Berserk: Volume 32

Two great forces clash as the Kushan army lay siege to the port city of Vritannis.

This is one of the best volume of berserk I have read which sees several plot threads pulled together as Kentaro builds towards the conclusion of the Falcon of the Millennium Empire arc. It opens with an unlikely alliance between Guts and Zodd which is a great read. I'm a big fan of Zodd who has been in this series since the fifth volume, his appearances are always enjoyable but this is one of his best moments.  I can't wait to see the inevitable final duel between these two.

This book was a roller coaster ride filled with thrilling moments.It was good to finally get to see what the new band of the hawk can really do. I was blown away by the artwork. Somehow Kentaro manages to draw a two hundred thousand strong army and perfectly capture the chaos of an enormous battlefield. He is such a master of his craft, I loved his use of breath taking two page spreads which added to its epic feel. Griffith is pretty cool in this volume although I find it rather unsettling seeing him wielding so much power.

I love the ending which shows our heroes on a ship finally beginning their journey to Elfhelm.

Berserk: Volume 31

Monstrous soldiers swarm the city of Vritannis in the thirty first volume of Kentaro Miura's fantasy epic.

This volume is essentially one giant brawl. What I liked most about it was seeing Guts protecting his new party members. With the berserker armour on he looks like some sort of super hero as he mows down hordes of beast solider and takes on a Kushan magician. There are some great moments involving the other party members especially Scheirke. It was interesting seeing how far she has come since the earlier volumes. She is much less timid now and there is a determination about her that I find really endearing. I liked how Kentaro uses Roderick and the cowardly Magnifico, as outsiders to Guts' world their reactions to the events help ground the story very nicely.

The bulk of the volume is taken up with Gut's fight with a Kushan magic user. It is an interesting change of opponents for him as up until now he has only taken on monsters. The choreography is brilliant which really helps to showcase the terrifying power of the berserker armour. The end of this book is a bit of a cliffhanger as first Emperor Ganishka appears in all his apostle glory and then Zodd steps into the fray. I like seeing heroes struggle, if things are too easy they are boring but Kentaro is brutal to Guts in this book.

Volume thirty sets the tone for the next few volumes and begins the conclusion of the Falconia chapter.

Berserk: Volume 30

Opening with one of the most exciting fights of the series Berserk is back to its bloody best.

I love Serpico.

Truth be told I really like all the new characters that were introduced after the eclipse but there is something about Serpico that is extra special. His back story is brilliant certainly but for me it is his intelligence that sets him above the others.

In the opening scene of this volume we see him got toe to toe with Guts in one of the best duels in the entire series. The brilliance behind this fight is how he uses tactics to level the playing field. I like that Kentaro shows Guts is still able to have an honourable fight and more importantly that his strength is not reliant on gimmicks like his cannon. Right near the start of this series we are told that Guts is a master swordsman so its great to see a good old sword fight again.

The later half of this book is one monster battle as the Kushans make their move. There is a brilliant scene at a banquet which nicely showcases Guts' new parties skills. Lady Farnese who is so often reluctant to fight finally seems to develop a back bone and it was fun seeing Isidro showing off in front of the aristocrats. I really liked the new monster designs that were used, their uniformity certainly made them seem more like a military unit or weapon. Roderick who was introduced in volume twenty nine gets some good scenes too, it was good to see a 'normal' person fighting the demon beasts.

My only gripe with this volume is that it is significantly thinner than any other book in the series. A lot happens but it ends abruptly and feels as though there is a chapter missing, there isn't its just shorter. Still its another great read, thanks Kentaro!

Berserk: Volume 29

The monsters take a back seat as the heroes of Berserk take a break in the city of Vritannis.

Kentaro Miura slows the pace down and looks at the relationships that have formed between the characters in another brilliant volume of the series. I really liked that we got some insight into Sonia's life and her motivations. I thought it was a nice touch showing us how human the enemy can be. The development of Schierke and Isidro was excellently done, I thoroughly enjoyed Isidro's fight on the docks and there are some very poignant involving Farnese. Some new characters introduced and others make their return which helps to spice up the volume and there is a lot comic moments thanks to Puck and the Pirates.

