Writer: Sharman DiVono, Art: Hiroshi Hirata.
Eclipse Comics, 1987.
(This review originally appeared at Weird Crime Theater.)
Because of my own personal experience, I tend to approach fiction about Japan by Westerners with a spoonful of suspicion. Typically I find even pro-Japan works to be either somewhat or grossly based on generalization born of not spending long enough in the country, or not trying hard enough to get to know the people. Though, naturally, my own opinions of Japan are based on my own generalizations as well.
The @#$%ing Death Metal showdown that had to happen! It’s Kiminori Wakasugi’s Detroit Metal City versus Metalocalypse Dethklok created by Brendan Small, in our most explicit episode ever! How is is possible for TWO Death Metal comedy franchises to suddenly appear at the same time?! Thanks to the flimsy pretext of a Dethklok licenced comic finally being published, Kumar and newcomer-to-the-show Dana discuss Metal, the @#$% joke filled DMC manga, Metal, the @#$% joke-free DMC live-action movie, and Metal; compared with the Dethklok TV show and comic (including Dethklok vs The Goon, written and drawn by Eric Powell), and Metal. Plus: how censoring yourself is totally @#$%ing UN-Metal!! @#$% on!!
Dan Kanemitsu talks with Tim about how he and others in the manga industry have responded to the new Tokyo censorship law. The conversation also covers the differences, and interactions, between American and Japanese comics, the creative freedom enjoyed by women in Japanese comics, and much more.
Last December, 
Planning a murder that you think will prevent future murders? That’s the premise — or, at least, one of the premises — of Monster, Naoki Urasawa’s 18-volume series. Set in Germany, the series focuses on the unintended consequences of Dr. Kenzo Tenma’s good deed; he saved the life of a boy who turned out to be a remorseless killer. Tim and guest reviewer Natalie Nourigat discuss.
While the American comics publishers, and publishers in general, are making more and more content available digitally, the situation is quite different here in Japan. The traditional manga publishers — Shueisha, Kodansha, and Shogakukan — have been very slow to embrace the digital market.
When last we checked in with 
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly recently passed a law that 
Though the highly influential manga series, and resulting TV show, are known for non-stop action and fighting, Dragon Ball started out as a comedy strip reminiscent of Akira Toriyama’s early work,