3 out of 5

Definitely a volume 1.  In the US comic format, until you’ve gotten to Moore-like reputability, when you can sell a comic on name alone, first issues normally have a “hook” for their reader.  This can amount to a very clear and quirky elevator pitch, or eyeball-grabbing visuals, or a headline-worthy cliffhanger, or etcetera and etcetera; the point being that we like to – or marketing caters to the demographic that likes to – be forcefully dragged to a second issue, and so on, at least until the end of a trade’s worth of material.  It’s the comic book equivalent of a catchy music single.

Other countries tend to write a bit differently; just as you can observe the film / TV industry and note cultural trends, the same is absolutely true in comics.  And I find that a lot of manga – though arriving with a boatload of style and intent – takes its time to tell a story.  And its not exactly done as a world-building move, but rather because, I think, the “hook” for Asian readers is its own thing.  Your title can be a certain genre (sports, cyberpunk) and then as long as you artfully hit certain earmarks – bearing in mind these titles are, I believe, initially serialized in weekly or monthly mags – you’ve earned yourself a run for next week.  This is simplified to the point of ignorance – and skips over the apparent insanely demanding nature of that biz – but it results in stories that can circle around a bit before “confirming” they’ll be sticking around.

Certain tales make more of an impact from the get-go, but a lot fall into – womp – Dead End territory, where a general tone and characters are established, and then we just have to wait for a bit.  So Lucy falls naked from the sky and Shirou lets her crash on his couch.  He crushes on her but their relationship isn’t seen to go there, focusing more on an emotional connection; like a lot of boys stricken by the beauty of naked pretty girls, Shirou’s brain goes happy and he starts to see the world in a new way.  Dead End’s introductory chapter is a pleasant rom-com, with the slight oddball affect of Lucy’s appearance.  But by chapter 2, Lucy has disappeared, a man throws Shirou out a window and then explodes, he gains Matrix skills, and a random dude shows up and tasks him with getting a small group of friends together – friends he wont remember, won’t remember him, but is assured are friends – to stop some coming \Big Bad.  The sudden changeup is exciting, but once the “quest” format is established, the curtain stops drawing back a bit; this is about the book’s midway point, and is where we start to wait to see if there’s any more to the story.  (…Which we’ll be waiting until at least volume 2 to figure out.)

Manabe’s art is very sketchy, almost to the point of sloppiness, but never feels unintentional, and the panel direction is clear.  If you’re used to more detailed manga, the looseness here probably wont appeal, but felt the unpredictable squirreliness of the linework and lettering kept what might have otherwise been mundane talking head scenes interesting, and Manabe employs an interesting time-jumping intercutting on occasion that’s interestingly emotionally subtle versus the more overt “gotta make of life what you want” message.

Not the most grabbing first volume, but certainly sewn enough threads to keep me reading.