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This star means that the title or site is recommended especially for younger teens
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Updated October 2005 | Sign up here to recieve updates
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Whether you are just getting started or looking to explore the Batman universe even deeper, there are dozens of Batman titles to entertain you. Here's what we have to say about some of them: Batman Titles Reviewed: Batman: War Drums --NEW! While Batman is one of its cental figures, Gotham City holds many other stories. Looking for titles about Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing and the others? Check out their reviews elsewhere on the Superhero Soup page! |
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What about the women? Well, two of the hottest female superheroes in DC's universe Black Canary and Oracle together form Birds of Prey. Black Canary is sassy, deadly, and fully capable of wiping the floor with the bad guys. Oracle, once Batgirl until the Joker's violent trick confined her to a wheelchair, is Black Canary's lightning fast link to all information via the Internet. She's also often Black Canary's conscience and more often than she'd like, her mother hen. Together, they're a force even the Dark Knight himself is impressed by. ...read more The Complete Series: Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey
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A refreshingly classic science fiction comic, Shock Rockets fits the bill for a plethora of requests from comics fans requesting more diversity from U.S. comics – a multi-racial cast with an Hispanic hero, strong female characters minus the skimpy outfits, and not a superhero in sight. Happily, though this politically correct set-up does feel a bit too contrived from the outside, the story and the characters combine to make a satisfying and action-driven sci-fi tale unburdened with a specifice “message.” It remind readers of what great fun barrelling around the sky in a technologically brilliant fighter could be. On Earth in 2071, after a massive war with an alien enemy, humans are left with only one defense, the unbeatable Shock Rockets. These agile and lethal fighters are a combination of unknown alien technology and man's greatest engineering and are piloted by an elite team of fighters. Alejandro Cruz, working at a garbage plant alongside his whole family, dreams of becoming a pilot. He tinkers with left over bits of flyers to create a ship for himself, figuring even if there's no chance in hell that he'll ever make it to a Shock Rocket, at least he can create for himself a taste of the experience. Little does he know that his first wobbly (and forbidden) flight lands him smack in the middle of a fight between the Shock Rockets and an alien attack. When one of the Shock Rockets crashes in front of him, the pilot dying, he reacts on instinct and takes the helm. To everyone's surprise, but most especially to his own astonishment, he flies expertly through the attack and wins a spot on the team. His fellow pilots are not exactly pleased to have him on board, especially as his arrival meant the death of one of their best. What none of them suspect, however, is that Cruz is the key to unleashing the Rockets as yet untapped power. Cruz is also discovering that his allies and enemies are not so easily identified and that the politics surrounding his team are far more complex than he has any hope of navigating. Stuart Immonen's cinematic art is the right combination of character focus and the energetic action sequences showing off the design and strategy behind the many dogfights and flights within the story. This comic should appeal to fans of such classic sci-fi as Robert Heinlein's adventures and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game as well as anyone who's ever quoted, “I feel the need…the need for speed!” and meant it. reviews by robin
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Most little girls, it seems, want to grow up far faster than their bodies naturally do. Most every one can remember a private incident of make up and bra-stuffing to see what she might look like with womanly curves and a grown up style. Ah, the perils of getting what you wish for. Natsumi is your ordinary 5th grader, though she's perhaps a bit more anxious than most girls to fill out and get sassy outfits. After being gilted (in her eyes) by her latest crush, the dreamy, 20-something hair dresser Yashiki and being told she's not adult enough to get free samples of nuts at the mall, she flips out, grabs the samples, and runs home to weep in private. Little does she know that these nuts are different – by the next morning, she's grown into a drop-dead gorgeous teenager, and by the next evening she's modeled and been on her first date. Teenhood is only temporary, however, as by the time she gets home she's back to her 5th grader self. Soon she figures out that the nuts are the key – eat one and she's a teen for almost a day. Once the scientist who mistakenly sent out the nuts finds her, though, Natsumi is starting to realize not only that there may be a price for sudden adulthood, but that maybe she's not ready for adulthood just yet. Her best friend Asuma, accustomed to Natsumi's obsessions with growing up, is at first astounded by his friend's changes and then worried about