 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DARK HORSE | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | KENTARO MIURA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 216 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 18+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 05/27/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 10/14/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Created by Kentaro Miura, Berserk is a crashing manga leviathan, a perfect storm of impassioned action, impious horror, and improper humour that makes your most twisted nightmares play like treasured childhood memories. Berserk is a mixed bag to say the least, but that should be taken in a good way, not a bad way. Berserk is “out there” and visually astounding in a lot of very normal and also very unique ways – it has a shifting balance that is hard to describe, but it works for this series extremely well. The deep, dark places that this manga travels to both in story and in artistic expression can be as interesting and captivating as they are horrifying. There aren’t too many other stories or manga quite like Berserk – most people that really like it swear by it, and are willing to spend the slightly higher price that this manga is sold at in comparison to most others on the market these days. Berserk is the hammer of the manga forge, a white-hot amalgam of bruising action, breathless horror, and brimstone humour that separates the men from the boys, so to speak. It also separates the heads from plenty of shoulders… but I digress. In volume twenty-nine, Guts, the Black Swordsman, and his companions have finally broken free of the monster-infested wilderness and arrived at the port city of Vritannis. But the band finds out all too quickly that humans can be just as monstrous as the nightmarish creatures and apostles they battled in the forest. As Schierke and Isidro face off against pirate slavers, Farnese's power-hungry family tries to force her once again under the yoke of their political ambitions. The group's only hope is to find a ship out of the city, but even if they manage to secure a vessel, will everyone be free to leave? Berserk is a fearsome assault on the senses, a manga masterpiece that leaves no sensibility unturned and no blade unbloodied. A complex blend of horror, humor, and action, Berserk is definitely not for the fait on heart, the weak of stomach, or anyone who still needs to sleep with the lights on. But you knew that already, right? Interestingly enough though, this volume of Berserk is quite unique in what the series brings to the table for most of the time. This volume of Berserk is probably the most story driven, action-less entry in the series. This is certainly not a bad thing however; as this volume contains some of the bigger story twists in recent memory and stands as a testament to Berserk's diversity as a manga. Though the cover may feature the Black Swordsman in one of his classic, hawkish poses, Guts has, like a gentleman for the duration of this episode, put down his giant sword, and let the ladies (Farnese, her mother, Schierke, and Sonia) take the spotlight. The plot that follows is extremely interesting in its revelations and will open the reader’s eyes to some very important character information. You have to read it to find out just what that may be though of course! As if it really needs to be gone over or repeated, but the art style and quality are still intact into the 29th volume of the series. Berserk has always pushed the envelope when it comes to breathtaking artistic quality, so it’s no surprise. There are a lot of good looking manga out there, but Berserk is one that stands apart from the rest in a way that you have to experience and see for yourself before you can really understand. You don’t know what “attention to detail” means until you read Berserk – each page is just brimming with details beyond what most of us could imagine. There are some whole chapters where each page is a horrifying and/or beautiful work of art – the visuals skimp on nothing. All in all, it is very well rounded, featuring amazing art and intricate story. Being captivated by this series is not a difficult task – it’s as beautiful as it is horrifying, and the imagination it has behind it is about as “out there” as out there gets!
IN SUMMARY:
Berserk is an incredible manga for both its art and story. Volume twenty-nine especially showcases this manga’s ability to be a great storyteller, making it a unique and very enjoyable volume indeed! |
