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Reviewed by Jason Brice I’ll refrain from the typical puns such as, “I’ve always been a sucker for a good vampire story,” or “I really sunk my manga fangs into this one,” and jump right into the plot synopsis. Model is the story of Jae, a Korean artist living in Europe, and Michael, the mysterious vampire with whom she enters into an strange contract. The story opens with Melissa, Jae’s friend, abandoning an intoxicated Michael in Jae’s apartment. During the night Jae dreams that Michael is drinking her blood, and awakens to find that her uninvited guest is a vampire. Jae’s response is unusual; instead of being terrified she takes the opportunity to sketch the very elegant Michael, who has passed out again having sated his blood lust. On rising again, Michael is incensed at Jae’s effrontery, but eventually the pair strike the deal that fuels the remainder of the story; she will allow him to drink her blood in exchange for him posing as her model. In time, Jae relocates from her own apartment to live in Michael’s gothic abode, sharing with Ken and Eva, plus a number of Michael’s prey. While some of the character motivation verges on the inexplicable – Jae, how bored do you have to be to think having a blood-sucking vampire in your apartment is a thrill? – I do get the feeling that this volume is very much set-up for the remainder of the series, and so some suspension of disbelief can be employed. Fundamentally, while the characters were interesting, I failed to empathize with them on any level. I won’t spoil the reason why Michael and Ken have a close but antagonistic relationship, as it is one of the few plot surprises in this opening instalment. Lee So-Young’s art in Model is wonderfully creepy, and this is where the book really succeeds. Arrogant, angular, and other-worldly, Michael is the consummate vampire, and he lives in an imposing and arcane mansion, painstaking illustrated by Lee So-Young. Great attention is paid to architecture, costuming, and the atmospheric elements of storytelling. In essence this is a strong start to a series, but I would have been happier if Lee So-Young had more carefully constructed the plot so as not to be reliant upon the whims of characters with whom we are not yet familiar. Michael is the real star of the series, so I look forward to perhaps seeing the world from his point of view, rather than Jae’s. 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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