Spy Family Volume 5

 Bought at Barnes & Noble, Middletown RI USA.

Title: Spy Family
Issue: Volume 5
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: July, 2022
Writer: Tatsuya Endo
Artist: Tatsuya Endo
Letterer: Rina Mapa
Editor: Amy Yu, John Bae

It's back to school for Anya, and she's got midterm exams coming up, with a dreaded Tonitrus Bolt for any exam she fails. Even worse, the exams are happening on a day when Anya's mindreading powers won't be functional.

So it's up to Loid to cheat on his "daughter"'s exams the old fashioned way. By breaking into the school and changing her answers. The only problem is that there's a less-than-competent rival spy with the same idea.

This issue had a very different style and pacing than volume 4 (reviewed here). This was loaded with quick plot developments, short bits of comedy, and the introduction of several new characters. This was fun and a quick read that sets of lots of future storylines.

Rating: 6.5/10

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

Spy Family Volume 3

Read at the Merrimack NH Public Library.

Title: Spy Family
Issue: Volume 3
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: January, 2020
Writer: Tatsuya Endo
Artist: Tatsuya Endo

This starts with the surprise visit from Yor's brother Yuri, who is, well, something of a mess, especially considering he is a highly competent member of the Secret Police. Yuri's plan to expose Loid by getting him drunk goes south quickly, and the scene just gets increasingly awkward when Yuri insists that Loid and Yor kiss.

In school, Anya plays dodgeball with the rumor that a coveted honors star is on the line. She later tries her hand at some community service.

Bonus story has Yor and Loid on a date night while Yor is trying to conceal a somewhat embarrassing injury.

The pacing in a few places in this volume felt weird, with scenes being dragged out, possibly in the case of the opening scene just to intentionally prolong the awkwardness. The result was that it didn't feel like all that much happened, although there was some good setup for future plot developments.

Rating: 6/10

Spy Family Volume 2

Read at the Merrimack NH Public Library.

Title: Spy Family
Issue: Volume 2
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: October, 2019
Writer: Tatsuya Endo
Artist: Tatsuya Endo

After some initial hurdles, Anya has secured a place at the high-prestige Eden Academy, but now there is additional pressure. In order to make a connection with Twilight's target, Anya needs to either befriend the target's son, or earn a place in the school's honors program. When she punches the bratty son in the face on orientation day, it begins to look like neither of those prospects are very likely.

A further complication is introduced when Yor's brother enters the story. And just like Twilight, Anya, and Yor, the brother has his own secret that further jeopardizes Twilight's mission.

The second volume did a nice job of expanding the story, adding new characters and new complications, and giving some additional character development, especially for Anya and Yor.

This continues to be goofy absurd fun.

Rating: 7/10

Spy Family Volume 1

I Read this at the Merrimack NH public library.

Title: Spy Family
Issue: Volume 1
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: July, 2019
Writer: Tatsuya Endo
Artist: Tatsuya Endo

In a fictional-Eastern-European setting, two rival nations are locked in a cold war. Master spy Twilight has a new mission, and in order to get close to his target he needs to have a wife and a child. And he's given a week to come up with those on his own.

The woman he marries turns out to be an assassin. The child he adopts is a telepath.

The whole premise is utterly absurd, but in the most delightful of ways. The story builds a subtle emotional connection between the three main characters, keeps its internal logic reasonably well, and does a nice job of making fun of the espionage genre and high society in general.

The plot develops a bit slowly once the three main characters are together, and their primary objective is not quite fully resolved by the end of this volume, but it's a very enjoyable ride getting there. The artwork is equally effective in action scenes and in the more tender moments.

Rating: 7.5/10