Monday, July 4, 2011

Manga Review: Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam

 


Genre: Mecha, Military
Volumes: 6
Original run: December 1994 - March 1997
Magazine: Shonen Ace
Written by: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Published by: Kadokawa Shoten




Core Fighter









Review:
                  This is my first time reading a gundam manga. The only reason I read this is because the Crossbone series was released only for the manga and didn't get any anime version. When I heard the title, the first thing that popped into my mind are pirates. I was right. This series is all about space pirates. It's quite obvious once you see the crossbone emblem on the gundam. This gundam has three distinct features that makes it unique from the other gundam series. First are the boosters. The boosters on the back are arranged to form an X, and is directly connected to the cockpit. Meaning, the cockpit can easily detach from the gundam during emergency situations. The second one are the cloaks. Your wrong if you think their just for show. Just like a beam shield, the cloak can protect the gundam from beam attacks. But these are much efficient than beam shields, because it gives the gundam more mobility. Lastly, the sword. You will notice that the beam sabers are identical to a pirate sword, which is kind of cool.

                   The setting takes place 10 years after the F91 series. So expect most of the former characters to make a comeback, with the addition of a new protagonist. Our new hero, Tobia Arronax starts out as an ordinary 13 year old boy who will later become a great gundam pilot under the teachings of Kincaid Nau. The story this time is about a group of space pirates known as the Crossbone Vanguards, fighting against a corrupt empire lead by Crux Docatie. At first the story starts out slow. But little by little it will get interesting as you progress through the manga. Expect shocking revelations and surprising twist of events. When it comes down to the drawing, I could say it's pretty decent even though it was made last 1994-1997. You will definitely feel the classic gundam style of artwork. Although it was hard for me to appreciate the battle scenes. But most probably the fault lies on my end, since I'm not accustomed to reading gundam mangas. Well that's about it for the Crossbone Gundam's main points.

                    Overall, I like the Crossbone Gundam series. The gundams are cool and the story is intruiging. But I would have liked it better if I was watching it in animation, instead of reading it in manga. I recommend to all the gundam fans to read the Crossbone Gundam manga. It's a series you dont want to miss. If you happen to liked the series, then you should also try reading the sequels: Skull Heart and The Steel Seven. This concludes my review on Crossbone Gundam. Thank you for reading and I hope you found it useful. Check out also my other manga and anime reviews.


Rating: 3 out of 5


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