I'm no expert on manga. But I know what I like.

Marvel's New Mangaverse is about as far from the "real" Marvel Universe as you can get. The copy of Rings of Fate that fell into my hands apparently comes after a great deal of backstory in previous volumes, but even without that background material, I enjoyed the tale.

Things are going badly for the costumed set in the Mangaverse. Spider-Man and Spider-Woman (Mary Jane has powers?), a pair of young ninjas from the Spider Clan, are among those dodging a worldwide assault on heroes. And this isn't some half-hearted effort by cackling villains; the good guys here are dying in droves. New allegiances are forming, new heroes are rising from the ashes and, through it all, the main characters maintain the cheerful and perky enthusiasm that marks a lot of the manga I've seen.

Of course, being manga, the women are all small-bodied, big-breasted and possibly underage, but hey, if you don't like that sort of thing don't pick up a book with the word "manga" on the cover.

This Mangaverse will never replace the main and Ultimate Marvel universes in popularity, I think, but it's fun, refreshing and, dare I say it, cute. It's a nice change, a treat to read and I certainly wouldn't mind coming back for another visit.

by Tom Knapp
Rambles.NET
5 May 2007