its eventual consequences. He acts as her conscience and support even when he's undoubtedly embarrassed and flustered by her new body and harboring his own not so hidden crush on her not matter what she looks like. This comedy is often hilarious and very silly, but also focuses in on the problems that come with trying to live as an adult when you don't have the experiences to back you up. There are moments that get a little unsettling for western readers, especially when the bikini clad Natsumi does the usual manga pratfall and ends up on top of young Asuma. Nonetheless, most of the sexual tension is more embarrassment than anything else, and Natsumi is usually good at figuring out when she isn't ready for aspects of her new life as a teen model. Rated for ages ten and up, I'd say this story is most suited for middle school ages rather than any younger. reviews by robin |
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What would you do if four creepy guys in trench coats emerged from a dark alley and asked if you believed in magic? You'd probably do what Timothy Hunter, the young hero of The Books of Magic, does: you'd run. 12-year-old Tim is no fool, and he's naturally suspicious when four mysterious men appear one day to offer him experiences beyond his imagination. Tim, it transpires, has the potential to become the greatest wizard of his age--a potential he may fulfill for good or for evil. read more... The Series Books of Magic Still to be reviewed: reviews by jen |
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The Complete Series |
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Mother, Come Home is one of the most disturbing and emotionally devastating graphic novels I've read in a long while. In fact, ever. This novel revolves around a father and son, the narrator Thomas, struggling to regain their footing after Thomas's mother dies. His father, lost in a fog of grief and denial, does his best to stick to routine. Unable to escape the mounting evidence that his wife will not return, however, he soon fails to keep up with daily life and his own son's existence. Thomas, determined to keep order, takes over the house, covers for his father's absences, and clings to everyday tasks, giving them the weighty significance of keeping his mother assured that their life will continue as she would have wanted. The burden on a ten year old boy taking care of his emotionally lost father is never melodramatically presented but instead presses in slowly. Thomas is slowly sapped of the feeling he is doing any good until only the routine is left. When his uncle and aunt intrude upon their bleak home, insisting Thomas's father enter an asylum and Thomas come to live with them, both father and son are broken out of habit but not of loss. This outwardly seeming saving grace instead pushes Thomas into a world too forcefully cheerful and determined to make him normal. Thomas cannot begin again until he sees his father one last time, leading to a heartbreaking but necessary conclusion that lets them finally express their grief, though the return to life will not be possible for them both. The palette of the art is muted but rich, and the style suits the melancholy air of the unfolding tension, full of details while the excellent use of panels and layout push the story forward. The sensory details of Thomas's lion mask, a treasured gift from his mother, to the feel of the corduroy of his father's jacket make the story palpable and painful. The themes, of what it means to let go, to give mercy, and to live with such decisions, are eloquently addressed in the silences, when such questions seem to matter the most. This is not for all teens, given the hopeless atmosphere, but for many the reflection of loss, guilt, and family loyalty is true and resonant. review by robin |
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Kurozu-cho may once have been just a normal, rural, Japanese town but when Junji Ito's horror story begins the evil influence that poisons the lives of townspeople is part of daily life, subtly casting its gloomy shadow over the town. Kirie Goshima is a shy high school student, not concerned with much more than getting to the bus station in time to meet up with her boyfriend Shuichi every morning, looking after her little brother, and helping out with her father's traditional pottery business. All this changes when she stumbles across Shuichi's father crouched in an alley, transfixed by the sight of a swirling snail shell. Shuichi explains that his dad has been acting strangely for weeks, locked in his room mesmerized by the spirals in swirling water, painted umbrellas, rolls of tape, metal springs, and any number of other commonplace objects. Hideously, Shuichi's father's body begins to reflect his spiral obsession, twisting and contorting until his bones break under the strain. As Shuichi's mother is driven slowly insane by spiral visions of her dead husband, Shuichi himself becomes increasingly withdrawn and paranoid, seeing Kurozu-cho's destruction in the eerie signs of the spiral that haunt Kirie, her family, and her classmates at school. The town's deathly spiral spirit claims one victim after another, preying on those nearest to Kirie, and leaving her to face the horrifying moment when the spiral begins to appear and grow from her own body. Junji Ito has been writing horror since 1987 and has perfected an eerie style reminiscent of Garlands of Moonlight's silver and black frames. These stories end on the same uncertain note – for Kirie and the other inhabitants of this small town, daily chaos and loss have become a part of life. The residents of Kurozu-cho may be numb to the gruesome perils of their situation, but for readers the Uzumaki series goes beyond spine-tingling suspense to revolting mayhem, and finally arrives at a haunting, unquiet numbness. Visually fascinating, but not for the faint of heart. review by alison |
