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This star means that the title or site is recommended especially for younger teens
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Nothing-- I repeat, nothing-- beats a book that will make me laugh out loud. Chuckling, sniggering, guffawing -- they're all good. For some reason, a book that can make me laugh is fairly hard to find. For fans of pratfalls and witticism alike, these titles are guaranteed to at the very least make you smile, though hopefully, they'll do much more than that.
Jump to a title:
Adventures of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey
Alison Dare
Bone
Decoy
Eerie Queerie
Electric Girl
Fortune and Glory
From Eroica with Love
Here is Greenwood
Hopeless Savages
Iron Wok Jan!
Lenore
Magic Pickle
Maison Ikkoku
Mister Negativity and Other Tales of Supernatural Law
Noodle Fighter Miki
Oh My Goddess
Ranma 1/2
Truer than True Romance
for a printer friendly version of this list, click here
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This is not a children's comic. Yes, the characters are toys. Yes, the book has a wholesome, old-fashioned look to itbut don't be fooled. This is one twisted little volume. Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey defies classification; while its misbehaving, insanely literate characters and unexpected creepiness have won it a loyal following of adult fans, I know there are teens out there who will take this book to heart. Sock Monkey is like Beatrix Potter on absinthe: our hero, a "mischievous ape," his friend and straight man Mr. Crow, and a large cast of toys, animals, and more exotic creatures find adventure both in and out of the house. Whether trying to reach "a castle hanging in the clouds" (the chandelier) or return a shrunken head to its native land, Sock Monkey and Mr. Crow are sure to find trouble (or cause it). This reviewer admits that Sock Monkey isn't for every library, but she highly recommends it to people with big vocabularies and a taste for elegant mayhem. review by jen |
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If this book were a movie pitch, I'd have to say that Alison Dare's story is the recent reincarnation of The Mummy crossed with Indiana Jones if Indiana Jones were a twelve-year old girl. In slick black and white, J. Torres and J. Jones introduce us to the intelligent, adventure-obsessed Alison Dare, daughter of an archeologist mother and a librarian/superhero father. Despite her parents attempt to keep Alison reined in a bit by sending her to a boarding school, she and her two buddies still manage to get into their fair share of trouble. Her various and sundry adventuresome relatives are always around to come to the rescue, however, and these infectious tales of adventure and romance revel in the traditions of classic serial adventures. Despite appearances, however, all is not fabulous in Alison's life her parents are divorced and the instances that remind her of this painful reality are subtle and feeling. Although this title skews toward a younger audience, I say it's fit and fun for all who doesn't need a witty archeologist-in-training bent on adventure in their life? review by robin |
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There is a scene in Bone: Crown of Horns that perfectly sums up what makes the Bone series so special. Thorn Harvestar, our heroine, needs to touch the Crown of Horns, but she can't quite reach; her leg is wedged in the mouth of one very dead Kingdok, the leader of the Rat Creatures. The situation is grave: if Thorn does not touch the Crown, the Lord of the Locusts will destroy the world. So Fone Bone, our hero, grabs Thorn's hand, shuffles his feet on the floor, and touches the Crown. Static electricity does the rest. Read More... The Complete Series Bone: Out from Boneville (1) Related Titles |
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Little green men. It's an image we all carry around with us, like the Coke symbol and Armstrong landing on the Moon. The inescapable expectation that aliens will somehow appear as little green men rather than, say, rocks of black glass, just sticks with us. Well, in Decoy, you've got little green men, and little red men, and a whole rainbow of little men. Aliens they are, yes, but not at all what we, or cop Bobby Luck, ever expected. Luck, pardon the pun, does not live up to his name. He's a sweet, but rather dim, beat cop who's constantly behind on his job and never quite seems to pull of the career-making derring-do that his partner, Tessa Moreno, accomplishes with zeal. Luck decides to change everyone's falling opinion of him by taking a tip meant for Moreno and bagging the bad guys all by himself -- that is, until he gets gunned down by said bad guys. Cue the little green