Worst Man by Brandt & Stein - Graphic Novel Review

 

'On a remote island, far from the distractions of the internet and modern life, we gather here today to celebrate the union of Domino McElligott and Battista Lovely... unless Radcliffe Raleigh can stop it! A professional 'Worst Man', Rad is hired by the Mother of the Bride, the merciless tech mogul Valentina McElligott. With the price of failure being his life and less than 32 hours till “I do", will Rad survive his biggest job yet!'

Weddings are a chaotic affair, often listed as one of the most stressful and lifechanging events someone can go through; often only topped by with a marriage breakdown, the loss of a loved one, or someone finding themselves in prison. Considering it's pretty much the only thing that people happily sign up for that's on the list of most stressful life events it's a wonder so many weddings go as smoothly as they do. Yes, this is in large part thanks to people taking years to plan the event in some cases, and having a whole host of people to help you along it, but there's one very important thing that helps a wedding run smoothly; there's no one there trying to make sure that it doesn't. So what would happen if you're days away from your dread day and a professional relationship wrecker turned up? Well, that's what the delightful new graphic novel Worst Man hopes to answer.

Radcliffe Raleigh is a man with a very special set of skills. Like the myth of how casino's will deploy a 'cooler' to ruin someone's winning streak to save the house big bucks, Radcliffe is a cooler for romance, a man who can insert himself into people's lives and wear down a relationship to breaking point. This is a pretty awful ability compared to most skills you could have, but luckily Radcliffe swore to only ever use his skills for good, using them to help break apart doomed relationship. He thinks that he's able to help relationships fall apart years before they're meant to, letting those involved skip all the extra heartbreak and drama by getting it done early. Or at least that's how he justifies it to himself.

However, there was one time that Radcliffe broke his own rule, when shady tech billionaire Valentina McElligott (picture an even more evil looking Maye Musk) hires him to break up her daughter Merritt and her girlfriend Galetea. Despite trying his best, spending six months becoming friends with the two women, Radcliffe is unable to bring himself to try and break them apart, seeing two people genuinely in love in a relationship that works. Instead, he walks away from the job. Unfortunately, Valentina McElligott isn't a woman who is used to being refused, so when she comes to Radcliffe a second time, telling him that he has less than two days to wreck the wedding of her youngest daughter, Domino, this time it comes with the stipulation that failure will end up with him being killed.

With his life literally on the line, Radcliffe now finds himself on a remote island hotel resort with his accomplice, Nat, using every trick in his arsenal to try and ruin the big day. But when the best man, the handsome Christopher Kafka, arrives on the island determined to make sure that things go without a hitch Radcliffe not only has to work twice as hard, but finds himself falling for the man who's out to ruin his plans.

The blurb for Worst Man pitches the book as a cross between White Lotus and Glass Onion, and I have to shamefully admit that whilst I am aware of both of these things I have no idea what they're like, so went into the book somewhat blind on what to expect. However, I was very quickly pleasantly surprised to find that at it's heart Worst Man is something of a farce comedy. This is a situation that's completely unbelievable, one that is filled with people who act so unnatural and bizarre that if you ever found yourself surrounded by them you'd assume you're being set-up, in a series of events that are so over-the-top reality could never align to have them actually happen. But, despite that level of ridiculousness the book works, and works in large part because of how wild it is.

The very concept of someone who's hired by people to ruin the relationships of other people, and who believes that they're not an awful person for doing so, is a bit of a big hurdle to get over, but Radcliffe manages to charm the reader incredibly quickly, making him more of a dashing rogue over terrible person. The opening of the book gives us a wonderful introduction into the character as he's handcuffed to a chair and told to explain everything, the black eye he's sporting presumably proof that if he doesn't things will get worse. Despite this he slips his cuffs, relaxes into the chair, gives some witty banter, and begins his story as if his safety is of no concern. His charisma feels incredibly natural, and makes this one questionable protagonist you can't help but root for despite his awful goals.

This is also the tone for most of the book, charm and whit that seeps off the pages as the story keeps on getting weirder and weirder. The cast of characters are mostly larger than life, which not only helps to heighten events, but makes it much easier to keep track of who people are and their motivations. The bride, Domino, is a bundle of nerves, constantly worried that things are going to go wrong and that her awful mother will somehow make her life worse. The groom, Battista, is so determined to make sure he doesn't see his bride before the wedding and give them bad luck that he's going to spend 36 hours blindfolded, bashing into everything on the island. One of the maids of honour is a sports and fitness obsesses germaphobe who loses her mind if she gets a cut because microbes will get inside her and kill her, whilst the other is your stereotypical social media rich girl, to name just a few of the whacky characters.

The jokes come pretty thick and fast in Worst Man and the story definitely benefits from being told in graphic novel form as it's allowed the creators to utilise visual gags that end up giving some of the better laughs in the book. There are a few moments that I think work even better than they would in a live action as the image is allowed to linger on the wild facial expressions or the silly background gag that would just be something that'd happen so fast on screen that you'd miss it if not looking out for it. In that regard I think that the creative team of Brandt & Stein have done a phenomenal job at creating  a story that's not simply just enjoyable, but one that's genuinely funny.

As well as writing the book, Brandt & Stein create the art, and I have to say that the style of Worst Man is quite lovely. The characters all have their own very clear visual identity, and the colours chosen for the book very much accentuate the style of art, creating something that's both filled with energy and feels wonderfully cosy at the same time. It's a style that works in this more indie style of comic, yet also showcases how the creators have also worked on titles such as Power Rangers or their recent work in DC's Justice League Dream Girls Pride special series.

Speaking of Pride, Worst Man has some great representation throughout. Not only is one of the main romance plots a queer one, featuring two men, but there's a prominent lesbian couple, as well as a non-binary character. Queer representation is something that the creators feel strongly about, and whilst they have said that they can't speak much on the struggles or identities of people of colour, they go out of their way to make their projects diverse, allowing as many readers as possible to see themselves in those stories, and as such the book features a decent range of POC characters too.

Worst Man is a silly, over-the-top romantic comedy that is hard to put down. Despite how dense the book is, with every single panel being used to it's maximum potential, I read the entire thing in a single sitting because I just wanted to see how everything unfolded, having quickly become invested in these characters and their ridiculous lives. Even if romantic comedy graphic novels aren't usually the thing you go in for (they're not my usual comic read), I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised by taking a shot on Worst Man.

Worst Man is out now from Titan Comics for £21.99.

