Off*Beat Volume 1
- PAPERBACK: 184 PAGES
- Language: English
- ISBN: 1-59816-132-6
- EAN: 978-1-59816-132-8
- AVAILABLE: NOW
- MSRP: $9.99
OUT OF PRINT
MANGA + COMICS
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User Reviews
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From Publishers Weekly
Mystery, obsession and a whiff of life in New York City blend to make Quick's manga an intriguing entree to the compulsive world of Christopher "Tory" Blake, a high school student living in Queens. He seems like a regular teenager, but for some unknown reason he's developed a fascination with the boy who recently moved in across the street, Colin Stephens. Why do Colin and his guardian keep the blinds drawn and live in a pricey duplex when there's just two of them? In pursuit of answers, Tory enrolls in Colin's school. But Colin remains frustratingly unknowable, despite Tory's schemes. Snooping through school records, running license plate numbers and even tutoring Colin in physics don't pan out as Tory hopes, although he does uncover a few tidbits. What is the Gaia Project and how is Colin's guardian involved? Why does Colin keep missing school? Most intriguingly for the reader, why on earth is Tory so deeply and unshakably obsessed with someone he barely knows? Although Quick does nothing to clarify this final question, her likable characters and crisp, convincing drawing make the reader willing to stick with the story and more than ready for the answers volume two should bring.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Manga Life
Author Jen Lee Quick tosses out clues about Colin and his guardian at just the right pace to keep the reader interested. As in any good mystery, the first few clues serve only to raise more questions. Colin's guardian, Dr. Garrett, is mixed up with something called the Gaia Project, and Colin seems to be ill. With his almost photographic memory and his notebooks filled with facts and figures, Tory is a good detective, but his obsession with Colin seems creepy at times, as his upstairs neighbor Paul likes to point out.
The cast is rounded out with several likeable secondary characters. Paul, who lives upstairs from Tory, is a college student and a graphic designer who drops in frequently to mooch some of Tory's mom's cooking. Paul's computer skills complement Tory's observations to keep the clues coming. Blonde and perky Mandy, Tory and Colin's classmate, breaks the popular-girl stereotype a bit with her attraction to loners and misfits. Tory's mom is overworked but affectionate, but, in typical teenage fashion, he brushes her away.
If there is a weakness to this book, it's Quick's rendering of faces, which all have the same snub-nosed profile. On the other hand, her figures are never stiff but gesture in a natural manner, and the settings are well drawn without being overwhelming....
Off*Beat is an intriguing mystery that taps into the universal curiosity we have about the people around us. I'm looking forward to volume 2.
~Brigid Alverson
Copyright © Manga Life
How Good Little Boys Become Stalkers
Christopher "Tory" Blake is a 15-year-old New Yorker with a mop of red hair, a blindingly-high I.Q., and an over-developed sense of entitlement. He lives alone with his mother in Queens and is regularly forced to fend off his neighbor Paul, a slacker college student obsessed with eating other people's food. Tory—like so many kids you knew in high school—thinks the world is boring because he's oh so smart, and bemoans a lack of stimuli for his giant brain.
One day, Tory's lame teenage life is interrupted when a mysterious boy named Colin moves in across the street—in the middle of the night. Strangely intrigued (and with nothing better to do), Tory starts using his considerable smarts to find out more about the elusive Colin...but the more Tory investigates, the bigger the mystery becomes. Tory eventually spirals from curiosity into obsession, and it becomes clear that whatever Tory can discover about Colin pales in comparison to what Tory can discover...about...himself!...
Although TOKYOPOP has marketed Off*Beat as a drama/romance and Quick herself admits to the story having "a bit of shounen ai,"Off*Beat is largely a coming-of-age story that speaks to anyone who struggled through adolescence (read: everyone who ever existed). Off*Beat is engaging and believable, and is told in a beautiful East/West hybrid: Quick's storytelling has the subtlety and thematic significance of indie comics with the faster pacing and clearer focus of manga. Quick's art is practiced and smooth, and her creative use of varying tones and backgrounds does a good job of keeping the eye interested. While I'm sure some fans will dislike Tory and co.'s dumpy noses and big lips, Quick's character designs are appropriate and unique. Seriously, what 15-year-old boy who prefers reading in the dark to exercising isn't floppy-looking? Her variety of character designs adds to the realism of the story, as does her fantastic representation of Queens.
