Akira #2 (Manga Monday)

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Title: Akira #2
Series: Akira
Author & Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 304

Synopsis:
Kaneda and Kei escape from their holding cells and the top secret base with help from some of the special children. Only to come right back to try to kill Tetsuo and prevent him from releasing Akira.
Tetsuo does his bully thing, hurts the special kids, finds the holding place for Akira and heads over there. Only to find Akira has removed himself from his cryogenic prison and is now free. A free 10 year old boy.
The Colonel orders a Level 7 Alert [higher alert than a nuclear threat] and has a Space Satellite try to fry Tetsuo and Akira. Of course, they freaking miss and all they do is burn off Tetsuo's arm, at which point the volume ends.

My Thoughts:
This volume was much less graphically violent than Volume 1. Kids weren't decapitating each other with pipes, etc, etc. But Tetsuo powers up with a new teleport ability and insta-healing and is just as psychotic and douche-baggy as ever. I really want to see him hurt and die; his attitude makes me sick.

Kaneda and Kei are much more of a team now. While Kaneda is still a hormone filled teen, he is getting to the point where he can now kill Tetsuo instead of hesitating. Kei is still the mature young woman just like from the beginning. Their back and forths are amusing.

I am VERY glad that I own all 6 volumes already, because if I had to wait between volumes, it would kill me. The tension of just what is going to happen is dramatically ratcheting upwards and the mystery surrounding Akira, who we find out is just a young boy, deepens. And will Akira help, fight or surrender to Tetsuo is just eating at me.

If I weren't doing a weekly manga review, I suspect I'd be reading these volumes one a day and just gorging on them.