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Strange Pictures: Volume 1 by Uketsu & Kikou Aiba - Blog Tour

 

'From Japan’s breakout horror sensation comes a chilling new manga experience. Strange Pictures is the spine-tingling manga adaptation of Uketsu’s bestselling novel, brought vividly to life by artist Kikou Aiba. Uketsu – the enigmatic masked writer who has become one of Japan’s most talked-about authors – first captivated readers with a novel that sold in the millions. Now, the terror unfolds panel by panel.

'At its core lie nine childlike sketches. A pregnant woman’s doodles on her blog conceal a dire warning. A boy’s simple drawing of his home hides a message no child should know. A murder victim’s final sketch becomes a clue that drags an amateur sleuth into a labyrinth of secrets. Each picture is innocent at first glance ­– yet when pieced together, they reveal a web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.'

I wasn't aware of Strange Pictures, originally published as a prose novel in Japan in 2022 by surreal YouTuber Uketsu, or its new manga adaptation until I was offered a copy from Titan Manga. After having my interest grabbed by the blurb I went and did a little looking online and thought that it might be something that would interest me due to its surreal, horror, mystery vibes. With only a small part of the original novel adapted into the first manga volume I wasn't sure just how well it would draw me in; but I soon found myself trying to solve the mystery alongside our protagonist, and am now patiently awaiting the next instalment.

Strange Pictures begins by introducing us to Sasaki, a university student who we're introduced to during a lecture about art therapy. The lecturer talks her students, and the readers, through the significance of a drawing made by a ten-year-old girl who was arrested for killing her mother. We have the features of the drawing explained to us, how the smile that was erased and redrawn over and over reveals the girl's feelings of having to pretend to be happy around her abusive mother. The house with no doors tells us that the girl felt trapped in her home, unable to escape the cycles of abuse she was living through. And that the tiny bird sitting in the middle of the spiky, dangerous looking tree tells us that she has an instinct to protect others, showing us that she's not an evil killer, but a girl who killed her abusive mother to protect herself and other people. This lecture isn't just a throw-away scene, but introduces us to some key concepts for the book; that pictures hold hidden meanings, and that in order to understand things fully you'll need to delve deep into them.

Following his lecture Sasaki meets a friend of his, Kurihara, from the uni's paranormal club. Kurihara mentions a strange blog he's discovered, and passes the information on to Saski. That evening Sasaki checks it out, finding what first appears to be a very ordinary blog by a man named Ken who writes about his wife, Yuki, and their life together. After Yuki falls pregnant the young couple of excited for their first child, but some complications through pregnancy puts them through some difficult times. During this period Yuki draws five pictures, pictures that Ken believes shows their child, and their possible future selves. Unfortunately, Yuki dies during childbirth, and shortly after the blog comes to a close after a cryptic post in which Ken mentions how he finally realised what the strange pictures really mean, and how he can't forgive Yuki, but will never stop loving her. 

With Sasaki's interest in the blog piqued he discusses it with Kurihara, who reveals more strangeness within some of the blog entries. Believing that there is more to find within the blog, and knowing that the illustrations Yuki created holds some kind of key, the two of them set out to discover more and get to the bottom of the mystery.

Strange Pictures begins as something of a slow burn story, and I'm not entirely sure at what point I'd become invested in the narrative; something that is reflected in the story itself when Sasaki reads Ken's blog and starts off not thinking much of it but soon realises he's fully invested in the lives of these people he's never met before. The slow set-up works in the books favour, and I like how it gives you the mystery without you really knowing that's what's happening. The slow reveal of the five titular strange pictures definitely has a slightly unsettling edge to it, thanks in part to the somewhat unusual framing and the change in art style, but it's only when Kurihara reveals more that these pictures take on a different feel, becoming much darker.

I won't say much about what the pictures are, or how our protagonists use them to find the next piece of the puzzle, but it's definitely an interesting series of deductions that leads to a chilling twist in the tale. As I have no knowledge of the original story, beyond a small blurb describing it, I don't know if this is the end of Sasaki's part of the story, as the final chapter of the manga introduces a new protagonist and another strange picture with possible sinister implications, but I certainly hope that it's not as whilst a twist in the initial story presented in the blog posts certainly seems to have been presented it by no means feels conclusive or complete. If there is more of this mystery to come, along with the one introduced in the final pages, I'm more than happy to continue reading on and learning more; however, if this isn't the case it would certainly feel somewhat lacking and half finished. 

The art on the book, by Kikou Aiba, feels fairly standard, with nothing about the art seeming to set Strange Pictures apart from other books on the shelf. Characters and environments are drawn cleanly and crisply, with it being easy to tell who everyone is and what's going on in the panels. However, it's when Aiba draws the titular pictures that the book begins to stand out. The art in these pictures has a very different feel to it, with the clean, dark linework replaced by faded, light illustrations, appearing more messily hand drawn, created with pencils and other physical media that gives it a rougher, more tangible feel. Delightfully, Titan Manga sent along art cards of each of the pieces, presenting them in colour, which really emphasised this aesthetic as the grain and shading in the manga changed to show where some parts of the paper had more pressure applied when colouring, creating darker and lighter areas, picking up rough details from the surface beneath the paper in places. These illustrations are so different from what else is in the book that you can't help but find yourself drawn to them in a similar way to Sasaki.

Strange Pictures is one of those manga's where I wished I had the next volume already as just one wasn't enough to satisfy me. I want to find out more, to see just how far this mystery goes and how surreal things will get.

Strange Pictures is available now from Titan Manga for £9.99.

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Aoashi by Yugo Kobayashi (3-in-1 Edition) Volume 1 - Manga Blog Tour

 

'Volume 1 of the Aoashi Omnibus from Titan Manga collects and translates Volumes 1-3 of the original award-winning Japanese manga series.

'To the world stage! Glory and ambition lie ahead of young Ashito Aoi as he takes the first steps to becoming a pro soccer player. But after being catapulted into a new harsh environment, can he hold onto his spider’s thread and climb his way to the top? A fateful encounter on Futami Beach in Ehime, Japan leads to the meeting between Fukuda Tatsuya; once a rising star and a player on the cusp of greatness whose career ended all too soon, and Aoi Ashito; a brash and hot-headed striker who loves soccer despite his selfish tendencies. 

'After being selected to try out for the Tokyo City Esperion Youth club, Ashito Aoi stakes his future on the chance to create a better life for his single mother and older brother, all while realizing his own shortcomings and dealing with the highly competitive world of J-Youth Soccer. With a mix of competitive high school soccer and a true-to-life representation of soccer and youth academies, Aoashi volume 1 starts the journey of the award-winning manga series.'

