Soulless

I've said this before, that when it comes to adapting novels into a different format the results are pretty much hit or miss and graphic novel adaptations are no exception. So when I picked up Soulless, volume 1 by Gail Carriger I had no idea what I was going to get besides Rem's beautiful artwork. I am pleased to say this manga has much more going for it than visual aesthetics and that Soulless is one of the best adaptations I have ever read and proves that it is possible to take a 373 page novel of pure words, compress it into 224 pages of manga and still get a coherent and enjoyable story.

Alexia Tarabotti is a Soulless which means she has no soul (obviously) and that she has the ability to neutralize the power of supernaturals. For example, if a vampire touches her, his fangs would quickly shrink back down to normal size. Which of course happens in the first few pages of the story when Alexia is attacked by a vampire, not that she needs her preternatural powers to help her out, the woman can be quite deadly with a parasol and hair pin.

It turns out the vampire is a rove (not associated with a vampire hive but lives independently) and is not the first rove to be made, set loose on the streets without being taught how to survive as a vampire, or kept from exposing the supernatural community. And not only are roves appearing without a definite source to who has created them but loner werewolves have been disappearing as well and whatever the cause it seems Alexia is involved, whether the B.U.R (supernatural authorities) want her to be or not.

In order to write this review properly I gave Soulless a re-read the other day and enjoyed it all over again because although I already knew the story and its twists I had forgotten how not only capable Alexia is in taking care of herself but how intelligent, witty and sassy she is. Despite how her family treats her as second class she is a strong-willed and independent thinker and is definitely a modern woman living in Victorian times. The supporting characters are also a treat to watch and read about, they all stand out with their own distinctive personalities and I really want to learn more about them. Lord Maccon, despite being an intimidating Alpha, had me laughing quite a lot especially when he and Alexia where in scenes together trading barbs, and his Beta Professor Lyall's discomfort and facial expressions when he was trying to delicately explain the mating rituals of werewolves was impossible not to love. And I can't forget the flamboyant Lord Akeldama, one of Alexia's closest friends, who always takes over the scene as soon as he enters the room. I definitely want to learn how he and Alexia came to know each other and hope to learn more about him in volume 2.

Overall, this first volume was a wonderful read. The beautiful artwork not only made the book lovely to look at but the action scenes were both dynamic and very easy to follow. Rem also takes creative ways to ensure that not everything is bared during nude shots and thus you won't blush too hard while reading certain scenes but will be laughing instead at the characters' expressions when caught in compromising situations. The story itself is also translated well to this format; I did not feel like I was missing anything vital as I read the book but my interest in reading the novel did increase as I am now interested in learning more background information about certain characters and the world of Soulless.