Manga Reviews: Back with our DNA and more!

Airgear vol. 14
Story & Art: Oh! Great
Translation: Makoto Yukon
Lettering: Hudson Yards
Publisher: Del Rey

Since we skipped last week, we decided to bring an extra dosage of Manga reviews this week by reviewing more titles. First on the list is AirGear by Oh Great, who not only has a badass name, but is also the same mastermind behind Tenjho Tenge. The story is about Ikki Minami, a 13-year-old junior high gang leader, also known as Babyface of East Side. He suffers a humiliating defeat by the an air-trekking gang called the Skull Saders, who then go on to target the friends and classmates he can't protect. His foster family, the Namayoma sisters, notably Ringo, Ikki's childhood friend mysteriously reveal themselves as the legendary Sleeping Forest, assisting Ikki in entering the Airtrek world to redeem his pride. I haven’t kept up with recent volumes of this series, but luckily Del Rey has a great way of recapping the past stories and reintroducing characters at the beginning of the book. It seems that Kazu has taken the spotlight while Ikki has been recovering, but he’s not alone because with the help of Aeon Clock and Emily he is able to defeat the Storm Rider. And new enemies are rising up that seem to be a challenge even for the elite groups of the Air Trek world. Of course I automatically fell in love with the series because of my fond memories playing Jet Set Radio, and the artwork didn’t hurt either. Oh! Great really lives up to his name when it comes to his artwork; it’s actually better than great, it’s phenomenal. His art is detailed and expressive without ever being crowded or confusing. The paneling is simultaneously inventive and easy to follow, even with the crazy sound effects. Even though the story is not really fresh after 14 volumes, it’s still a fun read and a joy to look at. B+

Bastard!! Vol. 19
Story & Art: Kazushi Hagiwara
Translation: Kaori Kawakubo Inoe
Adaptation: Sean McCoy
Publisher: Viz
It’s finally here! The latest installment in this great series that I have been waiting on since January! The only bad thing about Bastard’s schedule is that so much happened in the last four volumes it’s hard to remember everything without going back and rereading the previous volumes. Hell has been breaking loose for the last three volumes and it just keeps getting better and better. In case you haven’t been keeping up with the series here is a little run down: The story follows the exploits of a 400 year old super-powerful wizard by the name of Dark Schneider, who happens to be trapped in the body of a young boy after his reincarnation. He can only take control of Lucien (his host body) when he is kissed by a virgin and there are plenty of those. Did I mention there is plenty of action and fights? Sure the over the top fights tend to get repetitive and just plain silly, but those are some gorgeous panels to look at. Specially the panels that have Porno Diano, man I wouldn’t mind fighting her any day. More bodies explode as the fight between Dark Schneider and Satan continues. Even with the help of Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel this is his toughest battle by far! There is also a Tale of Sacrifice Story 0 at the end of the book that features the characters in our timeline. This book isn’t for the faint of heart or people that just can’t take a joke. There are plenty of parts that show women as sex objects. So if you have a problem with that this is not the manga for you. Of course there is plenty of fan service for the ladies too because DS is a good looking guy and has the body of a God. Over the years this has been one of my favorite books that I have to read every time a new volume is available. A-

DN Angel vols. 12 & 13

Story & Art: Yukiru Sugisaki
Translation: Alethea Nibley & Athena Nibley
Adaptation: Ysabet Reinhardt Macfarlane
Publisher: Tokyopop

According to the internet I was not the only fan of this book that was excited to see its triumphant return. I’m not kidding; it’s been 3 years since volume 11 was released. I just assumed the series was cancelled in America. It was however on hiatus in Japan as well. From my personal experience that usually tells me the creator has lost interest in the title and is moving on and we should too. Not only do we get volume 12 in August, but just a few months after that volume 13 comes along! So welcome back DN Angel! In case you don’t know what the series is about it follows the adventures of 14 year old Daisuke Niwa and his alter-ego Dark. Daisuke transforms whenever he’s feeling anxious about Risa, his crush, but his alter ego, 17-year-old Dark, transforms back whenever he’s anxious around Risa’s twin sister Riku. In these latest two volumes we get to find out the horrible secret of this curse from Satoshi/Krad. I know that the concept of 'light' and 'dark' has been done to death! But I still like it. I'm all for the plot. I like the idea of the whole d.n.a transforming. It's common for anime characters to transform into another being or for that matter change outfits, but I guess that just following the criteria. As usual the art is absolutely wonderful and a joy to look at. High-quality. Top-notch. Sugisaki’s time off didn’t change her art style that much and she still pays painfully detailed attention to every single panel, and the result definitely pays off. The only thing I have noticed is that there seems to be more close-ups now and that takes space away from the backgrounds. I don’t know if she does it to save time, but some panels feel empty. The script is solid, something that I've come to expect from Tokyopop now. Check out this manga. It's beautiful, it's funny, it has a great plot, and for some reason it's just plainly addictive. A-

