▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		TSUTOMU NIHEI
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		188
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		12/11/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		12/17/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

Noise is awesome! This manga comes from Tsutomu Nihei (Wolverine: Snikt! The Halo Graphic Novel, and science fiction epic Blame!) and it’s a tale set in the future that is rife with decay and discord. It’s actually set in the same universe as “Blame!” which is also very awesome. If you are a fan of “Blame!”- you have to read Noise. If you haven’t heard of either of these and you like science fiction and/or cyber-punk, you should be reading them today or tomorrow.

As far as the story goes, detective Musubi Susono investigates a series of child kidnappings, but before she can get to the bottom of things, her own partner is brutally murdered before her eyes. When the investigation takes a vicious turn, she is suddenly confronted by the killer in truth - and his sadistic silicon creature… his own creation.

One of the best things (of many) about Tsutomu’s work is that it leaves so much space for our imagination and our own interpretation. Just like “Blame!”, Noise is dark and otherworldly to a point where you have to stop and stare. The story flows along without giving you a lot of information to go on - but that forces you to think and guess and wonder what it could possibly mean. This book is not for someone that wants everything handed to them easily on a silver platter for their consumption - this one here is for those seeking something they won’t have experienced yet. Everything, from the visuals, to the dreamlike/nightmarish quality of the story and characters is so unique. Someone has to make a movie about the “Blame!” universe one day - done properly, it could be an instant cult classic, just as these books have become.

Noise really helps to fill out the strange world that is the “Blame!” universe, but it doesn’t require you to have read any “Blame!” to enjoy it. It’s a story setup to stand on it’s own without any issue - the way this author/artist writes and creates is so open ended that he really just drops you into a dark tunnel and has you start crawling towards the light right away - there’s not much time to think.

The art itself is beautiful and very ugly all at the same time. The world and the characters in it are all very violent, dark and machine-like. Emotion itself seems nearly dead, for anyone who could feel too much in this world would surely die of it anyhow. Faces are stark and empty and life is like a commodity - easily disposed of. The action is amazing, but the settings themselves are the true winners when it comes to the visuals. The barren, industrial landscape that looks like a giant towering maze of buildings, materials and wires is just breath taking. It really makes you think about walking around in a place much like it and how frightening and strange it would be. Cyber-punk fans - you MUST read this and you MUST read “Blame!” Give it a chance and you will see the light… or the darkness.

As an added extra, an original comic/short manga is made available in its entirety at the end of the book. It’s actually entitled “Blame” - so it must be his first work relating to the universe he would eventually create and have take off. It’s great to have an extra like this added into a book - it’s one of the best manga extras I’ve ever seen included in a book.

IN SUMMARY: 
This is a very unique work in both imagination and originality. It’s a brutal look at a possible future for mankind and a warning against expansion and out of control technology. Noise is a fantastic addition to the “blame!” universe as we know it.