manga | Daddy Mojo

Sorceline, ethereal graphic novel with manga touches for upper elementary

Granga. Magic novel. I’m looking over those two Frankenstein words in my head whilst trying to describe Sorceline. They’re words that I made up because thinking of the audience that’s best for Sorceline constantly got my head moving. It’s a graphic novel with spooky sensibilities. It’s a manga with graphic novel touches and hooks in it that’ll make the book a slam dunk for Potterheads. Sorceline is all of those things, it just depends on what fandom or delivery, that you prefer as to how you’ll describe the book.

Sorceline is a mysterious, gorgeously illustrated graphic novel, sprinkled with manga that’ll attract girl readers aged 9 and up.

Manga graphic novel, spooky read

Pixels Of You, a very slow burn, hazy manga-esque graphic novel

Pixels Of You, I love that song from The Cure. It’s off of Disintegration, which is easily one of the best LPs, CDs or downloads that you’ll ever run across. D’oh, that song is actually Pictures Of You, my bust. Pixels Of You is a graphic novel that’s aimed at upper middle school futurist fiction readers who really enjoy AI, cybernetically infused humans, and how those robot/people or people/robots fit in with the greater society. It’s also helpful if those readers are girls or those dudes who are into fashion or photography. Readers will further enjoy Pixels Of You if they enjoy conspiracy theories, and statements that could be facts, but could also be confused with stark chapter announcements.

Pixels Of You is a slow burn graphic novel with a manga vibe that’s great to look at, but has underdeveloped characters.

The art is striking, the story, really, really takes its time

Kyle’s Little Sister, a graphic novel friendly manga for middle school

Kyle’s Little Sister is a manga-esque graphic novel that really knows the soul of a sixth-grade girl. The more mature fifth-grade students will see themselves in the characters also. It mirrors their emotions, interactions, peer groups, and sibling rivalries so accurately that it’ll take you back to the halls of yesteryear or to yesterday, whichever is closer.

Kyle’s Little Sister is a graphic novel in the Venn diagram of manga about family expectations, friends and finding yourself.

A manga that graphic novel folks could dig, or vice versa

Otaku Japan, distills a massive amount of pop culture into a travel book

Geek culture, con life, and having a hobby all have some crossover within a Venn Diagram. Otaku is a Japanese word that has one meaning, with countless degrees of intensity. If you look it up online the meaning is “a young person who is obsessed with computers or particular aspects of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills”. Yikes, that doesn’t sound like a compliment, does it? Otaku Japan is a book that travels that county, documenting interesting sites on all four major islands. Also, as a former resident of Japan, I would take issue with the internet’s technical definition of otaku, but more on that in a moment.

Otaku Japan is an approachable, photo-rich travel guide to geek, cosplay, anime-centric, museums, festivals, parks and more in Japan.

Otaku, geek culture by another name, Japan style

Manga Yokai Stories Ghostly Tales From Japan for middle and up

Manga is an onion the size of a small city. There’s a manga for every genre and even some subsets within those genres. I’m no expert on the subject, so if you’re a manga fan factor in whilst I tell you about Manga Yokai Stories Ghostly Tales From Japan. This is a collection of stories that were originally compiled by Lufcadio Hearn in the late 1800s. As older stories go, they might change over time and Manga Yokai Stories Ghostly Tales From Japan have been retold by Sean Michael Wilson. There’s a preface in the book from Wilson that explains how and why he crafted the stories. They do stick very close to the traditional stories but might have been tweaked to better conform with the pacing of a graphic novel or manga. The result is a fascinating look that’s part cultural history, dread, and horror that serves as an example of what makes manga so popular with millions of fans around the world.

Manga Yokai Stories: Ghostly Tales From Japan is hauntingly beautiful, slightly gory, a bit creepy and great fun for middle school and up.

A manga that will make you like Manga if you’re on the fence

Mary, The Adventures of Mary Shelly’s Great-Granddaughter review

Never judge a book by its cover, we all know that adage. Because I judged this cover I was hesitant to read Mary, The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter. It looks too girly, has a ‘Twilight’ vibe that sends the wrong kind of shivers up my spine and the great to the fifth power subtitle seems all too gimmicky. Hello crow, you taste rather good right now. In reality, Mary, The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter is a delicious surprise of a graphic novel that acknowledges its tenuous lineage into a real page-turner that will satisfy middle school readers of any ilk.

Mary, The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s great-Granddaughter age appropriate monster scares for 13 up