Hehehe, but volume 10 is when the shit really hits the fan... It's not D's inhumanity that comes as a surprise, it's his humanity... he does stupid, reckless, emotional things sometimes, and that's why I love him as much as I do. ^_^;

I think the mangaka actually went to L.A. at some point for research, so it generally does feel authentically American. (The sequel is set in Tokyo and I miss the silly skewering of my culture!) Leon is like an affectionate play on the gun-toting, loud-mouthed "American" stereotype that you see in 90s manga. I like how well the series can go from slapstick to philosophical, and how Leon and D can be bitching about eachother one minute and then risking their lives for eachother the next, or giving subtly significant little hints of something more to the relationship... *heart*

Oooh, creepy shopkeeper crossover!