Akira: Volume 3

When I first read Akira the events in volume three truly blew me away. While parts one and two contain elements that were featured in the animated film the contents of book three was completely new to me. I am really looking forward to this.

 

Picking up seconds after the end of part two we are once again treated to some full colour pages showing Tetsuo screaming as the Colonel fires another shot from Sol. I found this scene very powerful as throughout volume one and two we have seen Tetsuo grow progressively more and more powerful until he seems unstoppable but seeing him clutching his arm and crying in terror you are reminded that he is just a fifteen year old boy.

At the end of volume two a scientist triggered a code seven alert and now Neo Tokyo is in lock down. In this volume we see that martial law is in affect and the city is crawling with caretaker robots, the military's merciless enforcers. They remind me of ED-209 from Robocop, especially when they butcher some looters only then to read them their rights.

Kaneda and Kei are now in possession of Akira and are hiding with Chiyoke, the machine gun toting housewife on the cover of this volume. Unfortunately for them a minion of Lady Miyako appears and kidnaps him. I love the way the plot flows back and forth as Akira is passed between different parties. At one point there are four different groups all trying to seize Akira for themselves.

The start of part three spends a lot of time dealing with the political ramifications that stem from the code seven alert which is a refreshing breather after the furious pace of the second volume. However, this does result in a military coup spearheaded by the Colonel and the chaos that ensues afterwards is mesmerising.

The first half may have been slow compared to volume two but the second half is pure adrenaline fuelled madness. There are bridges being destroyed, Kaneda driving a tank through houses and groups of psychic children doing battle in the streets. Meanwhile there is fighting going on between the treacherous Nezu's personal guard and the military's soldiers. As dawn breaks things come to a head and there is a really great sequence were the Colonel and Kaneda come face to face again.

And then page 231 happens.

The next sixty pages are simply breath taking, I can honestly say this is one of the greatest sequences I have ever read in any manga. You are bombarded with epic imagery that boggles the mind and each page is a work of art. The final pages show Tetsuo approaching Akira leaving you to wonder what can possible happen next.

I said at the start I was looking forward to rereading this volume and I did. I really did. Katsuhiro Otomo, we are not worthy.