Mobile Suit Gundam Ecole Du Ciel, Volume 1

From the first page, the art is amazing. The story is gripping, and with the art it's almost like you can see the pages move with the scene. Gundam has been a huge part of my life, and I feel so dumb for not picking this up before now.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Ecole du Ciel takes place in the Universal Century after the One Year War. It follows the somewhat familer plot of an emerging newtype who is not very interested in becoming a pilot. Asuna is the daughter of a Zeon scientist who has been accused of war crimes, and has since gone underground; like many UC Gundam protaganists Asuna has parental issues. That being said, I really have been enjoying this manga, the art is great, the dialogue is a bit clunky, but the story is solid and it fits well into the Universal Century timeline. The story takes a while to get going, but when it takes off, it really takes off. If you have no idea what I mean by the One Year War, Zeon, or the Universal Century, this is not the best place to be introduced to the vast world of Mobile Suit Gundam. The story assumes you have seen the original Mobile Suit Gundam, so you may want to start there.

Gundam Ecole du Ciel continues the story of Asuna Elmarit, a student in training at the Earth Federations Mobile Suit military academy. In this third volume we start with an attack on the Federation by three mobile suits who are laying waste to the Federations defenses. Meanwhile Asuna and some other classmates are out exploring when Asuna seems mesmerized and hears a voice calling out to her. Asuna soon learns she may not be so normal as she learns she's been genetically engineered and given special training. The mystery soon deepens when Asuna's mother Haruka Elmarit comes to the academy but wishes to speak to instructor Yahagi and not her own daughter. Is Asuna really a Newtype? And What are her abilities? Someone is determined to find out no matter what it takes. If you like action-packed Gundam manga then this is the book for you. The battle scenes in space are elaborate and remarkably choreographed. They are truly mesmerizing. While the story may bog down a bit in stretches, you at least get the feeling that a worthwhile payoff is coming down the road very soon and all the questions will be answered. The book is written and illustrated by Haruhiko Mikimoto and is just gorgeous. One of the best illustrated Manga that I have seen in a long time. There is a depth of detail here that you don't always see in some Manga. The skilled Mikimoto even changes up his style in parts to present it with a more sketchy look in certain character close-ups. Just fantastic! Reviewed by Tim Janson