Review: MASTER KEATON: The Perfect Edition, Volume 12

MASTER KEATON: THE PERFECT EDITION, VOL. 12
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Naoki Urasawa
STORY: Hokusei Katsushika, Takashi Nagasaki, and Naoki Urasawa
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Steve Dutro
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8380-8; paperback (September 2017); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
322pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN, £12.99 U.K.

VIZ Media has completed its initiative to publish Master Keaton in English for the first time.  This is one of the early works from award-winning mangaka, Naoki Urasawa.  Master Keaton was first published beginning in the late 1980s and was created and drawn by Urasawa, who co-produced the story with Hokusei Katsushika and frequent collaborator, Takashi Nagasaki.

The English-language version of Master Keaton is a 12-volume, graphic novel series, published in a deluxe format called the “Perfect Edition.”  Each volume includes a few pages of full-color material to go along with the black and white comics.  VIZ Media began publishing Master Keaton quarterly under the VIZ Signature imprint in December 2014.

The hero of Master Keaton is Taichi Hiraga Keaton, the 30-something son of a Japanese zoologist and an English noblewoman and mathematician.  Although Keaton is an archaeology professor, he does not have a job at a university.  Thus, most of the series' action focuses on Keaton's job as a part-time insurance investigator.  Known for his successful and unorthodox methods of investigation, Keaton's abilities are based on his Oxford education in archaeology and also on his time as a member of the British elite special forces, the S.A.S. (Special Air Service).  Keaton uses his knowledge and combat training to uncover buried secrets, to thwart would-be villains, to pursue the truth, and sometimes just to lend a helping hand.

Master Keaton: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 12 (12 chapters) opens with the story, “The Scholar's Day.”  Keaton is on the verge of finally getting a job at a university, but he discovers that his superiors are quite disappointing.  Then, Keaton learns of the recent death of his mentor, Professor Urey W. Scott.  It was through Prof. Scott that Keaton came to believe European civilization was born on the plains around the Danube river.  Scott may have left something behind for Keaton, but the professor's daughter, Maggie Scott, is not impressed with Keaton.

Later, Keaton heads to Romania to investigate a car theft and smuggling ring.  The case seems like providence to Keaton, as Prof. Scot's final work may have discovered in Romania the proof for he and Keaton's Danube theories.  However, Keaton becomes involved in a conspiracy that ties into Romania tumultuous recent history, and his quest to help an orphaned boy may cost Keaton his own life at the place that could provide the answers he seeks.  On the lighter side, Keaton's daughter, Yuriko, makes plans to attend Oxford, like her father, and is laser-focused on her future... until a young man with bad luck captures her interest.

The Master Keaton manga has come to an end with the publication of the twelfth graphic novel in its English-language publication.  And as it was for the end of 20th Century Boys and Pluto, I am having a difficult time accepting that the series has ended.  Dammit, I want more!

Master Keaton: The Perfect Edition Volume 12 offers some of the best of what has become familiar in this series.  We get international intrigue filled with murder, secret police, vicious killers, people in need of a hero, and buried treasure.  There is some nice family comedy featuring Keaton's daughter and his father, Taihei Hiraga, and some surprisingly entertaining workplace drama featuring a longtime colleague, and old friend/rival, and a newcomer.  As sad as I am about the ending, at least I know that Keaton is leaving us behind to do what he has wanted to do for a long time.

Hopefully, Master Keaton will remain in print for a long time to come, but it is also available on various platforms for readers who prefer to read digital manga.


A+
10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Master Keaton: The New Adventures of David Bobbid

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Master Keaton: The Pied Piper of Hamelin

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Master Keaton: The Flying Hero

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Master Keaton: Black Forest

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter or at Grumble.

Review: MASTER KEATON Volume 1

MASTER KEATON, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Naoki Urasawa
STORY: Hokusei Katsushika and Takashi Nagasaki
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Pookie Rolf
LETTERS: Steve Dutro
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7589-6; paperback (December 2014); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
322pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN, £12.99 U.K.

