Yu-Gi-Oh GX Volume 4

From a Little Free Library in Rindge NH USA.

Title: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Issue: Volume 4
Publisher: Viz Media / Shonen Jump
Date: 2010
Writer: Kazuki Takahashi, Naoyuki Kageyama
Artist: Naoyuki Kageyama
Editor: Mike Montesa, Jason Thompson

I picked this up from a Little Free Library, and might not have given it a try were it not for the fact that I just read the Yu-Gi-Oh Official Handbook (also from a Little Free Library, and reviewed here), which gave me some idea of the backstory.

Yu-Gi-Oh GX takes place years after the original series and features a next-generation scenario with a group of aspring duelists attending a Duel Academy, one of several such schools around the world dedicated to the Duel Monsters game.

This is the fourth volume, so we're in the middle of things, in this case, a tournament for the honor of dueling legendary champion Zane "Kaiser" Truesdale. The semifinals have come down to Jaden Yuki against Bastion, and Chazz versus David Rabb.

Jaden has to deal with an opponent who has constructed his deck specifically to beat Jaden's strategy, while Chazz finds himself up against dark magical forces as David engages him in a shadow duel where damage causes real pain.

A flashback to ancient Egypt gives a bit more background on the long-term storyline as the stage is set for the finals. Meanwhile, Duel Academy teacher Ms. Hibiki suspects something unusual is happening involving David, but David's sister, Reggie, is aware of her suspicions.

This exceeded my expectations by a lot. First of all, I was impressed with how interesting the book managed to make the card duel sequences that were at the heart of this issue. Even with my (extremely) limit knowledge of the Yu-Gi-Oh TCG, I was able to follow the action and ended up really enjoying these scenes. 

The flashback sequence did a nice job of building up some of the lore. This had, admittedly, a lot of characters to keep track of, but I found it surprisingly accessible considering I was jumping in at Volume 4. 

Rating: 7/10 

Bio Booster Armor Guyver Volume 3: Dark Masters

From the tbr shelf. Not sure where I got this one.

Title: Bio-Booster Armor Guyver
Issue: Volume 3: Dark Masters
Date: 1995
Publisher Viz Media
Writer: Yoshiki Takaya
Artist: Yoshiki Takaya

Chronos has captured members of Sho's family, and they proceed to do a bunch of villainsplaining to reveal some of their evil schemes. Betrayals, rescues, escapes, and more rescues follow. The hyperzoanoids have a big fight with two versions of Guyver, leading to a brief reprieve for the heroes. Then Chronos comes up with a new plan: Using Sho's father as a weapon against him. More battle and shocking cliffhanger follows.

I was at a bit of a disadvantage jumping into the story here, but the father/son drama was good, and the ending with its emotional impact worked well. The villains felt really generic.

Rating: 4.5/10

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

Angel Sanctuary Volume 1

From my books retrieved from storage.

Title: Angel Sanctuary
Issue: Volume 1
Date: 1994
Publisher Viz Media
Writer: Kaori Yuki
Artist: Kaori Yuki

Setsuna's life is a mess, and that's before we even get into the details of his incestuous feelings for his sister. In the background of all of this there is an ongoing war between angels and demons and their various earthly reincarnations.

The artwork had some pretty spots, and there were a few moments where this story's horror elements really stood out nicely, but overall, I found it to be on the confusing side. This was a very nihilistic take on angels and demons, but it didn't leave me with much in the way of likeable characters.

The worldbuilding and the backstory are there, and there is definitely potential to get a decent story out of this, but this failed to hook me as an opening chapter.

Rating: 4/10

Death Note Volume 3

From the shelf of unread books unpacked from storage.

Title: Death Note
Issue: Volume 3
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: November, 2006
Writer: Tsugumi Ohba
Artist: Takeshi Obata

I read the first two volumes of this series quite a while ago, and I remember enjoying them, but not quite seeing what the hype was about. The premise is intentionally ridiculous: A death god lets a human (teenager Light Yagami) take possession of a notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. There is a whole series of complex and arbitrary rules that go along with the notebook, and Light's plan to rid the world of criminals puts him up against the mysterious L, a young genius detective.

This volume is where the two main characters meet, and it's also where I began to buy into the hype. The intricate game of second-guessing, third-guessing, and beyond plays out like an elaborate version of Who's the Werewolf/Mafia, with increasing levels of duplicity.

Then a series of events at the end of this volume introduce a massive additional plot twist, further complicating an already-tangled story. This was loaded with tension. It does require a bit of suspension of disbelief to accept the premise of the story, but the author then takes that premise to all sorts of logical extremes, adding layer upon layer of intrigue. I wasn't sure I'd be interested in reading more Death Note after the first two, but this one hooked my right back in.

