Twin Star Exorcists Graphic Novel Volume 13 cover image

Rokuro Enmado did not want to be an exorcist, but he met a mysterious girl named Benio Adashino.  This 14-year-old was serious about being an exorcist, and she wanted to fight the monstrous creatures called Kegare.  Because their destinies are intertwined, Rokuro and Benio are called the “Twin Star Exorcists.”  They are fated to marry... and to conceive the “Prophesied Child.”

As Twin Star Exorcists, Vol. 13 (Chapters 45 to 48) opens, the final matches of “the Hadare Castle Imperial Tournament” begin.  Rokuro is determined to win his match against Mitosaka family head, Twelve Guardian Azure Dragon, Kankuro Mitosaka.  Mitosaka, however, has been holding back his greatest power (“the Dragon Swallow Technique”), and Rokuro refuses to accept victory if Mitosaka won't use that power.  But a dark secret keeps Mitosaka in check...

Later, Shimon Ikuraga, “the Twelve Guardian Vermillion Bird,” takes on Unomiya Family head, Tenma Unomiya.  Tenma has an even darker secret that affects him.

[This volume includes bonus art and text.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Twin Star Exorcists manga is usually in a constant state of flux, as creator Yoshiaki Sukeno introduces new characters and new subplots at a steady rate.  On the other hand, there are times when the story is about the fight between characters we already know.

Twin Star Exorcists Graphic Novel Volume 13 digs deeply into battles in which colleagues test each other.  Sukeno offers personal histories and back stories, and those make the battles depicted within this volume matter in ways that other fights in this series do not.

Tetsuichiro Miyaki (translation) and Bryant Turnage (English adaptation) make the flashbacks and histories riveting, chilling, and poignant.  They are so good to read that even battle manga fans will prefer the histories.  When it is time for battle, however, letterer Stephen Dutro delivers some explosive word balloons and fonts.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action-fantasy, shonen manga will want to try the “Shonen Jump” manga, Twin Star Exorcists.

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8.5 out of 10