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.

Berserk: Volume 25

Guts and his new found party have to fight off a horde of Trolls in the twenty fifth volume of Berserk.

This volume is heavily focused on magic. I know that some fans of Berserk dislike that the series introduces magic weapons and witches but it really doesn't bother me. In fact I think Kentaro does a stunning job at explaining the core concepts of magic while still keeping an air of mystery.

From the very first panel of the series we are confronted with the supernatural and throughout the Golden Age there are numerous appearances of ghosts, monsters and demons. The series even has a fairy is a main character. To me the introduction of magic into the world is a logical progression which helps the reader establish a clear link between the inhumans and the fairy tale-esque Puck.

Art-wise the depiction of magic is beautifully done, the seamless way he manages to show Schierke delving into the interstice and beyond is brilliant as are the four elemental Gods. The Trolls, Ogres and the Kelpie make for exciting and disturbing bad guys. In my opinion Serpico steals the show in terms of combat. I loved the reaction of Guts as he see magic being used first hand and his acknowledgement of Schierke's incredible powers. A nice (gruesome) cliff hanger is used to end this volume which was once again a sheer joy to reread.

Berserk: Volume 24

With the appearance of trolls and witchs you may mistake this for a children's story but this is anything but, this is Berserk!

Volume twenty four is excellent, in the space of 200 pages Kentaro Miura manages to expand on the physics of his world and fundamentally change the series. What is really surprising is that it is done so seamlessly. I loved the magic weapons and they explanation the receive. I love the way Kentaro manages to circumvent the Brand of Sacrifice with a cleverly used plot device. I love the reason behind why only certain people can interact with supernatural. To be honest I loved it all! Rereading this made me realise Berserk is nearly without fault. The vision behind this story is staggering.

Speaking of which story wise this volume was great. It has some very nice developments of the characters, especially Isidro and Schierke. The art is gorgeous too. I've really not talked about the art for a long time. Its funny how you can get used to things over time. Each page (baring the comic relief stuff) is a work of art. To maintain such a high level of quality over such a long series is nearly unprecedented. Manga doesn't get much better than this.

Berserk: Volume 23

The epic story of Guts continues in the twenty third volume of Berserk.

This issue is all about conflicts. I loved the way that Kentaro depicts Guts' battle with his inner demon. The Hound of Darkness is a brilliant choice to represent his rage, it is so primal and genuinely scary. There was a scene where we see Guts undergoes a metaphorical transformation  which was extremely well used and down right terrifying. Rereading this I couldn't help feeling sorry for Guts.

Griffith begins his retaliation against the Kushan army as his war demons enter the fray. There are some great fights in this book and its nice to see Irvine who my personal favourites of the new Band of the Hawk. I felt that Mule was cleverly used as a way to introduce this entire sequence, his terror at seeing the inhuman army is brilliant and his reaction to Griffith was awesome. The way Kentaro moves his story from the real to the fantastic is mesmerising.

In this volume Lady Farnese struggles to deal with her weaknesses. I liked the comic portrayal of her uselessness, it was pretty harsh on Isidro! I find her character really interesting and its great to see her develop by acknowledging her faults.

It is a pretty amazing volume of Berserk, one of my favourites in fact. The best bit for me was seeing Guts accept help, just brilliant. Next time Trolls!

Berserk: Volume 22

The twenty second volume marks the beginning of a new story arc of Kentaro Miura's Berserk.

The Hawk of the Millennium Empire arc begins with one of the best fights in the whole series. Its a rematch between Guts and Zodd and it is simply amazing. I've waxed lyrical about this series for twenty one posts now but for good reason, Berserk is just that good. The choreography is in this book utterly gob smacking. This fight is just the beginning of a very memorable scene on the Hill of Swords which is superbly executed and a clever turning point for the series.

I like how Kentaro cleverly weaves new ideas into this series. This arc effectively deals with barriers between the real world and the astral world beginning the blur. There is a fairy tale-esque feel to the story now which is in stark contrast to the dark and broody nature of the Conviction arc. This book is a veritable smorgasbord of new characters as it serves as the introduction for Schierke, Locus, Rakshas and Grunbeld. More about them next time.

The later half of this volume is spent on a very detailed back story to both Lady Farnese and Serpico. Its a tragic story that was deeply unsettling to read, I liked how it sheds light on some of the characters previous actions. This was a pleasure to reread, a wordier volume than most and all the more mesmerizing for it. What a great start to the new arc.

Kentaro Miura we are not worthy!

Berserk: Volume 21

The twenty first volume of Berserk wraps up the Conviction arc in stunning fashion.

