New Era G
While voice actor Eric Vale and his Dragon Ball Z co-star Monica Rial divulged the secrets of anime success in the Student Union Theatre during UBCON last Friday night, an amateur manga artist worked tirelessly to sell his wares to the cosplay crowd.
Writer and artist Steiner Palomino (or as he's known in the manga world, "Stamayosuke") traveled seven hours to attend last weekend's festivities, all in the hopes of selling the first volume of his '90s era-inspired manga, New Era G.
Palomino attempts to reconcile new manga fans and the gaming crowd with what can certainly be described as a fantastic amateur foray into the literary realm. Following the characters of Ryo O'Connor, his brother Hideaki, and the mysterious femme fatale, Julie, New Era G places the three in harm's way as they attempt to discover the O'Connor's family legacy.
For a one-man operation, the finished product is quite impressive. Character expressions are spot on, and action sequences do well to keep the reader engaged. Presenting a likable protagonist in the form of Ryo, Palomino creates a character-driven experience worth its weight in manga. Admittedly the art falls flat in panels of frenetic combat, as speed lines muddle the image and leave readers with the equivalent of a literary "shaky cam," but most of the art is actually quite stunning.
Julie Amasatei, the female component of the trio, boasts a bodacious form that further pushes the story into the intended genre and does well to give the plot a poke in the right direction when dialogue falls flat. Vol. 1 sets up an interesting premise leaving readers to question exactly what a set of magical armor, the purple-hued antagonist Erasa, and Ryo's previously deceased father all have in common.
For the $10 package, Palomino offers the reader a solid story, though maybe a bit on the bland side as a tepid beginning can sometimes be. Readers can find Palomino and a copy of New Era G online through the book's website, newerag.com.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
