Ginko walks the Earth (like Caine in Kung-Fu) in search of primitive creatures called "mushi," and finds a lifetime of travel, loneliness, and, sometimes, a bit of love.

233 pgs. B&W; $12.95

(W / A: Yuki Urushibara)

Ginko again combats the strange, primitive life-forms known as mushi in Yuki Urushibara's latest installment of Mushishi. A trained mushi master, Ginko is cursed to be a nexus for these problematic creatures, which means a lifetime of travel, loneliness, and, sometimes, a bit of love. In the vein of roaming hero tales, Urushibara has managed to shy away from monotonous content and presents five satisfying subplots to Ginko's great journey.

"The Mountain Sleeps," begins the second volume with Ginko stopped by a village of farmers who have misplaced their own mushishi. Amid the worship of a sacred mountain that produces holes in its peaks and monkey-faced foxes on its sides, Ginko quickly learns the secret to the mysterious vanishing of the village's mushishi. In a strange and grim conclusion, Urushibara reinforces the spirit-infused landscapes of her world.

"The Sea of Brushstrokes" depicts one of the first comparisons between Ginko and other mushishi. In this tale, a young woman born with a birthmark on a dead leg must forever trap ancient mushi and their histories in rolls of parchment. As she writes, her birthmark shrinks until one day she will regain use of her leg, but until then, she must write painful stories of mushi deaths...until she meets Ginko. After spending time with him, the young woman realizes that not all mushi tales end with death, and recording his story becomes one of the highlights of her life. A sad promise concludes this tale, but even still, there is hope for the young woman's happiness.

"They That Breathe Ephemeral Life" presents an island that worships a god in the shape of a small girl. When Ginko learns the true secret of her godhead, readers will be surprised at the decisions some of the characters follow. Urushibara has a talent for the bittersweet, and her conclusion may leave readers a bit conflicted.

"Rain Comes and a Rainbow is Born" shows one boy's dedication to his father in the face of utter failure. Searching madly for the lost rainbow his father claims was unique, the young son, "Rainbow Man," spends five years running away from his family and failures as an engineer. What he finds, through Ginko's assistance, is redemption and hope for his village.

"The Veil Spore" confronts readers with a heartbreaking tale of parasitism and two parents' inability to let go of the death of their child. Urushibara offers the family a chance not only to have one child, but four and five, which could only be a dream come true for the couple, until Ginko enters the picture and reveals some painful information. Again, another tale of strange and painful decisions, which only compounds the complexity of Urushibara's worldview. Readers will find a lot of conflict in this volume, but not necessarily from where they expect it. | James Nokes

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