Shadow Star Volume 4: Nothing but the Truth Paperback – April 21, 2003

I've said this a million times before, and I'll say it again: Mohiro Kitoh's Shadow Star series is one of the best manga I've ever read. From one of the most unique and haunting plots imaginable to beautiful artwork and emotionally wrecked characters you grow attached to, the whole series is one wild ride that no self-respecting manga fan will want to miss.After the death of Komori Tomonori, one of the many malicious youths controlling deadly aliens called shadow dragons, and the arrival of a mysterious new being who attacked local jet pilots, there's obviously a pretty grandoise story weaving itself. Just when you thought there couldn't be any more twists and turns, Takeo Tsurumaru, one of the two older teenage boys who disappeared from heroine Shiina Tamai's summertime plane flight, shows up at the local hospital in volume 3. Determined to chase him down and find out his plans, headstrong Shiina and her reclusive friend Akira Sakura, both of whom possess shadow dragons, follow him and meet up with Norio Koga, the other boy suspected missing. After Shiina tells them not to do anything "bad" or they'll regret it, another new character is introduced. Behold 18-year-old Sudo Naozumi, a stoic dragon bearer and friend of the late Komori who rescues Akira from a skirmish with the cops by means of shameless grand theft auto.These three new characters had been shown in a few brief scenes before, but now we see more of their personalities and, in the case of Takeo and Norio, the possibility that they may have something to do with the origin of the dragons themselves--for tons of puppets and parts of unearthly creatures are scattered about their warehouse home, including a figure that looks oddly similar to the angel creature introduced in volume 3. The mystery just keeps getting deeper, and while you may wonder how it can all be resolved, there are eight more volumes to go, so kicking back and simply enjoying becomes an easy task.These three separate groups of dragon bearers (Sudo, Komori, and two other high schoolers from book 2 named Satomi and Kazuyuki; Takeo and Norio; Shiina and Akira) finally start to converge in this volume, and when they find themselves packed tight with insightful writing and fresh artwork, there's a horizon for Shadow Star that shines brighter and brighter no matter how gruesome its content becomes.