Dragon Ball Super, Volume 4: Last Chance For Hope Review (Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou)

Goku Black and Zamas, the evil Lord of Lords, want to kill everyone and everything because Silly Bad Guy Motivation – Goku and Vegeta gotta team up and stop ‘em!

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha! Review (Akira Toriyama, Dragongarow Lee)

A teenage Dragon Ball fanboy dies trying to get a closer look at a girl in a short skirt and gets reincarnated as Yamcha (a very minor character in the saga). True to form, now as Yamcha, the teenager lusts after hot girl Bulma and tries to use his fanboy knowledge to get into her pants. Finally, a Dragon Ball book for creepers!

Top 10 Best Comics of 2017

Here’s the rub: every time I’ve done my top 10 picks for best comics of the year since the goshdarn series started, I’ve plumped for Giant Days – with good reason, it really is the best comic in the world! So this year I’m adopting a similar view that film critics have taken with Citizen Kane and “Best Movies of All Time” lists – Giant Days is the undisputed greatest, that’s a given, so let’s just push that to the side and give something else a chance! So this year’s Top 10 Best Comics list doesn’t include Giant Days but it’s definitely my actual pick for the top spot. Onto the others!

Dragon Ball Super, Volume 2 Review (Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou)

In the second volume of Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball does what Dragon Ball does best: fighting tournaments! It’s Universe 6 vs Universe 7 for the prize of the Super Dragon Balls! Who’ll win? (Clue: Goku is on Universe 7’s side!) 

Dragon Ball Super, Volume 1 Review (Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou)

DRAGON BALL IS BACK DRAGON BALL IS BACK DRAGON BALL IS BAAAAAACK!!!! 

The Dragon Ball saga ended in 1995 with Dragon Ball Z after 42 volumes. Akira Toriyama’s bestselling title left behind a legacy as one of the most original, popular, influential and genre-defining comics in the world. Since then it’s only gotten more fans through the anime, the movies, and computer games, showing that there’s still an appetite for these characters and their stories.

Dragon Ball, Volume 16: Goku vs Piccolo Review (Akira Toriyama)

This is it: the final Dragon Ball book (before the 26 volume-long Dragon Ball Z series begins)! It marks the end of Son Goku’s childhood (even though he’s been an adult now for 3 books - but let’s just go with this idea anyway) and his transformation from martial arts supremo into, basically, Superman! 

Piccolo’s match against Kami-Sama, the guy who created the Dragon Balls, and a match that was essentially God vs the Devil, ends almost as soon as it begins as Piccolo Jr reveals just how powerful he’s gotten. Which means the final of the third Strongest Under the Heavens tournament is Piccolo Jr vs three-time finalist Son Goku. 

The fight quickly casts off any pretense of a martial arts match as these two super-powered beings start throwing fireballs at each other as they fight in the sky! This is where it really looked like a Superman comic with Goku saving innocent bystanders from Piccolo’s attacks while realising that he can’t kill his enemy. And then, like most Superman comics, the battle soon becomes about the fate of the planet - if the hero loses, the villainous monster will kill everyone! 

Their fight, like most of Goku’s fights, has lots of little surprises thrown in. They’re never just about two characters punching and kicking one another; magic, trickery, and comedy are all mixed in as well as a few other surprises. It’s a fantastic fight though and thoroughly enjoyable to read. 

So Goku finally wins a Strongest Under the Heavens tournament and alls well that ends well. But what I loved most about the ending was that Goku and Chi-Chi were offered godhood in Heaven and Goku’s reaction was basically “no way, Heaven’s too boring!”, pulled a face - at GOD! - then yelled for Kinto’un and he and Chi-Chi flew off. “Now, GO!!”

That’s the most perfect ending to a series I’ve ever read. 

Dragon Ball has been an absolutely incredible series from start to finish. There were two or three average volumes in the sixteen but not a single bad one, and that’s a helluva score sheet! Without question it’s been, not just one of the best comics I’ve read all year, but one of the best comics I’ve ever read. It’s easy to see just how influential and popular it became when the quality of Toriyama’s writing, art, and storytelling vision was so unbelievably high. If you’ve never read it and you’re at all curious, I highly recommend checking out the series from the start - it’s well worth the journey.

Now, GO - onto Dragon Ball Z!!

Dragon Ball, Volume 16: Goku vs Piccolo

Dragon Ball, Volume 15: The Titanic Tournament Review (Akira Toriyama)

It might sound really boring to someone who hasn’t read this series to keep describing more or less the same things happening in this series: Son Goku fights bad guys and wins, then goes to a Strongest Under the Heavens tournament where he and his pals fight others. They have done exactly this three times now. But I can assure you, it’s anything but boring. 

