▪	RELEASED BY:		DEL REY
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		FUYUMI SORYO
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		233
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		05/29/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		10/19/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN

ES (ETERNAL SABBATH) is a manga that touches on aspects of human evolution that have recently become hot news, and strikes a cautionary note in the narration on the risks of playing with Mother Nature, casting a critical look on all too human scientists messing with the mind and body, not really knowing what’s going to come out of the mix.  Seeing the most dangerous figures in the story being children only makes the tale more chilling.  Innocent little creatures?  Not bloody likely- literally- as the death toll in this manga continues to rise.  One only wonders how it might end, considering the havoc wrought so far.

Which brings us to Volume Five.  Shuro, the handsome and enigmatic ES hot on the trail of the child monster Isaac, launches a full out attack on the homicidal boy while he sits in school, causing him to lose control and cause a bloodbath in the classroom.  While no one dies, many are injured- including Isaac- who ends up in a local hospital and seemingly open to attack by Sakaki.  Sakaki is foiled, though, when Isaac strikes back while unconscious, almost killing Sakaki in the process.  Sakaki escapes, stealing Isaac’s bloodstained shirt from beside the hospital bed for testing.  Meanwhile, Mine and Shuro’s mutual attraction becomes an open issue, and both cross much emotional territory to reach out to each other.  Mine also takes on Yuri and her mother, who has become physically abusive.  Yuri’s dog has been taken into care by Mine, and it looks before the end of the story Yuri may not be far behind as she struggles with Isaac’s monstrous ways, and the obvious antipathy felt by her mother comforts him during this period, adding more depth to their already complicated but heartfelt relationship.

Volume Five is easily as good as the previous volumes, but also a lot darker.  The overall theme in this volume is love, or the lack of it.  We see Mine and Shuro finally coming to terms with their love, both emotionally and physically.  The dog, now in a stable home is starting to experience what life in a caring environment is like.  Finally, this all expertly juxtaposed against the doomed relationship between Yuri, her mother and the latter’s own history of abuse as a child.  Isaac has often expressed his disgust with humans in terms of the fact that while Shuro was the chosen one in the lab, he was only to be the control group, dissected to analyze the success of the project. 

Shuro= loved.  Issac= not loved.

As before, the artwork is great.  Soryo handles all aspects of the narrative in this way with skill.  There is some nudity in the lovemaking scene, but it certainly no worse than anything one might have seen in prime time television.  The cinematic qualities of the images in the story represent some of the best aspects of this manga, giving it a look of maturity in design that will make this story very appealing to older readers.

Del Rey has once again included excellent translation notes that will help readers understand some of the unique cultural references that exist in the plot.  It is strongly recommended that readers consult this section, as a couple of key moments make even more sense after reading it.  Also, a preview of Volume Six is included, setting up a critical moment in the story which most certainly cannot be revealed here.

IN SUMMARY:
ES-ETERNAL SABBATH Volume Five takes love and revenge down twisted dark roads.  From the creator of MARS comes a manga chock full of images and characters that haunt you long after the last page is turned.  If you love X-FILES and other paranormal sci-fi, ES-ETERNAL SABBATH is definitely for you.