Black Clover, Vol. 4 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – So the arrogant heroes we met last time haven’t really learned humility, but at least they’re not regarding Asta and company as total chumps anymore. Instead, it’s our heroes who either get to learn a lesson, kick ass, or both. Noelle learns not to dwell on weakness or mistakes during a battle; Yuno shows that he still has a big complex when it comes to Asta supposedly being “weaker”; and Asta himself gets to beat people up for most of the volume, but also learn how to actually analyze a battle and know his limitations. The result is a volume filled with fights that not only manages to entertain throughout, but didn’t immediately make me think “this reminds me of this other title.” Getting better. – Sean Gaffney
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 16 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – This is very much a marking time volume, setting things up for the next big arc and taking a breather from the last one. There’s comedy, particularly with Renzo trying to feel his way back with his group of friends (Suguro keeps calling him “spy”) and a gratuitous bathing scene; there’s possible romantic advancement as Rin finally confesses to Shiemi, albeit under circumstances that don’t really allow a response; and there’s the new instructor, Lewin, who wears a big fishing hat, has hair over his eyes, and is easygoing, so you know he’s super-powerful. And above all else there is Yukio, whose desire to find out whether the power within him is evil or not has become so great it’s making him try to kill himself. Chilling. – Sean Gaffney
The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – As one of the manga blogosphere’s most vocal fans of Jun Mochizuki’s Pandora Hearts, it should come as no surprise that I anticipated this series’ debut with great interest. Its first signs are promising. The volume’s opening pages introduce us to Noé, a Mochizuki protagonist if there ever was one, stoic and quietly dashing, complete with top hat and temperamental pet cat, surrounded by a steampunk universe full of ornate zeppelins and the glorious clothing that has traditionally accompanied the artist’s horror-tinged worlds. Unfortunately, that’s where the wonder ends. The rest of the volume trudges along, mired in confusing exposition and fights so dull, even a beautifully elaborate mechanical arm can’t save it. Also, there are vampires. Still, though this series is not as immediately engaging as Pandora Hearts, it warrants patience. We’ll hold out for volume two. MJcannot live on sleeves alone. – MJ
Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 3 | By Izumi Miyazono | VIZ Media – Marriage-obsessed Asuka is beginning to get on my nerves. She knew full well that her boyfriend, popular newscaster Ryu Nanami, did not want to get married. He made it abundantly clear. But when she finally decides to try to figure out why he is opposed, and learns that his past experience with a miserably married lover means that he doesn’t share her idealistic view of marriage, she has the temerity to feel as if she’s been deceived. Uh-huh. By yourself, lady. To her credit, she does soon realize that she’s been pushing this idea on Ryu without it being about the two of them so much as this fantasy of hers, so perhaps she’ll be able to table her fixation for a while. We shall see! – Michelle Smith
Haikyu!!, Vol. 6 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I always like it when the supporting players in a sports manga get their moment to shine. In the first half of this volume, there’s a lot of Azumane and Nishinoya, as they were the two most affected by Karasuno’s previous defeat at the hands of Date Tech. Moments of faith and triumph ensue. Next up, the team faces off against Aoba Johsai, and unfortunately Kageyama starts to fall back on his own habits by attempting to rectify a score deficit by himself. While this makes for a somewhat stressful read, it does give the team’s other setter, Sugawara, a chance to finally see some tournament play. In volume seven. Hmph! Lastly, it’s gratifying that spectactors are starting to appreciate just how much Hinata contributes to the team. More, please! – Michelle Smith
Kuroko’s Basketball, Vol. 5-6 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – This omnibus introduces us to Aomine, a player so talented that he defeats everyone handily and thus has begun to find the game tedious. Naturally, Kagami says that he’ll show that jerk a lesson. Unfortunately, Kagami, you’re only up to volume six. As such, he’s the one who learns the lesson, as he and Kuroko get their asses handed to them—a defeat so bad it has a knock on effect on the rest of the tournament. And so all hopes and dreams are left in ashes. Luckily, these kids are just freshman, and we’re nowhere near done yet. There are other tournaments. But learning from bitter defeat is tried and true sports manga, and Kuroko’s Basketball handled it quite well. – Sean Gaffney
Lord Marksman and Vanadis, Vol. 2 | By Tsukasa Kawaguchi and Nobuhiko Yanai| Seven Seas – When this series is having a giant melee battle, it really shows off how good it is. The hero is talented but not omnipotent; the heroine is talented and yeah, sort of omnipotent, but we knew that from the start; and even the childhood friend gets to look cool before unfortunately having her clothes ripped off and being threatened with assault, because this series also has lots of fanservice, which is much less good. Still, the good outweighs the bad here, and the two leads have excellent chemistry (sorry, childhood friend, you’ve already lost). It looks as if the cast is going to expand next time, so we’ll see if this manages to avoid becoming a harem manga. I hope so. – Sean Gaffney
Reindeer Boy | By Cassandra Jean | Yen Press – Quincy is an ordinary high school student with an unusual recurring dream. Each Christmas Eve, she dreams of a young boy with antlers placing a gift beneath her Christmas tree, and each Christmas she awakens to find a stray gift waiting for her, wrapped in tinfoil. When a gorgeous, antlered transfer student named Cupid arrives at her school, it takes her a surprising amount of time to realize that he is, in fact, the boy from her dream. Meanwhile, a slew of other new students begin turning up, also with antlers, similarly bearing the names of Santa’s reindeer (at which, somehow, nobody at school bats an eye). Not since Sweet Rein have we been asked to accept so silly a Christmas-themed premise. Yet, despite all of that, there is an adorableness to this comic that can’t be denied. Jean’s artwork is attractive and her storytelling effective, ultimately achieving some kind of real success. Though the volume has no number, the story seems to beg for more. Here’s hoping? – MJ
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 3 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – I am starting to get legitimately immersed in the shoujo fantasy epic that Yona of the Dawn is shaping up to be. After receiving counsel from a priest, Yona and Hak travel to a remote village in search of the White Dragon, one of four warriors who can help Yona with her quest, whereupon it becomes clear that Yona is the “Crimson Dragon King” returned. The quest for allies and the female protagonist as foretold leader evoke both Fushigi Yuugi and Basara feels without being derivative of either. True, neither Hak nor Yun, another new companion, is particularly interesting yet, but Gija (the White Dragon) does seem to have some potential. At the very least, he’s a convenient GPS for the other warriors. Can’t wait for volume four! – Michelle Smith