Paint It Black

It's been 300 years since the Hundred Stories clan last ran amok in Tokyo, setting the everyday citizens' imaginations on fire with their wild tales of murderous yokai. Since their first fateful clash with the Nura clan, they've been patient in setting their machinations in motion—hiding, gathering strength and fear, waiting for the day to exact revenge against the Nura clan. With rampant rumors and new ghost stories suddenly gripping the consciousness of the populace, the time is now ripe for the nefarious yokai collective to let loose and paint the town...black.

This particular volume of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is especially frenetic, as Nura's yokai clan frantically scours the city, looking for the Hundred Stories clan leaders scattered about and wreaking havoc. Building suspense through pacing is essential when dealing with multiple characters in multiple locations. A good manga artist understands this basic tenet, and Shiibashi Sensei does a masterful job of clearly illustrating the chaos enveloping Tokyo.

The Nura clan faces an almost impossible challenge—they must find and defeat all seven of the Hundred Stories clan leaders before dawn. But there's a catch, and one that'll severely handicap them: while they are out chasing the enemy, the very same civilians they are protecting are trying to hunt down Rikuo Nura because of an Internet rumor claiming that the "evil" leader of the clan must be eradicated.

Can Rikuo and his crew eliminate the rabble-rousing Hundred Stories clan? Or will they fall victim to the citizens they are so desperately trying to save?!

Find out in Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan volume 20!

by Sean Baylor