Negima vol. 24

Story & Art: Ken Akamatsu
Translation: Alethea Nibley
Adaptation: Athena Nibley
Publisher: Del Rey

For a series that started off like a mixture of Harry Potter and Love Hina, this little title has come a long way in 24 volumes. Negi and some of his students have been trapped in the magical world for a few volumes now. It most of them are still separated and I don’t even know if Negi releasing his dark arts is going to help the girls any. It was nice to see a little bit of the girls who are still on Earth though; it was a nice break from the Negi training with his father. I just can’t wait for the battle with Fate Averruncus! Ken Akamatsu’s art just keeps getting better and better with each volume. He cleverly combines cuteness, comedy, realism, sexiness, and has a great layout to create a very unique style. You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I actually miss the over abundance of fan service we would get with each volume, but it’s just a reminder of how serious the book has gotten. The back of the book has one of the most extensive extras sections that most of us will have ever seen. Everything from translation notes to explanations of particular spells used in the story are here for the reader to look over. There is also a large section of reader fan art and even some preliminary design work by the artist himself. This particular volume also includes some very detailed architectural drawings and notes. Let’s see you try and find that kind of explanation of things in any other manga being made today. When it comes to extras and gaining a better understanding of the manga we are reading, Negima is definitely the best. A

Shaman Warrior vols. 6-8
Story & Art: Park Joong-Ki
Translation: Jay So
Lettering: Steve Dutro
Publisher: Dark Horse

It’s been a long time since we reviewed some Manhwa on this site. I’m just glad the good people at Dark Horse decided to release this little Korean gem State-side. These issues are the penultimate volumes that will lead to the climactic ending. To play catch-up as Melanie and Omar put it this all started because of Yarong, who is mortally wounded at the end of the first book. Batu is now in charge of Yaki (Yarong’s daughter) and he has to keep her safe in order for her to become a Shaman Warrior. Yaki is now a woman and has gathered troops of her own to destroy the men that killed her father and endanger the lives of other shaman. With her new found powers she has already killed one of the men responsible, but new villains seem to put a damper on her plans. The pacing of the story is excellent and doesn't get bogged down with super long fight scenes. Each character gets his or her own time to develop and even though it has an extensive background that is unclear at the very beginning; it all starts to take shape after the first few volumes. This is definitely a book for fans of fighting and action genres. While the story seems like one you’ve might have read in the past, it still has enough twists to keep me interested. But, let’s be honest the story is not really why I enjoy the hell out of this book; it’s got to be the art. The dark scratchy lines that seem like take forever to draw give this book that appealing unique look that so many other books lack. The action sequences are drawn so well that they are easy to follow, even for a book that relies on action heavy scenes. The movements flow smoothly and the motion is very convincing. Fans of Blade of the Immortal, Vagabond, and Lone Wolf and Cub should check this wonderful series out. In my opinion this book outshines all of those previously mentioned, but that’s just me. Bring on the final chapter of this great series! A

Shinobi Life vol.3

Story & Art: Shoko Conami
Translation: Lori Riser
Adaptation: Ysabet Reinhardt Macfarlane
Publisher: Tokyopop

Funny how every time I looked at the covers of Shinobi Life it always depicted Kagetora and Beni. I thought it was going to be another one of those cheesy high school love stories. But there was so much more in this manga that I went back and read the previous two volumes. I’ve always been a fan of the name Kagetora, mainly because of the manga that Del Rey put out so immediately I grew to like this character. He is a young ninja that was charged with the duty of protecting princess Beni (red princess). However, he is sent to the future and the first person he runs into is Beni Fujiwara. Not only does she look like princess Beni, but happens to be a descendant of hers. So what else is a time lost ninja suppose to do? Give himself the duty of protecting her of course. The thing that got me really hooked on the book was Beni’s personality though. She doesn’t mind being kidnapped or her life being put in danger because she has a death wish and the only reason she lives is to get back at her father (whom she blames for her mother’s death). In order to rescue Kagetora, Beni goes to Rihito and reveals Kagetora’s true origins to her fiancé. She also promises to be Rihito’s alone. This leads to her having a conflict about her true feelings for her protector. It was a pretty cool twist that the girl becomes the protector in the third volume. Each volume seems to just have more tensions and rivalry than the previous one. This series really got my attention by being different enough to stand out above the rest. I recommend it to anyone looking for a new fun book. B+