man. Luck wakes up the next morning to discover that though he didn't die, he is now permanently inhabited by a shape shifting little green guy named Decoy who, though causing all sorts of confusion, also manages to save Luck's caboose in more than once scuffle. However, Decoy has enemies of his own. Can these two survive the ire of Moreno, a mad scientist, and galactic villains out to collect a renegade? The vivid colors and fun dialog make this title perfect for anyone who enjoys action and the occasional slapstick joke. At the same time, I was inordinately distracted by one visual: Moreno's breasts. Not because they are disproportionately buxom (though they almost are) but because they just never once look naturally placed -- that's some crazy push-up bra she's got on there. Now, I can usually get over anatomical weirdness in comics, but the supposedly foxy Moreno just kept ending up in positions that just made no sense in terms of gravity or anatomy. Fair warning to those that twitch like I do at such things. Despite the distraction, however, the comic is a fun ride, with Luck, Moreno, and Decoy all likable, fallible heroes. review by robin |
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Eerie Queerie follows the adventures of one Mitsuo, a loner high school student who has the misfortune of also being a medium. Due to his gentle nature, he's prone to being taken over by any strong-willed ghost in the vicinity. Possessed, he ends up apparently afflicted with multiple personalities, professing his undying love to a classmate one minute and then running away shamefaced the next. His classmates all think he's got a screw loose, but Mitsuo is determined to figure out how to control these spirits once and for all. It doesn't help that he always attracts female spirits who can't move on until they've proclaimed their feelings to one dashing boy or another. Situations only get more complicated when one of the dreamboats Mitsuo asks out "under the influence," Hasunuma, doesn't think dating is such a bad idea. Dealing with homophobic taunting from his classmates, ghosts determined to express their feelings, and conflicted yearnings for his new friend, Mitsuo is on the verge of totally losing it. read more... If you like, you can skip to individual volumes in the series: Eerie Queerie
Volume 1 reviews by robin |
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Electric Girl, a.k.a. Virginia, is not a butt-kicking, witty, whip-smart female superhero, as her name might suggest. No. Instead, Virginia is a witty, whip-smart, not so butt-kicking teenage girl who just happens to be the best natural conductor of electricity since copper. Michael Brennan's delightful book shows Virginia's life and adventures with a logical eye toward what it would really be like. As a baby, Virginia unwittingly zaps every person she meets for the first time. She kills time by recharging batteries. When she gets angry, her electricity tends to get a little bit out of control. Featuring Virginia, her meddling invisible gremlin "friend" Oogleeoog, and her fearless dog Blammo (the best name for a dog ever), this first collection of the Electric Girl comics is, well, exciting! Keep an eye out for the short sequences of silent, image-only stories they show the amazing strength of an image to tell a complex (and funny) story. review by robin |
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Probably just like everyone else on the planet, I've often thought that I could write a great movie script (at least better than what Hollywood turns out now!) and sell it to a studio, make a bundle, and thus acheive fame and fortune. I'll bet many of you out there have had much the same dream. Brian Michael Bendis' memoir Fortune and Glory, with much sarcasm and his usual keen sense for dialogue, hilariously shows just how such a venture can go. He headed out to Hollywood twice, one trip for each of his acclaimed graphic novels Goldfish and Torso. If you've ever wondered just whether all those steretypes about "the biz" are true, well, just read on, my friend. review by robin |
