20th Century Boys

Overall Rating: A+
Summary: A seinen science fiction/mystery series created by Naoki Urasawa, which follows Kenji Endō, who owns a liquor store and takes care of his infant niece. The story splits its time between the present day (which is 1999 in the story) and when Kenji was growing up with his friends in 1969.

In the present day, Kenji's friend Donkey has apparently committed suicide, but there is also a series of murders. Kenji believes all of it is tied to a strange symbol which he recognizes as being familiar, but cannot place. At the wake for his friend, he reunites with his childhood friends and they reminisce about growing up together and their "secret base". None of them can quite remember the strange symbol or its meaning, but all of them recognize it. What does the symbol mean, and what is its connection to the friends and the strange cult that is growing in popularity? Most importantly, who is "Friend" and what is their connection to Kenji and his friends?

I really can't recommend this one enough. I picked it up this weekend at Chapel Hill Comics' annual Monster Sale, because I had heard good things about it, and wanted to check it out. Now I'm trying to figure out when I can get back to Chapel Hill to buy the second volume (it's supposed to have come out today). The story and characters are well-developed and by the end of the first volume I am completely hooked. I can't wait to see where things go, and I imagine that once I'm done with the second volume I will be annoyed that the third (and final) volume doesn't come out until June.

Absolute Boyfriend

Overall Rating: A
Summary: A romantic comedy manga with a splash of science fiction created by Yuu Watase. Absolute Boyfriend is six volumes long and is the story of Riiko Izawa. Riiko is a high school girl with an addiction to buying things online, and has never had a boyfriend. In fact, she is rejected by every boy she asks out. The manga begins with Riiko asking out her current crush, and being immediately rejected.

After the rejection, she is wandering in the park, and finds a ringing cellphone. After answering the call, she returns the phone to an oddly dressed (kind of steampunk actually) man named Gaku. Gaku is a salesman for a strange website called Kronos Heaven, and offers Riiko anything she wants on the site for returning the phone. Riiko responds that all she wants is a boyfriend, and to her surprise Gaku says he can help.

When Riiko visits the site, she learns she can create her ideal lover. Still not believing Gaku, she customizes her lover with options like loyal, intelligent, attractive, etc. and orders him for a three-day trial.
The next day, men wearing outfits as strange as Gaku's deliver a large box to her door, and inside is a life-like figure...who is completely naked (don't worry, there's no nudity). Following the instruction manual, Riiko kisses him to wake him up, which also makes him to be in love with her. Unable to think of anything else, Riiko names him "Night".

Now Riiko has to deal with a man living with her (she lives alone) who wants to have sex all the time, a next-door neighbor named Soshi who may be more than a friend, a best friend who may be hiding things from her and who she is now hiding things from, and how to explain all of this without anyone finding out who "Night" really is.

I'm two volumes into this one, and I am hooked. This is another one Rachel recommended to me, and after "Life" I needed something lighter. "Absolute Boyfriend" definitely did the trick. This one is fun, has some great plot, and the characters are interesting. I also loved the progression of Night's personality. When the manga starts he's basically a robot and a bit silly (and very pretty). As it progresses, he develops feelings, and his rivalry with the serious Soshi provides a lot of humor and depth to the story. If you're looking for something light, then this one is a great choice.

XS Hybrid Volume 1

Overall Rating: B
Synopsis: Created by S. Ji-Hyung, the series is a science fiction story, and one of Dark Horse's new Manwha (South Korean manga) titles. The story is set in a future where some humans have become "hybrids", with special powers, and follows Mina, a tomboy with psychic powers (clearly one of the hybrids). These hybrids police the planet, or kill many, many people, or both.

A lot of the plot in the first volume focuses on Hinchang, a normal kid who is in love with Mina (despite the fact that she put him in a coma years before. That's love.) Hinchang spends most of the book saving Mina from being attacked by another hybrid (who looks cool and has psychic powers), and various other mysterious men (re: bad guys) who are trying to capture/kill Mina.

I like XS Hybrid, but I don't love it. I don't think there are enough really good science fiction manga/manwha, and this one comes close. Basically, I want to love it, but it hasn't grabbed me yet. I think it's because I'm not totally thrilled with either Hinchang or Mina. Hinchang isn't really interesting aside from apparently being a daredevil, and Mina seems incapable of defending herself, despite having psychic powers. Hopefully, both will develop into interesting characters in later volumes.

Poison Candy Volume 1

Overall Rating: B+
Synopsis: Written by David Hine and with art by Hans Steinbach, Poison Candy is a science fiction manga. The South Korean Adolescent Virus is the newest plague humanity has to face. Sam Chance, a wanna be rockstar becomes infected with the virus, and wakes up a century later to find out that his girlfriend killed herself, and everything has changed.

I heard a little about this manga at Comic Con, and it sounded interesting, so I thought I would check it out. After reading the first volume, I like the plot (even if the full name of the virus sounds a bit ridiculous), and the characters are interesting. I especially like Yusuf, Sam's friend, who is a 1950s-obsessed, video game playing, Indian. David Hine is traditionally a comic book writer, who is trying his hand at manga. His attempts to write in a manga-style stumble at times, but overall it works. This is a good one for anyone trying to make the transition from comics to manga.

What happens next is completely up in the air, and I'm interested in finding out more.

BLAME! - Manga Review

Rating: C-/D

Synopsis: Killy is a man in a neo-futuristic world populated with humans, and humanoid like creatures living in huge mechanical towers. Killy is in search of humans who have Net Terminal Genes, and he has a mysteriously badass gun that he has no idea how he got it. Also, in this world, there is an entity/force called The Authority, which controls robots and is feared by humans.

BLAME! is classified as science fiction, but it could be almost any genre because the reader is given little to grasp. Most of this manga consists of action shots. Plot progression, character development, and even spoken words take a second seat to constant barrages of confusing scenes of violence and meandering views of the giant towers. The premise is confusing enough, but the added element of leaving most things a mystery (even by the end of the second book) gets wearisome after you've gone through so many pages of fighting, with no clear reason to care about the fight.

There are several elements similar to The Matrix sequels - the world is humans versus robots, with humans living in prolonged isolation in ridiculously huge mechanical towers. Though the reasoning behind the conflict in The Matrix doesn't exist here, humans aren't used to power the computers/robots. Several items lack any justification, no reason was given for the Killy's relentless searching for Net Terminal Genes, or why he was equipped with this mysterious gun, or why The Authority was ever involved with humans, nor why they've ceased to be involved with humans.

As I previously mentioned, the constant action interspersed with background detail shots muddle the plot, and most of the time, you can't tell who Killy is fighting. The occasional communication (especially in the first book) sheds very little light about what is going on.

Perhaps with all of the violence and action, the OVA anime version of this is much easier to enjoy, but overall it is a violent and confusing view of a desperate and desperately lonely world.

Ergo Proxy

Overall Rating: A
Synopsis: Ergo Proxy has it all. The main character looks like Evanescence's lead singer with awesome blue eyeshadow, there's a virus that causes robots to become homicidal, a domed city in the future, an Orwellian society, and an adorable little robot named Pino.

I can tell you this, I <3 Ergo Proxy. The why of my love is a little harder to detail. I like fake equations though, so in that sense, it breaks down as Philosophy + Science Fiction + Amazing Animation + Cosplay Potential (yes, I want to cosplay Re-L, she has a great outfit) = why I like this series. It certainly doesn't hurt that it reminds me a lot of Ghost in the Shell with a dash of 1984. So, unless you're one of those hobotaku who doesn't like to think when they watch anime, I highly recommend adding the first disc to your Netflix queue.