Demon Slayer Graphic Novel Volume 3 cover image

It is Taisho era Japan (1912 to 1926).  Tanjiro Kamado, a kindhearted boy, sells coal in order to support his mother and four siblings.  After one particularly taxing trip to sell coal, Tanjiro returns to his home in the forest to find his family slaughtered.  He discovers that a younger sibling, his sister Nezuko, has herself been transformed into a demon by the unknown demon that killed his family.  He became a Demon Slayer to find that demon.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, Vol. 3 (Chapters 17 to 25) opens as Tanjiro continues his battle with the servants of Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon master.  Susamaru (balls) and Yahaba (arrows) prove to be quite formidable, and Tanjiro will need help from an unexpected place to defeat them.  If defeated, will these members of the “Twelve Kizuki” (demons that serve Kibutsuji) reveal secrets about their master?

Then, Tanjiro and Nezuko meet Zenitsu Agatsuma, a demon slayer who seems to be a coward.  He proves to be little to no help when they find an unusual house that is full of demons.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba manga is one of 2018's best new graphic novel series.  It is one of a group of excellent titles released by VIZ Media in 2018.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Graphic Novel 3 takes readers into the grit and determination of series hero, Tanjiro Kamado.  However, creator Koyoharu Gotouge makes sure that readers how kind and considerate Tanjiro is.  That complicates a narrative that is quite gruesome at times.  At the same time, other characters begin to show layers and textures in their personalities, another element that makes Demon Slayer a manga to read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of demon-fighting heroes will want to read the Shonen Jump title, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba.

A
9 out of 10