Maybe it’s because the new movie just came out on DVD, but after three consecutive weeks of Evangelion manga, I’m starting to notice a trend. Not that anyone should really be complaining about a new volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse, because, unlike some of the OTHER spin-offs of the original series, Campus Apocalypse doesn’t suck. It’s way more AU than the other manga storylines, but that’s part of what makes it work better as an alternate story. Instead of belonging to a super secret government agency, the Eva kids attend a fancypants school called the NERV Foundation Academy, and in the place of giant robots, the weapons known as Evas are manifestations of willpower that take the shape of various items. There is still tons of convoluted, dark, sinister nonsense to be had within the plotline, but it’s nice to see a variation that really rehashes a lot of the familiar things in Eva into something fresh.…not to mention the wonderful touches of shonen-ai that seem to resound between Shinji and Kaworu left and right. That’s right, girlies: our dreams have come true and all is right with the world. Just sayin’.
Another fun book coming out this week is Dance in the Vampire Bund Gaiden, which also has a pretty dark edge to it. It’s a spin-off story to the original Dance in the Vampire Bund series and explores the origins of the deadly Pied Piper virus. Dance in the Vampire Bund is a great series for those of you who are on the vampire bandwagon but are looking for something a little off the beaten path. It takes place in the modern era, where, in exchange for paying off Japan’s national debt, vampires have been designated a district to live in called the Bund. Obviously, not everybody on the planet is willing to just accept vampires into the fold, so there is a lot of tension between various factions of vampires, humans, and werewolves alike. Incorporating the horrific aspect of supernatural creatures here is definitely an interesting spin on a political action story, so if that’s your cup of tea, here’s the next thing you should be reading!
And for all of you who are persistently combing the shelves for the very few yuri titles that get brought over here, you are in luck this week as well. While Hayate x Blade isn’t a true GL manga per se, the all-female cast definitely presents a great scenario for fan goggles to do their dirty work. This week sees the second omnibus collection of this action-packed series, and it is a great one for anybody who is out looking for a fun, casual read that is rife with comedy, sword fighting and well-rounded characters. It won’t necessarily change your life, but if you want some real entertainment, come on board!
