Vol. 2, Akira

Akira, the title character, is central to this volume. Initially, he appears to be an asset that everyone wants, but the long-hinted at power of Akira is slowly awakened as the story progresses.
The awakening of Akira changes the whole nature of the story. Both in the content and in the illustrations, you can see that a very large change has come to the world, and that things won't be the same again.
And speaking of the illustrations: the sheer scope of the story is well captivated by Katsuhiro Otomo's art. Quite, quite spectacular.
At the end of this volume, we are halfway through the six volumes of this epic story. From my uncertain beginnings, I'm now sure I'll be following this through to the end.

This is the Barnes and Noble edition of Dark Horse's American release of Akira. As a collector of Akira graphic novels, I've had a hands-on with all the American releases and this one is by far my favorite. The presentation is absolutely gorgeous. It features a beautiful black and red hardcover binding with the Akira katakana logo embossed in gold. The slipcover features promotional art done by Otomo for the limited edition release of the laserdisc. The katakana is again embossed on top of the slipcover. The paper quality is good. Nothing has changed on the inside from Dark Horse's printing. If you don't have a copy of Akira already, this is the one to get. The only problem is that Barnes and Noble never printed the rest of the series, so it will stick out from the rest of the set on your shelf. It's $15 list price on the back makes it a smart choice, too as Dark Horse and the Kodansha reprints both retail for double that.

This is the 2nd collected TPB volume in Katsuhiro Otomo's science fiction epic masterpice. There are six volumes in total. All of which are essential to have the complete manga story. That, of course, goes without saying. If you are not familiar with manga, you should note that it is almost always produced in black and white. Such is the case with Akira. This may be a turn-off for some, but on a positive note, it allows the reader to pay more attention to the detail of the drawings, and to the depth of the script.
Wheather you're a fan of manga, comics, or sci-fi in general, Akira is a must.

Something is definitely lost in the black and white drawings, which are nonetheless still quite impressive. The beauty and complexity of the city that we see in the film is stifled by the format. However, people turned off by the usual kid-like anime style will find a refreshing change here.
The story really starts to pick up in this volume, so much so that I scoured local bookstores hoping to find the next volume (luckily I found it). Fans of the film will start seeing more and more differences in this and the next volume. I eagerly await the fourth.

Could I give this six stars? When I was 13 I saw AKIRA in my local theater. Needless to say I was blown away and hooked for life. Imagine my surprise when, years later I found out about the manga! For anyone who has seen the movie but not read the manga you are missing out on about 80% of the story (The movie was condensed from over 2000 pages). The manga answers all the questions left from the movie and adds so much more to the story. The artwork is better than the movie even though the book is in black and white. The story and art crackle off of the pages like electricity. Otomo has such an amazing style that he has ruined other comics for me. Nothing quite compares to his mix of technical and human drawing prowess and his storytelling is second to none.
In book 5, the special forces, american Navy, and various cult groups are all after the power of AKIRA even as Tetsuo's power continues to grow. Kaneda, Kei, and the Colonel play bigger roles in book 5, but the real star here is Tetsuo. His powers are immense and the destruction he causes is beyond belief. I wont spoil it for you but beleive me its amazing.
The most enduring quailty of AKIRA for me is the fact that the movies and manga require your attention. This isnt a thrown together story where nothing really holds up, if you think there are plot holes you havent figured the story out. Its expertly crafted by Otoma-san and never strays from his vision. The story of AKIRA is excellence of the highest caliber. I love everything about AKIRA and this book is a testament to that.
This is just my opinion and I happen to be a BIG AKIRA freak. I have the McFarlane toys, three versions of the movie, and even a back up DVD which has never been opened just in case.

