Young Miss Holmes, casebook 1-2
By Kaoru Shitani
Publisher Age Rating: All Ages
Good Comics for Kids recommends: Ages 10-18; Grades 5-12
Seven Seas, March 2012, ISBN 978-1-935934-86-8
384 pages, $16.99

Part of me wants to wholeheartedly recommend Young Miss Holmes, as it is perfect to fill the ever-present gap of graphic novel mysteries and features several very strong female characters. However, I would be remiss if I did not point out several problems with it, most of which relate to the decisions Seven Seas made about packaging and promotion.

First the good: Young Miss Holmes is fun. It has snappy dialogue, interesting characters, and amusing asides. The mysteries will be enjoyable both to those who are already fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective stories and to those who have only experienced Sherlock Holmes’ detective power through movies and TV shows. Christie is smart, but not too smart, and her efforts to improve herself are touching. She is assisted by her governess, who helps her work on her interpersonal skills, and by two of her family’s maids, both of whom have their own, occasionally violent, ways of keeping their young charge safe. One of the maids, the rough-and-ready Nora, is charmingly grey ethics-wise. Sherlock and Watson make their expected appearance and both stick fairly close to their characterization from Conan Doyle’s novels, though Shitani has Holmes soften a good bit in his opinion of the detectives of Scotland Yard.

Shitani has been working in manga since the early 1970s and he started off by doing shojo (girls’) comics. His art retains that slightly old-fashioned style, which makes it an absolute perfect fit for Young Miss Holmes. The Victorian settings are highly detailed, giving readers’ eyes much to enjoy. Fans of manga “costume dramas” will find much to relish here. I wouldn’t be surprised to find some Young Miss Holmes cosplayers at anime conventions in the near future! The level of violence is about what can be expected from a series where the protagonists solve murders. Christie’s maids are fast with their guns and whips, and there are several dead bodies, but nothing is overly gory.

Unfortunately, though, that brings me to the problems with Seven Seas’ release of Shitani’s work. The first, most obvious, error lies in the title and the back matter. Young Miss Holmes is a misnomer, since Christie’s last name is Hope. Seven Seas was clearly going for a catchy title, but there is no reason they couldn’t have stuck with the title and just meant “Holmes” as a nickname for Christie, rather than her actual name. But they refer to her as Christie Holmes on the back of the book, which was unnecessary and confusing, especially when readers are told right from the beginning that Christie is the daughter of Sherlock’s sister, meaning she wouldn’t have had the last name Holmes at all. (And yes, obviously, the sister—and Christie herself—are merely inventions of Shitani’s.)

The next problem is the rating. “All Ages” has long been a catch-all term for any manga that doesn’t quite need a Teen/13+ rating. For a while, publisher TokyoPop had a Y/Youth/7+ (or 10+) rating, which was more accurate. Young Miss Holmes is a perfect example of a title that needs a 10+ rating (possibly as low as 9+). It doesn’t have enough violence to merit a Teen rating, and there are only very discreet mentions of “an adulterous affair” in relation to a case. But the vocabulary, the high amount of dialogue, and the complexity of the story make this better suited for a tween or young teen audience. (Though the title is likely to appeal to older teens and even adults as well.)

Related to the rating issue is the problem of the crossover between Young Miss Holmes and Dance in the Vampire Bund (by Nozomu Tamaki, also published by Seven Seas). The main character from Dance in the Vampire Bund shows up in one of the cases in Young Miss Holmes and the two meet again (sort of) in a special epilogue at the end of the book. For those who don’t know anything about Dance in the Vampire Bund, there is seemingly no issue. Christie meets a young woman who may be a vampire and that’s that. But Seven Seas is actively promoting the cross-over, though a special wraparound on the Young Miss Holmes book and on their website. And therein lies the problem. If young readers fall for Christie and want to read Dance, assuming it will have a similar tone and content level, they will be in for a surprise. Dance is rated Older Teen/16+ by Seven Seas and contains violence and a good deal of overt sexuality, often on the part of Mina, the vampire main character who looks like a ten-year-old girl. In Japan, the two books are published in a seinen magazine—one aimed at adult men. So there the crossover makes sense. And it wouldn’t be a problem here if Seven Seas had either promoted the crossover elements but rated Young Miss Holmes Teen/13+ so as to have less of an abrupt change between it and Dance or if Seven Seas had kept Young Miss Holmes at a lower rating but downplayed the crossover as much as possible, so as to keep the young audience for Young Miss Holmes separated from the more mature audience of Dance. Companies have successfully changed works from seinen in Japan to “All Ages” in the US, but they’ve done so deliberately and with great care. (See Esther’s post about Yotsuba&! and the Question of Appeal for more information.)

