HACKER

Language: Bahasa Malaysia
Publisher: Gala Unggul Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Cartoonist: Zint
Category : Shonen (action) 

Hacker is the brainchild of local author Zint. Apparently, Hacker was supposed to be a hack-and-slash style battle comic, a la Dragonball, but at the last moment the author supposedly had a sudden surge of inspiration and decided to incorporate strong storyline elements into the story. So how did the improvements turn out? Let’s take a look.

Hacker tells the story of Slash, a mild-mannered high school student who more often than not ends up on the wrong side of his classmates. However, what they don’t know is that Slash actually masquerades as a Cyber Cowboy, a new breed of antivirus programs which sucks the person right into the heat of the battle, much like in The Matrix. Together with his team of hackers, they trawl the cyber skylines fighting for justice on the Web. But what happens when a special virus arrives and starts wreaking unstoppable havoc on the Internet?

To be sure, much appreciation is deserved to the author of this book in the amount of effort he has put into writing out the story. You can tell that a lot of thought has been given to the fleshing out of characters and the full color pages. However, Hacker fails to compel us with its storyline the way rival Japanese classics like Samurai X and Naruto has, if only for the reason that there is too little content to capture our attention.

KALEIDOSKOP

Language: Bahasa Malaysia
Publisher: Gala Unggul Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Cartoonist: Ho Seng Hui
Category : Alternative 

Kaleidoskop by Ho Seng Hui is hard to describe. To put it in words, it’d best be seen as an alternative comic which tests the creative limits of our relatively conservative society today. Why would I give it such a label? Well, let me explain a little.

The comic is basically a series of one-shot chapters combined together into one book. The undeniably obvious main story Is actually quite a funny one – a young native finds a kaleidoscope in his village, and is mesmerized by the flower-like patterns it turns the world into. Pretty soon, the entire village is clamoring to get a chance to see it, until it rolls off a cliff…into the hands of another young villager of another village. Quite a nice touch to short storytelling, actually.

The same can’t be said for the other stories, however. Some of the stories in Kaleidoskop border on the rungs of creepy, and certainly isn’t for regular comic consumption. Let me give an example. One story revolves around hungry orphans in a futuristic world finding food… and eating dead people. Another is about how a woman whose son has died buries him in the soil where a magic tree grows… and he not only resurrects, but multiplies. The full impact of the story is hard to deliver here, but once you read it you’ll see what I mean.

PENTAS REALITI: ASPIRASI SENI

Language: Bahasa Malaysia
Publisher: Gala Unggul Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Cartoonist: Fakhrul Anour
Category : Casual

Lastly, we come to a new age version of novel writing, Pentas Realiti Aspirasi Seni. Pentas isn’t so much of a comic book as a novel; the author tries to combine the two formats to form a hybrid system where there are comic pages interspersing the regular novel word by word, line by line format. It’s an interesting take on challenging old ideas, but one that doesn’t work very well. The reason why I say this is because it fails to capture the attention of either novel enthusiasts or comic book fans, something like a mismatch of two great things which don’t work so well together. However, the storyline is pretty decent, something you’d expect of a local Malay novel writer.

RATINGS

Hacker: 3.2 out of 5

Kaleidoskop: 3.2 out of 5

Pentas Realiti Aspirasi Seni: 3 out of 5

Hacker, by Malaysian standards, is actually quite a good effort, though it fails to deliver as much as its counterparts in Japan. However, one can see that future books by the author has potential to be better. Kaleidoskop is creepy, but it’s a nice book to consider if you just happen to be walking past a bookstand and have money to spare. It’s more different than anything, so at least it has an attractiveness factor. Pentas Realiti Aspirasi Seni, however, isn’t something that most comic book buffs would consider. However, if you’re a novel reader, then by all means go ahead and try it out for a read.

Last but not least, a great salute to our Malaysian authors! It may not have been better then Japanese comics, but without you there wouldn’t be that twinkling hope of manga development on Malaysian shores!

