From Bruce Wayne to Batman!

Batman has always been my favourite hero. Despite being a human, he is more super than most of the superhumans. I would like to share a batman script (slightly modified as I writing as I remember it) from an old issue (don't remember the number or title) I read ages ago. The issue described batman's journey from the angry young Bruce Wayne to the person we know as Batman. The pictures in a graphic novel help a lot but these words are too amazing not to share.

And do check out the video about how the Batman logo has changed over the years. (I haven't made it. I found it on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch v=AKR_4kRDR9s&feature=player_embedded#at=91)

"Sometimes I feel as all sense has left my life.I hardly even know myself. But somehow, suddenly I feel like I know this world. It is hard and cold and dark and lawless. Its face is fierce and bestial and the only face i have with which to glare back at it is utterly inadequate.

You think you know fear. But truth is you don't know fear half as well as it knows you. It's part chemical and part psychogenic. It's instinctive, and also something you learn. Something you cultivate and practice hiding beneath other feelings. Like anger. You can conquer fear, if you are willing to look at it for what it is. Few are. Few ever truly gaze into their fear, their pain. Fewer still embrace it. I don't enjoy fear but I have learned to respect it. But I still dont have a face as feral as the one life has shown me. I am still hiding. Still hoping for courage and counting on luck.

The world is not particularly sane. Predictability here is a complex calculation between logical occurrences and dubious motives. While destiny is the elusively simple matter of becoming who you are. It takes committed effort to choose a path of order in a chaotic world. It is not an arbitrary decision and it is more then moral. It's about identity. As long as you can choose that. Choose who you are in the world. You can choose to call yourself sane.

When I finally understand my fear, I will take another look at this world. I will go out to learn how to be strong enough to face it. And accept it for what it is, without flinching. One day I will choose the face to wear outside. One day I will meet life's gaze."

A Bat for the Ages

 

Welcome one and all to another edition of the Wayfarer!

First off, I'd like to make a quick apology for missing last week's deadline - being new to this venture I failed to account for the amazing distractive powers of life itself... I solemnly pledge to you all from hereon, I shall never miss a week here at Comic Addicts, one way or another, come hell or high water, you will get your fill of good reading!

NOW! In the words of Chris Rock, time to Roll With The New!
Its Batman Week here at Comic Addicts and we all wanted to bring you ol' pointy ear's in all his Dark-knight-y glory and so this week's wayfarer will be following the theme and bringing you some Bat-action.

After giving it much though, I realised I didn't want to do any of the ongoing Bat-stuff and the really well-known graphic novels and/or collected story arcs. There were others more inclined to touch on these and besides, there is such a rich history and mythology to be found in the archives that I decided to really look deep.
And fortunate wonders! In my digging I came across a collection I own called "The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told" with this wonderful cover by the inimitable Walter Simonson - who of course is best known for his legen-waitforit-Dary! run on Marvel's Thor, but that is a whole other review (or several...).

Now my understanding is that this was meant to be a series of "Greatest Stories..." collections but I've never come across any of the others nor even heard about them - likely never would have had I not possessed this one which gives a volume number on the side.
I was very fortunate the day I received this, just a little tyke back then running around in my mini-Bat-suit complete with pants designed to look like I was wearing undie's on the outside and a big black cape. Of course I never had the mask since it was meant to be a kid's night-suit but I think at that point I couldn't have cared less!

But on with the review. I thought about trying to review this book and all it's stories but there are a great many of them (as you will see shortly) and I refuse to create a post so monstrous that even I wouldn't read the whole thing.
With this in mind I'm going to simplify - first a brief about the book and why I selected this and then a listing of what the book contains and quicky reviews of the lot side by side!

Nish's Notepad: Batman #500

Happy Bat-Week Mates! Since this whole week is for Batman, so I though what would be better than going back in the past? So I digged up my shelf for something like that and found a perfect thing to write a review on: Batman Issue #500..

Script: Doug Moench
Pencils: Jim Aparo, Mike Manley
Inks: Terry Austin, Mike Manley
Colours: Adrienne Roy
Letters: Ken Bruzenak
Editor: Dennis O'Neil

Before I start with my actual review, let me tell you about the Knightfall series of Batman, to which #500 belongs. Before the Knightfall series, i.e. in Issue #491, Bane stages a giant break out of Arkham Asylum, due to which Batman's fiercest foes like Joker, the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Two face etc. start a rampage within the Asylum.

An Introduction to Manga - Part 3

(Continuing from Part 2)

The Genre Conundrum

Manga has the widest variety of genre you can ever find in any media and not to mention the convenient categorization of each genre in a way that gives you an idea of the contents of the story before beginning to read it. The categorization depends on various factors too. Sometimes it depends on the target audience, at other times themes that our now considered tropes for the industry mark out the genre. Sexual orientation of the mangaka's target audience matters. As does the type of story itself.



