Crossing Midnight, Vol. 2: A Map of Midnight

Kai is still searching for his twin sister Toshi when he befriends Loretta. She is a teenage schoolgirl leading a hidden life as a "reward date" being a paid escort and more to Japanese men. Her friends are slowly being killed and it seems to link to Tarimoku, a chimp prankster who appears to children and protects their innocence.

Meanwhile Toshi who is now Hasharito has a tool choose her, Uso-Tsuki the Liar in the form of a pair of scissors. After passing a series of tests she is sent out into the night to cut away people's dreams. She manages to upset the Gleaner (one of the five faces of Death) and her fortune takes a sudden turn for the worse. She does have superdog to help her though.

Another great collection seeing Hasharito trying show more to uncover her missing past and Kai learn some hard truths about the nature of the world. Lots of violence again with some amazing artwork. There is a section written by Carey at the end about "reward dating" which was interesting, looking at the different attitudes between different cultures and countries. show less

This continues the story of the two twins, one born just before midnight, the other just after and their dealings with the spirits behind things. The second half of this issue deals with the theme of lost innocence in children, as exemplified by young girl characters who "date" for business, a phenomenon which is prevalent in Japan. The story is haunting, with some gore and gritty realism, blended with captivating fantasy.

This second volume of Crossing Midnight continues to be excellent, as both Toshi and Kai make their way through Tokyo while discovering the supernatural creatures that co-exist with unsuspecting humankind. Very imaginative and suspenseful.