his very `badness' that gives him the opportunity to evolve spirituality. One of Tezuka's greatest skills was to make the reader identify and feel pathos for his complex characters, no matter how silly, weird, evil, or devious they may seem.

Akanemaru is the opposite of Gao in almost every way; from birth he is naturally gifted and spiritual, kind, loving and determined. But in Tezuka's view of existence, there is no guarantee that he will remain that way. His privileged incarnation seems to be one of the main obstacles on his journey enlightenment. That said, even Akanemaru has trials that he must surmount and at one point, after Gao slashes his arm, making it useless for sculpting, Akanemaru seems to have actually achieved the next level towards true enlightenment. The Cosmos has other plans.

This is the first volume that I've read that really deals with the role of the artist in the world. Akemaru is forced to sculpt the Phoenix within three years on on pain of death. He succeeds, and is used as a pawn in political and religious maneuvering. This is story with a very Buddhist outlook, but Tezuka seemed to realize that religion is a creation of man and as such, destined to be flawed and corrupt as well as beautiful and true. Gao's mentor, the Abbot Roben observes: "Buddhism is only a vehicle for the authorities to deceive people and make them obedient and willing to pay taxes." As a result of efforts to save his own life (a rationlisation not far removed from Gao's) Akanemaru becomes the puppet of the corrupt government. He is commissioned to create a huge Buddha statue, the greatest in the land, and sees in his task the promise of immortality through its renown.

Meanwhile, Gao has also become a sculptor motivated to create haunting figures from whatever materials he finds in his journeys with his Master, the Abbot Roben. He sculpts hundreds of tortured faces from clay and dead trees in attempt to exercise his personal demons. While Akemaru wishes to give to the world through his art, Gao's motivation is purely personal, but in spite of this his fame begins to outstrip Akenamaru, leading to their final confrontation as artistic rivals. Again, Tezuka was not making a simple one-sided argument that one motivation is superior to the other, that would be too simple.

In the Pheonix stories Tezuka was dealing with one of the central paradoxes of human existence; it is natural for beings to strive to survive, but when the self-awareness of man takes this drive to its logical conclusion it becomes the desire to achieve immortality. However, it's a shallow concept of immortality that man often pursues, and seems to represent a resistance to change, and a fear of death more than anything else. The Phoenix, endlessly pursued by man, symbolises an endless cycle of death and then rebirth. Death is still an essential part of the equation and denial of this is the flaw that unites the ancient citizens of Dawn to their counterparts in Karma and, unfortunately, The Future.

Why only two books so far? As of this date, I'm still eagerly awaiting a third & fourth collection of Gilligan's daily strip: Pooch Cafe.
I'm pretty sure he's been cranking them out for two years since "No Collar, No Service" but where's the book?
Pooch Cafe is fresh, witty and well-drawn with just the right amount of detail. It's a strip you can fall in love with, much like Calvin & Hobbes. The way the various dogs think and act like dogs while still being cynical, English-speaking characters is hilarious.
Bring us more books!

pooch cafe is by far the funniest comic i have even read. its better than garfield and calvin&hobbes

I was glued to the book, reading it from beginning to end in one hilarious sitting. Poncho and friends diabolical plans to rid his house of the evil cat invaders were hysterical! Paul Gilligan needs to write another Pooch Cafe book!! We need more...MORE!

Poncho is a dog's dog. He daydreams of meat, stuffs himself with kibble, and hangs out at the Pooch Cafe where dogs can be dogs and "cat" is a four-letter word. (Plus, he loves Jackie Chan and hates mushrooms -- a dog after my own heart!) I had never read the Pooch Cafe comics before purchasing this book, but was attracted by the subject matter and the artwork, which is both cool and quirky. The humor is subtle and smart. Whatever you're a dog person, a fan of comics, or both, Paul Gilligan has produced a very stylish work that is worth adding to your collection.

Actually, I'm not sure what kind of pooch Poncho is but he is without a doubt the greatest cartoon character since Calvin.

This book is loaded with great writing, unique art and the funniest punchlines since Larson.