Overall, Young Miss Holmes is a great young teen mystery series. It’s enjoyable, the art is strong, and there’s terrific potential for appeal right now, with season two of BBC’s Sherlock series wrapping up on PBS, the second of the Robert Downey, jr./Jude Law Sherlock Holmes movies out late last year, and with CBS launching their new series Elementary in the fall. But adults need to be aware that, while the two series are connected slightly, that doesn’t make them both child-friendly. Removing the wraparound advertisement will help and will make it more likely that this series finds the audience it deserves.

This review is based on a complimentary copy supplied by the publisher. All images copyright © Seven Seas.

Chris Sims takes a look at Archie’s New Crusaders app, which revives the Red Circle superheroes of yore.

Princeless, the story of the rebellious princess who teams up with a dragon to change her fate, took top honors at this year’s Glyph Awards, which honor black creators and characters. The comic was named Story of the Year by judges, writer Jeremy Whitley was honored with the Best Writer award, and the lead character, Adrienne, was name Best Female Character.

Reviews

Ken Haley on Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, Part 1 (Sequential Ink)
Greg McElhatton on vol. 3 of Brody’s Ghost (Read About Comics)
Sharayah Read on Courtney Crumrin #1 (Comics Forge)
Johanna Draper Carlson on Courtney Crumrin #2 (Comics Worth Reading)
Matt D.Wilson on Cow Boy (Comics Alliance)
Dan Morrill on Darth Vader and Son (Comics Forge)
Ted Brown on Garfield #1 (Comics Forge)
Drew McCabe on Gon and Mr. Men and Little Miss (Comic Attack)

The List:

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Princeless Volume 1 Save Yourself TP, $14.95

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Richie Rich Digest Volume 2 Pursuit Of Pesos And Other Stories TP, $6.99
Scouts Drafted GN, $6.99 ^^AA Pick^^

ARCHIE COMICS
Archie Double Digest #229, $3.99
Jughead #213, $2.99
Sonic Universe #40, $2.99

BOOM! STUDIOS
Adventure Time #4 (Cover A Kassandra Heller), $3.99
Adventure Time #4 (Cover B Chris Houghton), $3.99

DC COMICS
Green Lantern The Animated Series #2, $2.99

GRAPHIC UNIVERSE
Miss Annie Volume 2 Rooftop Cat GN, $6.95

NBM
Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 1 The Selfish Giant And The Star Child HC (New Printing), $17.99
Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 1 The Selfish Giant And The Star Child SC (New Printing), $9.99
Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 5 The Happy Prince HC, $16.99 ^^AA Pick^^

ONI PRESS
Crogans Loyalty HC, $14.99

The Picks:

Scouts Drafted GN – Ape Entertainment expands its kids line with a new graphic novel. Mike Manly’s parents have signed him up for the Shrub Scouts. Unfortunately, it’s for the most unlucky troop on the planet! Mike’s only way out of the “Weasel Troop” is to earn all the merit badges needed to graduate. It’s going to take all of his luck and then some to get through this! This title looks to be filled with a lot of fun, and kids will no doubt relate to Mike’s predicament. Ape Entertainment has been doing a great job of bringing out new and different stories to appeal to kids and show them that not all comics are about superheroes. Give this title a perusal.

Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 5: The Happy Prince – Creator Craig Russell turns Oscar Wilde’s well-known fairy tales into stories that can be enjoyed by readers of most any age. This volume features what is probably the most famous and well-loved of the nine. The Happy Prince lived a life of opulence but died young, and his soul inhabits a ruby encrusted statue covered in gold leaf. Seeing the poverty his people live in, he prevails on a barn swallow heading south for the winter to remove his gold leaf and give to the poor citizens. While not generally considered for children, Russell’s adaptation brings the story within reach of a younger audience. That said, I wouldn’t recommend it to younger children without a parent reading along, as the story has a sad ending. Tweens could handle it, as it is comparable to other titles in their age range. Also available in a new printing is the first volume in this series, The Selfish Giant, which is this title’s only rival.

Images © Ape Entertainment and NBM respectively.

