From the back cover: Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes, and he goes berserk whenever he feels threatened or sees blood. That doesn't stop animal lover Yuiko Kubozuka from befriending him, however. In fact, Yuiko is the only person Leo will listen to when he has one of his violent fits... Leo's 18th birthday is around the corner, but celebrating seems … [Read more...] about Beast Master 2 by Kyousuke Motomi: A-
Fire Investigator Nanase 4 by Izo Hashimoto and Tomoshige Ichikawa: B+
Nanase Takamine is a fire investigator, a job at which she not only excels but also approaches with a dogged determination to discover the truth. In this volume, she’s on the case of a fatal fire at the home of an elderly, wealthy man with three suspicious children, and later must determine why an experienced arsonist made a beginner’s mistake. Nanase is, in a way, haunted by … [Read more...] about Fire Investigator Nanase 4 by Izo Hashimoto and Tomoshige Ichikawa: B+
Twin Spica 1 by Kou Yaginuma: A-
The year is 2024. Fourteen years ago, Japan’s first attempt at a manned space mission ended in disaster, as something went wrong 72 seconds into the flight, causing the craft, “The Lion,” to crash in the middle of a city. The crew, and many civilians, lost their lives. Asumi Kamogawa’s mother was among the wounded, lingering in a coma for five years before finally succumbing to … [Read more...] about Twin Spica 1 by Kou Yaginuma: A-
Fire Investigator Nanase 3 by Izo Hashimoto and Tomoshige Ichikawa: B
From the back cover: "The Towering Inferno" continues! Nanase and her team are sent into the Astro Tower, a brand new skyscraper that everyone believes to be practically indestructible. But when the anti-fire device system suddenly goes down, there is no advance warning when the boiler blows. Now, Nanase is trapped in the fiery building with all of the terrorists, but the … [Read more...] about Fire Investigator Nanase 3 by Izo Hashimoto and Tomoshige Ichikawa: B
Black Cat 12-14 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+
Black Cat may not have the most innovative or sophisticated plot ever conceived—our hero and his friends face off against a mentally unbalanced bad guy and his lackeys—but it's executed so well and the characters are so likable that I can't help but be thoroughly entertained each time I consume another chunk of the story. In volume twelve, Train and friends meet with Dr. … [Read more...] about Black Cat 12-14 by Kentaro Yabuki: B+