Van Von Hunter, Volume 1

Van Von Hunter #1

by Ron Kaulfersch, Mike Schwark

"Van Von Hunter: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Graphic Novel "features: *The complete "Van Von Hunter" graphic novel adventure

*More than 300 vocabulary words frequently tested on the SAT highlighted throughout the text

*The number of Students preparing for the SAT and ACT exams has never been higher. Kaplan has joined forces with TOKYOPOP to bring these students a unique and engaging way to studying vocabulary, Kaplan's SAT / ACT Score-Raising Manga series! As seen with the success of Kaplan's SAT Score-Raising Classics series, students are eager for enjoyable alternatives to lengthy word lists.

*Kaplan's SAT / ACT Score-Raising Manga series features an assortment of today's most popular graphic novels (narratives related through a combination of text and art), with the most important and frequently seen words that show up on the SAT and ACT exams highlighted throughout the text of the story.

Definitions are on the margins surrounding the graphics, and words are in talk bubbles and sidebars describing the action.

This entertaining series features "Manga," Japanese, Korean, and American comics that are the newest trend in teen fiction, which appeals to teens interested in a good read, exciting plots, and a more fun method of vocabulary review.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comedy, Fiction, Comics, Young Adult

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2007

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've only read the first of this series. It was very amusing, though I wasn't immediately hooked on it. Liked it! Didn't love it.

[Cara Patel]

Ended up DNF'ing this. It had a pretty generic plot and was pourly executed. The art wasn't all that great either.

[Дарина Гладун · Rating 2 out of 5]

Купила книжку на другий тиждень коміксів у школі (один із моїх учнів дуже любить мангу і попросив хоча б одну принести).
Чогось хорошого про книжку сказати не можу: герої і ситуації - шаблонні. Використано мій найменш улюблений із усіх прийомів масової літератури: втрату пам'яті. Здається, навіть у 2010-му році, коли "Ван-Вон Хантер" вийшов українською, амнезія одного з головних героїв уже асоціювалася з ледачістю чи браком фантазії у сценаристів.

- Не хочеш довго пояснювати?
- Не встигаєш прописати передісторію?
- Пишеш сотні сценаріїв на місяць?
Можливо, твоєму сюжету бракує... амнезії?!
Амнезія - просте пояснення складних питань!

Отже, втрата пам'яті головною героїнею не викликала в мене співчуття, а лише роздратувала. Як колективне забуття, про яке багато разів говорили інші герої. Можливо, наступні частини виправдають наявність амнезії, але наразі вона виглядає досить проблемно.
Найбільш симпатичною героїнею виглядає прибиральниця Хантерів, оскільки вона діє згідно з власною логікою, не зумовленою винятково її посадою.

Переклад не жахливий, але не маю за що його хвалити.

P.S. Але маю відзначити, що Назару (моєму учневі, який просив мангу) ця книжка дуже сподобалася.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and wonderful. Read this if you like parodies of either epic quests or supernatural monster hunters :)

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art is weird and the story is basic and reactive. I’m judgy about my art styles, so that may be a weakness on my part, but it’s not that great. There are better manga-styled comics out there.

[Andrew Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read but it's very quirky not a lot of action, it's more humorous than anything.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so good. Skipping the other volumes.
DPL hoopla

[Nic · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd read a good review of this series on No Flying No Tights, so I ordered the first volume through interlibrary loan. When it arrived, I was surprised to find that it advertised itself all over the cover as being full of SAT/ACT words, with more than 300 "identified and defined!"

And so it was. Most of the words actually fit more smoothly into the dialog than I expected, but the little boxes around the edges of each page with the definitions were distracting to me. (Plus, I'm not sure all of the words were used in ways that totally made sense. A character with magical gloves of lifting, using them to catch a falling tree, marvels that they are, "sturdy enough to lift a giant tree!" Am I wrong, or is sturdy more of a toughness thing, whereas she's really looking for a strength-implying word?) Furthermore, many of the definitions used words longer than the words they were explaining! On the other hand, readers who want to learn the vocab could probably get a lot of it just from context clues.

I assume this is not the original, then, but some kind of weird new edition. It's the only copy in my library system, though. Oh well. I wasn't so hooked that I needed to read the other two, anyway.

[Leila Anani · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a comedy manga about Van Von Hunter a hunter of evil stuff who has amnesia on a mission to destroy the resurrection of an evil villain. There's very little good I can say about it. It's not funny and at times the comedy is downright annoying. The story is terrible. The characters aren't interesting and just plain dumb and the artwork's only so-so. The best thing about it is the gender dubious villain "The flaming Prince" - his ineptitude is mildly amusing. Scraping the bottom of the manga barrel.

[Ruby Greaves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not read SO BORRING

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very silly. Like Robin Hood: Men In Tights silly. I actually kind of enjoyed it.

[Zoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Um... no. Stupid! I think my little brother would like it. It's got booby girls (what manga doesn't. unless it's a yaoi one) and immature jokes.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are fun reads. I admit to being confused by the Flaming Prince's gender, but I think that was the point.

[XXK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty funny, not bad.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and amusing enough, though I probably wouldn't buy the rest of them.