Impressions: Crime Scene Investigation Intern at Your Own Risk

The first time I saw this manga, I thought to myself: "No, this cannot be the same CSI from Channel 2." Then I flipped to the page where the credits were and found the names "CBS Productions" and "CBS Broadcasting, Inc." I was like "Oh my GOD! Seriously?" Initially, I was skeptical, because CSI was a show that I occasionally watch. I did not want to read a CSI manga that does not have the CSI flavor in it. After seeing it on bookshelves so many times, what did I decide to do? I took a risk by buying and reading it. I worried for nothing.

It was the middle of the night, and I could not sleep. So, I decided to find something to read to help me fall asleep. I did not want to read a manga that would cause me to stay up and read the next volume. I looked through my stack of manga and found a single volume story, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Intern at Your Own Risk. Instead of making me go to sleep, it actually kept me wide-awake. I was hooked from the beginning to the end and wanted more.

The story is by Sekou Hamilton, and the writing sucked me in. I just kept reading non-stop. It was that captivating. I wanted the answers to my questions: what happened to the victim; why did it happen; and who did it? It helps to enjoy the genre of mystery and crime solving. One thing to be aware of is that there are lots of scientific terminologies in the manga. Since I am unfamiliar with that field of study, I cannot verify as being accurate. Where is a forensic scientist when you need one? There are moments of humor; however, it does not distract the reader from the main focus of the story.

The art is by Steven Cummings, and it captured the essence of the textual crime drama. There were bloody crime scenes, flash backs and minor moments of humor. It is just the right touch for the story. However, there is one thing that initially confused me. The victim in the story looks so similar to the girl in the center of the cover art. My mind went bonkers! The only reason I realized that they were two different people was because on top of page 9 was the text "The next morning..." and you see a girl who looked like the victim, but really was not. For all I know, it could have been the intention of the artist as a way to draw the readers in or it was pure accident.

As a whole, it reminds me of the TV series. One reason was the recognizable characters Catherine Willows and Gilbert Grissom. How could it be CSI without those two?? Another was the sequence and flow of events: the crime; the investigation; forensic study of the corpse; the analysis with flashback of what might have happened; the conclusion of the case and an ending that leaves you wanting more. When I reached near the end of the book, I thought there was another page of story panels. Instead, it was an artwork. I flipped through the pages thinking I missed something. However, I did not. I wanted more.
© 2010 Linda Thai

Thank You Tokyopop Marketing Manager Kasia Piekarz for the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Intern at Your Own Risk cover art and panel pages!

Check out the Tokyopop trailer for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Intern at Your Own Risk