Manga of the Month: X/1999

X/1999 (X) by CLAMP

 The as yet unfinished masterpiece from CLAMP. Fate, tragedy, sacrifice, violence, and the rush toward the end of the world hit like waves which quickly sweep you deep into the story.

Following the death of his mother and a prophecy, Kamui returns to Tokyo seeking the means by which to change the fate of the world as armageddon is fast approaching. Two supernatural factions vie for control over the world’s destiny, both seeking the power of Kamui to reach their ultimate goals. And thus fights for power erupt all over Tokyo as Kamui is torn between friendship and the power to change the course of the Earth’s future.

A large cast makes up this epic as CLAMP interweaves the desperate battle for Earth with the relationships and personal stories of all involved. There is always someone new and interesting just around the corner, sometimes literally, in this story but be prepared to say goodbye to quite a few of them because death and destruction are present at every turn.

Everyone has their favorite CLAMP work and this is mine. I much prefer their earlier series where the art feels more tactical and less perfect.

This is a prime time to pick up X/1999 and enjoy all 18 volumes of beautiful art since VIZ has started releasing fantastic oversized omnibus editions which include color inserts.

As the years go by it becomes less and less likely that X/1999 will ever receive an ending in manga form. They should really consider doing it as a doujinshi!

Manga of the Month: House of Five Leaves

House of Five Leaves (さらい屋五葉) by Natsume Ono

House of Five Leaves introduced me to the incredibly talented Natsume Ono. In this quiet and dark tale, she weaves together a character-driven story of family and morality with an unlikely group, a gang of kidnappers, during the Edo period.

Masa is a talented swordsman, but awkward and shy, who can’t keep a job despite his best efforts. One day, Masa meets the charismatic criminal Yaichi and before Masa knows it he is swept up in a kidnapping plot and the lives of the other members of the gang.

Masa’s dilemma and change over the course of the story has an odd air to it because his growth you want to applaud and yet the undercurrent is so dark. The story really began to weigh on me as Yaichi’s past slowly unfolds and things go from bad to worse for the Five Leaves. The characters all possessed such a pull on my heart and mind that when it came to its final conclusion I was emotionally exhausted.

Natsume Ono’s art style is always a treat, but with House of Fives Leaves it is particularly special. The brush work (reminiscent of calligraphy) combined with the flatness of her designs and shadows (reminiscent of woodblock prints) click perfectly with the time period. It actually seeps you even deeper into the setting.

Natsume Ono transforms a story starring a kidnapping ring into a compelling character drama that whispers suspense.

Manga of the Month: Billy Bat

Billy Bat (ビリーバット) by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki

There are certain artists who you can assume by default create things worth looking into unless advised otherwise. One of those people is Naoki Urasawa. Pluto, Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Yawara! are all critically acclaimed series with near universal praise. So in general you can bet good money that if you see a new series by him it might be not be worth buying the whole series sight unseen but it is always worth checking out the first book especially when Takashi Nagasaki is involved as well. And his current ongoing series (alongside Master Keaton Remaster) is Billy Bat.

Billy Bat starts after World War II with a popular Japanese-American comic artist, named Kevin Yamaga, trying to discover if his smash hit comic is actually a copy of a manga he might have seen when he was in the service. He soon discovers that his Billy Bat character is not just simply a copy of an obscure manga but an ancient symbol used by a variety of dangerous secret societies. Soon the ancient conspiracy surrounding this nigh incomprehensible bat god sucks in Kevin Yamaga to a world of ninjas, faked moon landings, magic, and people like Lee Harvey Oswald and Albert Einstein.

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