Stealth Symphony chapters 13-20 Story by Ryohgo Narita, Art by Yoichi Amano Review

In this final set of chapters the series finally kicks into full gear as the plot unfolds at a rapid pace. Every panel is filled with exposition which would have probably flowed much more naturally had the series not been cancelled. The artwork is incredible. This truly could have been a great series had it not started on a sour note.

Without going into spoilers, the series is filled with twists and turns all culminating in a rather dark climax. It is definitely still worth recommending if only for this final set of chapters. In conclusion, I’ll miss reviewing this series; from its awful early chapters to its dark conclusion it was quite a ride.

Rating: 8/10

Stealth Symphony is available digitally from Viz Media. 

Tomica strips 1-16 review

Tomica strips 1-16 by David Covas Lourenco and Deon de Lange Review

The titular Tomica must break into a base. As the enemy prepares to fire on him, questions arise: just who is Tomica? What are his motives? A science fiction epic is about to unfold!

Tomica, a South African webcomic, is at the very least very, very well drawn. At this point there are a lot of questions about the origins of the protagonist and I’m curious to see where the story will go. As it is a comic strip that seems to be geared toward a younger audience it seems to be a tad more focused on comedy but only slightly so.

The series visually reminded me of Nausicaa in some regards which I really enjoyed. As said above, the artwork is really gorgeous. A lot of effort was clearly put into this work and it shows. If you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path I highly recommending checking this out even if there’s a lot of questions in my mind about it.

Tomica is available digitally from UO Comics with a print release in the works.

Annarasumanara chapters 0-6 review

Annarasumanara chapters 0-6 Story & Art by Ilkwon Ha Review

Struggling to make ends meet due to her parents’ absence, Yui continues about her daily life with her sister. One day a mysterious magician appears and turns her world upside down. Will Yui’s life ever be the same?

Rather experimental in nature, Annarasumanara is a rather compelling read. The heroine is a sympathetic, believable character and the story flows rather naturally. The artwork is well done making good use of repetition to prove a point though the person sitting next Yui at school is bafflingly and feels rather out of place in the series.

The series could stand to have more three dimensional antagonists though that seems to be a problem in comics as a whole. In conclusion, Annarasumanara is a delightful coming of age story with a few odd elements. That being said, these elements are nowhere near detrimental enough to not recommend this series.

Rating: 8/10

Annarasumanara is available digitally on Line Webtoons.

Heart of Thomas review

Heart of Thomas Story & Art by Moto Hagio Review

At an all boys’ school in Germany, Thomas’ death weighed heavily on those around him. Around the same time, a mysterious boy appears who will shake Thomas’ school to its very core. As the drama unfolds, how will all these connected people interact? One thing is for certain: at the heart of it all lies Thomas.

Heart of Thomas is nothing short of a masterpiece of LGBT comics. The characters are very well fleshed out, the story is filled with twists and turns, and the art is very well done though very different from modern Japanese comics (the series was created several decades ago). Oddly though, Thomas is more of a background character. True he is the one to set the plot in motion but for long periods of time the book will go without so much as mentioning him.

The ending is particularly frustrating from a romance fan’s standpoint. The story has lots of melodrama though which makes the book hard to put down. In conclusion, Heart of Thomas is a necessary read for those interested in historical comics and is every bit compelling for people simply looking for a good read.

Heart of Thomas is available in English from Fantagraphics Books.