Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 2: Tears of an Angel (Viz Graphic Novel) [Paperback]

Yukito Kishiro (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 6, 2003

Alita's mastery of the lethal Panzer Kunst technique may not help her in volume 2 of this popular series. Her worst enemy may be herself.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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: 248 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1st edition (December 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569310491
• ISBN-13: 978-1569310496
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amid a stream of violence, this book has heart., March 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 2: Tears of an Angel (Viz Graphic Novel) (Paperback)

Alita, a resurrected android girl-turned bounty hunter, falls in love with Hugo, a boy whose greatest dream is to leave the dreary Scrapyard and live in the floating utopian city Tiphares above. He's willing to do anything to buy his way into it, which puts him on the wrong side of the law, and up against Alita. Since he's not evil, just misguided, Alita tries to convince him of another way, while at the same time confronts her own humanity (or lack thereof) and struggles with the question of "how IS right and wrong defined in this savage world?" How far will Alita go for Hugo? Will Hugo even notice her interest in him? How does the serial killer Zapan fit in to all of this? Read the book, before I ask any more soap opera-like questions!!!!

This book would get 5 stars, but I found the ultraviolence to be a turnoff (and sorta unnecessary), and skimmed those parts. But the rest, from the tortured romance, to the musings on humanity, to the humor, is BEAUTIFULLY told by the terribly underrated Yukito Kishiro.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FOR LOVE, September 12, 2004

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 2: Tears of an Angel (Viz Graphic Novel) (Paperback)

In this second poignant volume of Battle Angel Alita, Alita falls in love with a young street urchin named Hugo. Hugo's dream is to make enough money to move to Tiphares, the mid-air city where all your dreams can come true. Unknown to Alita, Hugo is making his money by assaulting and stealing body parts from cyborgs, a crime punishable by death. A character from the first volume, Zapan, who was humiliated by Alita, finds out about Alita's feelings for Hugo and begins to conspire a plot that will destroy Alita's heart. Will Alita's next bounty be Hugo?

This manga was fantastic. While I compared Battle Angel Alita to Ghost in the Shell in my review of the first volume, there really isn't a comparison. Alita operates in a more savage world, where laws don't function unless bounty hunters enforce them. It is a place where your fellow man will let you die on the street without lifting a finger. It's such a horrible world that Alita's love stands out in even starker contrast to the evil that surrounds her. Yes, there are scenes of "ultra-violence" but what makes that different from our world? The thing I like about Alita is that there are horrible scenes of graphic violence but there are also scenes of philosophic thought and tenderness. Just like real life. Horrible beauty.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Tomorrow is useless to a dead man", January 16, 2003

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 2: Tears of an Angel (Viz Graphic Novel) (Paperback)

As is true of almost any tale of cyborgs the question of the difference between mechanical consciousness and mechanized humanity is one of the driving forces behind the Battle Angel Alita series. At what point does a combination or brain, spinal column and hardware gain or lose its human nature. In this second stanza in the series, Alita, who was brought back to life in the first volume, re-finds her capacity for love when she meets Hugo, a human boy. Hugo's goal is to make his way from the traps of the Scrapheap to the upper city of Tiphares.

Hugo and Alita seem made for each other, despite the gulf of artificiality that separates them. But Hugo, despite being a complete human is willing to steal the spines out of their original possessors if it brings him closer to the day he can go to Tiphares. This gruesome sideline, and the ghouls he works for gradually eat away at his own humanity until it is clear that he and Alita are really going in opposite directions. Alita will discover her spirit as Hugo gradually loses his soul.

In the meantime, we get a close introduction to the grim nature of life below the city in the sky. Hunter Killers take heads for bounty, people feed on scraps while anything good is sent to Tiphares, and black market ops farm the neighbors for profit. For such as Hugo and Alita there is really no escape, only a dark struggle that can only lead to insanity and death if the dreamer refuses to waken.

Balancing what is almost a post-apocalyptic vision, is Yukito Kishiro's wonderful artwork. He has the same eye for detail that made 'Ghost in the Shell' such a compelling spectacle. The cover art made me wish, for the second time that this series had made it as a feature film or OAV series. If you have been feeling drawn deeper into the world of manga, Alita is a great introduction to Japanese science fiction.