Rating: 
Summary: Berserk, a pleasant suprise
Review: I'll keep this short. Bottome line, the Berserk Anime was one of the best things I have seen. And after reading this first volume I am pleased to know that the Manga is going to be just as good. The story is filled with action, adventure, and deep complicated characters. Theres no clear cut (good and evil)or(hero and villian) in this story. It's all just one gray chaotic mess like in real life. I am very happy that these volumes are being translated to english so I will have new Berserk material to fuel my thirst for this story now that the anime is long over.
Rating: 
Summary: Great comic, but some problems with the production
Review: Like most of the previous reviewers, I picked this book up after having seen the anime, so my overall positive impression was of course pre-shaped to some degree. On other sites I've read a few semi-negative reviews by people who HAVEN'T seen the anime--these reviewers complained that the main character Guts is never fleshed out as a character sufficiently for the reader to feel like rooting for him, but rather is presented as little more than a self-centered thug who hunts the monstrous "apostles" for reasons which remain impenetrable. Based solely on this first volume, I can see what they mean--in fact, this was very much my own response to the first episode of the anime. However, I would strongly recommend that readers entirely new to the material stick with it for at least another volume or two before passing judgement, as the story becomes infinitely more complex and nuanced as the backstory is filled in and you get why things are the way they are (and Guts is the way he is) as the book begins.A couple of other things to be aware of if ordering this book sight-unseen: Dark Horse has printed Berserk in the original Japanese format, with the pages reading right-to-left and back-to-front. While some readers do find this annoying, I had no problem adjusting to it, and ultimately I found I actually preferred it for various reasons. What I DID find annoying, however, was that they translated the text but not the sound effects. I understand this is a cost-cutting measure--normally the sound effects must be laboriously redrawn in English, and this costs $$ in production. However, in many cases the sound effects are an integral part of the storytelling--some sequences don't entirely make sense without them (such as the opening sequence of Berserk). So while I'm happy this is a cheaper-than-average graphic novel as it is, I'd personally be willing to pay a few extra dollars per volume if it meant having a more complete translation. A high-quality book like this really deserves the full treatment.
Rating:
Summary: Berserk kick @$$ series
Review: Ordered this book last week, after hearing about it. I own the box set of the first 6 dvds and had to have more. I have yet to read this book, and will post an update when I do so. The one thing I do want to comment on is the condition I got the book in. I am still tempted to send it back, it arrived today with a huge bend right down the middle. I for one like my collections in mint condition. On a side not, the box set is a must own. I know I won't be let down by the books.
Rating:
Summary: Berserk kick @$$ series
Review: Ordered this book last week, after hearing about it. I own the box set of the first 6 dvds and had to have more. I have yet to read this book, and will post an update when I do so. The one thing I do want to comment on is the condition I got the book in. I am still tempted to send it back, it arrived today with a huge bend right down the middle. I for one like my collections in mint condition. On a side not, the box set is a must own. I know I won't be let down by the books.
Rating:
Summary: Just about the best manga series I've ever read...
Review: The detail of the drawings is magnificient. The story is well thought out and fascinating. The characters are complex and thoroughly developed. And, there's true suspense--bad things happen to good people and good things happen too--in this extra dark story you never really know where it's going till after it gets there. Most mangas I read for 'fun'--the story is predictable & the characters are 2-D but it's cute or pretty, entertainment popcorn if you will. This one, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next chapter in the story and I truly care about the characters. In a vast manga collection, this one is a standout. Berserk isn't for everyone. The violence quotient is off the scale and all of it is depicted in full detail--the squeamish should avoid this title like the plague. It's also not a manga for the impatient. It's nearly three volumes in before the story proper starts to unfold. It is all eventually tied together so that the plot and character decisions make sense--but readers have to spend a good long time wandering about in the dark before that happens. If you're tired of boyscout heroes and you're always looking for something new and different, Berserk is a must read. Words can not describe the brilliance that is this manga. Best just read it yourself, or watch the anime, which is very similar--it just moves along a lot faster at the expense of some of the details found in the comic. FYI: Berserk is up to 25 volumes in Japanese and the story is still on going. Many of the major plotlines are still unresolved, so the series could still go off track in the later chapters--but through volume 25 it's very good. Dark Horse's edition had perfectly decent translations. Not translating the sound effects was a little cheap, but I don't think it made much difference. Most of the sounds you could guess from context anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Just about the best manga series I've ever read...
Review: The detail of the drawings is magnificient. The story is well thought out and fascinating. The characters are complex and thoroughly developed. And, there's true suspense--bad things happen to good people and good things happen too--in this extra dark story you never really know where it's going till after it gets there. Most mangas I read for 'fun'--the story is predictable & the characters are 2-D but it's cute or pretty, entertainment popcorn if you will. This one, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next chapter in the story and I truly care about the characters. In a vast manga collection, this one is a standout. Berserk isn't for everyone. The violence quotient is off the scale and all of it is depicted in full detail--the squeamish should avoid this title like the plague. It's also not a manga for the impatient. It's nearly three volumes in before the story proper starts to unfold. It is all eventually tied together so that the plot and character decisions make sense--but readers have to spend a good long time wandering about in the dark before that happens. If you're tired of boyscout heroes and you're always looking for something new and different, Berserk is a must read. Words can not describe the brilliance that is this manga. Best just read it yourself, or watch the anime, which is very similar--it just moves along a lot faster at the expense of some of the details found in the comic. FYI: Berserk is up to 25 volumes in Japanese and the story is still on going. Many of the major plotlines are still unresolved, so the series could still go off track in the later chapters--but through volume 25 it's very good. Dark Horse's edition had perfectly decent translations. Not translating the sound effects was a little cheap, but I don't think it made much difference. Most of the sounds you could guess from context anyway.
| 
