Akira: Volume 2

Lots of questions were left unanswered at the end of the first volume and in volume two Otomo begins to unravel some of the mysteries of Akira.

Beginning once again with some gorgeous colour pages the second volume of Akira starts a few hours after the events of the first book. Several different characters discuss Tetsuo's growing powers making reference to his relative strength compared to Akira.  Meanwhile, Kaneda and Kei are being held captive by the government.

During the first volume we are shown in various ways that Kaneda is a very self centred person. He seemed to be driven primarily by sex and motorbikes and showed a casual disregard for the feelings of others. However, the first time we see him in book two he is lamenting the loss of someone close to him, showing us that he's not all bravado and swagger. Its quite touching really.

Things start hotting up as Kei stages an escape attempt and before long Kaneda is back to his old self. The action scenes at the start of this book are wonderful and Otomo's choreography is brilliant, he really captures a sense of movement with his panels and the pace is relentless. Things come to a head as we see Tetsuo confront the children which is more than a little unsettling as he is quite clearly unhinged and seemingly capable of anything.

There is a great sequence with Kaneda and Tetsuo fighting. Even though it is a battle between psychic powers and a high tech weapon the fight feels more like a playground brawl, where both combatants are flailing wildly at each other but making very little impact. Its one of my favourite scenes from volume two.

The escape from the government building takes up half the volume and afterwards the focus shifts to Tetsuo who is now looking for Akira. There is a brief lull in the action and the plot involving the resistance is further developed but then things pick up as Tetsuo breaks into a top secret facility, closely followed by members of the resistance and the army.

The second half flies by at a break neck speed, I thoroughly enjoyed the reappearance of the flying buckets, but even amongst all the action sequences Otomo still finds time for some really poignant scenes such as the the knife fight on the elevator or the Doctors last moments. In all the panic of Tetsuo's assault a scientist triggers a 'Code 7' alert which sets the tone for the next volume.

The volume ends superbly leaving you desperate to read part three and find out what happens next. Its funny because even though I know what's coming I really am looking forward to seeing how the events unfold. I have often thought that each volume of Akira deserves its own film but I doubt that will ever happen. Still when the art work, pacing and story telling are this good who needs movies?

Akira: Volume 1

The first series I will be rereading is Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo which seems only fitting as it was also the first manga I began collecting. It has been over five years since I last read Akira.

Collected in six volumes Akira is an science fiction epic set in the futuristic Japanese city Neo Toyko. The story takes place in 2030, 38 years after the end of of world war three and is centred around two delinquent teenagers named Kaneda and Tetsuo.

Volume one really kicks off with a bang as we see the explosion that began the third world war. The first few pages are rendered in beautiful colour and right from the start you know you are in for a treat. Otomo's art is something else, the attention to detail is simply staggering, especially the mechanical design and cityscapes.

The plot jumps forward to the present where we see the main characters, Kaneda and Tetsuo, who are out with the rest of their gang racing their motorbikes through the ruins of the old city. Tetsuo is involved in a motorcycle accident caused by a creepy kid who mysteriously disappears and what follows is a roller coaster ride of action and intrigue which is heart-poundingly good.

While the beginning is very similar to anime movie the vast majority of this book is completely different and if you ask me far more enjoyable. I should point out that that isn't to say the Akria movie isn't good, it's just a very different version of this story.

A lot happens in volume one, Kaneda inadvertently joins a group of freedom fighters and becomes the focus of a military man hunt while his friend Tetsuo, who had been taken to secret government hospital, escapes and discovers he has psychic abilities. The depiction of Tetsuo's psychic powers in this series are fantastic and at times horrific. 

Once Tetsuo takes over another a rival motorcycle gang the real fun begins. When Kaneda discovers that his friend is now in charge of the Clowns he sets out to get some answers! The last quarter of this volume is reminiscent of the film 'The Warriors' as the motorcycle gangs go to war but instead of the Baseball Furies and the Boppers its the Carburettor Boys and the Pretty Bombers. I must say that riding a motorcycle with your arms folded is pretty impressive.

I don't want to spoil the ending so I'll just say that it is brilliant, it just makes me wish that there was a more faithful adaptation of this marvellous book. What a stunning opening to this story.

Rereading this was an absolute treat, it truly is a masterpiece of fiction. Each and every page is a feast for the eye and the pacing of the story doesn't let up. Otomo manages to get a perfect balance between action sequences, character development and important plot points. One thing I particularly enjoy about the Dark Horse release is that the book is not separated out into chapters and so the narrative flows seamlessly. Roll on part two!