D.Gray-Man, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

~ Katsura Hoshino (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hoshiro's fantastic vision of a Victorian England stalked by the evil Millennium Earl is a true original, although the action takes place more than a hundred years before the turn of the millennium. A wonderfully strange destroyer of worlds, the Earl wears a top hat and tails, and bears a passing resemblance to both the Joker and the leader of the Blue Meanies. His strategy is to overrun the earth with legions of akuma, demons created through blasphemous rage. Against these nightmare soldiers are ranged the forces of good, human wielders of something called "innocence," a substance that was washed away long ago when Noah was in his ark. Chief among the good guys is our hero, Allen Walker, who has a concentration of innocence in his left hand. In his quest to keep the world safe, Walker recruits friends to his cause and seeks out the Black Order, a mysterious band recommended by his unseen master; this gang of do-gooders is also committed to fighting the Millennium Earl. Although the story line is imaginative, what makes Hoshino's work outstanding is the art, a fabulous collection of images both elegant and macabre, that should have much appeal for the crowd that reads Hellsing and similar goth adventure manga. (May)
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Product Description

Set in a fictional end of the 19th century England, the story revolves around a teenage boy named Allen Walker who is cursed with a cross mark on his hand that turns his arm into an enormous weapon, which he uses to hunt down and kill akumas. An akuma, generated by a 1,000-year-old phantom, is implanted into a human's soul during a moment of devastation and despair. The phantom uses the demons to then carry out his goal: destroy all humankind.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; illustrated edition edition (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421506238
• ISBN-13: 978-1421506234
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #151,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The D. Gray-man (English) Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC HORROR MANGA!, May 12, 2006

By	Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

As noted at the beginning of the book, D. Gray Man is set at the end of a fictional 19th century Victorian England. This blend of horror and action follows the exploits of Allen Walker, a boy who appears to be 15 years old but isn't at all what he seems. Walker is an exorcist, born with a cross embedded into his hand that is a powerful weapon that he uses to battle Akumas. Akumas are weapons of evil that use a human soul as their power, and a human skin to hide within. The Akumas are created by a demonic figure known as Millennium Earl, A Top Cat & Tails wearing figure who is somewhat reminiscent of Batman's arch-villain The Joker. Millennium Earl creates the Akumas out of great human tragedy and plans to eventually destroy mankind. The Akuma's are cyber-organic weapons (when not in their human skins) that fire poisonous bullets that turn a human's skin to dust. The more they kill, the more powerful they become.

We meet the first as two cops explore an abandoned, gothic looking cathedral. Officer Moa's partner is killed and only the arrival of Walker saves the young female cop Moa. But Moa is in for an even worse shock. The Akuma turns out to be her brother-in-law. Moa's sister had been killed in a tragic accident and her brother-in-law Marc, a pastor, cursed God. This allowed Millennium Earl to take her sister's soul as a vessel for the Akuma, and used it to kill Marc and take his skin as a disguise. Allen has to face off against the Akuma to free Moa's sister's soul. In a later story, we'll go back to Allen's earlier life and see his first meeting with Millennium Earl and how he became an exorcist.

Katsura Hoshino's superb art is suitably dark and his imagery is among the most ghoulish you've ever seen in a Manga. Millennium Earl is pure evil and Hoshino pulls no punches with him as the body count is extraordinary. A terrific, true horror Manga that has a great look and atmosphere.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very good, September 17, 2006

By	Valderag (Greeley, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews

D.Gray-Man is an excellent manga with good action, solid story, and good laughs. However it has believable slapstick and not commedy where the victim gets hit with something that would kill them normally. This is a nice change and is backed by a solid story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Manga on a whole new level., May 18, 2006

By	Scott Jacobs (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well, this is a very fun book for manga fans. The story develops at an acceptable pace, and the action is gorgeous. Add that to some pretty impressive visuals, and you have a wonder on your hands. If you like this, try Deathnote, too.