Manga
Black Butler Volume 3
By Chris Zimmerman
November 2, 2010 - 14:13

Yen Press
Writer(s): Yana Toboso
Penciller(s): Yana Toboso
ISBN: 978-0-316-08426-0
$10.99 US



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It’s a reunion of sorts as Ceil and Sebastian are tasked with hunting down Jack the Ripper, bringing the young noble into conflict with his aunt, Madam Red. As fate would have it, Red is the legendary killer, owing assistance to a chainsaw wielding grim reaper with a propensity for flirting with his opponents and spouting off the kind of dribble characteristic of a maniac. Later on, Ceil and Sebastian are paid a visit by another of his aunts, and as usual at the Phantomhive household, hilarity ensues.

The third volume is a mixed bag of sorts, offering a plethora of dramatic moments that are at times offset by the off kilter humor of the series. Madam Red is given substantial page space to attach herself to fans and make herself into a sympathetic character, for the most part succeeding in that task. Some of her back story feels forced in a way that it demands the reader feel bad for her by piling on one tragic moment after another. The main detraction of her arc however comes after her death, when lying motionless next to a downtrodden Ceil, her partner Grell is making romantic advances on Sebastian, making it unclear of what the author was going for in the first place.

That said Grell and Madam Red made for a killer pair of antagonists, injecting much needed depth into the series. While their time in the spotlight was much too short to have any lasting impact, they made for a fun challenge for the main protagonists.

Yana Toboso artwork features a mix of shojo-inspired character designs with an abundance of androgynous men, sprinkled with a hint of shonen action and a dash of gothic flare. The Victorian-era clothes are especially eye-catching, ensuring at least a passing interest for those whose first inclination toward a manga is it’s art.

The amount of entertainment one gets out of Black Butler depends on one’s expectations of the story. There are loads of compelling characters populating the pages of the series but misplaced humor threatens to derail any hopes of achieving dramatic tension.
Rating: 8/10

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