#IReadsYou Review: KAKURIYO: Bed and Breakfasts for Spirits Volume 6

KAKURIYO: BED & BREAKFAST FOR SPIRITS, VOL. 6
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Waco Ioka
ORIGINAL STORY: Midori Yuma
CHARACTER DESIGNS: Laruha
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tomo Kimura
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1042-3; paperback (September 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
152pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits is a Japanese shojo fantasy manga written and drawn by Waco Ioka.  It is based on Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits (also known as Afterlife Inn Cooking), a Japanese light novel series written by Midori Yūma and illustrated by Laruha.  The manga has been serialized in Enterbrain's josei manga magazine, B's Log Comic, since 2016.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shojo Beat” imprint.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits focuses on Aoi Tsubaki, who inherited something great and terrible from her grandfather, Shiro – his ability to see the spirits known as ayakashi (yokai).  Aoi, however, also inherited Shiro's massive debt to the ayakashi, and now, she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo (the spirit world) to settle that debt.  Kijin a.k.a. “the Ōdana,” who is an ogre and the owner of  the inn, “Tenjin-ya,” wants Aoi to marry him to settle the debts her grandfather owes him... or she can be eaten by demons.  But Aoi is determined to settle those debts on her own terms.

As Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 6 (Chapters 24 to 30) opens, Aoi looks forward to preparing a meal for the royal couple, Lord Nui and Lady Ritsuko.  She is overjoyed at what this could do for “Yūgao,” her little restaurant located behind Tenjin-ya.  So, Aoi will travel to the “Eastern Lands” to do some grocery shopping at a fancy imported food market.

Before she can buy a single ingredient, however, Aoi is spirited away and held captive in what seems like a giant crate.  Aoi worries that she won't gain her freedom in time to cook for the royal couple.  A good opportunity will be the least of her problems if she can't escape from the suddenly flooding prison in which she finds herself.

[This volume includes end notes.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits manga has turned out to be as good as I thought it would be.  Of course, I am a sucker for shojo manga starring yokai (also known by the term “ayakashi”), and I have yet to find one I did not like.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits Volume 6 epitomizes the series' dual tone, being both sweet and gentle and also dark and mysterious.  Aoi is by nature a giving person whose warmth and generosity are most on display when she is cooking for and feeding even strangers who appear on her doorstep.  On the other hand, Aoi will stand up for herself and her grit and determination carry her into the unknown with the readers following her into the mystery that is Kakuriyo.

Tomo Kimura's light and sugary English adaptation also captures the series' darker moments with an engaging sense of mystery.  Joanna Estep's lettering always strikes the right tone, from the warmth of meal time to the allure of discovery and exploration.  I can't wait for the next volume.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of yokai manga will want to read the Shojo Beat series, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: KAKURIYO: Bed and Breakfasts for Spirits Volume 1

KAKURIYO: BED & BREAKFAST FOR SPIRITS, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Waco Ioka
ORIGINAL STORY: Midori Yuma
CHARACTER DESIGNS: Laruha
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tomo Kimura
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0372-2; paperback (January 2019); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Afterlife Inn Cooking is a Japanese light-novel series written by Midori Yūma and illustrated by Laruha.  Wako Ioka has been producing a manga adaptation of the series for Enterbrain's josei manga magazine, B's Log Comic, since 2016.  VIZ Media has started publishing an English-language graphic novel edition of the manga under the series' English title, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5) introduces a young woman named Aoi Tsubaki.  She inherited her grandfather, Shiro's ability to see the spirits known as ayakashi (yokai).  Aoi also inherited his massive debt to the ayakashi, and now, she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo (the spirit world) to settle that debt.

Aoi's options are limited.  She can marry Kijin a.k.a. “the Ōdana, who is the ogre and the owner of “Tenjin-ya,” the inn where her grandfather incurred so much debt.  Or she can be eaten by demons.  But Aoi is determined to settle affairs on her own terms.

I was interested in reading the Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits manga after first learning about it via a VIZ Media press release.  Luckily, my VIZ media representative sent me a copy of the first volume for review.

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits Graphic Novel Volume 1 is a delight.  Before I continue this review, however, I must admit to you, dear readers, that I am a huge fan of yokai manga.  Kakuriyo does not have prettiest art that I have ever seen in a yokai manga, nor are these most imaginative ayakashi characters I have ever come across (at least so far in the narrative).

