Age Rating: 16+
Genre: Horror
Price: $12.95
The Year is 12,090AD, and what little is left of humanity has finally crawled out from the ashes of war and destruction. From the darkness of fallout, mutants and a race of vampires known as the Nobility have spawned. They rule the weak with no remorse. Once bitten by a Nobility, one is cursed to become a member of the undead. Villagers cower in fear, hoping and praying for a savior to rid them of their undying nightmare.
Enter D - a lone, mysterious vampire hunter, sought out by the desperate Doris Lang. Bitten by the vampire lord Count Lee, Doris is destined to her unholy fate... Can D deliver her from her curse and bring her to salvation, or will she forever be part of the unholy dead?
If you read only one vampire title this year, make it this one. Vampire Hunter D delivers a compelling story with strong characters. Once you start reading, you won't want to put it down until the end, and even then you'll be hungry for more.
It's not that the story is original. A damsel in distress seeks a knight to save her from a dire fate. But like all good stories, it's the way the it's told, and the characters that make it so compelling. Doris is no weeping willow. She is strong willed and ready to do whatever it takes to escape her fate. D, the mysterious hunter, is the strong, silent type. A loner and good looking, his actions speak more for him than his words. Count Lee is the main villain, seeking only to satisfy his lust, as is the human villain, Greco, though he is more for the comedy relief.
The main attraction for this story is of course D. Being a Dhampir, half-human, half-vamipre, he is accepted by neither. He rides alone, dispatching vampires that threaten humans. But he has a good heart, as we seen in the scenes where he helps around Doris' ranch, and encourages her little brother Dan to be strong for her sister. But, he's got skills too. Just his aura is enough to intimidate. Add his bishonen looks and even female monsters are at his mercy. With his sword, he fights off werewolves and mutants hired by Count Lee and his daughter Larmica. Nothing can keep him down for long. Not even a stake through the heart! D is the perfect hero for men and women alike.
Of course there is a fair amount of fanservice in here. The women are proportioned like barbie dolls, and dressed in clothes that barely contain their breasts. But this is easily forgiven as it isn't dwelled on. There is some fully frontal nudity and almost a sex scene, but it isn't gratuitous.
The story paces itself nicely, introducing all of the characters and their motives before throwing down the big action. Only once was I bothered by a scene change that seemed to come out of nowhere. Otherwise, everything moved in a natural progression, and at just the right pace to keep you from wanting to put the book down for long. Having both Doris and Larmica fall for D was a little annoying, but at least they both get over it, and give us a satisfying ending.
The art fit very well too. The artist, Saiko Takaki was chosen by the writer of the original novels, Hideyuki Kikuchi himself. It keeps the feel of the Yoshitaka Amano's cover art, while developing a manga style of it's one. Admittedly, it does seem rushed and sloppy at times, but overall it works well.
10