Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Official Casebook: Vol. 1: The Phoenix Wright Files (Phoenix Wright) (Paperback)

~ CAPCOM (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on a bestselling video game of the same name, this debut volume takes the time-worn manga tradition of turning everything into a battle to a ludicrous extreme. Phoenix Wright is a newly minted defense attorney, insecure in his skills and aided by the ghost of a departed mentor who speaks to him through her little sister. There's a fairly interesting courtroom sequence early on that has a supernatural twist, but from there the book devolves into yelling matches, asinine plots and a visual style that changes on a dime. The writing implies that the hardest part about being an attorney, the decisive factor in any given case, is who can yell "Objection!" the loudest. Fairly little time is devoted to anything genuinely mysterious or procedural--the story concerns itself with ramen-eating contests and stolen lunches--making this a huge disappointment for anyone expecting real legal action. It works fairly well as a comedy, though, with the occasional self-referential jab ("That's not cool enough for a main character!" Wright's spectral teacher chides) and a generally manic tone and pacing. (Sept.)
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From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Based on a popular game for Nintendo's DS system, Phoenix Wright, in its first English manga translation, is a compilation of 20 full stories and a handful of four-panel shorts. Though written by a mix of veteran and rookie manga writers, the stories blend nearly seamlessly. The book focuses on young defense lawyer Phoenix Wright, also known as Nick; and his gal Friday, Maya, a mystic who houses the spirit of her more buxom sister and Nick's lost love, Mia, within her petite body. Phoenix faces a familiar mix of noir characters, including his charming, slick nemesis and mentor, Mr. Edgeworth, a preppy prosecutor who beats everyone (except Phoenix); and Dick Gumshoe, a moody private detective with a penchant for calling everyone Pal. Phoenix struggles with each of his cases, ranging from learning the truth about a long-ago murder to finding a home for a wayward kitten. It's part typical yaoi manga–complete with temper tantrums and mass-consumption of ramen and burgers–and part noir classic, and both the video game and the manga have a large following online. With mild sexual references and one frightening look at channeling the spirits of the dead, Phoenix Wright fits best with older students.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (September 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345503554
• ISBN-13: 978-0345503558
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,286 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's great, but don't be misled, February 6, 2009

By	J. Batson (Oceanside, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is something a lot of Phoenix Wright (or just Ace Attorny fans in general) have been wanting. More of Phoenix, Maya, and the others. However, don't be fooled by the title. While it is apparently an official collection of manga stories, it's not exactly written by anyone involved with the games themselves. In that same vein, each story tends to have a different art style, and some of them don't always portray beloved characters (such as Mia or Edgeworth) quite as nicely as they were in games. It's not the best in the world (that would have been something made by the people at Capcom), but for us starving fans who are waiting endlessly for the new Edgeworth game, it certainly helps pass the time.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Justice is served - a great read!, October 4, 2008

By	Hunty (CT, USA) - See all my reviews

Being a big fan of the Ace Attorney series, I was excited about the manga. I at first thought it was going to be a big, manga-ized novelization of the first three games. While that would be cool, I was then worried as to whether or not it stuck with the game's storyline.

And it didn't.

In fact, as I started reading it, I soon realize that it was an anthology of some sort of different cases and situations with our favorite characters, Phoenix, Maya, Edgeworth et al. That's something I've never seen a franchise do before and quite frankly, it's awesome. It's better than reading fanfics. A few of the cases were quite interesting, but left me in disappointment because they were so short. There were some where the art looked pretty bad but the stories made up for them and then neither the art nor the story were good at all.

There are 20 stories by different manga-kas which will keep you occupied when you're on the bus/train, etc.

I felt refreshed after reading this manga as this is probably the only franchise so far that came up with something this cool. Some franchises should follow this example.

I recommend this to everyone, including those who are new to Ace Attorney. You won't be disappointed.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Manga but Not What I Expected, October 4, 2009

By	Christopher Walker (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was an OK manga but the story is not at all canon (sp?) with the Phoenix Wright universe. Every chapter is also written and drawn by different mangakas so all of the artsyles are different. I was really hoping that it'd be done by one person (whoever drew the artwork on the cover) but unfortunately it didn't happen.

Still worth a read if you're a Phoenix Wright fan.