Jormungand Volume 1
Koko Hekmatyar is an eccentric arms dealer who spends her off time between selling firearms recruiting talented killers into her group of psychotic mercenaries. Jonah, a child soldier who lost his parents in war, is her latest recruit. The only problem is Jonah hates weapons and the people who deal them.
Volume one introduces us to the band of mercenaries as they face off against a corrupt leader of an unnamed eastern European country. Afterward, the team comes against a rival group of arms dealers as they try to exit the country.
Jormungand’s plot is straightforward but at times difficult to get into. Aside from Jonah, none of the characters are sympathetic and lack any real motivation. Each one has a peculiar personality trait but little else to distinguish one from the other.
Artwork is sketchy and unrefined. Panels are muddy without any consideration to detail. At times it was difficult to follow the action laid out on the page, let alone tell the characters apart from one another.
Unfortunately, Jormungand lacks depth. The characters are shallow and uninspired. Jonah, the only character to be given a back-story is pushed aside in favor of the off the wall leader Koko. The series shows potential but unfortunately, this first volume does little to convince us of it.
Jormungand Volume 1 – C
Black Lagoon Volumes 2-3
After an explosive first volume, Black Lagoon cranks the action up to an 11. The first half of volume two sees the crew squaring off against a band of over the top neo Nazis as they race to retrieve a long lost painting for a client who is more than what he seems. The second half of the volume takes a darker turn when a pair of psychotic children known as Hansel and Gretel begin killing off several members of the mafia, prompting an all out war.
Volume 2 continues the trend of meshing violence with enjoyable, thought out characters while introducing outlandish new faces into the mix with the addition of a group of arms dealing nuns, aptly named the rip-off church, and the deranged duo of Hansel and Gretel.
The plot doesn’t take a backseat to the action as valuable time is given to developing Rock and Revy’s relationship. The confrontation between the two raises the drama to new highs as the two find they have more in common than they may have thought.
Volume 3 continues the arc set up in the second with Hansel and Gretel on the run and the members of the Lagoon crew caught up in the mix. Balalaika, the head of the Russian mafia, sets out to avenge her fallen comrades, giving rise to chaos in the streets. Eventually the twins take refuge with the Lagoon company, setting up an emotional scene with Rock as he learns about their past and laments that he is helpless to save them.
This is a fast-paced series that isn’t afraid to take risks. These volumes house some of the best stories of the series. It’s hard to treat this as a normal series as it manages to push the violence while still slipping in a heart breaking story. It’s emotionally powerful while still retaining the over the top action we have come to expect from it. Black Lagoon has yet to disappoint.
Black Lagoon Volume 2 – A+
Black Lagoon Volume 3 – A
Inuyasha VizBig Volume 1
I have said it before and I will say it again; Rumiko Takahashi is the queen of manga. Inuyasha, originally released in 1997 gained critical acclaim for its colorful characters and captivating story. Though the manga has been available for a number of years thanks to Viz Media, This new edition takes the first three volumes and packs them into a single omnibus addition for a fraction of the price.
In these early stories, it’s easily apparent why fans allowed themselves to grow attached to the characters. Kagome is your typical high school student constantly studying to maintain her grades while still having to listen to her oddball grandfather tell stories about Japanese folklore. She lives with her family at the Higurashi shrine situated next to a sacred tree and a mysterious well. Unfortunately for Kagome, her peaceful life is turned upside down when a giant centipede demon bursts through the well a drags her down for the ride, transporting them back in time to feudal era Japan.
The demon, like most others, is after the sacred jewel, currently in Kagome’s possession. With her back against the wall, she has no choice but to free the powerful half-demon Inuyasha, who also seeks the sacred jewel so that he may transform himself into a full-fledged demon.
Takahashi weaves a certain magic into her manga that somehow makes each one of her series a guaranteed hit. Whether it’s the beautifully rendered characters or the passion she brings to her work, there is something special about her.
For fans that already own the series, Viz has added an extra incentive to purchase this new edition buy un-flipping the artwork that was originally edited when it came to the states. This is the purest form of Inuyasha American fans may ever get and it was the way it was meant to be read.
This is a long series, as evidenced by the fact that the first three volumes act as merely introductions to the central characters while others have yet to make an appearance. The new omnibus editions are cost effective and easier for fans to collect.
Inuyasha is a series that gets better as it goes. Once you start, it becomes difficult to stop. The story is wonderful and with these new editions, more accessible. Whether your’e new to the series or a returning fan, you should be sure to give them a look. This is Inuyasha as Rumiko Takahashi originally intended.
Inuyasha Vizbig Volume 1 - A
No comments:
Post a Comment