Customer Reviews

Mark of the Succubus, Volume 1 (v. 1)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had actually been interested in this book before its release, so when I finally found it, I grabbed it up. I must say it is not bad, especially for two very new authors. The story follows a young and pretty succubus-in-training named Maeve(think a non-water-walking Siren from myth) as she makes her first foray into the human world and ends up meeting our main male, Aiden, a less than motivated student, but pretty talented musician. His problem? A very witchy girlfriend and a cute but drama-king best friend. Her problem? A demonic nemesis, NO sense of direction... oh, and she has to kill him (i.e. Aiden). Interested yet?
The series progresses somewhat slowly, but if you're not in a rush or want great climaxes and action all at once, it'll keep your interest pretty well. So review: 3 stars for interest so far, 4 stars for potential, 4 stars for art, 3.5 stars for overall character development= 4 stars. Enjoy!

I've been waiting for this book to come out for quite awhile now, ever since I read Raiti and Flores' winning entry in Tokyopop's 'Rising Stars of Manga' contest. All the promise that they showed in that brief excerpt has been fulfilled in this, their first full-length manga.

Mark of the Succubus mixes the familiar reality of high school with the fantastic elements of life in the demon world, and does so with a deftness that had me hooked from the beginning. Although this book is classified as gothic fantasy, the author and artist have done their best to ensure that this book has a little bit of everything - action, romance, and magic blends easily with the more conventional drama of high school life.

Between the gorgeous character design and detail inherent in the artwork as well as the sharp dialogue and well-paced storyline, this manga is definitely one of the best that I've ever read. For anyone who is looking for a fantastic, beautifully illustrated story with the makings of a plot that will leave you wanting more, I can't recommend 'Mark of the Succubus' enough.

MotS is a great story about Maeve, and Succubus-in-training who is send into the human world to work on her suduction skills. As dark as this seems, it is actully very relaxed and fun. The characters are believeable and have distinct personalties. The art is, while a little shaky at times (the artist finds more of a style for her characters in the 2nd volume) has wonderful detail and cuuute chibi's. All in all, this is a good start to an awsome series. Be sure to read it!
PS To those who say this isn't manga, it is too. The art is in the manga style, and, while not from Japan an increasing amount of manga isn't. Think of RE: Play, Dramacon, Van Von Hunter, The Dreaming etc... Manga is a style, not something that MUST come from Japan to be manga. And even if it isn't manga it's still a darn good book!

Interesting characters, a complex and twisted plot and good artwork. All in one book. Maeve, a succubus-in-training, is sent to Earth to study human behavior and actions. A Succubus, to pull the meaning right out of myth, is a type of vampire-creature who sucks the life-force out of victims during PRIVATE moments. I'm not sure how a manga with the rating of 13 and up will handle that part - in this version a Succubus is a demon trained as an assassin of humans. Maeve has made a few friends but to her horror one of those friends has become her first test target. How will she kill a friend or will she find a loophole in the rules?
The first book ended with a lot of unanswered questions juggling in the air. The artwork could have been better and, I should point out, that this is a comic book not a manga. It is NOT from Japan.

This is a very interesting opening to a new series that will definitely catch your attention. With a tragic love you can just see will play itself out, it promises to be an amazing series all manga fans should follow.

Mark of the Succubus is a very good start to a promising new series. While the cover makes the manga look like a gothic horror, do not be mislead! The story is actually quite funny, and very unusual. There's a little bit of everything: comedy, romance, adventure, fantasy; you name it, it's there.

Maeve is a succubus-in-training who has been sent to the human world to study human behavior. What Maeve didn't count on was becoming friends with Aiden, an unmotivated human student from her new high school. Add in Aiden's evil girlfriend, his overly dramatic best friend, a spy from the Demon World, frog dissection, and dreadful apparel, and Maeve will be lucky to graduate high school in one piece.

The characters have very clear motivations and personalities and are very likable. The characters' personalities do change and develop over the course of the volume, and it looks as though there will be quite a bit more character development in the later volumes.

It is very easy to tell the humans from the demons, not only because the demons have pointed ears and so forth, but also because, to put it bluntly, the demons have terrible fashion sense. While the off-the-shoulder corset with a feather fringe, the eight belts worn at once, or the thigh-high socks and cutoffs worn during winter may seem logical to a demon, for the rest of the world, it's a painful excursion into the world of demented fashion designers. It's worth it to read the book just to see Veril's outfit (think Final Fantasy cosplayer gone terribly wrong).

Although there are some small stylistic changes throughout the volume, the art remains good throughout. The characters never look exactly the same from one panel to another, but I was always able to tell them apart. There are also plenty of small details for readers to catch on later readings. (To see what I mean, check out what the boy is reading in the last panel on the first page.)

Mark of the Succubus has more character development than action. Impatient readers may find the story a little slow, but I enjoyed it a great deal.

There's only one odd thing. A succubus is (according to the dictionary) a demon in female form who can steal a man's life force during...er...X rated moments. I'm not really sure how that's going to work, given the fact that this is a T rated manga, and all the protagonists are in high school.

So, check out Mark of the Succubus! You won't be disappointed, unless, of course, you're a fashion designer, looking for inspiration.

i luv this book alot its like tragedy luv...a succubus, Maeve goes into the human world to learn the humans way of life so she goes to high school and falls in luv with a boy...but before she can come and go as she pleases she must kill a human being to pass succubus...i'll let you figure out the rest...oh and volume 2 comes out november of 2006...if you luv this book as much as i do...~(^^)~