Deadman Wonderland volume 2
Story: Jinsei Kataoka
Art: Kazuma Kondou
Rating: Older Teen
In the not too distant future, Japan has fallen victim to a massive earthquake, leveling the once proud country. In the wake of this event, a new prison system is erected, referred to as Deadman Wonderland. In this pseudo prison, criminals are pitted against one another for the benefit of park goers who attend the wonderland.
When he is framed for the deaths of his classmates, Ganta Igarashi is sentenced to Deadman Wonderland with a death penalty awaiting him. Once inside, he is befriended by a mysterious albino girl named Shiro who demonstrates abnormal strength and is permitted to wander the park unquestioned. It’s not long before Ganta encounters the true culprit behind his friend’s murders, the Red Man. During a conflict between the two, Ganta discovers he possesses ability to wield his blood as a weapon, gaining the attention of the warden
As volume 2 opens, Ganta and Shiro confront fellow inmate “Crow”, who demonstrates that he too can control his blood at will. A brief scuffle between the two leads to them being captured and arranged to battle one another in a death match. Eventually, Ganta finds others like himself and Crow, possessing a variety of strange attributes.
Meanwhile a startling discovery is made regarding Shiro that furthers the girl’s mystery. The questions that plagued the first volume are being explored; giving reader’s a glimpse into the series’ possible direction. By the end of the volume, even more questions arise, leaving readers anxiously waiting for the next installment.
This is a mature title and as such blood and profanity are prevalent. Due to the character’s main power being the control over blood, the fight scenes can be quit gory. Those who are squeamish may also want to steer clear of one scene depicting a character having their eye gouged out.
In looking at the art, the style leans more on the cartoony side but does nothing to detract from the overall serious tone of the story.
From start to finish, Deadman Wonderland continues to be one of the best new releases of the year. Only two volumes in and the characters and their setting are already so well developed, it carries the feeling that the series has been running longer than it really has. For those tired of the generic shonen story, book a trip to this carnage laden thrill ride.
Deadman Wonderland volume 2 - A
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