Picture of author.

Mark Crilley

Teoksen Akiko on the Planet Smoo tekijä

55+ teosta 2,327 jäsentä 68 arvostelua 1 Favorited

Tietoja tekijästä

Includes the name: Mark Crilley

Image credit: By Rhododendrites - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69711868

Sarjat

Tekijän teokset

Akiko on the Planet Smoo (2000) — Tekijä — 182 kappaletta
Miki Falls: Spring (2007) 140 kappaletta
Miki Falls: Summer (2007) 127 kappaletta
Miki Falls: Autumn (2007) 115 kappaletta
Miki Falls: Winter (2008) 113 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost Volume 1 (2010) 97 kappaletta
Akiko in the Sprubly Islands (2000) — Tekijä — 87 kappaletta
Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd (2001) 82 kappaletta
Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo (2002) 76 kappaletta
Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor (2001) — Tekijä — 74 kappaletta
Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000 (2003) 67 kappaletta
My last summer with Cass (2021) 57 kappaletta
Akiko and the Journey to Toog (2003) 48 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost, Vol. 2 (2011) 46 kappaletta
Akiko: The Training Master (2005) — Tekijä — 31 kappaletta
Creatch Battler (Billy Clikk) (2004) 30 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost Volume 3 (2012) 30 kappaletta
Akiko, Vol. 4: The Story Tree (2000) 26 kappaletta
Akiko: Pieces of Gax (2006) — Tekijä — 25 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost Volume 4 (2013) 24 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost Volume 5 (2014) 23 kappaletta
Akiko, Vol. 8: Flights of Fancy (2002) 21 kappaletta
Akiko and the Missing Misp (2008) 21 kappaletta
Rogmasher Rampage (Billy Clikk) (2005) 20 kappaletta
Cautionary Tales (Kindle Single) (2011) — Kuvittaja — 20 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost Collected Edition (2016) 19 kappaletta
Miki Falls (2007) 18 kappaletta
Akiko, Vol. 5: Bornstone's Elixir (2001) 18 kappaletta
Brody's Ghost Volume 6 (2015) 14 kappaletta
Lost in Taiwan (2023) — Tekijä — 12 kappaletta
Akiko e il pianeta Smoo (2003) 1 kappale

Associated Works

Bone: Tall Tales (2010) — Kuvittaja — 583 kappaletta
Half-Minute Horrors (2009) — Avustaja — 277 kappaletta
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 3 (2015) — Kuvittaja — 80 kappaletta
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 5 (1818) — Kuvittaja — 64 kappaletta
Bohemians: A Graphic History (2014) 61 kappaletta
MySpace Dark Horse Presents Volume 6 (2011) — Avustaja — 16 kappaletta

Merkitty avainsanalla

Yleistieto

Kanoninen nimi
Crilley, Mark
Syntymäaika
1965-05-21
Sukupuoli
male
Kansalaisuus
USA

Jäseniä

Kirja-arvosteluja

#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. (Collect them all!)

From the March 1998 edition with a theme of "Science Fiction":

INTRODUCTION

Science Fiction. Sci Fi. SF. It's a genre with incredible flexibility, isn't it? This month alone, I have been able to locate a space opera, a farce, a post-apocalyptic road trip, and a fantastic fairytale that all fit comfortably under the label of Science Fiction. (An interesting side note: Japan seems to be having a huge impact on Science Fiction comics in America today. Of the four comics below, one is directly imported from Japan, and two others are obviously influenced by the art of manga -- Japanese comic books.) While I wait for some capable soul to revive the straight Western in comics, I'll be content knowing that the popular genre of SF is well represented every month in PREVIEWS.

FROM THE BACKLIST

AKIKO #19-22 (Sirius Entertainment)
AKIKO TRADE PAPERBACK VOLUME 1 (Sirius Entertainment)

Alice tumbled down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. Wendy flew via the power of pixie dust to Never Never Land. Dorothy rode a tornado to Oz. And, now, Akiko has rocketed in a spaceship disguised as an ice cream van to the planet Smoo. Welcome to the age of hi-tech fantasy lands.