Master Keaton is a seinen manga of various genres (mystery, suspense, family drama-comedy, etc.) from award-winning mangaka (creator) Naoki Urasawa.  First published in 1988, Master Keaton was created and drawn by Urasawa, who co-produced the story with Hokusei Katsushika and Takashi Nagasaki.  The series had never been released in English until recently.

Now, VIZ Media is publishing Master Keaton as a 12-volume manga in a deluxe graphic novel format, with each volume including a few pages of full-color material to go along with the black and white comics.  VIZ Media's first volume of Master Keaton was published this past December (2014), and future volumes will be published quarterly under the company’s VIZ Signature imprint and will be rated “‘T+’ for Older Teens.”  Each volume of Master Keaton will carry an MSRP of $19.99 in the United States, $22.99 in Canada, and £12.99 in the United Kingdom.

Master Keaton focuses on 30-something Taichi Hiraga Keaton.  The son of a Japanese zoologist and English noblewoman and mathematician, Keaton is an archeology professor at Kotozawa University.  Most of the series' action focuses on Keaton's other job.  He is a part-time insurance investigator known for his successful and unorthodox methods of investigation.  His abilities are based on the fact that he is Oxford-educated in archeology and that he is also a former member of the British elite special forces, the SAS (Special Air Service).  Master Keaton uses his knowledge and combat training to uncover buried secrets, thwart would-be villains, pursue the truth, and sometimes lend a helping hand.

Master Keaton, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 12) opens with the death of Leon Pappas near the village of Isidoros, on the Dodecanese Islands in Greece.  Pappas had an insurance policy worth one million pounds with Lloyd's of London.  In Essex, England, Lord David Marques, the policy's underwriter, is suspicious both of the circumstances of Pappas' death and of his insurance policy's beneficiary, Ochs Fine Art Ltd.

Enter Mister Keaton, part-time insurance investigator.  Lord Marques wants him to investigate everything dubious surrounding Pappas, his death, and his connection to a mysterious art dealer.  Pappas was an amateur archeologist and that angle piques Keaton's interest, so he accepts the assignment and heads to the Dodecanese Islands.  But danger and the threat of death await him.

Anyone who reads my reviews on a regular basis knows that I am a huge admirer of Naoki Urasawa, some might even say raving fan boy.  He is one of my favorite mangaka, and I think that he has been one of the best and most intriguing comics creators over the last four decades.

I like Master Keaton.  It is not as obsessively connected, in terms of plot, characters, and settings as such Urasawa classics as 20th Century Boys and Monster.  Keaton does have a revolving set of characters, such as his father, his daughter, and his agent.  His SAS training frequently plays a part in the stories, as does his positions as an academic and an archeologist.

The stories in Master Keaton are episodic.  In Master Keaton Volume 1, almost every chapter offers either a new case which Keaton must tackle or a glimpse at Keaton's personal life.  There is one story that runs over two chapters (about a joint Japanese-British archeological dig in a Uyghur region of China).  Vol. 1 ends with a three-chapter story of a former SAS officer coming to the end of a complicated and dangerous plot for revenge.

I enjoyed just about every story in Vol. 1, but I have to admit that I was shocked by the episodic nature of this series.  I was disappointed when the tale of Leon Pappas, which opens this graphic novel, was wrapped up in one chapter.  Once I adjusted to how Urasawa and his writers present the adventures of Mister Keaton, I found myself fascinated by this thoroughly fascinating character.  I would say that Master Keaton is another Urasawa series that is a must-read.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: MONSTER: The Perfect Edition Volume 1

MONSTER: THE PERFECT EDITION, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Naoki Urasawa with Takashi Nagasaki
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Camellia Nieh
LETTERS: Steve Dutro
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6906-2; paperback (July 2014); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
432pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN, £12.99 UK

Monster is a seinen manga (comics for adult men) written and drawn by Naoki Urasawa.  It was originally serialized in Japan in the manga magazine, Big Comic Original (published by Shogakukan), from December 1994 to December 2001.  From February 2006 to December 2008, VIZ Media published Monster in 18 paperback graphic novel editions (known as tankōbon in Japan).  Now, VIZ Media is collecting the series in a new “Perfect Edition” format in which two graphic novels are gathered in each oversized paperback volume.

