Nihon Matsuri is coming up!!

I am quite excited for Nihon Matsuri coming up soon.
For those that don't know, its an outdoor festival to celebrate all things japan. it has exebitions of traditional tea ceremonies, taiko drummers, historical photos and martial arts demonstrations.
There's also food vendors, normal vendors and just about everything. It's free and local.
I say, go check it out!!!
http://www.nihonmatsuri.com/

It's been forever.

So, I'm not going to make a huge post that just lists everything I've been up to in the last year or so, nor am I going to make another list of stuff I'm planning on doing in the year.

I'm just posting.

Like nothing ever happened.

Awkward.

Anyways, I'm writing reviews. Comic book reviews.

Check them out!

Anyways. Here I am... again.

Reviews: http://aldowritingspace.blogspot.com/

Tumblr: http://aldolife.tumblr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Aldo531

and of course Facebook and Google Plus if you already know me!

Comic Review: Thought Bubble #1

This is actually an odd find. I was quite happy to have found this. I saw this on the shelf, just kind of sitting there not doing anything. The earthy colors on the cover and newspaper paper quality kept it hidden and inconspicuous, unlike most other books. Upon picking it up I felt that it was folded and I read the cover.
"Thought Bubble, The Leeds Comics Art Festival's First Ever Anthology."
I knew I had to pick it up.
And I did.

To start off, This is not like a Dark Horse Presents Anthology where you have chapters from ongoing stories, rather you have several different little stories, with some as short as half a page and some as long as 3 pages.

Each story is written by a different author and illustrated by a different artist. Some of the names to pop out are Becky Cloonan (Who did the cover art), Andy Diggle, Charlie Adlard, and Robin Furth.
The stories are great, but there is a variety to them with no specific theme. Some of them are serious, most are comedic and some are just observational. There's even two amateur comics in the back, both are winners of an Under 18 contest.

I highly recommend picking up this anthology for the variety and just a great showcase of talent.

Thought Bubble is published by Image Comics and cost 2.99 in single issue format.
Pick it up or order it from your local comic book store, tell them Aldo Approves!

Late Comic Review: Katsuya Terada’s Monkey King

I love the Monkey King. I love him a lot. A funny thing about him is that I unknowingly grew up with him as a child. I, like many children of the nineties, watched the famed anime Dragon Ball. What a lot of people don’t know is that it’s a retelling of the monkey king’s tale, Journey to the West. Journey to the West is considered to be one of the four great novels to come out of china, telling the story of a monkey who is born from a rock, grows up to be a powerful being and ultimately is punished for his arrogance by the great Buddha to escort a nun to western India. Once I learned of Dragon Ball’s source material I read it, and since then have found my self in love with this story and all of it’s adaptations.

Katsuya Terada’s Monkey King is my latest plunge into the mythos. This, so far, has got to be my favorite adaptation so far; it has this great Conan the Barbarian feel to it. It is quite important to point out that this is Katsuya Terada’s Monkey King for the sole purpose that this is all him, from the script, layout, art and to the whole finished product.

The Story is great, if it’s not known to you then you might want to hold on to this book, as it takes the Japanese approach when it comes to this particular story, meaning it just assumes that you know this story like 90% of the Japanese population does. The story starts smack-dab in the middle of the entire plot with Monkey well on his way to India whilst already paired up with a nun and his pig companion, Hakkai. Halfway through the book, you’re abruptly given an origin story on his birth, and by the end of the book you’ve reached where you started.
The dialogue is minimal, with character expressions and development relying on the art, which is nothing short of great. Each panel has its own color palette, and there’s a great look to each page. The art is painted and looks fantastic, the attention to detail is fantastic as Monkey never stops feel visceral and powerful, but because of the art, the action scenes can feel rush, forcing you to fill in big movement gaps with your imagination.
Remember how I said it had a great Conan the Barbarian feel to it? It’s not because of the story telling, but rather the content of the book. This has a fair amount of breasts and dismemberment; In one panel you might be looking at the naked body of an angel and when you turn the page you might be seeing that same angel being dismembered in half and eaten in explicit detail. So, it is not for the faint of heart of those easily offended.

For 15 dollars, this book isn’t cheap. There’s thirteen chapters, each being about seven to nine pages long. The writing is minimal, with many sound effects written in Japanese, but you do get fantastic art, great quality paper, an essay on the back talking about Katsuya Terada’s creative process and even a translation guide for all the Japanese text in the book. I felt like I got my money’s worth and I’m happily looking forward to the next book, volume 2, in April.

Aldo happily gives Katsuya Terada’s Monkey King a score of 9 out 10.
If you’re a fan of great art, Chinese mythology or just the Monkey King, pick this one up or you’re a fool for not reading it.
Katsuya Terada’s Monkey King is published by Dark Horse Comics, costs $14.95 in paperback format and is for Mature Readers only, 18 and up.

Pick it up or Order it from your local comic book store, tell them Aldo Approves!

Late Comic Review: Rat Catcher

Today, I’m catching up a couple of books I needed to review. The first of many is Rat Catcher by Andy Diggle and Victor Ibanez, Published by DC under Vertigo Crime.

Rat Catcher is a mystery crime graphic novel  about a rat catcher inside the mob.The story starts out by sending us straight into the middle of the story, people are getting shot, covering tracks and just getting dirty. The reader (that’s me and you, kids) are being all sorts of clues as to who is this titular rat catcher. The rat catcher is an assassin from the mob who is sent to kill informants and witnesses, but according to the FBI, he doesn’t officially exist, but our main characters, a couple of FBI agents, believe otherwise.Things get really interesting when we find out that the elusive rat catcher is someone on the inside of the FBI!
As the story goes on we get some great background info on the characters, we also get some fantastic reveals and twists. The ending is a little disappointing, feeling hypocritical and cheap, but a minor complaint in a story that kept me wondering what was going to happen next!
Like I previously said, the story is great and the script feels natural, but that is attributed to the great writing of Andy Diggle (The Losers, HELLBLAZER) who makes it feel like you’re watching a movie. The art is nothing mind blowing nor revolutionary, but in this book is doesn’t need to be. Victor Ibanez draws some great characters, and while everyone is wearing a suit (at least for the most part) you can always tell who is who and will never be confused as to what is going on. The art is clean and doesn’t feel cartoony, and overall is a great match to Diggle’s writing and helps the whole “you’re watching a crime movie” feel of the book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great crime graphic novel. It’s not too short that it’ll be over before you know it, but not too long that it feels like a chore to read. It’ll keep you on your toes and the edge of you seat. Go pick it up at your local comic book store!
Aldo gives the Rat Catcher an overall score of 6.5 out 10.