Death Note Black Vol 1 [Paperback]

I've read the original Death Note Manga and was intrigued by this new release. The book is slightly larger than the previous releases and contains volume 1 and volume 2 of the original Manga. The content is the same but the pages are black at the edge so that when closed the entire book is black apart from the cover design. It's a very attractive book and whether this cover or the original colour covers are more attractive is a matter of opinion, Death Note is a thought provoking story and appeals to many - this release of the book looks more mature and may appeal to older readers.

Within the first few pages we are introduced to the Shinigami (Gods of Death) and to Light - the top student at his school, who regularly acheives the highest grades nationally. Ryuk the Shinigami and Light have something in common, they are bored, but when Light stumbles across Ryuk's Deathnote the two are inextricably linked and life will be anything but boring.

The Deathnote allows the owner to write the name of someone, and as long as you picture their face as you write, that person will die. You can specify a method of death, or simply leave them to have a heart attack. Initially Light questions the ethics of using such a powerful instrument, but he quickly forms his own moral code and realises that he is in a position to instil social justice on a massive scale. He has the power to remove from society all those he sees as ruining it, all those who hurt the vulnerable and pray on the innocent.

The story gets going very quickly: The first chapter establishes Light's plan to change the world for the better - chapter two shows how his actions have been noticed at a high level. The killings are all over the news and the internet, the unknown force behind the deaths has become known as "Kira" (from the English word "killer"). The G8 summit and Interpol meetings have made a point of discussing the strange sudden deaths of serious criminals and already people are starting to form polar opposite views concerning the legendary Kira. Some think that the losses of life are a good thing, that criminals being removed from society for good is no bad thing, whereas some believe that whatever force is at work - ending the lives of others is morally deplorable. Either way the cause of the deaths has to be identified before it can be dealt with, this results in the introduction of "L", a strange genius and one of the most intriguing characters I've ever seen who is tasked with coordinating the search for Kira.

Although in the first half of the book L was a mysterious figure we saw little of, in the second half L is forced to reveal himself. His eccentric mannerisms add to the magnetism of this odd character. There are moments when the book really captures the battle between him and Light, the two are formidable opponents because of their intellect and determination.

The strength of the book lies in its swift establishing of the main characters and portraying a complex moral argument in an accessable way. The cat-and-mouse chase between L and Light as L tries to find out who is behind the Kira phenomenon is gripping and intelligent. There are more twists and clever plot devices in this book than some entire Manga series have. Also, instead of this being a simple tale of good versus evil, it gets the reader to assess whether Light is right or not to become Kira. Is his power too dangerous? Is he a dangerous serial killer or a genuine force for good in the world?

With this book being larger than the originals, the incredible detail of the artwork really shows. The content overall is black and white, but there are a few bonus colour pages which weren't in the original Viz (Shonen Jump Advanced) releases and they look superb. The illustrations are more real than 'cartoony' and this helps to create more realistic characters. It's only when you look at the books that you realise how close to the source material the anime and film adaptations were in terms of style. This is a perfect book to introduce yourself to Manga if you haven't read one before, you get used to reading from right to left very quickly and the story will make this very difficult to put down.

In a nutshell: A great introduction to the start of an incredible adventure. Light and L are fantastic characters and we have only just started to scratch the surface of an epic battle between two great minds. This re-issue probably isn't worth buying if you already own the original volumes 1 and 2, but otherwise this is a great purchase. This book works out cheaper than buying the original two versions separately, it's larger, and it has some colour art which you don't get in the original. Death Note is one of the greatest Manga series ever released, this is great chance to experience it if you haven't so far.

YES! Its Death Note! Basically for the people that have not read death note I suggest you do! Enough said. anyone who knowns anything about manga will have read it, and read all of it!
Now the Black Edition. The original manga came in 12 volumes, The black edition comes in 6, so thats 2 volumes per volume (if that makes sense) so the books are nice and thick. The books are also bigger than the original manga so the artwork is much clearer and easier to read which is always a good thing. Another nice touch is that the page edges are black so when the book is closed it is completely black (black edition - black pages = I see what they did there ).
The books also contain various pieces of artwork which is nice and they look fantastic. And that's it. Its Death Note but bigger and......well Black-er. For those who have not read death note I recommend either the original box set or these as both are fun to read. If you are new to manga the Death Note Black Edition is a great place to start and you will also be reading one of the best thriller's ever written.

One last note from me, if you already own the original manga its hard to recommend this to you. I'm not sure its worth buying again because its bigger, unless you really cannot get enough Death Note.

Always fancied some manga but never got round to it until this I bought this one the other week. You totally get into the front to back reading and after a few pages it becomes automatic. This is actually very funny and a corker of a plot! Im glad I got this version as just one book (this is original 1+2 combined) would not have been enough. dive in - Ive ordered black vol 2+3 already!