Publishing Information: TOKYOPOP, B&W, paperback, 208 pages, $10.99 (US), $13.99 CAN
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4278-1745-7 (ISBN-13)
Ratman is a shonen manga (comics for teen boys) from Sekihiko Inui. To date, Ratman is the manga that is most like an American superhero comic book that I’ve read.
The protagonist of Ratman is a teenaged boy named Shuto Katsuragi. Shuto is a superhero otaku (fanboy), and it is his fervent desire to grow up to be a superhero. Superheroes do exist in Shuto’s world, and it is possible for someone to become a superhero (through various means). That dream seems impossible for Shuto, a short of stature boy who is a joke to many people.
However, a meeting with an apparent criminal syndicate, the Jackal Organization, changes Shuto’s life when they give him the suit that turns him into Ratman. Shuto sees the suit as his chance to be a superhero, but can he be a hero when he works for the bad guys and steals from the good guys, the Hero Association?
Like Animal Academy
, TOKYOPOP has a young readers’ winner in Ratman. As a superhero comic, it reads just as well as any of the superhero titles that Marvel Comics (their “First Class” and “Marvel Adventures” lines) and DC Comics (Johnny DC) aim at young readers. I also think that Ratman, while it does have the missteps and misfires one would expect early in a series, has much potential.As of right now, the series has a winning character in Shuto Katsuragi. He is the underdog, that everyman (or boy) with which readers can identify and for whom they will certainly root. Shuto is the main reason that this is an energetic series, and his adventures promise to keep readers interested. Combining superhero comics with a strong shonen manga and anime flavor, Ratman certainly puts fun into teen superheroes.
B+
Ratman Volume 1
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