And seeing as we're on the subject of Japan, now's a good time to point out that this clever, sexy and artistically adventurous graphic novel -- which is credited with initiating "nouvelle manga," a sort of hybrid of French Bande Dessinne and Japanese Manga, when it was initially released in 2001 -- is back in print and once again on our shelves.Regardless of whether or not there is such a thing as "nouvelle manga," Yukiko's Spinach is an original, engaging and rewarding work that, while somewhat scopophilic and objectifying in its visual representation of women, and echoing anachronistic imperial attitudes that smack of orientalism, nevertheless captures a certain je ne sais quoi about our global village at the millenium.