Created by Kenturo Miura, Berserk is manga mayhem to the extreme - violent, horrifying, and mercilessly funny - and the wellspring for the internationally popular anime series. Not for the squeamish or the easily offended, Berserk asks for no quarter - and offers none! His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned - and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.
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From Publishers Weekly
This ultraviolent fantasy manga is the first in a series about a cursed lone wanderer with a tragic fate and a cast of bio-horror demons. Deserving its name, Berserk offers a montage of merciless violence and thrilling action sequences in a blend of pure fantasy and graphic horror. Set in a netherworld of a science fiction Dark Age, the story's antihero is the appropriately named Guts (he's shameless, relentless and all strength). Guts is on a quest to avenge a flesh-eating demon ruler and lift his demon curse. Guts carries the sign of the curse on his neckâ€"a mysterious brand that attracts evil demons, spirits and the undead. Armed with a massive sword and metal cannonball-shooting prosthetic arm, he maneuvers through a cast of oddities: a pus and blood fetus monster, a giant cobra and an Aliens-like biomechanical monster. They all plague him in nightmares and waking life. Anyone who interacts with Guts is doomed, too, as either his victim or the incidental sufferer of his demon adversaries, and he winds up leaving a trail of carnage in every direction. Guts's unlikely companion, Puck, is an androgynous, winged elf who possesses magic healing powers, and while Guts scoffs at the sprite, Puck proves to be an invaluable buddy. Published in Japan in 1989, this work has a style characteristic of other 1980s manga, with sparse dialogue, spectacular action sequences and gritty character art. The pencil shading and use of shadows lend an ominous tone, and the frenetic and intense pace make Berserk a strong addition to the fantasy-horror manga genre.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It starts.,
By Horatio Horatio (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Berserk, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
I remember reading just about every Berserk book that came out in 2000. I was addicted to the series. The deep characters with emotional back stories, the character designs in general, the plot that has no happy ending from what I could see, and the drawing style. But back then, it cost about 3 times as much as this little graphic novel here for just one issue. Luckily, Berserk has been getting popular, and Dark Horse picked it up for US shores. And I'm impressed. This is one of very few Japanese comics that is properly translated. I still have some older Berserk comics from when they were first printed, and the translation is dead-on.
But enough about that, I'm sure you want to know what Berserk's about. It follows the story of Guts (or Gattsu as so many purists insist), wandering the land for revenge. While the full story isn't even close to being revealed in this issue, I insist that you watch the animated series before getting into the books. Where the series is available on just 6 discs, the books are currently up to volume 27. We've got a ways to go. But Guts is a mercenary unlike any other. He doesn't help others, but he isn't quite a bad guy. He's just looking out for himself. And in the world of Berserk, that's probably the smartest thing you can do. There are bandits, demons, zombies, and spirits everywhere just waiting to attack. And to make matters worse, Guts has a brand on his neck that attracts these demons. It causes him pain or bleeds whenever he's about to be attacked. But Guts is a one-man army. In just the first part of this volume, he blows a hole through a monster's head with his hand-cannon, lops people in half with his 7-foot sword: The Dragonslayer, picks off bandits in groups with his automatic crossbow attatchment, and more. Really, you don't get any cooler than Guts as far as main characters go. Upon entering a town, he encounters a small fairy: Puck. Puck follows Guts around, curing his wounds, and in hopes of seeing lots of action because Guts "seems interesting". Honestly, if it weren't for Puck, Berserk would almost be unreadable. Don't get me wrong here- I'm not saying that it'd be a bad series. But I mean that the whole story would just be too depressing. This is one of those rare times where comic relief is a good thing, and Puck is used mostly for just that. Plus he isn't there every 2 pannels. Just whenever a situation is very dreadful, or when he's actually needed. Puck saves Guts many, many times in the course of Berserk, he even saves him more than once in this volume alone. I'd have to say getting him out of prison counts for something. The two continue on in search of someone who knows the man Guts is seeking revenge on. I'm not going to be throwing names around here because the story's so good, that it'd be a pity to ruin anything for you. None the less, this graphic novel IS very brutal. When someone gets cut in half, their upper body gets hurled a few yards as blood pours out from both halves. Arrows get stuck in eyes, explosions look extremely painful, and not everyone is safe. Women and children don't have that special security that most comics would give them. In fact, this is going to sound silly but, if you took away the demons and all that from Berserk, it'd be very life-like and honest. It's a tale showing that life isn't always going to give you the easy way out. For once, I'll agree that this isn't for younger readers. It's a fact that Berserk has been banned from several stores for being where anyone can open it right there and start reading. Dragon Ball Z this ain't. Again, the quality of the translation is fantastic, and the book is solid. All the pannels are there in full, and my book didn't have any errors at all in the picture quality. And low and behold- there weren't tons of ads for other comic series in the back of the book. That justifies the 5 star rating even more. But go for Berserk if you're in need of something refreshing. Just don't expect to be cheerful afterwards.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just about the best manga series I've ever read...,
