Deadman Wonderland

It was a day like any other day until all of Ganta Igarashi’s classmates were brutally murdered right in front of him by a mysterious “Red Man”. Being the lone survivor, fourteen year old Ganta is charged with the murders and receives the death penalty! He is then sent to Deadman Wonderland, a bizarre and fatal theme park/prison. It is a privatized prison that has the prisoners “perform” for tourists/viewers to fund the restoration of Tokyo which was destroyed ten years ago by a massive earthquake. Will Ganta survive this intense place where everyone seems to be more than a little bit crazy? Shortly after his arrival, Ganta meets an insanely strong, skin-toned bodysuit wearing girl named Shiro, who seems to be from Ganta’s past (though he does not remember her). Who can he trust in this strange place? Who is there to help and who is there to harm him?

I blazed through Deadman Wonderland (story and art by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou) volume 1 and 2. It is an exciting ride with intriguing mysteries. Who is the Red Man? Why is Ganta special? How is Shiro so strong?! The pacing is engaging and definitely makes for a page turner. I enjoy post apocalyptic stories and this reminds me of the films from the 70s and 80s like Running Man and Rollerball. It has lots of action and drawn to effectively convey movement! Some pages break up the traditional layout with many panel image overlays. This variation allows for important moments/expressions/people to be showcased.

Ganta is somewhat your standard anime kid who is trying to learn why/how he is special aside from being full of determination. I love how crazy and seemingly oblivious Shiro is. She often provides the comic relief. Yo Takami (a thief and possible friend to Ganta) is unpredictable and I am curious to see how his character will develop. You learn a bit more about what is really going on and get more information on the characters in volume 2 (I won’t spoil it for you), but it still keeps you guessing and wanting more!

The manga opens with six awesome full colored pages. The over all style is very clean and detailed. The variations in the speech/thought bubbles adds even more emphasis to what is occurring in that moment.

If you want something with action, rich characters, a crazy environment and mystery, then you need to check out Deadman Wonderland!

DEADMAN WONDERLAND, Vol. 1 · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens · MSRP: $9.99

To learn more about VIZ Manga, please visit www.vizmanga.com.

For the first half of February, VIZ Media will be releasing a new round of digital manga titles. Two particular series debuting will be the classic, Dragon Ball (available now), “presented for the first time in a vivid full-color collection” and Deadman Wonderland (available February 11th) ,”the gritty post-apocalyptic prison action-drama.”

Readers will not want to miss these new releases as well as digital updates to over two-dozen other series featured on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets, as well as on the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. With these dynamic platforms, fans can explore and enjoy a wide range of new and classic manga series that spans more than 2,000 volumes across 170 different series.

New additions to more than 25 popular ongoing VIZ Media series will include digital updates for fan favorites such as BLEACH, HAPPY MARRIAGE, MAGI, TORIKO, Osamu Tezuka’s award-winning PHOENIX, and many more, as well as the series finale for A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, and special double-volume updates for BASARA, BOYS OVER FLOWERS, and YUYU HAKUSHO.

DRAGON BALL FULL COLOR, Vol. 1 Rated ‘A’ for All Ages

MSRP: $12.99 (U.S. / CAN) Available Now!

Son Goku is the greatest hero on Earth. Five years after defeating the demon king Piccolo, he’s grown up and has a family. But what is the real reason for Goku’s incredible strength? A visitor from outer space arrives bearing terrible news – Goku is an alien, and the visitor, Raditz, is Goku’s brother! When Raditz turns out to be a ruthless killer, Goku must fight his incredibly strong brother to save his family and the entire human race. A surprising alliance may be Earth’s last hope: Goku will team up with his old enemy Piccolo to save the world!

DEADMAN WONDERLAND, Vol. 1 Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens

MSRP: $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) Available February 11th!

Framed for the brutal murders of his classmates by the mysterious Red Man, middle school student Ganta Igarashi finds himself sentenced to death and sent to the bizarre and fatal theme park/prison that has risen from the ruins of the Great Tokyo Earthquake – a hell on earth known as “Deadman Wonderland.”

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks and GooglePlay Stores.

All manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and readers can also explore all titles with free Chapter 1 previews of every series. For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.

Download the free VIZ Manga App for Android and iOS devices at www.VIZ.com/apps.

To learn more about VIZ Manga, please visit www.vizmanga.com.

Stay tuned for my review of Deadman Wonderland volume 1!

Tag: Deadman Wonderland

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