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Originally published in 1976, Eroica is a shonen-ai classic. It centers around the adventures of Earl Dorian Red Gloria a.k.a. the Earl of Gloria a.k.a. Eroica, international art thief, and his various conquests and thefts across the globe. The Earl is a flamboyant and extremely wealthy man. He loves beautiful art, beautiful men, and he's perfectly willing to steal either to get what he wants. In volume one of Eroica we meet a trio of friends (Cesar, Sugar, and Leopard) about to enter the Earl's domain. Cesar and co. possess special powers, including ESP, which, we are told, were given to them by a Mysterious Man earlier in their lives. (No, I have no idea how or why that fits into the overall story, but that's how it's written.) Mainly, all three are now incredibly, ridiculously gifted; super strength, super brains, super looks, and twenty million languages each. However, the important part comes when Cesar catches the Earl's eye. Eroica quickly steals several major works of art and Cesar, who goes kicking and screaming. After a series of small escapades, Cesar is freed. Now however, Cesar and the Earl have quite a mutual attraction for each other and he's more upset about the possibility of never seeing the Earl again than being kidnapped. This is all just from the first chapter of our little tale. Volume One has three more chapters to go! Next, we meet the other major character in our story, Major Klaus Heinz Von Dem Eberbach aka Klaus, a highly respected agent of NATO-- - remember, this was written in the late 70's, apparently NATO was quite the place back then. Klaus encounters the Earl by chance and the two instantly hate each other, deeply. Three guesses where that might wind up going. In the meantime, NATO has its eye on Cesar and his ESP. The Major kidnaps Cesar, Eroica kidnaps some of the Major's art collection, and further adventures ensue. So far the characters and the plot lines are all fairly silly and over the top, but it's in a fairly typical manga and shonen-ai kind of way. It's fun and I'd be curious to see where it leads, but it's not an intriguing enough story that I'd ever really want to pay money for it. Having said that however, Klaus and Eroica are developing grudging respect for each other and, with Cesar lurking around in the background, I'm sensing a rather amusing love triangle will be coming not so far down the road. Wherever it leads, I suspect it'll be amusing. reviews by katie |
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Pity the lovelorn teenager! His older brother has married the girl Kazuya Hasukawa has a crush on, dooming him to a lonely life of angst and schoolwork at prestigious Ryokuto Academy. Rather than being allowed to mope in peace over the loss of his first love, Hasukawa is catapulted into the midst of a motley collection of tricksters and ne'er-do-wells who inhabit his new dorm: Greenwood, home of the weirdoes. Like Robin Hood's merry men, Hasukawa's hall mates attempt to cheer him up by any means necessary. And so begins another brilliant career in an all-boys school, punctuated by practical jokes, gender-bending roommate hijinks, a haunting, and plenty of homework. Nasu's sense of humor ranges from the wacky to the completely bizarre, from Valentine's Day with a bevy of middle-school groupies to a runaway rock star. Hasukawa's brooding, his roommate Shun's flighty overtures of friendship, and all the repercussions of a little too much teasing make me feel like I've traveled back in time to a high school somewhere between Hogwarts and my own. Here is Greenwood will appeal to fans of comedy and pretty-boys alike as its crew of characters blunder towards adulthood. reviews by alison |
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Dirk Hopeless and Nikki Savage were the king and queen of punk rock. They lived fast, broke all the rules, and incited youthful rebellion. Then they cleaned up, got married, and had kids. Now, the Hopeless-Savages are a loving family of five-- well, six if you count Rat Hopeless-Savage, the eldest, who rebelled in the only way he could: by changing his name and becoming a yuppie executive. His desertion still upsets teenage Skank Zero Hopeless-Savage, the baby of the family and a would-be rock star herself. Zero is our narrator in Hopeless Savages, a story of crooked record producers, skinheads, fistfights, and other facts of family life. When enemies from the past kidnap Dirk and Nikki, the remaining Hopeless-Savage family must re-unite with their older brother to save the day. Read more... The Complete Series |
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"Parsnip Battle!!!!! Mwah hah hah hah hah hah!!!!!!!!" Oh, pardon me. I was having an Iron Chef moment. If you're a fan of that show, I should warn you that Iron Wok Jan! has nothing to do with eccentric Japanese millionaires or badly dubbed Japanese starlets. It is about food, though. Now, those of you who don't find the Food Network enthralling are probably thinking, "a graphic novel about cooking? What's next? The Exciting Cross-Stitch Adventures?" You'll see. The kitchen of a world-class Japanese restaurant is as tense as any battlefield in Iron Walk Jan! Jan Akiyama is a mean, steely-eyed cooking machine. He has to be--his grandfather was the master of Chinese cuisine in Japan, and he learned early on that cooking was a merciless struggle to be number one. Jan comes to Gobancho, Japan's best Chinese restaurant, to