The Eastern Edge

⇒ This is old news now, but the Anime News Network reported that the am/pm chain of convenience stores in Japan has begun a test manga rental program.

Unfortunatley they fail to mention what they will do about the manga that they are already renting for free by leaving them open for the custombers to read in the store. Japanese convienience stores have more people hanging reading than most public libraries do. You can literally loiter for hours at these places and no one will say a word to you. Many stores even have regulars, because I see the same people all the time hanging around the magazine and book racks like they have a subscription.

Convenience stores appear to be slowly changing their ways, though, because I know one in busy Shinbashi that has every single magazine on the shelf tied shut with plastic cords, which makes it a lot easier to actually buy things there because you don't have to fight through the horde of loiterers that used to block the aisles.
Maybe am/pm will seal up the comics too so that people who won't buy, but can't wait for them to show up at the used book stores, will maybe rent them.
The Japanese version of the above news item the says they'll carry 3000 comics covering all the popular titles and include an option to buy. From what I've seen, except for the hardcore fans, most Japanese dump comics like old newspapers so I doubt people will be buying their rentals very much. Unless they get hooked, in which they'd probably go to the local used bookstore (which may be found in abundance in Japan!) and buy the whole series cheap.

I don't see many people bothering with the entire thing in the first place, though. It's probably a pain in the ass to fill out the forms and sign-up for a rental membership. If you can only rent and return to the same location, tha twould be another minus in hustle and bustle Tokyo.

Comics may be on the decline in Japan, but at least fans don't eat their own like they do in North America.

⇒ Absolutely brutal, but sadly very true commentary on the state of Superhero comics at chub.com. I, too, went from a guy who bought tons of comics on a weekly basis to buying only a select few, many of which have nothing to do men and women in colourful tights. I don't agree with everything this article says, but I think there is far too much truth in it to dismiss as just a belligerent rant.

⇒ If Marvel keeps doing crap like this review at The Factual Opinion describes to it's most popular characters, the demise of the superhero comics may come sooner than some think!

Remember this cover and be warned!

⇒ DC is no better with it's multi-universe crap. Just look at what they did to the Flash.

⇒ The impact of Frank Miller running wild on Batman in All Star Batman & Robin remains to be seen, though. I was stunned after reading the first few issues and wondered what the hell one of my favorite creators of all time, Frank Miller, was smoking over in Hollywood since he became a director.
Jim Lee is an awesome artist - loved his X-Men - but I still think his muscular, stubbly-faced Batman looks more like a tall Wolverine in a Bat suit.

Can't you just see him popping his claws?

This may sound crazy but as the series rolls along I think I can actually see what Miller is trying to do and intrigue is slowly beginning to replace my initial shock and dismay.
This awesome Bill Sienkiewicz variant cover for issue 12 is definitely helping, too!

⇒ Despite all the negativity about Superheros I'm seeing lately, though, I am looking forward to reading my copy of Neil Gaiman's "Whatever happened to the caped crusader?" story. I just got a copy of the first part and I can't wait to get home and read it.

⇒　Maybe Weekly Morning and Batman will help me get this image out of my head today

YIKES! I'm not touching this one, but I have a feeling the cartoonist - whatever he may have intended with this - will have a tough time surviving the shit storm he ingnited. Sometimes it's what you probably didn't mean and didn't foresee begin inferred that can kill you (at least I'm hoping he didn't intend some of the unfortunate undertones in this cartoon!).
Like I said, not touching this. If you don't know what the fuss is about, check out it out here, and see the New York Post's statement here.
This is gonna get very ugly.

⇒ I read the latest Vagabond and Billy Bat in Weekly Morning a couple hours ago and I'll have a little background info for the latest Billy Bat up later today or tomorrow.

Until then...