Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Manga: Volume One

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Capitalising on the Batman craze of the 1960s, Jiro Kuwata’s manga is a fascinating piece of work. Combining the charm of Adam West with propulsive action results in a string of exciting adventures for the Dynamic Duo. Dismissing this as camp would like a disservice.  The stories may show their age but as Kuwata’s depictions of death-defying heroism are as exhilarating as any modern Bat-Book. And his panache for dreamscapes and his ability explore Batman’s subconscious mind and subjective experience tap into ideas that have become foundational to The Dark Knight’s most cerebral and acclaimed sagas over the decades.

The dialogue is often declarative and interpersonal drama is non-existent.  At the same time it is punchy and direct, with possibly the most emotionally well balanced depiction of Bruce Wayne you can find. This is a Batman who books himself a vacation if he’s stressed after solving a case so he can unwind before getting back to work.  With a cheerful and confident Robin along for the ride the legendary tag-team are having a ball.

While their characterisations are extremely broad many of the villains debuting here are incredibly charismatic. The only weak link being Doctor Faceless with his unsatisfactory runaround plot. The series begins strong with Lord Death Man; the fiendish robber’s swaggering bombast makes him a delight to read while, his eerie cackling combined with Batman’s aforementioned nightmares regarding impermanent death ensure the man in a skeleton costume is a legit menace. He has since been plucked from obscurity to appear in more modern DC titles (recently in the 2024 Robin series dating the Boy Wonder’s grandmother), yet, despite Kuwata’s flexible approach to tone, Lord Death Man is not the best villain to appear in this 350-page tome. That honour goes to the mighty Karmak, who posses the unique quality of being a funny concept that becomes increasingly terrifying while still being a good laugh. If the later volumes can maintain this quality then the BatManga will have cemented itself as an overlooked classic. But this collection alone is worth reading both as a piece of transpacific pop-culture history and as well as just being an excellent superhero comic.

Soara and House of Monsters Volume 4 by Hidenori Yamaji – 

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Dwarf architects continue their adventures in domestic renovations with their human assistant and bodyboard Soara.  Volume 4 marks a sharp departure from previous instalments while still doing everything right. House of Monsters has playfully nudged towards a possible continent-wide crisis linked to our heroine’s origins before swiftly dismissing it. Always prioritising Soara’s self-discovery as she and the dwarfs encounter whimsical creatures in dire need of DIY solutions.  

Volume 4 opens a cloaked figure ambushing the party, forcing Soara into an explosive showdown. The monster battle she’s trained for her whole life but fought to protect her compatriots instead of a nation. While Soara herself is baffled by this new attacker the artisan trio are better informed due to events from their childhood. The book transitions into an extended refection on these past events through the eyes of their leading architect, Kirik. Sprawling out of Kirik’s chance encounter with the charismatic and lively Prince Leonidas of the Kingdom; their tale explores the Dwarf homeland, architecture, culture, royal family, even highlighting political disputes over trade routes. 

Pausing to dig up the past is often the exact opposite of progress for an ongoing story.  But Hidenori Yamaji ensures this flashback arc constantly resonates with his series’ core focus.  Kirik’s childhood determination to succeed in a career ill-suiting his weak muscles and small stature sharply contrasts with Soara’s lifetime of military training leaving her completely ill-equipped to handle the real world or find any identity in a peaceful kingdom.

Yamaji’s exceptionally charming artwork and adapt control of tone ensuring all develops feel effortlessly graceful.  Sadly there is a lack of home renovations in this Volume. The attempted compromise is lavish double-page spends detailing the various locations within the dwarf capital… yet illustrations of underground industrial-scale forges cannot replace a werewolf needing help managing his beachside property.  In spite of that absolutely nothing feels wasteful or unnecessary here. Much like Kirik’s hero, Prince Leonidas, Soara and House of Monsters continues doing whatever it wants with such confidence you feel compelled to follow along. Emphatically recommended.

Heart Gear Volumes 1 and 2 by Tsuyoshi Takaki

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Tsuyoshi Takaki’s debut for Black Torch had some charm as an urban fantasy series about anti-demon paramilitary shenanigans. Yet it failed to catch on and his latest series is a change of direction. Heart Gear is a post-apocalyptic tale about the last known human journeying across the wastelands with her android protector. It doesn’t win awards for originality, the fabled city Roue and Chrome want to reach is visually similar to Zalem Central to the Battle Angel Alita series. And like many manga the first volume is mostly an extended first chapter detailing the basic basic premise before the author struggles to find their footing over simple episodic adventures. With extensive exposition littered throughout before the final pages can promise a forthcoming overarching plot.  Thankfully Heart Gear has solid action and cool machines rampaging through a desolate white landscape. Chrome might be a bland character but sometimes all you need is a guy on rocket stakes dodging rail-cannon from an insane Armored Core boss to keep the reader engaged.

Volume 2 achieves better results with its episodic structure.  Around Chapter 10 the series changes gears; introducing a bored security camera experimenting with cinematography to give a quirky new perspective on events. This coincides with palace intrigue around the gladiatorial arena, Valhalla, and its tyrannical ruler Wodan. The fragile relationships between Valhalla and the other powerbrokers expressing their interests capturing in Roue and Chrome gives Wodan some panache.  The metal overlord might seem dull but he is silently weighing up conflicting interests.  He needs to plot around other factions while guessing at their intentions and figuring out how to exploit this current moment without accidentally provoking retaliation.  The conflict gets more layered while Takaki’s character designs get wilder and crazier in the arena.  So seemingly this is where Heart Gear truly begins. While not outstanding it has done enough to string me along for now.