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Reviewed by James Hanrahan This volume jumps right into the story with no recap, so if you didn't get volume one or read about the series elsewhere [or in James' review of it, also found right here on ML... --Ed], you might be lost. If, however, you were in on volume one, you'll already know that this is the story of some survivors of a deadly virus called Medusa that actually causes its victims to petrify and become stone. Our infected cast intended to be frozen and awakened in a far future where they could be cured, but instead they have awakened early and are now trapped on the island complex, struggling to survive and fighting dinosaur-like creatures. Got that? Okay, so we jump right into it, with our heroes working their way through darkened hallways as they fight their way through a storyline that quickly becomes an American action/sci-fi film of the mid-to-late 1990s. You start to feel that creator Iwahara obviously loves such movies. The characters run through hallways from dino-critters and there are scenes reminiscent of movies like Jurassic Park, Jaws, and Aliens. KoT2 forces you through a version of a bad monster movie, and all you can do is endure it, as his characters seem to become even MORE stereotypical (Black Man with No Name speaks some half-hearted Informal-African-American-Vernacular that is painful to read, tough guy Marco spouts tough guy lines at monsters, Unnamed Female screams and fails to shoot straight, Unnamed Female forms maternal attachment to younger members of their group, and so on). Most of our cast remains unnamed and I have to assume their stories will be doled out sparingly as we go through the series. This volume might be a tough slog because of these things, especially if one is more accustomed to more stylish fight sequences or to more thoughtful exposition. To me, this book feels very "western." Even the art style, with its strong crosshatching and sparse toning, lend to that feeling. At this point in the series, I'm enjoying the art more than the story, and I'm hoping that Iwahara's story for King of Thorn can yet amaze me and charm me the way he previously did in "Chikyu Misaki." I will say that there are new clues to the mysteries of how the island came to be as it is, infested with impossible creatures and covered in thorny vines. These clues are revealed in character moments and backstories and seem to hint of a bigger, stranger story to come, but they aren't very obvious. Storywise, it's less interesting than the first volume, and it's made me wonder if I should bother with the third. For that, I'm going to give this a D. 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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