Comic Books Books

The third Maison Ikkoku graphic novel is good, as they all are. It has the first climactic multiple chapter story. A little complaint I have is that Nikaido, not to be introduced until the eighth graphic novel, is on the cover.

THE BLACK WIDOW'S BITE
A friend gets Kyoko thinking about remarriage. Kozue visits Maison Ikkoku and jealousy will erupt from Kyoko. And on her way to see Shun for their date, she sees him hugging another woman.
MY NOTES
Kyoko's gotten jealous before, but none so much as this.

CATCH OF THE DAY
Mitaka convinces Kyoko's mom him and Kyoko are dating, much to Mrs. Chigusa's (Kyoko's mom's) enjoyment. Meanwhile Godai goes out drinking with Mr. Chigusa.
MY NOTES
Kyoko's still mad at Yusaku, yet doesn't seem to be at the end of this chapter, but is again in the next chapter. WHOOPS!

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
Kyoko believes Godai's acting so down is because of her giving him the cold shoulder, when really all he wants is food!
MY NOTES
Pretty funny. Kyoko cools off.

SOICHIRO TURNS AROUND
Mr. Soichiro (the dog, not the dead husband) gets lost.
MY NOTES
Though the chapter title may imply it, you don't get to see Soichiro's face (it's a pun on a different story element).

A BUNCH OF MUGS
Due a mix up, the Ikkoku tenants believe Godai is paying for their drinks at a pub he's working at.
MY NOTES
A great chapter. Contains a hilarious `Kyoko Drunk' scene.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
The gang goes to a festival, only to get separated by a large crowd.
MY NOTES
Finally Yotsuya's peeping pays off!

MEMORIES OF YOU
The other tenants get Godai to thinking Kozue wants to... DO IT... with him...
MY NOTES
Some of it's OK. The thing that makes me love this chapter (or at least this page) is a hilarious `DO IT' note Godai writes.

THE INCEDENT
A misunderstanding causes Godai to move out of Ikkoku!
MY NOTES
A pretty good chapter. For some reason I like this chapter but I can't seem to find any highlights.

A SMALL SPACE
A girl that works at a massage parlor and her Yakuza husband occupy, unknown to Godai, his new apartment!
MY NOTES
The Yakuza husband and Godai's arguments are pretty funny.

RECIPE FOR MISUNDERSTANDINGS
Godai learns the truth behind the misunderstanding, while Kyoko's led to believe that Godai moved out just to live with a girl.
MY NOTES
A funny scene where Godai runs into Mr. Yotsuya, and the rest is pretty good.

THE LIGHT IN ROOM FIVE
Not knowing the truth, Kyoko tells Godai that all the empty rooms at Ikkoku have been occupied. Of course, she then finds out the truth!
MY NOTES
Godai really should have known better than to trust a drunk Yotsuya to tell Kyoko some information.

DOWN THE HOME STRETCH
Godai moves out of his new apartment after the other occupants pawn all his stuff, and stays with Sakamoto.
MY NOTES
One could call it a `moment' Godai and Kyoko have at the end of this chapter, but I wouldn't consider crying like children a `moment.' Also, this is the end of this storyline.

Maison Ikkoku is not a manga to read in the presence of anyone, or even if someone can just hear you, because you will look like a fool laughing so hard.

Ah...life at Maison Ikkoku is never easy. Misunderstandings occur with alarming frequency, the neighbors go out of their way to make trouble for each other, and the gossip is worse than the tabloids. Kyoko gets huffy when she sees Yusaku and Mitaka each clinging to another woman (for perfectly innnocent and understandable reasons), but like Akane and Lum and Shinobu, she refuses to listen to those reasons. Then when Yusaku tries to break it off with Kozue, he can't find the nerve, which is sure to cause problems in the future (in this series, every little mishap causes problems). Kyoko takes a trip down memory lane while her mother tries once again to get her daughter to leave MAison Ikkoku, and Yusaku moves out. But he gets more than he bargained for when he moves into his new apartment, and before long, Maison Ikkoku seems like heaven...

Yet another wonderful volume of Maison Ikkoku. In this volume Mr. Soichiro comes up missing, and the entire Maison Ikkoku gang go out to look for him. This is a very sweet story because we get to see a flashback and find out why the dog has the same name as Kyoko's deceased husband. There is one picture of a weeping Kyoko that will break your heart. The main attraction of this book is when Godai moves out because of a misunderstanding. Godai moves into another apartment with an attractive woman who works at a massage parlor and her husband who looks like a member of the Yakuza. Good stuff. Maison Ikkoku In my humble opinion the best manga series there is. kono manga o yonde kudasai.

