Riyoko Ikeda

I realized that I rated every individual volume of 'The Rose of Versailles' 4 out of 5 stars, yet I'd consider this to be a 5 star series. Weird.

Anyways, the main narrative of 'The Rose of Versailles' ended last volume and this last omnibus is a collection of side stories starring Lady Oscar's crime-solving niece. Admittedly, that does sound like a joke, but it works surprisingly well! These stories manage to carry on with the main series' themes about classism, mainly how the aristocracy preys on the common folk, as well as Oscar's choice to rebel against them once she realizes justice within the system is impossible since the government is designed to protect nobles. I don't think any of these stories are as good as the main narrative, but they're a good excuse to spend more time with these characters. I also think this is probably the best looking book of the bunch. Ikeda's linework is beautiful and these are probably the best renditions of Oscar and Andre.

Overall, I loved the time I spent with this series. Lady Oscar is such a cool and inspiring and relatable character. Recommending a series in the review of its last book seems kinda dumb, but I highly recommend this series to anyone reading this and think it sounds even remotely interesting. It's a seminal work in the medium for a reason!… (meer)

This volume focuses on the build-up right before the French Revolution really kicks off. Tempers are rising, lines have been drawn, and all other options to resolve the class disparity have failed. The tension in this series is real and the story only gets better as it continues. I'm very excited to read the next volume.

There's a lot to like about this series, but I think Ikeda handling Oscar's dueling identities is where it shines. Oscar is split between the noble/commoner divide in the same way she's split between the masculine/feminine divide. Oscar was born on one side, understands the other side better, but can sympathize with both. It's always interested in seeing how older works deal with highly contentions modern social issues in a way that's unburdened by our current political climate.… (meer)