Alice in Murderland, Vol. 1 Hardcover – 7 July 2015

Decent first vol, while not the best it's still something we recommend reading if you like the genre.

I'm a real sucker for anything "Alice" related. The original story is a timeless classic and I ended up buying this on a whim. But as expected, this manga is nothing like it save from the usual key imagery and characters. There's plenty of violence and surprisingly little on-page gore, although some scenes can be quite creepy. In any case it's certainly not for kiddies or the weak of heart.The blurb gives the game away. But of the "bump-off-the-competition" death-match genre (Fate, Mirai Nikki, Battle Royale, Deadman Wonderland etc.), I'd say this is closest to Akuma no Riddle in terms of insanity level and style (also the main characters are girls!). The pacing is pretty frantic and confusing, I sometimes find myself reading over a page to figure out just what the heck happened. But that's also the fun of it. The story takes a backseat in this kind of genre, what viewers generally want are interesting opponents and a bloody fight. I'm slightly disappointed that the fights (so far) don't really last very long. There is also a shoujo aspect to this which I don't care much for. I hate romance in general but the dark theme and promised violence means I'm willing to look past that.For you gamers out there, check out American McGee's Alice on PC and PS3. Those games are fantastic. That Alice is a mean fighter and crazier than "Stella" Alice in her own way. There's also an animated movie due to be released and a petition for a new game to be made at Change.org. I'm sure fans of both franchises will appreciate the other.

This was my first Manga of the year and what a way to start! It's also my first ever hardback Manga that I own too. Mum to it me for Christmas and I was really excited to get stuck into it (and I've just received book 2 as well!).Alice in Murderland follows the Kuonji Clan, who once month host an Alice style tea party. It's always highlight of the month but this time it's different. Each of the siblings must now fight to their death until one sibling remains alive. Alice in Murderland Vol. 1 follows Stella, the fourth daughter, and her transformation drink the beginning stages of the .. duel?I love anything Alice in Wonderland and any different takes on it, adaptations or interpretations I'm always willing to give them a go. So I was super excited to read this and get stuck in. So I waited until I had a full day to read a little and binged the full Manga in one go. It's exciting, fun and very different to the usual cutesy Alice in Wonderland we'er used to.I always find Manga fascinating to read due to begin such a different medium to your Average UK style book/comic/graphic novel. But the art work in this particular book was extraordinary. I loved the detailing and the little bits of Alice mixed with Manga artwork, it was just incredible and added so much to the reading experience too.I'll definitely continue this series, regardless of how long it is/could be. Because it's a story I'd invest in, purely because of this one volume.