The Hidden Volume 1
- PAPERBACK: PAGES
- Language: English
- ISBN:
- EAN:
- AVAILABLE: NOW
- MSRP: $0.00
OUT OF PRINT
MANGA + COMICS
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User Reviews
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Kiasyd
A great start
I saw the picture for this one and thought, "Ah! Vampires! Let's see what they do with it this time ..." This manga is not about Vampires :DMORE
The relationship between three childhood friends changes completely when they begin to realize their deeper feelings for one another, only to have the complication squared when one of them is possessed by a genie! Soon the three are ensnared in an epic feud between ancient deities.
Shiddah
Once the right-hand man of King Solomon, the genie Shiddah was devastated when his former friend, the genie Ashmedai, cruelly killed his mentor. He is cold and a bit arrogant, but has a weakness for helping humans that Solomon instilled in him. Shiddah is also the guardian of Solomon's sword, which is the only weapon capable of truly damaging a powerful genie. However, he's always been reluctant to use it against Ashmedai.
He stumbled across Kasim Eswara when he was a child fleeing after his parents were murdered, and agreed to help get him to the safety of the American Embassy, only to meet Ashmedai halfway there. He saved Kasim, but the ensuing battle weakened him. He disappeared from the boy's life for almost 10 years while he slowly healed.
Unfortunately, when he finds Kasim again, now in America, Ashmedai is hot on his heels, and he has to make a deal with Kasim so that he can hide and recover yet again. He offers his powers as a way to make Kasim great and strong, presenting Kasim with the ultimate dilemma.
Ashmedai
Genies Ashmedai and Shiddah used to be buddies, wreaking havoc wherever they went, but when King Solomon "tamed" Shiddah, Ashmedai swore revenge, and ended up killing Solomon. He and Shiddah have since had a vicious hatred for one another, which has gone on for eons. Shiddah hates Ashmedai for killing his first human friend and mentor, and Ashmedai hates Shiddah for turning against his own kind and siding with the puny humans.
Unfortunately, since genies can't die, they just end up beating one another into submission and then spending several decades healing before repeating the process. That worked just fine for Ashmedai until Shiddah's compassion for humanity led to his stay in Kasim's body.
Kasim Eswara
A shy, sweet, smart Muslim lad who wears his heart on his sleeve. Kasim loves his friends Zach and Kylie, but doesn't take it well when romance threatens to shatter their friendship. Kasim claims his parents were murdered right in front of him when he was a child, and he was rescued by a mysterious man…but he's not sure how much of what happened was a dream.
Zach and Kylie always believed his story and they've always protected him from bullies who call him crazy and make fun of his Arab heritage.
Kasim allows Shiddah to take over his body as a way of repaying him for saving Kasim when he was a child, but he's not always entirely happy with the way Shiddah fails to meld with modern society, and then the way Shiddah becomes a bit of an older-brother figure for Kylie--or does she see it as something more? He is tempted by the future that Shiddah can offer him by granting Kasim his powers--he could become anything! Even President! In in the end, he decides to make his own destiny and live without magical intervention.
Zach Thompson
Zach is a proverbial bad boy with a heart of gold. He's had a rough life, with absentee parents, and going in and out of children's homes. His older brother Seth was the only point of stability, but his brother was killed in a drug deal when Zach was 13. Now Zach lashes out at anyone who threatens him, and Kasim and Kylie are the only ones who can reign him in. But when Kylie turns to him for support, he is only too happy to welcome the change in their relationship towards something more serious and more romantic. It's a shame that Kasim got hurt because of it, but, well, everyone gets hurt in life.
Kylie Taylor
A strong-willed, stubborn young woman who knows what she wants out of life: until she has to decide which of her best male friends will eventually become her boyfriend. As a cop's daughter, Kylie has always had the maturity to take care of herself. Her mother died when she was young, and she struggled with that loss, but she's always felt that she was strong enought to deal with anything, especially when her friends Zach and Kasim were by her side.
Kylie has a hard time balancing her romantic feelings with her own inner strength and independence, and over time, she recognizes the bad choice she made with Zach. She chafes at being "the girlfriend" and eventually turns to Kasim.
Kylie goes from being a loner tomboy with her two pretty-boy sidekicks to being a much more independent woman in her own right. At first she's confused by her romantic feelings for Zach, hating the vulnerability she feels around him, and especially because it drives Kasim away. When Zach starts to lose it, and Kasim turns cold and hostile, Kylie resolves to get to the bottom of things, and grows up a lot in the process.
