"The Key of Graciale" (pronounced "Grah-she-ail") was published by Jets Comics of Japan in 1987 as "Gurashieru no Kagi" at the price of 880 yen. The book itself is 204 pages long, and is a collection of five short stories written and drawn by Manabe-san. The first four pages are in full colour, and are printed on a glossy stock paper. The first illustration is the same illustration that graces the cover of one of the US Outlanders books (I think it's number 31, but I'd have to check again). The next two are a double-page spread for the table of contents. They contain the comical self-portrait of Manabe-san flying above a Santovasku battleship against a stars and space background, and the words "The Key of Graciale" and "Johji Manabe" at the bottom of the second page. The contents are listed with their respective page numbers as white text. The fourth page illustration is Khada (or someone who looks an awful lot like her) sitting at a table, looking at a photograph and smoking a cigarette. A small mouse-like creature (not an Akogi; it looks like one of the street vendors that Shion glares at in Caravan Kidd vol. 1, #6 on p.5) sits next to her. The caption below reads: "NEXT HERO & HEROINE? in EKODA CITY." |
The book takes its name from the title of an Outlanders side story which is the first piece of the book. This story was translated and delivered to American audiences twice: once in Outlanders #0, and again at the end of the Outlanders Collected Edition, vol. 6. Both versions are identical save that the issue of Outladers #0 contained a full-colour poster of a naked Kahm reclining on a bed, with a cetipede-like creature curling around her to cover her crotch. Here in the US, they both appeared with the title "The Key of Graciale: An Outlanders Prequel". The story focuses around Kahm and her entourage of Nubas off on an adventure to discover The Key of Graciale, and the door that it opens. A powerful wizard has gotten ahold of the key, however, and wishes to use it to obtain the vast resource of power contained behind the door. However, according to legend, only one who does not wish to obtain the knowledge and powers behind the door can unlock it. The wizard has lured Kahm and her underlings to the planet in an attempt to get her to use the key on the door. Once the door has been opened, he will claim the power for himself and overthrow the current Emperor of the galaxy (Quevas 13th, Kahm's father) and establish his own rulership. Since this all takes place before the start of Outlanders #1, we know that he is destined to fail, but not before Kahm manages to get herself stripped naked, and the door gets opened. :)
The second story in the book has no relation to the Outlanders universe. From what I have been able to translate, the it's a story of love and betrayal aboard a naval vessel in 1945. The artwork is similar to his Outlanders character design, with a girl who looks much like Aki, and a high-ranking naval officer who looks like Togo.
The third story is entitled, "Za*Rasutosherita". It takes place partly on Earth, and partly in space aboard a space station. It's another short guy/girl tale where lots of people end up dying, set in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust on Earth. This one also has a female in it who resembles Raisa Vogel.
Story four is entitled "Buraindo Eeria" (Brand/Brained Eria), and chronicles the adventures of two Russian cosmonauts up in a space shuttle caught up in a Nazi plot to preserve the brain of Adolf Hitler. It takes place in 1962, with (again) a man and a woman as the main characters. This one has a slightly happier ending than the previous two, as the cosmonauts manage to win out over the Nazis and survive through the end of the story. |