I'm not big into sports. Even before the option of being physically able to play sports was taken off the table for me it was never something that really interested me. I was drawn towards the world of fiction and art, preferring to lose myself to the unpredictability of a TV show or book over that of watching or playing a sports game that would give the same kind of thrill. As such, I've never really given much attention to stories about sports, other than the occasional film like Cool Runnings, or Blitzball segments in Final Fantasy X. When I was offered a copy of Aoshi's new 3-in-1 edition I felt like I was taking something of a gamble, having no real world interest in football; however, after spending some time reading through this hefty 600 page volume I'm happy that I took that chance and got to discover a really lovely new series.

Aoashi tells the story of Ashito Aoi, a teenager from the small prefecture of Ehime, where he's the star player on the local school soccer team. He's something of a hot-head, believing he's the best player the team has; a view that the other players tend to support as their main tactic tends to be 'get the ball to Ashito and let him score'. Despite his talent, he loses the opportunity to be picked by a high school scout watching from the stands thanks to his short temper. However, it does grab the attention of Fukuda Tatsuya, the manger of the Tokyo City Esperion youth team, who spends the night teaching Ashito a complex technique to gauge his abilities. 

Fukuda invites Ashito to come to try outs in Tokyo to see if he has what it takes to join the best youth team in the country. This sets Ashito on a path that will test his abilities, his dedication, and his drive to achieve his dreams to the very limit.

One of the things that immediately struck me about Aoashi is that whilst the series is about sports, the focus on football felt somewhat secondary to that of the lead character. After looking into the series a little I learned that Yugo Kobayashi was approached to create the series, and originally didn't want to because he had no interest in making a sports manga. I think that this is perhaps one of the main reasons why Aoashi reads in such a way that someone like myself, who has no interest in sports manga, can come away really enjoying it.

In a lot of ways the sport feels like the element that was needed to justify the events of the book, whilst the main focus is Ashito. The early chapters where we're seeing this young hothead who thinks he's the best find out he's far from perfect give us a fantastic grounding for a character that has a ton of room to grow, and who desperately needs to. Despite this need, Ashito never feels like a jerk, and you can see the decent kid inside him shining through even then. However, as the story progresses and we see him travel to Tokyo and he realises there are people more skilled, and more dedicated than him, he's forced to grow-up somewhat, realising that if he doesn't change he's not going to make it as a football player.

Part of this journey heavily involves the people he meets along the way, whether that's the coaches at Tokyo City Esperion FC, the other kids on the tryout, or the players on the other teams already there, they all either push him to go further than he has before, or give him a valuable lesson such as the importance of making friends and trying to find new ways to express himself. Football might be the reason for all of this, but the story is about this young teen discovering the kind of person he wants to grow up to be, and the struggles he faces along the way; and because of that, I think that it's going to appeal to a much wider audience. 

One of the things that I really appreciated about this first volume is that it's also incredibly grounded. This isn't a series where the characters unlock superhuman abilities, they don't kick the ball and send it flying at high speed wreathed in flames, and there's no ridiculous high stakes and drama such as players trying to kill each other mid-game. It's just teenagers playing football. Whilst I don't know a huge amount about football there's nothing I saw in the book that looked beyond the abilities of a real person, and nothing that happens on pitch that would end up with you getting arrested. This realism really helped to keep the focus on the characters and their very real experiences.

The art on the book is really impressive too, and the moments where we have action and drama on the pitch look fantastic. Kobayashi manages to convey movement and energy incredibly well, and some of the panels where characters pull off a particularly impressive or difficult move stand out as some of the best in the book. It also seems like a lot of care and attention are put into the times when a lot of characters are on the page together, whether running around the pitch or standing in a big group, and you can clearly see who everyone is and pick the important characters out from background characters without any issue. Considering how some big name manga series can sometimes cut corners in these moments, rushing the art and giving readers something of a disappointing experience, Aoashi never failed to impress in its visuals.

Character designs are pretty decent, and whilst none of the characters are too outlandish or unusual, each of them has something that sets them apart from others, whether than be hairstyles or facial structure, that you're never left wondering who's on the page, and can instantly recognise the important people. The only criticism I have with the art is on the pages between the chapters where Kobayashi will sometimes do pin-up style pieces with the books lead female character, Hana. There's one where she's posing in a small bikini with most of her body on display, and another where she's posing in nothing but a football shirt on top of the goal, and the picture is angles in a way to look up the shirt. She's never exploited or treated weirdly in the main book itself, but these pages come away as somewhat creepy and exploitative; especially as she's supposed to be around the same age as Ashito, making her about 15.

With this edition being a 3-in-1 the book is quite big, and covers a really decent amount of set-up for the series that I think makes it a lot easier to get into. The book does show you where each of the three individual three volumes would have ended, and whilst I would have enjoyed reading the smaller editions I don't think that I would have enjoyed it as much because I needed a bit longer to get into the story than other manga I've read. This is likely down to not being a sports fan, but I also think that readers wouldn't get enough insight into the characters in the smaller volumes to really become invested in Ashito and his journey. As it is, by the time this volume came to a close I was wanting to read more, and would have happily jumped into the next book.

Despite not being a sports fan Yugo Kobayashi manages to get me into Aoashi in relatively short time, getting me invested in the central character, his family life, his dreams, and the journey that he was starting. With some great art and a ton of heart, Aoashi will appeal to a ton of readers, whether you're a football fan or not.

Aoashi 3-in-1 Edition Volume 1 is available now from Titan Manga for £19.99.

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Yan: Vol 3 by Chang Sheng - Manga Review

 

'Golden Comic Award-winning series Yan returns with its most haunting chapter yet. In a comic landscape where Taiwan’s graphic novel scene continues to flourish, Yan Volume 3 stands as a bold testament to the heights of storytelling the medium can reach and genres it seamlessly fuses. 

'Still reeling from revelations about her family’s brutal murder, the resurrected Peking Opera performer Tieh-Hua delves deeper into a tangled web of supernatural vengeance and time-warped conspiracies. As she closes in on those responsible, her bond with Higa-Mirai—a missing Go prodigy cursed with visions of the future—grows, complicating her pursuit of justice. Meanwhile, Detective Lei wrestles with a reality shattered by ghosts, time travellers, and corrupted power structures, forcing him to question everything he thought he stood for.'

