Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: October 27, 2015
Price: $45.00
Creator: Yana Toboso
Format: 128 pgs., Full-Color, Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-3163-0441-2
Age Rating: 13+
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
Black Butler is a series that has endured over the last few years. Originally a manga that was first released in 2006, the series has since put out over twenty volumes of material plus three TV anime and three OVAs. The fan base for this series spans all ages and genders and they are always on the lookout for new materials to get their hands on when it comes to this series which brings us to this enchanting art book put out by Yen Press.
Featuring artwork by the original creator, Yana Toboso, this book will feature the characters in a variety of situations and poses all the way up to the circus arc of the manga.
The thing that struck me the most upon looking at the works within this book is just how suggestive the poses and designs within these pages could be. Sometimes the artwork was very beautiful and benign but at other times you could feel the sexuality coming off the pages as you looked at the artwork. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but considering how young many of the characters within this series are it might make certain members of the audience uncomfortable.
The other thing that struck me as an unfortunate aspect to this book is the lack of commentary from the creator. While the artwork is the primary purpose of this book (and all of it is very lovely to look at) what would have made this book even better would have been some comments from Toboso talking about her creations and thought process as she worked on these particular pieces and the characters that she has spent so much time on.
Overall this is a fantastic piece for established fans of the series that is well worth their money. While those who pick it up might not thumb through it all the time, it could make for an excellent conversation piece and something that would be quite fun to share with other fans.
Recommended!
--L.B. Bryant
