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Reviewed by Doctor Generic Universal Century 0079: A team of Zeon Zaku mobile suits has decimated the token Earth Federation defense in the Side 7 space colony. Reacting to the violence around him, Amuro Ray, a colony resident, boards the prototype Federation mobile suit designed by his father. The MS--the RX-78-02 Gundam--was to have been transported to the new Fed ship, the White Base. The Zaku attack has thrown the entire operation into chaos. Somehow, Amuro manages to activate and raise the Gundam…despite the fact that he has no piloting experience, and that he had only seen the file on the MS in his father's computer. The Zaku team strikes at the Gundam, only to be caught off guard by the suit's resistance to Zaku weaponry. Amuro uses the Gundam to destroy both Zakus, but nearly creates another disaster when one Zaku's destruction sets off a nuclear explosion. The blast tears a hole in the colony wall, and the resulting decompression sucks out many Federation personnel--including Amuro's father, Tem Ray. Outside the colony, Char Aznable, the charismatic Zeon commander (nicknamed the "Red Comet") decides to open fire on the Side 7. He also is certain of the Federation's development of mobile suits. Aboard White Base, Lt. Bright Noa is placed in command by the Captain Cassius, who then goes to lead an attack on Char's Musai cruiser. A small attack ship piloted by Ryu Jose is unsuccessful in damaging the enemy vessel, and Captain Cassius is seriously wounded. Meanwhile, Frau Bow and a mysterious young woman, Sayla Mass, lead the effort to evacuate the civilians of Side 7 onto White Base. The crew of White Base is shocked to see that the pilot of the Gundam is not a Fed pilot, but Amuro Ray--Bright Noa especially. Still, there isn't much anyone can do, and with most of the command crew dead or wounded, Bright must turn to many of Side 7's civilians to help get White Base operational. The ship leaves Side 7 to head to Federation space, with the Gundam in the lead. Amuro manages to destroy a missile attack on White Base, but trouble soon arrives in the form of Char, piloting his own special Zaku…a red mobile suit that is much more powerful than any other Zeon suit. Comment: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's re-telling of the Mobile Suit Gundam series continues, and this issue tops the first. Even if one is familiar with the original Gundam series, this comic is a must-read. There are a few major changes, though--one in particular stands out: in the original series, Char actually infiltrates Side 7 with a commando team and runs into Sayla Mass, who recognizes him as--well, that would be telling. What Yasuhiko has done, however, is to expand on some aspects of the story and streamline or remove others. This makes Gundam: The Origin a new experience, even for Gundam fanatics. More emphasis is placed on the characters, however (even with the heart-hammering action). The characters are not perfect cardboard cutouts--they all have their quirks--Bright's stuffed-shirt attitude, Amuro's defiance, and Sayla's frosty nature are just a few examples. The art is still top-notch. The clean lines and screentones that emphasize Yasuhiko's works are in full effect here, and to me, this is his best work yet. Viz has also gone the extra mile to keep the full-color painted pages done by Yasuhiko. They are gorgeous, but one has to wonder just how much it is costing Viz to do this. At any rate, I'm very appreciative of it. As a bonus, there is a special section showing the re-designs for the Gundam and the Zaku, done by the original designer, Kunio Okawara. There are also copious linear notes explaining the changes done to beef up the nearly twenty-five year old designs. Of course, the book is still printed to be read from right to left, and is still a meaty 128 pages. The price is a bit hefty, but for the money, this is a worthwhile purchase. This new issue of Gundam: The Origin is, simply put, a great read. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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