BLUE EXORCIST Vol. 1

BLUE EXORCIST Vol. 1

Writer/Artist: Kazue Kato

$9.99, Viz Media/Shonen Jump, 200 pgs.

ISBN 978-1421540320

Brothers Rin and Yukio Okumura are orphans. Raised in a boys’ home by the stern but caring Father Fujimoto, the boys are polar opposites. The volatile Rin is foul-tempered and quick to fight, while Yukio is studious and bookish, soon to enter True Cross Academy in pursuit of his goal of becoming a doctor. Their differences become even more pronounced with Rin learns that his mysterious father is, in fact, Satan himself. Determined to make Satan pay for ruining his life, Rin vows to use his newly-discovered demonic powers to become an exorcist. He too enters the True Cross Academy, only to find that his relationship with Yukio is about to get a lot more complicated…

If any of this sounds familiar, it ought to: BLUE EXORCIST is very well-done, with a briskly paced script and some very slick art, but it’s quite possibly the most derivative manga I’ve ever read. That doesn’t mean the series isn’t enjoyable. It is. As I said, it’s a well-done manga. It’s just that it feels cobbled together from a manga checklist. Teen protagonist with father issues? Check. Brother issues for good measure? Check. Young hero must come to grips with unwanted power he inherits on the cusp of adulthood, a power which might destroy him? Check. Emotional volume turned up to eleven at all times? Supernatural overtones, many of which are more than a little derivative of other franchises? A school setting? Check, check, and check. If you’ve read three or four manga—or watched an anime or two—odds are you’ve seen all of this before. There’s even a scene in which Rin falls to his knees while yelling “Father!” Now that is classic!

Of course, just like fans of American superhero comics eagerly devour the same basic storylines over and over again (as a lifelong fanboy, I say that without judgment), fans of shonen manga respond well to the familiar, provided it’s delivered with a high level of craftsmanship. For fans of certain genres, familiar tropes enrich the experience. At best, the familiarity acts as thematic shorthand enabling the reader to feel as if they instantly understand the setting and relate to the characters. At worst…well, who doesn’t love a paint-by-numbers popcorn movie? Bottom line is, every critic goes on about BLUE EXORCIST’s copycat nature, but they all like it. Including me.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: This series has only been published in English since 2011, so there are no money-saving combined editions; you’re stuck buying the individual tankōbon. Eleven volumes have been released to the U.S. market thus far, with a twelfth dropping in November. Also, if you’re unfamiliar with manga demography, stop by the “Resources for Librarians” page of this website and download my Graphic Novel Collection Development guide; it’s all explained in there.

READERS’ ADVISORY NOTES: This series is marketed under the Shonen Jump Advanced label, meaning that it courts a slightly older audience than the average shonen manga. It’s not an adult title; it’s no seinen manga by any stretch of the imagination. The content is comparable to a PG-13 film, and audiences who’ve enjoyed series such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, and even the Harry Potter franchise (trust me, there's more than a passing thematic similarity) will probably enjoy this one. Writer/artist Kazue Kato is a woman, too, a fact that will interest many readers looking for female voices in comics.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Mild adult language, stylized supernatural action/violence

Review © 2014, C. Michael Hall.

VELVET Vol. 1: BEFORE THE LIVING END

VELVET Vol. 1: BEFORE THE LIVING END

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artists: Steve Epting with Elizabeth Breitweiser (colors)

$9.99, Image Comics, 128 pgs.

ISBN 978-1607069645

It’s 1973 and Jefferson Keller, Britain’s deadliest secret agent, has just been murdered. When the evidence implicates Velvet Templeton, secretary to the Director of the shadowy ARC-7 agency, Velvet is forced to go on the run to solve the mystery herself. What the agents pursuing Velvet don’t yet realize, though, is that Velvet is more than “just” a secretary: back in the ‘50s she was ARC-7’s lone female agent, trained in the arts of combat, seduction, and stealth…and she remembers her lethal craft very, very well.

