Customer Reviews

Trinity Blood - Rage Against the Moons Volume 1: From the Empire (v. 1)

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This is the first book of the Trinity Bood graphic novels series. The series is divided into two parts: Rage Against the Moons and Reborn on Mars.
This book contains four stories.
Flight Night(anime episode 1) After completing an assignmentin Londonium, Father Abel Nightroad is returning to Rome aboard the Abionese airship Tristan. It is highjacked by Count Alfredo and it is up to Abel to regain control of the ship.
Witch Hunt(anine episode 2) A genetically altered girl, who has the power of touch telepathy is wanted by the Rosenkruetz Order and the Vatican. Her power to scramble and alter memories causes people to slaughter each otehr and themsealves. She finds her only friend is Father Abel Nightroad.
From the Empire (anime episode 7) Endre, a Methuselah serial killer exiled from the Empire contiues his murderous ways in Venice.Allied with the Rosenkruetz Order he helps them set in motion a plan to start a war between the Methuselah Empire and the Vatican. Temporarily partnered with Astoroche, Duchess of Odessa, Abel Nightroad works to preserve the current peace.
Sword Dancer(aninem Episode 6) Father Hugue, another Vatican AX agent investigates the mass murder of the priests and nuns of Oude Kerk. The Vaitcan thinks it is the work of the local vampire lord. The vampire lord is just as in the dark as the Vatican. Father Hugue has his own personal agenda. The key to everything is the surviving nun Sister Agnes.
The anime keeps the manga's ligher comic tone. The graphic novel is a darker, more interesting rendition of Trinity Blood. The graphic novel has strong sense of horror. Characters who are annoying in the anime, are cold-blooded,insane killers. Abel, Tres, and Caterina are stronger, darker characters than in the anime. In many ways this book is a Cold War intrigue book, excep this cold war is set in a post-apocolyptic 31st century.

Vampires. Powerful, eternal, virtually indestructible, they are at the highest level of evolution. Aren't they awfully cocky, thinking like that? What if you knew there was something stronger, more powerful, older? What if you were that thing? Well, then you would be AX Special Agent Crusnik. Traveling in the guise of a simple poor priest, which he actually is, Agent Crusnik aids the Vatican in a constant, post-apocalyptic, political battle. Often throwing direct orders out the window, and taking his partners along for the ride, Crusnik battles his enemies to the bitter end. Until the next one appears. Exposing more plots and evils than he expunges, he and the other agents must continue to be a virtually unbeatable force. And that is quite a big shoe to fill.

Don't be put off by the religious references before you read this. This is literally post-apocalypse. Rome is one of the few major powers left, and the Vatican is not at all what you would expect.

Of all of the pop fiction that I've read, which isn't exactly a ton, but is a fair amount, this book comes the closest to anime. So, if you're a fan of anime, this is the book for you.

Amidst the non-stop action, Agent Crusnik is hilariously witty, a little bit bitter, and still manages to remain concerned about everyone else. He's definitely someone I'd want on my side. Just not around all the time, what with the constant death, destruction, and mayhem.

I want more, please. Pleasantly, there are five more stories on the way, as well as DVDs!

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Vampires. The mere mention of the word strikes fear in the hearts of millions... either that, or mockery. Sometimes both. Rising in popularity during the eighteenth century, the Vampire genre has changed and evolved in dramatic ways that its original creators most likely could never have foreseen. One of its newest incarnations is the "Twilight" book series, which for all intents and purposes has radically changed the image of Vampires in the eyes of America. Its success has launched a myriad of Vampire inspired books, television shows and movies.

Though the genre has exploded in popularity, its rise to fame may be on the slow decline. Publishers, citing a lack of original ideas, are beginning to back away from the blood suckers. For many, it appeared that their brief feeding frenzy was coming to an end.

Could someone breathe new life into the genre?

Poised to answer that question, I picked up a copy of one of Japan's bestselling Vampire book series, recently brought to America in English for the first time.

