Genre Action/Adventure
Age Rating For Older Teens
Price $7.99

The battle on the sea continues, with the swarm of evolved akuma pressing hard on the Exorcists. Lenalee tries to tackle one akuma on her own, but realizes she can prevail only by unleashing the full force of her Innocence. Back on the ship Lavi prepares to call on a special attribute of his own Innocence. Will any of this be enough? Can the Exorcists hold on, or will they need help that may or may not come?

I haven't really been following D. Gray-man and this volume dives directly into the action as it's the continuation of an epic battle between our heroes and the big baddie. The quick introduction gave me the background I needed to get the gist of the story (these are the good guys and those are the bad guys) but as far as plot goes, this is the intense martial arts fight part. Hoshino does the art quite competently, enough that I can distinguish who the characters are while providing flashy scenes using the normal tropes of a shonen series. Personally, it's nothing I haven't seen before but it's also nothing to complain about. This volume ends with a dramatic scene but me not following the series, it's a vague experience (having no investment in the characters) as the build-up was probably established in the preceding volumes.

If you've been following D. Gray-man, Vol. 8 will probably have more of an impact for you. Based on this volume, the series doesn't seem to be groundbreaking but if you're looking for a fun and action-packed title, Viz's D. Gray-man fits the bill.

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