Jade of Bango vol.1Story: Ae-Ju YimArt: Jin-Ju YimTranslation: Grace Min & Joyce LeeAdaptation: Andrew Wolfman & Anthony AnderaPublisher: Tokyopop Cute little school girl in the front cover with colorful candy and weird sperm with faces chasing her (I guess those are supposed to be ghosts); count me in. Wait, this is a manhwa not one of those countless magical girl saves the world manga. Surely it has to have some kind of twist right? Well as I mentioned in the previous sentence this is a story about a magical girl of sorts with the power to destroy the world. Lin Seonu is a high school student who lives with her…

Bleach vol. 22Story & Art: Tite KuboTranslation: Joe YamazakiAdaptation: Lance CaselmanPublisher: Viz So much is going on in Bleach that it’s hard to keep track of. I really do mean that in a good way. Even though it’s a very linear story, the focus jumps from so many characters to others that each chapter keeps me in suspense. Last volume left us with the revelation that Ichigo’s dad Isshin was once a Soul Reaper (and very much still is). He also has some kind of connection with Urahara and has finally avenged his deceased wife. Meanwhile the Vizards have taken an interest in Ichigo and are taking their time approaching…

Claymore vol. 11Story & Art: Norihiro YagiAdaptation & Translation: Arashi ProductionsPublisher: Viz I remember way back when I looked at the cover of volume 1 in this series and thought to myself: “A tough looking chick with a sword, how can this book be anything but good?” That was the start of a page turning story that had everything a comic book reader could want: gore, guts, action, glory, blood, fantastic character designs, ruthless villains, and gorgeous heroines that could take your head off. Named after their immense swords they carry the Claymores are humanity’s last stand against the creatures known as the Yoma. They are half Yoma and half…

Blood + vol.1Story & Art: Asuka KatsuraPublisher: Dark Horse Saya is a regular girl except for the fact that she can’t remember what her life was like before a year ago. Hmmm…, what Omar would give to have this “blessing”! It’s an actual curse for her though. She desperately wants to bond with her adopted family and have a sense of identity and belonging, especially with her “brother” Kai. I don’t know yet if it’s a family love or a romantic love going on between the two, but he won’t give up on their relationship, even though Saya finds out she’s a vampire killing machine! Dum dum duuuummmm! I look…

Dark Wraith of ShannaraBy: Terry BrooksAdaptation: Robert Place NaptonIllustrate by: Edwin DavidPublisher: Del Rey Alright, two things before we start this review. No, this is not really manga, but it is in the same format that the other manga from Del Rey is released in. Two, I have never read a Shannara book, even though I have been told by numerous friends to get off my ass and read them. Melanie however did do an awesome recap of some of the books like Wishsong to keep me familiar with some of the scenery. So keep in mind this is my introduction to the world of Shannara. There is a nice…

Emma vols. 2 & 3By: Kaoru MoriPublisher: CMX I’ll say it again, just like the first volume I did not think Emma was going to be my cup of English tea….hahaha, alright that was lame. Those covers, at least to me, looked like an American artist trying to imitate manga. In these two volumes Emma and the Young Master Jones go out on a tour of the historic Crystal Palace, which leads to an unexpected romantic evening together. But things are not meant to be because news of their love comes to the rest of the Jones household. Of course Eleanor is not happy to hear about this. This leads…

Bastard!! Vol. 16Story & Art: Kazushi HagiwaraTranslation: Kaori Kawakubo InoueAdaptation: Sean McCoyPublisher: Viz All hell broke loose literally with the release of the last volume. This volume doesn’t back down from all that intense action either. Hagiwara has finally found an art style that he is comfortable with and the action sequences have never looked better. Dark Schneider is still roaming in hell chatting with Satan while Lars, Zakk, and the others continue to fight the Seraphs. Lucien attempts to convince the Angels that human beings are worth saving but his calls for mercy go unheard. Meanwhile, Yoko comes to the realization that she is the one who has been…

Devil’s BrideStory & Art: Se-Young KimTranslation: Hyun Joo KimAdaptation: Lorelei LairdPublisher: Tokyopop That cover threw me for a loop because I really had no idea what it had to do with the story, well until there is a revelation about sixty pages into the book. The devil has been living in the forest alone for a long time. He gets a visit from an old friend, Jya and informs Jya that he is looking for a human bride. He wants to purchase one, because after all he is the devil and women just don’t throw themselves at him. A young girl approaches him one day and states that she is…

Excel Saga vol. 16Story & Art: Rikdo KoshiTranslation: Yuko SawadaAdaptation: Carl Gustav HornPublisher: Viz I can’t even begin to explain how insane this series is. Some of my friends ask me why I even bother reading the manga when the anime is superior (according to them). I just answer by letting them know that the director himself stated that the stories in the manga were too insane and risqué to put in the anime. In this volume Dr. Kabapu is literally getting sick at the thought of the stunning success of Il Palazzo’s eponymous electronics firm. Umi has discovered another version of Excel, a woman in a torn prison outfit…

Basara vol. 16Story & Art: Yumi TamuraTranslation: Lillian OlsenAdaptation: Gerard JonesPublisher: Viz There was a series called Chicago that I highly enjoyed when Viz ran their Animerica Extra Magazine. When I found out that Yumi Tamura had another series called Basara I jumped on from volume one and now I seem to be playing catch-up. This is probably one of the defining shojo titles of the 1990s, so don’t let the artwork keep you away from checking out this title. The story takes place in an apocalyptic future where evil kings rule and have tight grips on their kingdoms and peasants using murder and destruction. When Tatara, the Child of…