Monster: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 16) reprints Monster Volume 1 and Volume 2.  This edition is print-only and is published under the VIZ Signature imprint and it is rated “‘T+’ for Older Teens.”  The series carries an MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of $19.99 U.S. and $22.99 CAN.  Monster: The Perfect Edition features a new English translation of Monster, re-mastered pages, and many pages of full-color content.  After Vol. 1, future volumes of Monster: The Perfect Edition will be released four times a year in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand for a total of nine volumes covering the entire series.

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster focuses on a young and very talented doctor who discovers that no good deed goes unpunished.  Dr. Kenzo Tenma moved from Japan to Germany to find success as a brain surgeon.  As the go-to-surgeon at Eisler Memorial Hospital in Düsseldorf, Tenma is the hospital’s golden boy.  However, it comes at a cost.  Tenma writes the medical papers that hospital director, Dr. Heinemann, presents as his own work.  Kenzo dates Heinemann’s daughter, Eva, but she is a spoiled daddy’s girl who cares more about appearances and material wealth than other people.  Then, Tenma makes a decision that leads to his fall from grace with Heinemann.

Tenma is determined to prove that he made the right decision.  So when two children come into the emergency room at Eisler one night, Tenma operates on Johan Liebert, the brother who has been shot in the head.  Johan’s sister, Anna, is in shock, but Tenma is determined to protect them both.  Tenma does not realize that his decision will force him to confront questions of good and evil.  Years later, he discovers a bizarre series of serial murders, and Tenma realizes that he may have saved a monster.

The Monster manga by Naoki Urasawa is one of the best comics published in the last decade of the 20th century.  Urasawa’s acclaimed manga may even be the best.

Monster can best be described as a psychological thriller, in which the central conspiracy expands ever outward.  Although the hero, Dr. Tenma, initially believes that all he has to do is find a serial killer, he gradually discovers that he must investigate history as well as track a killer.  Of course, Monster is a murder mystery, and there is plenty of political intrigue, some of it involving workplace politics. 

Whatever genres and styles upon which it touches, Monster is a riveting, absorbing read.  It is a chilling story in which the monsters are not of supernatural origins, but instead come from the dark recesses of the human mind.  Monster is such an engrossing, page-turner that it is unforgettable.  I never forgot it, and I am ready to read it again – thanks to Monster: The Perfect Edition.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: 21ST CENTURY BOYS Volume 2

21ST CENTURY BOYS, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

WRITER: Naoki Urasawa with Takashi Nagasaki
ARTIST: Naoki Urasawa
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4327-7; paperback (March 2013); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Naoki Urasawa’s epic 20th Century Boys comes to an end with the second volume of 21st Century Boys.

The war is over. The “Friend,” leader of the worldwide cult known as the “Friends,” is dead. But has peace really come to Tokyo, after the world was on the brink of destruction? Many mysteries concerning the Friend remain, such as the Friend’s true identity. Are any of his diabolical plans still in motion? The answers may be in the memories of Kenji Endo, the returning hero and the Friend’s sworn enemy. 20th Century Boys has concluded. Welcome to 21st Century Boys.

Naoki Urasawa’s 21st Century Boys, Vol. 2 (entitled 20th Century Boy) is the final volume of the series. It opens in the Friends’ virtual reality game. Working with United Nations Forces, Kenji Endo entered the game, which is mostly a simulation of Kenji and his friends’ childhood neighborhood. Kenji’s goal is to learn the secrets behind the Friend’s final plot – an anti-proton bomb that can apparently destroy the world.

Meanwhile, Kanna (Kenji’s niece), Yukiji, Chono, and Maruo race to help Kendo. Yukiji, the woman Kendo has loved since they were children, and Kanna, however, are about to endanger themselves in their attempt to help Kenji. Can he save them and the world before it’s too late? And why does he keep going back into the Friends’ virtual reality game? The answers are in Kenji’s memories.