I read a lot of comics; my weekly comic reads cover most of what Marvel and DC put out, with some of the smaller publishers mixed in too. My comic tracking App says I'm at just shy of having read 15,000 comics (though I know not everything I've read is listed on it). I love comics, manga, manhua, webcomics, pretty much the entire medium. With all of those amazing books I read the past year my most anticipated read has been Yan by Chang Sheng, and going forward these three volumes are going to be books that I recommend to anyone who's looking to either break into the medium, or who wants to know my all time favourites. 

The second volume of Yan took an initially quite small and mystery focused story and blew it wide open. The story went from being about a mysterious woman, Yan Tieh-Hua, who's apparently back from the dead and has super-human abilities, and made it a sprawling story involving time travel, multiple universes, robots, and super-advanced AI villains. This focused story about one woman's revenge suddenly shifted to being about fighting to save the world; and then they killed the hero. The final chapters of volume two saw Yan Tieh-Hua having been killed in combat with the cruel AI Thirteen, and her allies failing in an attempt to bring her back; and discovering that their escape had shunted them forwards in time two days to a point where Thirteen had seized the city, turning it into a warzone.

Things looked grim going into the third volume, and whilst I was pretty sure that Yan wasn't gone for good considering the series carries her name and her face is on the cover, I wasn't sure how Chang was going to manage to her return. It turns out, brilliantly. The opening of the book not only deals with our heroine's miraculous resurrection, but finally answers the mystery as to how she's not aged in thirty years, and what happened in the destruction of the facility she was being held in. Despite the multiple theories the previous volumes gave us, such as time travel, super powers, her actually being dead, the real explanation as to how she'd not aged is so wonderfully simple and done with so elegant sleight of hand that I couldn't help but love how much the readers had been tricked up to this point. I won't say what the explanation is, but it's one that not only did I not see coming, but is so obviously the best one that anything else would have felt wrong in comparison. 

Once Yan returns to life the rest of the book focuses on our team of heroes having to find a way to stop Thirteen; something that is made even more difficult by his evolving abilities. This is where the format of the book, it being double to size of a regular manga, really pays off, as Chang Sheng gives us huge panels filled with action and detail. The sense of scale that the book is able to capture just from the sheer size really goes a long way to show the scope of the story it's telling. I've said this in my reviews of the previous volumes, but having such big panels, huge single and double page splashes makes Yan feel like the equivalent of watching a movie on an IMax screen instead of your TV. Every piece of destruction feels huge, every punch feels like it hits like a train, and the emotional moments are given so much more room and impact. I honestly think that seeing this story in this size is going to make other manga releases struggle to impress me as much as this has.

Yan also does something pretty bold, it ends. Or at least I think it does. The third volume closes out with the word 'End' printed boldly on the final panel; and I don't know how I feel about this. On the one hand having a self contained, short story in three books works really well, and things move with a wonderful sense of pacing that I cannot fault. However, I really want more. It doesn't help that there are a couple of teases at the end as to how things could continue, with Yan and her friends off on a new adventure in the final moments, and the tease of a villain in the shadows; but this could just be the reader being told that these characters stories aren't over, even if we're never going to see them. Whilst I love that these three books tell a solid complete story there's a part of me wishing and hoping for more, and I don't know which scenario I want more.

It's not very often that I come across a piece of art that forever changes how I look at an entire medium, but Yan is one of those. Other manga are going to feel small in comparison, both physically in my hand and in scale thanks to the confines of the page. Other manga are going to feel slowly paced, and even overly long. Yan has reshaped what I want to see from this medium, and I honestly don't know if anything is going to be able to compete with it. Weirdly enough, I discovered three pieces of art across different formats that have done changed how I view those mediums in the last year, having recently discovered Twin Peaks and the work of David Lynch, and having played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. They changed how I judge television and video games, and Yan has changed how I judge comics and manga. It is transformative, elegant, thrilling, and just so wonderfully itself.

Yan: Vol 3 is available now from Titan Manga £19.99.

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Unemployed Killer Support Group by Rio - Blog Tour

 

'Locker is a nearly-blind sniper, and after losing his job, he joins a support group for unemployed assassins. All of the members were once feared, but now they're losers who help and hinder one another. After overhearing a conversation at a restaurant, Locker believes he's identified the man that took his sight. Finally he has one shot at revenge - hopefully this is one he doesn't miss.'

Losing your job because of health reasons sucks, and it's something that I personally have been through, and so the opening scenes of Unemployed Killer Support Group were ones that allowed me to instantly connect with our lead character, Locker. Though I've never been a hitman for hire I have found my life turned upside down by a sudden and unexpected health issue, and Lockers frustrations of his life changing drastically without warning, of not knowing if you have financial stability, of feeling lost, all felt incredibly true to real life. Fortunately for Locker, he doesn't have to go through things alone. 

After losing his job as a sniper thanks to his failing eyesight, Locker finds himself in the middle of a specialised support group, one where other hired killers come to try and help each other through losing their job through a variety of reasons. Locker is the only disabled person there, but other members of the group are facing their own struggles, such as Maze, who lost her work after a job leads to her killing the wrong person and learning that her husband was cheating on her. Everyone in the group has their own unique and unusual story, and discovering what these are and how they came out is a big part of the fun of the book.

As Locker tries to adjust to his new life he overhears someone in a restaurant, a voice that's eerily familiar, talking about how he attacked a guy, hitting him over the head and taking his customised sniper rifle. Convinced that this is the man who blinded him Locker realises there's not much he can do in his newly disabled state, and chooses to let it go. However, when fate brings this man across Lockers path a second time he comes to the realisation that he can't move on from this, and sets out to find out who his attacker was and get revenge.

Unemployed Killer Support Group is a wonderfully dark comedy, a book that doesn't take itself too seriously; just look at the concept and tell me that it's going to be a serious tale. There are a number of moments that will make you laugh out loud, twisted jokes that somehow never come across as gross or mean, but end up being quite charming because our core cast of characters are presented as pretty decent people; despite the murder. It helps that our core cast of characters are all broken, kind of pathetic people, and so you end up feeling sorry for them more often than not, and by the end you're rooting for them to come out on top even if most of them should be in jail for their crimes.