Rating: 8.5/10

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1

Bought at Goodwill in Davis Square, Somerville MA USA.

Title: Fullmetal Alchemist
Issue: Volume 1
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: January, 2005
Writer: Hiromu Arakawa
Artist: Hiromu Arakawa
Editor: Jason Thompson

This story introduces Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers who suffered a terribly fate when they tried to use their alchemical powers to resurrect their mother. Edward lost an arm and a leg, replacing them with robotic prosthetics, while his brother's mind was entirely trapped in a living suit of armor.

They seek the legendary Philosopher's Stone in the hope of restoring their bodies, while having a series of adventures across a vaguel-steampunk nation.

The first volume is told in three distinct vignettes. In the first, the brothers deal with a religious demogogue who has used alchemy to convince the people of his town that he has miraculous powers. The second story concerns a remote mining outpost run by a thoroughly corrupt military official. And the third is a more action-oriented story about the brothers intervening in a hostage situation aboard a train.

This is a solid introduction to the main characters, with a few small hints as to where the long-term plot is heading, and plenty of worldbuilding. The alchemical magic is cleverly done, with a concept of "equal exchange" as its central premise. I enjoyed the interactions between Edward and Alphonse, and the fight scenes were well-constructed with some good surprises.

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

Shonen Jump Special: Free Comic Book Day 2009.

The second of two Shonen Jump Free Comic Book Day specials that ended up in the random stack of unread comics. I reviewed the 2008 special here.

Title: Shonen Jump Special: Spring 2009 Edition
Issue: Vol. 2 Issue 1
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: May, 2009
Writer: Stan Lee, Hiroyuki Takei
Artist: Hiroyuki Takei
Editor: Elizabeth Kawasaki, Yuki Takagaki, Grant Lowery, Joy Ma, Alaina Yee, Urian Brown, Michelle Pangilinan, Joel Enos
Cover: Hiroyuki Asada, Masashi Kishimoto, Tite Kubo, Eiichiro Oda, Kazuki Takahashi, Hiroyuki Takei, Yoshihiro Togashi

Unlike the previous year's sampler from Shonen Jump, this special focuses on just one series: Ultimo, the collaboration between Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee and manga artist Hiroyuki Takei. As with most Stan Lee collaborations from this time period, he is given "original concept" credits rather than having a hand in the detailed script.

Ultimo is the story of a pair of shapeshifting robots, awakened in modern Tokyo after a thousand years in limbo, and emerging to do battle. The sample pages are well executed action scenes that have a familiar feel to them, with similar sequences seen in the introduction of many, many super-powered beings in various stories over the years. I can see the Stan Lee influence in the style and pacing of the story, which wouldn't be out of place in an early issue of Fantastic Four, or one of the old Marvel monster books from the 1960s.

The artwork is definitely manga, though, and the shapeshifting gimmick of the two robot characters is visually interesting, especially in a sequence where the evil robot sees a modern gun for the first time and responds by simply copying it, and then some.

In addition to the sample story pages, this volume contains a brief interview with Stan Lee, conducted by Hiroyuki Takei, as well as checklists and descriptions for Shonen Jump's separately published manga volumes.

Ultimo looks like it could be fun, but it will need to find some ways to be more original to distinguish it from the rest of what's out there.

Rating: 6/10

Shonen Jump Special: Free Comic Book Day 2008

From the random stack of unread comics.

Title: Shonen Jump Special: Spring 2008 Edition
Issue: Vol. 1 Issue 1
Publisher: Viz Media
Date: May, 2008
Writer: Masashi Kishimoto, Tite Kubo, Takahiko Inoue
Artist: Masashi Kishimoto, Tite Kubo, Takahiko Inoue
Letterer: Mark McMurray, James Gaubatz
Editor: Marc Weidenbaum, Yuki Takagaki, Grant Lowery, Joy Ma, Urian Brown, Michelle Pangilinan, Pancha Diaz, Joel Enos, Kit Fox
Cover: Masashi Kishimoto, Tite Kubo, Takahiko Inoue

Formatted as a standard comic book (bur right-to-left), this freebie samples three popular ongoing manga series that are being reprinted in Shonen Jump magazine.

Naruto, the very popular ninja series, is up first. The scene that's presented is a glimpse of fighting training. We get a sense of the type of action involved in the series, but not much in terms of character or plot.

