Naruto vol. 1
Naruto, Vol. 1 ~ Masashi Kishimoto
trade paperback 192 pages ISBN-10: 1569319006 ISBN-13: 978-1569319000
I've only been aware of manga -- the term for Japanese comic books or "graphic novels" -- peripherally. And sometime in the past decade they started making in-roads into large chain bookstores, like Borders. Being over 40 and cynical, I ignored them. But I am a chronic browser and curiosity got the best of me. I ignored all the ridiculous big-eyed variety of artwork and happened upon Naruto. This series seems to be one of the most popular and has over 40 volumes to date continuing the tale.
Naruto is a young prankster enrolled in a ninja academy. While routinely derided by the whole village, Naruto dreams of becoming the best ninja ever. He also has a curious relationship with a nine-tailed fox demon that had destroyed the village some years before around the time of Naruto's birth.
His story mixes slapstick comedy with tragedy, magic and ninja skills. The artwork is vibrant black-and-white drawings. It was kinda fun though I must point out it's obviously geared towards teens so I am not the target demographic.
Like traditional manga, the book is read from right to left (like Japanese). I may check out more of these.
