Glitch, Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up–Minato and their younger sister Akira have relocated towns and schools. When the pair begin to see digitized imagery, known as glitches, and strange creatures roaming about town, they wonder just what kind of place their mother moved them to. When they learn that some folks are able to “see” the phenomena and some aren’t, the siblings, along with some other neighborhood kids, form an investigation club to get to the bottom of things. While the story does have a mystery element throughout, it takes a little while for it to ramp up and doesn’t truly hit the gas until the final pages of the book. It’s then that it becomes very evident that this volume is more of a setup for future volumes where the nitty gritty will lie. Shinya’s signature art returns and is a creative departure from the typical manga style readers are surely accustomed to seeing. It stands out and is a pleasure to view. It’s a world where the peculiar comes naturally to some, and not to others. And while it doesn’t hit the ground running, the slow build should arouse enough curiosity to have readers return for future installments.