prove he can top the staff of his grandfather's old rival. When he gets there, he discovers he's not the only hot young chef around. Kiriko Gobancho is the owner's granddaughter and heiress, and she has serious cooking chops. She believes cooking is about heart, not competition, and she's not about to let arrogant Jan have his way in her kitchen! Iron Wok Jan! is a fascinating glimpse into a cuisine and a culture quite unlike my own. Jan and Kiriko square off over the best way to cook intestines and the relative merits of sheep's brains versus salted duck eggs. It's a fun read; Saijyo manages to convey the kinetic energy of expert chefs through explosive art with stark light and shadow. I'm not sure how big an audience there is for a comic about aspiring chefs, but I encourage fans of food or manga to check it out. As of October 2003 there should be six volumes of Iron Wok Jan! available from ComicsOne. The complete series is apparently a whopping 27 volumes. review by Jen |
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Meet Lenore, the sweetest little dead girl you'll ever meet. Well, perhaps not the sweetest -- she's certainly cute, in a decrepit sort of way, but she's also a little girl, full of tantrums and odd practical jokes. From her tea parties to her attempts at answering life's (or death's) more puzzling questions, Lenore is just creepy enough to elicit a squeal or two while still underscoring every scene with a light touch of humor. Roman Dirge's art is simple and disarming in strong black and white, appropriately abstract for what would be a rather gruesome sight in detail. Not for the squeamish -- the ew! factor is fairly high -- but then again, sometimes a harmless creep-out is what you're looking for. review by robin |
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Children's fantasy is full of talking creatures: animals, insects, even trees! So isn't it time vegetables had their say? In Magic Pickle, Scott Morse reveals a shocking secret: a bunch of produce has, er, gone bad and is planning to terrorize the nation. Luckily, we have a hero on our side. Code-named "Weapon Kosher," the Magic Pickle was created by Doctor Jekyll Formaldehyde to protect mankind from "villainous vegetables" like the Phantom Carrot, the Romaine Gladiator, and the fiery Chili Chili Bang Bang. Things get complicated when our hero (who's been in a jar for fifty years) discovers that his secret lab is located beneath Jo Jo Wigman's bedroom floor. Can a pre-pubescent girl help an experienced super-pickle in his mission, even if she does still wear footsie jammies? Morse draws vegetables and humans with personality and style; if you can't imagine a pickle scowling, this book will change your mind. Hilarious artwork, plucky kids, and silly puns make Magic Pickle perfect for younger comics readers. review by Jen |
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How can Yusaku Godai ever pass his exams living in a nuthouse like Maison Ikkoku? Between Mrs. Inchinose's snooping, sexpot Akemi's teasing, and Mr. Yotsuya's mooching, Yusako's academic life is going down the tubes. He's just about to move out--really, he means it this time!--when Kyoko Otonashi walks in the door. Kyoko is Maison Ikkoku's new manager, and she's a lovely young widow. Needless to say, Yusako falls for her like a rock. Can he ever hope to win her love? Maison Ikkoku is a screwball romantic comedy like Love Hina, the sexy farce set in a girls' dorm. This romantic romp gets it right, delivering the comic misunderstandings and mix-ups with a light touch and snappy dialogue. Rumiko Takahashi's characters may have doe eyes and 1940's pin-up bodies, but they also have a realistic range of emotions and a genuine sweetness. Kyoko is an appealing leading lady, and Yusako, despite his bumbling, is a truly nice guy. The other residents of Maison Ikkoku take a wicked delight in making trouble for the pair, and romantic rivals liven things up as well. While it features a few racy moments (the obligatory accidental breast groping, for example) and occasional drunkenness, Maison Ikkoku is truly a sweet story. Fans of romantic comedy will smile, sigh, and guffaw at the antics of Maison Ikkoku's hapless neighbors. The characters are college age or older, so Maison Ikkoku may not have the teen appeal of other manga romances. Rumiko Takahashi is the author of the wildly popular Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha, though, so fans of those series may take to this one as well. There are fourteen volumes in all. review by Jen |
