Reading: DARK METRO: THE ULTIMATE EDITION - Tokyo Calen (writer) & Yoshiken (illustrator)

Anyone who has ever ridden a near-empty or deserted subway train - especially underground, and at night - knows the genuine creepiness that can settle in around you. Or, as Dark Metro puts it: "They go through their day to day routine , never suspecting that in the subway tunnels is a gap between the land of the living and the land of the dead." This volume combines books one and two from the manga series, as well as adds the finale - book three - to this 500ish-page total of "Twilight Zone"-style stories carrying you through the various subway systems that snake around and under Tokyo. The black-and-white artwork is stylish and often freaky (bloody as well, God knows), adding to the "Twilight Zone" feel as readers are treated to what happens when a mother take drastic measures to rid herself of the little boy she doesn't love or want ... a group of teenage boys pay the price for acting as unwanted "matchmakers" for their female classmates ... or a samurai sword with a history of evil is reactivated by a greedy foreigner dying to own it. Too many good stories to mention, especially in the first third of the book, during which we're also introduced to the mysterious Seiya, the handsome young man and believer of justice who seems to be the only bridge between both worlds. The second half of the book gives us more information both about Seiya and the world beyond the train tracks, but ultimately it's the stories that shock and satisfy throughout, making at least this reader wonder how he may ever board a subway train at night again after reading this. The last third of the book - the newest addition - feels a bit rushed, the stories not as taught, but as a whole Dark Metro: The Ultimate Edition is as much a recommendation for a permanent place on your shelves as it is to simply read. Currently my favorite manga. 5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.