If you're just jumping on board now, the story of Vermonia revolves around four teenagers snatched from Earth to a strange land where they find that they may be instrumental in returning that world to its once peaceful state. After a deposed queen transformed her ministers into animal forms, their powers were lost to the world of Vermonia and reincarnated on Earth. Each of the four teens hold part of the key to unlocking a brighter future for Vermonia. As the famous line goes, they'll get by with a little help from their friends. Call of the Winged Panther is as much about the other inhabitants of Vermonia as it is about the humans. Jim is falling for the girl, Rainbow, that discovered them almost immediately after their arrival, while Naomi gets some time alone with Rainbow's protector, Fly. All this smacks of the puppy love that possesses most teens and tweens, which is appropriate considering the series is targeting a younger reader. Rated for ages 8 or above, Vermonia 2: Call of the Winged Panther is more kid-friendly than most "serious" manga we've seen.
The darkest plot line concerns the fourth teen, Mel, whose kidnapping inspired her friends to follow her to Vermonia. She's been a prisoner through the entire series, but her imprisonment is taking a strange turn. As the second of Uro's army is defeated by the small force from Earth, Mel is mysteriously released from her enclosure and led by her captor to... we don't yet know. We also don't know what strange vision her friends had at the end of this book, but we are led to believe that Naomi and Fly are in some trouble. It's never a dull day in Vermonia, and we're enthused about the upbeat pace and quality production of this series so far. Sure, it reads right-to-left and is entirely black-and-white apart from some front- and back-cover spreads, but each book so far feels like someone poured in a bit of love.