Arianna Steele
Kylie's rival, in sports and in love. She beats Kylie in a local gymnastics tournament, which triggers Kylie's meltdown and makes her finally kiss Zach. She's fiercely competitive and will stop at nothing to win, and when Kylie and Zach become an item, she decides that she wants to win at love, too. Then Aluka comes in…
Aluka
Aluka is Ashmedai's helpmate. She is more of a chaos agent than anything else since she's a minor demon, not a full genie. She likes messing with people's minds in order to leap into their bodies and to possess their souls. Her name means "Giant Leech", which is sort of what she is. She takes over and kills Arianna after dangling the lure of Zach before her, but is eventually defeated by Kylie and Kasim/Shiddah.
Jinniyah
Jinniyah is a sexy, cat-like female genie who is friends with Shiddah and helps him in his quest. She's in love with Shiddah, although he doesn't acknowledge such things, and she becomes an older-sister figure for Kylie as the series progresses. She is wounded in the final confrontation with Ashmedai when she tries to shield Kasim/Shiddah.
Notes on Genies (Djinn) & Possession
A djinn can only possess a human if the human is feeling such strong emotions that he/she isn't totally in control of him/herself (anger, fear, jealousy). In the case of most humans, the djinn is like a leech, the human losing a lot of energy in the process. If the djinn stays too long inside a human without stop, the human just burns out.
In Shiddah's case, though, it's different. He doesn't want to hurt Kasim, but he needs to heal. So, at times, he's totally in control of Kasim. Other times, it's like sharing an apartment with a roommate…it's fairly comfortable, except the roommate won't leave until his lease is up.
Shiddah won't leave Kasim for good until Shiddah is healed. But, knowing that Kasim is only human, sometimes he voluntarily leaves Kasim's body to give him a break, fly around the city and take advantage of being a hottie djinn.
The Hidden is written by Barb Lien-Cooper and Preston Park Cooper and illustrated by Svetlana Chezhina with the mysterious Tsuyoshi Midorirawa.
SYNOPSIS:
The relationship between three childhood friends changes completely when they begin to realize their deeper feelings for one another, only to have the complication squared when one of them is possessed by a genie! Soon the three are ensnared in an epic feud between ancient deities.
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meh
HLOWENS
08.31.2009 12:00 AM
WOW...that was AWESOME!!! I want to read more!!! :D
WHATLOVES4
04.24.2009 12:00 AM
I agree with everyone...for the longest time I have been avoiding this manga pilot because of the cover looks very dull but I LOVE the story :]
WHATLOVES4
04.24.2009 12:00 AM
THIS BOOK IS SO AWSOME!!!!!! XD
SARAHSE
04.04.2009 12:00 AM
I like it! It looks very promising! Can't wait!
ZARIKA
11.28.2008 12:00 AM
Your artwork is very promising, but I wish you hadn't copied some poses and expressions from the Death Note manga. It's very unprofessional, and something you should try to fix before you launch yourself in professional manga making.
SOLFIERI
09.30.2008 12:00 AM
This seems intriguing and has good artwork to boot--- I think i'd like to see more of it :D
RYAVEN
08.18.2008 12:00 AM
meh, i didnt really like it. i mean... a genie. maybe if it was avampire or something but a genie? kinda bad.
ASTRO98
08.17.2008 12:00 AM
I think this is my favorite of the pilots and I'd really like to see it continue. I really like the art and the plot is original and this preview makes me want to read more
BARNABUSII
08.16.2008 12:00 AM
i love the art and the topic!i would so buy it
DARKESTFAIRY
08.16.2008 12:00 AM
Wow! It's good! I would like more of this story. I would definitely buy and ask people to buy it too.
ANGELZANE
08.15.2008 12:00 AM
Well I love the look of Ashemedai and Aluka and also of Shiddah. Especially the attention to detail on the eyes of Aluka. I also liked the artwork in the fight scenes. However, I was not fond of the art on the cat, and found the cat to be a distraction in the story rather then helping the plot to progress. Also, I'm not crazy about the look of young Kasim either, but I do like the art of when he is older. It is a much more detailed and eye catching look then his largely forgetable, young self. I do however like the look that was given to Kylie and her progression. I found the story too rushed and thus it had some pretty big holes in it and left me wanting more attention to the plot and character development. I would however like to see this authors' artwork especially for fight sequences and heroes and villians featured in a manga with a different plot. As this story as it stands right now would not be something I would buy or follow on a regular basis, sorry. However, as I said I would love to see this author perhaps look into a career as a manga artist rather than author. So please keep up the great artwork and all the best in the future:).