The zany romance of irresponsible college student Yusaku Godai and manager widow Kyoko Otonashi continues in this fabulous book three! Everything seems to be in the way of Yusaku getting close to his appartment manager, Kyoko Otonashi. Especially his fellow tenants (who are drunkards and kooks who love to ruin everything in Yusaku's life), and Kyoko's tennis coach Shun Mitaka(the handsome, ladies' man with the sparkling smile and nice car), who has plans to win Kyoko for himself! Now Yusaku hears from his fellow tenants that Kyoko is engaged to Mitaka! He gives up his persuit of her and moves out of Maison Ikkoku. How will he ever win Kyoko's love now? Very interesting, frustratingly funny and the best humourous manga I've ever read. Maison Ikkou is action-packed for your funny bone!

"Home Sweet Home", Volume 3 of the international masterpiece of romantic comedy, "Maison Ikkoku", continues the great comedy and touching romance seen in the previous volumes and steps things up a notch. This is a uniquely Japanese story, but it is universal in its appeal.

Maison Ikkoku is a run down apartment building in Tokyo. Living there is struggling and wishy-washy college student Yusaku Godai, who has fallen head over heels in love with the beautiful, young manager of the building, Kyoko Otonashi. Kyoko has some feelings towards Godai, but she is a widow, and still is not over the death of her beloved husband, Soichiro.

Complicating matters between the two are rich, suave and handsome tennis coach Shun Mitaka, Godai's rival for Kyoko; and Kozue Nanao, a sweet, cute, and naive girl, who accidently has become Godai's platonic girlfriend. Kozue is clueless that Godai is in love with Kyoko.

But the crowning touch is the 3 other residents of the apartment building: hard drinking, hard partying and hard gossiping Mrs. Ichinose, who lives with her young son Kentaro; Akemi Roppongi, a sexy party animal who is the bar hostess at local hangout ChaChaMaru, and who wears her see-through negligee around the building; and then there's the mysterious Yotsuya, who gets his kicks out of peeping, and breaking through Godai's wall so that he can mooch food from Godai. These characters would be at home in "A Confederacy of Dunces".

All 3 regard Godai as their personal toy, and they get their kicks from teasing him and holding their drinking parties in his room. They've also discovered that Kyoko is fun to tease as well.

Things get kicked up a notch in the emotion department in Volume 3, which contains 12 parts. Kyoko Otonashi, is sweet, kind, caring, generous and beautiful. Volume 3 shows that Kyoko has her own flaws: jealousy and a significant temper. Her temper and jealousy have made brief appearances in the first two volumes, but they shine in this volume.

A visit with a married classmate who has a child causes Kyoko to have her first thoughts about remarriage. However, she is quickly aggravated by the men in her life; Godai for his continuing indecisive relationship with Kozue, Mitaka for a compromising position she observes the dog phobic coach in. Kyoko's Mother meets Coach Mitaka and highly approves of him as a match for her daughter. It's not good for Godai that she can never remember his name. Godai also really meets up for the first time with Kyoko's Father.

Kyoko's dog, Mr. Soichiro gets lost; we discover why this dog shares the same name as Kyoko's late husband, and Kyoko sees Godai in a new light. Godai's college buddy Sakamoto crashes at Godai's place, while they work a temp job nearby. If you ever wondered how Kyoko acts when drunk, now's your chance. It's festival time, with the whole gang going to the fest, while Kyoko & Mitaka, and Godai & Kozue get some semi-private time. Platonic Kozue tells Godai she wants "Something to remember this summer by." Does that mean she wants to "do IT?"

This volume ends with a 5 part story arc. Wedding talk between Kyoko and Mitaka causes Godai to leave Maison Ikkoku, moving into an apartment in which the previous tenants, a woman who works in a massage parlor, and her gangster, gambler husband have not yet moved out. Confusion and misunderstandings abound, and a bad situation gets worse and worse for Godai.

