This volume begins with Sebastian, butler extraordinaire, whipping together impressive preparations for a charity function with very little notice while simultaneously dealing with disasters caused by the other (incompetent) members of the household staff. From there, Ciel’s investigatory skills are called upon by Queen Victoria and the action relocates to London, where Jack … [Read more...] about Black Butler 2 by Yana Toboso: B-
Reviews
How to Control a Sidecar by Makoto Tateno: B-
In this spin-off of How to Capture a Martini, stoic bartender Kiyohito Kousaka is pursued by a pair of guys looking to recruit him for a three-way relationship. He initially wants nothing to do with them, but when one of them goes missing, he cares enough to want to get to the bottom of the mystery. There are definitely some good things about How to Control a Sidecar. The … [Read more...] about How to Control a Sidecar by Makoto Tateno: B-
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1 by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill: B-
From the front flap: London, 1898. The Victorian Era draws to a close and the twentieth century approaches. It is a time of great change and an age of stagnation, a period of chaste order and ignoble chaos. It is an era in need of champions. Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin, Dr. Henry Jekyll, Mr. Edward Hyde, and Mina Murray are those champions and together they … [Read more...] about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1 by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill: B-
Banana Fish 3-4 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
The action ramps up in these two volumes of Banana Fish as Ash and his allies follow the trail of the drug known as “Banana Fish” from New York to Los Angeles and more details about its nature, as well as Ash’s background, come to light. There’s a lot going on here, including prison power struggles, an incredibly badass assassination attempt in a Chinatown fish market, a … [Read more...] about Banana Fish 3-4 by Akimi Yoshida: A-
A Royal Proposition by Marion Lennox and Harumo Sanazaki: C-
Before he died, the king of a vaguely European country called Castaliae drafted a will to reign in his son’s profligate tendencies. This will calls for the next would-be king to marry a woman of faultless virtue before he can ascend to the throne. Alas, that son is now dead too, and the new heir, Alastair, must also abide by the bizarre terms set forth by his predecessor. … [Read more...] about A Royal Proposition by Marion Lennox and Harumo Sanazaki: C-