Product Description

A fantasy/horror series set in the heart of present-day Nagakaki, Japan, CROSSING MIDNIGHT begins when a set of extraordinary twins are born -- one just before midnight and the other just after.

They discover the huge impact this small difference has on their destinies when the after-midnight twin is inducted into a world of supernatural beings and events that intersects with our own world. Together, they will desperately try to stay one step ahead of their terrifying fates while they learn how far the curse afflicting them really stretches.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #815997 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-06
• Released on: 2007-06-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781401213411
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
A fun, often suspenseful addition to Carey's already notable fantasy/horror-driven work. The premise reads just like the modern Japanese horror movies on which Crossing Midnight is clearly based. A man, Yasuo, prays for a child to be born, and instead he gets twins—a boy and a girl. They grow up normally until one day a demon comes to cash in on Yasuo's promise of an offering. The demon takes the daughter, Toshi, who finds herself in training to be a warrior princess, while son Kai watches helplessly. Meanwhile, Yasuo appears to have mob-related problems. Carey moves this plot along briskly, offering a wealth of details about modern Japanese life in Nagasaki. He's done his research and it pays off in a sense of realism. Fern complements this with detail-driven art that immerses the reader in the time and places of the story. His clean lines and exactitude work in both city streets and mystical byways, while the characters are both visually and thematically appealing. This is a solid, entertaining and beautifully executed exercise in Japanese genre fiction—every bit as gripping as its filmic equivalents. (June)
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From Booklist
In modern-day Nagasaki, Yasuo Hara humors his mother with a prayer and the promise of an offering to the ancient nature spirits, the Kami, for the safe delivery of his and Miya's first child. Months later comes the unexpected arrival of fraternal twins, Toshi and Kai, on either side of midnight. The young parents are surprised but take their family home. Life goes on normally for years, and then the Kami come to collect their offering. Aratsu, Master of Swords, claims Toshi, the girl, as his servant. If she refuses, he promises terrible consequences for her and her family. Crossing Midnight deftly takes inspiration from such modern Japanese horror films as The Grudge and The Ring. Carey skillfully inserts the fantastic story into the bustling landscape of big-city Japan, realistically rendered by Jim Fern's clean lines and fluid expressiveness, so that, for instance, a backdrop of mundane daylight heightens the suspense and creepiness as things go further and further askew for Toshi and Kai. Enthusiastically recommended to horror fans across the board. Coleman, Tina

Customer Reviews

Good start, hope it continues
Crossing Midnight: Cut Here is the first volume of what will hopefully be a decent-length series by Mike Carey. Though better known for his work on Hellblazer and Lucifer, Mike Carey is an excellent writer who all-to-seldom works with characters and universes of his own creation. In Crossing Midnight, we get introduced to a family in modern Japan and the mythical realms that lay beside it. As is often the case in stories of this type, our view of the story is through a handful of characters who figure out what is going on as we do. Thus, we are peripherally introduced to three beings (kami) who are not gods and not demons, but something else. They are, in some way, creatures that control animistic forces of specific types - blades and needles (at least, thus far).

Now, that sounds interesting enough in of itself, but there are a few warnings. First of all, this is a work of horror. Bad things happen to good people, and that's just how things are. In many ways, this is a common feature of Mike Carey's work. However, as this is a graphic novel, these events are also rendered... graphically. If blood and violence disturb you, you should give this one a pass. (Personally, my trigger point is unnecessary blood and violence. Since it's necessary to the plot, I was able to tolerate it.)

Enough hints are dropped that we know that there is a significant back story, both among the kami and the two youngsters around whom the story shall weave. There is sufficient material that this story could take years to tell, and since I buy these as collections, a bit longer to read. I look forward to reading the occasional volume as the years go by.

A flawed introduction to a great series
Don't be fooled by the title of this review, Crossing Midnight is one of my favorite series, and this first volume is great in its own right. It has a hump to straddle in the first 3 issues, where I found it hard to remain interested in the somewhat slow and comparatively uninteresting introduction. After that, though, it really picks up and drops the reader into a fascinating world of demons and spirits and plays its cards perfectly. By the end of the first volume, you should be drooling for the second.

One of the Best Vertigo Titles in Years
"Crossing Midnight" is touted as a "fairy tale for horror fans," and it thoroughly fulfills this promise. Fans of other Vertigo series, such as "Y" and "Fables," will enjoy this book, as will fans of Japanese horror films. The art, by "Fables" artist Jim Fern, is gorgeous, especially when things get a little violent (people and animals are cut up, so this isn't for young children). I was a little skeptical of Englishman Mike Carey tackling modern Japanese culture and traditional Japanese folklore, but Carey has a suprisingly adept handle on Asian culture that really shines here.