Grab this collection -- it's a winner!

This manga trilogy contained in one volume chronicles relationships between humans and genetically engineered people called Unicorns. In the title story, Regg lost his great love Addy in a tragic avalanche on a distant planet, so when her replacement clone arrives on the research station, he is conflicted because this Addy does not have the memories of the woman he loved, and yet he still loves her. In "4/4 (Quatre-Quarts)", young Mori is flunking out of the ESP training program until he meets the mysterious Unicorn girl called Trill. He's drawn to her, but she affects his powers, making them erratic and dangerous. When Mori discovers the secret Trill's guardian is hiding, he finds himself at a crossroads that could destroy his relationship with Trill. "X + Y" takes place years after "4/4" and finds Mori much older and working as a scientist. He meets another Unicorn named Tacto, and is quickly attracted to the young man, but uncomfortable with the notion of same-sex relationships. As the two young men puzzle out their own relationship and find ways to work together as scientists, they also unravel Tacto's hidden history. "A, A¹" is a fantastic romance manga that explores some intriguing questions about love, gender, and sexuality.

This manga is the best I've read in a while! The stories are unforgettable, and I highly recommend this manga to everyone who loves love stories. This is not a waste of money, and this is coming from someone who is quite careful on what she buys. BUY THIS NOW!! =D!

While most manga, even if you buy a 500 page perfect collection, is read and tossed in about 10 minutes, this is quite different. Of course this doesn't take any longer to read, it's just that the stories within touch a nerve and stay in your head for quite some time. The art and the writing are both equally beautiful. So instead of throwing money away on the next volume of Inu Yasha and forgetting about it 5 minutes later, try this. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

Moto Hagio is one of the "HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI", literally, the "Magnificent Twenty-Four-Year Group". "Twenty-Four Year" refers to Showa 24--1949. These women revolutionized shoujo manga in Japan and raised it to the level of a literary genre. As such, it certainly is fair to call Moto Hagio one of the greatest shoujo manga artists of Japan ever to live.

A, A' is the sole work by one of the HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI to still be commerically available in English translation. It is a mature, insightful collection of 4 tales all unified by the presence of a member of a genetically-engineered race of variant human beings called "Unicorns", who all possess a sheaf of red hair and an inability to express the emotions that they feel. Even Unicorns can experience the love of another...but can they learn to love themselves...?

Hagio's storytelling is brilliant and beautiful, a masterpiece of rare intensity worthy of any reader's bookshelf. However, the reader should have an open mind. The HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI are also renowned for their treatment of sexual ambiguity and male-male romance. This proclivity is clear in A, A'; still, I firmly believe that it is in good taste and treated with appropriate delicacy and understanding. There is nothing graphic in A, A'...only four emotionally powerful and majestic stories that will surely enrich the hearts and minds of any who take the time to partake of them. A, A' will move it's readers to laughter and tears.

I cannot recommend Moto Hagio's work highly enough. Please, if you are a person who likes great literature or good manga, give A, A' a try.

A, A Prime is a trilogy of short stories that are sci-fi and yet shoujo in nature. This is not kiddie fare though as mature themes like homosexuality come into play. In the first story, "A, A Prime", a young woman named Addy is killed on duty as a researcher in outer space. A clone of herself is sent to take her place. Generated from Addy's own cells and implanted with her memories, is this Addy truly Addy? Addy's lover Regg wonders. The second story, "4/4 [Quatre-Quarts]", is about a teenage boy named Mori. Mori can't seem to control his psychic abilities. That is, until he meets a beautiful girl named Trill. With Trill, Mori's powers are not only controllable, but amplified beyond comprehension. But Trill is not even human. The third story, "X+Y", features a young man named Tacto. Tacto has always been a guy, until a medical examination reveals that he has pre-developed female reproductive organs inside his body. But that can't be, can it? After all, medical records from his childhood all say that he's male. Besides, he's already got a girl he's interested in...

