cover image Crayon Shinchan, Vol. 1

Crayon Shinchan, Vol. 1

Yoshito Usui, . . DC Comics/CMX, $7.99 (118pp) ISBN 978-1-4012-1715-0

Shinchan has been equated with Bart Simpson, but as a cartoon character, he is also reminiscent of a contemporary, South Park –influenced Dennis the Menace. Previously published by now defunct ComicsOne, the famed manga has been picked up by CMX following the Shinchan anime's appearance on Adult Swim. Despite his juvenile antics (dropping his pants in public) and precocious behavior (perusing the adult section of the bookstore and hitting on women), Shinchan retains an element of innocence and naïveté. The first book is compiled from vignettes illustrating Shin's relationship with his parents and aptly entitled “Mom and I Are Best Friends.” Usui portrays this innocence through everyday activities. Shin wants to make a grocery list for mom, but doesn't know how to spell. He doesn't need help, however, when it comes to drawing all over his stomach and genitals using his mother's lipstick. The book has a mature rating and, like South Park , it needs one. There are lewd references to women's genitalia, and Shin's ability to copy the worst of adult male habits can be unsettling to see in a five-year-old. But like contemporary laddy movies like American Pie or Superbad , as distasteful as it may be, it's still funny. (Mar.)