There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Dog Man is the defining comic of our era. The second is that more people are reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before. Therefore we at Comics Beat have chosen to embark on a new venture: Beat’s Bizarre Adventure. Every week, three writers will recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have zombie dads, a high school romance that leaves high school far behind, and, of course, CLAMP! Where would we be without CLAMP?
Pieces of Humans
Story and Art: IRON Shin, SICK
Platform: WEBTOON
I don’t recall how I stumbled upon this series when it launched, but I did and was hooked. Pieces of Humans is a WEBTOON thriller set in a zombie apocalypse, or more specifically a post-apocalypse. A mysterious zombie virus breaks out and within a short amount of time, cities have fallen and military outposts are overrun. The story follows Mincheol Baek, a captain from his country’s military who gives his life to defend a military outpost from being overrun so that his own wife and daughter can escape to safety.
Mincheol eventually loses his life to the zombie horde but wakes up half a year later to discover he has become one of the undead. Yet he maintains his consciousness and control over his own body thanks to a last minute vaccine administered to the military. Unfortunately Mincheol is slowly decomposing; he can only prolong his “life” by replacing his organs and limbs with those of living humans. His new goal is to live long enough to be reunited with his wife and daughter, and make sure he can do all he can for them to survive in this new world.
The standout to me from reading this series is the presentation and premise. I can only describe it as Tokyo Ghoul meets The Walking Dead. We have a main character who himself is quite rare in media: a military captain with a wife and daughter. His goals, while simple, drive his every action throughout the series so far.
As for the presentation, the art is just unique. Many comics on WEBTOON utilize clean lineart, bright colors, simple cell shading, and such. The line art in Pieces of Humans by comparison is very rough with muted colors. Gauze clouds and watercolor brushes are used to emphasize the detail and texture of materials on the characters and the environment. It sets a raw, depressing, and gritty tone which fits perfectly with the themes and mood of the story.
I also love the use of panels. Some are paced to give the characters and their actions a sense of motion.Others utilize the format to have panels scroll like a camera tilting downward or moving overhead. I love when comics take advantage of their format to realize ideas that aren’t physically possible in any other medium.
As of writing there are only 10 episodes of Pieces of Humans; the most recent one has me on the edge of my seat and literally chewing my lips. Give it a read. — Justin Guerrero
Blue Sky Complex
Writer/Artist: Ichikawa Kei
Translation: Kat Skarbinec / Amimaru
Typesetting: Maria Victoria Gallo Garcia / Amimaru
Production Assistants: McKenzie Carnahan, Hanna S. S. H., W.H., HIKARI / Amimaru
Proofreader: Lauren Elyse, Taylor Drew
Quality Assurance: Molly Rabbitt
Platform: Futekiya
A lot of romances, especially those categorized as strangers-to-lovers, begin with two strangers meeting, initially misunderstanding each other, then becoming friends, and later something more. Satisfaction comes from watching the two fall in love with each other and get together at the end. And then, that’s it. Boom! The story has ended and we can assume that the two live happily ever after.
Blue Sky Complex, written and illustrated by Ichikawa Kei, takes us past the “happily ever after.” The story begins in high school when Narasaki, a quiet high schooler who wants nothing more than peace and quiet, is asked to watch over a delinquent named Natsuki under the guise of helping at the library reception desk. Narasaki is understandably wary, but is surprised when Natsuki seems to want and like the quietude of the library as the two read next to each other in silence. The two bond over books and become tentative friends. All that changes when Natsuki suddenly steals a kiss from Narasaki.
It’s a classic, if cliche, tale of two opposites: an honor student and a delinquent. Natsuki wears his heart on his sleeve and is the more expressive of the two. While Narasaki is more stoic, it’s clear from his thoughts that he’s trying to sort out what that kiss meant to Natsuki and more importantly to him. He realizes early on, although he doesn’t have the words to define it, that he was doing things he would’ve never done before meeting Natsuki.
Once the two of them get together, the story follows them through their high school years into graduation, college, and (I’m hoping) their lives when they leave school and become “real” adults. Slice-of-life stories can be difficult because, unfortunately, real life can be boring when nothing happens. Blue Sky Complex tells the story of a couple who start off not knowing who they are (as what happens when you’re only 15-16 years old). It follows them as they navigate life together and grow as individuals and as a couple.
Neither Narasaki nor Natsuki are perfect. They have their insecurities despite how long they’ve been together. It’s refreshing because so rarely do we see such a progression of a homosexual relationship in a manga. And it’s comforting because at the end of the day, after seeing what they have gone through, you know these two will stick together. — Hilary Leung
Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
Writer/Artist: CLAMP
English Adaptation: Jamie S. Rich
Translation: Ray Oshimoto
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally), VIZ (present)
When in doubt, CLAMP it out! Here’s a write-up about yet another title from the wonderful minds of the all-women troupe. Miyuki-chan in Wonderland follows the titular character as she’s sucked into different themed realms and has adventurous dreamlike experiences. First with well-known literature classics like Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Then weirder worlds like TV Land, Mah-Jongg Land, and even X Land, a crossover with the CLAMP series X. [Editor’s note: The CLAMPiest of CLAMP manga! I wonder if they’ll ever finish it…]
This short series is one of the group’s more experimental jaunts. There is really no overarching narrative, and each individual story progresses at a breakneck pace like a dream you don’t have any control over. With each consecutive tale Miyuki-chan becomes more and more aware that these events keep happening to her. She remembers the previous stories so there is continuity, but you can read any of these adventures without having read the one before with each being self-contained.
What’s fun about Miyuki-chan in Wonderland is that it’s so inventive and outlandish. CLAMP have a blast with the premise, and populate their weird worlds with fun characters. Locations pop in and out at a moment’s notice. Keep in mind, though, that there is a lot of fan-service in this story. The characters have suggestive interactions with each other and take their clothes off in every chapter, and that includes the women. It never reaches the level of explicit nudity though.
The manga is short, barely over a hundred pages and easy to read in a small amount of time. If you just want a hit of comic and CLAMP goodness check out Miyuki-chan. There’s also a short anime version that’s worth seeing out as well. — Derrick Crow
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English (US) · 