Classics Revisited

Friday, December 9th, 2011

With the holidays and the new year fast approaching people, everywhere are looking back not only on 2011 but generations ago to recall fond memories of years past. Whether re-watching classic films like A Christmas Story or A Miracle on 34th Street, or getting reacquainted with holiday songs from Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole, this time of year tends to evoke a yearning for familiar feelings of family and feasts.

This winter Vertical wishes to inspire a similar experience with its readers through two distinctly unique comic classics. One is a classic in the traditional sense, while another revives a work from generations past.

With the final volume of Princess Knight, comic fans can experience a world of shojo (girls) comics long forgotten. Osamu Tezuka originally penned this classic girls adventure in the 50′s and the series immediately made an impact on the shojo market. One of Tezuka’s most beloved tales, Princess Knight emotes Disney-esque adventure that should make the perfect gift for the comics fan young and old.

While not as light and warm-hearted as Princess Knight, Usamaru Furuya’s No Longer Human is a modern-day classic overflowing with passion. Drawn with amazing detail Furuya’s adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s classic novel makes this work accessible to today’s increasingly global audience.

So as readers work on their holiday gift lists this December, we would like to recommend these two timeless treasures which are certain to be enjoyed over and over for many years to come.

Oh the Humanity

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

At a time when tales of the occult and zombie properties have sent North America’s collective cultural pulse racing with bone-chilling imagery and the hope for heroism in fictional apocalypses, Vertical’s latest release is poised to titillate and stimulate thought from even the most grizzled horror fan. Jiro Matsumoto’s Velveteen & Mandala may feature an abundance of walking dead characters, but at its core is a fantastic tale of teen angst and loneliness.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, Matsumoto’s English-language debut re-invents the girls-with-guns genre by turning its focus to the day-to-day lives of its violent teens. What is revealed is something all too familiar…an abundance of pop culture references, pent-up sexual anxiety, a disconnection with the adult world and enough frustration to destroy at least one megalopolis. Armed with enough firepower to take on NATO forces, the titular characters in this one-volume comic may have to worry about the living far more than the undead.

Beautifully penned and thoughtfully scripted, V&M is already gaining critical acclaim by the subculture elite as it has added a refreshing new twist to the horror genre while firmly placing Matsumoto’s mark on the global comics scene. So while recommending this to all readers eighteen and up is a no-brainer, those looking for comics with soul will find that this book may rock the very foundations of their entertainment needs, potentially forcing them to wander through bookstore aisles in search of other equally strong works to satiate their hunger for challenging seinen (men’s comics).