Attack on Titan (2015)

[進撃の巨人]

Volume 18

Author/Artist: Hajime Isayama
Publisher: KC Magazine

Synopsis:
Eren confronts his former drill instructor Keith Shadis to find out what he knows about Eren's father.

Story/Characters:
Probably the best part about this volume is the glimpse into the past we get courtesy of Keith. Way back when, we got a tantalizing hint that Keith knew Eren's father and only here do we see how deep that connection was. I joke that Keith becomes the Severus Snape of Attack on Titan, but I'm not that far off the mark. Several questions get answered, which is always nice, and afterward we kick off what appears to be the best chance of getting into that daggone basement we've had in a while. We get a pretty good cliffhanger establishing the stakes of the fight.

Art:
Either I've just reacclimated myself to Isayama's art or things have actually improved a bit overall. We don't get much action until the very end of the volume, but it does give us some good panels.

Other:
Normally, the fake previews are one-off jokes, but the one gets carried over to the next couple volumes.

Conclusion:
I really like the new background we get, which goes a long way to contextualizing a lot of what's happened. Also, the setup for the new arc is solid. The anticipation for the new big battle arc is palpable. This one's worth having.

Rating:
Own It