AKIKO is an amazing all-ages comic that blends fantasy, science fiction, and children's literature into one tasty concoction. The skeptical adult readers out there may have been skipping AKIKO -- and are about to skip this review, perhaps -- because AKIKO looks child oriented, but I'm here to tell you that this is an "all-ages" book that will absolutely entertain adults as well as kiddies. Writer/artist Mark Crilley's AKIKO stories have as much drama and adventure as any comic being produced today. Sure, the seriousness is leavened by outrageousness and slapstick humor, but it is in no way overridden by that wild streak. That AKIKO is also infused with the wonder and sense of awe of its young female protagonist is a bonus in my eyes.

Akiko is a fourth-grade schoolgirl who travels to the fantastic world of Smoo to save the day. Smoo, you see, is a planet of dichotomy: on the one hand, its inhabitants have developed advanced technology; but on the other hand, the people of Smoo seem to lack even an iota of common sense. Akiko is the voice of reason, the steady hand, and the font of initiative needed to guide Smoo through its various crises. With the help of the reckless and roguish Spuckler Boach, the learned and cautious Mr. Beeba, and the incomprehensible and bodiless Poog, Akiko crisscrosses the planet getting captured by various exotic cultures. The adventurers invariably escape and achieve their goals through a combination of spunk and luck. (Heavy emphasis on the luck.) Akiko's extended absences from Earth, by the way, are covered by a robotic doppelganger thoughtfully provided by her friends from Smoo.

Crilley's writing in AKIKO is brisk and humorous. Sure, the plots are simple and depend heavily on capricious turns of luck, but that suits the type of tales Crilley is telling. Once you understand the funky logic of Akiko's adventures, it's easy to suspend disbelief and simply let the torrent of action carry you along. Besides, Crilley is smart enough to reward the reader with plenty of dramatic revelations and thoughtful moments in order to prevent motion sickness. The best part of AKIKO is the character interaction. I'm particularly fond of the amusing personality clash between the over-the-top Spuckler and the head-buried-in-the-sand Mr. Beeba. I also like the innocent, oblivious hypocrisy of the supporting cast as they alternate between condescension and acquiescence toward Akiko, sometimes in the same breath.

I can almost justify purchasing AKIKO based solely on the pictures. While a Japanese manga influence is obvious, Crilley's linework is still very unique. His major strength is in distinctive character design. Akiko has big, black button eyes and a nub of a nose, while many of the side characters look like they've just stepped off the "Muppet Show." Crilley's monsters and alien critters are truly bizarre and wonderful. His spectacular sense of design is also showcased in elaborately detailed backgrounds. Castles, fortresses, ruins, villages, and vehicles are rendered with care rarely seen outside of such visual masterpieces as Dave Sim and Gerhard's CEREBUS (Aardvark-Vanaheim) or Katsuhiro Otomo's AKIRA (Epic/Marvel Comics). Though printed in black and white, Crilley adds incredible depth to AKIKO through masterful toning and shading. This guy has the complete package, folks.

I usually try to review only comics where I have read the entire series. In this case, however, the eleven issues of AKIKO I've read are so delightful I can't help but rush a recommendation, especially when so many of AKIKO's back issues will be available this month. I'll be ordering the ones I'm missing. I strongly suggest that you follow suit.

Grade: B
… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
villemezbrown | 1 muu arvostelu | Nov 29, 2023 |
Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database.
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
villemezbrown | Nov 29, 2023 |
Rated "Good" in our old book database.
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
villemezbrown | Nov 29, 2023 |
Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database.
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
villemezbrown | Nov 29, 2023 |

Listat

Palkinnot

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Tilastot

Teokset
55
Also by
7
Jäseniä
2,327
Suosituimmuussija
#11,022
Arvio (tähdet)
3.8
Kirja-arvosteluja
68
ISBN:t
177
Kielet
3
Kuinka monen suosikki
1

Taulukot ja kaaviot