Zombiepowder., Vol. 1, 1

Before there was "Bleach," there was "Zombie Powder." But even though this series was short, Tite Kubo's first foray into the wonderful world of manga shows that he had imagination to burn. And "Zombie Powder Volume 1" introduces us to a wildly anachronistic Old-West world full of slam-bang action, comedy and really huge weapons. Metal-armed, gray-haired, silver-coaked Gamma appears in town, and soon reveals that he's a "powder hunter" -- he's trying to collect the Rings of the Dead. Twelve together make "zombie powder." Gamma soon runs into Elwood, a young pickpocket working for the local mob, and soon realizes that all is not well with Elwood -- especially since he's a good kid at heart. When the boss realizes that Gamma has an enormous bounty on his head, he takes a terrible revenge on Elwood. Gamma comes to the rescue and demonstrates his frightening power -- but not before Elwood loses something precious to him. And soon Elwood realizes that life on the road with Gamma is a fairly stressful affair -- old enemies, bandits, and capture by the "Ash Daughter" gang. But this is all part of Gamma's plan, as he reunites with his equally lethal, briefcase-toting partner and faces a monstrous boy-man who wants the Rings as well. At least... I think it's a boy. Hard to tell. "Zombie Powder's" first volume establishes that this is not a terribly unique manga -- it positively reeks of other series like "Trigun," with its oddball bounty-hunted hero and the techno/Old West vibe. Despite being in a bad state at the time, Tite Kubo managed to create a nice dark action series tinged with horror, and his angular, raw-looking art was already distinctive. But fortunately Kubo gives it his own stamp by including all sorts of over-the-top stuff -- explosives, seven-foot-long chainsaw-swords, and Gamma's cyborg arm. It's also very violent, with lots of shootouts and Gamma wreaking havoc with his giant weapon. And Kubo splashes the pages with liberal quantities of blood, severed fingers, torsos slashed in half, and lots of gunshots. This would have all been very bleak if Kubo didn't lighten the grim tone with moments of bickering between Elwood and Gamma ("GIVE ME BACK MY WALLET!"), quirky touches (classical music shop), and almost any scene with Mr. Smith. Not to mention the early slapstick, where Gamma gets his coat stuck in a bus door and has to race backwards after it. Gamma and Elwood make a solid pair of heroes because they're so different. One is a hard-edged, rough guy who wants immortality, loves food and has armor plated on his arm, and the other is a naive young boy whose love for his sister will lead him anywhere, to do anything. And while Mr Smith -- who looks like a kindly white-collar professional -- is not very fleshed out, his cheerfully lethal personality makes him a scene-stealer. The first volume of "Zombie Powder" isn't high on originality, but Tite Kubo's blend of bloody action and quirkiness keeps it going.

This series had the potential to be very good. But it was cut short. While it isn't the author's best work, it is worth reading.

"Zombie Powder is from VIZ Communications Shoen Jump line of Manga and is written and drawn by Tite Kubo, best known for another Shoen Jump series "Bleach". Zombie Powder is a near-future action/comedy manga that's brimming with sword-chopping and bullets-blazing action. Gamma Akutabi is a legendary criminal and an even more legendary powder hunter. He seeks the 12 Rings of the Dead. The source of the mysterious zombie powder which myths say can return the dead to life, or grant immortality to the living. Gamma also is known for his metal arm and very large, chainsaw sword. He first appears in the town of Blue Note, seeking a ring He befriends a young pickpocket named Elwood and his ailing sister. His ill sister is the reason that Elwood steals, he's trying to raise money for an operation that will save her life. A local gang led by boss Mr. Kinqro not only wants whatever Rings of the Dead that Gamma has, but there's also a hefty price on the criminal's head. The Gang attacks and Elwood's sister is shot. Elwood demands to travel with Gamma, hoping the Zombie Powder will bring his sister back to life. But all along the way, there are other Zombie Powder hunters, all seeking the same prize. "Zombie Powder" is blended well with the action and comedic elements. Elwood provides the comic relief, dragging Gamma and later his partner Mr. Smith, into one worse predicament after another, while still managing to keep his nimble fingers in the pockets of all those around him. Gamma himself is an intriguing character with his black metal arm and the powerful sword. Gamma is a hero who loves to trash talk with his opponents, annoying them even more than with his incredible fighting skill. Tite Kubo's art is at once graceful yet powerful, and especially stands out during the frenetic fighting scenes. The details are especially lush and striking throughout the book. Kubo also takes the time to provide profile pages on the main characters which is always a nice addition. Great Start to another hot Manga title from VIZ! Reviewed by Tim Janson

I am both pleased and disappointed in VIZ's translation; however, since I rarely buy the US releases I don't really know if it is a VIZ thing, or if it just me. I've digressed. Well, first of all, the book looks amazing. VIZ did a great job of maintaining the art quality. I have no complaints there. The cover was- eh. I think they lost some of the color depth but whatever. They made up for it inside. The translation itself is good, not as good as I was hoping. There were instances where I felt it was translated to loosely, others where I felt it was too literal- however since I cannot read Kanji, these feelings come purely from other translations I have read. It is 100% personal preference. More than that I really, really hated how the translation was really softened from the original. Maybe that is a VIZ thing, I dunno. I think this is the first manga I've bought from them. Anyways, instead of the coarser and more violent language I was expecting, it was bland bordering on the rediculous (Hombre? Mano a Mano? Seriously, I could NEVER have imagined Gamma saying that. Thanks VIZ.) I also got annoyed with the repetitive SFX, but I guess there isn't SO much that can be done with that. However, I don't need to see another DO - OM anytime soon. However, if the stronger language was softened, I felt like VIZ redeemed itself in the humour. There were some comic panels that lost something (Gamma's fork in the head lost it's comedic value through the bland reactions of background characters) but most were truely funny. I found myself laughing in several places that I hadn't found humourous before. My biggest disappointment by far were the actual characters. Akutabi Gamma is my favorite manga character ever, and I feel like I know his character very well, but VIZ's bland translation made him seem like a much weaker personality than I had imagined. I was really let down. To use an old high school turn of phrase, it never seemed like Gamma was acting in situations, only reacting to the events around him. I felt cheated, since I feel that Gamma (being the main character and all) really drives much of the storyline. VIZ's Gamma seemed along for the ride, even in later chapters. The reader also meets Elwood and Gamma's partner in this volume. Elwood came across much more childish than I really believe him to be, but it didn't bother me much because unfortunately his childishness played well off of Gamma's boringness. Which, once again ticked me, since I felt like it was so out of character. Gamma's partner has about five lines in volume 1 (ok, more like ten ^_- ) so VIZ didn't have much to get wrong. They remained the most true to character, in my impressions of them. If I had one word to sum up the volume, I would say bland. It is disappointing, because I think Zombie Powder needs a bigger fanbase especially to redeem my hope of Kubo finishing it in the future. This volume doesn't do the story justice but I am not upset. I have seen other manga simpl

This is volume one of Tite Kubo's first series, Zombie Powder. It is one of his masterpieces and I am glad that Viz bought the rights to it. If you are a fan of futuristic cowboy animes or mangas then this is for you. Also if you are a Bleach fan then this is an absolute must. I bought all four of the Japanese mangas a while ago because I figured that it would never be brought out to the states. But I am to buy them all over again from Viz. The sad part about the series though is that it does not have an ending but that does not mean the adventure through the four is any less exciting. Maybe one day Kubo will pick up on this series again.