Clover

All right, this is a little bit confusing, but bear with me:Clover 1 and 2 are a complete story. Clover 3 is a prequel to Clover 1 and 2. Clover 4 is a prequel to the prequel. Now, with that out of the way, let's talk more about Clover 4.This takes place, as stated above, before the events in the rest of the Clover books. It's the story of how a very young Ran escaped his government captors and came to meet Gingetsu. On the cover are Ran and his brother (then known as A and C). His brother is jealous and crazed and wishes for Ran to only be near him, never to venture away, but Ran doesn't want to work for the government.It's a very nice pre-prequel, and has appearances by Sue, Ora and Kazuhiko. The art is, as with the rest of Clover, exceptional, and there are some, shall we say, interesting scenes between Kazuhiko and Ora (not for the very young, methinks). Clover 4 feels just slightly (SLIGHTLY) more flat than the other Clover books, but this is perhaps because of the fact that it's a pre-prequel, and we know what happens to some of the characters. Still, I gave it 5 stars because even with that slight flaw, it's still far above many other manga out there, both in it's layout, art and story.

The first time I read Nausicaä, I was impressed on how much was being told with words (this is by far the most text-heavy manga I have ever read), but reading this manga I was impressed otherwise, on how much was being told WITHOUT words, and this is where beginners will feel unconfortable with this exquisite title, as the clean and refined art talks for itself on a way that many trying to actually just read will have a really hard time reading it. So, beware if it is the first time ever you are going to read manga, even if it is the first manga from Clamp. Don't let the likes of easy-reading mangas fool you that this is bad, because this is more towards art than actually storytelling, and as so, sometimes you must feel it, not just want to have it given away to you. I have read about everything on manga, from the silly romatic-comedy Oh! My Goddess!, classics such as Akira and Nausicaä to deep and polytical stories as Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed, but I have never seen something come close to this so far. Give it a try, it may surprise you. I just hope it surprise you in a good way, as this is a piece of art you can purchase without giving out tons of money.

Finally, after years of horrible binding, printing, translating, and formatting, Tokyopop redeems itself completely with Clover. The design of the book is virtually identical to the original. The text on the front and back covers is Japanese, and there is a translucent white dust jacket with English translations in silver ink that overlay the Japanese underneath. Inside the front and back covers are full-color spreads on thick, glossy paper, such as have never been seen in the translated manga industry. Even the publishing & copyright info was tastefully moved to the inside of the back cover so as to be unobtrusive. The translation is also excellent! I was really surprised at how little censorship there was, esp. since this is Tokyopop we're talking about. Sexual references are left in, which is vital when you're reading CLAMP.As far as the content itself, well, it's CLAMP, what do you expect? The story is fascinating, the characters are intriguing, and the art is incredible. There aren't so many complicated two-page spreads as there usually are with CLAMP. Instead, they experiment with blank space and unusual angles. It gives the book a clean, austere feel that none of CLAMP's other manga has.Buy this already!

I'll start off by saying the Japanese version of Clover is a masterpiece. The cover artwork is beautiful, as is the cover, which consists of a paper-back cover with a somewhat transperant dust cover, providing for a very ghostly and beautiful effect. Considering Tokyopop/Mixx is the new translator, I didn't expect much, most likely the same old Xerox-quality cover that's already worn at the seams. Oh, how wrong I was. At first, I thought I was looking at the Japanese version, for they are exactly identical in every aspect. Two thumbs up.Now for the story...I'll admit it's a bit obscure, I sometimes have trouble determining who is talking, but considering CLAMP and how talented they are in both their artwork and story skills, I think this is the effect, considering that the main character is overall somewhat confused about her life and purpose. Anyway...I noticed right away that the translation seemed a notch better from how it was printed in SMILE magazine. The reason for this is censoring. SMILE is a magazine for the younger set, and some of the situations are a bit older. A job well done, Tokyopop.I advise everyone to pick up a copy of this book. It's very impressive for an English-translated novel, and the story will leave you begging for more!

The futuristic cyberpunk world the Clover characters inhabit is one of amazing technology. One can have a prosthetic arm one moment, then have a long, cybernetic sword the next. Illusion and reality are no longer at odds with each other, but instead work hand in hand. Like many of Clamp's works, fate takes a hand...In the first volume, Kazuhiko has been asked by the military he formerly worked for to take a 'special package' to an unknown place. Until he arrives where the 'package' is located, he doesn't even know what it is. When he gets to this mysterious package, he finds that it's actually a young a girl. This girl, named Suu, is special - a 'four-leaf clover' - something which should not exist, but does. Outwardly, however, and except for the rare occasions in which she uses her own mechanical wings, she appears to be a perfectly normal girl with a strange and sad loneliness, and with a special wish to go to a certain place.The artwork is clean and sparse (in a good way). It's not filled to the brim with images like Clamp's usual works (which I also adore). This serves to reinforce the mood of isolation and gives the whole manga a film-like feel. A beautiful work that any fan of cyberpunk, Clamp or excellent stories/art will enjoy.