Although the three stories are separate, the premises in which they take place are the same. It is the future, and traversing from one planet to another is as simple as going abroad. Ms. Moto Hagio places another common denominator -- the Unicorn race. Unicorns look like humans, but they have a distinctive strip of red hair (their mane) in the middle of their heads. Unicorns were originally developed to handle computers, thus they were created without emotions to prevent errors. But as you'll see in the trilogy, Unicorns aren't as unfeeling as they are widely perceived to be. A, A Prime is a unique manga experience -- a truly seamless union of sci-fi and shoujo elements. A good grasp of scientific principles is evident in the way the stories are written. At the same time, A, A Prime manages to be emotionally charged. Ms. Hagio pulls off quite a feat, and she pushes it to the limit. The art is good, albeit quite different from what most of us are used to. No cutesy stuff here. Be warned that A, A Prime contains some homosexual themes. Not to worry, it's all tackled in a very tasteful manner, which is another positive point.

Gosh! Am I the only one who gets it? Quimby is not about a mouse. Well, OK, there's alot of micey stuff here- but it is just subterfuge; distraction; sleight of (virtuosic) hand! This is a poignant work of genius- concealing a deeply emotional event- the death of Chris' grandmother. ASTONISHING! Thank you, CW. You 'n' me.

Chris Ware demuestra como ningún otro autor, las posibilidades únicas del noveno arte en esta recopilación de comics del Ratón Quimby y su amigo Sparky. Un libro que no puede faltar en ninguna biblioteca de comics.

This book showcases works mainly published in the author's college newspaper, and as he points out with humor and apologies in tiny print, are mainly a request of his publisher after the success of "Jimmy Corrigan". The scenes in his comics are each different, each experimental in a way. And if you take the time (and I highly suggest you do) to read all the fine print scattered throughout the book, you will find that he drops the shield of humor and sarcasm in parts, to tell an autobiographical account of his life at the time he was creating the "Quimby" strips. After reading this, it is apparent that all of them carry a deep personal meaning for the author, and even without that knowledge - they would be fantastic. With it though, they are heartbreaking, thoughtful, and amusing - more often all three at the same time. Chris Ware has an amazing gift.

Nice layout and lettering almost makes up for the unfunny mouse cartoons and the miniscule text of the "confessional" autobiographical ramblings of this "genius". Gorgeous colors. Exquisite cover. Some of the pages have been "defaced". Mrs. Knoll thinks this book is "Beautiful". You will too. Bravo, Mr. Ware, bravo. 5 stars.

Quimby the mouse is very very good; better than any of the pretentious little comics that Fantagraphics calls "the best..blah blah blah..works of art...blah...of the century!" Honestly, most of them aren't better than the Marvel and DC comics that they facetiously mock (I'd much rather meet Batman than David Boring).

I am not going to tell you it's "the best thing I've read all year (!)" or "true brilliance (!)" like some excited putzy twerp who thinks they've found a niche for themselves in comics ("Oh why don't I fit in anywhere! woe is me! nobody understand my art pain!")

It's just good. Very good. That's all. Quit reading.

All of these long revues are worthless. look at the stars, go with the gut.

I enjoyed this sequel even more than the original. The clean style of illustrations, combined with wit and wisdom, make these book(s) enjoyable and rewarding for children as well as adults.

Yipee-Ki-Yay, Stephen Sheinkin and Rabbi Harvey.

No need to have read the first book (also superb) to understand this one, which teaches lessons without being heavy handed. Kids and grown ups of all religions will love these funny, intelligent stories that show how Rabbi Harvey gets out of sticky situations using only his wits. I hope there are many more Rabbi Harvey books to come!

I really enjoyed the predecessor book, The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, so I was thrilled to see another installment. This is another unique-looking graphic novel, and it extends the dry, gentle wit of the original. The book is a series of detective stories, with the scuffling Rabbi Harvey, a kind of sagebrush Solomon, using only his wits to unmask frontier fraudsters and defeat outlaws. At the same time, it's replete with throw- away one liners right out of a Lower East Side deli. In Harvey's domain, the worst and best of human nature are on raw display as the assortment of sodbusters and merchants try to scratch out a living. But in the end, meh, nobody takes themselves too seriously.

