Lupin III, Volume 2: World's Most Wanted

Still no sign of Goemon but Jigen plays a much larger roll in volume 2 than he did in the first. The formula created in the previous book continues although Lupin is perhaps even cheekier than before. In one story Lupin is in a race to the top of a mountain. When he inexplicably manages to beat two girls to the summit, despite being well behind, he explains his rapid ascend by saying, `I skipped a page'. The next story is even more blatant in breaking the fourth wall with Lupin giving Monkey Punch a tour of his criminal operation as the author/artist omnisciently observes from outside the comic pages. In another story Lupin shows his softer side allowing himself to be blackmailed into committing crimes in order to protect a woman he's never even met. Of course in the end it turns out that the woman was in on the scam and Lupin disposes of both. My only complaint in the series is the same one I had with volume one. Sometimes it is very difficult to figure out what is going in. At one point in the book Jigen ends up trying to kill Lupin. Jigen gets the drop on Lupin on the top of a construction beam when all of a sudden what looks like a tiny rocket flies at Jigen's face and then it appears like Lupin flings a tire at the back of Jigen's head. Seriously, it's impossible to discern what's going on. So Lupin grabs Jigen's gun and fires but it appears that the gun has been designed to fire in reverse and fires back into Lupin's face putting a bullet through his head. Next thing you know Inspector Zenegata is complimenting Lupin on his trickiness and the last frame has Jigen hanging from a girder in his underwear. This is an extreme example but I haven't the slightest idea what happened in this sequence. Despite some occasional sloppiness I found volume 2 to be at least as good as volume 1 and I highly recommend it for fans of Lupin III.

Lupin the 3rd is such a great anime character. This book is grat along wiht the other 7 series. It is hilarious and Lupin is a good comic.

Lupin has been around for a while. Today, some might not identify so well with his sexist humor and his immoral ways. But, if you can get past your modern PC world, Lupin is genius. Lupin has no soul. That is what MAKES him the best theif in the world! This manga is well written, the characters beautifully developed, and the cartooning gritty enough for his exploits. Lets face it, Lupin is the James Bond of Japanese anime. If you want crazy action, sharp wit, and other ridiculous foibels, Lupin is for you. Extra points to those who steal this book...Lupin would be proud!

Lupin the III is a wonderful book, full of ingenuity and mischief, this book is a must have for your book case. These succesful books are now animes shown on Cartoon Network at midnight on weekdays. These books show us the adventures of a the world's gretest thief, Lupin, and his comrades, Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko.