Recently, I checked out a couple of graphic novels. Sekirou Side Story: Hanbei the Undying caught my interest because I played the game Sekirou. I haven’t beaten the game yet, but that didn’t make the manga any less enjoyable. The artwork is great. Hanbei is covered in scars from his many battles. He cannot die even after being cut in half. The story starts off with Hanbei being attack by a young villager with a sword. Hanbei spares him. He fends off some bandits and in a show of gratitude, the villager’s sister treats Hanbei’s wounds and feeds him. She even mends his ragged clothes. It’s later revealed that Hanbei used to be a samurai. There’s a fight with a monkey man who lives in the nearby mountain. When the villager’s go missing Hanbei goes to the authorities to find out if his suspicions are true. I won’t give the rest away. I highly recommend reading it.

Resident Alien Omnibus Vol 1 stood out because of the vibrant cover. I had watched most of the episodes of the TV show, so I thought I might take a look at the graphic novel to get a peek at what might be in upcoming episodes. Little did I know how different the TV show and the comic would be. The comic is a like a slice of life/detective story with a sci-fi twist. The TV show is more like slapstick-comedy. I enjoyed them both, but I thought the comic was more interesting. One thing I like about the TV show that’s different than the comic is the diversity of characters. The sheriff in the comic is your stereotypical white guy with mustache and beer-belly. The show has a middle-aged black sheriff with a bad case of ADD. The deputy in the comic is a young white guy without a personality, but the show has a funny chubby lady with social anxiety and knack for cracking jokes and cases. In the comic Asta’s dad looks almost the same age as her while the TV show dad looks more believable. The mysteries in the comic and the dramatic back stories of the town’s people really make it worth reading. I recommend reading the comic, but only if you like mysteries or drama. If you’re looking for a light-hearted story with lots of laughs, you’ll be disappointed.