Shin Megami Tensei Kahn

Nobu is a very troubled teenager, forced to transfer six months after his previous school disappeared into the Underworld, but school troubles fade when a demon kills his mother, and he finds himself accused of the crime and on the run from the law. Nobu's demon friend/sidekick Pixie is kidnapped by Colonel Gotoh, who is plotting to use demons to his advantage. Plot lines from early in the book are awkwardly abandoned as Nobu's former classmate Yumi has trouble at her new school and runs into even more demon-related problems. The art of the book is typical for the demon-themed anime of the 1990s, with detailed line work and grotesque monsters. Based on a 1992 Super Famicom RPG game, the events in the nine-volume series Shin Megami Tensei: Kahn are set after the videogame. The franchise spawned many sequel games, most notably the critically acclaimed but controversial Persona 3 . The book has a surprising amount of violence and nudity: nearly all the female leads appear nude, including Nobu's mother. Saeko is coerced into graphic demon lesbian sex in one very long scene. At worst, this book is a poor introduction to the “MegaTen” franchise. At best, it is a mediocre story about demons and a fast pulp read. (Feb.)