This volume shows off Kyoko's temper and jealousy, but also gives the first good look at her feelings for Godai. Japanese culture abounds in this issue. We get to see a fair bit of Pachinko. A scene with Kyoko carry lots of canned food home shows that she was able to convert her Pachinko winnings into the canned food. The Lantern festival scenes show off some of the games, dancing and clothing which is common at these events. The yukata, a cotton summer kimono, also gets a nice showing as well.

The best of the volumes so far in this series, it manages to mix comedy, drama and romance to perfection. "Maison Ikkoku" tells a great story and just keeps getting better.

very addictive series, this book is another great volume. Cant wait till vol. 5.

After what Azusa did to Hatsumi, you'd think she'd hate him, but somehow, she just can't. Ryoki however, doesn't seem to have this problem.

Something happens to make everyone in the complex ignore Hatsumi's family. Fortunately, Ryoki has a plan to endear the Naritas to his mother . . . And is Hatsumi finally starting to fall for Ryoki?

Also, Akane confesses her love to Subaru, but how will this Otaku nerd react?

This is a great volume. The shock of volume 3 is over, but the aftershock is just as engrossing. If you loved the previous books, you'll love this one too.

Hot Gimmick..A VERY addictive and excellent series.I loved it since the 1st volume and screamed when I saw this out in stores...I just love Subaru,hehe.You have to read it!It's so sweet^__^

I fell at the beginning that some of the characters are twisted in this story.

Yet, that's what make them so unique and original. The characters in this manga will left strong impression on you.

Hatsumi, the main character is a kind hearted girl but also a pushover girl who cant stand up and got tongue tied in nasty situation. So, when her long time no see childhood neighboor Ryoki showed up his nose and start bullying her, she cant do anything but abide by his rule. He makes her his slave and order her around as he holds his power over her (a secret-- he saw Hatsumi purchased a home pregnancy test for her little sister who's still in Junior High School). Threatened by Ryoki Tachibana promised to tell his mom--Mrs. Tachibana (who is by the way holds position like the Queen of the employee complex where they all living because her husband is a director), Hatsumi can only agree to be his slave, cause she didn't want her family get in trouble with the Tachibana family.

To complicate things, there are many other people that involve in this twisted but exciting story line.
Atsuza, Hatsumi childhood friend come into the picture and try to rescue Hatsumi from the evil Ryoki, he act so kind that Hatsumi cant help but falling in like with atsuza who also is a model. But to make matter worse, atsuza aliby in doing those stuff is because he has a plot of revenge against Hatsumis's father due to somehting that happen in the past.

While plotting to do something bad to her (try to gang up some his model friends to rape Hatsumi), Ryoki comes to the resue. It seemed that Ryoki slowly turn to be in love with Hatsumi after all. Hatsumi fell all overwhelmed with all that happening in her life and confused with the sudden change in treatment that she received from Ryoki.

So, do u think that their romace (Ryoki and Hatsumi) works out in the end?
I think you should find out for yourself cause I've spilled too much juicy information alreasy (*wink* *wink* ;) )

A confrontation with Azusa after the revelations of his mother's affair (and the attempted gang rape of Hatsumi) leaves Hatsumi with mixed feelings about him. She struggles with the residual feelings of love for him even as Ryoki still persists in his attempt to make her his girlfriend, despite her refusal. Suddenly the whole complex is ignoring the Narita family as well, and Hatsumi thinks it's because she refused Ryoki. At first she decides to submit to him to smooth everything over, but he has a different idea in mind and asks Shinogu, Hatsumi's older brother, to be his private tutor. He doesn't really need it, he is just looking for any excuse to be closer to Hatsumi and to resolve her family being ostracized. Suddenly her feelings about him are becoming, well, less defined as hatred and nearer to something approaching love, but her brother has too much concern over this sudden development in her attitude... and on top over all of that Akane, Hatsumi's younger sister, is trying to cope with her feelings of love for Subaru... It's just one confusing romance after another.

Read this manga... I am not kidding you. The plot is wonderful, the art is wonderful, it is just what you are looking for if you crave a good Shojo manga.

Well first of all I really did like the entire series. I read it till the end. I will not give it away for anyone else reviewing these comments, anyway. I love the series and I got the final manga volume like last week. It is worth all the money I spent -_-; anyway please note this is a manga meant for older teens. But to those who feel bad about that there is going to be a novel version that comes out in Feb.2007 that favors more Shinogu. It will be calling it Hot Gimmick S. and they are thinking of making a Azusa version too.

This was a great issue with an ending I did not expect. I can't wait for Volume 12 to come out!

