Read or Die, Vol. 1
Published by: Viz Media
Writer: Hideyuki Kurata
Artist: Shutaro Yamada

224 (212) pages.
Original Language: Japanese
Orientation: Right to left
Vintage: 2000. US edition March 2006.
English Translation & Adaptation: Steve Ballati
Cover & Graphic Design: Janet Piercy
Touch-up Art & Lettering: Mark McMurray
Editor: Urian Brown
Publishers Rating: Older Teen

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Premise: World’s most bookish superhero-slash-secret-agent saves the world and the girl. and the book.

Synopsis:

Yomiko loves books. She really loves books. She is a Paper Master, one of those with the ability to manipulate paper into tools, shields, & weapons.

Yomiko Readman, aka “the Paper”, is a sometimes substitute teacher who also works as an agent of the British Library– which is not only a collection of rare and wonderful books, but also a top tier covert special ops organization. (who knew?)

We join Yomiko as she is called up by her handler, “Mr. Joker”, for a sting operation to catch the thief of a rare book of fairy tales, a neat opening which introduces her powers and her personality, while also giving the reader some of the background in which this series is set.

The rest of volume one follows Yomiko as she meets her favourite author, a couple of new adversaries, and a guy who also loves books, but in a creepy, disturbing way.

As you might have guessed, it all ends in a flashy action-packed showdown. The confetti runs like blood…

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Review:

From concept to execution, this is a pretty good comic. It’s black and white, but the artist makes good use of shading and screen tone to bring real depth to the frame and ‘colour’ to most of the characters. There is a real sense of motion to the action sequences, and the explosions have oomph. The art does such a good job at conveying the action, in fact, that it’s a real shame the lame written sound effects cover so much of the pages’ real estate.

I don’t know if this was a decision made for the English adaptation, or if the flaw is something inherited from the Japanese original, but most of the sound effects are just in the way.

Aside from the superfluous written bangs and kracks, the adaptation seems to be well done. The story and dialogue proceed clearly, there is only one side note (to explain a Stephen King reference, actually) and honorifics are retained where appropriate and in a way I’m sure most American readers will be able to follow. (”Sensei” is a term most of us are familiar with by this point…)

This is a solid opening to what promises to be an exciting series, while also serving as a good stand-alone story.