Review - Jormungand Volume 1

I'm back! I took a short break since school started back up, but I'm back in the game now. I'll probably be reviewing several series simultaneously, so if I get a bit schizophrenic between all the things I'm reading and put something that belongs in a different series in the middle of a review for another series, don't think to poorly of me...

On with the show!

STORY

The story of Jormungand follows Koko Hekmatyar, an arms dealer, and her merry band of subordinates. Arms dealing is a very serious topic, but reading through this volume of Jormungand, you wouldn't initially think so. Jormungand makes arms dealing seem, well, fun. In this first volume alone we have other serious topics, such as child soldiers and various conflict, all of which seem like a blast as presented in Jormungand.

Now, all of that isn't really a bad thing You don't want to be super depressed while reading a comic book, for goodness sakes, but some people with high morals might be put off by the offhand way Jormungand deals with such topics.

Anyway, this volume consists of three smaller stories. The stories are all structured very similarly, in that Koko and her crew get into some business, that business goes sour, gunfights and explosions ensue, and Koko and her crew successfully dupe the former business partners and prance off into the sunset (more or less). Each story only takes up about one or two chapters, which makes for a pretty easy read if you need to walk away and go do something else, but can render each story a tad boring since you already know what the turnout will inevitably be.

Regardless, Jormungand is still as fun as a shotgun blast of monkeys, even if it mostly style over substance.

ART & PRESENTATION

Speaking of style, Jormungand's art is... Well... It's interesting. It isn't bad, not by a long shot, but it isn't exactly easy on the eyes. The biggest issue with the art is the faces. Characters' faces have a tendency to look lees human and more demonic, with dramatically slanted eyes, some odd proportions, and sometimes a lack of a nose.

Where the art shines, however, is during the action scenes. For a series as action-oriented as Jormungand is, the action has to be different looking, and different it is. Each action scene features huge muzzle flashes, dynamic panel layout, and detailed weaponry. Sometimes it's difficult to make out exactly what's happening, but this is a series where you'll want to take your time with the art instead of whizzing through it. Some great scenes are below.

Viz Media usually does a pretty good job with presentation, but their 'Viz Signature' line is always so much better than usual. The cover is that smooth material that I don't know the name of, with the title and key images in a glossy format. It's beautiful. I have the first four volumes right now, and the spines line up beautifully.

CHARACTERS

Jormungand has a huge cast, and while we met most of them in this volume, we're only on a first name basis with two of them.

First is, of course Koko Hekmatyar (a last name I can only spell and pronounce correctly about once every ten tries), our titular hero!(?) She's young, spunky, dangerous, foul-mouthed, and kinda weird. Honestly, Koko's a great heroine. We only glimpse a small fragment of her big plans this volume, but I expect that whatever they are, they'll be brought out in full force later.

Next is Jonah. He's a child soldier who hates weapons, but is nevertheless traveling with an arms dealer. Sound confusing? It is. Jonah's motivations honestly don't make a whole ton of sense, but they're presented in a way that's easy to accept and move on with.

FINAL VERDICT

I like Jormungand. I blasted through the anime in about four days, and I think I'll get a bang out of reading it, too. Something funny I noticed is that everyone swears a lot more in the manga. Not that it's a bad thing.. Well, it is bad, but it works here. Swearing is bad, kids. Don't do it. Plus/minus below!

+ Tons of fun
+ Cool premise
+ Easy to read (and pause reading)
+ Fantastic presentation
+ Art shines during the dynamic action scenes...

- But isn't super great
- Demon faces
- Sort of repetitave
- Light-hearted approach to serious subject matter may put some off

Looking at that list, one might assume Jormungand sucks (if you haven't read the rest of the review and just skipped to the bottom, anyway), but Jormungand soars on the fact that it's a blast to read.

B- - BORROW IT

I'd like to say buy it, but I know the dodgy art and some of the subject material will turn some people away.

(I don't own Jormungand. All rights go to the author, Keitaro Takahashi, and the licensing company, Viz Media).