If a writer has done their job well, then by the 15th volume in a series you’re fully invested in the characters and will read any story they’re in with delight, so long as you can see those characters - and Akira Toriyama has done a very, very good job with Son Goku and co.! 

This book is the third Strongest Under the Heavens tournament featuring grown up versions of Goku and Kuririn, and it’s one match after another. Tenshinhan vs. Cyborg Taopaipai (the world’s greatest assassin who fought - and lost - to Goku during the Red Ribbon storyline), Goku vs. Chi-Chi, Kuririn vs. Piccolo Jr, and Yamcha vs. “Shen”. 

The setup might sound stale but because everyone’s more superpowered than ever - Goku’s fights in particular are fascinating, if only to see what he’s learned in Heaven for three years - the fights are far more imaginative, more energised, faster and exciting than ever to read. Throw in some romance - Chi-Chi makes Goku keep his innocent childhood promise to marry her! - a throwback to the series (Taopaipai) and a surprise in the form of “Shen”, and you’ve got one helluva Dragon Ball book! 

What I’m in awe of is how Toriyama can go from end of the world storylines like the conclusion of the Piccolo saga in the last book and immediately recapture that sense of urgency in a smaller storyline, like this third tournament arc. The fluidity with which he switches gears between volumes and never loses the reader’s attention or storytelling pace is extraordinary. You rarely see this in serialised comics - the best western example I can think of is Jason Aaron/RM Guera’s Scalped which was a flawless 10 volume series. But Dragon Ball is 42 volumes total!!

If you’ve made it this far into the series, you’re absolutely gonna love it. The characters continue to develop well, the stories are as enthralling as ever, and the action keeps getting more compelling. For an all-fighting volume, it’s never brainlessly dumb and the characters and story don’t suffer from the action focus - if anything, they’re enhanced! A martial arts comic is in its element when its got good martial arts, and Dragon Ball has that in bundles. 

Dragon Ball is perfection in a comic book and volume 15 is just that - onto the final book in the series!

Dragon Ball, Volume 15: The Titanic Tournament

Dragon Ball, Volume 14: Heaven and Earth Review (Akira Toriyama)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH TOO GOOD!!!

I was tempted to just leave it at that - it’s succinct but accurate enough! 

The epic final battle between Son Goku and the Demon King Piccolo, that already began in the final pages of the last book, kicks off this volume at a blistering pace. And it is EPIC - Piccolo is after all a dude who can fire nuke-sized explosions from his hands! 

Both characters go all out against each other but, even though he’s been superpowered, Goku nearly dies defeating Piccolo. No, that’s not a spoiler, the whole damn series is about Goku, he was never going to die! And of course it’s no surprise that the characters who died in the last few books are brought back to life once Piccolo is vanquished. It’s a predictable next move - they all appear in Dragon Ball Z - but still great to see happen. 

All through the Piccolo storyline I’ve been wondering how Akira Toriyama’s going to make Piccolo good (in terms of his alignment), because that’s the way I’ve known the character to be prior to reading these books for the first time. I know Piccolo eventually joins the good guys - but how and why? And in the final moments of their fight, the Demon King reveals exactly how the Piccolo I was expecting came to be. At least, physically - we’ve yet to see him become good. 

I said in the last review that I wouldn’t be surprised by anything else Akira Toriyama throws at me; and then God enters the book! Goku doesn’t die but he decides to take his training to the next level, goes to Heaven(!), and trains with God(!!!). Amazing. It’s kind of God and it kind of isn’t - but the reveal of who God is is pretty damn surprising.

As Goku begins training, Toriyama once again jumps the story ahead 3 years like he did before - and now I get it. The 3 year bumps are what gets Dragon Ball/kid Son Goku to Dragon Ball Z/adult Son Goku, with the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament acting as markers for a new stage in the story. I didn’t realise that before but that’s an ingenious way to show characters’ development in a martial arts story, especially as it seems so obvious! Here they are at the next level of their abilities - let’s see how they’ve changed. 

Adult Son Goku finally makes his appearance in this volume, so the scene with Goku training in Heaven was the last we’ll see of that delightful scamp. It’s exciting and sad at the same time - I loved that lil guy but I’m really looking forward to the adventures an even more superpowered adult Goku is going to have! 

