Nira X: Anime – Swimsuit Issue/Delta-Void the Destroyer (Single Issue)
Avatar Press/Southpaw/Entity Comics
Created by: Bill Maus
Writer: Bill Maus
Penciler: Bill Maus
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: Nira X is back in a one-off adventure against an old nemesis of hers, Delta-Void the Destroyer. A being that comes from the time/space intersection point known as the Slip-Dimension. He's her for revenge, and it may take everything she has and then some just to put him down. Or will she be laid to rest instead? Also inside, a whole gallery of sexy Nira X pin-ups.
Review: Oh the 90s, a time when it was perfectly legitimate to think that “Manga” was also just another word for “Anime” and so anime inspired artwork would be called the same. These days, it's much more precise to call it manga inspired artwork, but back then this was not the case. And with the creeping rise of anime in American culture, it's only fair that American fans would try their own hand at the genre style.
So imagine my Cheshire delight to find an issue of Nira X: Anime lying around. I knew I just had to get it and try it out. The fact that it was the swimsuit issue, something every publisher in the 90s was guilty of (even Marvel), made it all the funnier. Based off the name, the rather lackluster art style, the swimsuit marketing, and the 1997 publication year mark, I was honestly more than ready to come into this review tearing this issue apart after reading it.
To my genuine delight though, this is not the case. While Nira X is far from perfect, this issue actually acts like an introduction story and honestly not a bad one. With all it's space techno babble, fun banter, and truly likeable characters, I walked away with not a large urge to go read more, but a slight interest. I'm gonna be honest here, I can be prejudice against 90s comics, I've read quite a few in my short lifetime as an comic fan that I just can't fathom as to how they got printed. But the more I read current comics, and even some older than the 90s comics, I realize this has and always will be the case. So singling out one era (though an era of an over abundance of bad artwork can the 90s definitely be considered) for a lifetime of wrongs still being committed in the story medium today is unfair of me.
Nira X: Anime offers up a fun little romp into the world of this character, it in fact does give just enough information to instruct the reader on what these characters connections are – it even gives a very handy who's who guide the back of this issue for the world of Nira X – though the exposition is clunky, and the action isn't bad either. The story is pretty by the books, nothing special and really nothing new. It even boasts that last panel “tease” as to whether we'll ever see the villain again or not, which more than likely I have a good guess we will.
In fact, what more could be said for this issue is that it's pretty much one big action scene, which isn't too bad and can be engaging if written right. The villain of Delta-Void reminds me of a Spawn villain and I found myself caring little for him, he seemed pretty 1 dimensional and his reasoning for revenge was, to be honest, pretty boring. His design too is quite uninspired. The designs of Nira X and her supporting cast aren't the greatest either, but Nira herself is beautiful and always ready to take up a challenge.
As mentioned earlier, there is a handy character guide in the back to give basics on who and what this world is like, in case you find yourself interested in picking up more. There are a lot of intriguing ideas in this, and some of the characters seem pretty cool but overall their appearances are boring and way too “edgy” for their own good, as was a real across the board problem in the 90s.
The art style is, to be honest, not good. And sure, not everyone is a great artist, it's just a matter of what you have to work with when you start working on the comics. It does have its moments though where I like what I'm looking at but overall the artwork is just amateurish and unpolished. I don't really find Nira “sexy” like I'm supposed to, but I do think she's beautiful.
Now, onto the swimsuit portion of this comic. Oi, so I understand this was a thing back then to entice more readers, obviously male readers, to pick up the comic. In fact, I find Marvel's swimsuit issue that I own to be quite hilarious but definitely not sexy. These swimsuit issues could be sexy, especially if they were released in today's market. Artists have a better grasp on anatomy today, and I'm sure many of the artists of the 90s could turn in some quite sexy swimsuit images of comic characters now more so than then. What I'm getting at is the artwork here just isn't good enough for me to find the images attractive or sexy. Plus some of the poses Nira is in, and they're of just Nira, just aren't that attractive.
It doesn't help either that this gallery is shoved into the middle of the full story and you have to get through them to get back to the meat of the issue. I don't understand why you'd take a whole gallery and smash it between two halves of one story. Why not just tell the full story and then have the gallery in the back? It's simple, and much more effective in my opinion because I really, really don't want my story being interrupted just to look at “supposed to be” pretty pictures.
Again, this wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be, in fact there is just as much I like about it than I don't like about it, so it breaks pretty even. But there's simply not enough here to warrant the then $2.75 cover price, and I'm really glad I didn't pay that. This isn't for everyone, and I can't really recommend it, but perhaps if this Nira X world were to be revamped for the 21st Century a lot more people, myself included, would be more enticed to read.
