Tonoharu

Having long been fascinated with Japanese culture, this reviewer would theoretically enjoy nothing more than a great graphic novel about an American living and working in Japan. Counting among the similarly themed nonfiction he's enjoyed are Karl Taro Greenfeld's , Andy Raskin's , and even Lisa Fineberg Cook's lightweight yet amusing . Unfortunately, Part 2 of does not deliver. Martinson's main character—an assistant ESL teacher working in Japan (just like the author)—is the prototypical indie comics hero: dry, expressionless, bemused, vaguely annoyed by everyone around him, and utterly lacking in even the tiniest drop of charisma. The dialog is often painfully stilted, and if you're looking for fascinating glimpses of Japanese visual culture, look elsewhere, because there are only sporadic examples. A Dilbert-esque sameness and lack of expressiveness bedevil the stylized cartoony characters. The art is so obsessively crosshatched that readers will have difficulty distinguishing among figures, buildings, décor, and all manner of inanimate objects, as in a scene depicting the protagonist's apartment filled with bottles, cans, and discarded detritus. Part 1 of was awarded a Xeric Grant, and understandably: the comic is competent and drawn with undeniable consistency. But its characterizations and artwork make it an acquired taste, maybe a fairly undesirable one, like squid-ink ice cream. Best suited for ages 16 and up who will like the coming-of-age/cultural alienation angle.—Robert Young, Charleston, SC

Having long been fascinated with Japanese culture, this reviewer would theoretically enjoy nothing more than a great graphic novel about an American living and working in Japan. Counting among the similarly themed nonfiction he's enjoyed are Karl Taro Greenfeld's Speed Tribes, Andy Raskin's The Ramen King and I, and even Lisa Fineberg Cook's lightweight yet amusing Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me. Unfortunately, Part 2 of Tonoharu does not deliver. Martinson's main character—an assistant ESL teacher working in Japan (just like the author)—is the prototypical indie comics hero: dry, expressionless, bemused, vaguely annoyed by everyone around him, and utterly lacking in even the tiniest drop of charisma. The dialog is often painfully stilted, and if you're looking for fascinating glimpses of Japanese visual culture, look elsewhere, because there are only sporadic examples. A Dilbert-esque sameness and lack of expressiveness bedevil the stylized cartoony characters. The art is so obsessively crosshatched that readers will have difficulty distinguishing among figures, buildings, décor, and all manner of inanimate objects, as in a scene depicting the protagonist's apartment filled with bottles, cans, and discarded detritus. Verdict Part 1 of Tonoharu was awarded a Xeric Grant, and understandably: the comic is competent and drawn with undeniable consistency. But its characterizations and artwork make it an acquired taste, maybe a fairly undesirable one, like squid-ink ice cream. Best suited for ages 16 and up who will like the coming-of-age/cultural alienation angle.—Robert Young, Charleston, SC