Heaven and Earth is an amazing 14th volume in the Dragon Ball series. It’s got fantastic art as usual, stunning fights, and the story keeps getting better and better. Astonishingly, I haven’t read a bad book in this series yet and it’s easy to see why this series has done as well as it has. So, in summary:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH TOO GOOD!!!

Dragon Ball, Volume 14: Heaven and Earth

Dragon Ball, Volume 13: Piccolo Conquers the World Review (Akira Toriyama)

Guys: there is literally a King of the World in this series! Forget Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc. – there is an actual King of the entire World! And he’s a talking dog! Akira Toriyama can do anything now in Dragon Ball and I don’t think it would faze me.

I shouldn’t be that surprised – this is the series where Master Roshi destroyed the moon in a fight with Son Goku, with absolutely no consequences – but for some reason the King of the World stood out as a completely insane detail. But you know what? There’s a purity in the storytelling here you rarely see anywhere else. This is fiction, so why not go all the way? Simplify, amplify, push further, do whatever, it’s your world – and it works here brilliantly.

So, in this book: after losing decisively to Piccolo, a near-dead Goku is being taken back by Yajirobe to Master Karin (aka the Hermit Meowster, whose face was apparently based on Toriyama’s cat’s sleeping face!) to find a way to defeat the Demon King. Meanwhile, Master Roshi and the gang are on their way for a fateful showdown with Piccolo… but are they just bringing him the Dragon Balls he needs to restore his youth?

After the surprising death of a main character in the last volume, Toriyama keeps going, killing off not one, not two, but three more major characters in this volume! It’s hard to talk about this book without giving away spoilers but it’s essentially the characters throwing everything they have at Piccolo while Son Goku rests and powers up. 

I’m not giving this the full five stars though as it’s Goku-light and, because we know it’s ultimately down to him to stop Piccolo, the fighting between the Demon King and the others feels a bit like filler, not to mention predictably one-sided. 

That said, the action is very enjoyable with multiple great fight scenes, and, because Toriyama’s shown no compunction with killing off cast members, there’s tension as you don’t know who’s going to eat it next. But without giving away who lives and who dies, I’ll just say that it’s another great seat-of-your-pants episode in the ongoing Piccolo storyline.

I will suggest to not do what I did and read this without having Volume 14 to hand because it’s such a great cliffhanger, I’m dying to find out what happens next!

Dragon Ball, Volume 13: Piccolo Conquers the World

Dragon Ball, Volume 12: The Demon King Piccolo Review (Akira Toriyama)

I know it’s a little early to be mentioning the saiyans (nearly at Dragon Ball Z though!) but this volume of Dragon Ball suddenly went super-freakin’-saiyan! 

The epic battle between Son Goku and Tenshinhan for the title of Strongest Under the Heavens is concluded (of course I won’t say who won!) then, without giving the reader a moment to catch their breath, Akira Toriyama kills off a major character! 

Though completely depowered from his fight with Ten, Goku jumps onto Kinto’un (his flying cloud) with the Dragon Ball tracker to hunt down his friend’s killer - and gets thoroughly beaten for his rashness. 

Enter: Piccolo the Demon King. A super-powerful sorcerer, Piccolo has been freed by Reich Pilaf from an enchanted rice cooker (wonderful detail) where he was imprisoned years ago by Master Roshi’s master. Now freed, Piccolo is taking out the world’s most powerful martial artists, so he can never go back to his prison, and hunting down the Dragon Balls to regain his youth. 

One of the many strengths of the series is the way Toriyama introduces new characters at crucial moments and folds them perfectly into the Dragon Ball world. Piccolo showed up at just the right moment to give the series the shot in the arm it needed by being a powerful and evil adversary for Goku, while Lord Yajirobe, a savage who can nonetheless hold his own against Goku, joins the good guys as a much-needed ally. 

Most of the Dragon Ball books have been rated “for everyone” but this is the first one I’ve noticed is rated “for teens”. This is definitely the darkest Dragon Ball book in the series so far, from murdering a series favourite (though I’m sure he’ll be back once Goku collects the Dragon Balls and asks Shenlong the Dragon God to resurrect his pal), to the way Yajirobe defeats his opponents, slicing them in half with his sword. 

Also, a word of caution if you do read this, or any of the Dragon Ball books - do NOT read the contents page as the titles of the chapters give away major plot points ahead of time! 

Vol 12 has the most awesome fight scene in the series so far - it’s not nearly as long or complex as the ones in the Strongest Under the Heavens fights but it is really satisfying because it means something. Goku catches up with his friend’s killer and DESTROYS him in a flurry of incredible moves. I think I read that whole scene without blinking once! 