What Kakuriyo does have is a fantastic lead in Aoi Tsubaki, a young woman who is stout and determined no matter what is against her.  Aoi has “street smarts” in the fact that she is always on the lookout for someone or some spirit that might try to harm her or to take advantage of her.  An engaging character like Aoi, who is full of curiosity, is worth following.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: KAMISAMA KISS Volume 25

KAMISAMA KISS, VOL. 25
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Julietta Suzuki
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tomo Kimura
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Pancha Diaz
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9382-1; paperback (October 2017); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

LIMITED EDITON includes
Kamisama Kiss Volume 25 with a new cover
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9848-2; paperback (October 2017); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $17.99 U.S.
Kamisama Kiss: Kamistravaganza – hardcover art book – 5 x 7 1/2
Hardcover; 64pp, Color & B&W

Kamisama Kiss is a supernatural romance shojo manga from manga creator, Julietta Suzuki.  It was originally published in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Hana to Yume.  VIZ Media began publishing Kamisama Kiss in English as a paperback graphic novel series in 2010.

The series focuses on high school student, Nanami Momozono.  She was kicked out of the apartment she shared with her father after he left town to avoid his gambling debts.  Later, Nanami saved a strange man named Mikage, so he generously offered her his home.  Nanami later discovered that Mikage had tricked her into taking his job as the tochigami (local god) of the Mikage Shrine.  To make matters worse, Nanami fell in love with her head shinshi (or familiar), Tomoe, a fox yokai who hates humans.

As Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 25 (Chapters 144 to 148 to Final Chapter) opens, Nanami prepares for her final year of high school.  She is getting ready to leave the Mikage Shrine, and she also has been accepted into a junior college.  That means rejoining the human world for good.  Tomoe is ready to become a human and leave the world of the yokai.  Obviously, Nanami and Tomoe will be together, but will they be together as husband and wife?

Kamisama Kiss Volume 25 offers a happy ending that is also bittersweet, which I had expected since I began reading this manga.  This is the end of Nanami and Tomoe's story for now, and the ending and a promised new beginning are as genuinely magical as Kamisama Kiss has ever been.  This is a graphic novel series that deserves to be reread and discovered by new readers.

In commemoration of this final volume, there is a Kamisama Kiss Volume 25 Limited Edition.  It features a cover that is different from the regular edition cover, and it comes wrapped in a bundle with a mini art book, Kamisama Kiss: Kamistravaganza.  The book includes a bonus story set a decade in the future, some full-color art, and some pencil sketches Suzuki drew for the final chapter.  In America, we call those “pencil sketches” pencil art, because they look more detailed than sketches.

A+
10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Kamisama Kiss: The Shriden Maiden

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 20

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Yo-Kai Watch: Jibanyan's Tale

I read Yo-kai Watch, Vol. 3

siI posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House: White Nue's Burden

I read The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House: The Third Shikigami

I read The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Natsume's Book of Friends: Mr. Hakozaki's Study

I read Natsume's Book of Friends , Vol. 18

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Kamisama Kiss: School Trip

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 18

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: WAYWARD #9

WAYWARD #9
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: Tamra Bonvillain – @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings with Tamra Bonvillain
VARIANT COVER: Gurihiru
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

This review comes with an “editor's note.”  I forgot to post this back at the end of June when I was supposed to do so.  I gotta be anal about it and post it...

The latest issue of Image Comics' Wayward is the second-to-last issue of the series' second story arc.  The comic book, which launched late Summer 2014, is set in Japan and features those creatures and spirits of Japanese folklore, Yokai.  Wayward is the creation of writer Jim Zub and artist Steve Cummings.  Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl, who is trying to start a new life in Japan.  Instead, Rori and a small band of fellow magically-touched folks battle a secret war of magic in the shadows of Tokyo.

Wayward #9 (“Chapter Nine) opens in the past, as we witness the “Great Tengu,” Daranibo and his forces destroy a village.  What's going on?

Back to the future:  Ohara Emi (the narrator of much of this story arc) and Nikaido meet cat-girl Ayane's new pals, the Tsuchigumo – the Earth Spiders.  They offer to help the trio in the battle against the Yokai, Nurarihyon, and his allies, but Ohara is suspicious.  Meanwhile, Rori is on a mission, and she is feeling the full extent of her powers, which leaves her companion, Shirai, troubled.