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Everything and everyone in the remote Japanese town of Kurozu-cho has been touched by the evil of the Uzumaki (spiral), until every spot and step seems cloaked in a miasma of foreboding. Under a curious spiral-shaped cloud from the smokestacks of the local crematorium, the townspeople cling to normal lives until disaster inevitably strikes. Kirie doesn't think she's anyone special, and in fact she's amazingly normal considering the upheavals her town's resident spirit has wrecked on her life, but for some reason she keeps finding herself at the center of Kurozu-cho's malevolent spiral. The dead won't stay dead in Kurozu-cho, hideous plants blossom in dark rooms, and the lines between the human and insect worlds are becoming ever blurrier. In every story Kirie's friends, classmates, and family are horribly transformed before her eyes until even society's safest places become beacons and breeding grounds for the spiral's darkly magical effects. As the spiral maelstrom of Kurozu-cho swirls with Kirie at its center, she is powerless to stop evil's progress or to help her friends, watching helplessly as disaster follows disaster. review by alison |
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Nothing in life has come easy for Juston Seyfert, and in fact if you asked him he might tell you that nothing much has ever come his way, period. Life is hard on the world's junior-high geeks and dorks, budding engineers and clever introverts, and for Juston the addition of a posse of bullies with a special interest in his welfare feels like the last straw. Just getting through the day in one piece can be a challenge for our anti-hero, pursued by high school goons during the day and hazarding life and limb at night on a variety of mechanical salvage projects supplied by his dad's scrap business. Years of obscurity and practice with discarded technology pay off in a heartbeat the night Juston discovers a giant robot clumsily reassembling itself in the family junkyard's empty barn. Nothing much changes on the surface after Juston makes his most incredible find, except that every interaction and decision is now tinged with a starry glow of “Wow, have I found the coolest new friend EVER.” Juston isn't as invisible as he thinks he is, however, and after a few days his friends and family are starting to wonder what's made him so jumpy and distracted. Struggling to hide his discovery from over-curious friends, Juston soon finds himself up to the neck in difficult questions: is strength the only thing that separates a nice guy from a bully? Does great power come with great responsibility? How does a giant robot help you get over your first big crush? And perhaps most importantly, what the heck is a fully-loaded battle robot doing crashing around in the rural woods of Juston's hometown, and who is going to come looking for him? McKeever's shadowy color palette and hip young-superhero drawing style will appeal to fans of Sidekicks (for the hair and clothes) and Brad Bird's The Iron Giant (for everything else) – even if you're not a big fan of robot-fiction, Sentinel is a great read for its sweetly accurate portrayal of the hazards of high school and mechanical expertise. review by alison |
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Ever wonder if there is a way to escape government regulation and red tape? Don't waste your time – even after you're dead the Ministry of Hades will see to it that your soul is sorted, catalogued, and properly assigned in the afterworld ...Read More Volumes in Series Currently Reviewed: Descendants
of Darkness Volume 1 |
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Yongbi is a young and daring bounty hunter who isn't afraid of anything. One day he comes to the small village of Gang Ho, where he encounters and captures Goo Hwi, the feared leader of the Black Snake assassination organization. Yongbi then finds the child of Mok In Yul, a rich an powerful merchant who lives in Hobook Castle. Yongbi takes him there along with Goo Hwi, who constantly threatens Yongbi with retribution from the members of the Black Snake, who surely would have noticed that their leader has been captured. Upon reaching Hobook Castle, things should have become easier for Yongbi, but hid pursuers catch up with him and war between rival organizations erupts. Yongbi is caught in the middle, forced to fight his way out of a sticky situation. The story is full of interesting plot twists and detailed artwork as well as a surprisingly funny cast of characters, making this manga one that should definitely be checked out. review by jack |
