Comics / Manga

D•N•Angel: Volume 12

By Leroy Douresseaux
August 27, 2009 - 12:42

D N Angel Volume 12 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Fantasy/Romance; Rated “T” for “Teen-Age 13+”

Whenever 14-year-old Daisuke Niwa was near Risa Harada, the girl he loved, a genetic condition caused him to transform into the infamous phantom thief, Dark.  Now, Daisuke is in love with Risa’s twin sister, Riku, but Dark still shows up when Daisuke is in trouble.  Satoshi Hiwatari, who goes to the same school as Daisuke, can transform into Dark’s enemy, Krad.  The middle school students belong to families that have been fighting each other for centuries: Daisuke to the Niwa family of thieves and Satoshi to the Hikari family of artists.

In D•N•Angel, Vol. 12, Daisuke must rescue Risa from Argentine, a mysterious figure hunting Dark.  Daisuke accepts from assistance Satoshi, his longtime rival.  Are the two of them up to the challenge of infiltrating Argentine’s trap-filled, crumbling tower fortress?  Meanwhile, Risa discovers that Argentine is a complex person and not just a villain.

THE LOWDOWN:  Not knowing much about D•N•Angel, I was reluctant to start reading it with the 12th volume.  Once I ignored the series’ internal mythology, which I had trouble grasping from what little the narrative was giving me, I was actually able to enjoy this as a character story about young people struggling with the weight of their ancestors and creators’ conflicts and conspiracies.  I like creator Yukiru Sugisaki’s art which she composes in large panels; she then fills with close-ups and shots of her characters heads (which are all rather big).  I wouldn’t mind visiting D•N•Angel again.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  An easy to read shonen manga, D•N•Angel will appeal to male teens and other readers that are into action/fantasy oriented shonen.

B

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12