[BOOK REVIEW] Black Cat: Alliance Volume 14 by Kentaro Yabuki

Title:  Black Cat:  Alliance Volume 14


Author:  Kentaro Yabuki

Genre: Action / Adventure / Comedy / Crime


Year Published: 2008


Year Read: 2014


Series: Black Cat #14


Publisher: VIZ Media


Source:  Library


Content Rating:  Ages 14+ (Gory Violence)


Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

The fourteenth volume of “Black Cat” called “Black Cat: Alliance” really turns things around for all the characters in Kentaro Yabuki’s “Black Cat” series as Train, Sven and Eve start to get really serious about taking down Creed in this shocking volume!

After Train finally explains to Sven and Eve about his history with Saya and about Creed’s betrayal in killing Saya, Train and Eve ended up going to a hideout called the Sweepers Café, where all the other Sweepers gathered at in order to gain information on Creed’s whereabouts.  But, in order to get the information they need about Creed, Train has to first fight a talented young sweeper named River who is extremely confident in his boxing abilities.  After Train and River’s fight, Glin, the man who wanted to recruit various sweepers to fight off Creed, sets a special task for all the sweepers (yes, it was a video game) and the sweepers have to pass this test in order to find Creed’s secret hideout!  Meanwhile, Sven starts practicing the limits his psychic eye can take after his beating at Creed’s hands so that he could prepare himself for the upcoming battle with Creed.

Kentaro Yabuki has done it again in the stellar storytelling of this volume of “Black Cat!”  I loved the way that Kentaro Yabuki managed to balance between humor and drama in this volume as the humor comes from Train and Eve trying to complete the video game that Glin had set upon them (as I really enjoyed the bantering between Train and Eve).  I also loved the way that this volume dipped into drama and horror as Train, Eve, Sven and the Sweepers try to find Creed’s hideout, determined to take out Creed once and for all as it was interesting to see Train, Eve and Sven actually take Creed’s constant terror on the world much more seriously and I do wonder what Glin really has planned for the Sweepers who joined the team.  Kentaro Yabuki’s artwork is as always gorgeous to look at as the action sequences are extremely well stylized, especially during the scenes where Train and River fight each other and during the scenes where Train and Eve are playing the video games to beat the boss levels.

    

For anyone who does not like gory violence, there is some bloody violence that goes on in this volume, especially towards the end of the story.  There are images of characters being sliced and shot at and that might be a bit disturbing for some readers who do not like that kind of violence.

Overall, “Black Cat Volume 14: Alliance” is a fantastic and humorous volume that many fans of “Black Cat” who enjoy good humor will definitely enjoy!