I have been reading this series from the beginning. It has several unexpected twists! Hatsumi is a quiet teen who ends up in a "relationship" with Ryoki, who seems to be a jackass. As the volumes progress it begins to seem as though he really might care for Hatsumi but then there are two other guys that could be her main squeeze too! Even by the end of volume of 11 you just aren't sure who will get the girl. Though it looks like it might be Ryoki my vote is for Shinogu OR Azusa(I don't think he is really as bad as he wants you to believe!)

I can't wait for vol. 12 to find out if she really goes running back to Ryoki!

Hot Gimmick is my #1 manga and I have been a faithful fan to it from the first volume. The story is so exciting and the characters are so beautiful.

I like Shinogu much more than Ryoki and I kinda hoped that Hatsumi will end up with him instead of Ryoki but it seems that it is not going to end up this way. But hey, did Hatsumi really slept with Shinogu? It is so scandalous and juicy :D. Shinogu is so hot and if I were in Hatsumi's place, I would have gone for him.

I am so looking forward to have volume 12, but I cannot hold my horses here :D. What is going to happen? I think it is going to be the last volume of Hot Gimmick, which is a total dismay to me and to Hot Gimmick's fans :(.

Miki Aihara brought us a wonderful manga and I don't think that you can find a better manga out there. Her other manga "Tokyo Boys & Girls" is good but not as much as Hot Gimmick.

Recommended for fans of Miki Aihara

I have been a faithful fan ever since Hot Gimmick first started coming out! In the 11th graphic novel Ryoki and Hatsumi had just broken up and Hatsumi's ADOPTED (and totally hot) brother Shinogu wants Hatsumi to see him as a man and not just her brother. This series keeps on ketting better and better and more intense.

You've got to read the whole series bcause I know you'll love it!

PS: Root for Akane and Subaru!

Agnes greets me each and every day (she's on my toolbar)...what better way to share with my friends, then to get them a set of this special collection of the heart warming and fun adventures of Agnes and Trout and all the life's lessons they impart on us. Do yourself a favor...make this your coffee table book...your guests will thank you!

Tony Cochran has his finger on the pulse of his heroine. He is witty, sardonic, wise and hilarious. In fact, I think he has a camera pointed at a friend, who I was sure had a unique personality. Now I find that the author knows her too. Agnes is charming and frustrating at the same time. Her view of life never wavers, unless it suits her needs. Her friend, Trout, has a hard row to hoe, but she is faithful to their friendship in spite of it all. Her comments always bring things back into focus. I find myself nodding my head and laughing at each page.

The second book of collections from the comic strip by Tony Cochran is just as brilliant as the last. I love his characters, especaily Agnes - a spunky young girl who makes best she can by using her resorces of wit and sarcasm. The best part of the comic is the writing. Sharp, realistic, and fun. Can by enjoyed by all ages.

I bought this one never having read a single Agnes cartoon before, just because I liked her pointy little toes and frizzy hair...she just had to be wonderful. I was right. Agnes is smart and funny and kooky and this book is refreshing enough to read a second and third time.

Agnes: I Have Tampered With The Divine Plan is cutting-edge humor in the form of an Agnes comic strip collection. Agnes is a young girl with a name far older than she is; she is given to deep thoughts and lengthy ramblings, when she is not gluing Froot Loops on hats, or practicing a dance number in a vain attempt to impress a teacher asking her to multiply 14 x 13. As a strip, Agnes is a much-needed antidote to overly warm and fuzzy scenarios flooding the newspapers, as its young heroine does not enjoy the security of many of her comic strip peers - she lives in a trailer with her elderly grandmother, who tries to stretch diminutive family funds and enrich quality of life through culinary creations a la spam. Agnes' personal poverty, not to mention her biting insight into the world around her, limits her friends circle of friends to one person: the tomboyish Trout, named after one of her father's favorite hobbies (she was only a few numbers away from being named "Powerball"). Together, this duo of unlikely girlfriends produce a dynamic reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes, particularly when one contrasts Agnes' contemplative albeit self-absorbed musings to Trout's more practical and simple realism-based approach to life. Yet Agnes is a unique formula all its own, one in which the quest for self-identity, rather than rampant misbehavior, is the central tenet of the main character's personal struggles. And it's sidesplitting, milk-snorting, feel-sorry-for-the-goldfish-drowned-in-tomato-sauce-but-can't-help- laughing-about-it funny. Highly recommended.

