Publishing Information: VIZ Media, B&W, paperback, 200 pages, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-2438-2 (ISBN-13)
Reborn! is an action, martial arts, and crime comedy shonen manga (comics for teen boys) from creator Akira Amano that is published by VIZ Media under its “Shonen Jump Advanced” imprint. The series focuses mainly on two characters, although it has a rather large cast of supporting players and assorted weirdos.
The focus of the story is a nerd named Tsunayoshi “Tsuna” Sawada, who is just another failure at school, socializing, and sports. In fact, people know him as “Hapless Tsuna” or “Loser Tsuna.” The second character is Tsuna’s savior, of sorts, and the title character. This is Reborn; he is a toddler and an assassin. Reborn shows up at Tsuna’s home and informs the teen that he is destined to be the 10th boss of the Vongola mafia crime family.
Whenever he needs to help Tsuna be brave or show some gumption, Reborn shoots him with a magic bullet, the “deathparation shot” that turns Tsuna into a fearsome fighter. [This is similar to what spinach does to Popeye.] As Reborn grooms Tsuna to be a mafia boss, several young people, each with a talent that is as special as he or she is eccentric, gather around Tsuna to form his “family.”
As Reborn!, Vol. 13 (entitled The Mist Guardian) opens, Tsuna’s “family” members continue to battle Varia’s extraordinarily talented and skilled combatants. To the winner of each battle goes the loser’s share of the Vongola half-ring. This contest may decide which man will be the next Vongola boss, Tsuna (the chosen one) or Varia chief, Xanxus. Now, Tsuna’s pal Yamamoto Takeshi battles the supernaturally skilled Superbi Squalo, and it looks as if Yamamoto will lose – unless his father’s sword technique can save his life. And the Mist Guardian is revealed.
Early in the series, Reborn! came across as a bizarre, episodic mafia comedy – with the usual manga eccentricity. With the “Varia war,” storyline creator Akira Amano has given the story Bleach-like martial arts, adding explosive clashes of super powers and magic to the story. I miss the series’ original slapstick sitcom tone, but this new Shonen Jump action-style narrative is cool. The art, as ever, remains fantastic – solid compositions, amazing figure drawing, and some of the best comic book inking in the world. I think fight comics fans will agree.
B+
