XXXHolic Volume 3

From the books unpacked from storage.

Title: XXXHolic
Issue: Volume 3
Date: 2004
Publisher: Del Rey Manga
Writer: Clamp
Artist: Clamp
Letterer: Dana Hayward

Kimihiro Watanuki can see spirits. Domeki can't see them, but he can repel and exorcise them. They would make an effective team, except for the fact that they can't stand each other.

This volume tells two stories. The first involves the spirit-busting duo investigating a school where a divination game similar to an Ouija board has gotten gotten out of control, and taken control of several of the students.

The second story involves the sorceress Yuko Ichihara, and it's basically a variation on the classic story, "The Monkey's Paw". A young student obtains a box from the sorceress with the warning never to open it. Things go downhill rapidly from there.

This issue has a bit of a monster-of-the-week vibe, without too much focus placed on the longterm plotlines. The book could do a better job of recapping the storyline at the beginning.

Clamp's art is always gorgeous and a highlight of any of their books.

Rating: 6/10

Spy Family Volume 4

Bought at Barnes & Noble, Enfield CT USA.

Title: Spy Family
Issue: Volume 4
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: November, 2023
Writer: Tatsuya Endo
Artist: Tatsuya Endo

A group of student terrorists are about to try to carry out an assassination using trained dogs carrying explosives, and Loid needs to stop them.

And speaking of dogs, Loid also just promised to get Anya a dog. So it's off to the dog adoption fair.

You can see where this is going, right?

And, since everyone else in the story is walking around with a big secret, it turns out that the adorable dog, eventually named Bond, is precognitive.

This had some of the best action so far in the series, with Anya and Bond rushing to prevent a future where Loid is killed in a booby trap explosion, and then Loid racing to stop the assassination plot. Yor gets a couple of moments, but is in the background more in this story.

This had much better pacing than the previous issue (reviewed here), and was more of a self-contained story. Bond is a great addition to the cast, and is drawn delightfully. While it didn't advance the main plot of the series much, it provided some needed character development time while giving Loid a chance to show of some of his skills.

Two backup stories in this issue. The first is a cute game of make-believe with Anya and a large plushie penguin. The second has Franky asking Loid for dating advice, in a quick story that is mostly silly, but takes a surprisingly poignant turn at the end.

Rating: 7.5/10