Creative Staff
Story/Art: Sanami Matoh
Translation/Adaptation: Neil Ray, Jake Forbes
What They Say
Hiryu and Ryukei were just a couple of good-hearted bandits – until they met Princess Ryurei and discovered they were, in fact, Dragon Lords. They have embraced their destiny and unlocked their dragon spirits, but the journey has just begun.
The sinister Lord Torao, leader of the Tiger Clan, has sent his top warriors out with one mission: to destroy the Dragon Clan. But, standing up to seasoned assassins and toppling the most dangerous man in the world is going to take a lot of training, and time is not a luxury of the hunted.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With this volume the cover presentation finally catches up to the quality of the artwork found inside. Gone are the massive diagonals that disrupted the impact of Sanami Matoh’s arresting portraits, replaced with a design that is inviting and allows the artwork to be front and center. The artwork inside has also improved. Matoh sensei’s dynamic action passages and energetic line work are still present, but there are many fewer lazy drawings. Of particular note in this volume is the successful use of a variety of screen tones with fairly elaborate background illustration. The result is visually rich and comprehensible, adding much to the environment of this tale of ancient China.
The story thus far hasn’t deviated much from the standard quest fare. The dragon kings have been revealed and have assembled to train and develop strategy against Torao of the Tiger Clan’s war against the dragon clan. There is a revelation on a current foe and there are battles against more of Torao’s minions. A point of criticism might be made on the placement of flashbacks, which feel clumsily placed and the usual visual cues (dark panel border or dark text balloons) are not present. Instead, a change of font is the only indication of a past event. It’s not nearly as successful as other visual cues as every time it is encountered it pulls the reader out of the moment.
In Summary
While the story may not be exceptional, it is competent and the pacing does not flag. But it’s the artwork that really sets this title apart with its complex environments and vital character rendition.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: CMX Manga
Release Date: August 1st, 2007
MSRP: $9.99
