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Blame! Vol. 1 Paperback – August 9, 2005

by Tsutomu Nihei (Author, Illustrator)

19 customer reviews

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In a future world rife with decay and destruction, Killy is a man of few words who packs one very powerful gun. He wanders an endless labyrinth of cyberdungeons filled with concrete and steel, fighting off cyborgs and other bizarre silicate creatures. Everyone is searching for the Net Terminal Genes, but no one is quite certain what kind of power they contain. The answer may lie hidden among the scattered human settlements of this vast and desolate future world.

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Product Details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: TokyoPop; First Edition edition (August 9, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595328343
ISBN-13: 978-1595328342
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1405 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > Science Fiction
- #3674 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > Fantasy
- #7869 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers

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Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

5 star		74%
4 star		10%
3 star		0%
2 star		16%
1 star		0%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

amazing

By James J. Pyke on June 6, 2006

Format: Paperback

It's a bit pointless to review just one volume of a serialized manga, particularly one like this that really develops its continuity over its entire length. This can be a problem with manga books because if you like a series, you'll end up spending something like $100 or more to get the whole story.

In Japan, I've heard, they have Manga Cafes in which one can sit and read tankouban (as these collected volumes of previously serialized material are called). But a story like BLAME! deserves to be owned because of 1) the complexity of the storyline, and 2) the striking dark beauty of the artwork.

One of the things I enjoy most about Blame! is the way Nihei (trained as an architect) manages to create sublime images of calamitous, anarchic architectural spaces that are by turns claustrophobic and cavernous. And the substantial emotional impact of these spaces (the entire story, thus far, takes place within an oppressively infinite INTERIOR space) comes across magnificently even on these relatively small pages.

The story and characters are engaging as well, and in a way that binds them tightly to the space that surrounds them. Nihei succeeds in visualizing and "narrativizing" philosophical concepts about the interplay of (in)organic technologies and human(?) biology that rivals or even exceeds (or maybe it's just in a totally different dimension from) Shirow Masamune's (Ghost in the Shell) most interesting work - only without the "sexy" cyborg crotch shots on every page. And Nihei also achieves this without relying on tons of words on the page. His art speaks volumes - the linework is paradoxically crisp and filthy at the same time, and his sense of pacing is unparalleled - a breathtaking balance of panel-dense and show-stopping splash pages.

Lucky for us, there's alot more of Nihei's work currently available in Japan - just waiting to be translated for us English speakers (including a sequel to Blame! called Net Sphere Engineer).

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

cream of the cyberpunk crop

By Thomas Raven on February 28, 2006

Format: Paperback

When manga was first getting imported to the US market, you could pretty much trust that everything that hit the stands was decent, since the first books to get translated were the cream of the crop. Then, we started to see the real diversity of titles available in Japan, and, unfortunately, with diversity also comes a certain level of mediocrity.

Fortunately, there are still treasures out there for those willing to look for them, and BLAME! is one of those treasures. With unique artwork, a sinister and cryptic tale unfolds slowly before you and captures your attention in a way few manga can these days.

The first volume just misses the five star mark simply for the slow ramp-up, but it's worth it. I equate this first volume with the very first of Stephen King's Dark Tower books - it's a necessary intro, albeit a little clunky.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Excellent series with a slow start

By R. Gage on August 9, 2005

Format: Paperback

I've been interested in BLAME! ever since I found an art book on an import website. After readint through the volumes in Japanese, I must say I wasn't let down. This series is easily one of my favorites. Unfortunately, It also takes a while to get going.

The ten volume series tells the story of Killy as he wanders through the what was once the earth, and now is a gigantic city known as the megastructure which grows out of control. Despite it being a city, few humans are to be seen due to an infestation of beings known as Silicon Creatures (essentially cyborgs). Killy seeks the net terminal genes, or an individual who has them, in order to restore ballance to the city. He thus faces the perils of the megastructure armed with a superhuman constitution and a small pistol that punches holes two feet in diameter through whatever it hits.

