Fate/Zero, Volume 1

May 23, 2016
Seven humans have been chosen by the Holy Grail to fight a war through familiars who happen to be legendary figures from history, including King Arthur and Alexander the Great. But these avatars are not what you'd expect: Arthur's an iron-willed woman and Alexander is a mighty bear of a man. As the players meet their masters and the chess pieces assemble for battle, bonds are forged and tested, with betrayals imminent. Based on the popular dark anime, this is a fairly standard commercial manga adaptation: it's got pretty art but lacks true artistic initiative. Some characters are extremely generic, forcing the few who are genuinely alluring to carry the story. The plot is confusing and frantic; a lot happens, but a main character is frustratingly hard to find. Older teens will enjoy the action, and its momentum makes the reader curious for the continuation, but the book fails to improve upon the anime's flaws and instead has carried them over to the page with the unfortunate addition of stiff dialogue.