Baccano! Volume 1 manga review…
Those familiar with the anime version of Ryohgo Narita’s fantasy crime light novel series will know that Baccano! (Italian for ‘Ruckus!’) is famous for its non-linear storyline. That’s not something you’ll find in Narita’s own manga adaptation, however – at least if this first volume from Yen Press is anything to go by.
The tale begins in New York in 1927 with the introduction of Firo Prochainezo, a low-ranking member of the Martillo crime syndicate. The Martillo family are part of the Neapolitan Camorra (not the Mafia, as Firo repeatedly points out). The cocky Firo aims to climb the ranks with the help of freelance assassin Claire Stanfield (who’s a dude, by the way) and mob accountant Maiza Arvaro. And while Maiza is the Martillo family’s bookkeeper, it turns out that he pretty handy at taking down his enemies – which might have something to do with an alchemist making him immortal a couple of hundred years ago!
While it may not be quite as stylish, the more linear nature of Baccano!’s manga version does mean that it’s easier to follow than the Takahiro Omori-helmed anime. Although that may require some patience if your fave character isn’t scheduled to turn up until later on in the story. Fortunately, Yen Press is also publishing individual chapters of the manga online every month, so you can read it quicker (for a price), while the original light novels are also available in English if you really want to race ahead. Reviewed by Ian Wolf
INFO
Credits: Ryohgo Narita (story), Shinta Fujimoto (art), Katsumi Enami (character design)
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: Out Now
Price: £9.99
Rating: 13+
© 2015 Ryohgo Narita/Shinta Fujimoto/Square Enix
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