I have been hooked by this manhwa author. She is the most intriqeing author I know. Nothing she puts on paper or in picture is boring...ever...I love I.N.V.U. and I am so excited that book four is finally making it past the red tape and being published in September. The Queen's Knight is another series she writes and it is almost completely out in Germany...up to book 15. What a great series! Hot men, drama, humor, mystery, beauty, fantasy..it's all there!

This is an incredible manga. I really love the art & style of Kim Kang Won. She has finished Queen's Knight & has restarted the series. I hope that it makes it's target date of September '07 for US release. It looks like it has already been released in Italy...

I adore this shojo manga, with it's beautiful art, interesting plotlines, and loveable (not to mention very cute!) characters. Unforunately, the manga artist who created this title has put it on hiatus while she works on other projects. Volume 4 won't be coming out until the artist returns to this series. (Which she said she will eventually, but no idea when.) So while this series is extremely addicting, it's going to leave a bad taste in your mouth when you realize the cliffhanger is going to be there a long, long time.

I absolutely love this series with all of its twists and turns. However, with this volume as a cliffhanger, I cannot wait till the next one comes out. However, it has been so long that I doubt they will release volume 4. It's a little annoying, too, because this is the kind of series where you truly need to know what happens.

I.N.V.U. was the first Korean manhwa I ever read, and despite my initial difficulty with the -new to me!- Korean names in vol.1, I enjoyed all three volumes immensely, and I'm looking forward to vol.4, whenever it comes out! I.N.V.U. has real characters that could be living down the road, even if some of them seem to be constantly dealing with extreme situations. They are the kind of characters you get to care about and want to see what happens to them next. Some of them are so easy to identify with, although its been a long time since I left school! I like the way we get a glimpse of the inside world and the psychology of this particular sample of modern Korean schoolgirls, their everyday life and problems. The style is very similar to Japanese manga -and having read so many manga in my life that I can't even count them, I found I.N.V.U. both comfortably familiar and pleasantly refreshing. Thanks and congratulations to Tokyopop for taking the initiative to introduce Korean manhwa in English -and the same goes for the other companies following it up. I can only wonder what happened to vol.4 of I.N.V.U. -it seems to be taking a long time to come out!

So refined. The art is gorgeous plus the story is intriguing. If you understand psychology and the way multiple personality disorder works than you will realize the author did their homework. Also and ofcourse if you are not into guys falling in love with guys than you will probably not enjoy this. I personally don't care who falls for who as long as the characters are emotionally engrossing and the story is able to hold my attention, this will. Volume II only gets better! It's so sexy, musically, erotically and subtly.

I've always loved Yaoi. Every chance I get, I browse any book store to find a new title or continue an old one. So naturally, when I saw this one, I jumped to it and started to read. The cover art is truly beautiful in itself, and the art inside was amazing and flowed rather well. The plot itself is a bit fast paced and I'm sure a few yaoi first-timers may be flipping back a few pages and skimming over once or twice, and the schizophrenic Riya can be a bit confusing to determine once you realize his major problem, but the drama, intensity, and character connections will indeed keep you hooked. I couldn't believe I had finished, but when I did, I immediately said, "I must buy volume 2!!!" An overall wonderful story (though hard to pronounce title), I give this book a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars! Recommended strongly for fanatics.

This title is FANTASTIC. The plot is MUCH deeper than what fans expect from YAOI, and is both artistic and intriguing. The artwork is WAAAAAAY above what YAOI fans are used to, with not only beautiful boys, but whole frames that can truly be called art. You WILL NOT regret adding this title to your collection.

I think it's very gorgeously drawn and I'm in love with it! D:

*bounce*
So cute.
So beautiful.
I highly reccomend it! :D ^__^

I'm not really into yaoi, but the storyline intrigued me to buy it. So I did and I read both volume one and two and must admit it's pretty good. But I've also realized that I do like yaoi. Maybe even more than my other manga. I can't wait for volume three!
~omega-rose

My youngest son was a big fan of Sherman's Lagoon, but I had never paid any attention until we got this volume. It was fantastic! We will be collecting all of the volumes.

I bought one collection to try, then wound up purchasing the entire published collection of Sherman Lagoon books for my 13 year old son who absolutely loves them. The setting is the ocean world, but all that transpires reflects the "real" world above. The humor is insightful, a bit cynical and the characters colorful. We're waiting for more....

