▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		NAOKI URASAWA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		217
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		08/19/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		08/22/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

The plot of monster is a complicated one with many twists and turns. Johan is a cold and calculating killer with a mysterious past, and brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him. Conspiracy and serial murder open the door to a compelling, intricately woven plot in this masterpiece manga thriller. In volume sixteen, Tenma is lying low in Frankfurt, but his brief respite is doomed to be short-lived. Milan, one of Tenma's new friends, is planning to assassinate a man with deep ties to "Red Rose Mansion." Can Tenma dissuade him from this drastic line of action? Also, a seemingly unrelated string of murders by various serial killers hints at a sinister connection with Johan. How many more people need to die before the monster's work is complete?

Monster is thrilling enough when it comes to its mature storyline and all it has to offer in relation to its ever twisting plot – but the visuals always shine through just as much, if not more, as they too are beautiful in a very artistically mature way. It has been said that Urasawa’s artistic craft is performed to something approaching an invisible perfection, and most readers couldn’t agree more. There’s something very special, unique, and wholly engrossing about this manga as a whole – it’s hard to put down once you pick it up, and it never disappoints. Monster could be a great starter manga for anyone who thinks they are too old to be paying any attention to something like Japanese manga, or comics as a whole. Truly artistic pieces like Monster are just the ticket to show older audiences that there are plenty of great manga stories that they too can get into – it’s not just for kids and young teens. It must be said that the art really flows unlike that of any other too – it has such a well crafted, well planned out look and feel that it is hugely easy to follow. Everything visual about this series is a pleasure to follow along with.

A little bit about the Author for you: Naoki Urasawa has been a highly recognized and successful manga artist for more than twenty years. Creator of popular series such as 20TH CENTURY BOYS and YAWARA, Urasawa has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the first Japanese Media Art Festival Manga Award of Excellence, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award in 1999, and the 46th Shogakukan Manga Award. Naoki Urasawa's Monster has thrilled and entertained well over 25 million readers in Japan, and it is also a hit anime!

IN SUMMARY:
Monster is a thrilling balance of beautiful art and thought-provoking story. It’s one of those manga series that is so obviously a cut above the rest – to pass it up without giving it a try would be a sorry mistake.