Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut Volume 4: Star-Crossed

Following up the single volume affair of Bart and Kaye that put them in competition with Irina and Lev, volume 4 approaches the tensions between nations and the products of the space race. It's not so much about space itself as it is the roadblocks placed upon Earth that stop them from reaching the stars. Through that we face struggle, attempting to understand the unique struggles of others, and how as a single collective humanity we can reach the stars.

One of the, obviously, best aspects of this story is how well it blends reality with fiction. The challenges of the space race, of the differences between what's chosen for how to land on the moon, even historical events. Vast swathes of the story have some degree of truth to them, and are wonderfully complemented by the romanticism and drama that Makino has penned. Making promises under the threat of nuclear war, standing up to the pressure of a nation and expressing that you remain a person, finding ways to surpass oppression and discrimination and hatred. It's all very beautiful and thoughtfully composed, so it's hard to pick a place to start.

I say that, but what I'm most excited to chat about was the Cuban Missile Crisis. A grim name for sure, but I think Makino captures that Cold War panic perfectly, even with the characters "closest" to the issue. Bart and Kaye are massive fans of Lev and Irina, so the blow struck them incredibly hard. Both as fans of the cosmonauts who's named ships carried the weapons, but also as nerds with their head amongst the stars, dreaming of rockets rather than missiles. The awkward nature between them is tense but not intense, the silence speaks volumes, and the broken conversation before they separate really drives home the sheer shock of the event. In conjunction with that, I liked how they framed it. They took hold of the situation and spun it to paint Arnack (a United States-United Kingdom blend) as a saint that did no wrong. It's a blink and you'll miss (though really skip over) it moment where the text admits that Arnack was the first to place weapons in proximity to the rival country. They grasp the nature and expression of the crisis incredibly well, and given that we're currently alongside Arnack, ensures that they're shown to be better than the USZR.

Anyways, the actual best moment of the Cuban Missile Crisis (though titled the Imprisoned Island Crisis, a somewhat subtle nod to the state of the country) is what unfolds between Bart and Kaye. The threat of nuclear war looming, a single shot in the dark arriving the next day to effectively save ANSA's desire to land on the moon. Fear mounts and bubbles over into anxiety and terror that brings the two together in a dim room with the sound of rain droplets dancing across the dim window. There's nobody there to reassure the two, Bart doesn't have his brother, and Kaye is still without her mother. It's between themselves that they find a reason to drive their futures forward. That shared passion, the understanding of their fears and desire to find comfort when the world might end the next day. It's a hopelessly dramatic pseudo-tragedy, using threats of annihilation to spur Bart and Kaye forward into making a borderline erotic blood pact. What is with vampires and being hot?

Alright alright, moving on. There's lots to enjoy with this novel outside of the missile crisis. Like Queen Sundancia. I'll be honest, I don't personally think that the introduction to the character was the best it could have been. It's hard to express emotion effectively through just words, so when establishing Sundancia as the 18 year-old girl with her head in the clouds but a crown atop it that forces her to ground it comes off a little heavy handed for my tastes. That said, the more time we get with her, the more enjoyable and relatable her character is. The weight of responsibility is rather common and well understood, but I liked how it was broached with a girl faced with words that could drive the world to destruction or guide it towards a bright future. Talk about heavy. But that's what makes it enjoyable, and it's not obligation to her nation or duty that produces the outcome, but rather her first chat in a very long time where she's treated as that 18 year-old girl rather than the Queen of Arnack.

Speaking of new characters, Professor Klaus was a really nice addition to the exploration of content in this volume. Being directly linked to missile development, and having defected to Arnack gives Klaus a lot of flack, and expresses the approach of a man that has been buffeted by such words throughout the entirety of his career. He faces a different kind of discrimination to Irina and Kaye, and fills a nice middle ground that picks apart race and origin in a somewhat different fashion. Through it all though, Klaus shows that sciences and passion prevails, as even his own tough and stony exterior is cracked by a shared excitement and passion for space that had nearly been extinguished in his heart.

Okay, back to reality really quickly. Lev and Irina do a great job in their roles of this volume, as the cosmonauts isolated from space. The expo and their experience there really drive home their passion, and how alone they feel when alienated from not only what brought the pair together, but what they promised each other. The dejection and sorrow that's experienced by each is very well expressed to that end. Lev is bit more resigned to his fate, almost wearing a cynical smile in the face of his reality, while Irina first shows indignation towards their treatment, before stooping to dejection as she is forced to face reality through some of the experiences at the 21st Century Expo. It's a really sad sight, but serves to explain why the cosmonauts have spent so long travelling the world, and what the reality of early space travel is. In that way, Makino is very good at picking up on the nuances and flow of bureaucracy and how it affects people that are genuinely passionate about what they do.

So, to close it out: another very good volume. The drama is found outside of the oppression of Vampire and Dhampir, which is great to see that Makino isn't relying on it to drive things forward, but it still finds a way to isolate and direct hatred towards people. It doesn't give up on what brought it together, but it also doesn't cling to it hoping that it can continue to deliver. It's a natural progression, one that can feel odd at first as it places the USZR in the crosshairs of Arnack and the reader, but one that at the end of the day remains well executed and received. Vampires, Space, Romance, and Drama. All still apparent in the story, and all still important, but in varying concentrations and degrees, just enough to shake things up. Plus, Karei's art remains really pretty. So there's not really anything else to say other than, "I'm really looking forward to the next volume!".

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