Joan, Volume 2

Rating:
Summary: Part 2 in the Japanese manga epic of 15th century France
Review: The JOAN saga is that rare Japanese graphic novel in full color and boasts some of the most beautiful illustrations ever seen in the manga art form. Book I charted the progress of Emil (née Emily) of Lorraine, a 17-year-old girl, as she travels to Domremy and then Orleans as part of a mission to follow in the footsteps of Joan of Arc eleven years after the French heroine died at the stake. She tries to continue Joan's work by throwing support behind the weak King Charles VII and fighting against a coalition of nobles opposing him.

Book II begins as Emil emerges in the aftermath of a miraculous escape from the Dauphin and pushes on to Tours where she manages to meet King Charles and offer him some timely aid. To make a long story, she is assigned to visit Baron Gilles de Rais to ask for money to support Charles' cause. Emil recalls the Baron's support for Joan and thinks he'll contribute wholeheartedly, but little does she know the extent of the Baron's corruption. The story takes a slight horrific turn here as we meet the sinister young Italian whose evil influence over the Baron seems unshakable. Prelati, a self-described "warlock from Milan," is a child-killing Satanist and engages Emil in full battle for the Baron's soul, a struggle that takes up the rest of this volume. (There is some bloodshed in this section and some discussion of the Italian's barbaric practices.) There are vivid flashbacks of Joan of Arc and a vision of her at just the right moment.

This volume doesn't have the sweep of Books I and III, nor does the artwork feature as many spectacular outdoor scenes, given that most of it takes place indoors, but it's filled with highly dramatic imagery nonetheless, particularly in the scenes of Emil's perilous escapades in the Baron's sprawling castle. As usual, artist Yoshikazu Yasuhiko demonstrates a keen cinematic eye for composition and an expert use of color for particular emotional effects. If you liked Book I then you should continue with Books II and III of this epic three-volume saga.