Komiks Review: Silent Sanctum Manga #5

Well what can I say? Is this Culture Crash redux?

There are many local manga compilations out there and I can say that Silent Sanctum Manga stands out. For one, they're at their 5th issue. OK, six, because they've released an issue 5.5 (which I am yet to get).

What I procured at Komikstrip 2011 was issue 5. Once I got home, this is one of the first things I read. Though I can't help to compare this to Culture Crash, Silent Sanctum Manga (SSM) is a different animal altogether. For one, in true manga tradition, the pages are read from right to left and the cover is colored while the content is black and white. It's in anthology form so thumbs up for variety here. As far as content goes, there are the regular titles which range from a 'fight' title, a high school romance one, a sort of mystery title and a lot of gag titles thrown in especially with the strips. I particularly like 'FAQ'N bits' for its down-to-earth geeky humor. So all in all a good mix of what the komiks reading public may be looking for in a manga anthology.

My main complaint is the 'dirty' look of the pages. I don't know if this is intentional or a result of the copying process but that aspect becomes annoying as you go through the pages. I've seen komiks anthologies with better production values, though some *lack* content or just plain not pulling it off issue per issue.  Also, some grammar errors here and there from the English titles. They're forgivable and nothing like a good editor could sort out well.

Overall, Silent Sanctum Manga is an anthology worth following. The guys behind it make sure that there's something to look out for so better get yours in a con every time. Issue 5 in particular packs an enjoyable freebie (I'm not saying what it is but I tell you it is awesome so go get your copy :D ) and a komik by Michael David (Kubori Kikiam) for example, two reasons why I got hooked to SSM.

So my verdict goes: SSM is bang for the buck, and I hope the guys can make more issues in the future.