Based on the theme of the story, manga is categorized as

• Shojo (Themes that appeal to girls like romance, fantasy, school life etc.)
• Shonen (Themes that appeal to boys like action, mecha, robots etc.)
• Seinen (Extreme gore and violence)
• Hentai (Adult themes, usually for boys)
• Children (Themes that appeal to little children, usually revolving around fantasy and simple action themes)
• Josei (Drama and slice of life manga made for older or working women)

Based on Sexual orientation,

• Straight
• Yaoi or Shonen Ai (Gay themes)
• Yuri or Shoujo Ai (Lesbian themes)

Based on story type

• Drama
• Tragedy
• School life
• Supernatural
• Psychological
• Martial Arts
• Sports
• Slice of Life
• Sci fi
• Comedy
• Historical

One could go on forever. Keep in mind, that this listing is only a broad classification of the genres manga can touch. It is estimated that there are around 3000 professional manga artists in Japan. All of these individuals have published at least one volume of manga, but most of them make their living as assistants to famous manga artists or have some other supplementary source of income.

Only 300 of these, or ten percent of the total, are able to make an above-average living from manga alone. In addition, there are also a great number of amateur manga artists who produce small magazines intended for private circulation, called dojinshi. Ever artist strives to make his manga as unique as possible, for individual traits are what make a manga great and memorable. Thus what you have is a comic book style that ultimately defies genres outright.

I firmly believe that manga should simply be made a genre in itself and all this clutter should be done away with it. This is not a fool's myopic viewpoint that I ask for, rather the farsight of seeing the whole picture with all its colorful details intact. Genres are after all essentially classifications. And a you can quite honestly ignore them completely if you want to. Just go from cover to cover and read the brief to see which storyline actually attracts you. Or flip through the pages until something catches your eye.

Eye is caught.

Impact.

The three largest publishing houses producing manga are Kodansha, Shogakkan, and Shueisha. In addition there are some ten odd publishing firms which come in at a close second, including Akita Shoten, Futabasha, Shonen Gahosha, Hakusensha, Nihon Bungeisha, and Kobunsha. This does not take into account the countless other small-scale publishing firms. As we can clearly see Manga is a force to be reckoned with. Its a massive industry with solid roots reaching well back into time and with each passing year it only grows.

In India, a country as far away as could be possible from the conventions and norms of Japan, a following is now slowly yet surely developing for manga. That in itself is a triumph for everyone involved. Fans come together across the globe in Comic Conventions dressed up as their favorite character. Such is its reach in the world. And the beauty of it all is, manga has nowhere near realized its full potential for growth yet.

The impact if global and the entertainment moguls of the civilized world no longer ignore this comic book juggernaut from Japan. They simply cannot afford to.

So step right up... into the world of manga, you know of it enough. Pick a series, any series you like and read it a chapter or two.

If you dont like it, pick another one,
eventually you shall find one that will surely click.

A story will be found, a story so familiar and attuned to your tastes.
A story that you will instantly love, and then you will for a moment begin to doubt,

If the author knew you, knew what you were all about.

And that is how it begins.
After all, no introduction to manga ever ends.

Anime Review: Samurai Champloo

I absolutely loved Cowboy Bebop and the intertwining jazz music, which truly shone bright and etched the series into my mind and heart. So, I fished for some more “stuff” from Mr. Shinichirō Watanabe. Coming across “Samurai Champloo” I thought of getting some info about the series before I jump into it. This is how my friend described it to me – “I don’t remember the series name but it involves two samurai’s. One was strict and the other was a total ruckus but they rocked the house and it was awesome!!Oh and it has Hip-Hop mashed with old Japan”.

The Adventures of Karen Ross (Part 2)

My next to periods were the ones I dreaded. I hated math and science and could never fully understand how cutting up a defenseless frog was going to help me in the future. I had told Jeff before how I felt about the subjects and by his reaction one would have thought I had announced the apocalypse. Jeff was a total science nerd and was always talking to me about future inventions. I was happy when the two periods were over because that meant lunch time. Going to the cafeteria Jeff was waiting for me with a tray. He always helped me to get my food since my hands were preoccupied helping me to remain upright. Jeff helped me to get to a table and sat down next to me.

Batman vs. Superman: The Battle for Ideals

In the spirit of Batman Week lets take a look at two of the most prominent figures in DC Comics. There has always been the debate over who is the better hero Batman or Superman, but today we would like to take it to a more philosophical level. Who better stands up for their ideals and beliefs better? That is exactly what we are going to look at.

First lets take a look at how each character differs. Yes this may seem a little redundant, but it’s to help keep the focus as we move on. Batman is not so much a hero, but a vigilante who punishes those who need to be punished. Batman is not afraid to get on their level never crossing the kill line though. That is the one barrier that he leaves to separate himself from the villain scum. Batman has also spent years training and honing his body and mind to as near perfection as he can get it. Of course he also tends to boarder on madness from time to time. Although, he does seem to have a plan for everything.