Vampire Knight: Memories, Vol. 1

Hino (Shuriken and Pleats) returns to the world of her popular shojo series, Vampire Knight (which ended in 2013), in this entertaining volume of one-shots collected from the Japanese magazine LaLa. Human-turned-vampire Yuki was last seen when she gave her life to revive Kaname, the progenitor of all vampires, 1,000 years after his self-sacrifice. The four short stories collected here are narrated to Kaname by Yuki’s children, illuminating the 10 centuries of characters and events he’s missed (and answering lingering questions for dedicated series readers). The strongest offerings, “Life” and “I Love You,” peek into the lives of fan-favorite characters (such as Yuki’s human best friend, Sayori, and pureblood vampire Hanabusa, who are trying to cure vampirism) and introduce their offspring with tales of their own. Hino’s art moves effortlessly between humorous and serious scenes in her trademark gothic style. The action flows nicely and the reader can follow with ease, though Hino is averse to filling in backgrounds in many panels, making comprehension difficult on pages where there’s little context. Those new to the series might have trouble jumping in, but its many followers will find this compilation a welcome addition. (Aug.)