Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 9: Angel's Ascension [Paperback]

Yukito Kishiro (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When he was only seventeen, Yukito Kishiro was nominated for Japanese publisher Shogakukan's Best New Comic award. Creator of other popular VIZ Media series Aqua Knight, Ashen Victor, and Battle Angel Alita, Kishiro is known for his strong characters, original settings, and intricate, lifelike artwork.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 2 edition (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591162807
• ISBN-13: 978-1591162803
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Science Fiction

More About the Author

When he was only seventeen, Yukito Kishiro was nominated for Japanese publisher Shogakukan's Best New Comic award. Creator of other popular VIZ Media series Aqua Knight, Ashen Victor, and Battle Angel Alita, Kishiro is known for his strong characters, original settings, and intricate, lifelike artwork.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An undeniably satisfying conclusion of this 9 volume series!, January 15, 2002

By 

"arxane" (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 9: Angel's Ascension (Paperback)

Despite the degree of excellence found within the entire "Battle Angel Alita" series, I never thought any of the later volumes managed to meet the quality of the brilliant first two volumes (although some came close). But Yukito Kishiro surpassed my wildest expectations by giving us "Angel's Ascension", the final volume in his post-apocalyptic masterpiece, and it's a volume that not only meets the standards of volumes one and two, but also surpasses them in some ways. In short, "Angel's Ascension" is a masterpiece in itself.

By now, my stance on the artwork and the recommended reader's level is cliche: the artwork is beautiful and superb, and the blood and violence and minor nudity makes this a mature series. But my take on the storytelling isn't the same as in my other reviews. Why? Because "Angel's Ascension" is on a level all its own.

The story in volume nine defies simple description. At its basic level, "Angel's Ascension" reveals the secret of Tiphares and finally cues us in on Alita's long forgotten past. But the story is anything but basic. It is so beautiful, so powerful, so moving, so captivating, that to just read it would be a downright shame. A reader has to not only read it, but practically drown himself in it! Yukito started the series with two near-perfect volumes ("Battle Angel Alita" and "Tears of an Angel"), and I'm overjoyed that he decided to end the series on the same note.

After reading and reviewing all nine volumes of "Battle Angel Alita", I can honestly say that the series is one of the greatest manga series I've ever read, on par with classics such as "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" and "Galaxy Express 999". The only disappointment? That the ride is over.

Or is it? Believe it or not, Yukito Kishiro has created another "Battle Angel Alita" series, called "Gunnm: Last Order" ("Gunnm" is the Japanese name for "Battle Angel Alita"). Apparently, before he could complete the first series, "an affair" happened to Yukito and he went through a physical and emotional breakdown that caused him to end "Gunnm" in a way he hadn't planned. Since then, he felt guilty about how he ended the series...so much that in 2000 he suspended his new series, "Aquaknight" (all three current volumes are available by VIZ), so he could write a new "Gunnm" series!

Will we learn new things about Alita we had never dreamed of? Will Yukito create another masterpiece? And the big question: will VIZ bring "Gunnm: Last Order" to the United States? We can only hope. Until then, this nine volume collection should more than keep us entertained!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a word: perfection, August 26, 2000

By 

Whitney Torrence (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 9: Angel's Ascension (Paperback)

If I said this were the best graphic novel ever, I don't think I'd be too far off. However, it is a matter of opinion. An invigorating plot, multi-dimensional characters, and a descriptive setting are a must in any story, and this book has got it all - plus eight novels worth of history behind it. Personally I find Angel's Ascension, the end to the Battle Angel Alita series, the best. But there's more! Not only does the plot move you, characters charm and scare you, (Desty Nova has my vote for scariest bad-guy) and setting take you away from the monotony that life can sometimes be, but Yukito Kishiro asks daring questions about the core of our existence:

"What makes us who we are?"

And as the struggle for the Scrapyard's independence comes to a close, Cheif Bigott, Lou, Den, Alita, Kaos, and Koyomi must toil with the question of right and wrong... and battle with the thin line between life and death.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moved me to tears., February 6, 2003

By 

Victoria Negrete (Mexico City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 9: Angel's Ascension (Paperback)

I can only admire Kishiro's way of ending so magnanimally a perfect series in the critical condition he was in. Talk about inspiration. The series could only end in Gally finding happiness or Gally dying, and I was surprised by the ending, my imagination was not prepared for the mental and heart blow he delivered. Do I recommend it? More than that, I urge you all to get the whole series, a must have, a Bible for some of us.