Paperback in Action

Art by Hirohiko Araki " The human race lives by destroying the things around us. In such a brutal world, your power is singularly benevolent." It can be more than a little bit difficult to summarise the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise to someone entirely unfamiliar with it - as you've probably gathered from the title, it's an odd one for sure. JoJo is a manga series by Hirohiko Araki comprised of eight separate parts, each with its own setting and protagonist. The thing that unites all of these is that each main character is part of the Joestar bloodline, abbreviating their name to 'JoJo' and using uncanny powers to fight evil. Diamond is Unbreakable is the fourth part of the ongoing JoJo  saga, starring the fiery Josuke Higashikata in the mysterious seaside town of Morioh in Japan. Part Four of JoJo was originally serialised in Japan in the early nineties, and finally received an official English translation and hardcover release after hig...

Art by Francis Manapul While giant crossover events like Avengers: Endgame  are few and far-between on the big screen, they can always be found within the pages of comic books. The second volume of Scott Snyder's ongoing Justice League run is a great example of large-scale, epic superhero fun, and is another crucial stepping towards DC's Year of the Villain event.  The League's conflict with the Legion of Doom in the previous book is continued here, but with an Aquaman-focused twist that brings brand-new elements to DC Universe lore. In  Graveyard of Gods , Lex Luthor's nefarious actions result in the awakening of a group of ancient ocean deities that have a bone to pick with Atlantis and plan to submerge the entire planet with their immense abilities.  Is anybody fluent in ancient Atlantean? Just a flick through the book will have anybody agreeing that there's some serious talent behind it, as a team of celebrated artists deliver each scene in...

Primary antagonist Big Mom One Piece 's Wano   Arc is in full swing for both the manga and the anime series, and fans of Japan's favourite comic franchise are loving all of the spectacular samurai action - but let's not forget what came before! Before Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates arrived in the Land of Wano, they were battling Emperor Big Mom on her home turf to free their chef Sanji from a forced marriage. So, looking back, just how good was the Whole Cake Island   Arc ? The main thing that jumps out about Whole Cake is that it continues to burst with the creativity and flavour that make One Piece so beloved. Whole Cake Island itself is the centrepiece of an archipelago known collectively as Totto Land, each corresponding to a delicious treat, such as cheese, pie, biscuits and candy. These islands are populated by Big Mom's forces and various super-powered commanders, making it a daunting task for Luffy's rescue team to make it in and out unscathed. ...

Some comics I've recently reviewed It's June 2018, and I've been freed from the life-consuming stress of A-levels. With my newfound freedom, all I want to do is read comics all day - but what if I could turn my love for the graphic novel into something more productive? The name came first. Paperback in Action probably sounds a bit silly, but at the time I thought it was genius and wanted to claim it before anyone else did - so I set up my blog straight away. This site started off with a garish purple and gold colour scheme in a poor attempt to recreate the feel of the poster for Infinity War , complete with an Avengers font and low-res images of various comic book characters. Still, like furnishing a new home, I felt proud of the little internet space I'd created and was ready to get writing. In my first post , I described Paperback in Action as "a chronicle of all the new books I find, and a place to share my thoughts on some old favourites". My go...

Art by Ryan Sook "We're never going to kill him. We are never going to beat him. But we've been able to run this city without him knowing about it for years." Last year, best-selling writer Brian Michael Bendis ushered in a new era of Superman with The Man of Steel , which introduced the big blue boy-scout to a whole heap of problems including the arrival of the mysterious villain Rogol Zaar and the disappearance of his wife and son. Two new comic book series have spun out of this event: The Unity Saga , following Clark as he saves the galaxy from his brand-new nemesis, and Action Comics , which brings our hero back down to Earth. Invisible Mafia features the debut of the Red Cloud Action Comics kicks off with Invisible Mafia , exploring the chain of arson attacks from the pages of Man of Steel and Clark's shifty new colleague Robinson Goode. The story skilfully shows how an organised crime network has been operating under Superman's nose for som...

Art by Jim Lee and Alex Sinclair Coinciding with Batman's 80th anniversary, March 2019 gave us one of the biggest milestones in comics history: the 1000th issue of Detective Comics , the namesake of DC Entertainment. At nearly 100 pages long, this blockbuster prestige-format comic features 11 short stories from an all-star cast of creators - but do they add up to be the tribute that the Dark Knight deserves? Detective Comics #1000 opens with Batman's Longest Case by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, the creative team behind the widely praised New 52 series and Dark Knights: Metal . This is the intriguing story of Bruce Wayne finally solving a mystery that he has been following since the beginning of his career, and concludes with the introduction of an awesome new concept to the DC Universe that honours Detective Comics ' legacy. Snyder's writing and Capullo's art are just as fantastic as fans have come to expect, making this a perfect first chapter for this ...