In this volume, we get some intrigue. We learn that Blake was once in a group called White Fang, made up of Faunus who fought against discrimination and prejudice toward Faunus, and for their rights, but now something sinister is going on with the group. Blake goes to investigate, and finds a new leader has lead them astray, and turned White Fang into a terrorist group. Also, Ruby makes a new friend, Penny, who is not quite what she seems....
The overall themes of friendship and camaraderie are here, plus lots of action, and I'm digging the underlying sense of secrecy and intrigue- that always makes a story interesting!

#RWBYTheOfficialMangaVol2 #NetGalley

The things that I enjoyed in the first volume seem to be falling by the wayside in book two. While the art for the most remains good there are some panels (pages even) which reminded me of bad photocopies because of the blank spaces, half lines, etc.

In this instalment we learn about White Fang. It is the central story of the book and the fairytale aspects I liked so much in the first book make way for this. I did however like the side story of the robot friend.

I’m not sure how much having no background knowledge of RWBY is impacting my enjoyment of this series. I would have hoped the manga could have been enjoyed separate from the tv series but I feel like readers are expected to have the context to follow the manga better.

Smart Ruby, princess Weiss, athletic Blake, and Ruby’s older sister Yang are once again students at the Beacon Academy in RWBY: The Official Manga Vol 2.

This time Blake has a secret. Ruby finds a new friend, Penny. And the RWBY team gets to investigate the White Fang gang. The gang used to fight racism against animal/human mixes called faunus. But now, it appears, they have become villains stealing dust like common criminals. The team wants to know why.

RWBY: The Official Manga Vol 2 is an enjoyable way to spend an hour or two. However, I do miss the humor of the anime. Lighten up ladies! 3 stars.

Thanks to VIZ Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

RWBY: The Official Manga Volume Two continues the adventures of Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and Blake.

RWBY: The Official Manga Volume 2
Written by: Bunta Kinami
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: March 16, 2021

This volume introduces the concept of faunus, which are individuals that contain a single animal trait. Even though the humans and the faunus fought a war and had terrible losses on both sides and both groups have tried to coexist afterwards, there is still a gulf between the two groups that has not been entirely bridged. This concept is explained to the reader through reading a scene of students learning about the topic in class. This also leads to a discussion about the White Fang, a group that started out as a group to address the widespread discrimination experienced by faunus, and has changed to now being a terrorist organization that steals Dust.

While the four girls are out in town, Weiss is excited for the upcoming Vytal Festival, which is when the four kingdoms come together for a grand exhibition that includes tournaments, parades, and dance parties. They discover that the town has had another Dust Robbery, and they hear rumors that the White Fang is behind it. Weiss and Blake argue over this theory, with Weiss confident the White Fang is behind it, while Blake argues it could also be Roman Torchwick, who Ruby stopped from stealing Dust at the beginning of Volume One. This leads to an argument between the two girls, and Blake blurting out something that makes it sound like she might be a member of White Fang. This becomes the first hurdle the girls have to overcome after forming RWBY.

This volume also introduces three new characters: Sun Wukong (a faunus from Mistral), Penny Polendina (a girl who becomes friends with Ruby and has a secret), and Neptune (also from Mistral).

After discovering evidence that Roman, a human, is working with the White Fang, RWBY, along with Sun and Neptune, start doing some investigating. Blake and Sun, who are faunus, try to infiltrate a meeting of the White Fang. But Roman blows their cover, and this leads to a fight between RWBY and Roman, who has acquired an Atlesian Battle-Suit Tech. Penny also plays an important role in this battle. This fight marks the climax of the volume.

In my review for Volume One, I commented on how there seemed to be a lack of definition in the art for the characters and how sparse the backgrounds look. However, in this volume, starting on Page 29, there is a sudden overuse of screentone on the pages. On some of the pages, the screentone essentially covers the whole page and makes it very hard to read. I found this overuse of screentone to be a distraction when I was reading this manga. After reading this volume, I’d much rather have the sparse backgrounds than this overuse of screentone.

The story seems to be interesting, but unfortunately, I got too distracted by all the screentone to pay as close of attention to the story as I usually do. I sincerely hope that this issue with the screentone will not continue with Volume Three. Although, from what I did pick up from reading this volume, I liked the idea of the conflict between the faunus and the humans. I think there could be a lot of potential with this aspect, and hopefully this will be utilized more in later volumes. My biggest disappointment, though, is the fact that characters introduced in Volume One, like team JNPR, aren’t even touched on or acknowledged in this volume after there was emphasis placed on them in the previous volume.

In my review for Volume One, I also mentioned how it seemed the main characters were hitting all the typical shonen series tropes. From what I was reading in Volume Two, it seems that while I was still seeing some of those tropes, it also felt like Blake was starting to become a character in her own right thanks to the character development we see here. Hopefully the other protagonists can receive similar development in future volumes of the series.

