DARK ANGEL: Book 1

Far above the world of humans, among misty mountain peaks ringed with clouds, the Phantom Saints hold sway. This story opens with a battle between the Phantom Saint of the Red Phoenix and his protege, Dark, who has trouble besting his mentor. Dark finally succeeds when he takes Red Phoenix's advice and, in Oedipal fashion and with the Red Phoenix's full consent, strikes down the reigning saint. Dark, a confused 14-year-old, must bear the guilt and responsibility of the murder; he has become the new Phantom Saint of the Red Phoenix. Now the adventures really begin. While journeying to neutral territory, the befuddled Dark trespasses on the realm of the Phantom Saint of the Blue Dragon, setting up the book's second half. The penalty for trespassing is death, so readers are again treated to scenes of battle in a barren mountaintop wilderness. The Blue Dragon team has its own back story, involving secret love and reincarnation, so there's plenty of dialogue between sword blows. At its core, this work is a series of battle scenes strung together with some tasty mythology. While Asamiya's heroes are standard-issue manga characters, his rocky landscapes are truly masterful, evoking a world where the winds howl and nothing grows. When Dark makes a final mistake and is sentenced to wander without his identity-proving sword, the hostility of his universe is unmistakable. Asamiya has created a world any battle-loving manga fan should enjoy. (Mar.)