Probably the most impressive aspect of this manga, though, is Quick's expert story buildup. Plenty of manga and even respected anime titles...like to waste the audience's time with useless filler episodes, beaten-to-death messages, and/or vapid character development for bad characters. Almost every single scene in Off*Beat has a significant purpose, be it to give depth to the setting or to illustrate Tory's escalating obsession; as a result, character actions are justified, the story is linear, and everything is terribly believable. Quick's buildup is so successful that even simple discoveries carry a surprising amount of weight...watching Tory peek under his quiet neighbors' blinds to find bars on the windows? Cryptic as hell....
Admittedly, Off*Beat may not be everyone's cup of tea. Those who are uncomfortable with mild themes of shounen ai and want explosions in their manga should go read...I don't know, something about fire robots. But if you want to learn how to write and draw a manga, at least consider studying Off*Beat. Jen Quick does something every OEL and Japanese/Korean/Chinese mangaka should strive toward—a fantastic job. 4.5 stars out of 5.
~Lianne Sentar
Copyright © Lianne Sentar
ChrisToryBlake
Off*Beat
Off*Beat is the story of a brilliant teen who figures somethings up with his neighbor, so he follows him.MORE
TS123
Wonderfully Written-Nuff Said~
Off*Beat is a great manga. An engaging plot, well-crafted characters, and great dialogue, Quick's Off*Beat is simply a refresher.MORE
Meet 15-year-old Tory Blake, a self-proclaimed genius who is somewhat antisocial and more than a bit cynical about the world. Life is just tedious for Tory...until the day an attractive but secretive boy his own age moves in across the street.
Tory becomes obsessed by his intriguing new neighbor and begins documenting his every move. But this pursuit of friendship—and possibly something more—leads Tory to the one thing he wasn't expecting to discover.
You like what you've seen so far? Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Things are just starting to get interesting for Tory, and his relationship with Colin develops slowly, but surely. Through book one and beyond their friendship deepens as Tory learns more about Colin's past and the mysterious Gaia Project!
Jen Lee Quick has crafted a wildly imaginative romantic drama, filled with all the hopes, dreams and anxiety of a teenager trying to make sense of his place in the world.
Tory Blake:
Tory's very bright, a self-declared genius who possesses an uncanny sense of time and a photographic memory. He gets bored easily, but he has a wild imagination and constantly daydreams. A bit introverted due to a superiority complex, he has few close friends. Tory's life was pretty normal—if not totally boring—until a mysterious boy, Colin Stevens, moves into the apartment across the street. Learning more about his new neighbor quickly becomes an obsession. Although he lives in Queens, Tory commutes every morning to a private school in Long Island in order to stalk him. When properly motivated, Tory's patience in pursuing his goals is unlimited. He meticulously records his observations of Colin, noting every detail down to the minute (and sometimes even second) in which it occurred.
Colin Stevens:
Tory's mysterious new neighbor. He's quiet, extremely antisocial, and secretive. He generally regards other people with a coldness that comes across as being rude. Due to this, he developed a reputation at school for being a loner and a jerk. Although he is always studying, he seems to only have average grades. His attendance at school is poor enough to draw concern from teachers, and he is constantly on the brink of being expelled. Outside of school, he only leaves his apartment to go to church and to travel. Tory discovers that Colin is a key person in a scientific research program called The Gaia Project.
Paul Patterson:
Paul is the college student who rents out the apartment above Tory's. He is Tory's only real friend and somewhat of an intellectual match. He makes a good living off graphic design work and still manages to go to college full-time in Manhattan as a film major. He's good with computers and dabbles in some amateur hacking and program writing. Paul has a very laid-back personality and liberal, down-to-earth mindset. He often plays the role of Tory's voice-of-reason and gives the younger boy a lot of sound advice. He loves Ms. Blake's cooking and alwas tries to steal Tory's leftovers.
