Genre Thriller
Age Rating For Older Teens
Price $14.99

The Ultimate Death Note Encyclopedia!

Here, in one authoritative volume: everything you need to know about Death Note, the best-selling manga series. Featuring complete character biographies, detailed story-line summaries, production notes, and behind-the-scenes commentaries. Death Note 13: How to Read also includes exclusive interviews with creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata and a bonus manga chapter of never-before-translated material. Unless you own your very own death note, it doesn't get any better than this!

I absolutely had no idea what to expect from this manga, especially considering it was more expensive than the usual at $14.99. Was this simply a marketing ploy for the publisher to milk Death Note for all it's worth? After opening the first few pages, I was overwhelmed. The back cover describes it as the "ultimate Death Note encyclopedia" and it very much lives up to that proclamation. We get profiles of seemingly each and every character--both major and minor (did you notice the other Shinigami in the series--and I'm not just talking about Rem), explanations for various "tricks", a timeline of events, and several interviews. At the end is some actual manga. You get short four-panel comedies as well as the pilot (think of it as pitch for Death Note and this isn't the first chapter of the manga) of the series. It's honestly an impressive package and one might not be able to process all in one sitting (I know I haven't!).

Having said that, should you get this? Well, first off, if you want "new" material, this isn't really the place to get it. Most of the book are like Cliff Notes and while they may aid you in appreciating the series more, doesn't really add anything new. As for the actual new material, well, they're not a lot and certainly not worth shelling out $14.99. Second, if you're looking for actual story, again, this isn't the place to look for it (a better option would be the novel Death Note Another Note). Third, this also isn't the place to start off the series as spoilers abound and many of the things honestly won't make sense until you've read all twelve volumes.

Now you might think I'm pessimistic about this volume but I'm not. If you're a die-hard Death Note fan who must know everything, this is the book to get. In fact, it is the uber-reference guide. If you're the type that re-reads their manga, this is a handy tool to have as it'll give you additional insights into the series. It'll even make you laugh at the strangest places. Again, this is a great buy if you're a Death Note fan, but it's far from being an essential purchase.

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