Written by Mathieu Bablet
Art by Guillaume Singelin
Published by Magnetic Press
There is nothing quite like a good Kaiju story.
There is something about a big old monster that wreaks havoc and destroys property that makes us all happy.
I don’t know what it is but kids can enjoy it as well as adults. This book definitely falls into that genre but it has enough crazy twists to make it all worth it.
It also have some interesting characters and characterizations that really make the book stand out from the rest.
Twenty years ago, the last Kaiju was defeated and done away with.
The group that handled this for the world is a group called the Sentai. The Sentai are a group of crazy and wacky vigilantes. The creative team give us a full look at them and they all have their particular quirks. We get to see them before the years have passed. But now that they have, all of the members of the Sentai have definitely changed.
The Sentai have all changed into regular types of people. They are definitely shadows of the vigilantes that they used to be. In fact, they are all relegated to being employed at very low paying and menial jobs.
I love that this book shows them like this and gives us a look at what happens to heroes, especially after the glory ends. It gives us a look at what society does with our heroes and how they are treated once they have fulfilled their obligations. They get stuffed away and are forced to become “normal” people. They are barely recognizable to the people who once knew who they actually were. And that premise is where we find our main characters.
There are five characters that are central to the story here. Warren, Nikki, Heloise, and Satoshi and Sofia have all gone on after the big battle to lesser things. They decide to try out being something along the lines of a “rent a hero” in a profession that is only known as Sentai. It is pretty low and embarrassing for these characters as they were heroes once upon a time. The world is disillusioned and heroes have all but disappeared. This leaves all of them in a really sad and almost depressing state of being.
Now let’s be clear. None of these characters are getting anything in the way of any kind of heroic job. They are doing menial things like walking drunk people home or guarding a simple grocery store. I did enjoy tho aspect of the book. Basically, they are just people chasing that five star rating and trying to make it through the day. The book really is at its best when it focuses on these characters and their experiences. Their daily foibles do provide some interesting character choices throughout.
And it is pretty great that we aren’t focused on these characters trying to stop a big monster again or anything like that. The creative team really have a knack for telling a story that is down to earth and even a bit relatable. We see a lot of the preparation beforehand of these characters trying to do there job. We see a lot of the aftermath as well. That seems to be what the creative team is more interested, the ground level stuff. When they focus on that, they are tremendously successful.
We also get to see these characters interact with their families and their friends and these simple things are very interesting as well. Of course, with all of that said, there isn’t a lot of forward momentum in the book. This book is part of a larger whole so I am sure we will get there. But the book doesn’t have any real resolution or conclusion. It just happens. It does have some kaiju action coming as well as it feels like a lot is set up. I’ll be interested to see where the creative team takes us from here for sure.
There is a lot to like in this book. The creative team have been working together a while and it shows.
You can just tell you are in good hands with them. I am excited to see where it is they are taking us. Regardless of anything, I am sure it will be very interesting to see.
RATING: B+
