Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

 

 

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Setting:
As a steampunk, it's set in an alternate Victorian England were vampires and werewolves live alongside humans in society. I loved this setting because I love books and manga set in the Victorian Era. The characters' habits, gestures and speech is executed extremely well so the setting doesn't seem flimsy but rather is a strong base of the world. The world and the supernaturals weren't explained much but you had to pick it up which did get a tad bit confusing but since it's based off the book, I suppose there wasn't much room for that as it was based off an entire novel.

Story:
As I mentioned above, a few times I felt that the book was skimming over bits so you have to pay close attention. It was a bit awkward how they transferred the novel into manga form. But besides this (which wasn't enough to ruin it for me) the story was pretty good: there has been cases of rogue starved vampires and supernatural disappearances and Alexi is thrown into this mess and into a conspiracy against supernaturals. The sub plot with Alexi and Lord Maccon's romance was also very amusing mainly because they both were such great characters.

Artwork:
The artwork was well-done, very detailed especially the characters and the clothes and not to mention the characters' gestures and facial expressions. Although made and released in the U.S., you can tell it has was heavily influenced by Japanese manga and it's definitely not what I'd call a graphic novel. Which is why it's refereed to as Soulless: The Manga and not Soulless: The Graphic Novel.

Main Character:
Alexi is the only known Preternatural, a person without a soul and the ability to change a vampire or werewolf back to a mortal simply by touching them (though I hope I didn't mislead, she has to be touching them, if she loses contact with them they turn back). Being Soulless, as she's called, doesn't make her evil though. Alexi is a wonderful main character. She's feisty and stubborn but always polite, doesn't let what others think of her get to her and despite breaking the boundaries of the social norm, she still always keeps the appearance and behaviour of a proper lady. With a parasol at hand (awesome weapon right?) she's someone you should not think to anger. I loved Alexi's speech, as I mentioned previously, all the characters' dialogue coincides with that of the Victorian Era.

Characters:
The great characters don't just stop at Alexi. There's Lord Maccon, a werewolf and chief of the Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR), which deals with enforcement of the law concerning supernaturals, who was hotheaded and always spoke his mind. His interactions with Alexi were very humorous and I loved seeing how their dialogue and arguing played out. Professor Lyall (Lord Maccon's second in command) was one of my favourites, he was intelligent yet slightly queer and it was pretty funny seeing him deal with some of Lord Maccon's antics. Lord Akeldama, Alexi's vampire friend was a flamboyant figure who I hope to see more of! Even the characters that didn't have much of an appearance like Alexi's mother (although she was in it a lot now when I think about it) and the Queen were great characters. One thing's for sure; Soulless had a wonderful cast and they were my favourite part of this manga.

Originality:
Although vampires and werewolves as well as the Victorian Era weren't that original it definitely made it more worthwhile when these two elements were mixed together. And the idea of the 'Preternatural' was something new, plus that normal people knew of the existence of the Supernaturals (I think they did? Really wasn't quite sure there, since as I said, they didn't explain the world much).

Other Comments:
This is rated older teens but I thought I should warn you anyway: there was some nudity but definitely nothing too big as it was still strategically censored. I'm surprised they managed to pack the entire first book (as it's the adapted form of a book) so well. If you have not read the novel series (like me) then I'm sure you'll still love this (or I really hope you will) as I did. After reading the manga I know that I NEED to try The Parasol Protectorate novel series very soon. For fans of the novel series WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get a copy, like now! Can't wait to get my hands on the second volume (comes out in the fall of 2012), which is based off the second book in the novel series, Changeless (although the manga series just calls it: Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 2).

Overall:
With a cast of quirky, humorous and well-developed characters all set in this alternate Victorian Era full of supernaturals, Soulless is one manga I urge you to pick up as soon as you can.

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