Whodunit? What is the face behind the mask? Who is pulling the strings? After reading two other fantastic Naoki Urasawa manga (Monster, Pluto), I get it, or I think I do. The fun in reading Urasawa and the greatness of his work are found in the journey. It’s the threat, the conflict, the desires and goals, the plot, the subplots, the cast of thousands, the action, the mystery, the surprises, the stunning revelations, the cameos, and the narrative. The bad guy is lost in all of that, at least after awhile.

Naoki Urasawa’s manga are just as fantastically conceived and executed as the work produced by the top names in comic books from American publishers. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, and Grant Morrison: Urasawa’s manga are just as good (if not better, hmm?) than these creators’ most famous works. The last volume has been published, but Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys and 2lst Century Boys will be fresh to new readers looking for great comic books. People who have already read the books may return to the Boys and find things they missed.

As we close out this great series, I must say again that comic book readers who want great comics want 20th Century Boys and 21st Century Boys.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: 21st CENTURY BOYS Volume 1

21ST CENTURY BOYS, VOL. 01
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

WRITER: Naoki Urasawa with Takashi Nagasaki
ARTIST: Naoki Urasawa
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERS: Freeman Wong
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4326-0; paperback; Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

20th Century Boys is a science fiction and mystery manga from creator Naoki Urasawa. The series was originally serialized from 1999 to 2006 in the Japanese manga magazine, Big Comic Spirits. The series, a seinen manga (comics for adult men), was collected in 22 graphic novels (called tankobon in Japan). The series also has a 16-chapter sequel (of sorts), entitled 21st Century Boys.

20th Century Boys is concluded. The war is over. The “Friend,” leader of the worldwide cult known as the “Friends,” is dead. But has peace really come to Tokyo, after the world was on the brink of destruction? Many mysteries concerning the Friend remain, such as the Friend’s true identity. Are any of his diabolical plans still in motion? The answers may be in the memories of Kenji Endo, the returning hero and the Friend’s sworn enemy. Welcome to 21st Century Boys.

Naoki Urasawa’s 21st Century Boys, Vol. 1 (entitled Death of the Friend) picks up after the end of the Eisner Award-winning Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys. The Friend dies, but not before speaking cryptically to Kenji. The Friend’s stand-in, Sadakiyo, lies in a hospital. He is watched over by Kenji’s niece, Kanna, as she tries to understand what Sadakiyo is trying to tell her. United Nations Forces move into Tokyo, and Kenji prepares to makes a dangerous trip into the mind games of the Friends.

This first volume of the 21st Century Boys manga, the sort of sequel to the 20th Century Boys manga, offers more of the same, but not quite. The first series pitted a large cast of characters against a primary adversary, the Friend. In this new series, it seems as if the heroes are chasing ghosts and confronting a vaguely outlined adversary, so the series strikes an odd tone. It is as if creator Naoki Urasawa wants the characters to discover things about their pasts that are better left alone and unknown.

Comic book readers who loved 20th Century Boys will want the follow-up, VIZ Signature’s Naoki Urasawa’s 21st Century Boys.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

20th Century Boys: The Beginning of Justice

I read Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 22

I posted a review at ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

I Reads You Review: 20TH CENTURY BOYS, Volume 21

Creators: Naoki Urasawa with Takashi Nagasaki and Akemi Wegmüller (English adaptation)
Publishing Information: VIZ Media, paperback, B&W, 208 pages, $12.99 (US), $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-3539-5

Rating: “T+ for Older Teens”

There once was a boy who imagined the end of the world. That is the spine of the story in 20th Century Boys, a science fiction adventure series from famed manga creator, Naoki Urasawa. The story begins with Kenji Endo, a hardworking and honorable young man.

He operates his family’s small business (a convenience store). He is also a single parent to Kanna, the child abandoned by his sister, Kiriko. In 1997, Kenji discovers a series of ominous incidents that follow “The Book of Prophecy,” a ridiculous scenario Kenji and his friend made up as children in the early 1970s.

A bizarre religious cult called the Friends and their leader, the “Friend,” are behind a plot that leads to December 31, 2000. Called “Bloody New Year’s Eve,” this day sees the world brought to the brink of destruction. The Friend is called the hero who saved the world. Kenji, who tried to stop the Friend’s destruction, is branded a terrorist.