Mary Grace Blake:
Ms. Blake is Tory's mother, a hardworking single parent. She works in a management position at a small advertising agency in Manhattan. Head of the graphic design department, she also owns the apartment duplex in which she and Tory reside, renting out the upstairs apartment to Paul. Ms. Blake worries a lot about Tory, but since Tory has a habit of talking down to his poor mother, she often resorts to asking Paul how her son is doing. She's very patient and mild-tempered to a fault, and almost never scolds Tory, no matter how he speaks to her.
Dr. Dustin Garrets:
Dr. Garrets is the founder and lead scientist of The Gaia Project. He claimed to have retired from science, but in actuality, he met Colin's parents and started his mysterious new project. After Colin's parents passed away, Garrets gained full custody of the boy. Rigid and obsessed with his work, Garrets treats Colin more as a colleague than a son. Insensitive to Colin's age and personal interests, he encourages Colin to pursue science and discourages him from making any friends or wasting time or money on frivolous things.
Mandy Townslan:
Amanda is a student at St. Peter's who has the same science class as Tory and Colin. Although pretty and popular, Mandy seems to be drawn to the people who are the most distant. She always tries to befriend both Colin and Tory. She's a gossip and bad at science, so she asks Tory for help with homework while she meddles in his business with Colin. Tory finds her to be a good listener when he needs to vent. A very feminine girl, Mandy loves all things cute, and chooses to be a vegetarian out of deference to animal rights. She is very outgoing and plans on pursuing a career in some type of social services.
Jen Lee Quick:
Likes: movies, animation, comics, videogames, cooking, sleeping
Dislikes: television, legal/political stuff, phone calls, noise pollution
History: Jen attended The School of Visual Arts where she earned her BFA in traditional animation. As an undergrad freelanced for White Wolf Publishing, Central Park Media, Othervision, Broken Lizard Films, and Plympton Studios. Her previously published comic work includes Soul Union, published in I.C.Entertainment's anthology Amerimanga, and Oni Press's graphic novel Once in a Blue Moon.
Not your average boy-meets-boy story.
Okay, so raise your hand if you loved Fake, but the depiction of the private lives of New York City police detectives made you laugh out loud. Repeatedly. That would be me. So needless to say, I was really psyched to get to work on Off*Beat, where the New York locations help to create a realistic and really cool setting for a fantastic, smart and very sweet story. Tory's got an overactive imagination, as we see in these chapters, but when it comes to Colin, his across-the-street neighbor, his imaginings may not actually be that far off. From transferring schools, taking detailed notes in a journal and raiding the guidance office, Tory is determined to find out who (or what) his curious (and curiously attractive) neighbor really is!
~Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, Editor
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Only registered members can post comments
I wonder wat they will do next!!! It was so cool and INTERESTING!!!
HANWEN21
10.20.2009 12:00 AM
I miss Off*Beat!
KYORI
09.29.2009 12:00 AM
Boycotting Tokyopop until Off*Beat sees the light of day once more.
LOVETYPETHING
08.15.2009 12:00 AM
@ Arenja: If you had done PROPER research you would know that Tokyopop was the one who put the haitus on Jen Lee Quicks, *Off Beat. I think it is rude, and very un-fanlike to blame the artist, especially when she was the one blindsighted. If you knew her on Deviantart, you would know she had the entire third book finished. Next time before you go and make a fool of yourself, be more careful and do some real research. This is her deviantart, where you can read about how she was ripped off, AND see original art. http://wulfmune.deviantart.com/ Thanks, an angry, REAL fan.
REPTILIAN
08.04.2009 12:00 AM
I have been with this series ever since Tokyopop first put the preview for the first volume on their website. Two years ago I finally had the money to buy the first and second volume in order to place them lovingly on my manga shelf, where they still sit between Skip Beat and Kami-Kaze. Since then I have been waiting for volume three. Two years ago I waited for the original release date- December of 2007. Didn't happen. Confused, I contacted Tokyopop and managed to get an answer. It was to be released in late 2008, though I do not remember the exact date they gave me. Yes- that deadline was ALSO ignored. I got word that this series was put on hiatus, and was severly disappointed when I found this true. Later on I caught a rumor about volume three being exclusively on Amazon, but that rumor proved to be, not only false, a very bad blow to my self esteem and the self esteem of the others fans that were duped by this rumor. It is, in fact, on hiatus. I as a writer would understand if it were writers block, but the fact is that no writers block lasts two years unless you by some miracle have absolutely no inclination to finish the series at all. I would better understand this if Jen Lee Quick had another series, but I have yet to discover any other work by this miraculous authoress. The point is that I have pretty much given up on the continuation of this series and find myself ignoring it in favor of manga that have updates pretty much every month. The fact is that until Jen Lee Quick gets a move on I will be ignoring this series and boycotting tokyopop in favor off other publishing companies until the release of the third volume has occured and I am holding the wonderous collaborative work of art and writing in my hands.