The third book of Jim Toomey's (yes, aztecprincess, he IS darn sexy) hilarious strip "Sherman's Lagoon" shows no signs of waning or staleness. Few strips can achieve -- or surpass -- the surreality of Calvin and Hobbes, and this is one of those few. ("Liberty Meadows" is another, sadly not in books yet...)

It features doofus, perpetually human-hungry shark Sherman; irritable wife Megan (don't cross her if you value your life); Fillmore the nerdy and cultured sea turtle; Hawthorne the malicious and loudmouthed little hermit crab; and recurring character Ernest, sarcastic and geeky little fish.

Among the crazy adventures are: Bill Gates buys the island, Megan thinks she's pregnant, Fillmore actually gets a date (something is wrong, of course), the return of irritating Thornton the warm-weather polar bear, Hawthorne's annual shell-changing--and of course, lots of Sherman-chases-beach-apes-aka-humans and Hawthorne-pinches-beach-ape-toes!

The pop culture references in the isolated tropical island make a bizarre combo (Starbucks, for example) and the sight of a shark at a computer should theoretically be strained and overdone. However, given the colorful personalities and kooky situations at Kapupu Island, even sea boogers will find this entertaining in Toomey's skilled and skewed imagination!

It's not often that something this clean and inoffensive appeals to a bunch of South Park fans, but Sherman's Lagoon has done it. It has been impossible to keep my hands on since my friends have discovered it, and we really do keep pointing out, "Have you read THIS one?" This book is a keeper.

It must really BOGGLE the mind to think that such a handsome hunk like him could come up with such wacky, off-the-wall comedies under the sea! There's plenty of satire, parody, slapstick, lowbrow humor, and oooh...even a little risqueness to boot! (You just DON'T want to know WHERE the geeky Ernest holds his secret club!) Real sly, man.

Here in the third book, Sherman is his usual old man-eating self; Megan remains a shrewdish old missus; Fillmore continues to be your bookish cynic who just can't get a date; Hawthorne is still a stubborn and selfish old crab as usual; and the bespectacled Ernest is the very same computer-savvy nerd as ever before.

In other words, they are quite the same sea-dwelling characters we all know and love. Yet they are all caught up in the newest and silliest adventures - this time, in the show biz, the big romantic getaways, and the fishing contests. Why, they are even invaded by sea boogers, space dogs, and Bill Gates as well as a beached whale being talked out of a suicide and Megan getting PREGNANT!!! So just kick back and enjoy such a crazed fantasy world so lovingly conjured up by the Playgirl candidate!;)

This book is full of the funniest illustrations that will make anyone laugh and real wine appreciators fall out of their chairs!

Is this the book that Clos Du Bois winery commissioned some 10-15 yrs ago? It had such cartoon depictions as "This wine is immature" and " This wine is passed its prime" I enjoyed it so much, while having wine tasting parties, then someone "borrowed" it.

a must read for anyone who enjoys wine and espically those who like to talk about it. Great gift for the wine snob you know.

Is this the book that Searle illustrated some 10-15 years ago? I enjoyed sharing it with many winetasting friends. It contained such depictions as "this wine is passed its prime" or "This wine is very immature" I loaned to someone and never got it back. If this is the book, I want it!!!

A great book that is a must for "winelovers" with illustrations that only a crazy Englishman could think about in the wicked world of winetasting!

In the Empire's Service is one of those parts in the Rogue Squadron series that has healthy doses of action, camaraderie, suspense and a "feel" to it.

The stand alone stories have ended. It's time for Ms Isard to claim the Imperial throne, time for Rogue Squadron to show their flying skills, time for the performance to really kick in. Unlike other issues, this one has a genuine feel to it, where power and politics have some major characters decide the day.

The art is similar to Battleground:Tatooine, which I didn't think much of in that issue's review. Here, where you don't have Tatooine and Ryloth deserts to inhibit your artistry, the lush vista of Brentaal saves the day. Character faces just aren't rendered in enough detail, and at times the features in the frames just look a bit small in size.

That notwithstanding, Fel makes up in dialogue what his rendered art misses. A brilliant but loyal pilot straddled with a fool for a superior that's too-often semi-attired and looks quite like a roman emperor, you feel for him. The Rogue pilots don't miss out on their lines too, and a range of emotions are showed which help to convey the seriousness and delicacy of the mission.

