Manga Mondays: Gantz Vol. 30

01/27/2014 4:37pm

Invasion from space is a pretty common science-fiction premise, really a genre in itself. At its best, the attack-from-space tale can be a rousing adventure that also helps highlight our species’ strengths and weaknesses and provides hope that someday we’ll all just get along, at least long enough to deal with whatever hideous space bugs are trying to annihilate, enslave, or eat us. But after a while, even the best of these scenarios start to feel the same, to hit the same notes. Except Gantz.

I don't think I’ve ever come across a piece of comics work with such expansive imagination, particularly on such familiar ground. Gantz creator Hiroya Oku has shown an almost limitless capacity to come up with new, bizarre, and horrifying turns on the genre. Gantz seems as different from War of the Worlds as Animal Farm does from Charlotte’s Web. And with Gantz blazing toward its conclusion, we’re all still trying to unravel its mysteries. But just like Kei’s relentless search for his beloved Tae, I imagine none of us are giving up.

Gantz isn’t for everyone. Its brutality can be gut wrenching, its sexuality shocking. Its visions are at times freakishly disturbing. To be honest, there are likely a few things you’ll see that you’ll wish you could unsee. But when you are pulled into the fully realized world of Gantz—as microscopically realistic as any comic you’ve ever seen—and follow the characters as they confront situations and creatures beyond the rational, you won't be able to look away. God help you, you won't be able to look away. 

—Chris Warner

Senior Editor

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