Claymore, Vol. 23: Mark of the Warrior

The Organization is no more; however, even as the dust settles from the last titanic battle, it becomes obvious that there will be little rest for our heroines. From all across the land, Awakened Beings begin moving toward the Holy City of Rabona, drawn inexorably by the monstrous presence of Priscilla - now stirring from her dormant state.. Though the Claymores may have won their battle for freedom, the worst is surely still to come!Following on from the all-out slug-fest of the previous volume, this latest instalment offers a welcome change of pace, as Miria & co take the time to lick their wounds & plan their next move.The first half of this volume deals mainly with the aftermath of the Organization's last ditch effort to quell the rebellion, as well as shedding some light on just how the Yoma were created in the first place. For the latter half: following reports that Awakened Beings have begun to converge on city, the remaining Claymores race toward Rabona in a desperate attempt to save their slumbering comrade Clare.The action hots up nicely toward the end, and leaves on a cliff-hanger that is sure to have fans champing at the bit for the next volume. As the title of this review suggests, we FINALLY get to see the long-awaited reunion between Clare & Raki. It's a sweet enough moment, which I won't spoil for you. Thankfully - for anyone who's watched the anime version - you'll be glad to know that Raki isn't as prone to blubbering in the manga, which could have really ruined the scene!Interestingly, we also finally discover what the big dark secret is that the Claymores have been hiding under those rather fetching outfits! The truth came as quite a surprise to me but, to be honest, it wasn't nearly half as horrific as what I'd imagined.. Other readers might disagree of course but, personally, I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed!So, another sterling instalment in the ever-consistent Claymore series! These books really have been a blast; easily one of the best manga titles I've read in recent years. I'm only sad that the ending finally seems to be in sight.. Still, it'll be fun to see what shocks & surprises Mr Yagi still has in store for us!If you've been with the series this long, then you already know what you want. Get out there & buy this now!!

Volume twenty three of the Claymore series. This is a Manga comic about a land where people live in fear of monsters, and the only ones who can fight them are the Claymores. A group of women with special powers and big swords who work for a mysterious organisation.This is not a good jumping on point for new readers. Who should start with book one. Those who have seen the anime but not read any other volumes should start with volume eleven.This comes in the usual format of being a one hundred and ninety five page A5 sized book of black and white art. Divided into six chapters. And read in the usual manga format of right to left and from the back rather than the western style of left to right from the start of the front page.We pick up where the last part left off, with the end of the battle against the organisation and their latest creations. Although there is a tantalising hint that we haven't seen the last of certain characters.The surviving Claymores then have to deal with the aftermath of what happened. And of what they find. Some strong character moments follow, along with a couple of very surprising revelations, which answer some big questions.But what of Clare? It's then time to deal with that loose end. A long awaited reunion may follow. But more surprises await.The action doesn't kick in till the final third of this one, but there's more good character moments before that. Plus some welcome returns as the narrative touches in on a few other characters also.The latest big battle scene avoids being too repetitive by being very clear visually and having some exciting moments, as certain others get in on the act.But what a cliffhanger this end on. With a very surprising moment that leaves you wondering what will happen next.A very solid volume in a consistently entertaining series.

With the Organization defeated, the victorious Claymores sweep the headquarters for any remaining personnel. In the basement of the HQ Miria encounters one of the Organisation's heads as she prepares to dispose of the true origin of the Yoma. Once things at the headquarters are dealt with, Miria and her companions, with Raki in toe, return to the Holy City of Rabona where they hope to help separate Clare from Priscilla and the Destroyer.This is another very entertaining volume of 'Claymore' with some great action and some nice advancement of the plot. The volume also sees us get the truth about the creation of the Yoma, as well as the reveal about what is so wrong with a Claymore's body, with both being quite interesting. The artwork of the volume remains very good with the Awakened Beings that appear towards the end of the book having some interesting designs. The return of Clare to the story is welcome, as I do like her character, and her reunion with Raki was nicely handled.The volume ends with things looking very interesting for future volumes and I am looking forward to continuing the series. Overall I feel this volume of 'Claymore' is well worth a full five stars.

This series is highly addictive. Not the best series of the book market, but has a magic of its own!Manages reinvent itself whenever reach a saturation point, and always gets brutal clifhangers at the end of each book.I will not make spoilers, but the return of Claire pleased me very much!A series of great entertainment, I advise everyone to try reading this Manga

Perfect

ITEM AS DESCRIBED