Book Reviews
Sequential Art
Highschool of the Dead, Vol. 5 By Daisuke Sato, Shouji Sato Yen Press, $13.99, 160 pages, Format: Trade
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 11 By Nagaru Tanigawa Yen Press, $11.99, 176 pages, Format: Trade
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Zombies are popular in American pop culture. From the original Night of the Living Dead to the modern Walking Dead, Americans have long been fascinated with zombies, the impact an attack would have on society and what would happen to those who managed to survive. In Japan zombies are not as popular, and only Highschool of the Dead truly covers zombies, though they are never called zombies in the book; they are only referred to as “them.” In this volume the high school students have made it safely to the local mall, where they run into a wide assortment of survivors, plus one young police officer who is inexperienced. The other survivors range from your typical street thug to businessman and more. The students are debating when they will leave and where they will go. Eventually they have to make a medical run to a local clinic. At the clinic they run into zombies and have to fight them off. Like previous volumes, the artwork can be hard to follow, with so much in the way that it clutters everything. The storyline is getting old. The characters are not really evolving beyond their one-dimensional state. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
Sometimes a manga deserves a day off. The SOS Brigade takes a break in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Volume 11, right after escaping from an other-dimensional mansion. They celebrate the new year together, which includes solving a murder mystery, kite-flying, and the apparent re-appearance of an extinct species of wolf. They uncover one or two secrets in the woods, but this is the most low-key you will ever find the SOS Brigade. Although the art is a little more simplistic than most manga, it fits the book rather well. The emphasis is on character-building, and we learn quite a bit about the characters in this one. Although the plot of the series is not moved along a lot, it’s fine in this case as it allows us to catch up with the characters, as well as showing the more subtle side of Haruhi’s powers. Not all manga needs to be action-packed or emotionally draining; this is a very nice break from the fast-paced manga most are used to. This is the book you’ll be reading next to a warm fire while drinking hot chocolate as the snow settles in around you. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim
Sacramento Book Review • April 2012 • 56