Berserk

Kentaro Miura

Jul 2017 · Berserk Vol 1 · Sold by Dark Horse Comics

About this ebook

Created by Kentaro Miura, Berserk is manga mayhem to the extreme - violent, horrifying, and mercilessly funny - and the wellspring for the internationally popular anime series. Not for the squeamish or the easily offended, Berserk asks for no quarter - and offers none!
His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned - and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.

Ratings and reviews

** Warning ** - This first volume of the series 'Berzerk' holds no punches on violence, gore, and graphic adult situations (seen on the first few pages) while being visually stunning. Guts -the name of the main protagonist- certainly lives up to his name as a dead serious man on a mission; while Puck the Elf offers much needed comic relief to a very dark and depressing world. This volume is a decent starting point for a series that's widely regarded as some of the best of the genre, but for me it feels like the same tropes and beats you'll get from any adult adventure Anime/Manga that I've ever seen (FYI, this is my first time reading this series and I've never seen the Anime). Pretty good so far, but I'm hoping for better later.

Berserk loans quite a bit from the same well as other dark fantasy protagonists, which seems to go back to at least as far as elric of melniboné. Where berserk sets itself apart is Muira's incredible art and skill, which is on full display in volume one and only gets more incredible as the series progresses. Some of Miura's stated influences are worn on the sleeve; flesh+blood and Guin Saga spring to mind. But berserk is far more then the sum of its parts as Miura masterfully weaves a fascinating mythos and an epic story that continues to this day.

It is slow to start, but there is literally nothing like it. At very LEAST read past Golden Age Arc, if you still aren't feeling it. I don't know what to tell you, borrowed series from a friend. Figure its time to throw my support this series way with my wallet!

About the author

While attending college at Nihon University, in 1988, Kentaro Miura debuted a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken (Fist Of The North Star).

In 1990, the first volume Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga entitled Japan. Miura's fame grew after Berserk began "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of this masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary manga artists.

In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV.

The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan made, ranging from statues and action figures, to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentaro Miura received the second place in the Tezuka Osamu (Astro Boy) Cultural Prize of Excellence for Berserk. The author lives in Tokyo, Japan.