While I didn’t think that RWBY: The Official Manga Volume Two was bad, I didn’t think it was great, either. If I wasn’t so distracted by the screentones, I might have had a stronger appreciation for this volume.

The world of RWBY continues in the next volume of the manga based on the Rooster Teeth series from Monty Oum. As the new students of Beacon Academy get settled into their group and surroundings, they encounter a beings that are part animal called Faunus. They'll have to use their considerable skills to keep these creatures at bay while still learning how to work together as a team.

RWBY is still very much in the early growth phase with this volume. The characters were basically thrown together and they're still figuring each other out. A perfect example of this comes when we learn more about Blake and her connection to the mysterious organization of Faunus called the White Fang. You can judge a book by its cover and immediately jump to a conclusion about Blake just because she has cat ears, but that isn't being fair at all.

Writer / artist Bunta Kinami explores some great themes in this volume surrounding friendship and judgment. Blake takes most of the spotlight as we learn more about her past and what makes her tick. The quieter scenes reveal quite a lot, leading to some epic battles that have much more impact since Kinami did the due diligence to invest within the character's life.

That friendship angle comes into play when Ruby meets a strange girl in town. Anyone else would have been put off by this girl's odd behavior, but Ruby spends a few moments befriending her. She understands how she feels as she's been in a similar position recently too. This also contributes to the big finale of this volume as the newcomer has a part to play.

Much of this volume consists of people having some deep conversations which could come across as dry or boring, however Kinami keeps things interesting with a variety of angles and layouts. We see all kinds of perspectives on the scenes and never see the same shot twice.

Kinami's pencils are light, creating a lithe kind of movement that especially comes into play in the big battle to close out this book. The characters move with grace and strike with power. It's a nice combination.

While I'm still not exactly the target audience for RWBY, I'm finding quite a lot to enjoy about the book and this fascinating world. It presents some great lessons that are valuable at any age. The sudden introduction to the Faunus and an entire caste system was a little abrupt, however it's clear this world is still getting fleshed out so I'm curious where this is going next.

I loved the rooster teeth show and was hoping for a bit more with the manga but it looses the magic without the amazing characters and comedic timing.

Time for another Volume of RWBY!

An old, dear friend of mine recommended RWBY to me years ago, so I figured it was a great series to jump into when I found the mangas. He swore by the manga and could never stop talking about it (he was a serious fanboy). This series is definitely as good as he says it is, but it's not the perfect fit for me.

This specific series of RWBY is a lot more serious and less jokey. Lately, I've been yearning for more jokey and fun manga. This book is still incredible - it's action packed, has great illustrations and has an awesome storyline. These people kick butt and are awesome at it.

If you're looking for a thrilling and action-packed manga with a more serious tone then this is perfect for you.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

One of the weird things about adaptations is what gets changed. In this case, there were some scenes I was glad they rearranged, but most of them felt odd. I'm unsure who the target audience is for this since it's obviously geared to fans of the series, but if you've watched the show, then you know what scenes and conversations are missing. Perhaps people who have never watched the show would like this as the story does feel fleshed out enough for the concepts of dust, hunters/huntresses, and the political dynamics of the faunus and human struggle makes sense without supplementary materials.

The story is solid, as is the plot and pacing. I found some of the dialogue changes jolted me out of the story because it changed the dynamics of scenes I know really well, but otherwise, it's a good story and well sets up the conflict of the RWBYverse. The art captures each character really well, and I love that Penny got unique text boxes to showcase her otherness to the rest of the group.

The story did seem to end abruptly, and I'm not sure if it's because it was decided to end it on a cliffhanger or if something happened and my copy just ended. I also felt like the big fight scene was suuuper dragged out and unnecessary. I get that it was for dramatic purposes, but I think it was about two chapters of the book? But that also is a RWBY staple, so I can't fault them for just doing what the show does.

As a whole, it's solid. Not sure if I personally will continue to read them because I'm not gaining anything new from reading a story I've watched half a dozen times, but it's a fun new way to consume a good story and the art looks great.

Thank you to NetGalley, VIZ Media, Bunta Kinami, and Rooster Teeth for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second volume in the RWBY manga adapted from the Rooster Teeth animation. The adaptation moves forward a bit faster than the show and it tends to be slightly more serious with fewer jokes. This volume really brings the political plot into view when it comes to the discrimination against Faunus and an organization that once fought for what's right, The White Fang, which has supposedly turned to crime and terrorism. Team RWBY grows even closer in their friendship as they decide to work together to find out just what is going on with The White Fang.

A great adaptation that really done into the story and this manga brings it to life just as the show. The medium is different, but the story and art are rich, and this is a fantastic manga for fans of the original show or anyone looking for a new, exciting manga to read.

Blake's ties with the organization known as White Fang are revealed. Ruby makes a friend who is actually a robot. The team takes on Roman Torchwick.