A strange way of moonlighting - serving as both a Rabbi and a Sheriff and mixing both freely and skillfully, Rabbi Harvey is an intriguing character indeed. "Rabbi Harvey Rides Again: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Folktales Let Loose in the Wild West" is a compilation of tales following this Rabbi Sheriff as he dispenses both justice and Talmudic wisdom onto the other various characters he encounters in his travel. A deftly mixed graphic novel consisting of the ingredients of old world religion, American and Jewish Folktales, and witty creativity, "Rabbi Harvey Rides Again: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Folktales" is highly recommended for community library graphic novel collections and for any reader who wants a bit of an offbeat blend.

In the revival of comics in recent years, there's nothing quite like Rabbi Harvey, which is why this black-suited, black-bearded, black-hatted rabbi has popped up occasionally in news stories across the U.S. about trends in faith and comic books (or, in this case, graphic novels).

Without firing a shot or turning to some exotic form of martial arts, Rabbi Harvey manages to tame his little corner of the Wild West. His non-violent style, relying only on his faith and his razor-sharp wits, holds the potential to help tame graphic novels as well. Perhaps other comic artists and writers will pick up this concept of a non-violent, spiritual hero and run even further with it.

Harvey is the creation of Steve Sheinkin, whose other professional pursuit is writing history textbooks for schoolchildren. As you might guess, Sheinkin's true passion in working on history texts is trying to provide students more of the fascinating bits of history that are left out of traditional textbooks.

In the case of the two Rabbi Harvey graphic novels, it's a little tough to sort out what's history and what's not. There were Jews in the Old West, but Rabbi Harvey himself is a fictional character. He's a creation of Sheinkin's fertile mind, but he's also acting out roles in traditional Jewish folk tales that span many centuries. (In fact, in the back of this first book, Sheinkin provides a suggested list for further reading in Jewish folklore. In the back of his sequel, knowing that readers are interested in these connections, he expands this appendix and explains in greater detail where the original patterns of these stories emerged.)

Each book has about 120 pages of comics (a few more in Volume 2). The comics are black-and-white drawings, colored in a limited pallet of beige, gold and brown that suggests antique images from many years ago.

In this second volume, "Big Milt," the most popular bad guy from the first book returns. This time, Harvey's got an even more devious way of ensnaring Big Milt in his own evil ways to disarm him before someone gets killed. But the big news is the introduction of Abigail, a smart, tough pioneer woman who quickly catches Harvey's eye.

Should you start with Volume 1? The answer is: You could. But this is developing into a great saga. Sheinkin already is planning Volume 3 and I hope we'll read many more over the years! So, if you haven't read Volume 1, buy them both. Amazon makes it easy. And, stay tuned for Volume 3, when rumor has it that Harvey and Abigail will see a lot more of each other.

I won't lie--Kodachi, Ranma-chan, and Shampoo are my favorite characters. Now, while Shampoo doesn't show up in this volume, the other two do. Seeing Ranma try to be both Romeo and Juliet is hilarious! And Akane and Ranma-kun (as well as Ranma-chan and Kuno) finally kiss, but there is a misconception...Finally, everyone's favorite martial arts rhythmic gymnast comes back, and she has a whole bunch of surprises just waiting for Ranma!

Don't miss this book! The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is cause I don't care for the Romeo and Juliet half of the book, but it might be your thing!

Yay!^^ A Romeo and Juliet play happens in Ranma! *thinks those seem to happen in every series*....But it is REALLY GOOD! Also, Gosunkugi is back in it, and so is Kodachi! Yup, this is another great Ranma 1/2 Volume! Ranma 1/2 Volume 7 rocks, and I highly reccomend it!

I think for all manga lovers this is an amazing book and is none stop funny. is a must read.
the story runs something like this.....ranma( the main character) when he gets splashed with water well POOF he's a girl big problem eh(yes i'm CANADIAN)and 2 make matters worse he needs to marry a girl that he absolutly hates.but thats all i'll tell you for now so if you want to find out what happeneds well your gonna need to go buy it .definitly worth it
Probably not recomended for younger childen( when ranma is a girl he runs around topless,and YES it does show)
DEFINITLY worth every penny you spend on it .
it'll keep you laughing throught he whole thing.
"hope this helped"
from a true fan mewme(yes it's my nick-name and yes it's strange.)

