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Dorohedoro 11 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 27, 2013
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Dorohedoro 11Title: Dorohedoro 11 (manga review)

Author: Q Hayashida

U.S. Distributor: VIZ Media

Release Date: Dec 17, 2013

Format and Length: manga; 170 pgs

Genre: fantasy, action

Industry Age Rating: M for Mature

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Similar Series:  Dorohedoro is a unique series and it is difficult to find something else similar to it.

Synopsis:

Nikaido is back with En but she is severely injured.  Even Noi’s powerful healing smoke has no effect on her injuries. It seems that Nikaido hates being under En’s contract so much that her body is physically rejecting it and it is killing her.

Elsewhere, the small group of Cross-eyes has been having their own problems. Something has gotten into their prisoner and possessed him.  The thing turned him into a demon-like creature that calls itself “Curse.” The cross-eyes try to fight it but the two that did attack it end up horrible wounded

Meanwhile, Chidaruma, the former devil that helped Nikaido and Caiman escape, comes across the body of a human Caiman. Believing Caiman to be dead, Chidaruma passes out from exhaustion. He eventually wakes up in a bed being cared for by a man who calls himself Aikawa. Chidaruma manages to teleport himself and “Aikawa” to the room where Nikaido is resting. En, sensing the disturbance, runs to see what is happening with Nikaido, but gets dristracted by a horrible sensation he had only felt once before. And it nearly killed him then.

Commentary:

Dorohedoro 11 was an improvement over the last few volumes. Things finally feel like they are progressing and the gritty art style did not make any panels unintelligible like they sometimes do, especially in scenes with lots of movement. Though I have always liked the art style of Dorohedoro and it really fits with the scenes and plot of the series, in some volumes the roughness of it can often get in the way of being able to tell what is going on in some of the scenes.  That problem was not there in volume 11. In each panel it was fairly easy to see plainly what was happening. Although there were some scenes where the content was what made it difficult to see what was happening. There were many situations where various characters were having strange visions. It looked like they are supposed to have some deep symbolic meaning but it is extremely difficult to tell just what that meaning is. But not knowing the deeper meaning of the visions does not really affect the character development that occurs within the visions. There is dialogue and, while the symbolic meaning is confusing, the dialogue is what propelled the plot and character development so no story was lost in visual translation.

The comedic relief parts are well done as well. Each one, at the very least, gets a small laugh. They are all at least a little bit funny and serve as nice breaks from the harsh seriousness of the main plot of the series.

Overall Grade: B+

Dorohedoro 11 was good overall. The comedy was funny and the action scenes were easy to see despite the rough art style that sometimes makes movement difficult to decipher. Dorohedoro is a unique series and it is difficult to find something else similar to it.

 

 

 

Psyren vol. 14 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 22, 2013
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ItemDescription-76Title: Psyren vol. 14

Author/Artist: Toshiaki Iwashiro

Distributor: Viz Media

American Release Date: Jan. 7th, 2014

Format: Manga

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T+ for older teen

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopisis:

Ageha and the others battle the Scourge, an experimental elite battle corps engineered by W.I.S.E. Ageha must now learn Nova, a new power that enables him to manipulate gravity, if he’s got any hope of saving his friends and his world. At the same time they have figured out a way to open the cloud deck that just might give them an edge. Or will it?

Meanwhile, the ailing Elmore sees a vision of the future that terrifies her and leaves her more fragile than ever. The thing is that Elmore passes on some additional words of wisdom and the other seem to take the words to heart. Will her vision of the future end up coming true or will these youngsters that she helped raise and train find a way to divert any potential doom?

Commentary:

As we approach the ultimate battle things are starting to heat up. This volume of Psyren not only aids in moving the series along, but it also help solidify the characters and give more meaning to who they are and what they have become. This not only gives the series a little more meaning, but also helps bring things together. I found that this volume has taken a series that could have been very confusing and started to focus us on the final battle. Of course there is the obligatory final power training mode that the hero must go through in order to take on the bad guys.

The writing in the volume of Psyren falls into the classic shonen archetype. There are moments that it would be easy to transpose Psyren with almost any other shonen manga. The way that the protagonists are pushed to their limit just to pull something extra out of thin air to stop the onslaught. The super secret hidden power that is now a technique that the hero must learn. And of course the antagonist who is about to change the world in a way that spells an end to humanity as it is known. Although things feel rather stereotypical there are other aspects to the this volume that helps to give hope to a newer vision on an old storyline. I would be more direct, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. I do love to see some of these guys fight, their powers have come a long way and things are looking good.

