Black Butler, Vol. 1 Kindle & comiXology

I've been waiting for this manga to be serialized for so long. First of all, if you're not into the gothic horror genre, or are looking for something happy and bright... click the back button. You're looking in the wrong place.There are so many things about this manga that make it one of the best josei going; the art is beautiful, yet doesn't take away from the dark undertones of the story. There are no good guys, nothing cliche, and right from the get go, the reader is rooting for the bad guy to conquer. One of the story arcs is the author's own unique take on the Jack the Ripper history, and doesn't disappoint.All these things make this a must-read, but I have to say, the thing I love most about this series is the main character, Ciel Phantomhive. Now, from the description given of the manga on this page, you'd expect some angsty little brat, right? Well, wrong (maybe not on the brat front, if Sebastian was given a say). He's got the obligatory dark past, yet unlike most manga characters like that, he doesn't spend all his time angsting over it. He's doing something about it. Plus, he's twisted and jaded against humanity, and he's on a clock. These things only make him a more interesting and unbelievably deep character.Little warning though; depending on who you ask, some would say that this manga has some shounen-ai undertones. It's more a case of if you choose to interpret it that way though.Oh, and for anyone who likes the manga, there is an anime, though it's not as good. Still a fun watch though, if you've got time to kill.If you liked Pandora Hearts and 07-Ghost, you'll love Black Butler!

Gorgeous artwork that flows effortlessly from panel to panel, and a great mix of action, horror and comedy. The story is engaging, with characters that really draw you into the plot, with the titular demonic butler being the obvious standout, and his relationship with Master Ciel Phantomhive one of the primary plot hooks (Sebastian, the butler, is in a contract with Ciel, acting as his subservient butler until the time comes that he can devour his soul).I've read this on my iPad via kindle, which is a fantastic way to experience the manga, zooming on on any smaller details you may miss when reading in paperback, and viewing pages full screen in portrait is great, although there are a couple of double splash pages you need to rotate back to landscape to fully appreciate.Looking toward to the following volumes (already have volumes 2 and 3 downloaded and ready to go).

I have been a fan of The black Butler anime for a few years now, so thought I would give the Manga a try (I am one of those annoying people who compares books to films).The storyline of the series is absolutely fantastic, the characters are rich and varied, and tackles subjects of all natures.I will say, if I hadn't of watched the anime first and only read this first book in the series, I might have given up on it as not a lot actually happens in this one. Although it is the first one, we are not introduced to the main storyline, there is no back story, and I only knew what was going on because I watched the anime. BUT GUYS seriously, read this and every after book after that will have you hooked, it's one of those that explain more as you go along and you are given the story a bit at a time.

The story itself is wonderful. I think this first book is more a build-up to help us get used to the characters, so the story had little action in it till halfway. As long as you persevere through the beginning though, you'll be rewarded with the darker side of Black Butler that I have heard so much about, nearing the end. The issue that I have is with Amazon's cheekiness in sending me a used copy initially, and then later receiving a damaged new copy.When I first received the item, I was bitterly disappointed to find a clearly used copy in place of the new copy I had ordered. There was spine damage and slight tears on the covers. The biggest giveaway of this being a used copy though was the huge bend in all the pages (causing a big curve in the book when viewed from above) which could only happen when a person holds the book open to read. Further, all the pages easily separated when stood up on a table which a new book would not usually do. I can only hope that the person packaging my items mistook my order for a used copy as otherwise, this is simply ridiculous.Thankfully, I was able to get a replacement easily without having to send back the first copy (definitely a bonus); but on receiving this second copy, although I have concluded it is a new book, it still has damage to the spine which made me initially think it was a used copy. There is also a slight tear on the spine and also a bend on the edge of the cover. I don't feel like I have received a new copy, but at the same time, I don't know if there is enough damage on the book to warrant another replacement.The slight cover damage may not seem like a big deal, but as someone who absolutely adores the artwork in this manga and especially the cover art, the damage to the book just feels very aggravating and tarnishes the beauty of the cover art. Plus, places like WHSmith manage to package their books perfectly to prevent damage, so I expect Amazon to be able to do the same. I just hope that Amazon pays attention to its customers packaging reviews to help protect its books better in the future.