Storyline: 9/10
Death Note is the most creative and original storyline I ever read in a manga. There's no manga out there like it. However that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Most manga use fighting to continue the story. Death Note is mostly text based, and involves a lot of reading. This may turn some people off. I also like to think of Death Note in 4 parts: each part is 3 volumes long. Part 1 (volumes 1-3) is great, but it really doesn't get exciting until volume 2. Part 2 (volumes 4-6) is superb, better than Part 1. Part 3 (volumes 7-9) is where the story goes downhill. Part 4 (volumes 10-12) eventually pick it up where Part 2 was. And I loved volumes 11 and 12. Every chapter was great. But the ending disapointed me. In my opinion they took the easy way out, and I was just expecting more.

Characters: 9/10
Death Note features a decent size cast of characters. The main characters are Raito (Light), Ryuuku (Shinigami), Misa, and L for most of the manga. There are also many secondary characters. Each character is well developed, and they all are easy to tell apart from their attitudes and feelings. The most indepth are Raito and L, and the manga focuses on them most of the time.

Artwork: 9/10
Takeshi Obata is the person responsible for the great artwork in Death Note. It's not complicated to look at, and is very detailed at the same time. I love the designs for the Shinigami (Death Gods) and I especially like Ryuuku.

Overall: 9/10
Death Note is among one of the best manga I have read. Unique and interesting storyline that will keep you wanting more, fasinating characters who you care about, MANY surprising plot twists, and great artwork to back it up. Sure it's not perfect, the story has some low points, and the ending is dull, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. Also it's only 12 volumes (108 chapters) so it doesn't take too long to read. I recommend Death Note to any manga reader but especially one who wants to read an intelligent manga and doesn't mind all the reading.