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Reviewed by Charles Webb The first few pages of volume 2 of JinHo Ko’s Jack Frost almost lost me entirely in its opening pages. They were so dense with competing factions plotting and throwing out the esoteric history of their world (the 13th Amityville War? The Pillar of Solomon?) that I was immediately taken out of the reading having not read the first volume. Writers take note: a good recap page can go a long way towards grabbing your new readers. After this prologue the book actually settles into a comfortable groove and introduces us to Noh-a, a teenage girl who has mysteriously become a resident of the land of the dead which has been carved up into competing districts led by factitious leaders. Through voiceover, Noh-a tells us that in the land of the dead she’s special – she's the much sought-after “Mirror Image” who cannot die where others can. She’s followed by the title character, a tough with a bad reputation who alternately protects her and keeps the secrets of her life in the land of the living. All the while, she attends Amityville High – a school populated by others who look like teens but are skilled fighters. This volume has Noh-a and Jack travel to the Kite Village, where a clan of fighters hunts a creature that might help unlock Noh-a's powers and memories. Frankly, it’s the breathlessness of the book that makes it work so well. Slowing down to think about why the competing districts seem like rival schools from your typical fight comic or why Noh-a hasn’t figured out that Jack may have had something to do with her death is beside the point. The story is all about pushing forward from one plot point or event to the next and it’s all made livelier by Ko’s very kinetic, clean line work. Ko keeps the pages clear and easy to follow, especially in the grand, extremely violent fight scenes. In fact, I should note that the book is rather gory – appropriately so, given the content of the story, but it occurs so abruptly in the first instance that it kind of surprised me. Still, in spite of multiple decapitations and a tree made of bodies, the book avoids feeling gratuitous with these elements, keeping the tone just so where it’s clear that this is a rough world where horrible things happen to its characters. Review copy provided by Yen Press. If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at Monster In Your Veins Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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