The Big O

40 years ago something happened that took away all the memories of the city. This forced people to recreate their culture from the ruins of the city around them. In this world Roger Smith is the Negotiator. He is a go-between for police, citizens and criminals in high-risk situations. Within the rubble of city there can be found giant robots, a type called a MegaDeus, the remains of a unknown past. When things get out of hand Roger calls his MegaDeus, Big O, to action. This manga includes events BEFORE the anime and has completely new stories not seen in the anime. In fact it seems to follow its own logic and had its own ending.

"The Big O" anime series was a relatively unknown series compared to other high-profile titles, but when it out of nowhere aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, the series took off. Never mind that the artwork resembled the artwork of "Batman: The Animated Series". Never mind the fact that the show featured a giant robot that ended up fighting a giant monster or robot at the end of each episode. With its surprisingly fresh twist on the robot genre, likable characters, and noir-like flair, "The Big O" grew into such a popular series that Cartoon Network personally funded a second season to continue from where the show left off with its cliffhanger ending. Now Viz brings the graphic novel adaptation of the series to America, and while quite different in style from the anime, the manga manages to hold out on its own."The Big O" manga actually starts with a couple of prologues to the anime series, meaning our hero Roger Smith and his trusty robot Big O have a couple adventures before they begin the story found in the anime. These two stories actually work very well, giving depth to some familiar characters as well as breathing life into all-new ones. The third story is where we step into familiar territory, retelling episode one of the anime in manga format.What sets the manga apart from the anime series is that the manga has more of an anime style the series. Because the series looks and feels much like "Batman: TAS", it’s somewhat surprising to see the manga not follow suit. Still, that doesn’t mean the manga doesn’t retain the anime’s appeal. With a style reminiscent of the works of Frank Miller, the artwork of the manga brings the gothic finesse of "The Big O" to life on paper while at the same time setting it apart from its anime counterpart.Overall, there’s pretty much nothing wrong with "The Big O" manga. It’ll definitely take a couple more volumes to see how the manga handles the series itself, but so far things are looking promising. If you are a fan of the anime series, I recommend looking into this manga; it just may hold you over until the second season of "The Big O" premiers on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block.