Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Volume 4

This review is for the just released English version of "Angel of Protest". The whole "Last Order" series so far has been very well done, with a slicker, cleaner look than the first series. This latest release builds upon the last book with more new characters and lots more fighting and action scenes. I love Alitas new jacket and leggings, they remind me of Nausicaa or even one of CardCaptor Sakura's costumes. Also, we finally get some adversaries worthy of the "Imaginos" body. "Angel of Protest" takes the storyline on kind of a tangent, with "Alita" geting into fights for moralistic reasons again. This sets up some great fighting however, and we get to see "Zazie" in action. Most everything that was unclear at the end of "Angel Eternal" is still not resolved. This is not a criticism because, hey, we get some great battle sequences! I just hope the overall plot does not get sidetracked for the sake of great fights and then be forced into some slap-togther cheesy resolution like the end of the first series. "Angel of Protest" is a page-turner if you follow "Battle Angel" and my only complaint is it was too short. I love the artwork and ideas in this series. The campiness of the plot and the philosophical inner dialog of the characters never fails to amuse. My wife still won't even look at these books because of the gore, and my sister just laughs at the silly Germanized names of the fighting techniques. (I still can't get her to stop laughing at "Panzer Kunst") But I read this series over and over again and always come away with a respect for the depth of imagination, the detail of the artwork and the sheer entertainment on so many different levels.

Alita, Wu Ping and Desty Nova begin this volume on the threshold of Ketheres, the last station of Earth. The first citizen they meet is Trinidad who reveals that Nova is the result of a project that is near and dear to Tinidad's heart (or brain). Alita, from Trinidad's viewpoint is excess baggage, and a short confrontation leaves her and Wu at severe disadvantage. Once again, Alita turns an apparent weakness into a strength, and her survival shifts the plot into a new gear.Other than vague hints, Yukito Kishiro has always been very reticent about the overall scope of the series. First one city on a single planet, then a floating city, then something most like a space station. Now we find out that there is a whole solar system out there full of people every bit as devious as the ones we have already met. A whole political dimension opens up to be exploited, and you can be sure that Alita loses no time in becoming embroiled in the future of worlds where immortality is a commodity.The story bogs down a bit mid-volume as Kishiro brings the reader up to speed on the status of the solar system, but the hiatus doesn't last for long, as Alita heads out into space with for what promises to be a return home and a major battle. The changing settings give the artist/writer a chance to do what he does best - draw, and create characters. It is this scope and the detail of vision that sets Alita apart from most other manga other than other standouts like Akira and X/1999.Alita is a modern hero, beautiful, deadly, and determined - which ethics and values which completely surpass her cyborg nature. This series continues to find the middle ground between action and morality play without ever leaving a hint of over-acting. While there have been some attempts at creating OVA for this story, the story begs for serialization as anime. Anime with a lot of computer graphics, since Yukito Kushiro has an eye for detail that rivals Hieronymous Bosch. I will look forward to that day.

In a struggle that pits adults against children the residents of Tiphares act out the age old questions of whether an imitation can replace human nature. Of course, the answer is no - the adults, who have had their brains replaced with tiny computer chips, have become compliant, but that does not mean they are not jealous of their prerogative. For the youth, who now understand the deeper meaning of freedom, the fight is for survival as individuals - as true humans. Yet, when pressed, they too will stop at nothing, and it is the children who unleash a monster so deadly that only Alita can stand up to it, But even the super-powered cyborg is dangerously outclassed.As Yukito Kishiro's new series unfolds, the reader learns that this story is far larger that the limits of the city in the sky. Kaos, who lost almost everything in the first series has returned - ruined, but determined to make amends. And by the simple, age-old mechanism of a paper plane a bond is re-forged and a faint, slightly cynical glimmer of hope appears to light the way.For all the this series is still a vehicle for Alita's spectacular fighting skills the story reveals more depth and a finer sense of rhythm than the first series. Too often sequels seem to suffer from weakness, but Kishiro seems to have husbanded his strength. As complexity and character develop the story grows stronger as well.

I am glad to see that Viz has chosen to remain faithful to the Japanese publication of this series thus far, and even more happy to see the great job done, by its translator.This volume offers a downtime from battle, but also a promise of a great many other things to come, concerning interplanetary politics, class structures, and if you look hard enough, a bit of commentary about current world events.By establishing a world outside of Tiphares, Kishiro shows his readers that Battle Angel is not ONLY about fighting, and injects this series with a whole new sense of depth and purpose that lead me to believe it can easily go beyond an eighth or ninth volume.

I liked this book alot. It has excellent artwork; the story, as usual, was excellent, and I found it just as exciting as the first series. It continues the Alita Legacy quite nicely.