Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

Manga: Finishing Up Monster, Othereworld Barbara, and Other Manga Series

Manga: Finishing Up Monster, Othereworld Barbara, and Other Manga Series

FromThe Comics Alternative


Manga: Finishing Up Monster, Othereworld Barbara, and Other Manga Series

FromThe Comics Alternative

ratings:
Length:
90 minutes
Released:
May 11, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Time Codes: 00:00:26 - Introduction 00:02:33 - Setting up the episode 00:04:17 - More listener mail! 00:06:49 - Completing Monster 00:49:03 - Completing Otherworld Barbara 01:14:28 - Completing other manga series 01:26:25 - Wrap up 01:27:47 - Contact us On this episode of the monthly manga series -- the April show, actually, albeit late -- Shea and Derek revisit some of the titles that they had previously discussed. They talk about these series now that they have more volumes under their belts, and in some cases, have completed the entire series. The first of these that they discuss is Naoki Urasawa's Monster(VIZ Media), a title that they first discussed in their July 2015 episode. The last volume of the English-language Perfect Editions was released in summer of 2016, and both Shea and Derek explore their experiences finishing up the series. As they reveal, Urasawa has a penchant for vast, multi-leveled narratives, filled with a wide cast of characters, and the guys discuss this style of storytelling, its thrills as well as its challenges. Next, they turn to the completion of a story they first discussed on the September 2016 manga episode, Moto Hagio's Otherworld Barbara (Fantagraphics). The second volume of this series was published in August of last year, and the guys revisit Hagio's storyworld and its wrap-up. As they mentioned on their earlier episode, this is a complex, even vertiginous, narrative that involves dreamscapes, multiple narrative levels, and time interplay. Both of them appreciate Hagio's conclusion, although at times they wonder about the story's lapses into sentimentalism, and if the various narrative threads may not be a bit unwieldy. Finally, the guys discuss other manga series that they've been keeping up with, even completing, individually. For Shea, that includes ONE and Yusuke Murata's One-Punch Man and Yusei Matsui's Assassination Classroom, both published by VIZ Media. Derek waxes enthusiastically about Inio Asano's Goodnight Punpun(VIZ Media), Kengo Hanazawa's I Am a Hero(Dark Horse Manga), and Akiko Higashimura's Princess Jellyfish(Kodansha Comics).  
Released:
May 11, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

A weekly podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There's nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New podcast episodes become available every Wednesday and include reviews of graphic novels and current ongoing series, discussions of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, in-depth analyses of a variety of comics texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces "special feature" programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to creator interviews, webcomics, on-location events, and special non-weekly themes and topics.