 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | NORIHIRO YAGI | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 189 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/04/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/04/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
In a world where monsters called Yoma prey on humans and live among them in disguise, humanity’s only hope is a new breed of warrior known as Claymores. Half human, half monster, these silver-eyed slayers posses super-natural strength, but are condemned to fight their savage impulses or lose their humanity completely. In the northern town of Pieta, Clare and a force of Claymores battle a troupe of Awakened Ones to prevent them from advancing south. Their orders are to hold off the evil horde at all costs, while the Organization prepares a secret weapon. Clare and her comrades realize that theirs is a suicide mission. As their friends fall one by one, the warriors band together to make their last stand. Wow – the blood and body parts really start to fly in this one. I think the only way this series manages not to have a M for mature rating is that it does everything so cleanly and eloquently. Monstrous Yoma are cut to bits and they leave little but a bloody mist as they are dealt with by the Claymore’s uncanny abilities and feverous speed. It’s been said a million times before, but is worth repeating: The fight scenes in this series are to DIE for (haha… in a very literal sense to anything that goes up against Clare, and in a metaphorical sense to anyone lucky enough to be reading this fine series). Claymore is just great – not enough can be said for the awesome drive and sheer power of this series. It is emotional and bloody and frantic, but never without story and understandable motivations from all sides. The art is so unique and well done – I just love it. Another great thing about Claymore is that you can’t say it only appeals to males – there is plenty for the girls to go on with this series also. Claymore should have a wide appeal for many reasons – it is a top pick for sure – not one to miss! Norihiro Yagi (the author and artist of the Claymore series and more) was born in Okinawa, Japan, in 1968. He won the 32nd Akatsuka Award for his debut work, Undeadman, which appeared in Monthly Shonen Jump magazine and produced two sequels. His first serialized manga was the comedy Angel Densetsu (Angel Legend), which ran in that magazine from 1992 to 2000. His epic saga Claymore has been published in the magazine since 2001.He enjoys the comedic duo Downtown, martial arts, games, driving, and hard rock music, although not as hobbies. Seems like an interesting guy – hopefully we’ll see more from him!
IN SUMMARY:
What words could possibly sum up the sheer entertainment value that Claymore so awesomely lays out in front of us? This series is fantastic – it’s an excellent addition to the fantasy/action genre and stands out as a very unique piece of art. |