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Wild Com is actually a collection of three short stories. The first, “Psychic Squad Wild Com,” features a young girl named Michiru Ozeki who has the power to control fire. At first she is scared of her powers and tries to deny it or pretend it isn't there, but she eventually is persuaded to use it to help save people from a forest fire, at which point she finally accepts her powers and agrees to become a member of the Psychic Squad. The second story, “The Beasts of June,” is a love story that is filled with death, powerful symbology, interesting metaphors, and artwork that enhances everything very effectively. The third story is “The Eye of the Needle” and is the creepiest and most shocking story of a trio that are all quite disturbing, yet highly intriguing and complex, grabbing hold of the reader's attention until the very end. This last story is especially so, as a very handsome man named Shiki Haibara rises to fame and splendor. However, he is brought down by a dark event in his past that he hadn't even remembered, not to mention his abandoned girlfriend Uiko. Shiki's vanity and arrogance end up being his undoing as he meets a sinister end. These three stories, though short, are among the most creepy and dramatic tales that I have read. They will suck you right in and won't let go until the end; if you like mystery, horror, and drama, Wild Com is one that I can wholeheartedly recommend. review by jack |
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Fish out of water stories always make one sympathize with the hero, recognizing how frustrating, irritating, and occasionally exhilarating the risk of living in a new place can be. In this case, our hero is Joel, a Canadian in Korea working as an English teacher. Unfortunately for Joel, after a year in Korea the irritations are far outweighing the moments of contentment. It's been months since Joel felt the thrill of finding his world exotic and interesting rather than wearisome and off-putting. He hasn't been comfortable in what feels like an age and sees no hope for any change on the horizon. Tired of feeling out of sync with his entire world, he's more and more convinced that it's time to retreat. Torres and Kim do an excellent job of showing all of the needling moments when Joel feels lost, from sitting on the train on the way to work to eating a tasty snack without having any idea what it is until too late. Many of the panels are wordless, showing how much Joel is both lonely and in self-imposed isolation in his refusal to learn Korean. After the third battle with an apparently un-killable beetle who's decided to take up residence in his rooms, Joel finally breaks. Then life throws him a twist. He meets Hana, the foxy new Korean secretary for his institution. Can love renew his desire to stay? Eric Kim's art has a manhwa flair to it that works well considering the location of the story and the expressions and pacing of his panels are priceless. J. Torres knows just how to pace the dialogue to match the many scenes of quiet and maintains a sense of humor throughout that keeps the bitterness from being too heavy. All in all, a romantically hopeful comic that suits any middle school or high school collection, especially in a world where more and more teens are yearning to travel east. review by robin |
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At first, being able to talk to machines may not seem like the most impressive superpower. I mean, so you can tell your washing machine to start. Big whoop. Then think about the fact that you can tell a gun not to fire, or all of the power plants around you to shut down. Not too shabby. As is the tradition for uncounted superheroes before him, Mitchell Hundred started as just an ordinary civil engineer who, while working on dredging the city's river is splashed with a mysterious glowing green goo that alters him so that he can hear and communicate with machines. Having grown up with superhero comics, he immediately sees the gift for what it is, and becomes The Great Machine, New York's latest costumed vigilante fighting the good fight. All too soon, though, he decides that while he's making a dent here and there, he's not doing enough for the city he loves by battling mad supervillains and accomplishing daring rescues. He wants to do more, less dynamically and more consistently, and maybe even instigate a sustained change toward the better. So what does he do? He runs for mayor. The trouble starts when he wins. Facing a bomber who's decided to take out the city snow plows and anyone who gets in the way and an artist who's stirred up a political sh*tstorm with a provocative and offensive painting on display with city funding, he's not starting off with political aplomb and public success. The loyal companions to The Great Machine, the lovable thug of a cop Rick Bradbury and the wiley socialist nicknamed Kremlin, lose their rock solid status as Hundred becomes more suspicious of Kremlin's increasing insistence he return to the costume. His Police Commissioner thinks he'll retreat to his vigilante ways. Resident PR staffer Journal is the only person who seems to be on his side, displaying previously untapped political savvy and smarts and turning out to be a greater asset than anyone suspected. The artwork, by the man behind Starman's long signature look, has the same crisp, heavily lined photo-inspired look and shifts to suit the mood of the story at every turn without losing its cohesion. The writing is top notch, with a keen sense of humor as well as an excellent sense of pacing, political chicanery, and when to pass the story on to the images. There's a reason this series won an Eisner. The combination of superheroes and politics is not new, but this new spin on it feels fresh and suitably complicated – the continuing story promises to be fascinating. review by robin |