With the Demon King’s entrance, Dragon Ball has entered its darkest time and most exciting storyline yet. This volume really ramps up the pace of the series! And guess who’s coming back in the next book? The Hermit Meowster - fantastic!!

Dragon Ball, Volume 12: The Demon King Piccolo

Dragon Ball, Volume 11: The Eyes of Tenshinhan Review (Akira Toriyama)

My main complaint of the last book was Akira Toriyama’s repetition of having the gang go through the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament again, but I have to say their second time around is much more super-charged and exciting so I’m glad he went back to the well! 

Kuririn and Chaozu’s fight ends unexpectedly and hilariously in a math battle, and that’s what I love Dragon Ball for the most - that playful, imaginative way Toriyama uses at just the right moments to keep things light and different. 

Then Jackie Chun (the Turtle Master in disguise) takes on Tenshinhan, the three-eyed champion of the Crane Master, Master Roshi’s rival. 

The fights from that point on go the way you think they will in terms of the victor but what happens in the fights are very much surprising, especially in how they end. 

For example, Goku’s spent the last three years training - which the reader didn’t see - so there’s lots of cool twists in the new tricks he’s now got in his arsenal to keep the fights fresh. 

Toriyama’s the master of weaving story into the action so even if it’s full of superhero fighting for the entire book - and it ends before the final fight concludes so there’s still more to come in the next volume! - it’s never boring or rote to read. And because the action is so good, you absolutely fly through this book to see who’ll win the tournament. 

I really liked the way Master Roshi showed a more mature, wise side to his character with Ten and how that rivalry with the Crane Master works itself out was awesome. And of course seeing Goku fight is always terrific - I honestly don’t know how this storyline will play out but I’m cheering for him to walk away with his first championship title! 

Volume 11 is overflowing with fantastic martial arts action as we see how still further Goku’s powers have advanced. This is a great addition to the series and lots of fun to read.

Dragon Ball, Volume 11: The Eyes of Tenshinhan

Dragon Ball, Volume 10: Return to the Tournament Review (Akira Toriyama)

10 volumes in and, if I didn’t know better, I’d say Dragon Ball is starting to feel alarmingly repetitive. Reich Pilaf returns to make another ham-fisted attempt at stealing the Dragon Balls from Goku, Shenlong the Dragon God appears for the second time to grant a wish, the Dragon Balls scatter again, and then it’s time for another Strongest Under the Heavens tournament! 

Is this all Dragon Ball is, or are we going to get any variations on the winning formula before Dragon Ball Z? I think I’ve answered my own question with “winning formula” because why fix something if it ain’t broke? And, even though I’d kind of like to go after Akira Toriyama for double-dipping, the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament was the best part of the series so far, and, despite returning to it again, it’s still awesome with a new set of fighters. Because, really, what else do you need in a martial arts comic? 

I liked that Upa’s dad came back from the dead and, this not being a Stephen King novel, he didn’t come back as a zombie or anything and resumed life as if he’d only been sleeping in a grave. And I liked that Goku was smart enough to grab his grandpa’s Dragon Ball before they scattered so he wouldn’t have to go on another Dragon Ball quest to get it back. 

I was surprised that Goku’s training was skipped entirely. From one page to the next, 3 years conveniently pass and then the gang are reunited for the tournament (which comes around every 3 years). I would’ve liked to have seen Goku’s adventures rather than another Strongest Under the Heavens tournament, especially as he’s in the crucial stages of becoming a better fighter. But maybe that 3 year gap is to be explored in later volumes or maybe Toriyama left himself some space for if he ever wanted to go back and do some more kid Son Goku adventures?

The Turtle Master is given a rival in the Crane Master because this time around it’s not about Goku fighting Jackie Chun (aka the Turtle Master in disguise) but about giving him a different narrative: the good guys (Turtles) against the bad guys (Cranes). The Crane Master’s even revealed to be the brother of that psycho assassin Taopaipai who died fighting Goku a couple books ago! 

So even if I was wary going in, “here we go again”, once it got going, it was still super-exciting and fun. Goku, Kuririn, Yamcha, and Jackie Chun go up against a couple of disposable baddies and the evil Crane Master’s students, Tenshinhan (who has a third eye in his forehead), and Chaozu (who looks like a living doll with psychic powers). As always, Toriyama does action superbly and the first fights between Yamcha and Tenshinhan, and Jackie Chun and Man-Wolf are brilliant. This volume ends in the middle of Kuririn and Chaozu’s fight so make sure you’ve got the next volume to hand so you don’t miss a beat! 

