.hack//4Koma (2010)

.hack//4Koma (2010)

Author: Koichi Sumimaru | Illustrator: Various |  Page Count: 192

"Your morals as a protagonist are being challenged, aren't they?"

A yonkoma, often shortened to 4koma, is a four-panel manga similar to the kind of thing you'd see in a Sunday newspaper, except that most yonkoma are read from top to bottom, not left to right horizontal.

The .hack yonkoma parodies Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. The comedy is derived mostly from non-canon meetings, rivalries, awkward social situations, and typically friendly people being dicks to other characters. As such, in-jokes are definitely the order of the day, so if you're not very familiar with each person's usual demeanour, or the .hack world, in general, you'll miss most of the situational humour.

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

Transporter: The Series: Season 1 (2012)

12 episodes, approx 45 minutes each.

British actor Chris Vance replaces Jason Statham as ex-SAS man Frank Martin in a spin-off from the Transporter movies. Frank's house is well-ordered and he carries a spare suit in the boot of his car. That's the kind of guy he is. He's also a resourceful driver that transports packages from A to B with no questions asked; discretion is paramount. He lives by his own code and is a stickler for the rules:

01. NEVER CHANGE THE DEAL.

02. NO NAMES.

03. NEVER OPEN THE PACKAGE.

He'll often quote one of them (for the audience's benefit) just a few minutes before breaking it.

Vance's portrayal of the character is more sympathetic than Stath's. He's a sucker for righting an injustice. He needs to be, though, because it isn't just 90 minutes of explosive escapism, it's an ongoing development in which the (anti)hero operates in a grey area of morality and law.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Dir. Mamoru Oshii

Loosely based on a story from the same Masamune Shirow manga as the first Ghost in the Shell film, Innocence is nevertheless very different to its predecessor.

I'm limited in what I can say because it'll be mostly spoiler, so I'll stick to basics: Section 9 members Batou and Togusa are assigned to investigate a series of 'gruesome murders' perpetrated by gynoids who thereafter end their own existence. The investigation opens doors to a great deal of spiralling philosophy and musings on the nature of humanity.

The animation and character movement are superb, and backgrounds are even more detailed than before, with exquisite lighting - although the latter has a deep brown / coppery tint that won't be to everyone's liking. The plot is at times mind-bending and at other times simple and understatedly heartfelt. It's certainly not passive viewing, so you'll need to engage and question what you're given if you want to get the most from it.

Mötley Crüe: The Dirt: Declassified (2023)

Mötley Crüe: The Dirt: Declassified (2023)

Author: Leah Moore | Illustrators: David Cabeza (with John K Snyder III / Patricio Delpeche / Armitano / Vasilis Lolos) | Page Count: 160

 

"I don't have time for this shit!"

It's not the first time that members of Mötley Crüe have been seen in a comic book format, but, as far I know, they've not been depicted as undercover government operatives before now. That's the premise. I shit you not. And things don't get any better from there.

The story sees the band reforming, but it's a front so that they can tour specific locations and investigate why teenage music fans are turning into 'zombies'.

Something that ridiculous must be a clever allegory, right? Perhaps a satirical commentary on the music business and its treatment of fans? Maybe it is. I'm certain it was meant to be silly fun, not taken seriously, but my feeling was that it was an ineptly written mess that lacked any redeeming subtext whatsoever.