Dark Gathering, Volume 1

November 10, 2023
Grades 10-12 Keintaro has been a recluse for the past several years after he and a childhood friend were cursed by an evil spirit. The experience left him traumatized as well as powerful: he can now see and attract evil spirits. This comes in handy for the new pupil he will be tutoring, Yayoi, who is hunting for the evil spirit who took her mother away. Keintaro is reluctant to help because his powers will put Yayoi in harms way, but also because he wants nothing to do with the supernatural ever again. This horror manga has some moments to make your skin crawl, but it also peppers in humor and humanity. Some of the jokes are a little off-putting, which slightly detracts from the overall story. That aside, this volume begins with some character development that will definitely pay off in future volumes, and the book would be entertaining for older teen readers looking for a scary story that will gross them out but provide a promise of a developed story line. The character design for Yayoi is a bit of a caricature, but the rest of the characters are typical manga-style folks. The illustrations are detailed and fitting to changes in the story: scary at the right moments but soft when the characters aren't around spooky things. Recommended as an additional purchase for larger collections where horror stories are popular.

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