Terra Tempo, vol. 1: Ice Age Cataclysm!
Written by David Shapiro; Illustrated by Christopher Herndon; Colors by Erica Melville
Ages 8-12; Grades 4-6
Craigmore Creations, 2010, ISBN 978-0-9844422-1-8
146 pages, $14.99

It’s not a criticism to say that the first Terra Tempo book is educational. After all, writer David Shapiro is a naturalist, so it is to be expected that he would stuff his kids’ graphic novel full of scientific details. The wonderful part is how relatively smoothly he adds those details to the story. Almost all of the nonfiction elements are revealed by the children, each of whom has his or her own skill set and area of interest. Most of the Ice Age information comes from the twins’ friend Ari, the child of paleontologists who has never met a fact he didn’t love. Jenna and Caleb are more down-to-earth, but Jenna’s map know-how and Caleb’s survival skills are both very handy. There is only one science info-dump towards the end of the book that is jarringly educational, but even that is salvaged by Herndon’s eye-catching illustrations.

Throughout the book, Herndon shows that he has a good grasp on the graphic novel medium. The action flows at a rapid pace, which helps keep readers moving along, but Herndon is careful to stop and pull the view back for a long shot when the story requires it. One beautiful page is a loud “BOOM” layered over a collapsing ice dam. Since readers had been admiring said dam for four double-page spreads before the collapse, the effect is as breathtaking for the readers as it is for the characters. Even small details are not neglected, such as the chapter headings, which are shown as ragged pages that look like they were pulled from Uncle Al’s journal, complete with hints of the first pages of the chapter showing behind them. All of Herndon’s work is supported by Melville’s vibrantly realistic colors, which give depth and life to the world the children have discovered.

There is some violence, mostly of animals being caught up in a cataclysmic flood, but nothing inappropriate for an older elementary school or middle school reader. The creators deserve a pat on the back for not shying away from showing Caleb deftly hunting, skinning, and cooking a rabbit for the kids’ dinner, an additional touch of realism that only strengthens the story. Fans of action and fans of science, especially budding naturalists, paleontologists, and archeologists, will find a lot to enjoy here. And, luckily, book two should be out later this year.

This review is based on a complimentary copy supplied by the publisher. All images copyright © Craigmore Creations.

The mighty robot Voltron is back! And three young cadets—Daniel, Larmina and Vince—are training to become defenders of the universe.

Seriously, teenagers and a giant robot—it’s gotta be good. Oh, there are villains too. The Voltron Force graphic novels are published by Viz as part of a new children’s graphic novel initiative; I talked to the editors about it for Publishers Weekly last week. (And don’t miss the book trailer!)

Enjoy the preview!

Dore Ripley files a report from the birthplace of Free Comic Book Day: Flying Colors Comics of Concord, CA.

Artist Dan Parent discusses his work on Life with Archie. “We try to stick to the Archie-style stories and incorporate more serious topics, like equality and sexuality, without hitting people over the head with our message,” he explains. “We want to keep the story light, but also make people think.”

Over at Robot 6, Chris Mautner posts a thoughtful appreciation of Maurice Sendak’s cartooning.

Everything old is new again: Deb Aoki talks to Shonen Jump Editor-in-Chief Andy Nakatani about Rurouni Kenshin Restoration, a “reboot” of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s popular samurai series. The original Rurouni Kenshin ran in the Japanese edition of Jump from 1994-99, and has been released in three separate English-language editions.

Reviews: Over at No Flying No Tights, Jennifer W. looks at two graphic novel adaptations of Rudyard Kipling’s Just-So Stories: How the Camel Got His Hump and How the Leopard Got His Spots.

Young Readers (Ages 4-8)
Tanya on vols. 1-2 of Fangbone! Third Grade Barbarian (books4yourkids)
Whitney on My Name is Elizabeth! (No Flying No Tights)

Pre-Teen Readers (Ages 9-12)
Drew McCabe on Garfield #1, Wallace and Grommit Dailies, nos. 1-4, and Xevious (Comic Attack!)
Jennifer W. on Lou!: Secret Diary and Lou! Summertime Blues (No Flying No Tights)

Teens (13+)
John Hogan on Fantastic Four: Season One (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Michael on vol. 1 of Gate 7 (No Flying No Tights)
John Hogan on The Moon Moth (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 1-2 of Young Miss Holmes Casebook (Manga Worth Reading)

The List:

ARCHIE COMICS
Betty And Veronica Double Digest #201, $3.99
Mega Man #13 (Patrick Spaziante Regular Cover), $2.99
Mega Man #13 (Patrick Spaziante Villain Sketch Variant Cover), AR
World Of Archie Double Digest #17, $3.99