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There have been quite a few series lately that focus on what mere mortals' lives might be like in a world of superheroes, from Bendis' and Rucka's cop-centric Powers and Gotham Central to Kurt Busiek's classic Marvels. As with all things Andi Watson, he takes a familiar idea and gives it his own light, romantic touch. Jack, a comics penciller working to retell a real-life superhero's acts of bravery and heroism, is in a bad mood. Not only is his superhero, the Flamer, lacking for dramatic stories lately, but he's also being hit with a paternity suit that has his public image hitting rock bottom. On top of that, Jack is less than suave with the ladies and is particularly paranoid about how he might compare to superheroes prime physiques – in a world of paragons, why would anyone want an ordinary guy? Then he meets Nora, a smart young woman who, wonder of wonders, likes him back. Of course, once love is looking possible, life starts hitting Jack with everything that could go wrong. Nora is not just a great girl next door, but also a reporter for the scandal mag that broke the story about the Flamer's unclaimed son. She also seems a little too cozy with the Flamer himself, setting off all of Jack's insecurities. On top of that, Jack's cat Guthrie not only starts talking but gains superpowers, dons a costume, and joins the ranks of caped crusaders. Anyone who's ever lived with a cat can just imagine the weirdness, never mind the snide commentary, that might well be voiced if your cat could talk <i>and</i> kick your butt. Watson is known for his romantic comedies, and this tale has the same bittersweet and everyday rhythm feel that makes all his work unique and endearing. His artwork remains intentionally rough around the edges and full of broad strokes, and it works its minimalistic magic in eloquent expressions and implied movement. A fine addition to any teen or adult collection. review by robin |
Batman
Birds
of Prey
Shock
Rockets: We Have Ignition
Instant
Teen (Volume 1)
The
Books of Magic
Mother,
Come Home
Uzumaki
(Volume 1)
Uzumaki
(Volume 2)
Sentinel:
Salvage
Descendants
of Darkness 
Yongbi
The Invincible, Volume I
Wild
Com
Love
as a Foreign Language: Volume 1
Ex
Machina: the First 100 Days (Volume 1)
Love
Fights (Volume 1)In the Lair
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Sin City is a series in which the men are real men, and the women are real women. Except truthfully, not so much. Sin City is the creation of Frank Miller and he's writing noir at it's very best. His heroes are men trying to do the honorable thing in dishonorable world, his heroines are prostitutes who own their own destinies, and his villains are sexual predators and duplicitous women ...Read More The Complete Series Sin City: The Hard Goodbye
(Volume 1) all reviews by petra |
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Would you start a war to keep the love of the most beautiful woman in the world? This title marks the beginning of another epic series -- this time Eric Shanower tackles the full story of the Trojan War, detailed with research from history and mythology. Drawn in crisp black and white, the story focuses on the people caught up in the tide of war, from the famous instigator Paris to the beautiful Helen ...Read More The Series Age of Bronze: A Thousand
Ships review by alison |
Sin
City
Age
of Bronze|
If you've been wondering where to find a manga title that really is for all ages, then look no further. This hilarious and madcap series from Kyohiko Azuma, creator of Azumanga Diaoh, is exactly what you want. Yotsuba&! (the title of which is the best and most accurate translation of the title language in Japanese) follows the adventures of Yotsuba, an energetic and curious little girl who's just moving to the city with her father. She's a bit, well, weird, never having seen a swing before and determined to find out about everything in her new neighborhood. She quickly meets (and puzzles) the three Ayase sisters who live next door. Yotsuba is especially good at finding adventure in the most ordinary tasks – she goes to the bathroom one morning only to find that the lock is broken. The only way out is through the window (but of course!), and in her pajamas and slippers she roams the streets discovering the use of doorbells, to the bemusement of her neighbors. She only remembers to go home once someone questions her attire. The whole book works gently and comically, featuring all manner of amusing slapstick and always from the point of view of the irrepressible Yotsuba. Her kind but often spacey dad, Koiwai, is patient and maintains a “go with the flow” attitude, making a good support for the rambunctious girl, and her new neighbors help her adjust to the daily wonders of her new home and friends. I haven't laughed out loud so much as anything in a long time, and the comic timing and articulate simplified expressions common in manga art make the whole ride through Yotsuba's life one not to be missed. As her father says, she can find happiness in anything. We all need to be reminded, sometimes, that standing in a rainstorm can be the best. review by Robin |
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copyright Robin Brenner 2002-2004