I love to travel, but I hate just about everything related to airports. Let’s just leave it at that and move on to this week’s ComicList, which is made bountiful by the presence of a single book.
It’s the English-language debut of Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story from Yen Press. Many people, myself included, expressed an obsessive love for Mori’s Emma (CMX), and I think it’s safe to say that all of those people have been chomping at the bit to read Mori’s new series. I know I featured it in a license request seconds after I learned it existed, and early word seems to confirm that our anticipation will be rewarded. The sure-to-be beautiful period piece about an arranged marriage is currently running in Enterbrain’s fellows!
It seemed to take forever for Bride’s Story to finally arrive in my mailbox, but, when it did, I read it immediately. I think this is the only time I have ever read right-to-left manga in hardcover, so it took some adjusting. I never really noticed before that I hold a hardcover differently than I hold a paperback, and my hands wanted to hold it the way I would a book read left-to-right.
The adjustment was worth it, though. It’s beautiful. The jacket art is so lovely that I almost wish the whole thing had been in color, except the sensory overload would probably have killed me (I’d have died with a smile on my face, though, so I guess that’s something). I’ve reread it several times already, and pored over my favorite pages. I can’t wait until the next volume, at which time I’m sure I won’t be able to wait until the volume after that – the only drawback to reading a series as wonderful as this as it comes out.
And also, really shallow of me, but I can’t wait to see more of Amir’s older brother. I think my reaction to him is partly due to some kind of Pavlovian response inspired by his vague similarity to Rayek from Wendy and Richard Pini’s Elfquest.
The hardcover is lovely but not if the jacket doesn’t align with the spine:
http://bit.ly/k37M6n
I am rather disappointed.