I really wanted to like this book. I had looked forward to reading Junko Mizuno for such a long time. But I was severely disappointed.The first thing that struck me was how ugly the book was. The font is totally out of place and the overall design seems lazy and sloppy. Also the paper is of very poor quality which makes the colors dull.The second think is the story. It is very flimsy and a lot of the things that happen or are said feels out of place and unecessary. I don't know if the translation is bad or something. But my biggest issue with this book is how it deals with the issue of rape. I understand that it is supposed to be a gory book, but I feel that is not reason enough to deal solightly with such a serious and sensitive topic. SPOILER I GUESSEspecially when it comes to the relationship between the main character Julie and her love interest Suekichi. The first thing he does when they meet is to try and rape her. In the next scene they are lovers and she wants to marry him. That is just too far a stretch. But I did love the art, it is gorgeous. And the color schemes are beautiful even though I feel that they would look nicer if they had used better paper.

Everyone knows Hansel and Gretel - Hansel's the squatty kid with a tuna can strapped over his mouth to prevent it from shattering everything around him; Gretel's the tall, pink-haired schoolgirl in the sailor suit, attacking bullies with her bamboo sword. At least that's Junko Mizuno's version! In this twisted take on the classic fairy tale, the kids' parents run the mountain grocery store, fielding visits from the green girls who grow spinach from their scalps and the 40-foot-tall piglet who slices cuts to order off his big belly. More madness comes with the arrival of Queen Marilyn and her insidious black magic! Can the kids save the day? This novel represents a new phase in Mizuno's art, one marked by psychedelic hues that give the arresting story the feel of a dark dream. This tale from the master of the cute and the grotesque is color illustrated throughout.

Pelu, the Little Fluffy Playboy, is comic tale of a cute extraterrestrial creature that comes to Earth determined to find himself true happiness in the form of a human bride. Our hero's search takes him from the surface of his fantastic alien planet to an off-kilter modern Japan where Pelu meets aspiring singers, sassy girls, paint-sniffing bad boys, and the body-switching students of a mysterious high school. Artist Junko Mizuno unleashes her unique graphic storytelling sensibilities on a tale that's frequently adorable, sometimes grotesque, and surprisingly moving.

As a child, my primary exposure to comics came from the Marvel stockpile with a sprinkling of DC, Archie, and Richie Rich. Being an Air Force brat living overseas for many of my prime being-brainwashed-by-comics years, I had access to The Stars and Stripes bookstore on base, and not much else. It was only as a teenager that I became aware of such things as independent and/or underground comics. For years, I was forced to "make mine Marvel". Now, that's not a bad thing. I really enjoyed Thor, Conan, and anything with Silver Surfer in it. Even after I returned to the states, I collected Defenders for quite some time and even had a subscription to the Star Wars comics and (dare I admit it) The Dazzler. Mom bought me the latter, though I think she was way more enamored of the sparkly mutant songstress than I was, but, hey, it was thoughtful of her. Thanks, Mom!But like any good thing, familiarity breeds contempt. By the time I was in my middle teen years, I was thoroughly burned out on Marvel and comics in general. I "graduated" to more adult-oriented publications like Epic Illustrated and Heavy Metal. For a long time I didn't seriously read comics at all.Well, as you can see by my previous reviews, I've jumped back in the game and enjoy several titles, most notably Fatale and The Manhattan Projects.So what ever happened to Marvel? Let's see, I burned out about the time Secret Wars was tying up. Then I came back to Marvel via the silver screen and discover that the franchise, from the movie side, anyway, has been ripped in twain. So, until contracts change, I won't be seeing Silver Surfer alongside Doctor Strange anytime soon. And that makes me sad. I just haven't had the heart to "make mine Marvel" again.So what is the most natural thing to do with your idols after your idols have lost their holiness?Mock them. Mercilessly.And that's what Strange Tales does. It's as if Marvel got drunk and decided to give permission to a bunch of independent comic writers and artists to abuse their characters and storylines in whatever way they saw fit.And, boy, did they! From the dark side of Peter Parker's supposed "super powers" to a domestically challenged Bruce Banner/Hulk as a Doctor Jekyll/Mister Hyde of the singles dating scene (I'm not kidding), the artists herein have stretched, chopped, boiled, and burned Marvel's sacred cows with shameless abandon. Imagine if Stan Lee had hired The Onion's staff in some bizarre alternate universe and you get the idea.Not all of the stories worked for me. One was so abstract as to be incomprehensible. A couple were downright uninspired. But when they hit the nail, they do it with a resounding boom!My favorite of the bunch was Tony Millionaire's Iron Man. This all-too-short strip harks back to the comic art and comedy of the early 20th-Century, falling halfway between homage and outright ridicule of both Marvel's Iron Man and the comics that preceded him. If you're a Marvel purist who takes him- or herself too seriously, you're gonna hate this . . .. . . and that's why I liked it. Not enough to make me get back into Marvel, but enough to justify keeping my distance. Gone are the days of Marvel and DC dominance. And I say, good riddance.

Following the Third World War, humankind left the toxic surface of the Earth and built an underground city to survive. A serious social problem emerged in this new society: hyperorexia, or severe overeating, a side effect of the Pure Trance lifesustaining pill. This dreamy science fiction fantasy  a sexy story of catfights, alien safari adventures, evil experimentation, and a girl who dreams of becoming a pop idol singeris the longawaited debut graphic novel of famous Japanese manga artist Junko Mizuno. Pure Trance breaks every stereotype of shojo manga (girls' comics).

This is an alternate cover edition - ISBN 10: 0985302200WHO IS LOTTIE PERSON? Is she a gorgeous, fun-loving social media star with a perfect life or a gross, allergy-ridden mess? Enter a world of snot, blood, and tears in this new ongoing series from New York Times Best Seller BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY (Scott Pilgrim) and dazzling newcomer LESLIE HUNG!

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