Steinbach, Hans. A Midnight Opera.

STEINBACH, Hans. A midnight opera. Tokyopop. illus, c2005. 1-598-16265-9. $9.99. JS

Einblick DeLaLun, the main character of A Midnight Opera, spends his nights playing guitar in a heavy metal band and his days sleeping in a rented space in the hospital morgue. Ein, you see, is undead. He hasn't spoken to his brother, Leroux, in 150 years, ever since they fought about a woman (what else?). After over a century Ein has fallen in love again, and he wants to leave Paris to start a new life. Unfortunately, his high profile job (goth-metal god) has brought some unwelcome attention. The Order, which appears to be the Catholic Church's Hit Squad, wants Ein dead; and his brother, Leroux, wants Ein to join in the war against them.

A Midnight Opera reminded me of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, except that the undead are werewolves rather than vampires. Ein wears a top hat and spouts song lyrics about how hard his life is, so teens should love him. The art is dark, atmospheric and surreal--the characters twist and contort their bodies in impossible ways, especially when they're fighting. This is a horror manga that is suitable for younger readers (ages 13 +). It contains comic book violence and vulgarity, and is recommended for libraries with horror collections. George Galuschak, YA Libn., Montvale PC Montvale, NJ

KLIATT uses the following codes to help readers determine if the material reviewed is appropriate for this needs:

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.