Murder Princess, Vol. 1 Inui, Sekihiko; Seto, Dietrich and Yamashita, Satsuki

When a mad scientist and his twin android girls kill the king of Forland in an attempted coup, Princess Alita accidentally swaps spirits with a female bounty hunter, and the two girls must struggle to keep the kingdom together.

The gut-punch title sets the reader up for violent fantasy adventure, and the book lives up to the promise in a very entertaining way. Starting right out with outrageous-looking characters acting belligerently, the title princess leads bounty hunters who resemble a skeleton child and Hellboy. It all begins when a mad scientist and his twin robot girls kill the king in an attempt to take over the kingdom. During the princess's escape, she knocks heads with a female bounty hunter, which somehow causes them to swap spirits into each other's bodies. Most readers will know whether they're interested from the premise. If it sounds like a great excuse for action comedy, it is. Full pages keep events moving at a good clip as the two girls figure out their situation, fight giant monsters and the killer twins, and struggle to keep the kingdom together. There's a fun Buffy the Vampire Slayer in frilly dress feel, especially during the well-staged splash pages (and if you're willing to overlook the occasional panty shot). Fight scenes are dynamic, and there's humor in the conflict between the princess's looks and her rough-and-tumble behavior. (May)
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