Bleach is the second feature, and this was the most intriguing of the three to me. A conversation (and possible big revelation) between Ichigo and his sister is interrupted by the arrival of some rather nasty villains. This segment did the best job of selling the series.

The last series was Slam Dunk, a high school drama/comedy centering on the school's basketball team. This had a lot of typical high school story elements: bullying, nerves about asking a girl for a date, trying to fit in, the cred that comes from being a "jock". It looked like it had some potential, but I didn't find the characters all that appealing (possibly just my dislike of some of these exaggerated high school stereotypes).

So, one for three in terms of getting my interest in reading the actual series.

All of the artwork is quite good, and the book also provides short blurbs on other Shonen Jump titles, including those that are serialized in the magazine, and those published as stand-alone volumes.

Rating: 5.5/10

Rurouni Kenshin Volume 1

Bonus review! I spent today selling paperback books at the Wellfleet Flea Market, and read this manga during my downtime.

Title: Rurouni Kenshin
Issue: Volume 1
Publisher: Viz
Date: 2004
Writer: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Artist: Nobuhiro Watsuki

A period romantic adventure, Rurouni Kenshin is set in the early years of Japan's Meiji Restoration. It tells the story of Himura Kenshin, once a feared assassin, who has now renounced killing and wanders as a vagrant swordsman.

In Tokyo, he encounters Kamiya Kaoru, a young woman who is running the sword dojo that her father founded. When an enemy tries to extort Kaoru into giving up her deed to the dojo, Kenshin intervenes, and when Kaoru loses her students to hard times, Kenshin enters into a partnership with her to get the dojo up and running again.

Kenshin is a pretty interesting and quirky character, a fighter who makes every possible effort to avoid a fight. He's a bit of a manipulator, and comes off as slightly odd, especially with his habit of referring to himself in the third person as "This One".

The dialogue and character interactions are great. The fight scenes suffer a bit from Kenshin coming off as so invincible that outcomes (at least in this volume) never feel like they're in doubt. There is also a tendency to make the fights very stylized with sword-slashes and blood flying around. And then after giving every visual clue short of decapitation to indicate that the outcome is lethal, it gets revealed through dialogue that the bad guys only suffered broken bones. The whole thing feels a bit like it's saying "Dead! Oh... Just kidding."

Aside from the handling of the fight scenes, I liked just about everything else about this book. Good dialogue, good plot with some interesting twists, good character development, all combine with a nice historical perspective and some political intrigue.

Rating: 7/10

Voltron Force: Shelter From The Storm: Free Comic Book Day 2012

Continuing with the Free Comic Book Day 2012 haul.

Title: Voltron Force: Shelter From The Storm: Free Comic Book Day 2012
Date: 2012
Publisher: Viz
Writer: Brian Smith
Artist: Jacob Chabot
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Editor:Traci N. Todd

Opens with a fairly goofy scene involving the villains in which a new monster is unleashed and multiple laws of physics are ignored.

Once we get to the Voltron Force it gets a little bit better. The three Voltron trainees are introduced in a training sequence with their personality flaws on full display, but we get enough insights to see how these three teenagers really do have the potential to be heroic and function as a team.

Not much more happens, plot wise, and we go directly to cliffhanger once characters have been established.

The artwork was a bit cluttered, probably an unavoidable side effect of the ashcan format of this book. The size of the lions and the spaceships don't really come across, and the battle scenes tend to be a bit too busy.

Still considering the number of characters involved, there was a pretty decent variety of interactions here.

Rating: 6/10

Castle In The Sky #2

Title: Castle in the Sky
Issue: #2
Date: 2003
Publisher: Viz
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Letterer: Susan Daigle-Leach
Editor: Carl Gustav Horn, Alvin Lu

Part 2 of a four-volume adaptation of Miyazaki's animated film. Manga format with full-color artwork direct from the animation cells. Pazu is a boy from a mining town with a knack for invention. Sheeta is a girl who mysteriously fell from the sky into Pazu's life. She's also the rightful ruler of a mythical cloud-island known as Laputa. Government forces and a crew of pirates are all after Sheeta's secrets and the magical stone that she carries. When Pazu and Sheeta are captured, Sheeta agrees to help the government agents find the way to Laputa in exchange for saving Pazu, but Pazu isn't ready to abandon his friend.

And when Sheeta accidentally activates a Laputan soldier-robot, the mayhem really gets going. This is a good story with a fascinating cast of characters and great steampunk flavored action sequences. The animation cells don't always do justice to the art of the film when reproduced as small panels, but the rich color stands out nicely.

Rating: 7.5/10