First off, I've now figured out what the little flags are for- language! Seeing as I speak the Queen's English [its colour, darn you!], I'll stick with the good old union jack, as a subject of her majesty the Queen of Canada.

Anyhoo, recent reads-

INVU Vol.3- I got this awhile back [when it was announced we'd be getting more, but saved it till closer to vol.4 was solicited...... a fun, dramatic read, INVU is nothing extraordinary, but deserves it's following- it's well paced, drawn and written in a clean fashion, and created a compelling character with the cross dressing, teacher crushing Hali. As Hali's model career moves forward, Sey discovers more of Siho's family secret- his father's a mobman! There's more to it than that though, and it's an older title worth tracking down.

Archlord Vol.1+2- The art and characterization were the most solid part of the book.  The story bounced around a bit, but with the market teeming in shojo and comedy titles, a fantasy title is more then welcome in my collection. Based on a online MPRPG, it sticks to the standard fantasy formula, but makes up for by doing things well, if a bit jumpy with the plot. Things move fairly quickly after the characters are introduced, but we're still treated to some battles and decent humour. It's not really something for everyone, but fantasy novel fans might want to check it out for some decently done manwha in that vein, with a slight humourous bent that would appeal to fans of anime like Oprhen and Slayers.

Ray Vol.3- And so my Ray collecting comes to an end, as I reach the last of ADV's translated volumes. While not as extreme as it's inspiration, Black Jack,. Ray still delivers a decent amount of medical suspense. The scene where Ray performs surgery on a stuntman while he's trapped in a flaming car wreck is particularly cool, while the rest of the book builds more on the organ farm mystery of Ray's childhood. Here's hoping ADV delivers more of it someday.

HardBoiled Angel- read the first 2 chapters of Vol.1, and it's violence, violence and more violence. Jiran Ha is an unusual protagonist, kind of like a softer gentler Golgo 13, in that she actually has a heart. The violenent personality is all there mind you. The manwha is a little sexist in some ways, and apparently Jiran is the first female detective on her squadron- one wonders if this reflects Korea in the late 80's, or if female cops were more common then the story depicts. The first chapter is fairly brutal, as Jiran takes on a stalker, in a story that's like an over the top episode of law and order SVU. This is not recommended for kids or teens.  Still, it's a decent enough read, and the art is fairly distinct, with cartoonish forms and thick lines, and a voluptuous lead. Jiran is a fairly strong character, but it's still hard to judge the series as a whole..... once I've read more, I think I'll have a better handle on what Hyun Se Lee is up to [whether it's a great character story, or pulpy trash-lit, or somewhere inbetween, I'm still not sure]

Wonderland #4- Slave Labor's Disney comics deliver more fun, as Mary Ann's curiousity about the Alice Monster grows, and the Queen of Spades has tea with the Mad Hatter and Co. Sonny Liew's artwork is fascinating, with brilliant colouring providing a flowing world, choosing the right hues to make the artwork shine, rather then dumping on garish colours like many Marvel/DC books do while making deadlines. It's very solid stuff, and well worth your 3 bucks for each issue.