Wayward writer/co-creator, Jim Zub, is still sending out advanced review PDF copies of Wayward, nine issues into the series, which one comics reviewer called “the next Saga.”  The ComicBookBin receives these complementary PDFs, and I am glad that I received this one.  I had planned on not reviewing Wayward for a while.  What more can I say about the comic book that should have received a “best new series” Eisner nomination, I thought?

Well, what I don't want to say is that Wayward is getting better.  That's too easy.  It is actually getting bigger.  The more Zub opens this world to his readers, the more he will ensnare them in the weave and the more they will buy into Wayward's conceit.  In fact, it will be increasingly harder for readers to walk away.  Steve Cummings and Tamra Bonvillain's graphical storytelling blazes, conjuring Wayward in a furious story of imagination and wild magic.

Also, an integral contributor to Wayward is Zack Davisson, a writer and scholar who is an expert on Japanese folklore and culture, including manga.  His essays, which appear after the last story page of each issue of Wayward, are must-reads for manga readers who are interested in Japan outside the comics pages.  This issue's essay, “The Secret History of Dirt Spiders,” is startling, and it also expands on information I have encountered in passing.  This is info I need as a fan of Japanese comics and literature, and also of Japanese film and television.

A+

[Wayward #9 contains another engrossing essay, “The Secret History of Dirt Spiders,” by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson).]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: WAYWARD #10

WAYWARD #10
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: Tamra Bonvillain – @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings with Tamra Bonvillain
VARIANT COVER: Hanzo Steinbach
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Wayward, the comic book series from writer Jim Zub and artist Steve Cummings, is about to take a three-month break from publishing.  Before that break, Wayward #10, which is the concluding issue of the series' second story arc, has arrived.

Published by Image Comics, Wayward is set in Japan and features those creatures and spirits of Japanese folklore, yokai.  Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl, who is trying to start a new life in Japan.  Instead, Rori and a small band of fellow magically-touched folks battle a secret war of magic in the shadows of Tokyo.

Ohara Emi was a quite school girl until she started manifesting strange powers.  Now, she is the narrator of the current story arc, and she manipulates matter and transmutes man-made materials.  As Wayward #10 (“Chapter Ten”) opens, Ohara, Nikaido, and Ayane have team up with Tsuchigumo.  These are supernatural spiders that are fighting their yokai brethren.

Now, humans and mystical spiders attack the Fudo Temples, but their tengu guardians are determined to fight back.  Do Ohara and her friends know the entire story of this fight, however?  Meanwhile, Rori and Shirai, thought to be dead, prepare to reemerge.

Wayward writer/co-creator, Jim Zub, sent out advanced review PDF copies of Wayward #10 (which the ComicBookBin received).  This is a pivotal issue.  Not only is issue #10 the closing chapter of the series second story arc, but it also essentially the end of series introductions.  Now, the series is prepared to get on with the big story, as Zub says in an afterword to this issue.

Zub's script does not disappoint, and co-creator Steve Cummings brings the script to life as magical graphical storytelling that remains grounded at the same time it brings the supernatural to life with imagination and inventiveness.  Colorist Tamra Bonvillain delivers striking colors that make the magical energy pop.  Also, integral Wayward contributor, Zack Davisson, delivers two essays (instead of the usual one) that explain the mythology and culture in which Wayward travels.  I think the next 10 issues will blow our minds.

A

[Wayward #10 contains two engrossing essays, “Circle of Protection Tokyo! The Goshiki Fudo” and “Sokushinbutsu – Buddhas of the Living World,” by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson).]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE DEMON PRINCE OF MOMOCHI HOUSE Volume 1

THE DEMON PRINCE OF MOMOCHI HOUSE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Aya Shouoto
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7962-7; paperback (July 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
172pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

VIZ Media is publishing another manga from Aya Shouoto, the creator of Kiss of the Rose Princess.  Entitled The Demon Prince of Momochi House, the series focuses on a young woman who inherits a house with a strong supernatural connection.

On her 16th birthday, Himari Momochi inherits an old house in the woods that she has never seen.  She does not know that it is called the Momochi House and that it already has three inhabitants.  One of them is practically the “Demon Prince” of Momochi House.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 3) opens with Himari deep in the mountains looking for the ancestral estate, Momochi House.  A local warns her to avoid the house because she will be cursed by the “Omamori-sama.”  When she finally finds the house, she discovers that the place is practically a wreck, and that three squatters live there.