ARENJA
07.25.2009 12:00 AM
I would definetly buy this as soon as it was put on bookshelves, and obviously many more fans of this amazing series would. Tokyopop, just give this unknown work of art publicity and watch the sales increase! For those wondering, this isn't yaoi but more Implied Shounen-Ai. Yaoi is just boy on boy smut with no plot, and this book has enough plot to go around. =]]
MANGALVR92
06.17.2009 12:00 AM
Seriously, where's vol. 3?
ROACHIE
05.03.2009 12:00 AM
kyaaa! oofff beaaaaaaaat vol33333! peazzzz! i would buy da awsum book soon as it gets out in stores! >:D *spinning w/glee* hope it's near Dec.!
BLACKKITIYE
04.28.2009 12:00 AM
Hey guys http://rosebud-tea.livejournal.com/1566.html#cutid1 A letter writing campaign is in the works to try and get Vol 3 in stores! Please help!!!!
WONDER1440
03.20.2009 12:00 AM
Please Tokyopop, print volume 3!! I will buy multiple copies, I swear =).
QSHOE1989
03.12.2009 12:00 AM
TokyoPop, you would be doing the mangaverse a huge favor by releasing vol. 3. The fans won't let you regret it, I have a bajillion friends who all want to go out and buy it (:
CHAOTICROBOTIC
03.06.2009 12:00 AM
This is great i especially loved the art work fantastic job.
STARFIRE5012
02.12.2009 12:00 AM
I seriously demand Volume 3 be released, I LOVE the story and the art, this is an absolute must have and must be continued for the love of all that is manga! I don't think enough people know about it, but so far this beats the hell out of Gravitation and I have all the volumes of that!!! Needs more publicity needs to have more volumes published artist needs to be known about more!
YAOIBOIX
02.11.2009 12:00 AM
Please give us volume 3! I'm gonna die!!! This is like, my favorite manga! Tokyopop, you need to get Off*Beat off of that stinky hiatus and give us more!!!
ANIMEEMO713
02.01.2009 12:00 AM
I vote for volume three as well!
BROKENMARIONETTE
01.13.2009 12:00 AM
I second that vote. Real shame about volume 3. A big loss. :/ Bring it back?
MOJIKINS
12.19.2008 12:00 AM
I vote for volume 3!!
MIZUSHIMO
12.18.2008 12:00 AM
So Is volume 3 coming out or what? Will someone please give me a straight forward answer?
PASSIONBOY20
12.10.2008 12:00 AM
cool but i wish thet it was longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :(
EMOBUNNYCOKKIE
12.05.2008 12:00 AM
I am quite seiously boycotting Tokyopop until this series is taken off Hiatus. I'm sorry that you're losing my business.
QSHOE1989
12.05.2008 12:00 AM
CHAPTERS SAYS 2 DAYS!!
BOB101
11.30.2008 12:00 AM
Yes I think you can call this manga yaoi though it seems to be fringe yaoi more tension and mystery instead of romance yet that seems to drive the tension just under the surface-you end up rooting for Tory to conquer the riddle that is colin this all may equal acquired taste to some but for those whose palate are suited for this taste it is sinfully delicious, and hey I like to read the backs of books too
SNICKERSNEE
11.15.2008 12:00 AM
uhh can sme bocy explain what this manga is on i only seen the books and read the back i get the feeling its a yaoi is it?
AXELVAALENTINE
11.14.2008 12:00 AM
I'm dying! I've been waiting with baited breath since November 2006, after the second volumes release. You can then say its on hiatus!!! I'm gonna wait all my life if I have to, but I WOULD prefer it to come out next year. =P Common, be a pal TokyoPop, release the bloody thing!
