Tegami Bachi Volume 6 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Amberground is a country locked in darkness and has only a man-made star to cast a dim light over the land.  Travel to the various cities of Amberground is made dangerous by the Gaichuu – giant insects with metal exoskeletons that infest the forests between the cities and towns.  A brave corps of messengers, called Letter Bees, risks their lives delivering letters and packages to the cities and keeping Amberground connected.  Lag Seeing is a new Letter Bee, traveling with his dingo, Niche (and her dog-thing, Steak).

In Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, Vol. 6 (The Lighthouse in the Wasteland), Lag gets more information on the whereabouts of his mentor, Gauche Suede.  Gauche now goes by the name, “Noir,” and belongs to Reverse, an anti-government group trying to bring about the downfall of Amberground.  Meanwhile, Lag comes ensnared in the heart of battered lighthouse and its troubled owner.  Next, Lag and Sylvette, Gauche’s sister, make a precious delivery, just before Lag learns the secrets of Gauche’s transformation.

THE LOWDOWN:  From the beginning, I’ve enjoyed Tegami Bachi, but thought that it would end up in a rut.  Slowly, creator Hiroyuki Asada has revealed more about this world with each chapter, and now, I realize that there is so much more to Amberground than I ever imagined.  I want to return to that world again and again.  Tegami Bachi is a science fiction drama of rich characters and heart-felt storytelling – Hallmark meets post-Apocalypse/dystopia.

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

A-