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.
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