Well, here we are: One issue away from the last issue.
This is quiet possible the best one in the serias so far. Number 5 is almost completely dedicated to character development. I say "almost" because the issue is bassically our heroes preparing themselves for the final battle and tying up loose ends. The renioun between Kaneada and Kie in the beginning of the issue is heart warming; I especially liked how Kiesuke got in there!:)
Truth be told, there isn't as much action as there was in the others, but who cares? With phenomual character development and story telling, this issue kicks! And Besides, there is a completely PERFECT action sequence early on, which is done very very very VERY well. (For those curious, it involves Kie and the Colonol taking on a bunch of the empire's gun crazy citizens led by the guy in the glasses (I knew he'd come back!) Kaneada and Kiesuke also come in the knick of time on motorcycles)
Another maine character is reintroduced here, and I like him. Remember Joker, the huge and tough looking leader of the Clown gang? When we last saw him in Number One, it looked like he was a goner: after all, a motorcycle tire smashed into his face. But suddenly, he pops up in this one, with a huge tire mark on his face! (I nearly busted a gut when I saw that.) Joker, as said before, is a technical whiz, providing Kaneada and his sidekick Kiesuke with TONS of guns, motorcylces, and equipment. Many chuckles occur when Kaneada and Joker CONSTANTLY argue, often stopping at words and using their fists instead, and poor Kiesuke tries to be the mediator between the two.
Also back for laughs is that nicotine-addicted-doctor, who can basically do anything but will only do it if you get him a ciggarrette ("Do this, Do that! THEN WHAT?And I can't even get a... cigarrette!")
A deleightful issue. I still think that the fight sequence between Kie and Tetuo (GREAT effect with the fighter pilot dangling out of the jet like he was being cruicified) could've been done a tiny bit better. I mean, I liked how the frantic admiral was in the background, ordering his men to "FIR EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!" at them, but I wish it had been a little longer. But, it WAS choregraphed nicely, and I still love it, but I just wish it had been a tiny bit longer.
All in all, a great set-up to the final battle. Bravo, Katsuhiro Otomo! Well done!

This is the Marvel/Epic Comics colorized edition. Otomo approved every page colorized by Steve Oliff of Epic Comics, and the results are breathtaking. The original 64 page first issue was $2.95, and well worth it. This volume was $14.95 when it first came out, and is now going for $238! You want this copy. I'm looking at my copy right now, and I'm amazed.

Akira means so much for me. I can remember reading the first 64 page issue, which cost a whopping $2.95, a lot for a comic. I had just finished reading it and was about to start dinner. After I put it down, I had to take a moment. It was life-changing. I'd already taking Independent Study in high school and started studying Japanese, and I got some friends in high school addicted to it. It is one of the best written and illustrated stories ever, now mentioned in the same breath as Blade Runner. I've probably reread the first issue and the first graphic novel collection of Akira more than a few times.

With an emergency situation declared, the spooks and pollies start manoeuvring. The Colonel is not going to take the blame, and instigates a military takeover, after Kaneda and Kei have escaped with Akira.

More of the psionic children come out to play. A confrontation with the Colonel causes the death of one of these children, and this sets the awesomely powerful Akira off.

Neo-Tokyo gets it in the head, again.

Things start to go wild in the second volume, as Tetsuo, Kaneda, and Kei are all in military hands. We see the psionic abilities start to appear, as a group of children with these powers try to get rid of Tetsuo. It doesn't work, and he gets mad, and goes looking for Akira.

Releasing Akira causes an emergency in Japan, and the Colonel fails to kill Tetsuo even when he tries the old super death ray from space trick.

The US military has decided to move more overtly after the Neo-Tokyo events. An aircraft carrier group is now on location, with both a scientifc and military purpose. They want to study the psionics, and see if they can gain control of SOL, among other things.

Tetsuo is not a big fan of theirs, and decides blowing the crap out of them would be good.

I rated the first 4 stars, it was a great start but a bit sluggish in parts that I found myself struggling to stay with the story till it got good again.
This book did no such thing to me, it may have gone a lot faster but this book is so well done and exciting. I loved it! If you have the first one and liked it, buy this one, you'll like it more.
P.S. people say black and white loses some of the story as apposed to color, this book was originially black and white and I think it makes it better, though not as much definition, the details become more obvious. :-P

This is one heck of a second volume. The action and intensity gets amped up! The artwork is even more tight and more intricate as you've got clashes between the army and Tetsuo. More of Kenada and Kei in this one which is always a good thing.

Things are starting to go really bad... That's only good for us!

The third volume in the Akira series is just like all the other volumes, magnificent. Although this is the shortest installment of the Akira series, at 282 pages, it's still great. I highly recomend
this book to any anime, sci-fi, or manga fan. If you want a good read get this book.

They throw a lot of new characters at you in this one, and it can be hard to keep up. But hang in there and read it twice if you have to. I can't wait until I can get the next one, because the ending if (almost literally!) da bomb.

Katsuhiro Otomo goes above and beyond. The detail in his first and second book really struck me. Don't get too excited though. There are four more volumes coming out! If you want a good long and intriging plot look no further than Akira!