Martial-arts comedy "Ranma 1/2" is not something you really associate with Shakespeare. But that is just one of the problems that Rumiko Takahashi's sex-switching hero has to deal with in the seventh volume of "Ranma 1/2" -- there's also girl's locker rooms and some lethal cooking.

Ever since Akane was little, she has wanted to play Juliet in the school play (especially since she was always cast as Romeo). Now at last, she will. Problem is, there are too many Romeos: crazy Kuno, lecherous Happosai, stalkerlike Gosunkugi, and even Ranma himself.... once he learns that the prize is a trip to China. Even worse, Akane's father takes it upon himself to make sure that "Romeo and Juliet" finally kiss....

In the next story, Ranma learns that Ryoga has a map to a Japanese "spring of drowned man" -- which will make both of them normal again. Problem is, it's under the girls' locker room, which has been painstakingly booby-trapped in order to snare Happosai. And Ranma and Ryoga, being male, are not exactly welcome....

Finally, Kodachi decides to depart her exclusive girls' school so she can take some cookies to "darling Ranma." Unfortunately for Ranma, he gets photographed in a rather suggestive position with Kodachi -- and soon she's spreading the photographs far and wide. Now Ranma will have to get the negative, and try to avoid Akane's jealousy over Kodachi.

Poor Ranma has a tough time: he gets poisoned, blackmailed, drenched, drunk, punched and trampled, humiliated in an ultra-tight spandex thong, and (almost) kisses Kuno. In other words, it's more or less an ordinary week for poor Ranma, who seems to have a disproportionate number of nutty people around him.

And these three stories show the surreal scenarios that Takahashi can concoct -- especially the dueling Romeos and the Kuno estate, where Kodachi keeps her pet alligator. The middle story of the three is a bit stretched out, with Ranma's fruitless efforts to get into the locker room, but the first and third are pure gold.

And in this volume, despite their constant fighting, Ranma and Akane do demonstrate how they care for each other. Not only do they (almost) kiss, with Ranma being flustered and disgruntled that it wasn't the real thing, but he voluntarily eats Akane's cookies just to make her feel better. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is.

Romance, cookies and tiny pervs are only a few of the comic sources in the seventh "Ranma 1/2" volume. "You ashked for it, Romeo...."

It is a typical day at school, but Akanes being asked to be Juliet in the school play. Who will get the roll of Romeo? Kuno, Ranma, Happosi the perv, or Gosunkugi. Will any of them ever learn what the play really is about?

Ryoga gets a map of the lost Jusenkyo. Ranma & Ryoga have to work together in order to reach their goal under the girls locker room....

This is a great twisted manga story that left me laughing and gawking for hours 8D

My first experience with zombie cartoons and i am totally blown away. The story is so cute and I can see it actually happening, The artwork is fantastic and I simply must have more.... common Fingerman, write another...

I held off on buying Recess Pieces because the idea of little kids and zombies seemed a bit whacked out. Well, now that I have the book, I can confirm it IS whacked out. And oh, how gloriously whacked out it is!
I cannot highly recommend this graphic novel enough. Bob Fingerman knows how to blend the innocence and agonizing pain of childhood with the grim brutality of the dead coming back to life in a concoction that is wickedly tasty and grim while keeping the laughs coming at a breakneck pace.
To compare this to any of the other zombie graphic novels I have read would not be fair. This is simply different than all the rest. If I was forced to put it side by side with "The Walking Dead" and the like, I could only say that there is definitely room for the likes of this and TWD on the same shelf, while many of the other brooding "adult" tales of undead apocalypse would get honorable mention. This would be one of the first works I would recommend to a newcomer to the realm of zombie fiction.
The basic premise is a grade school taken over by zombies after a science experiment goes bad. The adults all turn, as do the older kids, but most of the younger children are spared, though it is certain that they too can be munched on by the ravenous zombies that now roam the school halls.
This story certainly has motivated me to check out more of Fingerman's works, because if he displays even half of the wit and verve he had for this subject with his other stories, they will be well worth the investment.