Toriyama takes us back to the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament once again with a few notable tweaks in the form of new characters, yet still manages to pull off a highly entertaining volume. That said, I’m hoping he tries some different plotlines in the remaining six volumes.

Dragon Ball, Volume 10: Return to the Tournament

Dragon Ball, Volume 9: Test of the All-Seeing Crone Review (Akira Toriyama)

Can you get addicted to a comic? I think I might have a Dragon Ball addiction. I’ve mentioned it in other reviews but I actually felt sad, like that yawning in the pit of your stomach when you feel something bad’s going to happen, when I finished Vol 8 and realised I’d have to wait 5 days until I could read Vol 9. And now? I’m not just stockpiling Dragon Ball books like a wealthy junkie going into a wild weekend, I’m also jumping ahead to Dragon Ball Z - which is even longer, at 26 books! - and stockpiling those so I never have to go 5 days without my fix again. 

It’s sounds demented - because it is. I won’t talk about my addiction again, I’m just going to happily use until it’s all gone. 

Anyway! 

So, in the last book after Goku’s trained himself up, taken out the Red Ribbon Army single-handedly, and collected 6 of the 7 Dragon Balls, he now can’t find the 7th he needs to resurrect his friend Upa’s dead father (killed by Taopaipai in the last book). The Dragon Ball tracker’s broken and even Bulma can’t fix it but luckily Master Roshi knows someone who can find anything: the All-Seeing Crone. Goku, along with Kuririn, Yamcha, Pu’ar and Upa, must battle five of the Crone’s champions to get her to tell him where the final Dragon Ball is. 

It’s Dragon Ball - so why didn’t I love this? Well, the five champions of the Crone spoiled it for me as they’re pretty terrible. Besides the last one (who’s brilliant), they’re generic “bad guys”. Count Dracula, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and the Devil. Aside from the Devil, it’s basically the Universal monsters lineup, and I hate that because it’s so lazy! The fights themselves aren’t bad but it’s not nearly like the Strongest Under the Heavens where all of the contestants were Akira Toriyama originals. These guys? Lame rip-offs we’ve seen a hundred times before elsewhere. 

And I really don’t like that the whole book is so that Goku can get the Crone to tell him where the last Dragon Ball is - it just feels like filler and a wasted opportunity to move the story forward to the next phase. 

But the final fight against the mysterious final champion saves the book from being a total waste. It was tense, exciting, fun, and the reveal of who was beneath the mask was really sweet, especially when Goku broke down and cried. Also I’m glad that the rest of the cast are reunited with Goku again - he’s fine on his solo adventures but the books are at their best when the cast are all assembled together. 

Toriyama tries to recapture the magic that was the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament and unfortunately fails. It’s not a terrible book as it has Toriyama’s usual high quality artwork/writing, but the new characters felt derivative and this doesn’t measure up to the better volumes in the series. That said, the adorable villain Reich Pilaf is back and the dragon ball quest is nearing its conclusion (for the second time) so things are looking up for volume 10!

Dragon Ball, Volume 9: Test of the All-Seeing Crone

Dragon Ball, Volume 8: Taopaipai and Master Karin Review (Akira Toriyama)

Oh yeah, the love is back! I was worried with the last book that it would mark the beginning of a slide into mediocrity for the series but Akira Toriyama turns the ship back around into quality waters (terrible metaphor, I know!). 

It’s like he knew the audience was sick of General Blue and immediately at the start of the book has a new character called Taopaipai, the world’s deadliest assassin, murder him with his tongue. You read that right - with his tongue! Just that detail alone made me realise Toriyama had returned with a vengeance! The martial arts cool is what makes Dragon Ball stand out and we get oodles of that in this volume. 

Taopaipai heads to Karin Sanctuary where Son Goku and the Dragon Balls are - and defeats him! Goku must receive training from the Hermit Master in order to beat Taopaipai, get back the Dragon Balls and destroy the Red Ribbon Army once and for all! 

Taopaipai is a great villain. He’s arrogant, he’s deadly, and Toriyama comes up with a really inventive way for him to get around - he cuts down a building pillar, hurls it in the direction he needs to be, jumps on top of it, and allows the motion to carry him along! He’s also a real combat challenge for Goku, unlike Blue who relied a bit too much on lame trickery. 

