Soulless

Gail Carriger, REM (art and adaptation), 228 pages

Headstrong Alexia Tarabotti worries more than she cares to admit that spinsterhood may very well be in her future. But when she gets caught up in a rogue vampire case that lets her be useful to Queen and country (and a certain handsome if infuriating werewolf), the prospect of not settling down for a secure life of domesticity and social calls loses its ominous edge. Adventuring and putting her quick mind, silver-tipped parasol, and unique unnatural ability to good use sound rather exciting to her, actually. Much to the werewolf's displeasure.

Yay, the manga adaptation of the first Parasol Protectorate book is out! And, yay, it's about as much fluffy fun as the novel. The art's a fine fit and everybody looks like themselves, although Alexia's a little tinier-waisted than expected and looks about to spill out of her scandalously low-cut bodice most of the time. Otherwise, though, I'm quite pleased, as it's rare for an adaptation to work out so nicely and maintain as much of the original's personality. I look forward to the next one.

Nightschool: The Weirn Books: Volume 4

by Svetlana Chmakova, 229 pages

The mystery of Alex's missing sister and the complicated plots behind her disappearance may wrap up in this final volume of the first story arc, but there's more magic and mystery to come.

If I could read these all one right after the other with a wikipedia page open reminding me what's happened, who's who, and how this world is structured, I think I'd enjoy them a lot more. The art is pretty, but the screentones are a little overused (diluting contrast and making everything a similar shade of grey) and enough of the many, many characters look alike that it's hard to keep them, the many-threaded plot, and the rules of the setting clear in my head. I'm not even sure I understand the resolution to this arc. But I like the glimpses I do understand enough to make me curious about when the next volume will be out. Although I may have to give myself a refresher before I start it. *sigh*

Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth: Volume 4

by Jake T. Forbes (story), Chris Lie (art), and Kouyu Shurei (cover art), 199 pages

Remember Labyrinth? Edgier than usual Muppets? David Bowie as the glam rock Goblin King? Those creepy Fire Gang things that play basketball with their own heads? It freaks me out a little, but I loved it when I was in junior high. Return to Labyrinth is, as you might guess from the title and cover, an original English language manga sequel to the movie. I thought it sounded cool. But then I read it. :(

While that cover art might look somewhat snazzy and like a good fit for the style of the movie, it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the interior art, which is far less realistic and attractive. The latter is excessively screentone-heavy and cartoonish, and the flat, awkward characters often look like different people from one panel to the next. The Muppet characters lifted from the film are much more detailed than the others and almost look as though they were drawn by somebody else. And The Goblin King, Sarah, and Toby are boring fuddy duddies and not at all cool. As for the plot itself (in which Jareth passes on his King status to a teenage Toby as part of a scheme to re-trap Sarah and avoid his end of a bargain with another character), it isn't bad, when you can decipher it; but between the unclear storytelling, especially in the first volume, and unhelpful art, that can be a challenge.

I think if someone else had drawn this four-volume series, it could have worked out better along with some minimal story and dialogue tweaking. But as it is, the art is totally wrong for the story, characters, and atmosphere expected by fans of the film (who one assumes are the target audience in the first place). I remember when I cracked open the first volume and realized the cover artist was not the same as the story artist--I was a little offended as well as disappointed. Truth in advertizing, people! It's a comic book! I oughta be able to judge at least a little by the cover, no? Grrr. Arg.

Nightschool: The Weirn Books: Volume 3

by Svetlana Chmakova, 212 pages

At school, Alex discovers she's not the only one to remember her sister; nor is her sister the first to have disappeared. She teams up with the student council and a geeky T.A. in order to retrace the steps of the missing.

Elsewhere, the hunters' safe house is betrayed by one of their own and comes under attack by an underworld werewolf gang. But what or who is the real target? And how is this all connected to Alex?

Daemon, the hunters' capable leader, and Mr. Roi, the most powerful, colorful, and insurance-claim-generating teacher at the nightschool, combine their resources to track down the source of the emerging threat and try to find a way to stop it.

There are more subplots here than I know how to explain, so you'll just have to read it (preferably one volume right after another so you don't forget who's who and what's going on).

Nightschool: The Weirn Books: Volume 2

by Svetlana Chmakova, 195 pages

Alex Treveney is a weirn (a special kind of witch) homeschooled by her older sister Sarah, a Night Keeper at a secret after-hours school for weirn, vampires, werewolves, and other "night things". When Sarah disappears, along with all evidence of her existence--including everyone but Alex's memories of her--Alex takes it upon herself to find her. With a burst of unknown power, she somehow survives an encounter with a band of "hunters", whose job it is to take out any night things who break the treaty governing their sharing of the world with humans, and enrolls in the nightschool in order to pick up and follow her sister's trail. Meanwhile, the hunters have to deal with the casualties from their run-in with Alex, whom they assume is a malevolent agent and an enemy to be destroyed--even though she has no idea what she's done.

There's a lot going on in this original English language manga, but if you can keep your threads and characters straight, it's worth it, as the art is attractive, the characters interesting, and the story engaging and unique.

The first two volumes of this series appeared on YALSA's list of "Great Graphic Novels for Teens" in 2010.