The story, set over a thousand years after an event dubbed "Armageddon" nearly wiped out all life on Earth, follows the remnants of humanity as they huddle together in Europe to piece back together the civilization that they nearly destroyed. However, when a race of beings calling themselves the "Methuselah" emerge from the ashes of the charred world, a cold war breaks out between the two groups that threatens to repeat the mistakes of the past. Lead by the Vatican, civilization wages a political/militaristic war against the beings they have grown to call "Vampires". With tensions high and the two nations on edge, the Vatican may hold the secret to securing a victory in the war: a vampire that preys on other vampires. As the world braces for the worst, can the mysterious priest stop the world from destroying each other all over again?

If I could only use one word to summarize my opinion on this book, it would unequivocally be epic. That is exactly what this book is in so many ways and more.

Filled with intriguing characters, numerous gripping plots, emotional character growth, a fast-paced storyline, and political espionage that will delight even the least interested, this is a Vampire book that has no trouble flaunting its ability to put so many others to shame.

Obviously, the idea of mixing the dystopian genre with Vampires is not a particularly unique one. Many books and films have tried to mix the two to varying triumph, but if I do say so myself, I believe "Trinity Blood" could quite possibly be the best example of the hybrid ever created. Its careful balance between the two genres is excellent.

Another praise-worthy aspect of this book is the way in which the author manages to balance the violence and emotions of its characters. Take my word, this book is violent. Vampires do not romance young girls, they fight and they fight ruthlessly with deadly sharp instincts. What this translates into is a series of gruesome murders that the mysterious priest ends up investigating and or becoming involved in. What's remarkable is the choice that the author makes for the main character.

In so many stories such as these, morality and the value of life are disregarded at a whim for mindless violence. Cheap thrills and fast action replace emotional growth and thought-provoking dialogue. Sunayo Yoshida takes the road less traveled and successfully manages to create characters that readers will gravitate to and feel connected with as well as a world that although frightening is familiar.

If I had anything negative to say in the least, it would be that Tokyopop's translation is rough at times and could have used a re-write in certain areas. However, even so, the story and talent shine through this book brightly enough that I can forgive what I consider as small oversights.

To conclude, "Trinity Blood" is a book series that is set to become an instant classic for Vampire fans. Choosing to concentrate on plot, character growth and gripping action, it demonstrates what good Vampire fiction should be: not sparkly.

-Matt Reeves

Rage Against the Moons is the novel version of the first story arc of the Trinity Blood saga, and is made up of three volumes. Volume 1 sees us meeting Abel Nightroad upon a great airship that is hijacked by a rogue vampire nobleman, bent on starting a war between his Empire and the Vatican. It is here that, along with this illfated vampire and the airship stewardess, we discover that Abel is no mere bumbling, money poor wandering priest as he first appears to be, but something even more terrible. As he says, "Humans feed upon animals, and Vampires upon humans, but what if there was something that ate vampires? I am a Crusnik, a vampire that feeds upon other vampires." It's a titillating glimpse of just what lies at the top of the food chain in this mythical universe, and glimpse it we do as Abel transforms into a creature that is a beautiful yet utterly terrifying cross between a vampire and a reaper, with a scythe made of crystallised blood and eyes that glow crimson. Welcome to the reality of Trinity Blood, a futuristic horror that blends politics, religion, and horror with science fiction.

It sounds an odd mix but it works. In the near future, mankind decides to colonise Mars, and sends out manned exploration. There, they discover technology left behind in the form of nanomachines that when injected into humans, causes changes within the body that allow living within Martian conditions. The changes are made on the genetic level, so that the offspring of the changed colonists are also changed. There is one small hitch however. The changed cannot tolerate UV rays from the sun, sport fangs, and well, thirst for blood. This is an ancient fairy tale horror brought to life, and fingers begin to point wildly back home, igniting tensions that lead to war. The colonists are left on their own, with only a group of scientists in an orbiting station left to oversee the nanomachine technology. Unbeknownst to the colonists, and the humans back home, there is a second type, the Crusnik nanomachines, which work in an entirely different way. Those changed by the Crusnik are able to walk in the light, and appear quite human. That is, until the Crusnik machines are activated, and a super vampire sprouts before your eyes. These Crusnik children, of which there are four, remain upon the space station for centuries, until the day comes that their Martian brethren see that the Armageddon has settled down, and decide to reappear to help Earth rebuild. Of course, as centuries have passed, those in the know of how it all started have long passed away, and the fingers are left pointing solely at THEM...the bloodsucking monsters who defile God's earth. A holy war ensues, and the Crusniks split as to what side they support. That is, until one Crusnik decides to kill another, and plunges her Crusnik lover, who supported the other side, to slide into the deepest of despair. Carrying her body to the Vatican for burial by those she supported, he sat by her sarcophagus in mourning for 900 years, until fate brought him forward and into the service of the Church...


