Witches: The Complete Collection

Inexplicable occult powers are at work, channeled by (often scantily clad) young women, in the haunting manga short stories of Igarashi (Children of the Sea). In the mystical personal drama “Spindle,” a young Turkish girl puts an end to a spurned British woman’s attempt to exact revenge upon her former lover’s bazaar, while a Japanese schoolgirl named Hinata adventures on a remote uninhabited island in “Thief of Songs.” In “Petra Genitalix,” an experienced witch and her protégé save the world from a magical rock that causes all stone and metal to grow plants and animals. The unifying theme is witchcraft practiced as a folk discipline, though colonialism and environmentalism are also alluded to, such as with the white businessmen driving out the Indigenous South Americans in “Kuarupu.” The narratives tend to be offbeat to the point of being opaque, which may frustrate manga fans who prefer juicy plots. But even when there’s not much story to grasp, the surreal visuals and meticulous linework are what Igarashi’s known for: in “Thief of Songs,” Hinata’s body fills with plants, animals, and insects as she feels herself becoming one with the island, while in “Petra Genitalix,” Mira walks through the entirety of evolution to grab a magic stone and seal it within herself. Fans of Number 5 by Taiyo Matsumoto will want to dive into this fantastical aesthetic journey. (May )