Fourteen years later, Neo Tokyo is a thriving, multiethnic metropolis, but another crisis occurs when the Friend is assassinated in 2015 by a member of his own organization. He comes back to life in time to save the Pope and also order the dispersal of a killer virus that changes the world.

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Vol. 21 (entitled Arrival of the Space Aliens) opens in Year Three of the Friendship Era. Word of Kenji Endo’s return spreads slowly, but steadily in the barrens outside Tokyo, but a DJ learns that not everyone wants to hear the good news. Father Nitani, head of the Kabuki-cho Catholic Church, patiently waits to meet with his old friend, the Pope, but he’ll need a food delivery boy to deliver some good news for him.

Meanwhile, Takasu marvels at the special package that she is carrying for the friend. Kanna, Kenji’s niece, makes a startling discovery about the old Expo venue. In a flashback, we see the battle to save Kenji and his friends’ secret hideout. Finally, the Friend makes a very special announcement.

20th Century Boys is a battle of good versus evil or even crazy versus brave. As such, it is a riveting suspense thriller built on countless subplots and plot threads that spread out in all literary directions. All, however, eventually come back to the center – the battle against the Friend’s conspiracy, as told in “The New Book of Prophecy.”

The book also delves into cults, as well as the cult of personality. Sometimes, a charismatic person can spread his mental illness to his followers. These acolytes can find themselves doing nonsensical things in spite of what they know to be correct, or at least to be the better choice. It makes for unsettling reading, this comic book depiction in such clear terms and in stark visual storytelling.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

20th Century Boys: Humanity in the Balance

I read Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 20

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

20th Century Boys: The Man Who Came Back

I read Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 19

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

20th Century Boys: Everybody's Song

I read 20th Century Boys Volume 8 / Name Your Link


I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

20th Century Boys: Cross-Counter

I read 20th Century Boys 17 / Name Your Link

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which as FREE smart phone apps and comics).

I Reads You Review: 20TH CENTURY BOYS, VOL. 16

Creators: Naoki Urasawa with Takashi Nagasaki and Akemi Wegmüller (English adaptation)
Publishing Information: VIZ Media, paperback, B&W, 208 pages, $12.99 (US), $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-3534-0

Rating: “T+ for Older Teens”

20th Century Boys is a science fiction adventure series from famed manga creator, Naoki Urasawa. The story begins with Kenji Endo, a hardworking and honorable young man who runs his family’s small business (a convenience store). In 1997, Kenji discovers a series of ominous incidents that follow “The Book of Prophecy,” a ridiculous scenario Kenji and his friend made up as children in the early 1970s.

A bizarre religious cult called the Friends and their leader, the “Friend,” are behind a plot that leads to December 31, 2000. Called “Bloody New Year’s Eve,” this day sees the world brought to the brink of destruction. Fourteen years later, Neo Tokyo is a thriving multiethnic metropolis until the Friends ruin it and the world.

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Vol. 16 (entitled Beyond the Looking Glass) opens on a flashback as we see pivotal moments from Kenji and his pals’ childhood. However, they are seen from the point of view of the boy who would become the Friend.

Then, the narrative moves forward to the third year of the Friendship Era. A killer virus has decimated the world’s population. Tokyo has been quarantined behind a giant wall patrolled by the Friend’s secret police and the Global Defense Forces. The story focuses on Tokyo teens, Sanae and her brother, Katsuo. They have given shelter to an injured man who hides in a shack near their home, and his name is Otcho AKA Shogun.

I’ve long since run out of words to praise manga creator Naoki Urasawa. I love his intricate plots, and 20th Century Boys is like a warehouse of intricate plots and is a veritable subplot-o-rama. I assume that there are many ideas about why Urasawa’s storytelling is so successfully spellbinding I tend to think (cause I’ve changed my mind a few times about this) that 20th Century Boys, like his other comics, is successful because of Urasawa’s ability to make every character with a speaking role – from smallest to largest – relevant in the reader’s eyes. Not every character contributes something that is momentous, but that contribution is relatively important to the time in which he or she contributes it or perhaps, to a past or future moment. And this manga still jumps off the page like a summer potboiler.

A+