Comics / Manga

Yumekui Kenbun Nightmare Inspector: Volume 8

By Leroy Douresseaux
June 9, 2009 - 21:54

Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Inspector Volume 8 is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

When people come to the Silver Star Tea House, they order more than just a cup of tea. They also come looking for Hiruko, who is a “Baku,” or dream eater.  Like a special private investigator, Hiruko will discover the mysteries behind his customers’ worst nightmares.  His asking price is that he gets to eat those nightmares.

Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Inspector, Vol. 8 offers a full slate of customers struggling with the ghosts of their pasts.  First, a young customer begs Hiruko to help him discover why he wants to murder an old friend, but does he really understand his feelings?  Then, a young man trying to alleviate his sister of her suffering sets a trap for Hiruko.  Next, a young woman is haunted by the ghost of a companion who drowned because of her, but is she sure of the ghost’s identity?  Finally, a fashionable salon owner seeks help in dealing with a troublesome customer.

THE LOWDOWN:  With each volume, I become more certain that Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Inspector is the new Sandman.  Working obsessively with the themes of family dysfunction and personal regret or dissatisfaction, creator Shin Mashiba invents an awe-inspiring series of dramatic scenarios, each one surprisingly unique considering they share common themes.  This isn’t mere escapist fantasy, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  However, the fantasy story is the medium by which Mashiba explores the selfishness in the human soul that masquerades as compassion, but isn’t the real deal.  Plus, with that gorgeous art, Mashiba creates imaginative landscapes that defy… well, imagination.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of The Sandman (Vertigo/DC Comics) and of imaginative fantasy that takes readers to mysterious realms will enjoy Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Inspector.

A

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12