Deadman Wonderland Vol. 1, Ratman Vol. 1, Hanako, Mikansei Vol. 1 & .hack/4Koma - Manga Review

The different ideals in this selection of manga revolves around the perception that everyone is trying to create masks that ultimately fail them though some take longer than others. The most effective is a take on the superhero metaphor but succeed because of some killer secondary characters that know just how far to go.Deadman Wonderland Vol. 1 A young kid is sentenced to death for the murder of his friends who were killed by the Red Man. The reality is that this young boy has a power that he has not mastered yet. In addition, he is protected by a strange girl from his childhood that made a point to save him in his hour of need. When he is convicted of the murder of his friends and sent to a new prison/tourism facility in Tokyo which is the only remanant after a massive earthquake hit the island, he must try to keep his head above water and not die. While the book works on the basic precipices of prison stories with bullies and the like, it also works in conjunction with more active aspects like “Death Race 2000” where the prisoners take an active role as their suffering is played out to the massives for entertainment on TV, like a modern form of gladiators. The perspective is that this boy who doesn't stand a chance will have the ability to rule. Interesting but not overwhelming.Ratman Vol. 1 The key with some of the manga that deals with more and more pop culture references is to make sure that it can make fun of it in the smartest way possible. “Ratman” is one of the first to approach it with more of a global sensibility that is quite ingenious. Following certain aspects of Sgt. Frog's example, the key is a humor that pops and just gets one in the gut while still being timeless like Chaplin. The artist captures that here with Jackys, the evil minions for our reluctant villain. Considering how odd the situation that the lead character of Ratman is in: he is a boy who gets sheepherded into becoming a criminal with a transformation contract. One of his first missions is to steal sensitive information from a hero organization. Ultimately though even during that piece, the Jackys steal the show at one point donning the bras of the young woman they are fighting. Their simple open teeth and smile just make you laugh and really gives the manga a unique feel along the lines of something closer to “Kung Fu Hustle”.Hanako & The Terror Of Allegory This manga straddles the line between spoon feeding the audience and trying to be intellectually stimulating at the same time. The funny perception in how it works is that the point is to be ironic. Like “Rin” there is something a little off in the people who are running the detective agency. They can fight but there is an aversion to porn which is not defined. The funny thing is his allegory reads the mags in the bathroom while she builds a massive computer program to help his work. A real human comes into their world when he helps solve the instance of a man with an axe under her bed. The imagery of this doesn't quite give presence to the story but is a good entry point. The second story reflects on a woman scorned because of her beauty creating an unholy conflict in her soul. This balance of the beauty myth lacks true style although some of its underlying energy, especially of the woman in question, is interesting to say the least. The final narrative involving a bus crash survivor who sees the fish in a lake consuming his friends and then reincarnating their souls in fleshy bodies is a neat emotional journey and the imagery paints the picture both metaphorical and of course allegorically.Mikansei Vol. 1 The aspect of a band changing history always has a bit of tongue-in-cheek to it. Just ask Bill & Ted. Here the drama moves more to consume the idea of what fame is and how it compares in different eras. Neo is a girl who has come back form the 23rd Century by accident and seeks to find her true meaning in life. She joins a band and sees a soul mate of sorts in her counterpart Saya. So much so that when she is asked to come back to her time, there is a conflict of emotions. The reality is that the story doesn't have that much weight to it because the stakes are too late and too low. Even the minders from the future see that she is changing things but they think she looks cute in her mini skirt. Mythology ends up not taking as high of a perception in the ultimate feeling..hack//4Koma The collection moves more into the perception of the .hack world as seen from a different scene structure and humor. Since the online world works in a different tandem of time, the idea of doing 4 square scenes in 4 boxes is actually pretty interesting. Four different artists were brought into to give a different feeling but it is only the Gandard overview that has a degree of off-center style. The idea was to create a twist on the world without damaging the brand. The reality is that it is too late or too aware. The reason that something like “The Animatrix” worked is because the artist could go way out on a limb but still remain true or create a parallel canon to the ideology originally created. The block views in terms of the square comics try to have a punch line but more often than not the ones that truly work have multiple parts. The other interlude involves changing the character structure to impress a member of the opposite sex. The idea is sound and well played but not inherently exceptional.