There are a few twist to this typical archetype that help Psyren move forward and feel too stale. I think that is what helped this volume take a step in the right direction.

Overall Grade: B+

Psyren 14 is action packed and full of interesting infomation. Things manage to take some rather typical turns but there are a couple twist that just might be the big difference in the end. If feels like things are starting to move quickly toward the end and the final battle. If the remaining volumes follow this path they will be very entertaining and make the entire series worth while. So for things look very good and volume 14 does a fine job setting things up. I ready bring it on.

Case Closed vol. 49 ( manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 18, 2013
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Case Closed 49Title: Case Closed vol. 49

Writer/Artist: Gosho Aoyama

U.S. Distributor: Viz Media

U.S. Release Date: Jan. 14th, 2014

Format: manga paperback/184 pages

Genre: Mystery, Comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T+ for older teen

Overall Personal Rating: A-

 

Synopsis:

The Men in Black are back – and they’ve got a political candidate in their crosshairs! After eavesdropping on their plans, Conan teams up with the FBI to stop the assassination. But if the Men in Black realize they’ve been bugged, their next target will be Richard Moore’s home!

Can Conan save the politician without putting Mr. Moore and Rachel in danger? Only if he can decipher the code words the Men in Black use to plan their hit! Then he and the school detectives are put on the case of the missing girl. It leads them down a winding path with the strange possibility that a substitute teacher just might be a men in black agent sent to do some more dirty deeds. Will they be able to solve the mystery in time and what is up with this odd substitute teacher?

 

Commentary:

One thing that I have to say right out of the gate is that Case Closed is one of the very best in juvenile detective series ever made. It makes the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew seem like they only get the easy ones and when compared to Scooby Doo it just isn’t even worthy of the mention. Of course Case Closed doesn’t have the silly humor of Scooby Doo and that makes it even better. The overall quality of the writing is wonderful and for a younger reader the complexity might be a little tough at time but it pushes them to stretch a little and maybe ask a few questions.

The pacing of the stories was rather nice. It didn’t feel to slow or too quick in solving the next clue. There was also the added possibility of failure built into each case. The beginning with the Men in Black closed off a little too pat, but the fact that it was such a close call made it much more enjoyable. With the missing girl and the last case of the love affair gone, bad they both ran their corse but at the same time didn’t feel forced. They managed to use different groups and show a rather analytical side of this master detective that makes him one of the best out there.

 

Overall Grade: A-

I would love to see Case Closed find a wider market share in the U. S., but I have a feeling that the days of fun detective stories may have seen their peek some time ago. Now a day the hero needs to have some crazy super power and a uber dark person to be the hit. Case Closed is a wonderful series that provides a slick, fun story line to tell some interesting mysteries. They can be from a few pages long to several volumes, but Case Closed holds your interest and keeps you wondering what is next without making the answer too easy even when in the end it appears to have been rather strait forward all along. I am very much looking forward to volume 50 and would recommend this series to any 10 year old boy or girl who loves a good mystery.

Pokemon: the Movie – Genesect and the Legend Awakened (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 10, 2013
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Pokemon: the Movie – Genesect and the Legend Awakenedreview provided by TJ

Pokemon: the Movie – Genesect and the Legend Awakened

Story and Art: Momota Inoue

Original Concept: Satoshi Tajiri

U.S. Distributor: Viz Media

Release Date: Dec 3, 2013

Format and Length: manga; 190 pgs

Genre: fantasy

Industry Age Rating: A for All Ages

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series: other titles in the Pokemon universe

Synopsis:

 

The ancient and extinct Pokemon Genesect has been revived and is now on a mission to return to the home they once knew. However, to do that, they decide that everything else is their enemy and attack other pokemon in order to get what they want. Mewtwo, who has taken it upon himself to be the protector of all Pokemon, stands in their path.

