Comics / Manga

Gestalt: Volume 2

By Leroy Douresseaux
August 16, 2009 - 14:23

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

The myth of the creation of Salsaroa is a tale of eight gods and an act of betrayal so awful that the traitor is now considered a demon god.  So feared is this god that instead of speaking his name, “Gestalt,” people call him “G.”  Still, some seek him out.  One of them is Father Olivier, a priest of the Vasaria Order, who renounces his vow so that he may find G and discover the truth.

In Gestalt, Vol. 2, Father Olivier continues his journey to the land of G with three companions: Ouri, the sorceress/summoner who was a man, but is now cursed to be a woman; Suzu, a female dark elf sent by Olivier’s church to bring the priest home; and Shazan, a mysterious fortune teller who detects a demonic scent about Olivier.  This leg of the journey, however, is fraught with peril – peril brought on by his companions’ pasts.

Ouri’s siblings continue to battle her.  Sae launches her offensive in the city of Arima.  There, she uses her magical charms to enlist the aid of Nathaniel, the best bodyguard in Arima, but Nathaniel’s challenge leads to revelations about Shazan’s past.  Next, another sister, Soushi, hires her own assassins – two dark elves!

THE LOWDOWN:  While Gestalt is like an outrageous Dungeons & Dragons campaign, it is also a quest fantasy full of eccentric characters and perplexing and unexpected plot twists, and it is also a surprisingly deft comedy.  The funniness comes not from parodying high or epic fantasy, but rather from humorous situations and from characters whose self-centeredness gets the better of them.  Initially, I was only interested in this series to see the god, G, but now I think these idiots-abroad characters are worth following.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of quest fantasy may want to give Gestalt a try, both for the characters and for the wiry, elfin line of Yun Kouga’s art.

B+

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12