Peace Maker Kurogane: Volume 1    by Nanae Chrono Order:  USA  Can TOKYOPOP, 2009 (2009) Paperback    Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto In the notes at the end of volume 1 of Peace Maker Kurogane, manga-ka Nanae Chrono admits that it reads like the sequel to Peace Maker rather than its own stand alone series. Unfortunately, this is all too true, making Peace Maker Kurogane impossible to read, understand, and enjoy without having read the entire Peace Maker series first. From the first page of Peace Maker Kurogane, I had no clue what was really happening. I recognized some of the characters from having read the first volume of Peace Maker, but I was pretty well lost. They only thing that I was able to figure out was happening was that a new guy with a gun arrived in town to challenge the Shinsengumi. Also, I gleaned that some of the characters were remorseful over something that happened at the end of Peace Maker – the death of somebody – but I was not sure why they were feeling this way. The only thing I was able to really get out of Peace Maker Kurogane was Nanae Chrono's style, which came through loud and clear. Chrono has a great shonen drawing style with fun character looks and facial expressions, swift action scenes, and always just enough in the panel to tell the story without overcrowding it with scenery. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews