Berserk volume 5
First, I want to say that reviewing Berserk is a tremendous pleasure. I don’t have the same feeling of joy and anticipation when reviewing other manga or anime. Its a joy born from the discovery of hidden things and meanings that Berserk is full of. From the exploration of the beautiful artwork. Every time when I read one volume something new hits me and I am wondering how did i missed that in the first place. It can be a detail of the art, a line with two meanings, the expression of a character or a panel. For me, this is the best manga ever created. I do not expect comments to these reviews. The pure joy of writing them is enough. But if through my articles can I make just one person to read Berserk, then I will be extremely thrilled. And ultimately, I think this is the mission. Share the joy of it with others. OK, LETS GET TO IT NOW!
The beginning of this volume finds Guts involved in his first battle for the Band of the Hawk. It is good to mention that this volume, number 5, is the first one in the Golden Age story arch that has strong fantasy (or dark fantasy) elements, in the form of a horrible Apostle. We have seen two more apostles in the first three volumes. More about Apostles later, I promise. Spoilers ahead, so watch out.
Being in a mercenary band that is like no other, where the people are real comrades, is a new thing for Guts, who was used with the harsh realities of war bands full of cut throats and bandits. There is a huge friendship uniting the Band of The Hawk, and inevitable Guts is caught in it. And although he seems not to like a bit of it and he acts rude towards everyone, deep deep inside he enjoys it. The drinks, the fire, the small talk, the sentiment of belonging. The appreciation of his comrades in arms. All the great things that he didn’t experienced until now. He also gets to meet some of the members of the band. Rickert, Judeau, Pippin and Corkus.
On another tone, Guts being put in some embarrassing situations where he has to socialize with the rest of the band, or him and Griffith pouring buckets of water over each other are some freakish fantastic scenes. Kentaro Miura draws some amazing funny faces when the characters are goofing or making a joke.
In a long discussion with Griffith, Guts is left a bit puzzled. He has in front of him a man who thinks he is destined to rule over his own kingdom. And not only that, but all the members of the Band of the Hawk are caught in this dream, following him, fighting for him and and dying for him in battles. Because they believe that with Griffith, they are destined to see great things and achieve more than they could hope from a normal mercenary life. Such strong is the personality and the influence of Griffith over his own men. Also, Guts has his first fights with Caska, who is irritated by his ‘’whatever-ill-just-attack’’ attitude in battle. Poor Caska, she doesn’t like when Griffith has a new favorite.
Ok, lets get to the Apostles, and here is where the fantasy elements really starts to kick in, making Berserk the best dark fantasy manga around.
Three years have past since Guts is with the Band of the Hawk. Their group is hired by the empire of Midland to help in the war against Chuder, another empire. In one of their first battles for Midland, the Band of the Hawk has to conquer a heavy fortified and huge castle.
A stormy ugly night as the sky is full of clouds and lightnings. Griffith is outside the castle with a part of his men. Inside the fortifications, The Band of the Hawk manages to gain the upper hand and to get a hold of the fortress. There is just one problem. The inner citadel still holds, and all the men sent inside by Guts to conquer it never return. There is a strange rumor circulating around that Nosferatu Zodd is there, inside the castle. A legendary swordsman, slayer of over one thousand men, who is only fighting for the pleasure of killing and being challenged. Some say that he always returns to the battlefield after he is killed and that he is over 100 years old.
Guts cant stand to see his men butchered and he goes alone inside the citadel. Inside the poor lit catacomb a gruesome sight awaits him. Dozens of soldiers, butchered to pieces. Their blood spilled all across the stone floor. Then, he sees the creature responsible for the slaughter. A huge muscular man with a savage face, covered in blood, caring a humungous sword. He resembles a werewolf or maybe a beast man. Enter Nosferatu Zodd, a powerful Apostle (although Guts doesn’t know of Apostles and monsters yet) who will appear numerous times throughout this manga.
The Apostles are powerful huge beings, with monstrous bodies, who serve the God Hand. They all have used a Behelit (the talisman that Griffith also has) to sacrifice their family and become a demon. While they all appear to be serving the God Hand, some go in opposite ways, which we will see far deep in the series.
Guts sword is huge but the sword of this guy is even bigger. Two bodies are impaled and stuck on it while his left hand is crushing the face of another poor fellow. What follows is an epic battle, carried through dozens of pages, that should be regarded as THE WAY to illustrate a fantastic battle, both artistically and tactically points of view. Attention please. Kentaro Miura is not your average manga artist and Berserk is not your regular generic manga. Extreme graphical awesomeness ahead that it cannot be described in words. So prepare to be shocked and left in AWE.
It is pure mayhem. Guts plunges towards his adversary, only to find out that this time he is outmatched. His enemy is far more stronger than him. Wounded, with a couple of ribs cracked, Guts puts all his strength in a final deadly attack, which manages to break the sword of the enemy and to inflict a very deep wound on him. And now the nightmare begins, as Guts gets to see the dark side of the world, a world that he didn’t knew it existed until now. Demons really exist. His adversary looks pleased with their fight and now he wants more. Suddenly, he assumes his real form, that of an Apostle.
When you will see Nosferatu Zodd for the first time, your jaw will drop. Towering above Guts, Zodd is a creature of nightmare. Covered in fur, with hooves and two huge horns on his head, he is graphically awesome. I don’t think there is another manga artist who draws as good as Kentaro Miura. I mean, this guy has huge talent, knows a lot of artistic anatomy and he is not afraid to experiment with new inking techniques. I would take things further by saying that he is the most complete manga artist of his generation.
The art in this volume is astounding, dark and powerful. The imagery of Kentaro Miura is like nothing else.
Guts is so weakened by the fight that he cannot do too much against the unleashed demon. He is about to get dismembered when Griffith arrives with his men and distracts Zodd. There is a double page representation of Zodd tearing soldiers to bits, that you will love. Is such a strong and dark image.
I will have to say that Guts and Griffith fight with Zodd now, and Griffith is saved from death only by the fact hat Zodd sees his Behelit hanging on his neck. Laughing, the Immortal gives Guts a little hint that his friend will betray him in the future and then flies through the roof. We are left wondering how and when this betrayal will take place and the events that will lead to it.
Some conclusion and facts that I noticed now. Griffith coming to save Guts, letting his men to be slaughtered by Zodd and putting himself in mortal danger. Why, you will wonder? Yes, Griffith is cruel and bold but there is another reason. Guts is the most important piece in Griffith plan to have his own kingdom, second only to himself. Griffith cannot succeed in his path without the power of Guts. Their destinies are intertwined more than this volume reveals. The other thing that I noticed is Caska. She is annoyed to the extreme by Guts. And by the importance that she realized that the mercenary has in the eyes of Griffith. The punch that she throws at Guts at the end of this volume shows all her frustration and anger.
I must say that all the characters from Berserk have a role to play in the story and they are not there just to fill places. I talk with a little bit of nostalgia now, as I already know their destinies. Well, one big review for one splendid volume. This manga is highly recommended for those who can appreciate art and story telling at the highest degree, without any barriers.
Buy this book from Amazon
 Berserk, Volume 5 (9781593072513): Kentaro Miura: Books
ISBN: 1593072511 |
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