A thoroughly enjoyable side-story in a popular action-adventure franchise.
This comic-book expansion of the Gatchaman universe centers on archvillain Berg Katse.
Japanese animated series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman—or simply Gatchaman—aired in the late 1970s and early ’80s. It may be better known to Americans by the title of its dubbed and re-edited version, Battle of the Planets, but this latest comic iteration, from an American publisher, returns the characters and organizations to their Japanese names. This volume collects four comic-book issues, written by Orlando and illustrated by Lobo and Qualano. Berg Katse (called Zoltar in Battle of the Planets) is the commander of Galactor, an evil group whose mission claims to be in Earth’s best interest: By seizing all the planet's resources, they assert, humanity can be saved from itself. But when a poisoned meal nearly kills Katse, he must uncover who’s infiltrated his organization. It doesn’t take long for him to track down his would-be assassins: the last members of an organized crime family he thought he eradicated years earlier, shortly before founding Galactor. The gang’s plan has been years in the making—and they have a secret weapon: a mutant family member strong enough to take on Katse. This comic is created by a different team than the one collected in the recent Gatchaman Vol. 1, and it avoids most of that series’ problems. At one point, Katse goes undercover to infiltrate Galactor’s ranks and, in a few panels, it becomes hard to discern which character is Katse. Aside from this, however, the panels have room to breathe, and strike an ideal balance between dialogue and action. The color palette is cohesive, leaning heavily on the reds and purples of Katse’s outfit. Notably, the Science Ninja Team is absent from this comic, other than a brief glimpse at the start (in which someone in a fleeing crowd says, “I’ve seen all their vids—got all the bootleg DVDs,” in a knowing wink to longtime fans), but it never feels that anything is lacking. Instead, this work effectively fleshes out an established character with an absorbing, artfully executed backstory.
A thoroughly enjoyable side-story in a popular action-adventure franchise.Pub Date: yesterday
ISBN: 9781545815892
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times...
A bland, uninspired graphic adaptation of the Bard’s renowned love story.
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times oddly psychedelic-tinged backgrounds of cool blues and purples, the mood is strange, and the overall ambiance of the story markedly absent. Appealing to what could only be a high-interest/low–reading level audience, McDonald falls short of the mark. He explains a scene in an open-air tavern with a footnote—“a place where people gather to drink”—but he declines to offer definitions for more difficult words, such as “dirges.” While the adaptation does follow the foundation of the play, the contemporary language offers nothing; cringeworthy lines include Benvolio saying to Romeo at the party where he first meets Juliet, “Let’s go. It’s best to leave now, while the party’s in full swing.” Nagar’s faces swirl between dishwater and grotesque, adding another layer of lost passion in a story that should boil with romantic intensity. Each page number is enclosed in a little red heart; while the object of this little nuance is obvious, it’s also unpleasantly saccharine. Notes after the story include such edifying tidbits about Taylor Swift and “ ‘Wow’ dialogs from the play” (which culls out the famous quotes).Pub Date: May 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-93-80028-58-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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