Weekly Shonen Jump September 3, 2018 Columns 

This Week in Shonen Jump: September 3, 2018

By and | September 5th, 2018
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, in which a rotating duo of Multiversity staffers take a look at two stories contained in each installment of Viz Media’s Weekly Shonen Jump. For the uninitiated, Weekly Shonen Jump is an anthology that delivers more than 200 pages of manga of all varieties. We hope that you’ll join us in exploring the world of Weekly Shonen Jump each week. If you are unfamiliar, you can read sample chapters and subscribe at Viz.com.

This week, Matt and Brandon check in with “Black Clover” and “One Punch Man.” If you have any thoughts on these titles, or “My Hero Academia,” “One Piece,” “The Promised Neverland,” “Dr. Stone,” “We Never Learn,” or “Food Wars,” let us know in the comments!

One-Punch Man Chapter 89
Written by One
Illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Review by Matt Lune

If you’re a regular reader of “One-Punch Man” then this will come as no surprise to you, but Yusuke Murata is one of the greatest superhero artists alive today. If you have any doubt in your mind as to the accuracy of that claim, just take a look at chapter 89 of “One-Punch Man.”

Garo, the battered and bruised Hero Hunter, has entered the lair of the Monster Association and is currently trying to leave again with the young boy Tareo, whose life he seems to constantly be saving. The epic final page of chapter 88 saw them face to face with Overgrown Rover, and here in this chapter, Garo faces off against not only the Dragon-level Rover but three other Demon-level monsters too. The result is a glorious, extended action sequence that is a microcosm of the overall greatness of “One-Punch Man.”

The reasons that this chapter works so well are numerous, but the two that spring to mind regard movement and scale. There’s a tight choreography that’s always been at the core of the action within “One-Punch Man,” and that’s no different here. Murata makes the martial arts seem fluid from panel to panel, page to page, and it’s this effortless flow of movement that makes this such a thrilling read. The skill on display is mesmerizing, and its layers on top of layers. The exaggerated forms, the perfectly placed speed lines, the page structure, the panel choices, the angles, the backgrounds. I could go on, but the fact is that this chapter alone is a masterclass of action choreography.

Then there’s the scale of the action, not only figuratively – the heroes and monsters all getting more and more powerful, the stakes ever-rising – but, in the case of this chapter, very literally. Overgrown Rover is a huge monster, not quite on the scale of the Elder Centipede from a few chapters back, but still a huge beast. When Rover unleashes his massive energy blasts you see cross-sections of the underground tunnels that make up the Monster Association’s base and see Garo plow down through the layers as the force overwhelms him.

Murata’s choice to pull back from the action and show extreme wide shots is one a lot of western comic books could learn from. Aside from the inherently thrilling pacing of Manga action scenes, modern superhero comics also miss the impact of these wide-angle shots, preferring instead close-ups of the hero locked in battle. The last time this technique was used in the Big Two was in “Superman Unchained,” and despite what you may have thought of the plot of that book, visually it was unlike anything else coming out from either DC or Marvel.

Here, Murata shows Rover firing an apocalyptic assault upon Garo, carving through the layers of earth beneath them, and the way the panels grow to fill the page and pull back to show just how immense these events are is nothing short of epic. Overgrown Rover is a demonic hound from hell – perhaps literally – and seeing this five-story-high beast unleash Armageddon upon what is essentially just a (highly skilled) human being is visually magnificent, and that’s thanks to Murata’s mastery of form and scale.

We’re introduced to three brand new Demon-level monsters here, and once again the imagination on display is what makes “One-Punch Man” so unique. Showerhead, Unihorn and Super Mouse all get their introductions here, and each one is more ludicrous than the last. Quite how a series like this can maintain this level of creativity after 89 chapters is staggering, yet these three each provide their own unique and hilarious threat to Garo.

Continued below

“One-Punch Man” is a superb superhero series, and this chapter epitomizes that sentiment perfectly. Action, comedy, imagination, heart and a wealth of characterization all convene here in a chapter that’s built around yet another spectacular set piece that is fast becoming just par for the course with this series. If you love superhero comics, you cannot pass on this.

Final Verdict: 9.0 – Yusuke Murata’s skills in this chapter are once again proof that “One-Punch Man” is one of the best superhero series not just at the moment, but perhaps ever.

”Black Clover” Chapter 171
Written and Illustrated by Yuki Tabata
Reviewed by Brandon Arnold

“Black Clover” kicks into high gear with Chapter 171, and, man- it’ll give you whiplash.

Picking up in the midst of the battle between the elves and Crimson Knights, Yuki Tabeta doesn’t lay off the frenetic energy for a second. His action sequences are almost claustrophobic, keeping the action tight and suspenseful- almost so much so that at times it’s hard to decipher exactly what’s happening- but in a good way. This tight paneling mirrors how Leo and his fellow squad members must be feeling: confused, afraid, and just trying to hang on. Tabeta’s heavy pencil shading adds a layer of genuine fear, as it becomes harder to tell the difference between dirt, scuffing, and battle wounds across Leo’s face. By contrast, the possessed Vice Captain Randall’s face seems to be made of porcelain and etched glass- flawless and unblemished. This contrast is only salt in the wounds to the members of the Crimson Lion Kings who repeatedly attempt to gain some equal footing on the battlefield, only to be humiliatingly blown away…literally.

The feeling of helplessness hits you like a cartoon piano falling off a skyscraper in this chapter. Many of the soldiers have been possessed and have turned against their comrades in battle; Leo can’t seem to summon any magic, and the Royals can’t get near Vice Captain Randall- no matter how hard they try- while he just laughs them off. No one else is laughing though, not the royals, not the reader, just him. For a series that began on a relatively upbeat and heartfelt note, things are pretty bleak.

This chapter feels like the build-up to a truly epic conclusion for this arc. The second half is mostly devoted to Leo’s struggle to rouse his squad and continue their assault against the elves, despite the fact that his body has completely given out from under him. With the squad bloodied and beaten, and Leo barely able to stand, this chapter hits a particularly emotional nerve as he continues to assure himself and his squad that they will make it out alive. And then, as if pulled directly from ancient epic poetry, a savior arrives- Leo’s older brother, Salamander!

“Black Clover” has proven itself to be a series that runs off of pure-emotion. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry, and it can make you jump out of your seat and cheer. This latest chapter only proves that point, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Final Verdict: 8.5- The latest installment of “Black Clover” is moving, dramatic, and action-packed, and everyone should read it.


//TAGS | This Week in Shonen Jump

Brandon Arnold

Co-Creator of "4 Panel Madness" @Vague_Hearts on Instagram. Bass player and vocalist of A Bad Night for a Hero. New to the game... more coffee please.

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Matt Lune

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, when Matt's not reading comics he's writing about them and hosting podcasts about them. From reading The Beano and The Dandy as a child, he first discovered American comics with Marvel's Heroes Reborn and, despite that questionable start, still fell in love and has never looked back. You can find him on Twitter @MattLune

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