Action is hot and intense, and even though Imperial politics is what allows the Alliance to take more and more of Brentaal, you can bet Fel's going to make them fight for it. This is war, and it reflects well in how the captions were chosen. A level in the N64 Rogue Squadron game was based on the last mission here, so it's fun to view it differently. The Telsij lady you briefly meet---and gasp at---from her sight in Mandatory Retirement is explained here.

Dendo is back, armed with his flashy cape and quick-finger trigger. New Rogues are featured to make up for attrition, and you'll like Koyi Komad's interaction with them. Her character, short as her appearances are, just shines out from the page.

Overall, the sketchy feel of the art had me rating this a star less, but In the Empire's Service is just too good to give any less. It has it all, what you could want, and certainly worthy lightening your purse a few Imperial credits less indeed.

This is another good and exciting comics. Finally i get to meet the legendary pilot of the Empire as well as the Star Wars universe - Baron Soontir Fel. He remained a mystery until now, and kept the comic alive and exciting in leading the remarkable 181st squadron.

In The Empire's Service is the sixth Rogue Squadron comic series, and it happens to be one of the, if not the, best. Taking place not long after the comic "Mara Jade: By The Emperor's Hand," this is the first title in the "Rise of Isard" story arc which will link all of the remaining comics in this series, and lead into the novel series. And it is just a great and classic story. No more of those stories where the Empire is thrown in only as a convoluted plot twist, where various rogues and scoundrels uncover secret caches of Imperial ships and weaponry. This is a straight up Alliance vs. Empire story. It's full of good art, good dialogue, a plethora of dogfights, and lots of humor.

In this story, Sate Pestage has basically assumed Palpatine's role at the head of the Empire, and is struggling to hold it while an alliance of various other high ranking Imperials (the "Cabal") is also seeking to gain control of the Empire. Enter Ysanne "Iceheart" Isard, who, while presumably advising both sides as to the best way to defeat the Rebels is actually expertly playing them off against each other. Taking her advice, Pestage vows to hold a wealthy Imperial world, which the rebels promptly start planning to liberate. Thus begins the power struggle between Pestage, the Cabal, and the Rebel Alliance on Brentaal.

As I've said, this comic has an awesome number of dogfights, and it introduces several new Rogues to make up for attrition in the last comic. In addition, it introduces Salm and his wing of Y-wings, as well as Imperial fighter legend Baron Fel and his feared 181st Fighter Group, which is basically the Imperial equivalent of Rogue Squadron. Also, Kapp Dendo and his SpecOps squad show up again. The art is nice and easy to follow, and the pilot chatter is good as always. Unfortunately, Baron Fel is somewhat stiff, starting as just a perfect superpilot, but he does evolve into a more human character by the end of the series. Also, why is Plourr still with the Rogues? Wasn't her return at the end of the previous comic just a very temporary reprieve from her duties on Eiattu?

Just as a note of interest, you'll notice that the main battle in this comic was adapted as one of the levels in the Rogue Squadron 3D game for PC and N64.

Overall, this is an excellent comic, one of the best Rogue Squadron stories out there. Definitely and highly recommended.

Stackpole takes over writing the series and immediately kicks it into high gear by throwing the Rogues right into the midst of the war. The Republic is beginning its campaign for Coruscant and starts by heading for the Core Worlds. In this case, the first step is Brentaal, the rich and influential Core world.

This arc is unique in that it gives both the Rebels and Imperials almost equal time. The faces of the Empire are many, and this arc shows a depth to it not acheived in anything else thus far. The scheming by Ysanne Isard is great, while you also see the varying faces of the Empire on Brentaal itself. Admiral Lon Isoto and Baron Soontir Fel are both Imperials, yet completely opposite characters. Isoto is an incompetant, vain, corrupt, lazy, and perhaps even slightly insane man, while Fel is a very smart, strong, moral, yet somewhat flawed figure. He is the greatest pilot in the Empire, and serves that Empire not because of who leads it, but because of simple loyalty to its people. As time goes on, it becomes more and more apparent to him that perhaps his view on things was flawed, and perhaps he need to rectify it. Along with Grand Admiral Thrawn, he is perhaps the best Imperial character to come out of the comics and novels.

