Title: Domo the Manga
Created by: Tsuneo Goda
Stories by: Clint Bickham
Art by: Rem, Sonia Leong, Linsday Cibos, & Jared Hodges
Publisher: Tokyopop
ISBN: 9781427815972
May Contain Spoilers
Domo-kun is the mascot of NHK TV, and for the first time, he gets to star in his own comic book. Domo is a weird, brown blocky thing with arms and legs, and he reminds me of a walking sponge with eyes and a mouth. He hatched from an egg, is limited to a one word vocabulary, and he lives with a rabbit and two bats. Domo also has the mentality of a sponge, and everywhere he goes he causes chaos and destruction. I can’t figure out why Mr Usaji hasn’t kicked him out yet, because the poor rabbit has to keep replacing all of the furniture and housewares that Domo so enthusiastically destroys.
Domo the Manga is a series of slice of disasters featuring Domo going nuts and wrecking everything in his path. He doesn’t mean to be so destructive, but that’s just the way he rolls. Nothing is safe from his rambunctious attention, and this is one guy who you never want to invite over for a few sessions of video gaming. Poor Mr Usaji and Tashanna both had to kiss their flat panels goodbye after a visit from Domo.
The book contains full color, glossy pages illustrated with Domo’s misadventures. Several artists contribute to Domo’s riotous daily activities; the art is bright and lively, and packed with a surprising amount of charm. I will admit that I pooh-poohed the book when it first arrived, but it is such a rapid read, and it provided a lot of stupid fun, so I couldn’t help but be won over by it. I even wish that it had a few more chapters, because I don’t often sit down with a book like this, and it was a nice change of pace.
My biggest reservation about this book is the price tag. Weighing in at 90 pages, the $9.99 price seems a little steep. True, the book is in color, and the pages are a nice glossy stock. The binding seems sturdy, so it stands to reason the volume with survive a few readings by even an enthusiastic youngster.
Domo the Manga will appeal to readers who like Penguins of Madagascar and Back at the Barnyard.
Rated for: All Ages
Grade: B
Review copy provided by Tokyopop
August 21, 2009 at 10:31 am
[...] The Blog) Lorena Nava Ruggero on vol. 1 of Dogs: Bullets & Carnage (MangaCast) Julie on Domo the Manga (Manga Maniac Cafe) Melinda Beasi on vol. 6 of Goong (There it is, Plain as Daylight) asamisgirl on [...]
August 25, 2009 at 9:39 am
[...] Tashanna, a weasel girl with a passion for fashion, and two bats, Maya and Mario. As Julie of the Manga Maniac Cafe observes, this one-shot proves a surprisingly fun and fast read, thanks to its attractive art and [...]