CARTOONFREAK262
11.11.2008 12:00 AM
It's stilll on amazon. SO i still am holding out hope.
BOB101
11.10.2008 12:00 AM
Offbeat Vol. 3 coming out in December is merely a rumor! Jen Lee Quick said so herself on her deviantart page.. Please, Tokyopop..please for the love of manga, get Off*beat off it's hiatus! You let Bizenghuast or whatever, with it's weak story and failed attempts to grab readers hearts, go past three volumes, and yet you let Off*beat, with so many fans willing to jump off a bridge just to see their beloved third volume released, drop like a stone just when the story reached it's most intensely drawn out peak! It's a crying shame!!
VAMPIREPLEXZERO
09.21.2008 12:00 AM
Offbeat Vol.3 Anounced for December 2, 2008, according to chapters and amazon YAY!
BOB101
08.21.2008 12:00 AM
It's unfortunate that the last volume has to be put on hold because of tokyopop having problems, but I will wait forever for my lovely off*beat!!!!!! I just wish it was still coming out in august.
RENATE
08.02.2008 12:00 AM
It's so cute >-
KYUUBIKIT
08.02.2008 12:00 AM
This was really good . . . hoping for a volume 3!
VAMPIREGIRL724
07.23.2008 12:00 AM
THERE BETTER BE A VOLUME 3! I love this book and I am ready for the finale.
JAYREGEE
07.22.2008 12:00 AM
To suinu9, yaoi is mostly boys screwing each other, without much of a plot. Shounen-ai is romance between two boys, WITH a plot.
FINALALICE
07.17.2008 12:00 AM
this is a good book. lots of subliminal yoai 4 yaoi goers... and mystery.
SKYREVIRSE
07.01.2008 12:00 AM
I absolutley LUV off*beat.I love the plot for this manga it's awsome,I recommend it to yaoi fans because of Tory's obsession with Colin,they look like a nice couple!!!
KIRA25
05.30.2008 12:00 AM
I love thi story, Tory is so funny ilikr the fact that he is a self-porclamed genius
PIERRAH
05.18.2008 12:00 AM
i heard volume 3 was coming out either in august or december this year...i cant wait that long!!! i need to see it by august!! im dying to know what'll happen!
RIN204
05.05.2008 12:00 AM
love this book =) but whn dose vol.3 come out?
XXSPILTMILKXX
05.04.2008 12:00 AM
amazing , cant wait till volume 3 comes out and i hope it doesnt end there :)
KEVINRODEN
04.22.2008 12:00 AM
she has stuff from offbeat on deviantart
NAMICHAN93
04.13.2008 12:00 AM
NUUUU! I want vol.3!!!! It's soo cuuuuuuuuttttee.... Me go 'splody without vol.3.....
ANGRYDUSTBUNNIES
03.06.2008 12:00 AM
You only get the first three chapters as a preview. I think.
DARKDAEMON
02.18.2008 12:00 AM
no clue... why doesnt this chapter work?
OFFTEMPEST32
01.25.2008 12:00 AM
The third book comes out in August this year. I guess she ended up rethinking the ending which is why it's so delayed. 7 more months! :(
BLUEBERRY
01.14.2008 12:00 AM
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHEN VOLUME 3 IS COMEING
MALLRATS2007
01.11.2008 12:00 AM
Shes just like me about phone calls, lol! it even shows through with Tory making calls in the manga. I love Off*Beat sooo much! Its an awsome story and I cant wait for more!
ANIMEEMO713
12.28.2007 12:00 AM
I love this manga, I read the entire thing first volume in one setting and then died cause by the time I fell in love with the characters, it was over....I need to track down and 2nd volum and the 3rd when it comes out!
VINCHAOS
11.20.2007 12:00 AM
whens 3rd book come out? It should have been out already right???
DANJI21
11.01.2007 12:00 AM
why this chap does not work???
HOROHOLIKKA
10.15.2007 12:00 AM
I luv this story it's awesome!!
JAZB
10.12.2007 12:00 AM
when does the third book come out? I'm tired of waiting
BUNNY2
10.06.2007 12:00 AM