▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		NAOKI URASAWA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		216
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		10/16/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		11/30/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN

MONSTER is a mystery, a chase, and a thriller for the ages as manga goes.  This award winning story, which has been in print since 1997, is captivation in extremis, bringing to the audience contemporary real world sensibilities and mixing them up with an ‘ordinary man under extraordinary circumstances’ kind of story that would have been worthy of Spielberg or the producers of THE FUGITIVE if it was ever made into a movie.  In fact, with the main character being a doctor on the run for a crime he did not commit, one could be forgiven for drawing the conclusion that the 1960s classic or the 1990s movie remake inspired Naoki Urasawa in the creation of this story.  If it did, certainly our hero, Dr. Kenzo Tenma, is not chasing a one armed man, but instead a young adult male whose life he once saved years earlier when this suspect was a child.  This child, named Johan, grew into a twisted monster of a man- hence the title of the story- and the games he is playing with his pursuers on both sides of the law is leaving an ever growing trail of carnage in its wake.  What comes from this is an epic mystery that will take your breath away.

In Volume 11, the scene of the latest mind game between Johan and Dr. Tenma is the beautiful city of Prague.  There, we learn more of Johan’s sketchy past, including an abduction by the former state police in the old Communist government, and his placement in a boarding school where terrifying brainwashing experiments were at the top of the curriculum for the long suffering children.  Crossing the path of former members of the old police units, Tenma is drawn deeper into a sinister web of intrigue involving these boys, their tormentors, and a power struggle involving the followers of the old and new world orders.  Meanwhile, Jan Suk, a bright police detective whose brilliant career comes under scrutiny after his whistle blowing exposes corruption in his department, is suddenly on the run after Johan sets him up for a murder rap involving some of his colleagues.  Hooking up with another man who was also part of this sinister school in his youth, Suk is seriously wounded when he is ambushed in a building.  Only Tenma’s timely arrival while in pursuit of Johan saves his life.  Meanwhile, Johan, disguising himself as his long lost twin sister Anna, moves freely through the streets of Prague, leaving clues in the form of whisky bonbons, an old tape of his childhood brainwashing sessions, and a meeting with Suk’s ailing mother in a hospital to lure Tenma, the police- new and old- and other victims further into his dark and twisted world.  

Where will it end?  Encountering this story at this point, one can only guess.  But when it does wind up, MONSTER is bound to have a powerful conclusion.  The strong story, great characterizations and finely developed artwork all work perfectly in combination to keep the action moving and the reader turning the pages.  Clearly, the awards are well deserved for this story, and even non manga readers may find something appealing in MONSTER, for it does not read like a stereotypical comic, but rather an illustrated whodunit, with all the elements fans of the genre enjoy.

Extras in the manga include a finely detailed character summary in the form of a flowchart showing the connections between the various parties.  This is essential reading in order to keep the characters straight.  Having not read the previous ten volumes, it passed the test for this reviewer in terms of sorting out what was going on, and making the reading a much more engaging experience.  It also sold this reviewer on the merits of the whole series, which will now likely start appearing on my bookshelves in the near future as a result of this report.

IN SUMMARY:
The doctor is on the run.  The child has become the man and the monster.  Old Cold warriors are lurking in the shadows at every turn.  MONSTER is a page turning mind crackling psychological thriller that packs every page with great storytelling, quality artwork and richly developed characters.