Culdcept

(Tokyopop, 2004-2005)
™ and © 2001 Shinya Kaneko & 1997, 1999 Omiya Soft
reads right to left; licensed from Dreamcast and PS2 video games; b&w; Graphic Novel

The Goddess Culdra made the world by describing it in her Book of Creation, the Culdcept (actually, a collection of separate cards). It was destroyed in the Great War of Gods, but the cards still exist, and humans can summon the mythical beasts and weapons shown on them. The more cards one owns, the more power one has. “Battles among ‘cepters’… soon spread across the land.” Most cepters are fierce rivals, but some ally to seize enough cards to rule the world together. Since these Black Cepters are sadistic and merciless, the good wizard Master Horowitz sends his acolyte Najaran, a teen-age girl, to gather intelligence about them surreptitiously at the annual Cepters’ Battle Tournament at the desert principality of Soron. The cocky Najaran is soon one of the leading contestants in the tournament.

The setup is a stereotypical video and collectible-card-game scenario, but the presentation is a treat. Kaneko’s script is witty and fast-paced; the attractive art is full of detailed backgrounds; and the perky, tomboyish Najaran is a charmer. If you like fantasy gaming adventure comics, Culdcept is for you.

— Fred Patten

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Shinya Kaneko