From TokyoPop’s new imprint Noir Caesar, XOGenasys presents a manga about the streets. Darius Smith, an artistic young guy living in the ‘hood’, is trying his best to stay out of trouble. But that is not easy, with gangs constantly trying to recruit him. Ironically, Darius lands in police trouble trying to AVOID trouble. When to use your special fighting power, and when to just take the punches, hmmm.
Writer Tre McIntosh gives us a convincing, relatable protagonist in Darius. Tormented and transfixed by a combination of personal problems and the urge to excel, Darius is an entertaining guy to follow. McIntosh’s dialogue is convincing, natural. The scenes (artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey) are in turn explosive, “Manga-friendly” and exciting to read, but even the quieter passages, with Darius in repose, seem appropriate. McIntosh and Nikolas Draper-Ivey render a very natural, relatable story here, one that is bound to attract a lot of attention.
Oh, and it’s not all ‘down in the hood’, either; when Darius conjures up the courage to train for XOGenaSYS, the gladiator sport, there is a helluva hill to climb! Battles, battles, battles!! Well written, well-drawn, well worth picking up.
TokyoPop Noir Caesar, XOGeneSYS, $13.99 for 210 pages black and white. 16+
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