Monster Volume 1

by Naoki Urasawa

As reluctant as I am to enter into the world of manga (this series is 18 volumes long!), give me a free book at a Boxing Day sale from a creator I've heard nothing but good things about, and I'll give it a try.

The first volume of Monster is mostly about set up, as Urasawa introduces the character of Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese doctor working in West Germany in 1986.  He's made a name for himself at his hospital by being a top-notch surgeon, and is engaged to the Director's daughter.  Things are looking very bright for this up-and-comer, but he starts to find himself at odds with the research and important patients first policies and expectations.

When a young boy with a bullet in his head is brought in to the hospital shortly before the mayor, Dr.. Tenma decides to continue working on the child, despite orders from administration to the contrary.  While the boy survives, Dr. Tenma's upward trajectory does not, and things start to look bad for the young doctor.  Later, when the three people most in his way turn up dead, suspicions are cast, and Dr. Tenma receives a promotion.

At this point, the story jumps forward by nine years, as a string of bizarre murders captivate the attention of the police, and Dr. Tenma finds himself caring for one of their few leads.  Urasawa takes his time organizing all of this, and I found that I was really getting swept up in the discussions of hospital politics and the difficult relationship between Tenma and his fiancee.

The characterizations in this book are much stronger than I'm used to finding in manga, and the story more or less remains plausible and gripping.  I like Urasawa's art, and will definitely be looking for more entries in this series.