Bambi and Her Pink Gun: Vol. 1

Pink-haired punk Bambi has two problems: a junk-food–scarfing toddler named Pampi who she's trying to deliver to the Old Men she works for, and a 500-million-yen price on her head that's attracting every lowlife hit man in the area, from a garrote-wielding schoolteacher to a sinister Elvis impersonator with a gold tooth. To deal with the kid, Bambi buys a leash. For the rest, she has her trademark pink gun. Fast-paced, ultra-violent and at times just plain weird, Kaneko's new manga serial is a delirious mashup of Lone Wolf and Cub , Love and Rockets and Sin City . Unlike many of the generic manga that have flooded the market recently, this work is well-paced, beginning with exciting stand-alone chapters, gradually delving into backstory and subplots, and ending in a gripping cliffhanger. Kaneko's art, influenced as much by American underground cartoon art as manga, is kinetic, even frenetic. But the combination of clean lines and careful layout ensure that readers are never lost during the crazy action set pieces. Warning: nudity and violence make this for adults only. (June)