Review by C.J. Bunce
In the manga The Raven Dark Hero, writer Tonkye and artist Akira Mitsuya introduce an alternate vision of Earth, where the planet is overtaken by grotesque creatures called the Phenom in the year 2025. Luckily at the same time humans begin to exhibit supernatural powers that allow them to defeat the aliens. But these powers aren’t exhibited by everyone. Those with powers who use them for good are caled Specialists, and those who use them for evil are known as the Rilz. Those powers are part of evolved humans–some get them, some don’t. Teen student Kouki Suo dreamed of saving the world as a young boy. He trained himself in martial arts and protected his friend from bullies in preparation for his future as a superhero. Only those powers didn’t arrive. They did arrive for his best friend Hiro Sanada. Fans of supernatural and action-thriller manga tales are introduced to Kouki and his school mates in the first volume of The Raven Dark Hero, available now in its first English translation from Titan Manga here at Amazon, with the second volume coming next year and available for pre-order now here.
It’s understandable that Kouki would have an inferiority complex. The friend he protected and grew up with, hearing about his own plans for the future, suddenly gets to live 0ut his dream. Kouki shrugs off his friends and gets into fights.
His goal is to eventual leave school and join the National Defense Force. It’s the last straw when Hiro tells him that he’s been accepted in the N.D.F. long before most powered humans would be considered.
But is the N.D.F. all its cracked up to be? Maybe those powered people aren’t really doing all the good they can. And maybe the corrupted system has flipped the script as Kouki realizes he is exhibiting not only one power, but several.
Citizens are required by law to register their abilities, and Kouki is pursued by the N.D.F. when he doesn’t comply.
The book was originally published in 2023 in Japan. Volume 1 of this first English edition was translated by Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements with new lettering by Tom Williams.
This first volume is primarily the world-building and introduction of characters, including a shapeshifter in the form of a wolfman, and a black knight called the Demon King, who is the boss of Black Dream, the world’s premiere crime organization. We also meet a teen named Fuuka Mizutani, a new student at Kouki’s school who Kouki admires from afar.
It’s all leading up to Kouki needing decide who he’ll use his powers to support–and it’s not merely a question of good or evil, but whether the current government is serving its people. Don’t miss the first volume of The Raven Dark Hero. Order it from Elite Comics, your local comic shop, or get it here at Amazon now. The second volume is available for pre-order here.
