Vampire Knight 1 & 2

One of the great things about being a reviewer is that you get to read things you wouldn't normally pick up. Take Vampire Knight for example - I've been inundated with vampires recently, from Moon Phase to Hellsing and even Negima, the blighters get everywhere. So were I to peruse the shelves looking for something to read, Vampire Knight would perhaps be left unread. And that would be a massive shame.

The story takes place within the Cross Acadamy, which splits the students into two categories, the Day class and the Night class. As you've no doubt guessed already, the Night class is the vampire contingent, and they serve as an attempt by the school's headmaster to create an environment where humans and vampires can live together in peace.

In order to seperate the two classes, the headmaster's grand-daughter, Yuki, along with her adopted brother Zero run the school Disciplinary committee, and together they keep the Night Class' secret.

The series doesn't stick to vampire convention, and the bloodsuckers in Vampire Knight don't fear garlic or sunlight, but they'll still enjoy the occasional human snack if they're rogue - the students in the night class quell their cravings with blood tablets, and fall in line because they're led by the handsome pureblood Kaname.

The artwork is gorgeous - detailed, dynamic and sharp, with panelling that flows smoothly. The variety in the pages keeps your interest, and the script is sharp and punchy.

If there is any negative comment to be made, it would be that based on these first two volumes there's nothing particuarly new here - it's still vampires in a school setting, and unless the author can pull out some truly imaginative ideas, we're going to have nothing more than a well written and beautiful example of a packed genre. Personally I'm rooting for it to go the extra mile and make itself a must have.