Review by Frank Plowright

Jiro is a ninja who can also talk with animals, but discovers that talent extends further to mononoke, spirits that have taken an animal form, as is the case for Rago, rescued by Jiro as an injured cat. Rago is a target for other mononoke. While’s he’s grumpy, they take aggression to a greater level and are unconcerned about harming humans who get in their way.

Tsuyoshi Takaki wastes little time before jetting into his story, and by the end of an opening chapter occupying a third of the book, Jiro has merged with Rago bestowing him with the vague abilities of a mononoke. Jiro’s sudden acquisition of power presents a problem for the Public Bureau of Espionage, a secretive organisation with a long history of protecting the public from mononoke.

Takaki’s not one for lingering or sentimentality. Jiro’s story moves ever forward at rocket pace, and so sets the tone for the following four volumes. There’s enough possible doubt over the motives of people introduced in that opening chapter to sustain the series, with Jiro the solid beacon of all that’s right with humanity, and Rago is still around to provide a cynical contrast.

Over the opening chapters there’s little distinctive about Takaki’s art beyond the designs, but it’s in no way deficient, telling the story well, ensuring we’re aware of people’s personalities and making the most of a ghostly black cat as a supporting character. As the volume progresses, though, Takaki becomes more eccentric, and the third chapter’s introduction of paired assassins Fat Boy and Slim provides individuality.

They’re taken on by Bureau novice Ichika, who comes into her own over the final chapter, and it’s not until the final pages that the title Black Torch is explained as the name of a specialist unit set up to deal with what’s a hostile mononoke incursion.

Black Torch 1 is a job well done. It introduces an intriguing plot, supplies a personality rich cast and sets up more than enough problems to be dealt with in Black Torch 2.