As a disabled person I also really liked that Rio, the writer and artist on the book, didn't use Locker's disability as a joke. Yes, it's used to some comedic effect at time, but Locker himself is never the butt of the joke. You're never told to look down on him or feel bad for him because he's somehow lesser now that he's blind, instead you look down on him for being a fuck up, for being a killer, and for failing to get his life together way before going blind. It's also nice to have a disabled character as a lead where their disability isn't something that makes him special, nor is it something that gets cured or altered in some unrealistic way. Locker's blindness is just a part of him now, and he's having to adapt and change to live with his new normal. Despite the absurdity of the book his disability is never an absurd factor, and for that I appreciate it.

Unemployed Killer Support Group is a wonderfully fun, self contained manga that feels grounded and realistic, whilst also managing to be farcical and ridiculous. It's a fine line, but one that the book walks wonderfully. It reminds me of some of my favourite comedy film, and I could see the story getting adapted to film someday, as there are times it feels like it's more structured like a movie than a book, and I think that's something that really helps you to connect with it and read it in one sitting because you just can't put it down. Easily one of the most delightful manga books I've ever read, and one that I'd recommend in shot.

Unemployed Killer Support Group is available now from Titan Manga for £9.99.

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Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars - Graphic Novel Review

 

I've struggled to get into MMORPG games in the past. Whilst I like open world games where I have the freedom to go where I want and do what I want there's something about the sheer size and scope of MMORPG's that's been somewhat a little too daunting for me; and any time I've tried them I've found myself being a little overwhelmed by how much there is mechanics wise, and bow out after a few days or weeks at most. However, I have a very close friend who loves Runescape, and have heard them sing it's praises over the years for both it's gameplay style, and for the world that it has managed to craft over the years. As such, when I saw that Titan Comics were bringing out a graphic novel that delved into a part of the massive lore that had accumulated for the franchise I knew I had to check it out to see what made Runescape so special.

Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars takes place within the confines of a warm, welcoming tavern on a cold winters night as the owner and patrons are treated to a tale of ancient history by a mysterious cloaked Storyteller. We're given a tiny breakdown of the origins of the Runescape world by the Storyteller, which was fantastic as someone coming in pretty fresh other than the small bits of lore my friend had told me, before we jump into a tale set 4,000 years before the current time of the Runescape game, during the titular God Wars. The God Wars were a time when gods that made the land their home begun to fight for power and influence, crating huge armies of different races to battle in their name. It is here that we meet a number of characters as we learn part of the story of the Godsword, a weapon forged with the hope that its power could kill a god.

Each of the four issues of the mini-series focuses on one of the four different factions taking part in the God War, and their mission to claim ownership over the Godsword. The first issue introduces us to the demon army of the Zamorakian's, where we meet the necromancer Sherok and his floating skull familiar Maro. Whilst the Zamorakian general K'ril Tsutsaroth leads his forces against the bird-like Armadyleans to take the Godsword from them Sherok tortures the souls of his victims, and adds more undead to their forces. By the end of the issue we've witnessed some internal politics, as well as the horrors of war, and Maro finds himself alone and fleeing from his former allies before falling into the care of Armadylean scout Lea'anna. 

Maro becomes the central character of the series, this minor familiar who finds his fate intertwined with that of the Godsword, and whilst not the hero of the story, nor a figure around who fate revolves, someone who is witness to important events and figures of legend. As Maro journeys we are introduced to each of the factions, to important people, and we see how each faction operates, their relationships with each other, and what this small part of the God War is like. As an outsider to the franchise it felt like a fantastic way of telling the story, as the reader is swept along with Maro, getting something of a crash-course on the war, as well as the various races and factions. Throughout this, we revisit the tavern from time to time as the Storyteller continues their tale, and those that listen to him become more and more invested in this ancient and long forgotten part of history.

Ryan O'Sullivan does a great job at creating an interesting narrative that weaves through various locations and introduces us to multiple characters. Whilst it could have been easy to become bogged down in the piles of lore, trying to cram in as much history and information as possible to give readers a dense and detailed experience O'Sullivan instead chooses to keep things fairly simple, allowing the shifting narrative to become the important part. I was a little worried before going into the book that it might be too heavy for someone who's not played the game and experienced that lore, that I wouldn't be able to follow things, but it's kept so new reader friendly that it never once felt overwhelming. 

It would have also have been easy for the characters to get little to no time to do much, as most of the ones we meet are only in a single issue, or come in and out of the narrative for a page or two every now and then. Despite only Maro really having any decent amount of time every character felt like they had clear motivations and distinct personalities, and there were a few of them that I really wanted to spend more time with as they were so compelling despite how short a time we had them.

The art on the book is provided by Sid Kotan and Daniel Bayliss, with Laurel Dundee on colours. Kotan is the main artist on the book, drawing issues one to four, with Bayliss creating the introductory section in the Free Comic Book Day issue. Despite their being two artists I didn't really notice when I first read it as the two of them managed to match styles relatively closely, which allows for a smooth transition between the two of them. The art's nicely presented, with Kotan able to deliver a surprising range of emotions and expressions of characters that really shouldn't be able to do so, such as the bird-like Armadyleans, and on Maro, who manages to convey a lot despite only being a floating skull.

By the time Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars was done I was left wanting more, and not just more with these characters and this particular story, but more of this universe as a whole. I found myself curious to learn more about Runescape and it's lore, and whilst I'm not quite ready to go and play the game just yet it's certainly created an interest in the universe. And whilst I can't say what this graphic novel is like for someone already a fan, who knows the lore and characters, I can say that as someone who knew next to nothing I'm impressed with how it's been able to draw me in and entertain me.

Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars is out now from Titan Comics for £14.99.

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Return to Skull Island - Graphic Novel Blog Tour

 

Skull Island, an animated entry in the Monsterverse franchise, may not have been a show that got much attention, having only aired for eight episodes on Netflix, despite it being well received. Set during the 1990's, it follows the adventures of a group of explorers that travel to the mysterious Skull Island in an attempt to rescue a young girl believed lost there. Of course, as with any good monster adventure story, disaster strikes, and the group end up stranded on Skull Island, and must come up with a plan to escape.

The book picks up where the show ends, with several characters still stranded on Skull Island as Kong fights a giant squid monster, and the girl they went to save, Annie, back in civilisation, waking up in a hospital. Starting in medias res is something of a bold choice for a book that could be many people's first introduction to this series (which it was for me), but considering how the show ended, it's actually the perfect choice as it immediately grabs readers and draws them in no matter how much they do or don't know.

