Clover (Clover, 1) - Softcover

Clamp

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1892213664 ISBN 13: 9781892213662

Publisher: Tokyopop, 2001

About this title

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-A graphic novel by the team of artists responsible for Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura (both Tokyopop), and X/2001 (Viz). An ex-government agent named Kazuhiko Ryu is coerced into escorting Sue, a mysterious winged girl, to Fairy Park. They travel through a futuristic world filled with creative technology-talking-animal robots trained to protect, mechanical hands that transform into weapons, and Instant Travel Transporters. Sue is a clover, a person with exceptional powers, and their trip is complicated by run-ins with the Azaiean army, the Shiao Mao militia, and a man named Bols from Ryu's past. The artwork is spare yet beautifully detailed. The lyrics of a haunting song that mesmerizes Sue, along with images of Ryu's dead girlfriend, Ora, run throughout the story. This first volume in a projected series sets the stage and introduces the main characters, but also provides many intriguing mysteries: How did Ora die? Why is Sue so valuable? What did Ryu do for the government? And will he and Sue survive jumping out of that hotel window? Clover will appeal to Clamp's many fans, and also to anyone who appreciates cyberpunk or striking art.

Susan Salpini, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

This group effort graphic novel follows the exploits of Kazuhiko, a former soldier turned private eye who has been given orders to pick up and deliver Sue, a "clover" (someone with extraordinary powers). The seemingly simple task is anything but, and mayhem and adventure ensue. The first installment of a series created by the all-female team known as Clamp, this volume mostly hints at the larger plot machinations at work: a shadowy governing council; a long-lasting feud; a lost love. Still, with its stylish atmospherics and suggestion of suppressed eroticism, the book manages to fulfill all the basic tenets of "girl manga," a genre known in Japan for its appeal to emotions over action-based thrills. Fight scenes and futuristic techno-gadgetry give the wistfulness some weight, but sentimentality prevails. Luckily, so does visual inventiveness, as evocative imagery offsets cloying moments. Clamp's imaginative use of composition and scale lend a visual snazziness that helps the novel transcend the cuteness of its dewy-eyed waifs and broad-shouldered men with delicate faces. Unfortunately, the bland, clunky typeface is particularly jarring in a comic where empty space and images have been so carefully integrated.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tokyopop
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1892213664
• ISBN 13: 9781892213662
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 128