Manga Review: Me and the Devil Blues Vol. 1

Manga isn't always about ninjas, doe-eyed school girls and pocket monsters. With Me and The Devil Blues from Del Rey Manga, Akira Hiramoto opts to explore and embellish the mysterious and mythical life of American blues icon, Robert Johnson.

In today's celeb-obsessed culture, it seems hard to understand a time when the life of a hugely influential talent like Johnson would be so shrouded in mystery. There are only two known photos of Johnson and his singing and guitar playing was only captured in a handful of recording sessions before his untimely death at age 27 on August 16, 1938 (70 years ago this month). But a big part of Johnson's mystique is the legend that he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for the ability to play the blues.

This first double-sized volume of Me and the Devil Blues includes this chapter of Johnson's life, as he falls in love with the blues when he hears Son House play at a local juke joint. When the story opens, Johnson can barely play a guitar, then a fateful late night encounter changes his life forever.

Check out my review of Me and the Devil Blues Volume 1, and see if this dark, surreal and inventive seinen manga debut lives up to its promise as one of 2008's most anticipated new manga.

Image credit © 2005 Akira Hiramoto / KODANSHA LTD. All rights reserved.