 

In New Tork City, Ash, Cilan and Iris have just arrived at the Pokemon park known as Pokemon Hills.  Pokemon Hills is a haven where many Pokemon gather  and it has several different areas, each replicating the natural habitat of various Pokemon.  While exploring, Ash comes across a lone Genesect that seems to have been separated from the rest of the Genesect.  After discovering that it can talk, Ash learns that it just wants to go home. But the rest of the Genesect appear and attack Ash and his friends.  At the last second, Mewtwo appears to save them. After explaining the situation to Ash and company, Mewtwo goes to confront the Genesect at Pokemon Hills, where the Genesect have decided to build a new nest. A large fight ensues between the group of Genesect and the Pokemon of Pokemon Hills. As the battle climaxes, Mewtwo takes Genesect high above the earth and explains that much has changed, and that while their old home may no longer be there, there is no reason that they cannot easily find a new home without having to harm anything else. Genesect agrees and, once back on the ground, follows Ash to a place that is perfect for the Genesect to start anew.

 

Commentary:

 

Genesect and the Legend Awakened was almost good.  But there were just too many problems in it to call it good.  There were many plotholes and glaring inconsistencies in the story that it just took away from what otherwise would have been a pleasant, lighthearted read.

 

The Genesect Pokemon were supposed to have been ancient extinct Pokemon that were revived from fossils. But why were they revived? Who revived them? There is no explanation given at all for where they suddenly came from. And Mewtwo even admits that he was also a Pokemon created by humans and, if the events from Pokemon the First Movie are already known, then it is known how and why Mewtwo came to be; but there is no mention of anything like that, even in Mewtwo’s flashbacks. In fact, Ash and Mewtwo both act as if they have never even seen each other before, much less had a huge conflict that involved Ash temporarily dying.  Another thing that was never made clear is just what exactly Pokemon Hills is. The name makes it sound like a Pokemon retirement home. But it looks like it could be a Pokemon adoption center. Or maybe a Pokemon theme park. Or even a Pokemon hotel. Or and place that wild Pokemon come to just chill. It is unclear just what purpose this establishment serves.

 

There is one last real problem that I have with Genesect and the Legend Awakened. Team Rocket is in it. Normally, I like Team Rocket, they provide comic relief and are, sometimes, an interesting antagonist.  But they appear only on one page, just five panels. Then they are never seen again in the entire story. There is no reason for them to have appeared at all as they never played any role at all in the story. They’re five panels do not even have any real comic relief elements. They should have just been left out of the story altogether.

 

However, while all I have done is point out how Genesect and the Legend Awakened fell short of where it could have been, it was not all bad. While reading, I did feel that enjoyment that I felt as a kid watching the Pokemon cartoon on TV. It was a welcome respite from real life. Momota Inoue has a cute art style that fits Pokemon perfectly and the story, while not written well, was very nicely illustrated and brought to life in this manga adaptation of the movie

 

Overall Grade: C

 

There is just much obviously inconsistent in Genesect and the Legend Awakened for me to have enjoyed it as much as I would have liked. It was a nice escape, back into what I enjoyed as a kid, but that was about it.

Dengeki Daisy Vol. 13 manga review

Posted by :Patches On : November 27, 2013
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Dengeki Daisy Vol. 13Title: Dengeki Daisy Vol. 13

Author: Kyousuke Motomi

Publisher: Viz Media/ Shojo Beat

American Release Date: Dec. 3rd, 2013

Format: Traditional Manga

Genre: Shojo, Drama

Publisher Age Rating: T+ (Older Teen)

Personal Review Rating: B-

Similar Series: Hot Gimmick, Love Com,  and  Butterflies, Flowers

 

Synopsis:

 

The past continues to haunt Teru and Kurosaki when they’re given a chance to find the mysterious “M’s Last Testament.” Unfortunately, their savage nemesis Akira has his eyes set on finding it too! Will Akira beat them to the punch? Or does Teru have something up her sleeve?

The key to “M’s Last Testament” means much to them then they originally though and with Akria making a move for it they discover something they didn’t expect and it turns their plans upside down. The key may be something very special and it may even mean more to Akria than to the group. Plus, is it possible that Antler was setting the group up to do exactly what he wanted? Is it time for them to rediscover what is important and what they really need to do? How might this affect Taru and Daisy’s relationship?

Commentary:

Ok, Dengeki Daisy is becoming more of a deceptive mystery than a love story and I must admit that I like it. With the reemergence of Akira and the twist that comes from the meeting between Taru and him thing are getting very interesting. That doesn’t mean that the love story between Taru and Daisy is forgotten, it still plays out a little in this volume and is used as a point of tension and drama with internal feelings being explored by Daisy. The story has not lost focus of the center of the plot, but it too has expanded the mystery that binds all of these people together. It also reenforces the age difference between Daisy, Taru and the others. With as much as Daisy and Taru have done you would think they would be viewed closer to equals and not children.

