Black Hole
By Charles Burns
[GRAPHIC NOVEL] I should tell you that although I’ve browsed a few adult-comic books, I’ve never read a full-on graphic novel before tackling Black Hole. My idea of a large comic has always been the Betty and Veronica Double Digest. (I’ve always sided with Veronica. Die Betty, die!) Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Hole. Basically, the plot revolves around a few high school kids in the 1970’s while a sexually transmitted mutating sickness spreads through their school faster than the legs of a cheerleader on prom night. It’s interesting to note that the story doesn’t veer off and take a plot turn where the kids try to fight off the disease. Instead, they just deal with it. I won’t spoil the story, but know that it’s pretty much a classic and most people will think you’re a lot cooler than you really are if you’ve read it or at least looked at the crisp black and white pictures—lots of boobs, flesh peeling from bodies and a few penises. I finished it in a night and loved every slightly pervy, totally artsy page. [Starr Begley]
Arm of Kannon
By Masakazu Yamaguchi
[MANGA] The problem with living on Maui is that we live on Maui. That means that we have to work, and working does not lend itself to massive acts of debauchery. Lucky for everyone, the characters of Arm of Kannon hit the seven deadly sins on a regular basis. When a manga opens with a scene of incest, you know it’s a family affair. Mao is infected by a sought-after relic, the Arm of Kannon (which first manifests itself in a scene that would dehydrate even the most virile of men). Of course there are other people gunning for the Arm of Kannon: his sister, a mysterious swordsman, elite government baddies and a group of mutants. Arm of Kannon is for the discerning viewer; someone who prefers her philosophy not in a cup of tea, but rather in the fine blood splatters of a good gore fest. Arm of Kannon is filled with blood and boobs—most often, together. [Ynez Tongson]
Battle Royale
By Koushun Takami & Masayuki Taguchi
[MANGA] Who needs the Writer’s Guild when you’ve got reality shows like this? A group of ninth graders are kidnapped, then placed on an island and kill each other for your viewing pleasures. As the students drop, the ratings rise. Get the gist of it? Try not to get too attached to any of the characters; their development just seems to be the prelude to fantastically violent deaths or at least traumatizing horrors. This manga was spawned by a cult classic novel of the same name, which was also adapted to film. Gore, perverted government officials and panty shots abound. Get ready to rock and let the good times roll. [YT]
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