Words like “icon” and “legend” are so overused today that when a true pioneer dies, it’s hard to describe their legacy. By any reasonable measure, though, Tina Turner was both an icon and a legend, a ground-breaking figure in R&B and rock music whose expressive voice and commanding stage presence radically transformed American popular music. Her voice could be seductive or powerful, heart-breaking or soul-stirring, embodying the real emotion behind even the most banal lyrics. (Who but Tina Turner could make “River Deep, Mountain High” into something glorious?) That she had her greatest success in her forties is perhaps the most astonishing part of her story. At an age when women are often pushed to the margins of the popular music industry, Turner packed stadiums around the world, sold millions of albums, and won legions of new fans through her music videos and standout performance at Live Aid, reminding all of us that artistry is a life-long pursuit. As much as I love her earlier work, though, the song I come back to is one of the last recordings she made: “Edith and the King Pin,” a Joni Mitchell cover she recorded with Herbie Hancock in 2007. The whole album is terrific, but Turner’s contribution is revelatory, a stellar jazz interpretation of Mitchell’s song that is delicate, lyrical, and yet unmistakably Tina Turner:
RIP, Acid Queen!
AROUND THE WEB
Otaku USA has a preview of Alpi: The Soul Sender, a new series from Titan Manga; look for volume one in early October. [Otaku USA]
Tony Yao explains why Tokyo Revengers’ Chifuyu Matsuno is one of his all-time favorite supporting characters. [Drop-In to Manga]
Something old, something new: Kory, Apryll, and Helen compare notes on Lil’ Leo and Oshi no Ko. [Manga in Your Ears]
Join the OverMangaCast gang for a lively discussion of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure—specifically, the Battle Tendency arc. [OverMangaCast]
Place your bets: Sean, Mike, and Phil have just embarked on their annual Trashtacular Tournament Arc, sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly so that you don’t have to. [Trash Manga Friends]
REVIEWS
Over at Anime Collective, Kristin reviews the deluxe versions of 20th Century Boys, Blade of the Immortal, and Pandora Hearts… Megan D. jumps in the WABAC Machine for a look at Cipher, a manga with “a great cast, a compelling premise, and great art that looks as fresh as it did nearly 40 years ago”… Adam Symchuk weighs in on Small Nozomi and Big Yume… and the latest Reader’s Corner looks at Helck, Honey Lemon Soda, and the final volume of Horimiya!
New and Noteworthy
- A Business Proposal, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- A Business Proposal, Vol. 1 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)
- Call the Name of the Night, Vol. 1 (Serena Dang, Sequential Planet)
- Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1 (SKAJM! Reviews)
- How to Grill Our Love, Vol. 1 (Christopher Ferris, ANN)
- Magical Girl Incident, Vol. 1 (Kate O’Neil, The Fandom Post)
- Magical Girl Incident, Vol. 1 (Serena Dang, Sequential Planet)
- Manner of Death, Vol. 1 (Eliz Aviles, Yatta-Tachi)
- Me and My Beast Boss, Vol. 1 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)
- Monotone Blue (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
- My Dear, Curse-Casting Vampiress, Vol. 1 (Josh, No Flying No Tights)
- Puella Magi Suzune Magica: Complete Omnibus Edition (Karen Gellender, The Fandom Post)
- Reborn as a Vending Machine I Now Wander the Dungeon, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Reborn as a Vending Machine I Now Wander the Dungeon, Vol. 1 (Karen Gellender, The Fandom Post)
- The Witch and the Knight Survive, Vol. 1 (Christopher Ferris, ANN)
- Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Vol. 1 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)
Complete, OOP, and Ongoing Series
- Beast Complex, Vol. 2 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt So I’ll Max Ou My Defense, Vol. 6 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams, Vol. 10 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Mieruko-chan, Vol. 7 (Antonio Miereles, The Fandom Post)
- Mission: Yozakura Family, Vols. 3-4 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- My Dear Agent, Vol. 2 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- My Dress-Up Darling, Vols. 5-7 (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
- My Special One, Vol. 2 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Oshi no Ko, Vol. 2 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
- Queens’ Quality, Vol. 17 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Solo Leveling, Vol. 6 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
- Solo Leveling, Vol. 6 (Noemi 10, Anime UK News)
- Something’s Wrong With Us, Vol. 12 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Stellar Witch LIPS, Vol. 1 (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
- Yumeochi: Dreaming of Falling for You, Vol. 11 (Chris Beveridge, The Fandom Post)