It is this service that places Abel Nightroad upon that very airship, returning home after a mission, and it sets forward a chain of events that unveil a conspiracy by a secret terrorist organisation known as the Rosen Kreuz Orden. Just who they are, and what their purpose is, is slowly revealed as various duties causes Nightroad and his android priest companion Tres to cross paths with members of their cells. The far reaching tentacles of the Rosen Kreuz Orden is revealed when it becomes apparent that cells are not only plotting chaos within the human territories, but also within the Empire, which is the vampire nation established here on Earth. It seems they do not care which side strikes the first blow, as long as the match ignites the powder keg of a world engulfing war. Before dying, the only clue for the motivation given by their agents is that they desire to "purify the world with fire". They have no hesitation in making use of even the innocent, kidnapping young women, murdering entire families in gruesome ways, and even kidnapping a little girl who possesses a psychic power with the intent to bend her gift to their will.

If you have watched the anime or read the manga, this story may sound rather familiar, but interestingly enough, all three forms of the Trinity Blood saga differ from each other. Some events happen in a different order, some of the characters have differing appearances, and in some cases, especially in regards to the novels, there are fine details that appear that do not exist in any of the other forms. In this particular volume, this happens the most in regards to personal character development. With more written text than a comic panel allows for, it allows more to be said about motivations, thoughts, feelings, and everything else that the author wants to share with the reader. This certainly makes reading this volume a completely different experience from reading the manga, or watching the anime for that matter, and as it is a light novel, we still get treated to the occasional illustration.

Now, the novel is illustrated by Thores Shibamoto, while the manga (Trinity Blood, Vol. 1 (v. 1)) is actually a later project illustrated by Kiyo Kujo. Kujo used most Shibamoto's original character designs for inspiration, so that the more familiar manga characters are readily recognisable, but there is a definite difference to the feel of the art. Abel Nightroad is more delicate in appearance in Shibamoto's drawings, and when in Crusnik form, reminds one more of a delicately beautiful yet cold avenging angel from Renaissance art. Truthfully, this look is also carried across to the other vampires we see depicted, with the look ranging all from the way from a Botticelli type delicateness to a more aristocraticly haughty beauty. That is not to say that the humans are all ugly, as they are not; they too tend to be rather attractive, but in a less spectacular way. The real stand out though is not in how the characters themselves look as people, but in the clothes and accessories. Shibamoto draws in a richness of detail that adds great interest to the pictures and adds depth to the text provided by Yoshida. This is just as well, for while not written for children, it is aiming to be a light, quick read for the masses, so the language used is deliberately uncomplicated but not ridiculously low level.

The political machinations are deceptively complex, the blood letting extremely violent and gruesome, and the religious positions of the fictional Vatican may lend confusion and misunderstanding to younger readers. Due to these factors, I feel the cover's stated mature rating is warranted, and personally only recommend it to the post 18 crowd. This is not to say all is darkness even in this postapocalyptic tale, for Abel Nightroad posesses a wry sense of humour, though it is undoubtably a very grown up sort of humour that is best appreciated the older you are, though the younger adults will not miss out on it completely. Being a serial, the ending leaves us open for the sequel where the adventure continues with Abel and his cohorts in the Vatican's secret unit, Ax, as they seek to discover more about the Rosen Kreuz Orden and stop their masterplan from coming to fruition. If that one lives up to the anticpation this volume gives us, it will be a worthy addition indeed to my bookshelves and yours.

Go get them Father Nightroad and Tres! This novella was fund light reading. I was already familiar with some of the storyline, having viewed the episode on the Adult Swim cartoon.