Allen's on the run from pretty much everyone and their grandmothers, friend and foe alike! Falsely convicted of murder by his former allies and caught in the middle of several overlapping schemes to turn the tide of the war, it's all he can to keep himself sane and his friends safe! The latest volume of D.Gray-man has hit the shelves at last, and business is going DOWN.

While the Black Order had previously charged Allen Walker with the murder of Howard Link, things have taken as surprising twist since then. It turns out that after Link's fight with Apocryphos, the sinister Rouvelier had actually falsified reports. And now he's begun secret mission to influence Allen, though God only knows (perhaps literally) what the endgame plan may be. 

Elsewhere, Jonny and Kanda have finally reconnected with the wayward Allen, yet all is not well. Nea, the Fourteenth Noah, is emerging from within his psyche, and he has no plans to burden himself with hangers-on...at least, not living ones.

The situation becomes even direr with the return of Apocryphos, who also wants to get a shot at Allen on his own terms. This independent Innocence will stop at nothing in its goals, no matter how high the body count rises...And worst of all, only Allen, Link and the Noahs are even aware that he exists!

Now it's a free-for-all and five different groups are out to get to Allen: the Noahs, Apocryphos, the Black Order, Rouvelier, and his friends, Jonny and Kanda. All this while fighting off a homicidal monster from behind his own eyes...get ready to multi-task, Allen!

The art of D.Gray-man remains both very distinctive and one of the manga’s strongest points. The gothic design motifs are as cool as ever, giving the world an eerie, larger-than-life feel. The costumes, designs and backgrounds are also beautifully crafted. (Of course, Hoshino-sensei's style has changed a lot over the years—pick up a few of the previous volumes and compare with this one to see just how much!)

Speaking of change, the characters themselves have also done a lot of growing. Kanda's character has been the most dynamic, having come off his high horse at last...at least as far as Allen's concerned. For all the times he and Allen have butted heads, it's very sweet to see that he was one of only two people who returned to help in his hour of need. Jonny's also graduated just being Allen's most vocal fan-boy, and is now a full-fledged member of the team! (Though he still has a lot to learn about contributing effectively…)

This volume also treats us to a few more hints about the Noahs, and the event that led the Fourteenth to rebel against the rest. His attempt to kill the Noah Clan is especially bizarre when you recall that the rest of the Noahs are every inch the happy and loving family (that just happens to be destroying mankind). It's hard to guess what could have caused such a massive schism...Could it be that there's more to these goofy psychos than we'd ever thought before?

Yet it seems Allen may face an even greater struggle than his own demons, inner or outer. Those following D.Gray-man have seen the series go on hiatus multiple times, but let's all give a cheer for this dedicated mangaka as she fights to continue drawing her crazy-yet-totally-awesome adventure. Here's to Volume 25—we'll be here whenever it's ready!

You can pick up volume 24 of D.Gray-man right here! 

by Chris Turner