Seventeen-year-old Aoi Nanamori seems to be the leader, while Yukari and Ise just seem like lazy guys looking for a place to stay.  There is, however, more than meets the eye, as she learns that Momochi House is a barrier between the human and spiritual realms.  The house may have even more residents, and Aoi... handsome Aoi has a secret.

I am a sucker for a yokai-themed manga, and The Demon Prince of Momochi House manga focuses on “ayakashi,” an apparent old term for yokai.  Demons and spirits aside, this is, like other manga from creator Aya Shouoto, a shojo manga.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House Volume 1 quickly establishes a budding and complicated romance between Himari and Aoi.  This series seems as if it will be both a supernatural romance and a high school romantic drama.  It has potential, but, other than establishing the dynamics between the leads, The Demon Prince of Momochi House is a bit unformed after three chapters, which is what makes up this first graphic novel in the series.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux (Support Leroy on Patreon)


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: WAYWARD #7

WAYWARD #7
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: Tamra Bonvillain – @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings with Tamra Bonvillain
VARIANT COVER: Sie Nanahara
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

The latest issue of Image Comics' Wayward is in comic book shops today (Wednesday, April 29, 2015).  The comic book, which launched late last summer, is set in Japan and features those creatures of Japanese folklore, yokai.

Wayward is the creation of writer Jim Zub and artist Steve Cummings.  Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl, who is trying to start a new life in Japan with her mother, Sanae.  Instead, Rori finds herself connected to the magic and ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

Wayward #7 (“Chapter Seven”) continues the focus on Ohara Emi, a high school girl to whom most people pay little or no attention.  Now, she does have people paying attention to her, Ayane and Nikaido, two teens who are part of Rori Lane's little monster-hunting band.

With the arrival of Obon, the Japanese festival of the dead, Ayane wonders what has happened to Rori and Shirai, who were lost during a battle with several powerful creatures.  Meanwhile, these “corrupted children” are the subject of a meeting between Nurarihyon and other yokai, who are themselves in for quite a surprise.

In a bid to keep the word going about his comic book, Wayward writer/co-creator, Jim Zub, sent out an advanced review PDF copy of Wayward #7.  I like this comic book and support it by buying copies, even after reading it for free.

Recently, someone said that Wayward is the next Saga.  I wouldn't know, as I have yet to read Saga, but if it is as good as Wayward, then, I must read it immediately.  This seventh issue of Wayward is, so far, the best issue of the new story arc.  Sometimes, comic books about magic don't feel very magical.  Like The Sandman, this series has a sense of enchantment about it that is... well, enchanting.  I heartily recommend... Oh, the hell with it.  Read this, dammit!

A

[Wayward #7 contains another engrossing essay, “Obon – The Festival of the Dead,” by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson).]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Kamisama Kiss: Out of Time-Turn

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 17

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter and at Grumble.

Review: WAYWARD #6

WAYWARD #6
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: Tamra Bonvillain – @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings with Tamra Bonvillain
VARIANT COVER: Takeshi Miyazawa; Max Dunbar with Tamra Bonvillain; Steve Cummings with Tamra Bonvillain
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Wayward is back, y'all!  One of the best new series of 2014 has a new story arc.

After a three-month hiatus, Image Comics' Wayward returns to comic book stores this week.  Wayward is an intriguing new fantasy comic book series that launched at the end of last summer.  It is the creation of writer Jim Zub and penciller Steve Cummings.  Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl.  Rori is trying to start a new life in Japan with her mother, Sanae, only to find herself connected to the magic and ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

Wayward #6 (“Chapter Six”) apparently opens three months after the events depicted in the issue Wayward #5.  The story introduces Japanese school girl, Ohara Emi.  She is an ordinary girl from an ordinary family, and she is the “quiet,” “obedient,” and “proper Japanese school girl.”  However, changes come into Ohara life when she overhears her classmates gossiping about the “missing students.”  Then, strange things start happening to her.

I got a reminder that Wayward was returning when writer/co-creator, Jim Zub, sent out an advanced review PDF copy of Wayward #6.  I like the introduction of a new character, but I think I spent most of my time reading this issue waiting for Rori.  Zub and Cummings have created magic with Wayward.  This comic book is like one big enchantment that draws me into the story.  I guess I am not the only reader who wants to live in the world of this series.

