Spiral: Vol 1: The Bonds Of Reasoning by Kyo Shirodaira and Eita Mizuno
01/07/2008 . Source: Joules Taylor 
pub: Yen Press/Orbit Books. 294 page graphic novel. Price: £ 5.99 (UK), $10.99, $13.99 (CAN). ISBN: 978-0-7595-2341-8. Buy Spiral: Vol 1: The Bonds Of Reasoning in the USA - or Buy Spiral: Vol 1: The Bonds Of Reasoning in the UK  check out website: www.orbitbooks.net , www.yenpress.co.uk and http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Title/9780759523418
"'I'm going to uncover the mystery of the Blade Children.'
World-class detective Kiyotaka Narumi's last words prior to his sudden disappearance continue to haunt his younger brother, Ayumu. The cheeky 10th-grader becomes equally embroiled in the mystery of the doomed "Blade Children" when he is mistaken for the prime suspect in a murder at his school. Led by Ayumu's sister-in-law, Kiyotaka's wife and fellow detective, Madoka, the investigation into the murder gives Ayumu a chance to clear his name. But in doing so, he not only uncovers ties to the Blade Children but also more questions than answers about who and what they are." (back cover blurb)
Detective Madoka, Ayumu's sister-in-law and guardian, plays a very important role in the manga. Intelligent and skilled, her relationship with her brother-in-law is warm and affectionate, though she's not above whapping him over the head if he does something stupid. The relationship between Madoka and her subordinate partner, Officer Wataya, is very funny, adding comic relief to what is, essentially, quite a grim story.
Ayumu, Hiyono and Madoka come together, almost accidentally, as a team when Aymum is accused by one of his schoolmates of pushing to her death another student at the school. With Madoka investigating the matter officially, Ayumu doing the same unofficially and Hiyono acting as researcher and recorder, the three are able to explore all aspects of the crime. However, it's only the first in a series of events that re-opens the mystery of the 'Blade Children' that Kiyotaka was investigating two years ago before his disappearance.
The artwork is clean and crisp and the characters appealing and easily distinguishable from each other, which isn't always the case with less accomplishes artists. Overall, this first volume is complex and fast paced, especially compared to the somewhat plodding nature of the anime and requires fairly careful reading to keep up with everything that happens. That said, it's an intriguing and exciting start to the story and I look forward to seeing how the manga differs from the anime.
Joules Taylor
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