Delve into the mind of a killer for justice that's surrounded by a bevy of busty heroines.
Triage X Vol. 2 Review
Publisher: Yen Press
Author: Shoji Sato
Artist: Shoji Sato
Rating: Mature
Genre: Action / Adventure
MSRP: $13.99 (USD)
Contents: 5 Chapters, 1 Omake / 160 pg.
The Black Label team is on the move to finally end the last operation with surgical precision, and a new foe appears who seems to be on the same mission with a fiery twist.
The Good
Volume two picks up right where the previous installment left off, and the action quickly gets intense. Half the volume is a barrage of incredible action scenes showing just how savage Black Label can be. It's hard to just focus on a single scene as a highlight, but you don't want to miss Yuuko Sagiri and Sayo Hitsugi getting action-movie level vengeance on behalf of Granny Kimura. The only way I can describe it is to combine DIE HARD with SIN CITY, and scenes of that caliber are popping off throughout.
In my previous review for TRIAGE X Vol. 1, I drew comparisons between Arashi Mikami, the series protagonist, with Jason Todd. Arashi really is an examplet of what Jason Todd had the potential to be before DC decided to tone him down into just a slightly more violent version of Batman. Arashi talks about the first time he killed a man and how he sees he can still have a conscience while being a mass killer of criminals. He came as close as you can to death and still return. It gave him a unique perspective on the equality of life. It's impressively deep.
The Bad
If you were hoping to take some juvenile entertainment out of the nude, hot spring scene of this volumes. There is one bit of information that takes some of the air out of the moment. The bath scene itself isn't really the issue given that most of the female cast are in their mid to late twenties. The introduction page at the start of this volume reveals that Oriha is a fourteen year-old. Oriha's "exposure" is far more limited than the others in the bath scene, but the fact she's a teen just makes the scene feel rather uncomfortable. I also have to wonder if nude bath scenes in the second volumes is a staple of Sato's work. The same thing happened in HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD.
Speaking of uncomfortable moments. The volume opens with the scene of Konomi Suzue being caught by thugs as they threaten to rape her. The detail of their threats and the panels of their molestation are unsettling, but I think that's the point. This is a Mature rated series. Nothing actually happens to her, and those thugs get their comeuppance in an appropriately brutal fashion. You have zero sympathy for when they bite it.
Verdict 4/5
The previous story is concluded in this volume, and the seeds of the next challenge for these heroes is hinted in the last two chapters. Included is a new villainess that I can't wait to learn more about. Yes, there were some awkward moments. However, the volume is filled with incredible action segments that dwarf what was shown in the last one, there are some great laughs, and it's doing a great job of layering their cast bit by bit. Shoji Sato's art is also in top form. This is not an artist that half-asses a scene. It makes me wish this series was in full color.
Favorite Moment: CH. 7 - Yuuko's revenge
Least Favorite Moment: CH. 6 - Konomi's assault
WTF Moment: CH. 8 - Arashi shoots an innocent woman?
Favorite Character This Volume: Yuuko Sagiri & Sayo Hitsugi