Question: How do you follow something as magnificent as the Golden Age arc? Simple. You write something like the Conviction arc.

Rereading this arc has made me realise just how brilliant it really is. Each of it's three 'chapters' help to build an over riding sense of foreboding and it fleshes out the world that the story is set in by introducing both the Holy See and the Kushan empire. It showcases some of the best characters in the series, i.e. Serpico and Isidro, and helps to expand the back story of the Skull Knight. I loved it's frequent and shameless references to the Guin Saga and all the brilliant side stories and bit characters. Of course the art, monster design and fights were simply stunning. However it is it's ending that really make it shine. Somehow Kentaro manges the impossible by making an event to rival the Eclipse. Effectively it is the same idea just done in reverse but I felt it worked brilliantly.

Question: How to do resolve the fact that Guts can't reach his nemesis? Simple. You bring him back in one of the most visually stunning volumes of the series so far.  In one fell swoop Kentaro fundamentally changes his stories dynamic.

Honestly, I can't wait to reread the Hawk of the Millennium Empire arc!

Berserk: Volume 20

The Conviction arc builds towards its conclusion in the twentieth volume of Kentaro Miura's Berserk.

If I've learnt anything while rereading Berserk its that I love the Conviction arc. 

In November I'm going to see the new Berserk films at the Leed's Film Festival. Hopefully these will be successful enough to warrant a movie adaption of this stunning storyline. Its so relentlessly dark, so utterly macabre and is totally compelling.

Thorough out the last two volumes the heroes of the story have been watched by an unseen menace. In this book we finally come face to face with this watcher and personally I loved it. Its a dark and depressing story which fits perfectly into the plot of this arc and is probably my favourite back story for an apostle yet. What I found most poignant is that this beast never gets a name.

The chaos continues as Guts climbs the tower and faces off against Mozgus' goons who have been powered up with a little help from the unnamed apostle. I thought their monster designs where stunning, there really wasn't any other way that they could have been done. I thought the fights in this volume were great. This book is magnificent, the huge and frequent reference to the eclipse are brilliant and the fact that Zodd and the Skull Knight are in it was just the icing on the cake for me.

Berserk: Volume 19

Great moments abound in the nineteenth volume of Kentaro Miura's epic fantasy Berserk.

Several plot threads are skilfully pulled together as Guts finally arrives at the temple of Albion resulting in a series of brilliant moments. I thought Isidro really shined in this book, his determination to impress Guts is infectious and I found his first fight to be both funny and exciting. Guts' reunion with Casca is another stunning sequence which is beautifully drawn, utilising some jaw dropping double page spreads. The highlight for me was the tense stand off between Guts and Serpico, I love how through tactics and a clever choice of location Guts is rendered almost useless. Serpico is certainly one of my favourites and this scene is one of the main reason why.

Again Kentaro pays homage to the Guin Saga. In the second half of this book Guts assaults the temple in a huge reference to the first novel of the series. Having read both the similarities are obvious to me. For example Guin breaks into a tower to rescue the twins of Paros Guts does so to save Casca. Guin is confronted by a seething mass of Yidoh, a gelatinous beast which looks like a giant amoeba capable of dissolving a person. Guts however is confronted by a seething gelatinous beast which is capable of dissolving a person and while it name is never mentioned I'd bet good money it begins with a Y. Theres even a monster at the top of the tower in both stories. I can't tell if Kentaro was just being lazy or what but I don't care because its bloody brilliant.

Berserk: Volume 18

Berserk begins a dark exploration of religious zealots and heretics in the eighteenth volume of the series

Volume eighteen kicks off by introducing Isidro, a cheeky new character who initially really annoyed me. Eventually I grew to like him but the first time I read this book I honestly thought Kentaro had made a huge mistake. However, this time around I really enjoyed seeing his antics as he doggedly purses Guts across the wasteland. There are also a couple of very nice cameos from Silat and the Skull Knight that really lift this volume for me.

I like how Kentaro manages to juggle several plots at once and skillfully explains the general situation without ever relying on exposition. Currently there is an army invading Midland that has created a huge amount of refugees to congregate at the temple of Albion. This temple happens to be the home to both the over zealous priest Mozgus and the Holy Iron Chain Knights led by Lady Farnese plus it is also the location of Casca who is living with some prostitutes. Compared to the wonderful simplicity of the Golden Age arc the Conviction arc is brilliant in its complexity.

Even by Berserk's standards this volume is very graphic, there are orgies, scenes of sexual violence and torture. Personally I found this volume more disturbing that the Eclipse which is due to the fact this the perpetrators of these act are humans and not monstrous demons. Once again Kentaro asks the question 'How do you define a monster?'. Lady Farnese's back story was really messed up too!

