Manga
Black Butler Volume 7
By Chris Zimmerman
December 15, 2011 - 14:18

Yen Press
Writer(s): Yana Toboso
Penciller(s): Yana Toboso
Letterer(s): Alexis Eckerman
ISBN: 978-0-316-18963-7
$11.99 US



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Since its first printed volume, Black Butler has seen recurring arcs composed of the same beats that result in the same conclusion. The simple formula of Ciel and Sebastian investigating different cases that would be impossible to the common man only for Sebastian to pull through effortlessly has come to define every arc thus for. With the seventh volume, the series finally breaks from the mold, giving readers a story arc wrought with emotion and suspense.

The volume opens where the previous installment left off. Ciel and Sebastian attend the Noah’s Ark Circus in order to locate the children that have gone missing since the circus rolled into town. Infiltrating the troupe and have thus far been thrust into strange perils in which each performer risks their life for the sake of the performance. As time wears on, the suspicions of the troupe finally emerge, bringing them into conflict with the mastermind behind it all, Baron Kelvin. The Baron is a twisted antithesis of Ciel that brings out another side of the child aristocrat unique to his otherwise calm demeanor.

The volume ends on a nail-biting cliffhanger in which the troupe takes the fight to the Phantomhive family, giving readers a chance to finally see the servants in action. Needless to say, these are not the bumbling fools used for laughs. Hopefully, the series can maintain its momentum heading forward and break away from the redundancy that has plagued it.
Rating: 8.5/10

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