Death Note (2005)

[デスノート]

Volume 8

Author: Tsugumi Ohba
Artist: Takeshi Obata
Publisher: Jump Comics

Synopsis:
Commissioner Yagami is coerced into trading the Death Note in exchange for his kidnapped daughter.

Story/Characters:
Sayu's kidnapping tests just how far Light has fallen. He's stated a willingness to kill off his family members if they would happen to become an obstacle and maybe if he didn't think it would lead back to him, he might actually go that far. Instead we have Souichirou being put to the test again. As someone with actual moral fiber, there's real conflict for him.

What we can't get away from is Mello and Near. I've said before that I don't really like these two and Mello in particular grates a lot while he's on the page. There's more direct friction between Light and Near and although I'm not overly fond of Near's schtick, the way he gets under Light's skin at least provides some interest.

We're introduced to a new Shinigami, Sidoh, the owner of the Death Note Ryuk originally gave Light. He serves as a bit of a diabolus ex machina, which is probably why I don't like him very much. Also, being a weak-willed sadsack isn't nearly as interesting as Ryuk or Rem. Par for the course for this arc.

Art:
The art maintains the standard. We get some good shots of Light being a creep villain. The design of Shinigami King Armonia Justin is pretty cool. There's way too much of Mello's stupid face for my taste, but what can you do?

Conclusion:
Your engagement in the plot at this point will depend entirely on how much you tolerate Mello and Near. If you don't like them, it's not going to be much fun. Personally, the story starts to become a slog. I just don't find the Mello-Near dynamic that compelling and it doesn't have a patch on when L was still around. Go ahead and give it a read, but if you're not looking to complete your collection, this volume isn't worth putting down any cold, hard cash.

Rating:
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