 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | TOKYOPOP | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | MEGANE KIKUYA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | ENGLISH / B&W / COLOR | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 214 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 06/04/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/08/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
The latest in the international sci-fi fantasy series, .hack//XXXX is a manga adaptation of the game and the story serves as a prequel to .hack//Legend of the Twilight. In Twilight, two players earned the avatars of Kite and BlackRose. Here in XXXX, find out how the legend of Kite and BlackRose was born! Kite is a rookie in the virtual game The World, the most popular online game ever created. A strange occurrence while playing with his friend leads to tragedy and a growing mystery. With his friend now in a coma and Kite armed with an unusual and powerful bracelet, he is determined to solve the riddle of his friend’s strange affliction. It puts him deep in the heart of The World, and nothing will ever be the same in The World ---or beyond it --- ever again! Like the previous .hack// stories, XXXX is as involving and complex as any of its predecessors. Kite is not alone on his quest for answers. BlackRose joins him, needing answers for her own personal reasons. They are joined by Mistral and meet up with the strange Elk and his unusual companion Mia. Quickly the group is beset with challenges. Whether monsters or the deadly fighter Balmung, they risk much more than hit points or game levels. Other players have fallen into mysterious comas, and a strange boy with a power similar to that held in Kite’s bracelet seems to have the answer. A prophecy of “The Cursed Wave” has the small group racing to defeat the Eight Plagues in time. But as more is revealed, one has to wonder, are they fighting on the right side? A tale filled with action, adventure and mystery, the agenda of every person they meet is questionable. A most involving story, it is rivaled by rich artwork that any fan of .hack// and fantasy can fully appreciate. The blend of sword and sorcery fantasy such one would find in World of Warcraft with sci-fi aspects of virtual game playing and deadly computer viruses is smoothly done, making for an absorbing world visually as well as mentally. The manga also includes bonus omake, a sneak preview of upcoming fall release of Fate Stay Night the manga, and eight full color pages of .hack//sign to enjoy.
IN SUMMARY:
.hack//XXXX will thrill fans of the series and game players everywhere. Fans of fantasy of World of Warcraft will love this series. |
