(Kodansha 2009)

Story & Art by Hajime Isayama

Storyline Ongoing

Summary: In an alternate telling of the history of the world, mankind has been pushed back behind walls where for the last 100 years they’ve been protected from monsters known as Titans. One day these Titans appeared again and brought one of those walls crashing down – the result almost sent humanity into extinction. This is the story of the last remnants of mankind.

[SPOILER WARNING!!]

Review: I like the Attack on Titan manga. I really do, or I wouldn’t keep reading it. However I do often feel that the revelations many of us have been waiting for since the beginning just haven’t been… very good at all. I’m not particularly interested in learning about the secret history of the world now that we’ve had to go through all this convoluted back-story just to get even a bit of it.

I also don’t find the political intrigue that moving, it started out interesting but it derailed a lot as soon as the Survey Corps decided take on the entire military. And by “entire military” I mean just a fraction of personal bodyguards surrounding the Reiss family.

But SO MUCH has happened since the beginning of this series that it is hard for me to give up hope that maybe, just maybe all of this will be worth it in the end. I mean, if anything I wanted to see them start taking on Titans again. It may be action porn when they are, but it’s just the most interesting thing Isayama has given to his story thus far.

Then again, so much has happened since the story began and only 3 MONTHS have actually passed in-story. Wait, what? Isayama, you’re telling me the battle of Trost where Eren first got his Titan power, followed by their first manned mission out of the gates against the Female Titan, and then the fight against said female Titan inside the walls, and then their split up as a group that lead to several people being attacked by the Beast Titan, and then all this crud with the Reiss family that ended in not only the entire government being taken over, but Historia being put on the throne as Queen has ALL HAPPENED IN THREE MONTHS?!

I quit. I quit. I can’t do this anymore. That is literally the dumbest thing I have heard from this series yet. Oh, you’re going to fight Titans finally and push this story towards its conclusion? Fine. FINE. I’ll stick around a bit longer. But this better get good Isayama. I really do enjoy your series when you’re firing on all cylinders.

Other than that the rest of chapter 72 and even chapter 73 weren’t that bad. They focus more on getting the operation to take back Wall Maria underway with our main characters doing a bit of reminiscing about their dreams and goals. During these scenes I could only think “I bet they’re all going to die.” Followed closely by: “Oh yeah, that was Isayama’s original plan and he decided to change it because he doesn’t want to anger the fan base.”

Right.

In all honesty these two chapters weren’t that bad. The best parts were them discussing their futures, and getting to see the Scouting Legion back on the movie into Titan territory. There is a cliffhanger ending and what’s coming next I really have no idea. It could be anyone’s game this time around; I just hope it’s good. And I hope it’s a Titan bloodbath – whether it’s humans causing the bloodbath, or Titans causing the bloodbath I don’t really care.

Final Score: 3 Months of Story out of 5

Derrick is a born and raised otaku with a love for comics, anime, manga and movies. The full list is pretty long, but that’s just the basics. Stories set in space are his bread and butter.

You can find more of his writing at IndieComix.net

@KazekunForever