Feeling the weight of personal and professional rejection, stylish one-eyed reporter Toguchi embraces his dark side. The horrors he's both documented and participated in haunt him also, and a "perfect storm" of frustration and anger builds until he resolves to pull off a violent "performance art show" in order to get the widespread attention he feels he deserves. Unfortunately, this involves killing a lot of people, transforming the happy-go-lucky guerrilla journalist into a modern monster. Crazed Toguchi also makes some sensitive information public, enraging Zenitsu, another unbalanced villain with a knack for murder and a resistance to pain. Kazuhiko Amamiya arrives at the scene a little too late, but Amamiya-our favorite multiple personality detective-feels that there's some hope yet, and he risks his life to negotiate with Toguchi.

* Eiji Otsuka is also the author of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.

* Each volume comes shrink-wrapped and carries an 18+ content advisory.