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Does anyone know what happened to Comicsone?

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Does anyone else here even read Manhua?

I'm a big fan of Comicsone's kung-fu comics line, especially Legendary Couple and Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre. Those two in particular have always released slowly, and have been hiatus before, but I haven't seen any of their books come out in a few months and none of their books are coming anytime soon according to Diamond.
After seeing huge sales on their website, I'm worried that they may have closed down.

While Legendary Couple and Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre will eventually see the US release of their far superior original novels, Storm Riders and Weapon of the Gods are quite good too and were written as comics.

If my fears are correct, I would be almost as disappointed as when I found out that Dark Horse completely dropped 3x3 Eyes.
 
1. They changed their name (now Dr.Master)
2. Scheduling seems to be a mess, hopefully cleared up soon because Iron Wok Jan really needs to come out more often.
3. Dunno about the kung-fu manhua, but the best way to research their status is to check the manga forum at animeondvd.com.
 
It's good to know that they're still alive, I just hope they still intend to release the Legend of the Condor Heroes anime (based on Legendary Couple).
 

belgurdo

Banned
I just want them to learn how to translate properly. I couldn't even read some of their Kung-fu comics and instead resorted to drooling over the pictures like everyone else (this was a while ago though so I don't know it they've improved)
 

Dujour

Banned
comix_zone3.jpg
 
belgurdo said:
I just want them to learn how to translate properly. I couldn't even read some of their Kung-fu comics and instead resorted to drooling over the pictures like everyone else (this was a while ago though so I don't know it they've improved)

Is that actually the case, or is it just that those particular comics are really just badly written in the first place? Either way, ComicsOne/Dr.Master does know what to do with the right titles. Iron Wok Jan is one of the best graphic novel series available.
 

GG-Duo

Member
belgurdo said:
I just want them to learn how to translate properly. I couldn't even read some of their Kung-fu comics and instead resorted to drooling over the pictures like everyone else (this was a while ago though so I don't know it they've improved)

Unless it's a comic based on a novel, you're not missing much.

Just make up your own dialog.
 
Crazymoogle said:
Is that actually the case, or is it just that those particular comics are really just badly written in the first place? Either way, ComicsOne/Dr.Master does know what to do with the right titles. Iron Wok Jan is one of the best graphic novel series available.

If they were badly written they should translate/rewrite it so that the dialogue is at least interesting and entertaining. They need to hire the old Jademan translators, now those were some entertaining translations.
 

Shig

Strap on your hooker ...
*shrug* I bought their SVC Chaos comic just a few weeks ago from a 'just published' rack at the comic store.

I really wish someone would pick up Raijin's licenses. Slam Dunk especially.
 
From what I know of Louis Cha's novels, Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre and Legendary Couple are pretty brutally abridged. Still, Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre makes far more sense than Kung-Fu Cult Master, Jet Lee's movie based on the book. The opening of the Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre Novel (I found the first chapter translated somewhere) happens almost a century before the comic even begins.

The translations are betterfor most of the books, but they still need some work; that is to say that they now make sense, they just aren't very natural and still have a fair number of typographical errors.

The Four Constables is probably the best product they produce in every way (at least as far as Manhua) and has a better translation and better print quality (same small format as Crouching Tiger) which nicely complements its amazing art (definitely the best Andy Seto work I've seen). It did have a scene where a character was colored as another (clothing and hair colors), but the fault for that lies with the original.

I hated Storm Riders at first, but around book 5 or 6 it starts to pick up and by book 8 it becomes very good. The story is actually stronger than the art now, which is often very experimental (I love the shadowy art style used for Nameless).

I looked up Dr Master online and it looks like they will continue much of Comicsone's manga while Comicsone will retain its manhua.
 
Yes, I miss Raijin the most. Although reading that Sega was a business partner damned them from the get-go. :(

The Western world needs the conclusion of Fist of the North Star! Japan's greatest contribution to literature since the Tale of Genji. ^_^
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
Yes, I miss Raijin the most. Although reading that Sega was a business partner damned them from the get-go. :(

Raijin was cool, if really overbearing in terms of how they tried to hit the market. I held back on Slam Dunk because they making it through every volume didn't seem like a sure thing.

CPM destroying their entire line, though, was tough. Slayers fans were probably pissed, and the one series of theirs I was reading was only a couple of weeks away from the final volume hitting shelves, too. :(
 
The one thing that is inherently wrong with the way they publish their Manhua is the way they include 4-6 original issues into each of their translated issues. While it allows them to catch up to the original issues, it destroys any inherent drama that the originals had. When every Comics 1 issue has 4-5 cliffhangers and their ensuing conclusions, I found myself becoming bored because there was no anticipation about what would happen next. Just venting because I used to collect Jademan and C1 comics but I now find myself not caring because of the poor job C1 is doing.
 

belgurdo

Banned
The Take Out Bandit said:
Yes, I miss Raijin the most. Although reading that Sega was a business partner damned them from the get-go. :(

The Western world needs the conclusion of Fist of the North Star! Japan's greatest contribution to literature since the Tale of Genji. ^_^

I miss them too. They doomed themselves by only publishing (save maybe FOBS) niche titles or knockoffs of bigger stuff (did we really need Shugogetten to be brought over?), not having a better subscription rate, and not advertising at all save for Sega ads on the back cover
 
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