Still, I'm excited about the beginning of the second story arc.  As a reminder, Wayward's first story arc, “String Theory,” is being released as a trade paperback the same day as Wayward #6 will be calling to you in your dreams.

A-

[Wayward #6 contains another engrossing essay, “Tradition and Japanese Society,” by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson).]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: NURA: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Volume 25

NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, VOL. 25
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Hiroshi Shiibashi
TRANSLATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITORS: Megan Bates, Joel Enos
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6480-7; paperback (February 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Hiroshi Shiibashi is a manga creator known for his debut series, Nurarihyon no Mago (Nurarihyon Grandson).  The series debuted in the Japanese manga anthology magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, in March 2008.  VIZ Media published an English version of Nurarihyon no Mago as a series of 25 graphic novels under the title Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan.  VIZ recently published the final graphic novel in the series, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Volume 25.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan takes place in a world where the day belongs to humans and the night belongs to yokai, the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore.  Middle school student, Rikuo Nura, is three-fourths human and one-quarter yokai.  His paternal grandfather is Nurarihyon, the Overlord and Supreme Commander of the Tokyo-based, yokai consortium, the Nura Clan.  He wants Rikuo to become the next leader of the Nura Clan – the Lord of a Hundred Demons.  When Rikuo’s yokai blood awakens, he becomes the clan’s future leader (“the Third”) and current “Underboss.”

As Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 25 (entitled He Who Equips True Fear – Chapters 209 to 210) opens, Rikuo and Yuki-onna race to Aoi Spiral Castle.  There, the ayakashi (yokai) monsters, Abe No Seimei and Hagoromo-Gitsune meet.  Surprise: Seimei is Hagoromo-Gitsune's son, and now they prepare for battle – the son for a world of superior yokai and the mother for a world for both yokai and humans.  Now, Rikuo, who is connected to both of them, joins the battle for a three-way showdown that will decide everything.

[This volume also includes five bonus stories:  “Inherited Bonds,” “The Third Heir Gone Wild?!” “Dawn Pawnbroker,” “In the Village of Half-Yokai,” and “Extra Bonus.”]

The Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan manga reminds me of Naruto, but it won't last as long as that manga starring the world's favorite boy-ninja.  Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Volume 25 is the final volume of the series.  This last graphic novel is for longtime readers of the series.  It is our happy ending, but those who become new readers by going back to the beginning will discover something wonderful and will eventually get to enjoy Vol. 25's happy ending.

I can say that I am surprised at how things have come to pass in the story.  Some villains and monsters turn out not to be the adversaries that they seemed initially.  Along the way, Hiroshi Shiibashi did not let things stay the same, and the series thrived for it.  At the end of the book is a two-page goodbye and thank-you to fans in which Shiibashi says that we will see some of these characters again.  That's a good thing.  Also, “Bonus Story 4: In the Village of Half-Yokai” features some of the most beautiful comic book art that I have seen in awhile.

So in my final estimation:  readers looking for imaginative shonen manga will want to see the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the Shonen Jump title, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: WAYWARD #5

WAYWARD #5
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: Tamra Bonvillain – @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings with Tamra Bonvillain
VARIANT COVER: Marguerite Sauvage
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Wayward #5 arrives in comic book shops today (Wednesday, December 17, 2017).  It is the conclusion of the series' first story arc (“String Theory”).  Wayward is the creation of writer Jim Zub and penciller Steve Cummings.  Published by Image Comics, Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl.  Rori is trying to start a new life in Japan with her mother, Sanae, only to find herself connected to the magic and ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

Wayward #5 (“Chapter Five”) opens after the battle in the decommissioned subway tunnels beneath Ueno Park.  Rori and her “gang” of fellow supernatural types, Ayane, Shirai, and Nikaido narrowly defeated a band of monsters.  Rori discovered, however, from the leader of their attackers, that all was not what it seemed.  Now, Rori races home, sensing that her mother, Sanae, is in danger.  It is actually worse and more complicated that she imagines.

As with previous issues, the ComicBookBin received an advanced review PDF copy of Wayward #5 that writer Jim Zub sent to reviewers.  This fifth issue is also the close of the series' first story arc.  Wayward is going on a two-month hiatus and will return in March 2015.

