Psyren Volume 4 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Psyren, a warped alternate dimension, might actually be near-future, post-apocalyptic Japan.  High school student Ageha Yoshina is now a Psyren drifter and can be called back to this future wasteland at a moment’s notice.  Once in Psyren, Ageha and the other Psyren drifters have to fight their way back to our world or die trying.

As Psyren, Vol. 4 (entitled Melzez Door) opens, Ageha and four other survivors: Sakurako Amamiya, Hiryu Asaga, Oboro Mochizuki, and Kabuto Kirisaki return from what was Ageha’s second journey to Psyren.  Now, Ageha has to master his incredible powers, which could destroy him and everything around him.  Enter Kagetora Hyodo – self-proclaimed strongest enhance psionist in the greater Tokyo area.

Ageha’s power, however, is the all-consuming and destroying pitch black sphere of blast energy known as Melzez Door, or so Matsuri Yagumo says.  Now, Ageha’s quest to master his powers will take him to the estate of Elmore Tenjuin, a mysterious old woman and billionaire who provides homes for psionist children, and perhaps, those five children can help him.

THE LOWDOWN:  This fourth volume of the Psyren manga is a graphic novel gift basket of interesting new characters and revelations.  If you’ve been reading the series or only read one volume, this is no time to stop.  The good just got way better.

The characters are good, but creator Toshiaki Iwashiro does not delve into them any more than he has to for them to play a part in this science fiction conspiracy.  Thus, the series relies on surprises and revelations, as well as on the anticipation of an impending call from Psyren or on looming death while trying to escape Psyren.  But this isn’t a shojo high school drama.  It is shonen high school science fiction, and the characters are nice enough that you will want to race-for-your-life with them in Psyren.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers who want to dial into danger will want to answer the Psyren call.

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