Rebirth, Volume 17

Volume 17 of Rebirth begins right in the middle of the Vampire Lord Tournament. Millenear and Mr. Grey have already advanced to the next round as Deshwitat faces off against the sexy Poison Ash. Ash casts a spell of illusion on Desh causing him to relive the moment 350 years in the past when his beloved Lillith was murdered by the vampire Kalutika Maybus. For over 300 years Desh has sought vengeance on him. But now he finds himself in a total catatonic state and seemingly helpless against Poison Ash as the crowd in the arena screams for her to kill him. Desh looks like dead meet as his comrades urge him on to snap out of his trance and fight back before it's too late. While observing the battle, Millenear lets it slip to Mr. Greay out about Desh having been in love with Lillith and Kalutika murders her as Grey reveals that Kalutika and Lillith are his parents. A stunned Millenear now finds Grey demanding to hear everything the knows about his parents and Desh. Meanwhile Remi the exorcist and Eiji the ninja have traveled to Vatican City in hopes on enlisting the aid of the secretive Order of St. Michael to help them battle Mr. Grey but they find that someone is already waiting for them with less than helpful ideas. Their trouble is only beginning as they learn that to find the Order of St. Michael they will have to face the Tower of Trials. Rebirth is an old-fashioned good vs. evil Manhwa filled with a colorful list of characters and a storyline that hooks you even if you start it midstream as I did. The story is fantastic but the art is what really captured me. Kang-Woo Lee's art is simply gorgeous, particularly his well-defined inks which give it a wonderful depth. Some of the best art I've seen in any book from Tokyopop. Reviewed by Tim Janson