Customer Reviews

Banana Fish, Vol. 3

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It seems that trouble follows Ash, though he does leave a trail for it to follow. Volume 3 starts with Ash still in prison, where he's being held for a murder he didn't commit, and where he's being dogged by minions of the man who framed him. Fellow prisonmate Max Lobo has declared himself to be Ash's protector, and Ash doesn't seem to have much say in the matter. Once Ash learns about his brother Griffin's fate, however, he is happy to take Lobo's (and his lawyer's) help to get out of prison and on his way.

And that, of course, is when the real fun begins.

Determined to help, Eiji finds new and interesting resources in himself and helps Ash make his escape... and his assault on the enemy. When things fail to go as planned, a newly reunited crew finds themselves on the run and looking for answers. Where their search takes them opens up more of Ash's past and gives us a better idea of how Ash turned out the way he is, and why he is so loyal to Griffin.

There are still lots of secrets left in Banana Fish, however. For instance, what, exactly, is Banana Fish? What is the connection to the man who died at Ash's feet in Volume 1? Why is Ibe so protective of Eiji? And what about those suspicious suicides? What is Papa Dino going to do now?

Like the previous two volumes, Volume 3 of Banana Fish leaves you wanting more and wondering about the future of the characters. A great read all around.

This series makes a job of running right up to the edge of `no [...] way!', making me want to put it down, never come back and tell people to stay the hell away from it. But it never crossed that line. And while it does push hard on the suspension of disbelief scale, it manages to tip the scales back in it's favor again and again. I still reread it about twice a year, my copies are getting rather ratty, and while I've tossed or passed on a lot of manga I acquired in my teens this series still gets packed very carefully for every move, and is one of the first things I unpack.

Not for everyone, if you can check it out at the Library first. Make sure you can take the teeter-totter of the plot and not get angry or disillusioned with the plot. And please read to the end. The last volume is one of the best graphic novels I've ever read.