Creator: Kentaro Miura
Publisher: Dark Horse
Age Rating: Mature
Genre: Action
RRP: $13.95
Berserk v1
Reviewed by Michael Aronson

“His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned -- and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.”

Who says all problems can’t be fixed with a giant sword?

I can imagine that fans of Final Fantasy VII would quickly flock to Berserk. Aside from the fact that the hero Guts carries a similar weapon and has about as much angst as a typical Final Fantasy character, the word of Berserk is a curious mix of medieval barbarism, sorcery and futurist technology, combining ghouls, guns and gore. The result is beautifully rendered badass action with enough bloody violence to keep fans of the genre happy.

But is that all there is? So far it is.

There’s also the obnoxious sidekick Puck, a small naked fairy imbued with the power of comic relief, although his power doesn’t seem to be working. While the serious action could benefit from a light breather (as done well in Trigun), Puck isn’t the best way to go. Guts is an interesting and heartless enough protagonist that he could provide enough comedic relief on his own without a foil, given the right situations.

There’s not much to be said about Guts yet, but he’s interesting enough. Unlike other stories of insanely powerful warriors like in Lone Wolf and Cub or Trigun, Guts doesn’t have much of a conscience. He’ll insult others and put them at risk in order to fulfill his own objectives, whatever they may be (like he has to explain himself?). The truth might turn out to be something typically noble and sappy, but for now he’s quite unique, and that’s enough of a selling point for the first volume.

Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com


8 April 2011
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