Manga Review: Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives Volume One

[Jason]

Title: Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives
Volume: One
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Artist: Rem
Genre: Shojo, Romance
Published By: Tokyopop
Rating: Teen (13+)
Price: $7.99/US

This is an American manga based off a young adult vampire series, one that hits literally every vampire cliché I know of. Apparently, that doesn’t put off young readers though, since the novel series is several books in. However, to be honest, while this is a cliché fest, it’s still mildly entertaining. The manga managed to put me off in the first two pages by introducing us to the characters, spoiling the first chapter entirely. These types of character summaries are better left to later volumes to refresh returning readers, rather than slap new readers with unnecessary exposition that we’re about to learn on our own in a matter of a few pages.

So, we have your perquisite Goth girl, Raven, who is in love with the gorgeous Alexander, who in her gothy little heart she knew just had to be a vampire and she wants him to make her his undead lover (see what I mean about the clichés?). The opening pages cover that history. The real meat of the story starts at the picnic in the cemetery with Alexander. We get a bit of Alexander’s past and his running battle with his cousin Claude. Claude is only a half-blooded vampire and he wants what Alexander has.

For some reason, no one has noticed the four freshly dug graves and empty coffins, and I do mean no one. Not even a few days later, while Raven and her friend Becky are doing the high school thing. You’d think someone would notice outside of Raven and Alexander, but no. Becky does her best to give Raven normal stuff to do, and Raven does get off a few riffs on the popular cliché girls (who naturally find her Goth attire something to pick on). While an otherwise smart girl, Raven doesn’t see the wisdom in Alexander’s warnings to stay away from the cemetery and naturally that’s where the trouble starts. Alexander’s past is out to haunt him.

For all it’s cliché, Vampire Kisses isn’t a bad read overall. It should do well with its target audience, teenaged girls. Raven and Alexander are interesting enough to rise, just slightly, above their everyman vampire backdrop. The art is very pretty, and naturally, the only sound effects are in English. Raven’s Goth clothes are fun and Alexander is handsome in that girlie way. Be warned, this manga is light on the page count, barely making it to the 100-page mark, and another few dozen are dedicated to how the manga was made, the preliminary art galleries and a chapter of one of the novels. Well, at least Alexander doesn’t sparkle.

Reviewer: D.M. Evans
Proofer/Editor: Lissa Pattillo