From Eroica with Love VOL 13

Effete British art thief Eroica (the Earl) likes his surroundings luxurious and his love lavender. Martinet German NATO officer Klaus (the Major) likes his life spartan, his staff obedient, and love of any kind safely out of the picture. He refers to Eroica as that degenerate wanker. Eroica, however, is smitten with his nemesis, whom he refers to as my dear Major. Up to 34 volumes in Japan, this odd-couple romp shines with its over-the-top plots centering on the cold war and international intrigue. So we find NATO, the KGB, the British secret service, the FBI, assorted Middle Eastern cabals, and even the Vatican police all at comical cross purposes, with the Earl and the Major caught in the middle and often forced to team up-to the Earl's delight and the Major's disgust. In the current caper, the Earl crashes a royal party in drag, his eyes on the prince's art collection. But the Major strong-arms him into playing gorgeous seductress to blackmail an official into revealing the location of KGB bank accounts. The overall point is comedy rather than serious yaoi, and Aoike's art is consistently good whether she's drawing beautiful men or helicopters. Cross-dressing and campy gay joking but no sex or nudity. For teens and up but probably funnier to adults.-M.C.