The Hermit Master was a cat character who made cat-puns that were genuinely funny because of how silly they were and the expressions he made as he said them. Who can’t laugh at a cat smiling as he calls himself the “Hermit Meowster”? I also loved that there was a totem pole that went so damn high up into the sky and this cat dude lived at the top of it - it’s that mythological aspect that exists alongside the modern world, and both are real, that makes Dragon Ball so special. 

Once Goku’s training is complete, it’s a non-stop action fest straight through to the end as he goes for a rematch against Taopaipai and then - single-handedly - storms the Red Ribbon Army’s HQ! It’s like Toriyama’s making up for the overly cutesiness of the last volume by making this one extra-violent - and it’s so good! 

Dragon Ball Vol 8 sees the title regain the high quality storytelling that made it so awesome to start with. As if you didn’t think Son Goku was a badass before, this volume shows you just how powerful he’s getting. Wonderful stuff.

Dragon Ball, Volume 8: Taopaipai and Master Karin

Dragon Ball, Volume 7: General Blue and the Pirate Treasure Review (Akira Toriyama)

Well, as with all great multi-volume stories, Dragon Ball finally hits a (Dr) slump with its seventh volume.

The Red Ribbon Army are targeting Son Goku and friends with a small group surrounding the Turtle Master’s house and another group, led by General Blue, pursuing Son Goku, Kuririn, and Bulma underwater.

The first half of the book is this weak pirate-themed story as Goku goes through an unremarkable cave system to battle a xenomorph-looking robot and a talking octopus. And if you thought “pirate” meant wooden ships and eye-patches, think again as these pirates had an underwater hideout to rival a Bond villain’s!

General Blue’s not that great a character either - Akira Toriyama seems to be making his power-set up as he goes along. One minute he’s this tough hand-to-hand combat fighter when fighting Kuririn but then he goes up against Goku who of course kicks his butt, so suddenly he has this psychic power which can freeze him to the spot! Then later on he has this even more bizarre “rope power” which ensnares the group long enough for him to steal the dragon balls and escape! It’s like… wha…?

The second half of the book sees Goku chasing Blue into somewhere called Penguin Village, which I gather is the setting of Toriyama’s previous series, Dr Slump. My knowledge of Toriyama’s work begins and ends with Dragon Ball so seeing his older characters may be exciting for fans of Dr Slump but not for me.

And though Dragon Ball’s not exactly an edgy series - it’s child-friendly for the most part - compared to Dr Slump, it’s like a Garth Ennis book! The characters in Dr Slump are just soooo cutesy-wutesy, from the floating genius baby who can telepathically make machines, to the little happy power girl, and the twins wearing animal hats who are also super-super-upbeat about everything; eesh, it’s so sickeningly sweet!

But there are lots of great Goku moments throughout, especially when he’s fighting Blue and a rat inadvertently gives him an opening that allows him to momentarily beat him. When the cave starts to fall in, he saves the rat because the rat saved him - that’s how good-hearted a person he is.

And the “Superman” parody scene was brilliant too - seeing the little “Clark Kent” character dash off into a conveniently placed phone box to change into Suppa-Man was so funny.

Volume 7 is definitely the weakest addition to the series so far, but with the Dr Slump fan service/back-patting (hopefully) over and done with, things can only get better here on out as Goku continues his quest to get his grandpa’s four-star dragon ball before the Red Ribbon Army.

Dragon Ball, Volume 7: General Blue and the Pirate Treasure

Dragon Ball Volume 6: Bulma Returns! Review (Akira Toriyama)

These Dragon Ball books are like comics meth for me. I’m consuming them ridiculously quickly in single-volume gulps as they come in and I think if I had all of them in a pile, I would lock my door and not emerge until they were all read! I think with Dragon Ball Z I might see if I can grab the entire 26 volume series at once and take some time off to consume them wholesale with no distractions – I know I sound crazy, but I’m quite serious!

In this book, Son Goku is making his way up Muscle Tower, fighting his way through the levels to rescue the mayor being held hostage by the Red Ribbon Army (a Nazi-esque organisation also searching for the Dragon Balls). Along the way Goku meets the comedically arrogant ninja Sergeant Major Purple and the Frankenstein’s Monster lookalike, 8-Man, before setting off to the big city to find Bulma to fix his Dragon Ball tracker.

I loved finding out more about Bulma. She came across as this slutty dimwit before but she’s more nuanced now after finding out who she and her family are really like. Her dad is the inventor of the capsules – those things that instantaneously create houses, cars, etc. – which makes her a billionaire heiress and, along with the vast wealth, she’s inherited that genius intellect, inventing, among other things, Goku’s Dragon Ball tracker.