Who'd think cute-as-a-button kids and glistening viscera would combine so nicely? A science lab experiment (that will run awry, needless to say) begins the book, as we then are introduced to the young, resourceful, and exceedingly smart-mouthed cast of "Recess Pieces." No detail of existence in the behavioral sink known as "school" goes unsatirized, from the institutional green-hued décor, prisonlike setup, power-struggles among the inmates and their keepers, absurdly out-of-it attempts by the latter to be hip.

The shambling flesh-munchers make their appearance slowly, Fingerman setting the scene, laying out characterizations. There's not a lazy line in this book, even minor background characters carefully individualized, and the painted art - for those more familiar with Fingerman's line drawings in this noted alternative comics creator's other books - is lushly rendered, as the earlier mention of "glistening viscera" hints.

Comedy abounds as well as thrills, the young 'uns attempting to arm themselves against the onslaught of the undead:

"...Safety scissors with rounded blade? Six-inch ruler?..."

"This crayon is pretty sharp..."

The man's got a way with dialogue, words both kid-like and urbanly wisecracking adding much to the goings-on. I'm reminded of the richly rolling dialogue by Paddy ("Marty") Chayefsky, yang to Mamet's spare yin.

Trapped in a room by zombies, the kids speak thus:

Wendy: "I don't know if I can do this."

Lisa: "We're just kids."

Bobby: "Just kids? Just kids? Grownups think we're sweetness and innocence, but we know better, don't we? We're pure id, untamed and unfettered by conscience. We're petty and cruel. Let's use that to our advantage."

Crisp wit, characters you care about, juicy, top-of-the-line art, and zombies...what's not to like?

The answer is, oddly enough, yes. Bob Fingerman captures the dynamic of school yard interactions to great effect. The characterization of the children is in the vein of Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes... they are ruthlessly witty and innocent at the same time. Insightful commentaries on childhood, genre clichés and the inadequacies of the public school system are peppered throughout the narrative, but never feel forced or preachy. Not to worry, though, there are plenty of gory and horrific scenes of dismembered bodies being devoured by newly minted ghouls to satisfy any zombie fan. If that wasn't enough, it's all drawn in a lush, full color style that is reminiscent of his work on the Minimum Wage covers but with a lighter, more nimble line that indicates further mastery of his craft. It's a great read that I can't recommend highly enough. I hope that there are further adventures in the works...

unbelievable! Bob F. is one of the best draftsmen on earth,and his tale
of adorable kids covered in shiny, spilled guts.... is second to none.

seriously,if you like comics,especially by people who can really draw and paint
their cajones off...you need Recess Pieces! It's funny,nasty,and insanely gorgeous to
gaze at...and! This is a nice ,thin little hardback you can slap into your backpack and take with you on a trip..like I'm(seriously) doing in a few minutes.

peace.

The perfect combination of brilliant drawing and a great sense of humor.
This one surpassed my expectations and will be severely thumbed through on a regular basis.

Richard Thompson's collection of cartoons from the Washington Post are great! It's really first rate cartooning and writing... please check it out.

Thompson's art style has such a fun and spontaneous look, you just can't help but be tickled by it. Combined with his smart and whimsical sense of humor, this book packed full of his cartoons is a real gem. I'd be hard pressed to categorize "Richard's Poor Almanac", but that's what's so great about it. It's such a marvelously idiosyncratic creation, that it's in a class all by itself.

I highly recommend this book.

This has to be Richard Thompson's WORST ALBUM! For one thing, there's no singing! Maybe it's someone else trying to cash in on Thompson's fame, but at least he should sing something, even "It's a Small World" or "Hava Na-Gilah", at least...

At last! A great collection of masterpieces! Richard is a true genius and the artwork shines. A treasured book!