Fist of the North Star

Rating:
Summary: Ken versus Shin
Review: After seeing many Fist videos, I took it upon my self to see where it all began. The artwork and characters remain reminiscent of the video series, but the artwork in the comic is greatly improved. While it remains brutal and gory, the story bests combat scenes of epic proportions... even if they are gory.
Ken finally defeats Shin only to realize that the one thing that kept him going had disappeared. But, in spite of that, he goes on, to protect the wasteland.

With interesting main characters and philosophical references. This is a Manga story not to be missed!

Rating:
Summary: The School of the Great Bear Strikes!!!
Review: I am so psyched that the "Fist" mangas have finished being translated! I remember I saw FotNS when it came out on Streamline pictures back in the early 1990s. That movie was really awesome and had a great message to boot: there's always hope (personified by Julia, Lynne, and Bat)despite how bad things get. I got the black and white Viz Graphic editions a few years ago which stopped abruptly when Kenshiro kills Jagi. For almost 3 years I gnawed my teeth wondering what happened next!
Was there really a Raou? Did Ken ever find Julia? What happened to Ken's extended "family" (Bat, Lynne, Rei, Mamia, Julia...?)

Well, I can now put my mind at ease. I plan to get all 27 (that's right,27!!!) volumes of this awesome epic. 4 years ago, I got a hold of some Japanese tapes of the anime and I made it up to the "Souther" episodes. Who's Souther you might ask? Don't want to spoil it for you, but here's a clue: Souther is the most powerful of the Southern fist! If Kenshiro is the most powerful from the Northern school (the school of the Great Bear)then Souther is his polar opposite!!!! You thought Ken had a tough time with Raou in the Streamline Pictures release of FotNS.....well let's just say that compared to Souther, Raou is a chicken!

I know right?! Can't wait for this manga to be released!

Rating:
Summary: The School of the Great Bear Strikes!!!
Review: I am so psyched that the "Fist" mangas have finished being translated! I remember I saw FotNS when it came out on Streamline pictures back in the early 1990s. That movie was really awesome and had a great message to boot: there's always hope (personified by Julia, Lynne, and Bat)despite how bad things get. I got the black and white Viz Graphic editions a few years ago which stopped abruptly when Kenshiro kills Jagi. For almost 3 years I gnawed my teeth wondering what happened next!
Was there really a Raou? Did Ken ever find Julia? What happened to Ken's extended "family" (Bat, Lynne, Rei, Mamia, Julia...?)

Well, I can now put my mind at ease. I plan to get all 27 (that's right,27!!!) volumes of this awesome epic. 4 years ago, I got a hold of some Japanese tapes of the anime and I made it up to the "Souther" episodes. Who's Souther you might ask? Don't want to spoil it for you, but here's a clue: Souther is the most powerful of the Southern fist! If Kenshiro is the most powerful from the Northern school (the school of the Great Bear)then Souther is his polar opposite!!!! You thought Ken had a tough time with Raou in the Streamline Pictures release of FotNS.....well let's just say that compared to Souther, Raou is a chicken!

I know right?! Can't wait for this manga to be released!

Rating:
Summary: The Saga Begins...
Review: Martial arts and anime/manga fans who don't mind blood and guts will thrill to the story of the ultimate martial artist, Kenshiro, the man with seven wounds who calls himself the Fist of the North Star. If you're a fan of the anime movie, as I am and love the involving story and characters and the philosophy behind the action and drama, then this book series is a good place to start learning more of the warrior Kenshiro. For example, why his opponents seem to explode from his attacks, the origins of his martial art, and the true fate of his love, Yuria (her name is different in the anime movie though--Julia).

This book follows Ken as he first takes on the gang of a mysterious fighters named King and proceeds to flatten them and finds out exactly who King really is--his friend turned mortal enemy, Shin, the Fist of the Southern Cross. The action unfolds as the reader finds out what happened to Ken's love and then an ultimate battle between the North Star and Southern Cross takes place in which only one can survive (guess which one? Since there are three other volumes...).

His next battle takes place against a seemingly invincible special forces operative who is taking part in a genetic cleansing of Earth to make way for a stronger race of man. He is then proved inferior to the legendary skill of Kenshiro.

Of course, with the good comes some bad. The artwork ranges bad to great and sometimes the line work and inking leave much to be desired. Also, Kenshiro doesn't ever seem truly challenged--he wipes the floor with everyone he fights with ease. A hero is only as good as his villains and his villains seem like weak hearted bullies who can only claim victory over the weak.

However, the overall saga of the Fist of the North Star is great and as good a martial arts comic there is.

Rating:
Summary: There's something here.
Review: My first entry into the "Fist of the North Star" story was the Streamline English dubbed version of the movie. At the time I found the movie to be somewhat entertaining, but essentially just a gore-fest with no real depth (expect for a few minor Biblical and spiritual references). I decided to get a copy of the first volume of the graphic novel series from Viz Communications, just to see what the original story was like. Before I read it, I skimmed it over, mainly looking at the pictures to see what the art was like. The charcter design and costumes seemed to be taken directly from George Miller's movies "Mad Max" and "The Road Warrior" (even more so from the latter). Upon seeing this, I thought that this might be an entertaining "Road Warrior" knock-off, but nothing more. Then I actually read the damn thing. I can't quite place it, but there's something here. Something that made me read the whole book in one sitting and then go out and buy the rest of the available graphic novels ("Night of the Jackal," "Southern Cross," and "Blood Brothers"). Both this book and the movie contain extreme gore and bloodletting that involve characters who look like they were either pulled out of the Mad Max movies or from pro-wrestling. But there's something here that wasn't in the movie. Something that makes me give it the five star rating seen before this review. Perhaps it's a deeper sense of its philosophy, a better understanding of its own spiritual references, far more suspence, and more involving characters. The movie seems to a perfect example of the problems of trying to compress such a large story into about two hours of film.

Rating:
Summary: There's something here.
Review: My first entry into the "Fist of the North Star" story was the Streamline English dubbed version of the movie. At the time I found the movie to be somewhat entertaining, but essentially just a gore-fest with no real depth (expect for a few minor Biblical and spiritual references). I decided to get a copy of the first volume of the graphic novel series from Viz Communications, just to see what the original story was like. Before I read it, I skimmed it over, mainly looking at the pictures to see what the art was like. The charcter design and costumes seemed to be taken directly from George Miller's movies "Mad Max" and "The Road Warrior" (even more so from the latter). Upon seeing this, I thought that this might be an entertaining "Road Warrior" knock-off, but nothing more. Then I actually read the damn thing. I can't quite place it, but there's something here. Something that made me read the whole book in one sitting and then go out and buy the rest of the available graphic novels ("Night of the Jackal," "Southern Cross," and "Blood Brothers"). Both this book and the movie contain extreme gore and bloodletting that involve characters who look like they were either pulled out of the Mad Max movies or from pro-wrestling. But there's something here that wasn't in the movie. Something that makes me give it the five star rating seen before this review. Perhaps it's a deeper sense of its philosophy, a better understanding of its own spiritual references, far more suspence, and more involving characters. The movie seems to a perfect example of the problems of trying to compress such a large story into about two hours of film.

Rating:
Summary: This is an awesome book of action-packed heroic vigilance
Review: This book is full of action and emotion. The martial arts action is a true winner. In the ravaged wasteland of a planet, one pure-hearrted man wanders the earth, protecting the weak, and making the evil suffer. Buronson does a great job in making you hate the bad guy, and makes your feel so satisfied when the bad guy gets what he deserves. And the illustrations are extremely incredible, nobody can draw an exploding head like Tetsuo Hara. Good job fellas, keep up the great work!

Rating:
Summary: Violence, gore, martial arts
Review: This is Road Warrior meets Mortal Kombat. Our hero, Ken, wanders in a post-apocalyptic world, where he confronts skin heads and bikers.

This was a shameful joy to read. If you like manga, violence, martial arts, or video games, get this.

Granted, this book is not for everyone, and the story is on the simple side. BUT, it is a fun ride to read. Get it.