There is a slowness in this volume that is very refreshing after the frantic pace of the previous books. Kentaro takes his time to once again expanding on the world. He reintroduces nobles and all their scheming reminded me of the Golden Age arc. Everything is rendered in Kentaro's amazing artwork which perfectly captures the elaborate outfits of the nobles. The ending of this book is one of the best yet leaves you desperate to read the next volume.

Berserk: Volume 28

Guts and his companions reach the port city of Vritannis in the twenty eighth volume of Berserk.

Kentaro should be praised for his depiction of Guts after using the Berserker armour. After twenty seven volumes the indomitable hero is finally showing signs of weakness, even his hair has started to turn grey. Seeing him so much weaker than before helps humanise him after his monstrous performance in the previous volume.

However there's no rest for our heroes as they are confronted by a pack of Pishaca, the demon foot soliders of the Kushan empire. Its a great fight which ends with a particularly nervy sequence centred around the berserker armour. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion between Guts and the Skull Knight which helps give us some more insight into the past this enigmatic character.

The second half of this volume shifts focus to Vritannis where all the armies of the Holy See have rallied. I loved the way Guts companions talk about him without even knowing it, its funny to see them refer to the raiders captain in such revered tones. Schierke takes centre stage here and there are some touching scenes as she wanders around the alien city. Her unexpected meeting with Sonia is really good and I loved allegorical tale of the Duck and the Kite, especially the visual metaphors and caricature.

I have to make a point that the art is simply stunning, there is one page that has literally thousands of hand drawn bricks and tiles that surely must have taken ages. Well done Kentaro.

Berserk: Volume 27

Monsters fight monsters as Kentaro Miura's fantasy epic continues.

Volume twenty seven begins with a superb fight between Guts and Grunbeld. It is the first time we get to see what the Berserker armour can really do. I loved the additional information Schierke gives us about how the armour functions and really liked Grunbeld's apostle form.

I can remember being frustrated the first time I read this volume as there is a large section that focuses on Griffith's new Band of the Hawk. The story follows the war demons as they perform a task for their new master. I felt annoyed that the Guts had been left out for the bulk of the volume especially as I had little emotional connection to the inhuman warriors.

Rereading this volume certainly changed my mind, I almost feel foolish for being annoyed. The story shifts focus to Windham and shows us a grisly depiction of a demon city. It is cleverly used to help introduce Ganishka, the emperor of the Kushan people. I had actually forgotten that Silat was used so much during this arc. Kentaro uses him as our eyes as he stubbles across a horrific truth which is messed up even by berserk standards! There are some great little moments and some surprising returning characters that made this section more fun than I had remembered.

Certainly it was much better the second time around but I do think Berserk is at its best when it is centred around Guts.

Berserk: Volume 26

Our heroes enter the terrifying realm of Qliphoth and Guts gets an unexpected boost as Berserk turns twenty six.

I really enjoyed rereading this volume, it has it all. There are Trolls and Apostles, Zodd and the Skull knight have a fight and one of the God Hand even makes an appearance. Normally I would have written about them however, these things are all over shadowed by something else. The Berserker armour.

Over the last few volumes Kentaro has made it quite clear that all this fighting monsters is taking its toll on Guts, both mentally and physically. His internal struggle has taken the form of a beast, the hound of darkness, which is forever tempting Guts to let go of his humanity. Meanwhile his body is cover in wounds some of which have even hurt his spirit. The central character is fast approaching breaking point and we the readers are all too aware of the insurmountable task he has taken on.

I love the the way Kentaro pushes Guts to the brink and when we are sure he is about to lose he gives him an olive branch. And what an olive branch. The berserker armour is a double edged sword, that allows our hero to tap into the full potential of a human body by ignoring pain. A super powered boost that will literally tear the users body apart. It also looks really cool especially after it syncs with Guts mind and takes its true form.

This book feels like a turning point, a necessary step towards the ultimate goal of the series and it was bloody brilliant.