Comics / Manga

Orange Crows: Volume 1

By Leroy Douresseaux
February 21, 2009 - 07:31

Orange Crows 1 cover image is courtesy of Anime Castle Books.

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

Orange Crows is a new OEL manga title (original English language manga or manga not originating in Japan) from writer James Perry II and artist Ryo Kawakami.  Five years ago, a young witch named Cierra Pensblood committed grave crimes against the witches of the district where she lived.  Cierra had tried to create her own magic, and her unlawful research earned her exile to the Wilderness, a barren wasteland that is home to witch-devouring Fairies and other Forsaken witches – some quite bloodthirsty.

In Orange Crows, Vol. 1, Cierra has been called home, which she soon discovers has changed so very much.  Cierra also finds herself a virtual slave to her old friend Natalie “Natty” Batsgrave, who was hurt during the disastrous experiment that caused Cierra’s banishment.  Natalie is distant with her old friend, but that’s not Cierra’s biggest problem.  Cierra’s dark side is about to reveal itself.

THE LOWDOWN:  While TOKYOPOP usually makes news for its internal issues, the manga, book, and graphic novel publisher continues to release wonderful original comics and graphic novels that are influenced by Japanese comics (manga).  An imaginative fantasy/drama that takes its conceptual and visual cues from modern fantasy fiction, Orange Crows certainly seems as if it belongs on the shelf next to a Harry Potter, a His Dark Materials, or a Spiderwick Chronicles.

Artist Ryo Kawakami captures in pictures the screwy, oddball nature of the concept, but the story is much darker than it seems on the surface.  Kawakami is certainly capable of pulling off the comedy, the fantasy setting, and the harder edges of series.  Towards the end, there is a sequence in which Kawakami muddles the art to the point that it is somewhat difficult to understand what’s going on and who’s doing it for several pages, but that’s a minor glitch.

Scribe James Perry has something good going on here, as each page generally makes the story more intriguing.  This is magical like a good fantasy and also edgy, bordering on darker fantasy.  I hope Orange Crows lives up to its promise, although I have to say that I’m not crazy about the title, "Orange Crows."

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers of prose fantasy who will give comic books a chance might like Orange Crows.

A-

 

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51