HARUHI13007
08.14.2008 12:00 AM
More, more! \^o^/ I'm really liking this. Yes, it is yet another "orphan boy is magically rescued and left with a promise/love triangle" story, but I love how it's done. Creative setting, good pace, cool story, and beautiful art! I think the main character will "become a man" he decides to tell his friend of his true feelings. :3 Art: I love how dense the penning and shading is. Occasionally the facial anatomy looks a little "off", but that is over-shadowed by the modern, not over-the-top character designs. Story: I'd like to see the main character react a little more realistically to his parents' deaths, but I'm glad to see that he is adequately conflicted over his feelings for his friends. The bad guys are cool, too! :D 4 stars!
KAGITSUNE
08.14.2008 12:00 AM
Art- fantastic. no complaints. Story- was very rushed. it seemed as if there was too much going on in one chapter. too many questions raised, not enough answers. but I do like where its leading.
KANDI8584
08.13.2008 12:00 AM
i liked it very much the pace was fast and the graphics very well done....i am thinking that the story needs to be fleshed out just a little more though....but all in all i would buy it if it came out.. mmm very good teaser for a first book too
BCCRTR
08.13.2008 12:00 AM
I really like this one, the art was good and the story had it intresting quirks to it.
ELDORA
08.13.2008 12:00 AM
this was really good.
MORGAINESDAUGHTER
08.13.2008 12:00 AM
Best manga I have read so far! I love the art. I love the topic! I love everything about it. I say this book should totally be published.
MIYAKO4EVER
08.12.2008 12:00 AM
i loved it! i would definetly buy it.
ANIMEQUEEN123
08.10.2008 12:00 AM
I think this is really good; I think is the kind of manga people would enjoy. The artwork is really good and it seems like a good storyline.
ANIMAFAN192
07.23.2008 12:00 AM
I think it would make a great manga, a true adventure. I feel it's a bit hard to follow at first, and it rushes into the aging a bit. I really feel like the character's interactions are a little too typical, and the characters are so similar (in personality), as far as I can tell, it's like divisions of the same character, just different goals. I still beleive it would make a good manga, though.
8SCOUT8
07.17.2008 12:00 AM
this is so splendid. Midorikawa's work is fantastic
NATSUOYASUOSHI
07.12.2008 12:00 AM
I like the style most of the time though there are some instances that could be improved. THe plot seems intriguing and I would definitely buy this book.
KEYNOMOE
07.12.2008 12:00 AM
hey.. it reads backwards.. hoorah..-___-
EXCELSIS
07.05.2008 12:00 AM
Just glancing through it (too tired to focus on reading it XD I'll do that another time) the artwork is amazing. Just going off that I'd buy it. Reading others comments it seems the story isn't so great but I guess I need to read it myself. lol
RICEXCRISPY
07.04.2008 12:00 AM
The artwork is good. The story was different from what I usually read, but I would have to say that it was only
FASTREAD
06.29.2008 12:00 AM
average. (I accidently click the submit button).
FASTREAD
06.29.2008 12:00 AM
wat
CHEMMY
06.28.2008 12:00 AM
It started out wonderful... but it was tacky and cheesey real fast... :( btw... Sulayaman is Simeon.... Something I learned from my dad...
JONIGIRL924
06.27.2008 12:00 AM
The art was good but the story was shallow.
JONIGIRL924
06.27.2008 12:00 AM
I gotta say. I love the artwork, but I got in about four pages and closed it. At first I thought, "Hey, that's kinda different. Neat." But then it got real cheesy real fast and I couldn't take it.
AKANE1313
06.24.2008 12:00 AM
I think it's a very original setting for a manga-the drawings were really detailed and well drawn. I think the story was a bit shallow but that's probably because this is just the first chapter! I think the cover art should be closer to the content drawings as well but all in all-great work!
DAISUKEGHOST
06.23.2008 12:00 AM
Stunning and complete artwork with full view of every action being made. It's not like those other action stories where you can't figure out what's going on. The premise of being the last of the family line is always rather interesting because there is always someone trying to kill or kidnap or use them. The essence of a dream, that fact that there is only one thing that tells you it was all real, is such a warm addition. Faith and hope are magical in themselves at the end, and it seems that the potential is vast. The plot cannot be labelled as limted or limitless since the presence of magic is a vital element in the mystery and the performing of the impossible, as long as it is used properly and doesn't make things pathetically ridiculous. It's a rough balance that I'm sure this writer can keep. For now, I'd like to see more.