This review is from: Berserk, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
The detail of the drawings is magnificient. The story is well thought out and fascinating. The characters are complex and thoroughly developed. And, there's true suspense--bad things happen to good people and good things happen too--in this extra dark story you never really know where it's going till after it gets there.Most mangas I read for 'fun'--the story is predictable & the characters are 2-D but it's cute or pretty, entertainment popcorn if you will. This one, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next chapter in the story and I truly care about the characters. In a vast manga collection, this one is a standout. Berserk isn't for everyone. The violence quotient is off the scale and all of it is depicted in full detail--the squeamish should avoid this title like the plague. It's also not a manga for the impatient. It's nearly three volumes in before the story proper starts to unfold. It is all eventually tied together so that the plot and character decisions make sense--but readers have to spend a good long time wandering about in the dark before that happens. If you're tired of boyscout heroes and you're always looking for something new and different, Berserk is a must read. Words can not describe the brilliance that is this manga. Best just read it yourself, or watch the anime, which is very similar--it just moves along a lot faster at the expense of some of the details found in the comic. FYI: Berserk is up to 25 volumes in Japanese and the story is still on going. Many of the major plotlines are still unresolved, so the series could still go off track in the later chapters--but through volume 25 it's very good. Dark Horse's edition had perfectly decent translations. Not translating the sound effects was a little cheap, but I don't think it made much difference. Most of the sounds you could guess from context anyway.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Berserk is the Ultimate Fantasy Experience!!!!!!!,
By
This review is from: Berserk, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
I was first introduced to the Berserk series by way of a videogame for the Sega Dreamcast console entitled "Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage." i had no concept of what it was, all i knew is that it involved a guy with a metal hand with a crossbow and cannon inside, who weilds a sword bigger than he is, while fighting vicious demons 10 times the size of his sword. A couple of years later i stumbled upon a dvd at the local video store which addorned the same great character on its cover. i had to check it out. What i found was the begining of an obsession with the best series ive ever witnessed in any form of media. watching the first episode of this dvd reinstilled all of the emotions i felt when i first played the game. I was in a state of pure awe as i watched Gatsu (Guts, as he's reffered to in America) tear through his enemies in the same quick, brutal and over the top fasion. The first episode was nothing more than a devise to draw you into the intricate story waiting ahead. that one episode let you know that this would be a dark, violent story centering on hordes of demons and their intent of making guts their sacrifice no matter what the cost. i quickly began watching the rest of the series, and came to find that there was far more going on here. Set in the middle ages in the midst of a great war, the Berserk anime quickly shed the dark and hopeless feel of the first episode and videogame. It showed a variety of things i was not expecting. First and foremost, it concentrates on an excellent story of relationships in a world where life is death. the main characters in this story are very well fleshed out, and it allows you to see what they want out of life and how they hope to acheive their goals. It also shows that these characters have different agendas which their relationships stem from and also how they intermingle in a story of fate, sacrifice, love, hatred, hope, and hopelessness. This was by far the best anime series ive ever seen. ive never been draw into a world quite like i have been with Berserk. the anime leaves us in a place before the first episode in a sort of transitional period in the story. it didnt even begin to touch upon the Gatsu we know from the first episode or videogame, it shows us what created that entity. When i learned that no more episodes were planned for the anime series i was desperate to find a way to continue on with Gatsu, as Berserk has become quite an obsession of mine as well as everone i show it too. i found that they had finally started releasing English text versions of the original Manga from which the anime was based. The manga series, i have found,is far superior to the already stellar anime. So many details were taken out of the anime due to the already dense story as well as even darker details which in no way could be shown on TV. this series is a must have. if you are even remotely intrigued by the dark ages, human relationships, demons or the afterlife, swords, action, suspense, politics, war, or love, then i must strongly recomend this series to you. It is by far my favorite fantasy world, and i am no stranger to such things. those turned off by Japanese entertainment due to its whackiness, or convoluted stories need not worry about this one. Its tones and characters transcend any cultural stereotypes. This is a must have for anyone over 16 yrs old
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