Every now and then, I get a hankering for something new, be it picking up a new comic book series or jumping on board a new TV series. So it comes as no surprise to myself that I went out and bought the complete series of the acclaimed Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender without having seen a single episode. I went purely on reputation and after consuming season one, I must admit I am not disappointed in the least.

Sasuke is finally back in a Naruto movie, making it his first appearance since the second Naruto movie. In fact he is the first person you see in the movie, so you automatically expect an epic and emotional roller coaster ride from Naruto and Sakura.

It begins with an end: Naruto and his funeral. With one of the best teams Konoha has to offer, we just have to hope for the best.

We are introduced to Yomi (and his henchmen) who releases a demonic spirit, Mōryō, who is hell-bent on completing his failed attempt at world domination. Since Mōryō's original body was sealed and his spirit was imprisoned for his valiant effort, Yomi donates his body as his temporary home, till he gets back his. Yomi performs a self-operation ritual that is both awesome and disturbing on so many levels. That's the end of Yomi - enter Mōryō. He revives his stone army to attack the world, while he sends his henchmen to kill Shion, a priestess who can imprison him all over again.

The 2000 original 48-minute anime film that spawned a single volume manga sequel (Blood: The Last Vampire 2000), an anime series (Blood+) set in an alternative timeline, three light novels, a two-volume video game, and the current eponymous live action film, is an amazing opener for the main character that leaves you wanting more.

Naruto is back in a new adventure, which takes place during the anime filler arcs, apparently after episode 196. With a lineup that screams "Fight! Fight", there was a tiny letdown in the fighting department. You expect an epic battle, but instead you get a good beat down. Naruto fans will still enjoy this.

He's been missing in action for a while, but Afro Samurai is back, ready to hack and slash in the latest stylized bloodbath. The story is lacking the emotional depth and drama of the original tale, but the action and set pieces are just as fantastical as ever before. If all you want is a bit of the ultra violence, gore, and phat rocking beats, then you'll dig Afro Samurai: Resurrection.

The latest Naruto volume is an action packed blast, showcasing Naruto's powers like never before, and battling it out with Orochimaru in a fight to save Sasuke. I like the progression Naruto is going through and how he's both using (and being used?) by the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox that rests inside him. Sadly, however, if you came looking for story, you're not going to find a whole lot of it in this volume.

Who would've thought a single picture could potentially drive the lovebirds of Naru and Keitaro apart? It especially sucks for Keitaro, because he's always been the lonely loser, but now he has two girls interested in him, and he doesn't know whom to pick. There's a lot going on in this volume, but one of the biggest mysteries right now is finally answered…is Mutsumi the one Keitaro made his promise with back when he was young.

When it comes to taste and perversions, I like to consider myself pretty open to anything when it boils down to experiencing it through different mediums. I've watched people chug blood and body parts in horror movies. I've watched kids murder each other for sport in manga like Battle Royale. I believe I've found my threshold, however, with Gantz. It isn't so much the naked woman, rape, and bestiality as individual components that turn me away, but when merged together into a story with an incompressible plot, an unlikable main character, and barely there dialogue, it makes for a manga that is unique but for all the wrong reasons.

I think it was Sakura who first pulled me in and got me hooked on the Naruto anime, eventually transitioning that anime love to the manga. I'm a sucker for cute anime girls with pink hair, but then again, aren't we all? Despite being initially drawn to the character, Sakura really hasn't been that great of a ninja, or ever a major part of any battle. However, has Sakura's training with Tsunade changed all of that, making her now a vital member of the team?

After reading the first volume of Read or Die, I have no doubt in my mind that writer Hideyuki Kurata probably has a dungeon somewhere filled with all sorts of kinky fetishes. It's too hard to walk away from the book and not ponder what was going on in their head when Read or Die was conceived. As for the quality of the book itself, if you're a big fan of books and reading, you'll likely dig the subject matter and be enthralled with the adventures of Yomiko.

If you've been following the Love Hina series to watch the relationship between Keitaro and Naru grow, change, and go up and down more times than a Six Flags roller coaster, you'll be thrilled with the events of volume six, as there is little in the way of individual character stories, instead choosing to focus on the couple and the mystery of the girl Keitaro made his promise to so long ago. Also, who would've thought everything would hinge on the butt of a squirrel?

It's the summer and not much is going on at the Hinata House besides a lot of moping around by Keitaro after learning that Naru's crush was his current employer Seta. The Hinata gang soon finds themselves at the beach, however, working at Haruka's beach café. The book features a few defining moments for the series – as well as several convoluted character driven short stories – but overall the volume is one of the best the series has had so far.

Things aren't looking too good for Gaara in the twenty-ninth volume of Naruto, which is the second release in the post time jump period. Volume 29 is much more action oriented than the last, but featuring two spectacular battles on epic proportions with some of the largest Naruto players being front and center for the action. Is slam-bang action enough for this volume or is something more missing?

For the Naruto fans that have adhered strictly to the North American releases of the manga, volume 28 is like a dream come true. Finally, for those who don't jump online to find the latest scans and fan translations, we can see what everyone is talking about when it comes to the post time gap series. So has the wait been worth it?