Bizenghast: The Collector's Edition, Volume 3

I had trouble finding a clear description of Bizenghast volume III. It collects manga 7 and 8 as well as the novel all together in one volume. Bizenghast started at the end of TokoyoPop. the 8th and final volume came out after the original publisher was no longer printing books. That made it hard to snag volume 8. I'm excited to revisit this M.Alice LeGrow series and finally read the conclusion. I'm also excited to follow M.Alice LeGrow into her next series under the name Marty LeGrow with Toyetica.

I enjoyed thoroughly and it was a good continuation of the storyline, can't wait for the next book

Bizenghast is a beautifully illustrated gothic fantasy that has just the right blend of surreal fantasy and horror. Dahlia is a young woman haunted by ghosts and memories. Her visions disturb and confuse her. Her main comfort is her friend Vincent. Together they discover a strange graveyard where restless spirits dwell. Each night they are forced to return and do what is necessary to bring the souls peace - a dangerous task that means risking both life and sanity. But to ignore the nightly summons means certain death. They travel through the dreams of the various spirits, and through them come to understand themselves. Like a reader's nightly dreams, the puzzles faced by Dahlia and Vincent linger, at once troubling and somehow compelling. Le Grow's artistry is gorgeous, particularly the plates at the beginning of each chapter. If you enjoy gothic stories and the romantic illustrations of manga, you will love Tokyopop's Bizenghast. 5/5 I received a copy of Bizenghast Collector's Edition Volume 1 from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. -- Crittermom

Loved these books when they originally came out. Waiting for the digital version of this one.

The item itself is five stars. However, the processing sticker Amazon applied directly to it has adhesive that I can’t get off without damaging the cover’s soft touch coating. Like this, I cannot recommend anyone interested in a collector’s edition purchase this item. I foolishly ordered all three volumes at once (not cheap!) and am now bracing for all of them to be like this…

Review first posted at Girl Who Reads. A free copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. Dinah, orphaned in a car accident as a child, lives with her aunt in a large, Gothic styled home. She is tormented by "fits" and sees ghosts. While wandering with her friend Vincent, they stumble across the forgotten graveyard that no one could prove ever existed. While there, they discover that the restless souls of Bizenghast want to come home, and need Dinah to help them. If she can't solve the riddles to free the souls, her life is forfeit. The art is gorgeous in this manga series, inspired by the Gothic Lolita look. This volume is remastered and edited from the original publication date. It's a fairly straightforward story, and Dinah starts off as a very fragile girl, prone to crying and hiding behind Vincent to do the tasks for her. But she admits herself that she's tired of being scared all the time, and facing the horrors of the souls' riddles to free them also helps her grow. She is less frightened and less reliant on Vincent; he has to learn that some shortcuts can't be taken, and the important things in life aren't actually things.

My copy is missing dialogue from the 3rd volume. It's the second to last page of the chapter Pleasure Palace. Dinah is talking to IXI and all it says is "have". Does anyone know what the rest of the dialogue is supposed to be?

A strange, entertaining romp through lost souls' nightmares. An odd balance of innocence peppered with brief moments of graphic horror, and a whole lot of weird in between. An intriguing story, gothic influenced art (sometimes having a slightly Junji Ito feel in the stranger, darker parts), a snarky cat, and a touch of mystery and adventure make this a fun read.