Black Butler 1

Black Butler 1 by Yana Toboso, 2007. 192 pages. Published by Yen Press. Source: Borrowed from library.

When a terrible fire claims his parents, Ciel Phantomhive must step up as the head of his father's company and as Earl Phantomhive. It would be a lot for the young boy to handle were it not for his faithful butler, Sebastian. Ever at Ciel's side, it seems there's little Sebastian can't do, whether it's saving a dinner party gone awry or probing the dark secrets of London's underbelly. He's almost too good to be true...or at least, too good to be human...

Story:
The reason I picked up Black Butler was because I had seen the first episode and wanted to do a comparison between the two, and let me just say there isn't much different between them. The only real difference is that ones in color with sound and the other isn't.

Who'd ever think that having a butler as the main character would make for such a great read...not I. But Black Butler was just amazing and Sebastian and Ciel were a brilliant pairing as master and servant. as I got closer to the end of the volume their relationship began to make sense because you learn the why/how of their...deal.

WhatI found most surprising about Black Butler was how much action and suspense there was. There were a few times where I would read faster just because it was like, gah, what's going to happen to him is he going to be okay.

The thing I'm looking forward to most about the next volume is why Ciel is refered to as the Queen's watchdog.
Characters:
Sebastian, gosh, there are NOT enough words to efficiently describe him, but I'll try. Sebastian is like one one of- if not- the most interesting characters I have read about. He made the job of being a butler seem so epic. I loved how mysterious Sebastian came across and how he would get kind of snarky with Ciel.

Ciel made for a really interesting character even though he was only...not very old. Ciel is a very odd character, almost more so than Sebastian. Personality wise he's a very remote and distant character, who acts a lot older then he actually is. I'm really looking forward to learning more about his past in the next volume...if I can get my hands on it.

Not much to say about the rest of the cast of characters because they were just there as comedic relief to the dry humor of Ciel and Sebastian.
Artwork:
Black Butler is one of the few times were the cover art (see above) and the art inside the actual book are in line with each other. What you see on the cover is pretty much what you'll get in the manga, which means 192 gorgeous pages to draw you even further into the story.
The art work is definitely a win in Black Butler for its sharp clean details.

Final Verdict: Black Butler is a creepingly good read. I ♥ it!

Black Butler earns 5 out of 5 pineapples.