The main story of Return to Skull Island follows two distinct narrative threads. The first of these follows Charlie, the young protagonist who's stuck on Skull Island. Having stolen a sacred relic from the island inhabitants in order to lure Kong into a fight with the monster that guards the ocean around the island, Charlie begins this new chapter of the story literally at the mercy of the people who live on Skull Island, starting the book hanging upside down in a tree. Brought to the leader, a young woman named Kaia, Charlie must undergo the judgment of the island. Luckily, his father and other survivors of their ship are on the island to help him. Unfortunately, something powerful has awoken on Skull Island, something that the wounded Kong may not be able to survive.

The second part of the narrative follows Annie, who's been brought home to her mother in the US; along with her giant dog. Annie, having spent most of her life surviving on a remote island filled with monsters and giant animals, struggles to return to the normal world, being almost immediately expelled. She even struggles to build a relationship with her mother. Knowing that she doesn't fit in, and that Charlie and the others are still stuck on Skull Island, Annie formulates a plan to get back to the island. Of course, these two narratives eventually come together as the two groups must contend with multiple new threats on the titular Skull Island.

Having gone back and watched the series now, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the book and the show mesh together. Despite the change in medium this book really does feel like it's a second season of the series, rather than something like a simple tie-in or follow-up, and thanks to the cliff hanger nature of the series it makes Return to Skull Island feel like mandatory reading.

Simon Furman captures the tone of the series well, and manages to make the characters feel the same. Everyone has the same voice still, still acts in the same ways, and have the same motivations despite the change in circumstances, and if you have a favourite character from the series I think that you'll find them well represented.

The book also introduces a number of new characters that fit into the world created by the show well. But is it the characters that people come to these stories for? Sure, you need good characters and a decent plot to keep a Kaiju story from being vapid nonsense, but it's the monsters that are the headliners that people want to see; and Return to Skull Island introduces a cool new antagonist for Kong to go up against. Return to Skull Islands's new headline monster is Yuggoth, a creature made from mould and fungus, it makes a startling change from other Kaiju who tend to be animals or creatures of some recognisable kind. 

Yuggoth is a mass of mushrooms, spores, and sludge that feels more akin to creatures like Biollante or Hedorah, monsters that present a different kind of challenge for Kong and our human characters, as simply blowing it to pieces or tearing limbs off won't kill it the way it would other creatures. Yuggoth challenges Kong in a fun way, and forces the heroes to rely on more than just pure brute strength to win the day. I also really like the monster's design, and would love to have seen something like this on the big screen.

The art team on Return to Skull Island, Christopher Jones and Charlie Kirchoff, do a wonderful job at recapturing the feel of the show, with bold, bright art and designs that will appeal to readers of all ages. As with the series itself, the book feels like it's designed for a wider audience, and it's art style is a big part of it. Characters and monsters are fairly simple, without being plain. The art manages to convey a lot of detail and depth whilst using few lines and colouring. Everything is neat, and clean, and it means that you're not getting lost in unnecessary details or noise, and get to appreciate the art on the page even more.

Return to Skull Island feels like a fantastic continuation to the series, one that's set to keep on going with the upcoming Escape from Skull Island. If you watched the series and wanted more this book will give you that. If you're a fan of King Kong and the Monsterverse but missed the series when it was first released this book is a fun introduction to it, and will get you to go back and check out what you missed.

Return to Skull Island is out now from Titan Comics for £14.99.

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The Raven Dark Hero Volume One by Tonkye & Akira Mitsuya - Manga Review

 

'In a world where superpowers are a gift to protect the weak and fight evil, Suou Kouki has always dreamed of becoming a hero. But when his moment of despair awakens a hidden power, his dream quickly turns into a nightmare. Now, armed with a dangerous ability, Suou finds himself on a path he never expected—one where the line between hero and villain is perilously thin. The Raven Dark Hero is a gripping manga that explores the dark side of power, ambition, and morality, as Suou’s journey forces him to confront the consequences of becoming the very thing he once sought to destroy.

'Created by the elusive Tonkye, known for his work in crafting complex, character-driven narratives, and brought to life by artist Akira Mitsuya, The Raven Dark Hero delivers intense battles, emotional depth, and a fresh take on the superhero genre. Mitsuya’s dynamic artwork perfectly captures the raw conflict within Suou as he struggles with his newfound abilities. With stunning visuals and a morally complex story, this manga will keep you questioning: what does it truly mean to be a hero?'

Adapted from the web novel by Tonkye, which has yet to be translated, The Raven Dark Hero takes audiences to a future Japan where super powered beings are now a part of society following a devastating global war, and drops us into the middle of a complex political conflict that will see the young Suou trying desperately to be a hero, but skirting the line of becoming a villain instead.

Set decades after the Phenom, grotesque creatures with amazing powers, appeared and wiped out most of the world's population, we meet Suou Kouki, a depressed and withdrawn teenager at a Tokyo high school. Following the appearance of the Phenom, humans began to exhibit amazing powers and abilities, and were named Specialists. Most Specialists live normal lives, using their gifts to better society, and some joined the National Defence Force. However, those who skirt the law, who use their powers for cruel and terrible ends are outlaws of the state called Firz. Suou, who has yet to develop any powers, dreams of one day joining the National Defence Force and serving his home.

Despite this dream, Suou has almost resigned himself to the idea that he will never develop an ability, and that he will live a normal, uneventful life; something that has caused him to become withdrawn and quiet. It doesn't help that his best friend, Hiro, is outgoing and popular, surrounded by pretty girls, and that he seems to achieve in every way that Suou wishes he could. Then the day comes when Hiro tells him a secret, that his powers activated, and that he's secretly been training with the National Defence Force as an exceptionally young recruit. Now that Hiro is living Suou's ideal life, yet again, the angsty Suou falls deeper into despair.

He doesn't have long to fallow in this, however, as that same night Suou gets attacked by a Firz after Suou beats up a few thugs. The Firz uses his powers to punch Suou through the chest, killing him. It's then that Suou's powers activate, a resurrection ability that not only brings him back to life, but gifts his the powers of the person who killed him. Suou is overjoyed by this, believing that his perfect life might be able to finally begin, until he's attacked by a murderous member of the National Defence Force. 

Now Suou learns that despite their public image, the National Defence Force are little more than murderers, killing anyone whose powers aren't registered with the government, even if they've done nothing wrong. With his view on life shaken, Suou makes the choice to forge his own path, becoming a rogue super hero, helping the people of Tokyo; but will this make Suou a hero, or will he find himself becoming a villain?