In fact that leads me to the weakness this volume that stands pout like s sore thumb. Too many of the twist and dramatic plot devices are discovered was too easily and it comes across as almost an after thought. There is also the way that the romantic tension between Daisy and Taru is continually played off as just another youthful distraction and something that is almost taboo that it is booming difficult to read the moments when they are alone and about to reaffirm their feeling toward each other. It feel like there is some deep thought given to the mystery, all too may of the most important aspects of the story are simply tossed out there so matter of faculty that they come across as unimportant.

 

Overall Grade: B-

Even though I like where this volume of Dengeki Daisy is taking us I still find too may weaknesses to really jump on board. I also feel like the love story is being dragged though the mud at this point. It is clear that they love each other so just make it so and move on with the real dramatic point of the story. Lets get to the mystery and figure out who is manipulating who and what the answers are. I like where things are headed with that aspect to the story and feel like there is an excellent opportunity to tell a lively and dramatic story. I just wish that it would stop coming together so easily and mater of faculty.

I am looking forward to the next volume and sincerely hope that things begin to feel a little more natural in the way that they come together.

Rin-ne volume 13 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 23, 2013
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Rin-ne 13Rin-ne volume 13

Creator: Rumiko Takahashi

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media / Shonen Jump

U. S. Release Date: Nov. 13th, 2013

Format: Manga / Paperback

Age Rating: T+ for older teens

Personal Grade: B

 

Synopsis: 

While out looking for a place to have his scythe repaired, Rinne runs into the rabbit-eared twins Right and Left, scythe smiths and proprietors of the Crescent Moon Hall forge. The first repair is free, but the fix might leave Rinne looking for a refund!

The Crescent Moon Hall offers more than just scythe repairs, they offer Rinne the use of the new scythe wax which great at keeping your scythe from collecting mud. Of course Rinne had never run into a mud spirit, until now. They also manage to talk him into trying out the new cat spirit scythe. The question is does it help or hurt? Will the Crescent Moon Hall be the end of Rinne?

 

Commentary:

One thing about Rin-ne is that it is a rather self contained story. It is easy to pick it up at any time. Even though the story follows Rinne it also manages to give us some short episodes that are only connected by the characters and their silly interactions. Of course there is a overlapping plot line, but it is only there because the plot leads these characters through their lives.

Rin-ne is a wonderfully light story that provides humor with supernatural aspects in a way that is not something that weighs you down. It is one of the those few series that is so non-committal that it become something that you are happy to be apart of. If you think about the older works of Rumiko Takahashi like Inu Yasha or Ramna 1/2 it is easy to understand where Rin-ne comes from and volume 13 follows the standard fun loving model that she has set for her stories.

Overall Grade: B

Volume 13 is just plan fun it doesn’t require the reader to do anything but just move along with them. If you are looking for a series that is trying to say something special then you need to look elsewhere, but if all you want is a story that offers a simple comedy that covers a series of events with no hidden plot or dark story then this one is for you. There is a reason that Rumiko Takahashi is one of the most beloved manga artist in Japan and Rin-ne is proof that you don’t need deep meaning to be considered a good manga.

Slam Dunk volume 31 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 15, 2013
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Slam Dunk volume 31Title: Slam Dunk volume 31
Author/Artist: Takehiko Inoue
Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: Dec. 3rd, 2013
Format: Manga / 192 pages
Publisher Age Rating: T+ for older teen
Genre: Shonen, sports, drama, comedy
Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis:

With only a minute left in the game, the players of Shohoku High have closed the gap on the scoreboard with a supreme effort that has the crowd on its feet. Sannoh, the reigning champions, are still in the lead, but the game now hangs in the balance, and it isn’t over until the last whistle blows. Both teams know this is it – time to lay everything on the line and no holding back, because only one team will leave the court victorious!

Hanamichi Sakuragi is hurt and try to leave the game, but while on the bench he realizes that this is his defining moment and ask to be substituted back into the game. The tension is running high and the team is exhausted. Deep down in their hearts they know that this game means more than anything else. Can they pull it off? Can they be the ultimate Cinderella team? There is only one way to find out and you know what that is.