Final Score: 1.5 Sexy Swimsuit Pics out of 5
Avatar Press/Southpaw/Entity Comics
Created by: Bill Maus
Writer: Bill Maus
Penciler: Bill Maus
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: Nira X is back in a one-off adventure against an old nemesis of hers, Delta-Void the Destroyer. A being that comes from the time/space intersection point known as the Slip-Dimension. He's her for revenge, and it may take everything she has and then some just to put him down. Or will she be laid to rest instead? Also inside, a whole gallery of sexy Nira X pin-ups.
Review: Oh the 90s, a time when it was perfectly legitimate to think that “Manga” was also just another word for “Anime” and so anime inspired artwork would be called the same. These days, it's much more precise to call it manga inspired artwork, but back then this was not the case. And with the creeping rise of anime in American culture, it's only fair that American fans would try their own hand at the genre style.
So imagine my Cheshire delight to find an issue of Nira X: Anime lying around. I knew I just had to get it and try it out. The fact that it was the swimsuit issue, something every publisher in the 90s was guilty of (even Marvel), made it all the funnier. Based off the name, the rather lackluster art style, the swimsuit marketing, and the 1997 publication year mark, I was honestly more than ready to come into this review tearing this issue apart after reading it.
To my genuine delight though, this is not the case. While Nira X is far from perfect, this issue actually acts like an introduction story and honestly not a bad one. With all it's space techno babble, fun banter, and truly likeable characters, I walked away with not a large urge to go read more, but a slight interest. I'm gonna be honest here, I can be prejudice against 90s comics, I've read quite a few in my short lifetime as an comic fan that I just can't fathom as to how they got printed. But the more I read current comics, and even some older than the 90s comics, I realize this has and always will be the case. So singling out one era (though an era of an over abundance of bad artwork can the 90s definitely be considered) for a lifetime of wrongs still being committed in the story medium today is unfair of me.
Nira X: Anime offers up a fun little romp into the world of this character, it in fact does give just enough information to instruct the reader on what these characters connections are – it even gives a very handy who's who guide the back of this issue for the world of Nira X – though the exposition is clunky, and the action isn't bad either. The story is pretty by the books, nothing special and really nothing new. It even boasts that last panel “tease” as to whether we'll ever see the villain again or not, which more than likely I have a good guess we will.
In fact, what more could be said for this issue is that it's pretty much one big action scene, which isn't too bad and can be engaging if written right. The villain of Delta-Void reminds me of a Spawn villain and I found myself caring little for him, he seemed pretty 1 dimensional and his reasoning for revenge was, to be honest, pretty boring. His design too is quite uninspired. The designs of Nira X and her supporting cast aren't the greatest either, but Nira herself is beautiful and always ready to take up a challenge.
As mentioned earlier, there is a handy character guide in the back to give basics on who and what this world is like, in case you find yourself interested in picking up more. There are a lot of intriguing ideas in this, and some of the characters seem pretty cool but overall their appearances are boring and way too “edgy” for their own good, as was a real across the board problem in the 90s.
The art style is, to be honest, not good. And sure, not everyone is a great artist, it's just a matter of what you have to work with when you start working on the comics. It does have its moments though where I like what I'm looking at but overall the artwork is just amateurish and unpolished. I don't really find Nira “sexy” like I'm supposed to, but I do think she's beautiful.
Now, onto the swimsuit portion of this comic. Oi, so I understand this was a thing back then to entice more readers, obviously male readers, to pick up the comic. In fact, I find Marvel's swimsuit issue that I own to be quite hilarious but definitely not sexy. These swimsuit issues could be sexy, especially if they were released in today's market. Artists have a better grasp on anatomy today, and I'm sure many of the artists of the 90s could turn in some quite sexy swimsuit images of comic characters now more so than then. What I'm getting at is the artwork here just isn't good enough for me to find the images attractive or sexy. Plus some of the poses Nira is in, and they're of just Nira, just aren't that attractive.
It doesn't help either that this gallery is shoved into the middle of the full story and you have to get through them to get back to the meat of the issue. I don't understand why you'd take a whole gallery and smash it between two halves of one story. Why not just tell the full story and then have the gallery in the back? It's simple, and much more effective in my opinion because I really, really don't want my story being interrupted just to look at “supposed to be” pretty pictures.
Again, this wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be, in fact there is just as much I like about it than I don't like about it, so it breaks pretty even. But there's simply not enough here to warrant the then $2.75 cover price, and I'm really glad I didn't pay that. This isn't for everyone, and I can't really recommend it, but perhaps if this Nira X world were to be revamped for the 21st Century a lot more people, myself included, would be more enticed to read.
Final Score: 1.5 Sexy Swimsuit Pics out of 5