This Cold War spy thriller is brought to you by the same writer/artist team that gave us the best Captain America run in modern comics history (including the story arcs The Death of Captain America and The Winter Soldier), so you know from the outset to expect action and international intrigue aplenty. What the reader might not be prepared for is Velvet herself: one of the best female protagonists in comics today, with great emotional depth and a rich back-story. Velvet is unusual for American comics. Not only is she a strong female lead, she’s in her 40s, an age demographic typically ignored by adventure comic books, especially those starring women. As the story unfolds, Velvet’s innermost self—the personality she has buried under years of training and pretense—reemerges, and we realize this is not just an adventure story. It’s the story of a woman grappling with regret, betrayal, and grief.

The action in VELVET is stylized, but realistic; combat is bloody and often fatal. Sexuality, itself a weapon in Velvet Templeton’s world, is treated with frank candor. This is a spy comic that manages to strike a perfect balance between the realities of Cold War espionage and the glamour of big-screen spy thrillers. Flawlessly written and elegantly drawn, it’s an incredibly satisfying comics experience courtesy of one of comicdom’s best creative teams.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: This is another of Image Comics’ bargain-priced first volumes. Move quickly; when this book goes to its second and third printings (and it will) it will likely be priced higher. The story is not self-contained, though, and if history is any indicator, Brubaker is writing with the long-game in mind. You’re going to end up buying more of this series, but it’ll be worth the investment.

READERS’ ADVISORY NOTES: Readers with an appreciation for good female characters will love VELVET, as will fans of the Bourne and Bond film franchises. Because of the creative team’s track record, this is a good way to tempt die-hard superhero fans into trying their first non-superhero title, and there’s enough action that they won’t feel too far from their comfort zone. It’s also an excellent title with which to entice fans of spy thrillers who’d normally never read comics.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Violence, strong language, nudity/sexuality

Review © 2014, C. Michael Hall.

BLACK SCIENCE Vol. 1: HOW TO FALL FOREVER

BLACK SCIENCE Vol. 1: HOW TO FALL FOREVER

Writer: Rick Remender

Artists: Matteo Scalera with Dean White (colors)

$9.99, Image Comics, 152 pgs.

ISBN 978-1607069676

(NOTE: Your reviewer is actually on vacation for the next couple of weeks, but he wrote reviews for you in advance of his departure! Now that, dear reader, is love. You should return the love, and share this blog with all your librarian friends far and wide!)

Brilliant iconoclast and absentee father Grant McKay has mastered the forbidden art of Black Science: his invention, the Pillar, allows him to travel between alternate realities. Unfortunately, the Pillar is damaged on its maiden voyage. It cannot be shut down, and it departs for a new reality after intervals of randomly-determined length. With his children and a handful of compatriots in tow—one of whom is responsible for sabotaging the Pillar—Grant must survive one harrowing trip through the Eververse after another, hoping to eventually find the technology to repair the Pillar and make his way back home. Along the way, Grant must also try to repair his eroding relationship with his estranged children.

BLACK SCIENCE puts writer Rick Remender smack dab in his element: pulp-inspired science fiction. Everything happens at a breakneck pace, and we are whisked along with Grant and company from one bizarre reality to another. While some readers might feel cheated that we never really get to see too much of any of these realities, that’s kind of the point: by keeping us off-balance, Remender lets us share in the insanity of the life Grant has accidentally created for himself and his children. It’s a dizzying adventure, full of unearthly weirdness brought to life by Matteo Scalera’s edgy, unique artwork and Dean White’s rich colors. It’s a shame White’s color palette changes radically from the first chapter to the second—originally, he digitally painted over Scalera’s art rather than coloring it in a traditional style—but the end result is still gorgeous, rich in alien wonder and horror alike.

There’s nothing else on the shelves like BLACK SCIENCE. An elegantly simple concept with visionary artwork and a narrative combining the adventuresome spirit of pulp science fiction with interpersonal drama, BLACK SCIENCE is a profoundly different kind of comic book.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: Like a lot of Image’s first volumes, this one is bargain-priced to attract new readers; there are six comics in this issue for the dirt-cheap price of only $9.99 before wholesaler discount. You can’t go wrong at that price, but don’t wait forever to order; if this book goes to a second printing, and it may very well do so, odds are the second printing will be at a more conventional price-point.

READER’S ADVISORY: Suggest this to your science fiction fans, your alternate history buffs, and those readers looking for action/adventure with a unique, even bizarre stylistic twist.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Mature themes, ideologically sensitive material, violence, adult language…and, um, does it count as nudity when the naked people are aliens? Because that happens, too.

Review©2014, C. Michael Hall.