The Raven Dark Hero is not the lightest read, though not because it's particularly dense or long. The book's got a very depressing tone for the most part. There's very few moments of light to be found here, with the majority of the book having readers hear Suou lament over how awful his life is, how many of his dreams he's failed to achieve (whilst still a teenager of course, so end of the world), and how he has no future worth a damn. Suou is all edge, he's angsty and angry and if I'm honest not hugely enjoyable to follow around even if there are some parts of this world that are interesting. 

That brings us to the other thing that makes this a bit of a dour read, there's practically no good people. The revelation that the National Defence Force, who have been made out to be super heroes, are little more than a government sanctioned gang of killers and lunatics isn't as shocking or surprising as perhaps the creators were hoping for, as it fits the tone the book had created up to that point. Readers get nothing to give us hope that there's a whole lot of good during the early parts of the book that when the revelation comes that the heroes are bad it just feels like the logical next step, rather than some kind of twist or surprise. 

This is something that bothers me in these kinds of 'super hero deconstruction' type stories, things like The Boys, or Injustice where the main question is 'but what happens when the heroes are awful people?', and the result is just violence, gore, and nastiness. These kinds of stories tend to offer very little hope, it doesn't posit that if the heroes aren't good an actual good person would come along and do better, it instead goes with the notion that everyone is terrible, that being awful is something that every person is in some way. And it feels like The Raven Dark Hero is kind of falling into this trap too. 

Yes, Suou is trying to be a hero in this volume, trying to be better, but considering the book ends with him being taken by a terrorist group with them welcoming him, it seems like this is going to be yet another story of a world of terrible people pretending to be good, and a good person trying to be better but ending up just as bad. And I'm kind of tired of that story. Yes, I'm going on assumptions that the story is going to continue down this route, but so far it's done nothing to suggest it's not going to do this, and so I'm meeting it with some scepticism that it's going to do otherwise.

The art on the book is pretty decent, though there are times when it's not the easiest to understand during fight scenes. The book is visually very dark, often set at night, either on dark rooftops, alleys, or old buildings, and when things get frantic and frenetic it's not the easiest to follow. Character design seems fairly basic so far, with only a few characters who stand out. Most of the characters are either regular looking people, or they wear military uniforms, and so there's not a whole lot visually interesting about them. The big 'villain' presented towards the end of the book stands out because they look like some kind of knight, but they're so dark that it's not the easiest design to read. There's a weird werewolf who at least stands out, but looks like kind of a mess most of the time. And whilst there's a couple of women in the book the only one who stands out, or is given any real time, is given the biggest breasts possible, and looks more like a teenage boys lust fantasy than a real human being. 

The Raven Dark Hero isn't a terrible book, but there's nothing here that makes it stand out to me amongst other books with the same themes and ideas. It's dark and dour, it's practically all edge with no substance presented yet, and whilst I'm sure it will appeal to teenage boys who think Edge Lord is a complement I think that it's not going to appeal to a hugely broad audience. This is only the first volume, so this might change as the story progresses, and it could end up doing a great bait and switch on us, but at the moment there's nothing here that makes it stand out to me, or that really encourages me to read more.

The Raven Dark Hero Volume One is out now from Titan Manga for £9.99.

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The Space Between the Trees by Norm Konyu - Graphic Novel Tour

 

'Meera and Mark's search for a new home turns into a chilling descent into the unknown when and accident leaves them stranded in a forest that twists time and defies logic... where they are watched, hunted, and manipulated by a presence deep within the trees. As ancient forces stirs and fractures reality, the couple must escape the forest's grip before they're lost forever.'

Norm Konyu has very quickly become a name that I instantly trust when I see on a graphic novel. So far I've read three of their books, and each one has been one of the more enjoyable and better crafted horror reads I've seen in comic form. All too often horror comics rely on monsters leaping out at characters, or gore splashed around the page to sell it as a 'scary adult' book. Norm Konyu's work, on the other hand, not only tells its horror in subtly, in atmosphere and slowly unfolding storytelling, but the books are accessible to most age groups.

The Space Between the Trees opens in 1902, deep in winter as two woodsmen search for a pair of missing loggers after a heavy storm. They discover a huge, ancient tree that one of the loggers had started to cut into, leaving a long gash in its side, but no sign of the two missing brothers. Their packs and equipment have been left in the snow, raising further concerns about their safety. As the two men investigate the area one of them vanishes, his dropped rifle the only sign that he was there. As his companion tries to figure out what's happened, he disappears too.

Jumping forward in time to the summer of 2022 we meet Meera and Mark, a young couple who are looking for a home together. They're trying to find a place right for them in the old forest area where Mark grew up, but find boring, simple homes that all look the same. The beautiful old forest is being cut down, and the wonder of nature turned into housing complexes. Disappointed with the houses on offer, the two of them leave, driving along the forest roads where they can see more and more of the lush trees being cut down. Mark laments the changes, but also talks about the old stories his great aunt would tell him of the woods being dangerous, and how something terrible happened to her when she was just a girl; something so bad that she would never walk out amongst the trees.

As they're driving, the road in front of them seems to vanish, and their car goes off the side of a hill, crashing down into the forest beneath them. Coming too in the remains of their car, Mark and Meera gather their wits and try to find their way back to the road. However, the forest seems to shift and change around them, leading them in circles, and to impossible places. Then they discover an ancient tree, massive in size, and with a scar running across it. Then things start to get truly frightening for them.

The Space Between the Trees is a relatively short read, and the story moves at a very brisk pace that actually serves the narrative really well. Apart from an opening and closing scene, the majority of the book is all one long sequence as we stay with Meera and Mark through their ordeal in the woods, following them on their journey and watching as they try to find a way back to safety and civilisation. I found that reading it in a single sitting to not only be really easy, but it also kept you in the narrative, allowing you to feel the mounting tension, to understand their fears and their panic, and in some ways put you in the characters shoes.

Because everything was told from the point of view of the lead characters there were few answers given as to what was going on, or what was behind things. There was some information, because Mark and Meera figured some stuff out, but there was no grand reveal. And I really liked this. The book leaves you trying to figure out the answers for yourself, and the lingering mystery is a big part of the horror too. I don't know if this will be to everyone's tastes, but as a short horror story this really satisfied me.

