7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The final battle, April 22, 2009
This review is from: Black Cat, Vol. 20 (Black Cat (Viz)) (Paperback)
This is it -- the climactic end of "Black Cat," when Train finally gets to have his ultimate fight with the creepily superhuman Creed.
Kentaro Yabuki brings the entire story to a boil in the twentieth volume of his action/comedy manga, with a not-so-sudden array of superhuman powers and some very messy fighting between Train and his longtime nemesis. And you can tell how much affection he has for all his characters in the last few chapters, which reveal both Creed's backstory and the ultimate fate of everyone left standing.
Creed shows the full power of his Level 3 Imagine Blade, which looks like a five-foot-long sword with an ogre arm sticking out of it -- not only is he freakishly strong and fast, but his madness has given it extra power. Train isn't about to give up, either on the fight or on Creed, even when the mention of Saya drives Creed even madder than he already was. But even his ultimate gun attacks barely put a scratch on Creed's nanotech-enhanced body.
And in the meantime, Sven, Eve, Jenos and Shaolee are battling more of Creed's psycho cyborgs (enter Shaolee's scarf and Sven's "water cutter"). Unfortunately, that puts Eve and Sven up against the ruthless Creed-groupie Echidna. And a badly wounded Train is reminded of why he's fighting Creed, and why he simply can't lose against him, prompting him to rise again -- and unleash his ultimate attack on Creed, which may be the only thing that can shatter the Imagine blade.
The final chapter picks up some months after the climactic battle, showing Eve's ongoing training as a sweeper, and how the various survivors of the battle are going on with their lives. For some it's business as usual, while some are still struggling to pick up the pieces.
"Black Cat Volume 20" is about 90% action, and the other ten percent is some solid backstory and an enjoyable little epilogue showing how things go on after the battle. Up until then it's ultra-rapid gunfire, sliced-up body parts, and Creed's ever-expanding Tao powers (which take the form of a big sword encasing his arm, a big ogre arm, and a blinking eyeball. Gross).
And though the final clash comes down to a single bullet, Yabuki infuses it with incredible power and significance for Train -- including another ghostly visit. And in the final couple of chapters he shows a bit more of the core characters of Train and Creed, including some truly bittersweet moments as Creed is forced to face how evil he's been, how alone he is, and how it could have been different.
The only downside is that that it could have used a few more chapters: the battle with Echidna and Sven is too short, and we don't see enough of the Numbers fighting the cyborgs. Although we do get a glimpse of just how nasty the gorgeous Shaolee can be.
Train and Creed are the yin and yang of this final volume -- Yabuki shows the depth of Train's conviction, and how he feels more pity than hatred for Creed. His goal is to save Creed's soul and give him a chance to change, not to kill him. At the same time, Yabuki makes us feel sorry for Creed by showing the ghastly, abusive childhood that shaped him into a megalomaniac -- I defy you to see Creed's face in those flashbacks and not feel sorry for him.
The final volume of "Black Cat" is a suitably explosive ending for a brilliant action-comedy series, and it's left open enough for possible future adventures of the Black Cat and his cohorts. Read it, and then go back and read the series over again.
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