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Batton Lash's Supernatural Law series bases its comedy on a simple and elegant premise: lawyers are hilarious and given the proper circumstances their clients are even better! The Law Office of Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, caters to a very specific clientele, representing Ghoulies, Ghosties, Long-Leggity Beasties, and the often-persecuted Things that go Bump in the Night. The cast of characters includes lawyers Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd, their devoted office manager Mavis, and their young starlet of a receptionist Corey Wolff. In this volume, among other legalistic adventures, the intrepid foursome engage the ghost of a cursed Egyptian nobleman, represent Susann the Muse of Potboilers in a royalties suit, and assist a demon in his quest for freedom of religious expression. All these stories are spiced with subplots following the soap-operatic love lives of our various protagonists, often complicated by supernatural interference, not to mention the demands of a thriving practice. Amid all this excitement, astute readers will note some entertaining references to other popular fantasy characters from Harry Potter to the heroes of Monsters Inc. Lash's amusingly retro drawings call to mind a melding of Steve Canyon and the Archie comics, expanding the goofy humor even farther. review by alison |
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Our heroine is Miki, a loud, incredibly strong girl who works for her mother in the family noodle shop. Unfortunately, Miki has a tendency to get massively distracted while on the job. Deliveries go undelivered and customers are bullied out of the shop or scared away by Miki's displays of temper. And believe me, she has a temper. As someone strong enough to throw grown men, Miki is a force to be reckoned with. All in all, she is not doing the best job working for her mother and getting the noodles to the customers. Overall, the idea behind Noodle Fighter Miki is incredibly fun. Miki is loud, brash, mildly crazy, and quite amusing. However, the story itself moves at a breakneck speed from scene to scene with little to no time spent on setting up a story line or even developing an individual scene. In the first manga alone there are eleven separate stories. Most mangas I've encountered have between two and four! After trying to read and understand four or five stories, I was pretty exhausted. I found the stories far too short and, as a result, very confusing. If the writer had taken more time with them, Miki could have been quite enjoyable, but the writer didn't and ultimately, one large headache later, I recommend that you pass. review by katie |
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Keiichi has a problem many of us do -- despite being quite the catch from the outside, he lacks the self esteem to feel he's worth the trouble, and thus is once again dateless. Attempting to order the comfort food of choice, pizza, he's accidentally connected with the Goddess Technical Help Line. Thus, instead of gooey cheese and tomato sauce, he gets Belldandy, a Goddess who will grant him one wish. Cleverly, he wishes that a goddess will stay with him always -- and gets Belldandy herself! From there on, with the help of Belldandy's mischevious sister, the laughter and the romance begin. review by robin |
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Try this on for size -- You're a handsome, fit, martial-arts-trained young man. Every time you get hit with cold water, you turn into a pretty, fit, martial-arts-trained young woman. The only way to turn back is to find some hot water and dunk yourself. This is Ranma's plight, a curse unwittingly brought down on him by his own father -- you don't want to guess what his father turns into! This series is loved around the world for it laughs and heart -- Ranma is terribly perturbed by this constant switching, as is everyone around him, to great comic effect. review by robin |
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Comics have always crossed the genre lines, and in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, one of the hottest lines of comics were romance comics -- pretty much soap operas poured into 20 pages of saccharine, happily ever after goodness. Comedian Jeanne Martinet grew up reading romance comics, and after coming to the conclusion that they had permanently warped her take on relationships, she decided to fight back in her own way. Happily for us, she published the product: she took the images from particular romance comics and then rewrote all of the dialog to create new stories. Hilarity definitely ensues! review by robin |
Alison
Dare: Little Miss Adventures 
Bone
Electric
Girl 
Fortune
and Glory: A True Hollywood Story
From
Eroica With Love
Here
is Greenwood (Volume 1)
Hopeless
Savages
Lenore
Wedgies! 
Magic
Pickle 
Noodle
Fighter Miki Volume One
Oh
My Goddess!: 1-555-Goddess
Truer
than True Romance
copyright Robin Brenner 2002-2004