The manga that began it all - now available for a new generation! From master storyteller Katsuhiro Otomo, Japan's foremost manga maestro, comes the epic work that introduced the West to the epic, stylised and sweeping artform that is manga - Akira! This post-apocalyptic saga, set in the remains of Neo-Tokyo, charts the coming of the creature known only as Akira, a power both feared and prized for its potential to shake the recovering world. Caught in a power play between factions of a brutal military organisation, Kaneda - young, restless, committed to defying authority - and Ryu, the leader of an underground movement, are pulled into an escalating nightmare, built around a group of psychically powered children.
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To sum up: yes, Akira is a great comic, maybe even the greatest science fiction comic ever created. -- BorderLine 31 March 2002
About the Author
Katsuhiro Otomo is one of the most respected and influential Japanese storytellers in the history of modern comics, and -apart from Akira - his work includes Domu and The Legend of Mother Sarah.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Many people's first exposure to 'Akira' was the 1988 film; epic, visceral, and immensely accomplished, it is widely acknowledged as a classic of modern cinema. But Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece originated as a multi-volume comic, hundreds and hundreds of pages long. 'Akira' the comic is superior to 'Akira' the film in many ways; the massive scope of the illustrated work allows it to imagine its future world (Neo-Tokyo) with a breadth and depth impossible in a constrained cinematic timeframe.
And it is not only the visual, architectural splendour of the world that blossoms in this longer format; the social and cultural aspects of the world - the quirks that make every world tick - are also brought brilliantly to life turn. All together, the world of 'Akira' is one of the most vivid worlds to ever be recorded on paper.
This first volume establishes the background, setting up the landscapes (visual, thematic, and narrative) and introducing the characters who will become so compelling central to Otomo's story. The plot itself is too wonderful to spoil, too complex to effectively summarise. It is a book everyone should read and you would be foolish not to buy it now, along with volume two (and perhaps three).
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By B. Grewcock
Amazon Verified Purchase
Same Plot, same characters and even the same story, but told in a completely different way. I bought this book because I loved Akira the film, and I wanted to read the original comic. I was expecting it to very similar to the film as most films based on books are, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The story is so good they couldn’t contain it in one film. So the film is an incredibly cut down version of the comics. If you loved the film you are going to be in Heaven with this book. As it tell more about the characters and the events that happen.
I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone that hasn’t read comics before, but if you have this is an amazing read with great lustrations.
The story is so good they couldn’t contain it in one film. So the film is an incredibly cut down version of the comics. If you loved the film you are going to be in Heaven with this book. As it tell more about the characters and the events that happen.
I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone that hasn’t read comics before, but if you have this is an amazing read with great lustrations.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Katsuhiro Otomo's post WW3 epic finally gets a re-release and it's about time. This is a classic tale about Neo-Toyko in the year 2030AD and it has it all. Kaneda and his biker gang are typical rebellious 16 year olds when they run into a government conspiracy led by 'the Colonel' and opposed by resistance fighters. A conspiracy concerning psychic kids and something or someone known only as Akira. Mere words cannot do this book justice. This was the story that led to the Manga wave taking off in the Western world and reading book 1 (of 6) quickly makes you realise why Akira was so successful. If you buy book 1 of this series you will be on tenderhooks as you wait for the others. If you are a comic book fan this should be no.1 on your list. Even if you are not, you should give this a look as the story is one of the best I have ever read. Well worth 5 stars and then some.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An entry point for any looking to get into Japanese manga
I was highly skeptical before purchasing Akira, as I have never really grasped what was so appealing about manga, but I decided the first volume was worth a look after seeing the... Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2011 by G Leahy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A science-fiction epic which changed the cultural landscape.
Around twenty years ago I sat open-jawed as I introduced myself to the 1988 Akira film. I don't think I quite 'got it' when I was eleven, but it was a visual marvel and is... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2011 by @GeekZilla9000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Watch the film for the visuals, read the manga for the epicness
A classic show of strength from the mighty Katsuhiro Otomo, delving into the dangers of overpopulation, globalization and the rush for technology, and it's all told from the... Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2008 by Mr. Mf Jamma
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best manga ever written
Akira, possibly the most famous graphic novel ever, begins here with this three hundred and fifty nine page first volume. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2007 by A. Weaver
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deserves It's Recognition
WOW! Katsuhiro Otomo, what a fantastic manga writer/artist. Not only AKIRA (1982-1990) is one of the greatest mangas of all time, it's one of the greatest books ever written. Read more
Published on 18 May 2007 by D. W. Bissett
5.0 out of 5 stars
You NEED this book
I cannot stress how important this book is. This book changed manga, it animation, it changed science fiction, it influenced black and white independent comics, it influence... Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2003 by Marc Ellerby
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truely essential manga masterpiece
Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira is, frankly, brilliant. The plot is everything it should be: complex, layered and interesting. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clearly a masterpiece of manga by K.O!!
I have enjoyed reading every single page of this book, and I'm not lying! My favourite bt personally is at the beginning when Kaneda is wearing his lovely shiny, black jacket. Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2001 by perfect_chaos51@hotmail.com
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Perfect.
I won't bore any of you with the plot details - there are many reviews that already cover it - and if you've managed to get this far with Akira then you must have an idea of the... Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2001 by ghuwevans@hotmail.com
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than Harry Potter!
Set in Neo Tokyo in the year 2030 a new type of bomb has exploded over Japan which triggers World War 3. Read more
Published on 8 July 2001
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