What really sets BLAME! aside from many other manga is the unusual art style. Though it still contains the general feel of most Japanese comics the characters never seem to focus their eyes, which can be hard to get used to but adds to the lonely, hopeless atmosphere of the story. The also has a rather messy style, which may appeal to some but not to others. The factor that elevates the artwork though are the environments. From great bridges to monolithic towers the backdrops are truly masterpieces in their own right. The detail and depth is simply unmatched.

Unfortunately, the series suffers from a slow start, and thus the first volume is not up to par with the rest of the story. The artwork is still in its early stages, and visually improves as the series progresses. There are no monumental plot shifts in the story either. It's really more of an introduction.Read more ›

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Fantastic Art + Action = : D

By MNO on October 18, 2005

Format: Paperback

Tsutomu Nihei's "Blame!" is a masterpiece. I've previewed the entire series before it was licensed in the United States and was amazed by 3 things:

1) the art - it's breath taking

2) the story - so many twist and turns! And,

3) the originality,

Blame! is a journey story at it's core. It's the story of Killy's quest to find a carrier of "net genes," but it carries a much greater depth than that. I'd tell you, but it would spoil the ride.

In this first book we are introduced to Killy, the main character who carries a very unique and powerful gun; the Cyborg race; Cibo, a female scientist turned adventure; the Guardians, an enigmatic force; and the terrible Safeguards among many others.

Blame! is 10 volumes long, each ~ 300 pgs. Tokyo pop is slowly releasing a new volumes every 3 months starting in August of 2005.

If you enjoy more than of the following, you will surely also like "Blame!:"

1) cyber punk novels (Neal Stephenson, etc)

2) good art

3) strange, but beatiful, stories

4) comics

For more information, read R. Gage's review.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

amazing story, atmosphere... and the pictures... is clear that Tsutomu Nihei studied architecture

Published 2 months ago by Fabian

searching for the perfect set of human genes in a world of mutants ...

Blame! is a very strange, very sci-fi manga. Killy wanders an ever-changing and dangerous world of metal, searching for the perfect set of human genes in a world of mutants and... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Heather Hilburn

Check out Tsutou Nihei's dark science fiction

A science fiction fan all my life, I discovered Nihei only recently. I love his far-future dark stories and his incredible art. I've become addicted to his older books like BLAME! Read more

Published 11 months ago by ama

A landmark in dystopian sci-fi and cyberpunk, this is a must-have for...

Tsutomu Nihei creates with Blame, an awe-inspiring world of such immense scale that each new reveal leaves you staggered. Read more

Published on May 19, 2013 by Nathan Haslam

Amazing exploration of sci fi

This is an amazing world. I have not experienced anything quite like it.

You are forced to interpret every scene so you will reread each page looking for hints through... Read more

Published on March 24, 2013 by Y. Tomita

Great manga

Great manga, definitely going to get the rest of the series soon. I'm a huge fan of cyberpunk anime/games/movies/manga and if you are too I highly recommend it. Read more

Published on May 24, 2012 by CJ

Brilliant work of art... Dark and brooding.

I have read BLAME! and its sequels and prequel a few times, and I must say that this is one of those series that stands out as a testament to an individual vision. Read more

Published on March 18, 2012 by Corky

Perfect

Blame! (u! Buramu!?), pronounced "blam", is a ten-volume 1998 cyberpunk manga by Tsutomu Nihei published by Kodansha. Read more

Published on February 15, 2012 by Jennlich

singular

Bilame is at once horrifying, disturbing, transcendant, and sublime. The monolithic subterranean cityscape that serves as a backdrop for the story inspires a pervading sense of... Read more

Published on February 22, 2010 by Lars Kingbeard

architectural spaces

The series BLAME! goes beyond typical Manga. It is just an amazing class in drawing architectural spaces. Read more

Published on March 22, 2008 by Paulo Waisberg