Rebirth

(Tokyopop, 2003-2005)
™ and ©2002 Woo

Unpredictable shifts in tone in Asian comics can be fun, but, even by manga standards, this Korean vampire epic is one hard ride. The story of the centuries-old conflict between Kalutika and Deshwitat may be grim, but there’s still plenty of room for the “Ahhh, you touched me, you pervert!” school of humor that some Asians obviously find hilarious. The humor comes compliments of Remi, a cute girl who blasts evil doers with her God-derived holy kung fu.

There’s some particularly nasty monsters in Volume One, The Laknes, who resemble the excrement monster from Dogma and are described as “the traditional servants of zombies” (being a zombie sucks, so imagine what being a zombies’ administrative assistant must be like).

The forced partnership between vampire Deshwitat and evil fighter is supposed to drive the plot, but they’re just not as interesting as The Laknes; are they supposed to be folkloric Korean monsters? A helpful Author’s Note says they’re “Level 4” — a hint that Rebirth is based on a role-playing game? If so, it would go a long toward explaining the holes in the storytelling. Nice art, though.

— S.A. Bennett

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