Akira, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

~ Katsuhiro Otomo (Author) "NINE HOURS LATER, WORLD WAR III BEGAN..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally serialized in Japan between 1981 and 1993, Otomo's 2,000-plus-page science fiction epic Akira was reprinted as a monthly comic book in the U.S. in the early '90s. This new six-volume series is the first time it's appeared as an English-language graphic novel. Set in Tokyo 38 years after its destruction in World War III (which, according to this story, happened in 1992), Akira eventually evolves into a philosophical investigation of time. But this first volume is all action, nonstop car chases and gun fights strung together with exaggerated speed lines and lots of gigantic machinery. The complicated plot revolves around two teenagers in a motorbike gang that encounters a strange child with an old man's features. When one of the young bikers begins manifesting violent, supernatural powers that threaten to destroy him, both bikers find themselves enmeshed in a massive conflict between two sinister agencies (which both believe they're fighting to save the world) over some unnamed thing so terrifying it's locked away in a vault and frozen to absolute zero. Akira has been praised for "massively decompressed storytelling" a few seconds of story time can take pages and Otomo's hyperkinetic black-and-white drawings explode across the page. The translation is sometimes a bit awkward, although it still expresses the story's visceral force. The book has been adapted into an animated film that's a favorite among anime fans.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Dark Horse is committed to bringing the finest comics from around the world to America. Now, in association with Kodansha Ltd. and Studio Proteus, Dark Horse has again gathered one of the crown jewels of graphic fiction. Katsuhiro Otomo`s stunning science-fiction masterpiece, Akira! Regarded by many as the finest comic series ever produced, Akira is a bold and breathtaking epic of potent narrative strength and astonishing illustrative skill. Akira is set in the post-apocalypse Neo-Tokyo of 2019, a vast metropolis built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by an apocalyptic blast of unknown power that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when dormant paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, who becomes a target for a shadowy government operation, a group who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Tokyo. And at the core of their motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear: a fear of someone -- or something -- of unthinkably monstrous power known only as...Akira. And Akira is about to rise! Collected in six massive volumes, Akira has been reproduced in its original, black-and-white majesty as never-before-seen in an English-translated edition. If you love science fiction, manga or comics, Akira is the one work that must be represented in your collection!

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (December 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569714983
• ISBN-13: 978-1569714980
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #133,553 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The Akira (English) Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic manga. Worth every penny., December 27, 2000

By	"themancalledsam" (Winchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews

I picked up volume 1 at a store yesterday, and I've already read it twice. This is a fantastic manga. The AKIRA series stretches over 2,000 pages and 6 volumes. It's won almost every Japanese Manga award imaginable, and with good reason. It's fast paced, intelligent, well-written, with great artwork, smart dialogue, and an interesting plot. Although the pricetag may seem a little steep, don't forget that each volume is over 350 pages long. If you think that's interesting, keep in mind that this first volume barely even scratches the surface of the story, it merely sets the stage for the cataclysmic events that will follow in the other volumes. You will like this manga if you like science fiction, action, comic books, manga, have seen and enjoyed the Akira anime movie, enjoy deep plots, or are looking for something new and different. You won't like it if you're sensitive to blood and violence, find the idea of black and white comics for adults ridiculous, and have no taste. Overall, this is a great manga, and no collection should be without it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...prepare to be blown away, May 6, 2001

By	Travon J. Boykins "magicaspar" (Evans, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I heard of Akira, people regarded as the finest Anime ever. I watched when I was 11 or 12, and it blew my mind. It was unlike any other animation I have ever watched before. Years past, and I have watched more anime. Akira didn't hold the same spot as it once did. With series like Evangelion and Cowboy bebop and movies like Ghost in the Shell and Princess Mononoke, who can blame me? Well, to celebrate the revival of Akira on the scren, Dark Horse brings the fame anime in a form most americans have never seen before...Manga! I knew there was a manga for it, but never had the chance to read it. Luckly, my friend (and fanboy in arms) ponied up the... bucks for volume one. You knowhow people say the book is better than the movie...it's so in this case. And, all things considered, it makes sense. A 2,000+ page manga cut down into 2 hours means a lot of things will be left out. It's a shame, but now comes a chance to redeem yourself...like myself. Pick this book and see what I mean. Oh, and one more thing: Tetsuo!!!!!!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic work!, June 13, 2001

By	Arturo Ruiz "Mad About Animation" (Phoenix, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I originally started reading Akira in the Epic/Marvel books in color in the early 90's but I never read it all the way because they never reprinted the last volume. Now, after all these years, I can actually own these milestone books and finish reading them.

No collection would be complete without them! The Akira manga is an influential work of fiction and one of the precursors of the Cyberpunk genre. Akira's influence (both manga and film) can still be felt throughout manga, comics and movies. One of the things I like the most about Akira is that the movie and the manga are not just versions of one another, but complementary works that enrich each other.

In Akira #1 we meet the main characters but we only scratch the surface of the story and who is Akira. This 360 page book is filled with action and suspense. Neo Tokyo, 38 years after world-war III, is a city with complex problems, not the least of which is the numerous biker gangs. Meet Kaneda and Testuo. These two friends will soon be engulfed in a gigantic plot mixing politics, futuristic weaponry and a mysterious foce known only as Akira.

Characters in Akira seem real beacuse of their flaws. Kaneda is brave but also a slacker. Kei is more level-headed but belongs to an extremist group.

Despite its seemingly steep price, it's worth every penny.