Konyu's art style lends itself well to the horror genre, despite it at first not seeming to be the kind of art you'd expect to see used for the genre. Konyu has a pretty simple style, using very easy to understand shapes. The characters aren't packed with detail, the forest is pretty easy to understand as most of the trees are straight blocks of brown rising up out of the ground. Where Knoyu's work really stands out is in the colouring. Colour plays a huge part in giving the art life and flavour, and something as simple as a colour change lets you know that something spooky is coming, or when the characters are safe. Konyu doesn't use flat colours though, and multi layered colours and splashes of motion that are are conveyed as various colours mix give the work a vibrancy that works brilliantly with the more simplified art. It's hard for me to really describe Konyu's art style in a way that doesn't sound like I'm stumbling over my words or not doing it justice enough, but trust me, it just works.

Whilst The Space Between the Trees might not be the longest read, it more than makes up for its brevity by being a wonderfully fun cosmic horror story. There  are just enough answers to leave you feeling like you understand things, without knowing too much, and thanks to the structure of the book you'll find yourself wanting to go back and re-read it again once you understand one of the main conceits, just to see if Konyu managed to make it all work (spoilers, it does!). A perfect spooky read for the Halloween season; just maybe not one to read in the woods.

The Space Between the Trees is available from 21st October 2025 from Titan Comics for £17.99.

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Isekai Metaller Volume One by Kasuga Ryo - Manga Review

 

'In Isekai Metaller Volume 1, meet Alexi: a die-hard metalhead who, after getting electrocuted during his band’s farewell gig, wakes up in a world full of dragons, werewolves, and monsters that are just begging for a guitar solo. And no, the “shock” he gets entering this new world isn’t from the electrocution at his gig—it’s from realizing that, somehow, the afterlife isn’t quite as he imagined. Instead of a peaceful resting place, he’s been dropped into a land where metalheads would literally die for the chance to live in.

'With his trusty “Flying V” guitar, a level 999 power boost, and a heart full of rock ‘n’ roll, Alexi decides it’s time to crank the volume up to eleven and save this crazy new world. Dragons? Perfect for a shredding solo. Werewolves? Time to headbang into battle. This isn’t just any isekai—but one where the magic flows like electric riffs and every battle feels like a rock concert. 

'Kasuga Ryo combines hilarious comedy, epic fantasy, and metal madness into a totally unique adventure. If you love high-energy action, laugh-out-loud moments, and a protagonist who’s just as ready to throw down with a dragon as he is to rock out on stage, Isekai Metaller Volume 1 is your new go-to read!'

The isekai genre, in which a character is reborn into another world, usually as some kind of super powered being or chosen one, has become a staple of manga, to the point where there's an isekai that can cover just about any kind of character or theme that you can imagine. The popularity of the genre also means that there's going to be an isekai out there that is absolutely going to suit your particular tastes, even the really wild ones. Isekai Metaller feels like the kind of book that comes along when a genre gets so big, when the market becomes so saturated, that it feels like the creator is throwing a wild card into the mix to stand out, and to have a bit of fun with things.

Isekai Metaller tells the story of Alexi, a heavy metal rocker who fell in love with the music genre as a child as a way of escaping from his worries and trauma, who dreams that one day he might be able to use heavy metal to unite the world and bring about world peace by showing people that heavy metal music is the ultimate uniting force. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like many people share his views as we see him being harassed in the street by police simply because he stands out in his leather gear, and the other members of his band tell him they want to quit because they think it's time they move on from heavy metal now that they're getting older.

Frustrated that others can't see heavy metal the way he does, Alexi plays his heart out on stage on his own, a final gig to show his detractors how wrong they are. During his performance, Alexi is electrocuted and killed whilst on stage, and whilst this may be something he'd consider metal as hell, it does end his existence. Fortunately, it seems that death is not the end for Alexi, as he wakes up in another world, one filled with monsters, magic, and adventure.

Picked up by a band of mercenaries and adventurers, including the young mage Lizzy, and the beastman Tyro, who see something special in him. When Alexi discovers that his rebirth in this new world has granted him amazing powers (with a power level of 999!) he decides to use his magical guitar to solve the worlds problems by putting on a concert to convince the Demon King to calm down and stop using monsters to hurt people. Joined by Lizzy, Tyro, and the young thief Tuck, the motley crew of adventurers set out to find the Demon King, and save the land. 

I'm not a big music person, I do listen to a wide variety as I've got something of an eclectic taste, but I'm not really into one particular genre or artist, and would likely struggle to name many artists I like if asked because I tend not to think about music much. As such, I was a little unsure what to expect with a manga so centred around one particular musical genre. Would I be able to understand all of the references? Would it make much sense? Luckily, Kasuga Ryo doesn't seem to rely on the reader having extensive knowledge in order to engage with the book, and whenever references are made they tend to be explained in the moment. It also helps that a lot of the named bands and artists will include very well known people such as Ozzy Osborne, Kiss, or Iron Maiden, so even someone who knows as little as me can get something out of it.

Isekai Metaller includes a number of tropes of the genre, with Alexi having a power level so much higher than everyone else, and setting out on a quest to save the world over returning home. The group he builds around him feel very archetypical too, with the magic user, warrior, and thief classes. Whilst the book refers to Alexi as a Metaller, he's more like a bard, or a wizard who uses a magic guitar rather than a staff or wand, so even he feels understandable even if the aesthetics are very different. For those who are coming to the book with little music knowledge but a love of the fantasy genre it'll feel very relatable; and the use of levels on characters and monsters gives it an RPG flavour that will appeal to the gamers too.

The plot is silly yet enjoyable, with a simple mission and characters with broad archetypes that feel like they can be fleshed out in later volumes to give us something a bit meatier if Ryo wanted to, or they could remain the rather simple versions we have here and still be enjoyable to read. Whilst the plot is fairly easy and fun it's the art where the book really stands out, with some amazing moments throughout. Once Alexi is in the fantasy world the book comes to life, and it's delightfully odd to see a leather clad heavy metal musician in a world with cartoonish monsters, magical witch girls, and talking animal people. 

But this mismatch isn't jarring. If anything, it gives the book its own unique flavour that a pure fantasy manga might be missing. The weird seriousness of Alexi when combined with monsters that look like they're from a Saturday morning cartoon makes for a delightful combination, especially when we get full page splashes of Alexi unleashing some powerful attack by playing his guitar.

The first volume of Isekai Metaller does a great job at setting up the world, introducing us to our core group of protagonists, and even introduces a fun evil villain that feels like they're going to be a continuous threat for Alexi to deal with. It manages to pack a lot in without feeling bloated, and is never boring. It's a delightful mashup that I didn't know I wanted, and one that might get some readers listening to some new artists. 

Isekai Metaller is available now from Titan Manga for £9.99.

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