RAVENCARTEL13
06.23.2008 12:00 AM
The boy and the cat are wonderfull :D I love them X33 And i love the paneling and the Anatomy of the story. I think it´s a little bit to much using tones, but thats ok. The faces and the eyes from your characters are incredible o-o And the story is very good telling! 5 points for you for this nice story!
MILKY
06.22.2008 12:00 AM
Artistic wise, this is wonderful. I love the pictures, but the flow of combat is kind of stupid. I mean, the entire battle didn't really grip me, especially when the cat mostly just hung onto the girl's arm. The ending ...kind of sucked big time, and I know this is just the first of a larger series ..., but to be frank I wouldn't bother with the next installment. Oh yeah, the cover needs a lot of help.
SILENTVEIL
06.22.2008 12:00 AM
I loved the art and the story is kinda cool
YOKOCHICK
06.19.2008 12:00 AM
Seems cool but I don't like the over used I like her she like him senerio. Also the cover art isn't very "read me". I enjoyed the begin with the jinn.
PERSEPHONEHADES
06.18.2008 12:00 AM
The cover made me not want to read it but i likes the synopsis since i love genie. The artwork seems to lean more towards american style comic drawing but it's still good. I worry that the story might become cliche with the whole friends turned love interest thing. I would definitly buy the first one if it came out.
LUNESTRA
06.17.2008 12:00 AM
It's ok, I might read the rest of it, but it doesn't seem too interesting yet. The artwork isn't that bad and I like the cat. =^.^= The main thing i don't like so far it the whole thing between Kyle and him over the girl.
DRAGONFIRERED
06.17.2008 12:00 AM
it seems interesting. i'd probably read more of it, but if i saw it on a shelf at the bookstore i'm not completely sure if i would buy it or not. the artwork is good, but the story seems to be a little dull
BUTTERFLY
06.17.2008 12:00 AM
I was drawn into the story, although at first I was afraid it would be one of those ones with a political moral behind it. I'm not artistic, so I can't really comment on the skill of the artist, but I thought the pictures added to the story rather than detracted. I'd like to see a whole lot more of the "good" jinn.
QOE2
06.16.2008 12:00 AM
I really liked this. The story was wonderful and the art style was right up my alley.
REAKAIN
06.16.2008 12:00 AM
Interesting story...the art was good...there are a few things that I didn't understand...and a few parts that flowed a bit weird/off and some of the wording was...how do I put it....childish like...then again it could just be that character's persona....but other than that I thought it was pretty good.
JUNKO
06.16.2008 12:00 AM
hm, the cover art actually made me wanna go to the next, it didnt really attract me. But when i opened it, i really liked the art! the action and movement on the page got me into it. Great job!
SWEETZ
06.16.2008 12:00 AM
When I first saw the cover art I was just going to skip this pilot because I didn't really like the art. Then I read some of the reviews and decided to actually read the manga, and i actually liked the art. The story is also nice. With some more development this could become a good series.
DARKCHAOS
06.16.2008 12:00 AM
When I saw the cover, just like about everyone else I wanted to leave... it could use a little bit more hook to it (but I figure it won't be the actual cover when dispersed anyway, so why bother raving about it.) The synopsis was my hook to the story... being an Indian, I find Jinn fascinating... for they have NOTHING to do with Indian culture, but are actually the opposite of it. Beyond my confusing reasons for liking, I found the manga to be very professionally done... but some characteristic editing would not hurt. For the main character to just say "I wanna' be with you!" is quite awkward. Nevertheless, the artwork is superb. Unlike usual manga where everyone just has slight variation in artistry, this manga actually has a character that looks middle-eastern! The name-choice is also quite well done, for Kasim is a common name. I wonder if it really means king, for one of my mom's female colleagues has that name... It might be unisex... 4.5/5
EPHRAIMSOL
06.16.2008 12:00 AM
you could just end the series there if you wanted to...really you could. I found it kinda of boring and scattered. I don't know why. I wouldn't buy nor recomend this...it was just, I dunno...manga that just was nice...3/5
1SAKURACHAN
06.15.2008 12:00 AM
coooolll... i liked how everything turned out so far and didnt know what i was expecting...i think u can strecth some in the fight and rest without hurting the story... and you i figure will get the rest on your own. i will wait for the rest then.:)
ERIKUN
06.15.2008 12:00 AM
Nya OMG this is soooo awesome! this so needs to get more publishing time, i can tell it's got the makings of an impressive story, plot-wise and art-wise. this could definitely go places!
AKUREICHI
06.15.2008 12:00 AM
I'm sorry, I just don't like it, the art, the story, ESPECIALLY. I would look at it, just not, buy it.
KURAIHIMENACOOL
06.15.2008 12:00 AM