▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		TAIYO MATSUMOTO
		▪	FORMAT:		ENGLISH / COLOR
		▪	PAGES:		614
		▪	RATING:		M
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		09/25/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		09/23/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

In the sprawling Japanese metropolis of Treasure Town, as a corporate empire is slowly consuming the darkest of its corners, two boys do their best to survive from day to day. The two main characters in this all in one masterpiece are “Black” and “White.” Black is the slightly older of the two – he is smart, calm, but ruthlessly violent when he has to be. White, who might be Black’s brother or just a close friend, seems to have something not quite right about him, but he has an innocence and goodness about him that makes him stand out from all the darkness that surrounds the both of them. Treasure Town itself is like an alternate universe of sorts – a totally unique outlook on the world, architecture, and people themselves. Within this city, these boys must survive without parents, only providing for themselves. Every day is an adventure in lighthearted wonder, or terrible violence – all depending on what crosses their path. The two otherwise free spirits finally meet their match when police, yakuza, and the sprawling corporate empire decide such boys have no place in the world they are trying to mold. This book is like a drugged-out look at a Neo-Japan – a down and dirty, tooth and nail fix of dream-like cyber-punk grit, mostly through the eyes of children. Perhaps that is what allows it to also have so much heart, because it is not without loyalty and friendship, as well as some of the other better sides of human nature.

To begin to try to explain this book to someone else beyond what you can just see with your eyes is perhaps difficult. Suffice to say, there is a lot going on in this manga, and not all of it is on the surface. It’s one of those books that everyone will get a slightly different feeling from, and a different idea of what the point of it all was. Tekkon Kinkreet is an experience for sure – and one that is easily to claim as unlike any other you can have within a manga. Totally unique.

The art style used in this manga is a big part of what sets it apart from others. Taiyo Matsumoto creates his art in a style that is truly all its own. He fuses European art training with an indie style of imperfect lines to bring a Japanese manga to life in the most dream-like of ways. The style doesn’t fit anything exactly, but it gives off a feel of grunge, cyber-punk, and our confusion over the separation of ourselves from nature – or whether a cityscape could now be described as nature to humankind. It’s funny to think of a visual style as being able to convey such complicated things, but as a reader, you may feel it.

As for things that can be assured and notably true, Tekkon Kinkreet comes in a larger than usual format and that is a great thing. With the book itself being large in size, the visuals come across even more powerfully, and can be appreciated for all the intricate little details. You know a book is special when it gets printed in a large format like this. The last book I saw that was printed in this size was Akira. If that doesn’t give an indication of the quality of experience here, than you need to go pick up Akira and we’ll start again from there! The book comes with a really cool slipcover and a poster inside. Again, the size of the book being much like a giant history textbook that you may have had in high school is awesome. It really changes the reading experience because you can sit this thing in your lap, read it, and the pages stay open because of the weight. It’s a serious book with serious worth, and the people in charge of physically creating it must know that. For the mature reader, and fan of graphic novels of any kind, this book is a must to try out. It won’t be for everyone, but for those that do enjoy it, they will surely think it is very unique in its qualities. Do yourself a favor and at least read the first twenty pages – chances are you’ll want to read the next six hundred.

IN SUMMARY: 
Tekkon Kinkreet is like nothing else you will have ever seen. It’s masterful at what it does in both telling a compelling story and being so visually unique. A mature work worth giving a chance to entertain you.