Dragon Eye Vol.#04
© Del Rey

Mania Grade: B
Art Rating: B
Packaging Rating: B+
Text/Translatin Rating: B+
Age Rating: 13 & Up
Released By: Del Rey
MSRP: 10.99
Pages: 208
ISBN: 978-0-345-50132-5
Size: B6
Orientation: Right to Left
Series: Dragon Eye

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Dragon Eye Vol.#04

Creative Talent
Writer/Artist: Kairi Fujiyama
Translated by: Mari Morimoto
Adapted by:  Mari Morimoto

What They Say
SOLO MISSION

The battles against the fierce Dracules have finally come to an end. Although the humans are victorious and Mikuni City is safe for now, Leila is deployed on a secret mission. She must rendezvous with a fellow undercover agent who has infiltrated a suspected Dracule-fighting ring. But who is the mysterious beauty who also shows up? An exciting adventure with characters both new and old is about to begin!

The Review
After a fast-moving second volume and a breathless volume three, it was about time for Dragon Eye to slow down, come back to earth and give the characters (and the readers) some down-time. And after taking about half a chapter to wrap up the cliffhanger the previous book left us with, the story does just that.

Issa's mission evaluation is coming up, and considering his actions separated the squad and imperiled both groups, things don't look good for him. He's determined that certain things he saw down in the tunnel should not be revealed. Therefore he keeps them to himself and won't let even the threat of demotion change his mind. Other members of VIUS wonder what he's up to; the ones nearest him wonder why he's so willing to sacrifice himself when there doesn't seem to be much of anything for him to gain. I say he's "determined" but that may give a false picture. There's nothing of the clenched fist or the stiff upper lip about his attitude: he's his old easy-going self all the way through it. He just makes the decision he feels to be right and doesn't worry about the consequences - or anything else, despite being told repeatedly by Leila and other friends what he's let himself in for.

While we wait for the results of Issa's hearing we get a a fine two chapter story where Leila gets the spotlight mostly to herself. She's been recruited for a special undercover mission: pick up a document from a mole in a criminal organization and deliver it back to VIUS. Of couse the situation complicates and leads to a much more elaborate and exciting sequence of events. This gives the series a chance to change gears a little; we move away from Issa and all of the other recurring characters except Leila, and get to see a different kind of action scene that involves more hiding and chasing than fighting. But of course the fights are still good when they crop up. Dragon Eye hasn't lost its touch.

Because of its slower pace this volume can't quite match up to the last, but it's still a good engaging read. We get the time we need to catch up and get our bearings, to take inventory and remember where we've come from and how far we've gotten. Then we're ready for another mission and some more spectacular battles against the Dracules. And unless I miss my guess, that's right around the corner.