From “One Piece” to “One-Punch,” our Manga Club moves right along. When I set out to review “One-Punch Man,” I planned on only tackling the first volume. However, upon finishing the first volume I immediately bolted to my local bookstore of choice to pick up volume 2. Rarely has a book so compelled me to keep reading, not because of a mind-boggling twist or cliffhanger, but because sheer amount of fun and enjoyment I got from reading. So let’s strap in and talk about what makes “One-Punch Man” so special.
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Illustrated by Yusuke MurataNothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of ’em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?
Every once in a while a book comes around that’s just so obviously special you can’t help but stand up and take notice. As one of the finest super hero comics currently published, “One-Punch Man” certainly fits that billing. Not just among manga, mind you, but in the entirety of sequential graphic storytelling. It takes a while to get a grasp on the book’s tone (is it supposed to be serious or satire?). However, once you realize that it’s a bit of both, then you begin to understand the magic behind “One-Punch.”
You can essentially sum up “One-Punch Man” with the main character’s succinct backstory; “Someone who’s a hero for fun.” No matter how intense or bombastic the fights may get, how high the stakes, or how grotesque the villain, the book never takes itself too seriously. “One-Punch Man” constantly bounces between white-knucle superhuman action and absolute absurdity. At one moment Saitama will be squaring off against a monstrous beast, the next he might be helping out a dopey, butt chinned stranger. I commended “One Piece” for the way it toed the line between irreverent humor and more conventional drama but “One-Punch” takes that even further.
The dichotomy is perfectly highlighted in the series’ two protagonists; the nondescript force of nature Saitama and his verbose and earnest cyborg apprentice, Genos. Saitama is bland, donning a simple jumpsuit and traditional cape, with a bald head and an Ann Veal-esque expression. Conversely, Genos has a tragic, convoluted backstory and robotic arms. Genos exemplifies the excesses of the superhero genre while Saitama undermines them, meeting “meteor power showers” with “consecutive normal punches.” The duo make for perfect comedic foils, setting up the potential for quite bizarre buddy comedy.
The first half of volume one blazes by at a breakneck pace, as readers are thrown haphazardly into the world of “One-Punch Man” via a series of disconnected one-shots. One quickly establishes the visually simplistic Saitama and his equally uncomplicated motives; to have fun, fight strong opponents, and get great deals at the supermarket.
Of course, things can get dull fairly quickly when you can defeat all opponents with a single punch. The series tackles the age old problem of the overpowered superhero. Rather than trying to go the Superman route, taking an ultra powerful character and humanizing him to the point of relatability, “One-Punch Man” accepts the dilemma and uses it to drive Saitama’s initial conflict; “overwhelming strength…is boring.” In that way, the completely aloof and unrelatable Saitama gains a foothold in the minds of readers, presenting a common human conundrum in an outlandish fashion.
After the first few chapters, Saitama’s world opens up to new possibilities and even stronger foes and the narrative changes accordingly. The series takes on a more serialized nature, with multi-chapter arcs and a diverse supporting cast of heroes and villains. The cast itself is one of the most intriguing parts of the book, thanks in no small part to Yusuke Murata’s fantastic designs. Each member of the “House of Evolution,” for instance, is finely detailed feels uniquely crafted, becoming instantly memorable in the manner of classic Mega Man bosses.
Continued belowOddly enough, the most visually intriguing character is Saitama himself, due to the diverse manner by which Murata portrays him from panel to panel. On one page he might appear as a mighty, valiant suppressed, with a stern scowl and cape blowing in the wind. Meanwhile, the very next panel might feature him doing his best Flat Stanley impression, devoid of detail and emotion. The broad range of styles lends a lot of unspoken personality to the relatively one-note character. I personally will have nightmares of the face he wears when surprising poor Ground Dragon for the next few months.
Murata’s strong sense of design also translates into the book’s storytelling. The action in “One-Punch Man” will be familiar to anyone familiar with “Dragon Ball.” Characters zip around at lightning speeds, throwing flurries of punches and energy beams like humanoid Death Stars. Yusuke’s villains at times feel like gnarled caricatures iconic Dragon Ball characters; the first chapter’s Vaccine Man is a perfect match for Piccolo, while the second volume’s Carnage Kabuto falls in line with the likes of Frieza and Cell.
Comparisons aside, Murata’s artwork feels both unique and refreshing. The artist makes great use of varying panel layouts, particularly the rarely used 1 & 1/2 page spread. While his panels can be somewhat hard to follow at times, the artist does a fantastic job at capturing the larger than life fight scenes. The fight between Saitama, Genos, and Mosquito Girl stands out as one of the very best in the first two volumes, thanks to how well Murata depicted the monstrous mosquito swarm (now there’s a sentence that I never expected to type).
With all the small visual gags and black humor, the genre bending plot and high intensity action, it’s hard to pin a single component that makes “One-Punch Man” so captivating. Its stream of consciousness amalgamation of ideas surely shouldn’t coalesce into such an enjoyable final product. And yet, what could have been a hot mess of ham-fisted humor and tired tropes instantly finds a solid foundation on which to build.
I could go on and on analyzing the themes that “One-Punch Man” so wonderfully lampoons, though such an endeavor extends beyond the scope of this review. As with “One Piece,” I hope to check in on the series again in the near future, perhaps exploring it outside of the regular Manga Club. I realize, even amidst my glowing praise for the series, that it will not please everyone. So much of the book stands or falls on its humor, which may not appeal to the sensibilities of all readers. Also, while certainly astonishing, the art style can be somewhat off-putting due to the frightful level of detail. In light of this, I truly hope that readers found this to be an enjoyable offering, perhaps even more so than our previous features.
Having already read some of the recent chapters featured in “Weekly Shonen Jump,” I can say that while the series continues to grow in its complexity, it never loses that simple cheekiness that so defines these early chapters. With more print volumes on the way, new chapters appearing in “Weekly Shonen Jump,” and an upcoming anime adaptation, now is a great time to check out “One-Punch Man.”
