I really can't fault this volume, it is simply amazing. The entire book is set around Guts' childhood and tells the tale of how he became embroiled with Griffith and the 'Band of the Hawk'.
Gut's origin is extremely well crafted but very harrowing to read, the mistreatment he receives is nothing short of appalling but it does help explain his attitude from the previous volumes. While the 'Golden Age' arc moves away from the demon filled madness of the previous books it still has it's fair share of monsters namely Gambino and Donovan who are used to great effect. This certainly isn't a happy tale and I really noticed the absence of Puck who so often lightened the mood.
We also see why Guts is capable of wielding his monstrous sword. I love Kentaro shows Guts who has been mistreated by people finding solace in an inanimate weapon. There are some fantastic duels in this book and the fight between Griffith and Guts is one of my favourite sequences in the whole series. I enjoyed the introduction to the Band of the Hawk, I thought the characterisation of the main members was especially good. Plus the final battle is a great way to round off this book.
The art is sensational, the fights are stunning and the characters are brilliant this book is rock solid and it is just the beginning of this epic fantasy adventure.
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