Akira (1987)

[アキラ]

Volume 4

Author/Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Publisher: Kodansha

Synopsis:
In the devastation following Akira's awakening, the self-proclaimed Great Tokyo Empire has risen to rule over the ruins.

Story/Characters:
Oh, man. You thought the setting was dystopian before. Things have completely gone down the crapper with this ragged new micronation of junkie delinquents and roving rape gangs that makes Miyako's cult look mighty favorable by comparison. Our main threads are Tetsuo's quest for greater mastery over his powers, the plotting of his unnamed aide (who looks a lot like a young Burke from Aliens), Miyako's efforts to counter Tetsuo, Kay's group's efforts to link up with Miyako, the Colonel doing his thing, and some military infiltrators from the outside (presumably US Navy SEALs) looking to tackle the situation.

Of the new characters, I found that Pompadour (my nickname for the Burke-esque aide) added quite a bit as the more active antagonist, compared to the aloof Akira and the more inwardly focused Tetsuo. Unlike the movie, Kaori is introduced here and acts as something of a morality pet for our two psychic tyrants. The leader of (I'm guessing) the SEAL team, Lieutenant Yamada (who doesn't actually get named until the next volume) is pretty cool, too.

Art:
I said in my review of the first volume that when Otomo wants to make things ugly, he makes them dang ugly and, boy, is this volume a masterwork of ugliness. It's honestly amazing how awful everything looks. And I don't mean that as if the art is poor. Otomo is a very skilled artist with an impressive level of attention to detail. The visuals are a perfect match for the tone of the story. Now, how much you care for that tone is a matter of personal taste.

You'll get your fill of hard-hitting, bloody action, which may well be worth the price of admission if that's what you go for. Chiyoko continues to be MVP, though we see a little more of her this volume than most people would probably like. -_-

Also, as far as the cover goes, just look at that little gentleman on his throne. ^o^

Conclusion:
Things have gotten so bad that you may invoke darkness-induced audience apathy. You may find yourself wondering if there's anything left that's worth fighting for. However, if you like the idea of sinking into the grime of civilizational collapse and want to see where Tetsuo's growing powers will take him, you'll no doubt want to give this a read at the very least.

Rating:
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