Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer Vol. 5-6 Paperback – May 19, 2015

Where the first four volumes of the series are consumed with setting things up - introducing a bevy of characters, establishing the ground rules of the setting's conflict and powers - then volumes 5 and 6 are where the series hits its stride. All the pieces are on the board, and all are now moving into position. The Beast Knights are coming together as friends and a fighting unit, and the Mythical Beast Knights are also emerging. The Mage's golems are also growing more complex and interesting, no longer the straightforward fights of the early series and able to retain their menace even as the Beast Knights grow more powerful. These two volumes also have some of the heaviest moments of the series as Samidare's motivations are examined more closely and the secret war's danger ramps up.Now, for the technical side. I've said this before, and I'm going to keep doing so - the quality of the translation and the book itself are good. The usual awkward Japanese-to-English turns of phrase are present, but wrapped up in an otherwise sharp translation that moves past them smoothly before they can become too jarring. It's a nicely printed, solid volume with a pleasant heft while still fitting comfortably in hand. I wouldn't be surprised if someone at Seven Seas worked to make a double volume like this still a comfortable experience to read.Mizukami's art has noticeably tightened up over the course of the series, as well. I've always liked his work, but even into the early parts of the series the character art could be kind of rough. There are still some off bits, but overall by this part of the series he'd gotten a lot better while retaining his distinctive style. Yayoi in particular is great to see fighting, with a very fluid and animated style that shows how much thought Mizukami put into how the Knights would use their powers in battle.

Amazing series

Excellent.