Death Note: Black Edition: Volume 5 Review By Deffinition

Death Note Volume 4 was incredible from beginning to end. It currently stands as one of the only book’s on my website that has received a perfect 10/10 score and it lead me to recommend the series highly to all that haven’t read it.

Obviously, I am very excited to dive into the follow-up chapter and I have high hopes that this sequel can either match or surpass its predecessor.

I have been wrong in the past though.

Volume 3 saw a huge dip in quality and I was extremely disappointed with that book overall.

This one has the potential to go either way so it will be interesting to see which side of the fence it lands on.

As with all my reviews there will be spoilers throughout so it may be worth skipping to the final score if you want to go into this Manga with fresh eyes.

With that out the way let’s dive into Death Note: Volume 5!

The Master Plan

Still reeling from the death of The President Of The United States in Volume 4, Light must enact a plan to take out Mello in one fell swoop. Going so far as to even use his own father to kill the character, it’s clear that our protagonist now values his own power and survival above all else. It’s brilliant to be reminded of exactly how far the character has come since getting the Death Note and I loved this calculated move by him.

Storming the base they finally come face to face with Mello and its a cataclysmic confrontation. Several huge plot points come of this meeting and it once more defines the book’s neck breaking twists and unrivaled tension.

It’s an incredible opener and I guarantee that most readers will struggle to put down the book because of it. It’s expertly paced, has incredible stakes and cements Mello as the storylines greatest villain. If you are already in love with Death Note then you will fall completely head over heels with just how well executed this introduction is.

Kira The Saviour

Mello escapes the raid and the world descends into turmoil once more. The Vice President holds a press conference that enables Kira to act without prosecution and the debate on whether he is a force for evil or good rages on.

I loved seeing the return of this aspect and there is really no right or wrong answer in discussing whether Kira has had a positive or negative effect on the world.

It’s elements like this that elevate the book and adds a wealth of character development to the proceedings.

Mello Out

Mello has no other option but to return to Near. Brandishing a gun he abducts one of Near’s companions and storms his headquarters. It’s a cerebral confrontation that beautifully builds a fragile relationship between the two and sets them up as worthy antagonists of Light. Individually the two were unable to stop Kira, but together they have the potential to bring him down once and for all.

It’s a nice touch and in all honestly I prefer this aesthetic heavily over the original one between Light and the first L. This truly feels like a life and death scenario and it’s hard not to sit on the edge of your seat as the stakes rise exponentially because of it.

Kira Kingdom

Kira is now publicly lauded as a hero and whilst this brings a lot of positive attention towards him it also tightens the net. Aware of the fake rule in the Death Note, Near begins to narrow his search.

Questioning Light, Near soon discovers that is is very likely that he is Kira and whilst he doesn’t out and out accuse him of it, his suspicions cast a huge amount of doubt amongst his camp.

This of course forces Light to launch his counter-attack and I loved watching Near and our protagonist attempt to outsmart each other. It brought back fond memories of Light’s earlier conflict with L and the tense atmosphere throughout the manga remains at a fevers pitch as we enter the climax of the volume.

Suspicion draws Near

Near quickly discover’s Lights real name and this instantly puts the protagonist in the crosshairs. As Light’s own investigators turn the investigation on him he enacts a plan to enlist a third Kira.

Mikami is introduced and he slides into the role beautifully. Normally introducing new characters into the proceedings this late in the game can have disastrous effects but the new Kira feels fitting for the piece and I loved seeing him become corrupted by the duty of bearing a death note.

Possessing a strong sense of justice and right and wrong he uses the death he is a heroic figure for the narrative. I loved watching his origin story play out in chapter 84 and should Light be murdered, readers are left with the knowledge that his successor will be just as intriguing.

The character ‘deletes’ people he views as immoral from the world in order to make it a better place and it’s clear that killing becomes an addiction for him. This is fascinating and on a psychological level clear conclusions can be drawn between him and the way that serial killers operate. His twisted sense of logic makes him overwhelmingly dangerous and I think fans will adore him much as they do Light.

Back to Japan

Mikami goes wild with power and begins killing people with previous criminal records and those deemed lazy. In order to gain control of the situation once more Light travels back to Japan and enacts a plan to get in contact with him without drawing suspicion to himself.

It’s a slightly down-trodden ending that feels anti-climactic but is obviously setting up what is to come so it’s completely forgiveable and I can’t see it dissuading many from missing out on the final volume.

The Verdict

Death Note Volume 5 remains at a consistent fever pitch throughout and brilliantly carries on one of comics most gripping series. I remain hooked on it and cannot wait to dive into the final chapter to see how the storyline will finalise.

If you’re invested in the book already (and you should be) then you owe it to yourself to pick this up.

Death Note: Black Edition: Volume 5 gets a stunning…

9/10