Keeping up Variety

Before when I talked about reading, I mentioned how important it was to read books and stories outside of whatever genre you happen to be working in.

Putting my money where my mouth is, I took it a step further and began reading a different kind of book: manga comics. And I gotta tell ya, I haven’t had such a fresh reading experience like this since checking out the small press for the first time way back when.

For those who don’t know, manga is the Japanese version of the Western comic book...except better. Though they’re published serially over in Japan, over here in the west they typically come in digest-sized books, about 200 pages in length, and are read “backwards” instead of forwards, to remain consistent with what the Japanese creators originally intended with their work. Western manga publishers publish books as they are and replace the Japanese words with English. You start reading at the back cover, from top right to bottom left. Even the speech bubbles have to be read right to left in a panel.

At first, it takes a few pages for your eye to get used to traveling in the opposite direction it usually does, but after those first few pages, you don’t even notice anymore yet your brain still tells you you’re doing something different while reading.

This is one of the things that make reading these comics like a breath of fresh air.

The stories are also fantastic.

At present, I’m reading Black Cat by Kentaro Yabuki, which is a non-superhero story (as is most manga, from what I can gather), about two “sweepers” (bounty hunters) and a little girl named Eve. Right now I’m almost done Vol. 3 (out of a current 9) and the storyline is getting into the thick of the lead characters’ pasts: Train’s and Sven’s. It’s also quite epic in nature, cinematic in a lot of ways (it’s an anime over in Japan), which suits me fine as I’m a huge series buff.

The art is black and white and the sequentials are drawn in such a way that reading these books is like watching an action movie, all bang-bang-bang-boom! But at the same time, unlike most action movies, you get a detailed story, too. The difference is you’re absorbing it at a much faster rate than how you would while reading western comics.

Trying something new has reminded me there are different ways to tell a story and that, really, there are no boundaries when it comes to storytelling. Solid stories can be told in different ways through a variety of mediums and sometimes us writers get caught in the trap (intentional or not) that stories can “only be told a certain way” (which is why many books per genre read very similarly or have similar plot devices).

Back when I first started reading comics, I never thought I’d get into the Japanese form. Actually, I really disliked it, what with all those big eyes and all. But this year, after looking into manga a bit deeper, I realized I had a limited view of what it was all about.

Consider looking into manga comics for yourself, if you’re up for something new.

I will say, however, that from a Christian perspective, you need to be careful what comics you choose as many deal in Japanese superstition or spirit-related stories that could open up doors to supernatural influences you don’t want in your life. Black Cat has a couple of rough spots already in this regard. If it gets bad, I’ll have to set the series aside and try and find another.