Gon Underground

Rating:
Summary: The anti-Barney's journey to the Center of the Earth.
Review: For those of you who suffer nervous twitching when you hear the word 'dinosaur,' run screaming when you encounter the color purple, and have nightmares featuring a soundtrack from 'This Old Man,' take heart. The cure for Barney has arrived: he's ruthless, he's unstoppable, and piranhas dive for cover when they see him coming. And he's only two feet tall.

Masashi Tanaka returns us to the world of Gon, this time with a stretch of imagination that takes him into a subterranean, book-length adventure. As with all of the Gon books, this one is meticulously and beautifully drawn; the artwork is incredible, penned with a loving attention to detail that makes this a feast for the eyes. For those who haven't encountered Gon before, never fear. There are no words to boggle non-Japanese speakers. All characters are animals (or insect), and all their emotions are easily understandable, thanks to the artist's deft hand. Gon may be a dinosaur bordering on cute, but he's no cuddly Barney; he has an attitude that won't quit, and the single-minded ferocity of a Sherman Tank. This is a book for all ages, full of whimsy, humor, and more than its fair share of charm.

Unlike the other Gon stories, this one spins several of its minor characters out of pure imagination. Some of the weird and wonderful life forms that scuttle through the pages have no resemblance to real creatures -- and "scuttle" is the operative word here. Tanaka's fabulous artistic skill brings to life all the creepy-crawlies that you can imagine with an attention to realism that will definitely disconcert those who are faint of heart.

At 166 pages, this is the longest Gon story ever, and every page is a gem. This is a must have for any Gon collector, Gon's first feature-length saga. Those who have never encountered Gon might find a better feel for the little dinosaur's normal life by trying out a different Gon book, but they can't go wrong getting this one, instead.

Rating:
Summary: Gon is back!
Review: Gon the irrepressible little orange dinosaur returns for another adventure. This time Gon teams up with a coyote, a prarie dog, a bat, and an ant. They do battle with a giant spider, and end up on the other side of the world. Dont be thrown off by the fact that this book has no words or sounds, it is not to be missed! Whether you're a Manga fan, an Art connaissuer, or just want a good story, This book is for you!

Rating:
Summary: Giants Underground
Review: Gon, the indestructible two-foot-tall dinosaur nomad created by Masashi Tanaka, finds himself deviating from the "norm," if there is truly something normal about Gon's adventures, in Gon Underground. It not only pits Gon in and against a new surrounding, but it also puts him into something else that is refreshingly abnormal, that of a full-length storyline with more interconnection than simply the main character. This helps in many ways because it gives more time to develop those characters that would otherwise been seen only briefly, helping you to feel their plights and laugh along at the futility of their dealings with the over-anxious little dinosaur.

The gist of this tale (without spoiling it):
While staring into an anthill and watching its innerworkings, Gon finds himself intrigued by the prospective of going underground and promptly digs up the anthill. Saddened to find that it ends so soon, Gon goes looking for something else to sate his newfound burrowing curiosity and locates it in the form of prairie dog burrows. After playing here for a time and psychologically tormenting some of the little guy's predators, an earthquake hits and Gon finds himself elsewhere, in a subterranean world filled with giant isopeta, giant mayflies, hog bats, enormous pill-bugs, huge toads, and his greatest adversary, the king spider! Still, this odd world has never seen anything like Gon and vice-versa, so its off to explore and to, of course, cause a little trouble.

I've seen it stated that Gon, a silent spectator delving into a wordless world, is something for the artlover only because it has no story. Well, I'd have to say that this couldn't be further from the truth. Silence, whether in moving picture or in that of a still, can weave a tale though textures, through expression, and through the gist of something different, like the curiosity of a dinosaur with nothing to fear from life. This is what Gon does in an almost innocent fashion, something that should be checked out by any and everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Giants Underground
Review: Gon, the indestructible two-foot-tall dinosaur nomad created by Masashi Tanaka, finds himself deviating from the "norm," if there is truly something normal about Gon's adventures, in Gon Underground. It not only pits Gon in and against a new surrounding, but it also puts him into something else that is refreshingly abnormal, that of a full-length storyline with more interconnection than simply the main character. This helps in many ways because it gives more time to develop those characters that would otherwise been seen only briefly, helping you to feel their plights and laugh along at the futility of their dealings with the over-anxious little dinosaur.

The gist of this tale (without spoiling it):
While staring into an anthill and watching its innerworkings, Gon finds himself intrigued by the prospective of going underground and promptly digs up the anthill. Saddened to find that it ends so soon, Gon goes looking for something else to sate his newfound burrowing curiosity and locates it in the form of prairie dog burrows. After playing here for a time and psychologically tormenting some of the little guy's predators, an earthquake hits and Gon finds himself elsewhere, in a subterranean world filled with giant isopeta, giant mayflies, hog bats, enormous pill-bugs, huge toads, and his greatest adversary, the king spider! Still, this odd world has never seen anything like Gon and vice-versa, so its off to explore and to, of course, cause a little trouble.

I've seen it stated that Gon, a silent spectator delving into a wordless world, is something for the artlover only because it has no story. Well, I'd have to say that this couldn't be further from the truth. Silence, whether in moving picture or in that of a still, can weave a tale though textures, through expression, and through the gist of something different, like the curiosity of a dinosaur with nothing to fear from life. This is what Gon does in an almost innocent fashion, something that should be checked out by any and everyone.