Zub and Cummings leave us with a beautifully drawn and exceptionally told series, and while they leave us with many questions, they also leave us caught in the weave.  We want to be Wayward.  With each new issue, Wayward expands its scope without losing its great sense of mystery.  With similarities to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, yokai manga, and Harry Potter, Wayward is that amazing new fantasy series we've been waiting for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint to give us.  Instead, Jim Zub, Steve Cummings, and Image Comics have given it to us.  Gimme more.

A

[Wayward #5 contains another engrossing essay, “Hyakki Yagyo and the Yokai Invasion,” by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson), with art by Steve Cummings.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Reads: WAYWARD #3

WAYWARD #3
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: John Rauch and Jim Zub with Tamra Bonvillain – @John_Rauch and @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings and Ross A. Campbell
VARIANT COVER: Jorge Molina
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Additional material by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson) and Steve Cummings

Writer Jim Zub sent an advanced review PDF copy of the third issue of Wayward to comics media people, and the ComicBookBin was one of the recipients.  I decided to also share the good news about Wayward with you, dear reader.  I really appreciate the chance to read advanced comics, but when the comic book is something as good as Wayward, I almost feel honored to receive it.

Wayward is the intriguing new fantasy comic book series from Zub and penciller Steve Cummings.  Published by Image Comics, Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl who is trying to start a new life in Japan, only to find herself connected to the magic and ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

As Wayward #3 (“Chapter Three”) opens, Rori can sense a storm is brewing – both naturally and supernaturally.  She still isn't fitting in at school, but she's found a homeboy, of sorts, in Shirai, a teenaged boy who can “eat ghosts.”  Meanwhile, somewhere else in Tokyo, a stranger man senses a “rogue weaver.”  Also, enter Nikaido, and someone whom Rori knows has a secret.

Clearly, Wayward is attracting readers, and I think that is because Jim Zub is slowly introducing readers to a world of magic and intrigue.  Perhaps, it is a really big world, and the only way for Zub to do right by his creation is to work through the characters.  They confront the magic in bits and pieces, rather than having to face an epic, wide-ranging magical conspiracy all at once.  Zub knows that if we buy into the characters first, we will also accept the supernatural that they encounter as they encounter it.

Yes, someone says the word, “magic,” in this chapter, but artist Steve Cummings perfectly blends the magical, the supernatural, and the otherness into a solidly real world of mundane tasks and ordinary living.  Cummings is going to make us invest in this world, by recognizing its relationship to ours.  Cummings' art is kind of teaching our imaginations to feel the difference between an ordinary world in which magic just might be as legitimate a part of the world as anything else.

Yeah, it's not fluke.  Wayward is one of the best new titles of the year.  Plus,  Zack Davisson offers another hugely informative essay on the mythology of Japan in “The Magical Foxes of Japan.”

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai - Purification

I read Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 22

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

Review: WAYWARD #2

WAYWARD #2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings @stekichikun
COLORS: John Rauch @John_Rauch and Jim Zub
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings and Ross A. Campbell
VARIANT COVER:  Riley Rossmo
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Additional material by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson)

The second issue of Wayward, the intriguing new fantasy comic book series from Image Comics, was just published.  Written by Jim Zub (Skullkickers) and drawn by Steve Cummings, Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl who is trying to start a new life in Japan, only to find herself confronted by the ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

As Wayward #2 (“Chapter Two”) opens, Rori arrives home late, after a night of craziness in Tokyo, in which she encountered monsters with swords and a warrior-girl.  Now, she has to get ready for her first day at school, which she knows will be difficult.  How difficult will that first day be?  One of her classmates has a secret for which he is willing to kill.

After praising Wayward #1 around the beginning of August, I was a bit concerned that I would be disappointed in Wayward #2.  Writer Jim Zub sent a PDF copy of #2 to the ComicBookBin, and I approached it with trepidation.  I didn't need to worry because #2 kept #1 from being a fluke.  So far, Wayward does indeed look to be one of the year's best new comic book series and one of the best fantasy comic books period.

Advertising copy and promotional material describe Wayward as Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a new generation.  That may be true, but it is certainly a damn good comic book for any generation that can read.  It has the kind of intrigue and sense of mystery that permeate Mike Mignola's Hellboy universe, and it crackles with the kind of magic that fills Harry Potter.  I imagine that quite a few comic book readers will be eagerly awaiting each new issue.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.