Commentary:

The first thing that struct me about volume 31 was the lack of text to drive the story. It was clear from that outset that the artistry and ability to draw the action will make or break this final volume. The simple truth is that it really works. You can almost feel how tired the players are and at the same time see how they are able to get their adrenalin running to finish the game. It work to almost perfection because the movement that is drawn into the game stood out and really drove the action home. If there was anything about the drawing that detracted from the action it had to be the way the sweating of the players. There were panels that looked like everyone had some weird rash or single little droplets were just spotted all over the players. With the strength of all of the other aspects to the drawing I think Inoue went a little overboard with the sweat.

There are several other sports manga that work well with similar plots, but Slam Dunk is able to capture the fast pace of a basketball game and also bring a soul into it at the same time. With the sports manga like Cross Game the tension of baseball is easier to portray because it is a slower paced game that most often comes down to the pitcher and batter. In Slam Dunk and the basketball game the spotlight cam be on one or two people, but the others on the court factor greatly into the action. Takehiko Inoue captures the feeling of the game and still manages to let the underlying melodrama shine through.

Overall Grade: A-

All in all this is a great final volume to this series. My only complaint was the way the sweat was depicted on the player and it was enough to distract me  early on in the volume. I thought that lack of textual narrative help the reader stay with the action and really show off Inoue’s ability to tell the story through the pictures. This is a great series for any sports fan out there.

Dogs Volume 8 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 10, 2013
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Dogs Volume 8Review provided by Camille
Title: Dogs Volume 8
Author: Shirow Miwa
Distributor: Viz Media
American Release Date: November 19th, 2013
Format: Viz Sig Manga,da
Genre: Action, Suspence, Shonen
Publisher Age Rating: M (Mature)
Personal Review Rating: A-
It’s all fun and games until Mother arrives…
Synopsis:
Though many questions were still to be answered, life was going back to the regular daily struggles. Wounds were finally starting to heal, but the mind behind the attack wasn’t going to let that happen. 
She was supposed to be dead, and one of her was. Mother is turing out to be more difficult to destory than anticipated. However, her appearance in the Underground city has answered some of the most important questions. However, some of the answers aren’t all that welcomed. If Mother is still alive, that means the missing children from the Underground were actually the soldigers that attacked the city. That those who were surching for these kids were the ones who killed them. This is unforgiveable. Hein and Bishop knew about what happened to the children, and now the Underground is more than angry. Hein and Bishop may be immortal, but can they really survive and attack from all the fruriated citizens?
Commentary:
I was first drawn to Dogs because of the art style. It’s got that edgy, fine lines, dark look that I tend to gravitate towards. I knew nothing about the story, but it looked good enough to flip through. After I read volume 1, I went out the next day and got the rest of the volumes available at the time. The story was so interesting, full of depth and the constant twist and turns was almost to much, but I couldn’t put it down. I was excited to see this volume come in, it’s been almost a year since the last volume was released. I wish I could say it didn’t dissappoint, but it felt like it was lacking something. 
One of the things that makes Dogs one of my favorite series is the cleanliness of the action scenes. They are well illistrated for as dark as this series is. There isn’t much in the way of background detail, but the caracters are stunning. Maintaining the detail of the characters durring fight scenes is tough and most often is lost, but not with Dogs. There’s a balance between the characters, the story, and their movements that I really appreciate.
Dogs is a character driven series. But this volume didn’t really expand or shine on any one chacter. They were all just kind of there. Personalities weren’t a priority. With that I would have expected more of the illistrative focus to be on the surroundings, but there were more plain white, empty panels then I would have liked. Just a little somehting to fill those awkward voids. It’s a manga, not a novel, but this volume felt more like I was just reading words, and the pictures where nothing more than decoration. 
This volume is a set up volume, right before the “final fight”. It brought all the information we already know into one coherent, interconnected plot line. I think it was well timmed. Other series, especially shorter series, tend to rush the connecting of plot points, but with there being a volume 0, which explains Hein’s past, volume 8 came just at the right time. 
Overall Grade: A-
I’ve enjoyed Dogs from the beginning, and I don’t ever see myself not liking what Shirow Miwa releases. This volume was a well timed point when all the backstories and revealed information became one solid plot, but there were a few to many blank pannels. I still can’t wait for the next volume!
Similar Series:
Dogs is a fairly dark series, about humas being the real moster that we are all afraid of. Other series with similar vibes are March Story, Dorohedoro, and D. Gray-man to name a few. 

