Death Note (2006)

[デスノート]

Volume 11

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

Synopsis:
Near travels to Japan to bring the endgame to Kira.

Story/Characters:
In this penultimate volume of the main story, we see all the pieces getting put in place for the final confrontation. Poor Aizawa is having a rough time of it and the way Near treats him managed to tick me off quite a bit. Yes, Light's the mass-murdering psychopath but it's Near who gets on my nerves. Speaking of Near, it really feels like he's gaining the upper hand here and you may wonder just how much that's earned. Then again, Light is the one using a magic murder notebook, so we can't speak too much of fairness. Having Misa butt heads with Takada was amusing. It's a bit of a shame that more doesn't come of it.

There's quite a bit of punch to the ending, a swerve you probably won't see coming. It does help put you on the edge of your seat, which is always nice.

Art:
Obata's work is as good as you'd expect. Misa's screentime makes for some amusing panels.

Conclusion:
While this is a solid continuation of the story that ratchets up the suspense for the finale, there'd be more tension if we actually had Near sweating a little. It feels like the deck is stacked and that saps some of my enthusiasm. It's still worth reading, though.

Rating:
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