I love berserk and I love the Conviction arc. Rereading it knowing how it ends is giving me a whole new experience and one I'm thoroughly enjoying.

Berserk: Volume 17

The seventeenth volume of Berserk continues the grisly adventures Guts as he escapes captivity.

The Conviction arc continues with the Binding Chain chapter which sees our hero being held captive by the Holy Iron Chain Knights. From his capture to his captors this whole section is a huge homage to the Guin Saga, even the desert wasteland setting is a reference to this fantasy epic. Being a fan of the Guin Saga I really enjoyed rereading this part of the story.

The highlight for me was a very brief scene with Serpico and Guts as they cross swords for the first time. The first time I read this I remember being pretty nonplussed about it, Serpico was a new character and I didn't epect much from him. This time however I was enthralled as I knew what Kentaro does with him as the story progresses. Later there were some touching scenes with Godo and Rickert that were really good; I like Godo, he is a really well used character.

This book introduces the Birth Ceremony Chapter which will be the focus of the next few volumes. I loved the way Kentaro slowly shows us how the world has fallen into chaos and the art used to for the mass dream is stunning. Zodd made a great cameo too which was very cool. The last chapter of this volume is used to introduce Father Mozgus which means things are about to take a very dark turn even for Berserks standards!

Berserk: Volume 16

The Black Swordsman makes some new enemies in the sixteenth volume of Berserk.

After the epic that was the Golden Age arc it was nice to read a more compact story. At only two volumes the Lost Children chapter is positively compact and thoroughly enjoyable to read. A friend of mine stopped reading Berserk when this arc began saying it had gone off the boil and was boring but I have to strongly disagree. I loved the fight between Guts and Rosine, I especially enjoyed the chapter 'Monster' which asks who is the real monster out of the two.

Kentaro has previously said that he is heavily influenced by the Guin Saga, a huge series of fantasy novels by Kaoru Kurimoto. Having read these books I can clearly clearly see the influences on Berserk, the Conviction arc is peppered homages to the Guin Saga the most obvious being Lady Farnese who plays a central role in the coming volumes. Unfortunately only the first five volumes of this series have been released in the west but their is a relatively recent anime adaptation that covers the first thirty volumes. It's pretty good.

I like the idea of the Holy Iron Chain Knight and their pursuit of Guts and the ending of this volume is superb, its an interesting new twist and one I enjoyed immensely. The Skull Knight makes a brief cameo in this book and the art and execution are both top notch so all in all another great book. Nice one Miura!

Berserk: Volume 15

Guts' bloody quest for vengeance continues in the fifteenth volume of Berserk

I really enjoyed rereading this volume, seeing Guts cutting a bloody swathe through hordes of monstrous creatures is always fun but its the little story devices that make this book shine. In the third volume of the series Kentaro introduced the idea that when inhumans are killed they revert back to their human form and in this volume he explores the consequences of this fact. I loved the way that to everyone else it appears that Guts is indiscriminately butchering people, as if he didn't have it bad enough!

I did feel that Puck was slightly over used at times. Considering the dark tone of the Lost Children chapter its understandable why, his antics are amusing and do lighten the mood but he can be a little annoying.

The fights in this volume are stunning as are the monster designs, the battle in the woods with the giant insects was brilliantly choreographed. The depiction of children playing war was pretty disturbing but well used and I liked how there is an ever present air of malevolence about this current arc. Generally it was another quality volume of manga for Kentaro Miura.

Berserk: Volume 14

Kentaro Miura concludes the epic Golden Age arc and begins the equally stunning Conviction arc in volume 14 of his dark fantasy masterpiece Berserk.

This volume reveals the truth behind the demon child which for me is possibly the most tragic part of the whole Golden Age story line. I can't think of a better set up for a revenge story than this, the utter destruction wrought by Griffith is nothing short of sublime. I love the introduction to the Dragon Slayer, its a stunning weapon and I really like the back story it gets given, very nicely done.

After the end of the flashback we begin the Conviction arc and are introduced to several new characters such as Serpico and Lady Farnese. These characters have a much bigger part later in the series but I'd completely forgotten that they were introduced so early. The Lost Children Chapter is a lot of fun, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Guts as the Black Swordsman once again and Puck is back so there is more comedy too.

The best part of this volume is the bonus chapter at the end. The Prototype is the original pilot of the series and while there are several difference I really liked seeing what was carried forward into the final series. I can't decide if I prefer the original Dragon Slayer or the final version. The art is utterly amazing too, its exquisitely shaded and significantly more detailed that the first few chapters of Berserk.

Once again Kentaro weaves his magic and creates another amazing manga.