A Midnight Opera, Volume 1

Some among the undead feel that now is the time, in the midst of human complacency, to strike against the mortals in a coup that would leave humanity at the mercy of the "dark creatures." Of course, it is at a time of human complacency that dogmatic agents in the Catholic Church also feel ready to strike against "evil," with just as little regard for the cost to human life.The power to stave this ultimate, destructive conflict between evil and righteousness rests in two wise and powerful undead brothers. The only problem is they haven't spoken to each other in a hundred and fifty years.

Grade 7 Up–This fine vampire story is reminiscent of Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles. Ein DeLaLune has got it all–good looks, talent, a rock-star lifestyle, and immortality. Eins fame has brought him to the attention of some old acquaintances, including his manipulative brother, Leroux. Ein wants nothing to do with the old vampire arguments; he has a new girlfriend and his career is really taking off. The perfect world of humans and the undead living together in harmony is a dream that Ein gave up long ago, but apparently Leroux has not and he wants his brothers help. Ein has the perfect Goth God persona. The story moves along rapidly, steadily picking up momentum for the climax. The black-and-white art has a stylized look, combining classic with free-flowing lines, creating an interesting visual story.–Melissa T. Jenvey, New York Public Library
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The flamboyant decadence of the rock music scene merges with the even more lush harmonics of grand opera in this overwrought European manga. Einblick DeLaLune is a superstar rocker with a darker-than-average secret: he is actually a centuries-old werewolf who's trying to deny his heritage and find love with a beautiful human woman. He's tired of being a monster. Unfortunately, as his unrepentant brother Leroux reminds him, changing identities is not that simple. When Ein gave up his leadership role, the werewolf tribe fell into the control of a murderous witch. Meanwhile, the equally malevolent Cardinal LaCroix has been chasing werewolves for centuries and now has the lovers in his sights. By the end of this first volume, Ein realizes that he can't avoid a supernatural battle. Steinbach's jittery, sketchy ectomorphic figures are elongated and twisted incredibly as his characters fight and cavort through Paris; it's difficult to believe that even non-human flesh could stretch that far. He does have a flair, though, for dramatic layout, massing darkness on the pages, and action scenes that are visually convincing in their immediate energy. It's a promising debut. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.