There are some really funny moments too as we find out her mum and dad are pretty liberal, happy for their daughter to fool around with boys and drink sake, while the usually free-wheeling Bulma is reactively conservative around her folks. “Children don’t drink sake!” she yells at her mum after she brings out a glass for Goku! Then her mum says she’d love to find the Dragon Balls herself and wish for a hunk to sweep her away – the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree after all!

Goku is reunited with more of the original Dragon Ball cast just as the Red Ribbon Army begin to close in on them. Unfortunately this means more of the ridiculously pervy Turtle Master who manages to find a new low of spying on Bulma on the toilet – seriously, does anyone besides Akira Toriyama like this awful character?! But it does mean Goku’s back with his training partner Kuririn, so I’m hoping the two get to do some damage to the Red Ribbon lunatics and we see some more awesome magical fighting.

If you’ve only seen the TV show, you need to read the books – they are much, much better! Volume 6 is another fine entry in the Dragon Ball series. Now I’m off to see my dealer about Volume 7…

Dragon Ball Volume 6: Bulma Returns!

Dragon Ball, Volume 5: The Red Ribbon Army Review (Akira Toriyama)

I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to get to Dragon Ball because it’s so damn good! Seriously, I just want to have all 42 volumes with me right now so I can just read this and nothing else until I’ve finished! 

Volume 5 rounds out the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament with Son Goku squaring off against Jackie Chun (Master Roshi in disguise) in the final, and it might be the best superhero fight I’ve ever read in comics. It’s so unpredictable, it’s like Akira Toriyama didn’t know himself who he was going to let win! One minute Goku’s winning, then it’s Chun, then THIS happens, then THAT happens, and it’s this whirlwind of energy and tension, and before you know it, half the book’s gone! 

Even at half a book’s length, the fight doesn’t feel overlong because so much happens in it. It’s an epic fight between master and disciple, especially given how Goku’s abilities keep getting more and more unpredictably powerful. 

The second half sees Goku leaving the rest of the cast behind to go on a new adventure. With Goku clearly having learned all he can from Master Roshi, he and Kinto’un (his magic flying cloud) head off to once more find Dragon Balls. His search takes him to snowier climes and into the path of the Red Ribbon Army who’re also after the Dragon Balls. They’ve enlisted the help of a nearby town’s men, against their will, and it’s up to Goku to liberate them and grab his grandpa’s Dragon Ball too. 

Looking at the way the stories are structured - Goku fights one opponent after another after another etc. - they should be much less interesting to read than they are, and yet the colourful world, inventive characters, and brilliant execution of the action makes them utterly irresistible reads. And they’re very light-hearted which adds to its charm too - that final sequence with the dumb ninja trying to outwit Goku was hilarious! 

I would recommend this series to all comics readers, not just manga fans, as these are truly outstanding books. This series has been excellent so far and this book is awesome too - Toriyama is killing it with the art and the writing. I’m totally gutted that I don’t have the next few volumes to hand because I would devour them if I did! Gotta catch ‘em all, Dragon Balls and the books alike!

Dragon Ball, Volume 5: The Red Ribbon Army

Dragon Ball, Volume 4: Strongest Under the Heavens Review (Akira Toriyama)

The Tenka’ichi Budokai, or “Strongest Under the Heavens” fighting tournament is in full swing, taking up this entire book. Yamcha squares off against “Jackie Chun” (the Turtle Master in the worst disguise ever!), a couple of minor characters called Ran Fuan (a sex object pretending to be a character) vs Namu, probably the only character in the contest who has real impetus to win the prize money: so he can buy water for his dry village. Son Goku takes on Giran Kaiju and Kuririn waits for his second round, having won his fight in the last book. 

Whenever I read a comic book full of superhero fighting, usually by Marvel or DC, I end up hating it or being bored with it, but I wasn’t with Dragon Ball Volume 4, though it’s basically non-stop fighting. Why? I think it’s partly due to Akira Toriyama being both artist and writer. With superhero comics, there’s usually a writer and an artist and, if you read some of the scripts to those comics, the writer will basically hand over to the artist with the fight scenes, saying something like “Wolverine and villain fight for 5 pages”, leaving it up to the artist to figure out the most entertaining way to portray that. 

That method’s fine but it feels like filler more than anything because superhero comics always need fighting - the story is already plotted, we’re just watching things play out before the story resumes once the writer takes over. Because Toriyama is both artist and writer, there’s no such gap - the story and the fighting are intertwined so each fight is part of the overall narrative, meaning there’s never a pause while characters battle pointlessly before going back to the story.

