REVIEW: ‘Black Clover,’ Volume 26

Black Clover Volume 26 is an action-adventure fantasy manga written and illustrated by Yūki Tabata, translated by Taylor Engel, touch-up art and lettering by Annaliese Christman, design by Kami Li, and edited by Alexis Kirsch. VIZ Media publishes the series as a part of the SHONEN JUMP imprint.  Black Clover is set in a fantasy world where the majority of humans are born with magic. The series centers on the story of Asta and Yuno, orphans who find themselves striving for the dream of earning the title of Wizard King.  While Yuno is a prodigy born with an advanced skill of magic, Asta, on the other hand, is born without any magic at all. But that doesn’t stop him from working towards his dream.

Black Clover Volume 26 includes chapters 251 through 261. In Volume 26, Noelle and others are training in the Heart Kingdom, when the Dark Triad member, Vanica, launches a deadly attack on the territory. The Clover magic knights will need to work as a team if they hope to take down Vanica and her devil, Megicula. Now, Noelle must protect the Heart Kingdom and take down the devil who killed her mother.

The mangaka delivers some of the most striking artwork I have in the series to date. I have come to expect nothing less from the Black Clover creator and their team. This volume is full of beautifully drawn panels packed with captivating artwork that is sure to grab a reader’s attention.  I especially love how Tabata takes full advantage of the full-page spreads in this volume.

Hands down, my favorite moment in this volume is when Asta and Yami team up against Dante. Particularly because the moment makes a touching and impactful statement about Yami and Asta’s relationship as mentor and mentee. Even though the panels of the moment use very little dialogue, it still manages to say a lot about how special the bond they share is. I applaud the mangaka’s use of facial expressions and capturing their synchronized movements in the battle to help convey and get at the heart of Yami and Asta’s relationship. They don’t need to exchange words to quantify the trust they have in one another as comrades and captain and student. 

For the most part, Volume 26 is heavily focused on the battles taking place between Noelle, Asta, and Yami against the Dark Triad members, Vanica and Dante. The mangaka truly delivers thrilling fight storylines in this volume. Some of which left me completely enthralled with the story and eager to see what would happen next. The volume felt like a quick read to me, however, I felt that was due to the fast-paced storytelling. Which is completely necessary to capture the urgency and environment of the battles in this chapter. I also greatly appreciate it because the volume doesn’t feel like the story is dragging on.

Overall, Black Clover Volume 26 is captivating and well worth the read. Once again the mangaka, Yūki Tabata, does not fail to impress with its well-written story and enthralling artwork. The story for the most part is fast-paced which helps to not drag out the battles for too long. Tabata takes advantage of the full-page spreads in this volume to deliver some of the most striking scenes I have seen throughout the series to date. I especially love how Tabata uses very little dialogue in these panels, and yet they have a lot of impact emotionally on the reader and characters.

I honestly cannot recommend picking this volume enough. It has everything from well-written and paced storylines, beautiful artwork, and moments that will make your jaw drop. I can’t wait to read the next installment to see what happens next.