fantasy comics

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Lenni Reviews: “Dark Gathering” Vol. 17, by Kenichi Kondō

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Now, we are in the final stage against Yin Jiao with one graduate left to face the god’s wrath. But even if they prevail, there are still greater threats around our main cast.

I have to wonder how the stakes will rise higher than “defeat a god’ but let’s go for it! I love this series! Tama’s backstory and association with the same curse that afflicted Ai, as well as Ai’s family history with the entity, is a great story. I love this deep dive into all the lore around this god. Now, the focus shifts to the spirits stealing bodies and going after the spirit that took Yayoi’s mother. These characters are so entertaining and I can’t wait to see what happens next. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life” Vol. 4, by Miyu Morishita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

It’s time for the Cultural Festival, and their class decides to do a cosplay cafe.

This volume has more of Tsumiki’s family, where we learn that while she’s upbeat and positive now, she hasn’t always had the easiest time of it. This is still a fun read; nothing is really dark. There’s some humor mixed in, some nice character moments with Mokuri, all in all, some very cozy slice of life antics that leave you with a smile and a curitosity to know more about all the different types of creatures. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Something is Killing the Children” Vol. 8, by James Tynion IV & Werther Dell’Edera

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This volume is an anthology, gathering different stories to explore Erica’s past.

Watching Erica work never gets old. I love how action-packed this volume is. It makes the quiet moments that much more impactful. Despite the volume being promoted as for even new readers, I think it does you a disservice to read this without the context of the previous volumes, especially given how volume seven ended. You might be annoyed that volume eight doesn’t jump right in to where seven left off, but I think these stories give some great insight into Erica’s training and her dynamic with the organization. She’s an awesome character, and this volume just lets her do her thing. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Something is Killing the Children” Vol. 7, by James Tynion IV & Werther Dell’Edera

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After barely surviving the Duplicitype. Erica has to face the deeply unstable Cutter. With the situation dire, Cecilia shows up to help Erica defeat the creature wearing her face.

Oof, Erica just can’t catch a break. Even when I’m mentally prepared for things to go bad, I wasn’t prepared for how bad this got. I was hoping for a more positive outcome… What a downer. Scary, gripping, and amazingly drawn, but a downer. It can easily be summed up in this exchange:

Cutter: It doesn’t matter. You still lose.

Erica: Yeah. I’m fucking used to it.

I hear this series got picked up by Blumhouse, and I hope they do it justice. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Eternal Covenant” Vol. 1, by Haejin

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Ian Glauchester was abandoned by his parents and cursed with magic powers. Raised by Cardinal Brixton, Ian is now a decorated knight of the Knights Templar, keeping his powers a secret. That is, until he meets Jack, who has similar abilities.

This is an interesting start, setting up a lot of lore, a taste of a magic system, and some deep conspiracy. The art and pacing are very Webtoon, and let’s be real, these are paced and generally presented in a different way from something meant to be read all at once in a book or published in a magazine. Not as a detriment, it’s just designed to keep you scrolling, which doesn’t always translate fully to turning pages. Everything Is Fine is a good example, using the act of scrolling in the art (a great series). It still caught my interest, I’ll be there for volume 2. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Steel of the Celestial Shadows” Vol. 8. by Daruma Matsuura

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Konosuke, Aki, and Bokutake need to recover from their battle with Dosuke and Katsu. They rest at Aki’s home village, where there are many people with special gifts live and train. But just because they are there to heal doesn’t mean they are safe.

We also get Bokutake’s heartbreaking back story but fuck this volume for ending on a cliffhanger right when things are getting good. It was the cruelest of endings after all the emotional turmoil! I mean, it’s good, I love where this is going, I love seeing Tsuki as a real part of the cast, but sometimes a cliffhanger doesn’t make you run to the next volume; it feels like a kick in the teeth. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “After God” Vol. 7, by Sumi Eno

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Tokinaga is ordered back after making a deal with Alura to save Waka’s life.

Waka and Tokinaga also go on a date, and it turns out as well as anything does in this comic. Is it me, or is all this getting too complicated? There are so many people keeping so many secrets from all these different people, there are like three plot threads going on, I feel like I need a series rundown to organize everything for me. It’s hard to describe without spoiling a bunch of stuff. I’m probably gonna have to go back and re-read this. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Choujin X” Vol. 10, by Sui Ishida

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After the raid on the poppy fields, Yamato Mori has a chance for a final showdown with Zora, but it is in her tower, giving her the advantage.

Seeing the fruits of all this training is so well done. The fight scenes are well done, and the use of the various abilities on both sides are so awesome. Since a good chunk of this is set up and hitting a few emotional beats before the battle begins, it’s all just getting started by the time the volume ends. I hope all this buildup pays off, especially after the last volume of Dark Gathering impressed me so much. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Colette Decides to Die” Vol. 5, by Alto Yukimura

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Kotsume the otter is considering a job with Poseidon while Dynonisis and Hermes accompany Colette on her journey.

Mild spoilers, but I am VERY unsure about the addition of a “precocious young child” character. She’s cute, but I can see her getting annoying long-term. Since we’re getting into the realizing feelings phase, we don’t have any confessions. Especially since Colette is still so devoted to her work. I wonder if she’ll be forced to choose between that and Hades. And that damn silly little otter made me cry; that adorable little fucker. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Dark Gathering” Vol. 16, by Kenichi Kondō

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Yayoi’s plan (Operation Bellflower Regicide) reaches its final stage. Now, the graduates must to their part to weaken and destroy the god to save Ai.

Even though this volume stops to expound or flashback a lot, this battle does not disappoint. I actually started to feel bad for some of the spirits that didn’t make it. We’ve spent so much time with them at this point that it was a shame that some necessary sacrifices were inevitable in the fight. It’s amazing to see everything Yayoi has experienced and fought for coming together in a fantastically illustrated battle. This was so satisfying, even though it’s clearly not over. 4.5 out of 5.

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