Claymore Vol. 11

Rating T+ Genre manga Author Norihiro Yagi Publisher VIZ Media

In a world where monsters called Yoma prey on humans and hide among them in disguise, a small hope for humanity rises out of the Organization.  A new breed of warrior known as Claymores, half woman, half monster, these blond-haired, silver-eyed champions posses inhuman power, but their humanity is in a constant struggle with the savage impulses that belie the source of that power.

Sent to the town of Pieta, Clare and a band of Claymores battle a group of Awakened Ones to stop their advance south. They are to hold off the evil horde by any means necessary, while the Organization prepares its trump card. Clare and her companions soon realize that theirs is a suicide mission.  Rigardo, the Silver-Eyed Lion King, has already torn through the Claymores assembled at Pieta, leaving Clare, Deneve, and Helen to desperately try and protect Miria. To do this, Clare finds herself pushed beyond her limits, but what is to stop her from fully awakening? As the situation in Pieta reaches its end, the Organization rushes to prepare its #1 warrior to face the horde approaching them. A second horde heads towards Riful and Daug, while Isley goes after Luciela, the third Creature of the Abyss. All the while Raki remains unaware and Galatea learns a lot more than she ever cared to know.

Ok, this manga has grown on me.  I started reading it and wasn’t really impressed by the artwork.  Most of the faces tend to look the same, as do the expressions, especially with the females.  However, I kept on reading and found that I was drawn into the story by the clean and eloquent action scenes and the desire to know what the heck is going on and what will happen next.  Yes, maybe the facial art could use some work, but the creative, elegant, and even grotesque, forms of the Yoma and the Claymores more than makes up for it later on.

As for the story itself, it is told with a mastery of conveyed emotions. You can feel the bond between the Claymores, the mystery and untrust surrounding the shadowy figures of the Organization. The loss of a character hits you just as keenly as if you were there.  Rage, hate, love, desperation, they are all there and more than the artwork itself are the very tools the author uses to pull you into the story.  This is a very bloody and action-filled series, which is awesome in and of itself, but with the added intricate plot slowly being revealed and the characters becoming more real and fleshed out, volume eleven does not disappoint.  I can not wait to see what happens next.