BUYMETOYS.COM
Oz Wonderland Chronicles Volume 2 TP, $19.99

DC COMICS
Scooby-Doo Where Are You #21, $2.99

KODANSHA COMICS
Gon Volume 5 GN (Kodansha Edition), $10.99

MARVEL COMICS
Marvel Universe The Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #2, $2.99
Oz Ozma Of Oz TP, $19.99
Takio #1, $3.95 ^^AA Pick^^

ONI PRESS
Courtney Crumrin #2, $3.99

SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT
Avalon Web Of Magic Omnibus Volume 1 TP, $14.95

VIZ MEDIA
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll Volume 3 GN, $7.99
Pokemon Black And White Volume 7 GN, $4.99

The Pick:

Takio #1 – A well received graphic novel gets its own comic series. Sisters Taki and Olivia are endowed with superpowers after an accident. What do they do about it? They become super heroes of course! But is a world with no other superheroes ready for Taki and Olivia? Are the girls ready for the challenge? What secrets that will change their lives forever will be revealed by the accident that gave them their power? Start discovering the answers to these question in the first issue! This series continues the adventures of Taki and Olivia that started in the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens listed book by the same name. It’s a brand-new all-ages adventure for comic-book fans of all ages.

Images © Marvel Comics.

Teen Boat!
Written by Dave Roman
Illustrated by John Green
Clarion Books, May 2012
144 pages, $14.99
Ages 12 and up

If there’s a giant to be slain, look no further than pint-sized Claudette to do it. She’s a fierce and feisty red-headed little girl who won’t back down from anyone or anything. Claudette is joined on her quest by her younger brother Gaston (who’d much rather cook food than fight), their pug named Valiant, and their friend Marie, the daughter of the town’s Marquis who longs to be a princess-in-training. Claudette might like to kick butt when she lives in the most peaceful town of all, but her companions are hardly made of sterner stuff. Still, despite Claudette’s “once more unto the breach” attitude about her dream job, she’s loyal, loving, and not afraid to admit she’s made a mistake in the end.

Our tale begins as Claudette, Marie, and Gaston listen to a storyteller tell the story of a giant who loved to eat baby’s feet came that came to their countryside. He was a ferocious beast but was chased into the mountains by the villagers under the leadership of the Marquis, Pierre the XXXII. The Marquis then walled up the city to protect the people from any threatening monsters and magic. Chasing away a giant isn’t good enough for Claudette: she wants to finish the job and slay the giant, and she won’t settle for anything less. After all, she takes after her father, the local village blacksmith—a warrior who fought a dragon named Azra, but lost both of his legs, left arm, and his favorite sword in that epic battle. Claudette’s poppa and his friend Zubair are battle hardened, and she loves to hear them talk about the beasts that surround the land.

Soon after some creating some mischief in their town, Claudette lies to Gaston and Marie, promising them that if they join her on their quest and slay a giant, their dreams will be fulfilled—Gaston will be taught by his father how to make swords and Marie will be an automatic princess. Soon they’re off on a quest through the ominous-sounding Forest of Death and beyond to rid the land once and for all of the giant. Along the way they meet a ferocious man-eating tree, an apple hag, a river king, and of course, one giant.

Both the writing and the art in the book are charming. The kids’ antics are really fun to see, especially Marie’s stint trying to act princess-like by imitating the story of the “Princess and the Pea.” Giants Beware! is non-stop humorous adventure written with a lot of attention to detail in creating a believable characters. Even throwaway characters like the farmers who come to rescue the kids have a lot of charm to them, and the monsters—who might terrify a 7-year-old since some of them are pretty spooky-looking—for the most part are sympathetic and have a reason for some of their actions.

Artist Jorge Aguirre comes from an animation background working on storyboards, and the characters all have wonderful charm and appeal. Claudette is full of spunk, Marie is tall and willowy as a princess wannabe, and Gaston has a quiet, soft-spoken charm that eventually blossoms. Everyone has a very cartoonish look, which helps to create a whimsical look of the world they live in—aside from Claudette’s father and his friend Zubair who both look appropriate war-weary.

The book is for ages 7 and up. There may be some tredipation from the younger crowd about some of the beasts in the forest, but there’s plenty of good-humor, poop jokes, and action to keep the kids coming back for more. The kids also all show growth throughout the book and learn a little about themselves. Claudette is maybe not as fearless as she thinks she is, Gaston is braver than he thinks he is, and Marie might rethink her career choice too after their adventure.

First Second also has for free a fun Giants Beware! Activity Kit. Just click here to access it. It’s a great companion to the graphic novel. I was also thrilled to read that there are already sequels planned for this first endeavor. Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado are off to a great start, and I can’t wait to read the continuing adventures of Claudette, Gaston, and Marie.