RECORD OF LODOSS WAR – THE GREY WITCH (BOOK 1)

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RECORD OF LODOSS WAR – THE GREY WITCH (BOOK 1)

August 12th 2010 21:29

Category: Graphic Novels/Comics

Publisher: CPM Manga
Story by: Ryo Mizuno
Artwork by: Yoshihiko Ochi
Translation: Laura Jackson & Yoko Kobayashi
Retouch & Lettering: Dan Nakrosis & Dano Ink Studios
Design: Vanessa Satone
Cost: AU$3.50/US$9.99

I first heard of this particular series whilst perusing a role playing supplement for the superhero RPG Mutants and Masterminds a while back. Curiosity piqued I tried to see where I could get hold of a copy either as a manga or an anime, surprisingly Madman Entertainment was having a big manga sale and this particular series was on special so with alacrity I snatched it up. At three dollars fifty per volume who wouldn’t snatch up a bargain like that? Possibly someone with no interest in Record of Lodoss War (ROLW): Grey Witch or even manga. Still regardless it was a great buy because after it turned up on my doorstep and I began to read it I found that I could not put it down, always a good sign. So just what is ROLW: Grey Witch all about?

Published by Central Park Media this manga strangely does not come in the usual Japanese format, instead it’s presented in the typical western style, in other words it’s been flopped as they say. This process makes it potentially easier to read, although sometimes the original creators feel that some of their intentions and emphasis gets misplaced in flopping. It’s an understandable point, and frankly I wonder it wouldn’t mean an extra level of work for the Western production team, not only in translating but then trying to put the work into a ‘standard’ format that western readers are used to.
Fortunately though for this particular work the presentation in a western format hasn’t diminished its story in any way that I can discern, but granted I’m not a speaker or reader of Japanese so take my remark with a grain of salt in that regard. ROLW: Grey Witch is apparently one of several stories set in the Lodoss universe created by Ryo Mizuno and this is the very first story set in this universe. For some reason I had the mistaken impression that Lodoss War was a science fiction series, don’t know why I just did, anyhow it’s a fantasy saga one that has happily embraced all things fantastical and sword and sorcery to come up with a riveting story. And frankly if you are writing a fantasy piece, a compelling story is a must, grab the reader’s attention with that and you’re on to a sure-fire winner if ever there was one. ROLW: Grey Witch matches this aspect superbly.

All of the drama that occurs in this, the first book in the Grey Witch story, occurs on Lodoss and sizeable island located to the south of the continent of Akecrast. Several kingdoms and territories cover the island, so the place is fairly Balkanized in terms of politics, a disunited land although there hasn’t been any conflict on the island since the War against Evil. And that legendary conflict was not so much between the various different nations but between the inhabitants of the island and the God of Evil who sought dominion over all. Seven heroes fought against the God of Evil and six of them managed to survive that titanic conflict that occurred in the Dark Labyrinth of Death. Those heroes went back to their respective lands and callings and life continued on.
Reading this work I was reminded how much like a typical session of Dungeons & Dragons it was, we have a gathering of characters, six in all, each of them with differing roles and abilities yet in the end the sum of the whole is greater than the individual parts. As a party of adventurers united by bonds of friendship and courage they’re a force that could be seen as unstoppable. We have Parn the valiant warrior who seems to be something of a leader for the group, son of a former knight, then there is his childhood friend Etoh, a Pharis priest, Slayn the sorcerer, Ghim the wise dwarf who is seeking the daughter of an old friend, Deedlit the High Elf who has emerged from the forest deeps and last but not least Woodchuck the thief. It’s a classic D&

party, the only thing some might say is missing is a Halfling, but frankly I think that the story is all the better for that.
Essentially ROLW: Grey Witch is several story lines woven into a single ongoing saga, the storylines that are important are those of Parn, Ghim and the Grey Witch; Karla. These tales are set against the backdrop of an invasion of the island from the evil realm of Marmo which lies to the south of Lodoss. Marmo is a bleak haven of darkness ruled over by Beld, its emperor and one of the six heroes who defeated the God of Evil and in the process lost his soul as a result. Converging together at first are the stories of Parn and Ghim, the former seeks to become a knight and increase his skills and abilities so that he can defend the people against the increasing activities of the goblins and other monsters in the land. Ghim on the other hand is looking for the daughter of Neece, a priestess of the goddess Marfa and one of the six heroes. He intends to seek out his old friend Slayn, a sorcerer living in the village of Zaxon to enlist his help. En route he encounters Parn and Etoh fighting marauding goblins.
And so with this one incident the forging of the party commences; Parn, Etoh, Ghim and Slayn gather together to journey to Allan, capital of the Kingdom of Allania in which Zaxon is located. Here in this bustling metropolis where the news of the birth of a son to the king has created a festive atmosphere they run into the final two members of their group, Deedlit and Woodchuck. The latter brings to the group not just his talents as a skilled thief but a task that answers some of the questions that have been puzzling Slayn. It is this mission which plunges the group into the thick of events that are unfolding, events that threaten to sweep them into catastrophic conflict. For as the party has been journeying their nemesis Beld has not been idle, the kingdom of Kanon, locate directly across the water from his own dark realm has fallen to his forces...
Record of Lodoss War: Grey Witch Book 1 is well worth the effort of tracking down and reading. As I said earlier on I couldn’t put it down, it was that compelling. Filled with moments of humour, drama, action and suspense as each page is turned it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Kudos to Ryo Mizuno and Yoshihiko Ochi for bringing such a work to life, and kudos to CPM Manga for bringing it to audiences in the west.

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