Night Head Genesis Vol. 1 (Manga)
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: November 2009
Price: $10.99
Creator(s): George Iida (author); You Higuri (illustrator)
Format: 202 pgs.; B&W
ISBN: 978-0-345-51625-1
Age Rating: Teen+
ICv2 Rating: 2 Stars out of 5

Two brothers are on the run, trying to hide their mental powers from those around them, when they run into a prophecy which predicts a plague will wipe out humanity.  Now they must confront a driven medical researcher and a rogue psychic in a desperate attempt to save the planet.

Higuri’s manga adaptation of Iida’s live action TV script is also tied in with her work on the anime.  That’s one too many levels to go through and much of the plot points drop out along the way.  Other than knowing that they rely heavily on each other, we learn little about the brothers.  What we’re shown about their past lives and about the mysterious people around them comes in flashes of insight, which works for the prophetic portion of the story, but which makes for choppy reading.  The mystery seems flimsy and obvious, lacking the sense of foreboding needed for a thriller.  Higuri’s art is as attractive as always, though, and the handsome brothers should sell the book just from the cover. 

An attempted rape and several violent scenes earns this its older teen rating. 
--Snow Wildsmith