Vampire Knight 17 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 10, 2013
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Vampire Knight 17Title: Vampire Knight 17

Writer: Matsuri Hino

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Nov. 5th, 2013

Format: manga / Paperback / 200 pages

Genre: Shojo, Romance, Supernatural

Age Rating: T+

Overall Grade: B

 

Synopsis: 

Kaname has returned to Cross Academy to kill Sara Shirabuki. Zero has joined forces with Sara, leaving Yuki in the middle of the conflict. Even if Kaname’s ultimate goal is to kill all purebloods, is Yuki ready to fight him?

With Sara being protected at the Hunters headquarters will Kaname be able to take Sara out or will this battle against the Hunters bring on a new era of Vampire wars? Will Zero prove to be Sara’s savior and will the night school manage to stay with the path of coexistence with the humans?

Commentary:

Vampire Knight is a highly loved manga series that takes the Vampire world and turn it a little upside down and make it a place that wants to live with humans. This story line is country to their very nature which adds plenty of tension, but when you add a princess vampire who was raised as a human and a young man who is infected with vampire blood and who was raised as a vampire hunter and make them a love interest it complicates the story in a very interesting way. Vampire Knight is a shojo anime, but it lends itself to plenty of action and drama and the romance aspects of the series ends up taking a back seat except for moments of high tension. For me this just might be the most vulnerable part of the series. This tug at the heart strings at critical moments ends up failing getting in the way. The ultimate outcome will end up being decided by these love interest, but rather than make them the weakest point if the series they should be the strongest link and allow these characters the ability to make decisions rather than becoming frozen by their dilemma.

Overall Grade: B

Vampire Knight provides plenty of wonderful writing and artwork and stands at the center of the Shojo genre. It is great to see this long running series bringing thins to a head and the final two volumes should be a real treat. Volume 17 does a great job of setting up the final battle and also reveal the real plant that Kaname has and is it possible that that he understands something that will be better in the end? Vampire Knight fans will love this volume. For someone looking for a supernatural series that combines a solid romance early on with a drama that keeps the reader engages should grab the series at volume one ad start enjoying this star of the Shojo genre.

Psyren vol. 13 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 31, 2013
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Psyren vol. 13Title: Psyren vol. 13

Author/Artist: Toshiaki Iwashiro

Distributor: Viz Media

American Release Date: Nov. 5th, 2013

Format: Manga

Genre: Action, Supernatural, Comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T+ for older teen

Overall Personal Rating: B

 

Synopsis:

When Ageha, Sakurako and Kabuto are once more whisked away to Psyren, they find a large colony of survivors inhabiting the sanctuary known as the Root. When they are attacked by an elite Taboo fighting corps called the Scurge, Ageha and his friends must fight off the invaders to save the colony – which includes members of Ageha’s lost family!

How will Ageha react when he see’s family member he though were long lost? Will everything he knows or believes be tested to the point of sanity or will all of this roll off him just like water on a duck? Last but not least, what do Ageha and Sakurako feel about each other?

Commentary:

Psyren is a complicated story with plenty of mystery and intrigue. Of course there is the one person hell bent on destroying humanity and W. I. S. E. is out to remake the planet in their own image. After bouncing back and forth through time our hero’s are now back in their own world time line but it isn’t long before they get sent back to the future. The great thing about how they are transported back and forth is that they seem to lose their memories and only retain a few glimpse that come across like dream. This makes the plot even more solid when the other aspect of resetting or resurrecting the world aging ends up changing things. This adds confusion to the movement through time and also adds more drama to the plot.

At this point in the story it is hard to tell where every thing stands and it feels like there is a lot more to understand about everyone involved even though it is already on volume 13. With only 3 more volumes to go to complete the series I feel as though a lot of ground must be covered. This may be problematic with the pacing of the first 13 volumes, but it might just be what this series need to elevate it to the next levee.

Overall Grade: B

Most of the action in Psyren is strong enough keep it in world of the shonen and the underlying premiss helps keep it solid in the world of the supernatural. I just ended up a little flat on how it is all coming together. I know it is easy to concentrate on the fights and begin to give more powers to our hero’s, but when things begin to unravel because things have moved to slowly it spells disaster for a ending that need some very solid explanation to close it all off.

So far, Psyren is a fun read with plenty to keep me coming back. This is a solid read for those shonen fans looking for something that has a few new twist and turns but overall I’m not too sure how easy it will be to finish it off. I will be sure to stay tuned to find out.