From the back cover: Ichigo and his friends are moving ever closer to the center of Hueco Mundo and rescuing Orihime. But their battles against the Arrancars are testing them in ways they never thought possible. Can they keep their honor in a world where it doesn't exist, or will Hueco Mundo leave an indelible mark on their souls?! Review: Ichigo (who actually appears very, … [Read more...] about Bleach 30 by Tite Kubo: C+
Shonen Jump
One Piece 19-21 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
I had originally checked out about a dozen volumes of One Piece from my local library with high hopes of reading them all in the allotted time, but life intervened and I sadly ended up turning most of them back in. I did, however, manage to read these three volumes, in which the Straw Hats attempt to prevent civil war from erupting in Princess Vivi’s kingdom (Alabasta) due to … [Read more...] about One Piece 19-21 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
Black Cat 9-11 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
I'm at somewhat of a loss to explain how Black Cat manages to be so incredibly appealing, but these three volumes were a real pleasure to read and left me wanting to devour more of the series as soon as possible. Volume nine begins in the middle of a confrontation between Cerberus, a trio of elite members of the Chronos Numbers, and Creed, the villain of the piece who is … [Read more...] about Black Cat 9-11 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
Dr. Slump 1 by Akira Toriyama: C+
From the back cover: When goofy inventor Senbei Norimaki creates a precocious robot named Arale, his masterpiece turns out to be more than he bargained for! Basking in the glow of his scientific achievement, Senbei scrambles to get Arale in working order so the rest of Penguin Village won't have reason to suspect she's not really a girl. But first Senbei needs to find her a … [Read more...] about Dr. Slump 1 by Akira Toriyama: C+
One Piece 16-18 by Eiichiro Oda: B+
If there remains anyone who doubts that One Piece is something special in the world of shounen manga, they need only read these three volumes to be convinced. Volume sixteen begins with Luffy and Sanji on their way up a treacherous, snowy mountain to deliver a feverish Nami to the only doctor (Kureha) left on Drum Island. They're waylaid by some giant killer bunnies, but an … [Read more...] about One Piece 16-18 by Eiichiro Oda: B+