Death Note, Volume Two

Light ups the creepy factor and L gets directly involved in Volume Two of the Death Note manga!

plot summary

Light has hit his stride in offing his opponents, and he’s become more coldblooded in the ways he deals with his enemies. He strikes a huge blow to L’s investigation and has positioned himself so he’s more fearsome than ever.

As Light grows increasingly more confident in his abilities to dodge the police and turn them against L, L must try to regain the confidence of the NPA. He puts himself at grave risk to to gather their trust back and to keep the NPA moving forward in capturing Kira.

But Light has much more than L to worry about now. Light’s maneuvering has put into motion the involvement of an unlikely but highly talented detective; that of a bereaved fiancée of one of Light’s victims!

review

Death Note is an intelligent read, showcasing the fuzzy nature of good and evil, yet still has an exciting edge. Light’s sinister use of logic in getting what he needs, is frightening to watch. Instead of figuring out ways to curb world hunger or stop poverty, the kid’s using his brilliance to kill good people who are in his way of world domination. Some people may side with Light and his methods of achieving world peace, but peace brought by the sword will usually end the same way.

The pacing for Volume Two was slower than the first volume of the manga. The time Light spent dealing with one of the characters who opposed him felt too drawn out. Yes, it’s a dangerous situation, yes this person can unravel all of Light’s designs, but please, can we get this manga moving?

Aside from the lingering nature of one of Light’s dealings, the manga still entertained and elicited emotions. Right now, I despise Light. Not many manga can claim they draw such strong feelings from me. Light’s gotta go down, and I’m waiting for L to take that scary kid out.

Character Development

Light is growing ever more creepy. His viscous joy in killing those who oppose him is beyond the satisfaction of one trying to make the world a better place. It’s quickly escalated into a sick game he plays for his own sense of empowerment. Any sympathy I felt for Light’s cause went out the window after page 30.

L also is playing a game, but at least he doesn’t delude himself the way Light does. That honesty, as opposed to the sociopathic lies Light tells himself and Ryuuk, makes L an approachable character.

Ryuuk, the ultimate bystander in all of this, is the only one who seems to have any neutrality, but Light’s manipulations will undoubtedly draw the shinagami into the mix sooner or later, and my bet is sooner.

Conclusion

Light is a frightening character, the kind too subtle to be suspect, but the kind we hear about after they’re caught and the bodies accounted for. Just because he kills with a pen and a desire to do good, doesn’t make him a tainted hero, but a cowardly sicko. Any manga which engages people on a level like this and makes us rethink the boundaries of what’s right and wrong isn’t bad at all.

Rating

Death Note, Volume Two gets 3 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Viz Media
• Release Date:November 1, 2005
• Retail Price:$7.99
• Paperback: 200 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421501694
• ISBN-13:978-1421501697