Battle Angel Alita - Volume 01: Rusty Angel

Battle Angel Alita - Volume 01: Rusty Angel

Kishiro, Yukito (Creator, Author, Illustrator), Burke, Fred and Bell, Sterling and Thorn, Matt (Translation)

Paperback, 248 pages, ISBN13: 9781569310038

Published July 1995 by VIZ Media (first published September 1991)

This techno-punk manga style graphic novel follows the story of Alita, a cyborg who in the form of a young girl, while she tries to find her place in the world and also discover her past and where she came from.  It begins with a cybernetics doctor finding the head of a cyborg in a junk heap, and rebuilds the body. This becomes Alita. She soon discovers she has killer martial arts instincts and a physical aptitude for violence despite being a gentle caring soul, this leads her on a quest of self-discovery to find out where and why she was created.

Creator Yukito Kishiro makes you think about humanity, morality and what really is the difference machine without the story dragging and without sacrificing the gritty oppressive nature of the world. The art is all black and white but monumentally intricate with epic amounts of detail in world building and character creation. Giant cyborg warriors, to the face of human suffering are all expertly captured in Japanese manga style.

This well-paced expedition into the dystopian far future it grim at times but Alita is a thoroughly inspiring character reminding us all that even in the most desperate of times there is still hope while also featuring the compelling heroes’ journey about being afraid of one’s own nature. 

Saga - Volume 1

 

Saga, Volume one

Vaughan, Brian K. (Author)and Staples, Fiona (Illustrator) 
Paperback, 160 pages, ISBN: 9781607066019    
Published in 2012 by Image (Berkeley, Calif.)

From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K Vaughan, (author of the hugely successful Y: The Last Man) comes this intensely personal story based in a sprawling stage of an inter-galactic war. This Sci-fi space opera come high fantasy epic follows the story of moth-winged Alana and ram-horned Marko; soldiers from opposite sides of a massive intergalactic war who simply want peace and anonymity to raise their daughter.

Lushly detailed illustrations deeply thought through character designs and immersive world building from veteran illustrator Fiona Staples will wow you while spacious layouts and accurate framing keep the focus on the personal element of the story despite the massive chaotic cosmos they exist within.

Together Vaughan and Staples have created a far-fetched fantasy world with a layer of gritty that makes this story entirely human and relatable yet, still highly alien and exciting.  The compelling and sometimes commonplace dialogue (including burping techniques) show Alana as a realistic new mother, juxtaposed with her wings and initial role as a solider come prison guard give you an impression of strength. Her witty dialogue paired with the image of Alana, baby on hip, revolver in hand cast her in a duplicitous light, of caring mother and wife but also as someone who is going to do what it take to survive.

 This duplicity of real life commonalities and far future marvels as well as the witty well timed dialogue efficiently mixed with some dramatic underlying themes  make Saga a must read.

Serenity - Volume 1: Those Left Behind

Serenity - Volume 1 : Those Left Behind 
Whedon, Joss(Author, Creator), Matthews, Brett(Author)and Conrad, Will(Illustrator)
Paperback, 96 pages, ISBN13: 9781593074494
Published January 24th 2006 by Dark Horse Books

The comic Serenity is based on the live action movie serenity which is based on the Tv show Firefly, sounds complicated I know but what it actually is..... is awesome. The show, move and the comic are written by Joss Whedon who is the creator of such cult classics as the Buffy the Vampire slayer and Angel TV series.  Serenity: Those Left Behind missing story that bridge the gap between the TV series “Firefly” and the movie “Serenity” however being familiar with the move/show is not a necessity to enjoy this comic romp into this western tinged, space pioneer type universe . 

This story follows the small freighter starship named “Serenity” and its crew always on the hunt for a mission that will earn them enough money to go off and live their life in peace. Serenity is crewed by a mish-mash of drifters and outsiders that come to form their own kind of family, from working class mercenaries to high class fugitives, the bonds that are formed by suffering , adventures and the clash of very different personalities is entertaining, realistic and emotionally involving. The crew and the interesting characters they get involved with are full of super strong women characters, from Zoe the solider and second in command on Serenity to River, the psychic teenager pilot of serenity the female characters are flawed, authentic and never in your face with the girl power.  

While this comic is full of humorous chemistry and witty dialogue, it also comments on the possible future of the world, making you think deeply about where we are headed as a species. The art is super realistic and captures the likeness of the movie actors and conveys their emotions nearly as accurately as the live action show its self.


Here is the trailer for the movie (the prequel to this comic but sequel to the TV show) Not confusing at all.....

 

Tank Girl: Visions of Booga

Tank Girl: Visions of Booga
Martin, Alan  (Author, Creator) and Dayglo, Rufus (Illustrations)
Paperback, 104 pages  ISBN13: 9781600102806
Published November 18th 2008 by IDW Publishing

A Tank driving, beer swilling, cigarette smoking girl prone to random acts of violence and hair dyeing with a healthy dose of sex and flatulence thrown in. This may seem like an unlikely heroine but in this post-apocalyptic misadventure you will soon be cheering on Tank Girl and her marsupial boyfriend Booga in their struggle avoid the Australian Mafia and other various and crazy enemies.

This story is by no means at the start of the overarching Tank Girl timeline however it has a more even pace and coherent presentation than the standard Tank Girl comic but with enough of the gritty punky charm of the original.

Alan C. Martin is has always been the creator/writer of tank girl so this book is still full of violence and pop culture references ( the ‘Hipster book of Gold’) spattered with slang as much as blood and desert sand as the originals. 

Dayglo's art has a great desert tone palate which suits the outback and gives a source of grimness held by the world. He has a detail rich style (even details you might not want to see like snot and spit!) which while quite different to the original art style of tank girl manage to capture her sassiness and the psychedelic action that occurs on their adventures.

It is hard not to root for Tank Girl and Booga who seem to be having a good time even when their adventures are at their most chaotic and desperate.  

A Tank Girl movie was made in the 90's and didn't get a great reception but here is the trailer anyway.