Tegami Bachi Volume 5 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Amberground, a country locked in darkness, has only a man-made star that casts a dim light over the land.  Travel to the various cities of Amberground is made dangerous by the Gaichuu.  These giant insects with metal exoskeletons infest the forests between the cities and towns.  There is, however, a brave corps of messengers, called Letter Bees, who risk their lives delivering letters and packages to the cities.  They keep Amberground connected, and this is the story of Lag Seeing, the newest Letter Bee, and his dingo, Niche (and her dog-thing, Steak).

As Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, Vol. 5 (The Man Who Could Not Become Spirit) opens, Lag Seeing is in the town of Honey Waters.  There, he seeks out “the Man who Could Not Become Spirit,” who may have information on Lag’s mentor, Gauche Suede.  Lag finds a conspiracy, a pair of misfits, and clues about the missing Gauche.  As he gets closer to Gauche, Lag also discovers Reverse, an anti-government group trying to bring about the downfall of Amberground.

THE LOWDOWN:  Although it is a superb read, Tegami Bachi seemed like it could end up being a one-note fantasy, but it hasn’t.  Creator Hiroyuki Asada continues to broaden the internal mythology of this series with practically every chapter.  The introduction of Reverse, which is essentially the opposite of the Letter Bees, offers a wellspring of conflict and intrigue, if Asada executes this well.  Thus far, he has.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Anyone looking for a comic book to give as a gift to a young reader will not go wrong with Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee.

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