Rapid Reviews - 30 March 2005 - Part II

Incredible Hulk #80: "Tempest Fugit Part 4 of 5": I don't get this whole flashback to young Bruce talking with Hulk thing, but it makes for interesting reading. It also makes the end of this one into a double or triple cliffhanger.

Usagi Yojimbo #82: "Vendetta's End": I'm sure if I go back and reread many issues, I'll find where Koyama Matabei first appeared. As it is, I wasn't really surprised when Usagi recognized him, since he knows everyone. An excellent story, well worth reading, even if you aren't familiar with Usagi Yojimbo.

Oddly Normal #1: The first two chapters of this story are presented in this book, where we meet Oddly Normal, the unfortunately named daughter of a witch and a perfectly ordinary man. Nice artwork, a fun concept, and a character you can feel for make this a good book to pick up. There's also at least one Wizard of Oz reference, which I did not know about when I ordered the book, so this one might possibly even make hubby-Eric's collection. In any case, check it out. Good stuff.

Tenjho Tenge Free Preview: There's not really enough in here to get a feel for the storytelling, but there is enough to get a taste of the style of characters. And my first response was fairly negative. A school of thugs, with a counter-thug group. Um. Ok. The whole sample seems pretty standard and even derivative, so I think I'll pass. When you add in the accusations that CMX is altering some of their books to make them more acceptable to a young American audience, I'm even less impressed. The only thing that really impresses me about this book is that the author is listed as "Oh! great". What a name.