Helios Eclipse Series – Quintet, Septenary, Epilogue

Today, I’ll be introducing you to a series which has captured my attention with its snazzy art and endearing storyline. The series in question here is Helios Eclipse, which some of you may remember from one of my reviews awhile back. At the time, I just gave a brief overview of what the first book was like, but I’ve had a chance to look through some of the other books in the series, and have received a little more insight.

Helios Eclipse is written by a Malaysian writer, who goes by the pen name Kaoru. She was born and bred in Perak, so it’s not surprising to find that her style suits the tastes of Malaysians around. Her story revolves around the central character, Helios, the ruler of the Realms of Magic, and Mineko, a hapless teenage girl who just happened to get sucked into this fantasy world. As luck would have it, the Shadow Realm is bent on destroying all that they have and love, and Mineko and Helios have to cooperate to fight it back with all they have.

Helios Eclipse Quintet

Language: English
Publisher: Gala Unggul Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Cartoonist: Kaoru
Category : Seinen

The fourth book in the series, aptly named Quintet, starts with a rough battle between Mineko, her friend Evillina and an unknown enemy. Surprisingly, the enemy possesses an element, the most powerful magic in the world. Mineko’s life is in peril, and it is unknown if she will survive the fight.

The book also delves deeper into the relationship between Diamond and Mineko, providing Diamond’s answer against her blame towards Mineko for failing to save Luna, her former master. The introduction on Louis, a new character, further adds to the excitement of the plot.

Helios Eclipse Septenary

Language: English
Publisher: Gala Unggul Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Cartoonist: Kaoru
Category : Seinen

Helios Eclipse “Septenary” is the seventh book in the series, and here the storyline begins to get a little thicker. Countessa, Helios’ childhood friend and the Ruler of the Realms of Water, forms a political alliance with Helios by marrying him. The newly crowned King of the Realms of the Wood, Draven, and his friend the King of the Realms of the Air, Armand, arrive to lend a helping hand to Helios in his quest against the Shadow Realms. Unbeknownst to Helios, Countessa and the two other leaders of the Realms are planning the ultimate betrayal by selling Helios out to the Shadow Realm, in an effort to claim the throne for themselves.

The recent disappearance of the King of the Realm of Earth, and Helios’ inability to contact him, adds to the mystery. In addition, readers will get to see the appearance of a new character, one who despite the nearing end of the series, still remains shrouded in mystery. Mineko’s role in her arrival to the Magic Realms is also given a sneak peek here.

Helios Eclipse Epilogue

Language: English
Publisher: Gala Unggul Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Cartoonist: Kaoru
Category : Seinen

Finally, we come to the final book of the series, Helios Eclipse “Epilogue”. Readers who have been clamoring for Kaoru’s finishing release will finally be able to understand the full meanings of the scattered-jigsaw-puzzle-like plot of the previous seven books, as the author wraps up the story with a fulfilling finish. Among some of the illuminating questions which are answered her include the sudden appearance of Louis, Mineko’s childhood friend, the identity of the mysterious stranger in the seventh book, Septernary, and the revelation of the hidden artifact, the Phoenix.

Ratings:

Helios Eclipse

Quintet: 3.4 out of 5

Septenary: 3.2 out of 5

Epilogue: 4.5 out of 5

Helios Eclipse really is a series you should look out for. In contrast with our local expectations of Malaysian comic book artists, Kaoru has proven exceptionally refreshing in her venture with Helios Eclipse. You get the feeling that this is her labor of love, as not only is the story well-though out, but the characters are given a lot of time to really flesh out. The artwork is very decent at worst, and to add to the spice, every inch of the series is given a full color treatment, without holding back. The series wraps up nicely, tying up all the loose ends and yet leaving the reader satisfied at the same time. Plus, despite the satisfactory ending, there seems to be room for more in the plot. Perhaps we will see Helios Eclipse, “Sequel”?