The Rebels are interesting as well, and the Rogues are for the only time in the series at full strength. Balancing the stories of 12 pilots is not easy, but as events transpire some paths are split and some interconnect. Some, like Wedge, Tycho, Janson, Ibtisam, and Nrin, get more time, wheras ones like Dar Keyis and Standro are forced into the backdrop. But that's alright, for reason I won't get into lest I spoil things.

The art by Nadeau perfectly fits the whole 'war movie'-type feel of 'In the Empire's Service.' His technology and cityscapes are, as always, superb, and although his faces may be a little choppy at times, each person has his or her own face, which is very important with such a large cast. And David Nestelle's coloring prowess is once again demonstrated. Never slips, always consistent, always fitting the scene perfectly.

And who can forget the cliff-hanger last line of the series?

Bravo to the creators of 'In the Empire's Service'. They've produced one of the most insightful, well-written examples of 'Star Wars' ever published, and the series' lack of sales is truly shameful. Highly, highly reccomended work.

This is one of the greatest SW comics I have ever read.The Art and writing just meld in a perfect mixture. Stackpole's script is awsome, with its comedy, drama, and pain. The essentials of Star Wars are all here. The continuity between this and the X-Wing books is also nice, as this was the first four issue story arc in the 'Rise of Isard' arc of books, comprising a total of 12 issues. The plot is excellent, introducing what has become one of the most popular EU characters, Baron Soontir Fel. Nadau's pencils are great, with facial expressions and explosions all rendered realistically. Nestelle's colors are, as usual, are stunning. This is one book that belongs in all comic lovers and Star Wars maniacs Library's. 5/5.

Naraku has tricked the demon killer Sango into thinking that Inuyasha slaughtered her whole village and has even given her a Shikon shard to keep her battered and dying body alive long enough to satiate her revenge! Inuyasha and pals ARE at the demon hunter village, but not for the reason Naraku lied about. They have come seeking out the origin of the Sacred Jewel. They will find out the true story of its creation IF they can convince Sango that they're the good guys and girl of this story, and that Naraku is her family's and village's true killer!

What can I say about Inuyasha that I haven't said already? Tons! I came to the manga after watching all the anime episodes of Inuyasha up to its current releases, so going back to the beginning of the story is like rereading old history, but it's cool. It still galls me the extent to which Naraku has ruined so many people's lives, and really in the end, he's doing this all out of love for Kikyo! Spurned or impossible love makes for dangerous motivations. I think that's a stroke of Takahashi's genius, that one of the most evil villains in manga operates out of love. Another thing I think about after reading Volume 10 are the great characters. Takahashi has made them all likeable and complex with their own motivations and goals. If just one of these main characters was annoying or difficult to like, it would've ruined the whole series. With Sango, we've finally completed the assemblage of heroes that has killing Naraku as their main goal. Let the hunt begin!

I love Inu-Yasha and this manga is great as the rest are. I especailly like this one because it starts with the second half of when Sango, my favorite character, comes in.

This book is great I like the part were sango throughs her boomer rang[the boomer rang bone] at Inuyasha. The main story is sango thinks Inuyasha slayed her village so she goes after him.
with non stop action and plenty of humor this book is amust get for any Inuyasha fan.

...she also has a major grudge. Naraku has tricked her into believing that it was Inu Yasha that murdered her village, and she is out for revenge. Using her incredibly big boomerang (it's taller than she is!), she attempts to slay the innocent dog demon. But when wounded, she is cared for by her prey. Of course, when she finds out Naraku's plans, she is none too happy. After telling the group a story, she joins up with them.

Things will definitely get more interesting from here on out...

KONICHI WA ANIME FANS! And those of you who aren't, Konichi Wa anyways! I LOVE this book (I love almost any anime...but that's besides the point). This book is probably the 2nd best in the Inu Yasha books that have come out. It's great because Lord Inu Yasha and the gang are joined by Sango. Miroku's thrilled about that, as well...BUT let's not get into that, hm? ANYways, Kagome rocks (as always) and Sango is soooo cute! There's a lot of action in this one (not half as much as some of them...but oh well). I suggest you read this because it's a mix of adventure, comedy, and a lil romance (none for Miroku, unfortunately for him, but let's not get into that...ANYways...) So, it starts off where they left off. Sango going to get her revenge on Inu Yasha. Afterwards, They meet up w/ the Water God, who's a big meanie in my opinion. SAYONARA! P.S. Read other books by Rumiko Takahashi!