Manga Review – Black Butler Vol 2 by Yana Toboso (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Teen
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: May 18, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0316084253
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Black Butler series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the second volume in the Black Butler series and it was even better than the first. There is some mystery and some humor and of course a lot more Ceil and Sebastian.

The London season is waning but a new terror is stalking the streets of London in the dark hours; the terror is only known as Jack the Ripper. Ciel Phantomhive is summoned to London by the Queen to solve the mystery behind Jack the Ripper and clean up the mess this killer has left behind. Of course Sebastian travels with him. Can Ciel handle the truth behind the mystery he solves?

There are a million things I am loving about this series. I love the action, the mystery, the humor and the characters. There are some truly hilarious scenes throughout; I especially enjoy poor Ciel being forced to dress up as a lady and dodge his betrothed. I also really enjoyed Sebastian’s quite un-demon-like obsession with cats.

We learn a bit more about how Sebastian came to serve Ciel and about Sebastian’s abilities. We are also introduced to some new and intriguing characters; Madam Red, Lau, and Grelle. Of course we also meet The Undertaker who is one of my absolute favorite characters…he is so odd and strangely omniscient.

I love how the Jack the Ripper mystery is tied into the demonic theme of this book. There are some well done unexpected twists and turns throughout the story.

I also adore the illustration throughout; there is so much wonderful detail and it’s very easy to follow. It’s just an absolute pleasure to read and thoroughly enjoyable. There are also some slightly twisted innuendos throughout, that adults will get and giggle about (and maybe feel a little bad about noticing) but younger readers will probably miss.

Overall I am absolutely loving this manga. It’s a wonderful balance of beautiful illustration, action, humor, mystery, and supernatural elements. The story is full of wonderful characters and unpredictable twists. Highly recommended to manga fans who enjoy a paranormal plot with some quirky and hilarious characters.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge