 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DARK HORSE | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | YASUHIRO NIGHTOW | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 240 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 14+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/16/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 05/21/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Trigun is a very well-known name in anime – it has that “classic, untouchable” nuance to it that few anime get branded with. For many people, Trigun was their “first” when it comes to anime and manga – it’s a gateway drug into the world of Japanese manga and animation because it’s just that good. High adventure, awesome characters, and a wicked sense of humour all come together to make Trigun what it is, and Trigun Maximum is no exception within the Trigun universe. In volume twelve, things are going out like a lion, completely disregarding any chance of a lamb. With a fleet of rescue ships from Earth facing off against Knives, the humans in chaos on the ground, Livio renewing his struggle against Elendira, and Vash trying to keep everyone from getting hurt, Trigun Maximum promises a dizzying array of action. But in the midst of this multiple-front battle, Yasuhiro Nightow flashes back to the past, letting readers in on some background information on Knives, Vash and even Legato Bluesummers. As always, Trigun Maximum is a frantic, freakish battle to the finish, so hold on to your hats. The art style of Trigun Maximum is powerful and dynamic even in its still form. It takes a talented artist to truly represent the flowing movements of arms and clothing as hands whip out guns and fire away – you can really “feel” this sort of action within the pages of this book. The way action and movement is conveyed within Trigun through its art is one of the many positive things about it that entertain people so much that they often come back for more. The flow of the visuals is also a pretty cool point – they can be everything from a full page spread to ten little boxes per page to let you know what is happening. It’s varied, and it’s great – it makes the manga exciting if you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen to it visually. The action scenes are where the art really starts to shine – bullet holes riddle walls, and explosions are plenty. The dust rarely settles for a moment, and the dynamics of the art during these times is fairly cool to witness. Visually, Trigun sets a high bar in a variety of ways that keeps it at the top of many people’s minds. As for extras, there aren’t any translation notes, but nothing much about the story or the Japanese culture references within this book are confusing enough to warrant such. There is however a very funny little extra comic done completely in super-deformed mode that is sure to entertain readers. The physical product itself is quite attractive, with good use of graphic design on the cover, as well as good use of cover to make each volume slightly different, but still uniform as a series. Trigun is definitely a fan favorite, so why not pick it up and find out why?
IN SUMMARY:
Trigun Maximum is a frantic blending of science fiction with Western motifs that make it bang on with fans of action and adventure. Characters are involving, and the story is captivating – there just isn’t much wrong to be said about Trigun on any level. |
