There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comic industry. The first is that the dog man continues to be the definitive comic of our time. Second, more people than ever read comics and Webtoons (aka vertical scrolling comics). Therefore, in Comic Beat, we continue our strange adventures of Beat. Every week, I recommend three authors some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea and more. This week we’re dressing up heroes, mystical libraries, and of course Claudine!
go! go! Loser Ranger
Author/Artist: Negi Haruba
Translator: Ko Ransom
Lettering: Phil Christy
Edited by: Kayly Last
Publisher: Kodansha
The heroic god Dragon Ranger defeated the monster army in the Battle of Titanic. But the straggler remains. These remains and their duster’s feet soldiers still threaten humanity. Thankfully, the heroes always find a way to beat them and save the day!
At least that’s what Dragon Rangers want the public to think about. You know, they’ve really defeated the Monster Army and its super powerful leaders from a long time ago. The power they fight each week is an imprisoned fusion created to come up with a new “monster” each week. Otherwise, the Dragon Ranger will annihilate them forever. It’s all charades. That’s a great twist on Go! go! Loser Ranger by Negi Haruba. The hero is actually a bad guy, and one of the bad guys named D wants revenge in his suffering.
What’s exciting about this series is not the fun reversal, but the reversal. The Heroes have been clearly inspired by the people of the long-running Super Centai series, and have maintained the masses in the darkness not only in terms of the state of the world, but also in terms of their true nature as people. They could be paragons of heroism in costume. But they have individual flaws, whether physical or psychological, when the mask is off.
If a bright world creates a bright hero, the dark world breeds anti-heroes like D. Focusing a series on a series that is tired of defeat and wants revenge is an even smarter choice than inventing a dark superhero. D’s frustration and humiliation are obvious given the loss of his long-standing performance. He’s not a really good person. Watching him creep up the ranks of rangers to get revenge is part of the fun. However, it is easy to sympathize with his cause, as he finds himself so righteous in the face of hypocrisy.
Halba’s love for this genre leads to the Keeper’s costumes and the various monster designs that Duster came up with. He has expressive lines that are conveyed both in action scenes and in interactions between characters. go! go! Loser Ranger! It may not be a dismantling of this superhero subgenre, but it certainly is a clever rethinking it. – D. Morris
Ether veil
Author/Artist: Millym00n
Platform: Webtoon
Webtoon Canvas is my fascination for reading new Webtoons due to its algorithms, discoverability capabilities, and platform spotlight. Today’s recommendation, Ether Veil, is a fantasy series created by Millym00N. It centers around a girl named Esther and her grandfather who manages the library in the big town. Estella fights the Shut-in life, forced on her by her situation. But the discovery of the magical door changes the trajectory of her life forever.
The series has a cozy soft art style with simple details and focusing on character designs and silhouettes. All of this webtoon characters have a very unique look with subtle changes in functionality. The simple color palette and tone distinguish between day and night scenes. Teasing magical elements could soon introduce another color palette.
Etherbert has only seven episodes at the time of writing. This is one of the latest series I wrote for Beat’s Bizarre Adventures. But it has appeal and potential. The story got me crazy. I want to see how Esther is free from her current situation and finds a magical world beyond. – Justinguerero
Claudin
Author/Artist: Ikeda Riyo
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Lettering: CK Russell
Publisher: Seven Seas
Claudine by the legendary Riyoko Ikoda is a drama from a tragic era set against the scenic France of the early 1900s. Claudine, the honorable character, was assigned a woman at birth, but he knew that he was a male even at a young age. The story is told from the perspective of Claudine’s psychiatrist, but he is also known throughout the book as a variety of characters who do not completely embrace Claudine’s identity. Only one person knows Claudine about who he is. But again, this is a tragedy. For everyone.
There are not many other things I can say about this book except that it gushs out. Certainly, some of the language is dated – this was originally published in 1978, but Ikeda still navigates the landscape of transidentity very cleverly. Claudine is treated by everyone except names and pronouns. Several women fall in love with someone, not social gender norms, so they find out what is under his clothes and fall in love with him.
Unfortunately, the heartbreak continues with Claudin wherever he goes. Thanks to Ikeda’s incredible art, you feel you’ve gone through all your thoughts and Claudine. Every page is beautiful and eclectic as Claudine’s own. The harshness of winter permeates the story. Ikeda also has a perfect sense of style. All the outfits are incredible.
This is a simple recommendation, but not a simple read. But it’s worth the trip. Please read as much as you can. – Derrick Crow
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