At least, that’s how it seems to me! 

I won’t give away who beats who because finding out is part of the fun of this volume, but each fight is interesting in its own way because of the different personalities of the characters. Goku continues to improve at an incredible pace, with his kamehameha becoming as strong as Kame-Sen’in’s already! With so much potential, who knows where Goku’s powers will end?

Volume 4 is a super-awesome, enjoyable book that I blew through because it was so enthralling. Toriyama keeps up the fun and invention of Dragon Ball while ramping up the action and drama with this brilliant fighting contest. Who will win the final round? Find out in the next volume. Wonderful stuff!

Dragon Ball, Volume 4: Strongest Under the Heavens

Dragon Ball, Volume 3: The Training of Kame-Sen'nin Review (Akira Toriyama)

Son Goku is training with Mr Super Perv, the old Turtle Master, Kame-Sen’in, to become the ultimate fighter. A new student, Kuririn, joins them as the group trains to enter the Tenka’ichi Budokai, the “Strongest Under the Heavens” fighting contest. Also, Lunch is introduced. 

Who’s Lunch? This braindead woman who changes from Jekyll to Hyde when she sneezes and is essentially a bimbo. I wonder how long it took Akira Toriyama to think up the names of these characters - Lunch?! What, it took him a microsecond to come up with that? And why does she go along with everything like, oh being abducted and taken to an island and made to wear lingerie and cook - doesn’t she have a life/character of her own? 

Kame-Sen’in’s lechery is getting really annoying - I’m sure it’s supposed to be funny but I kinda hate the character at this point. 

Other than that, it’s another great volume in the series. The training sequences are pretty fun as Goku and Kuririn go from rivals to besties, and it pays off when they reach the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament and we see these two tiny kids beat the crap out of giant opponents! Plus we see them put on the classic orange outfits for the first time (though the comic is in black and white, you’ve probably see colour versions of the characters elsewhere). 

With Yamcha, Bulma, Pu’ar and Oolong showing up to watch, the series is really filling out with an interesting cast. And I love the craziness of this world where T-Rexs chase Goku and Kuririn on their milk rounds and houses come in capsules! 

The book ends just after the first fight of the tournament with Son Goku yet to spar, and probably win, so make sure you’ve got the next couple books to hand so you can jump right into the action without having to wait! Dragon Ball Vol 3 has a few bits here and there I didn’t like with Kame-Sen’in and Lunch but it’s still a fantastic book that fans of the series will devour in no time!

Dragon Ball, Volume 3: The Training of Kame-Sen'nin

Dragon Ball, Volume 2: Wish Upon a Dragon Review (Akira Toriyama)

Son Goku, Bulma and Oolong are nearing the end of their quest with just a couple of dragon balls left to find. But they have more to worry about than Lord Yamcha and Pu’ar on their tail as Reich Pilaf is after the dragon balls for his own evil plans of world domination!

Dragon Ball is an absolute delight! Thankfully this second volume is a lot less pervy than the first one (though it’s weird seeing a 10 year old, I think, girl in a bikini) but the humour’s still silly – and I love that! It doesn’t take itself too seriously but manages to keep a good balance between drama and comedy.

We learn more about why Kame Senin is such a cool fighter, despite coming off as the biggest perv in the world (the Hawaiian shirts don’t help!), and Son Goku becomes more powerful learning how to hadoken – in fact, we find out just how dangerous this strange little boy is and why he has a tail.

The bad guy Reich Pilaf (a questionable name but then a lot of the characters’ names are questionable. Chi Chi, the name of the 10 year old girl, means both father and breasts in Japanese. Hmm) is probably the cutest bad guy ever. The alien-looking little fella has the gang locked up in his prison, then there’s a panel of him holding his toothbrush and toothpaste as he grins and tells us he’s going to bed early because he wants to be fresh in the morning. Have you ever seen a villain do anything so adorable?

The characters are really fun and Akira Toriyama writes them all so marvellously that they’re a joy to read. His artwork too is outstanding with more and more outlandish characters popping up. Toriyama is clearly enjoying himself, throwing in just about every kind of genre into Dragon Ball: sci-fi, fantasy, action, martial arts, mythology, contemporary culture, comedy, drama, romance – it sounds like a mess but it all gels together so perfectly in a way I can’t explain because I don’t really understand it myself. It just works!

Besides the feeling of perviness that’s unfortunately still in this series, the only aspect of the book I felt was a bit sloppy was how Yamcha and Bulma became a couple. Suddenly Yamcha’s not afraid of girls? It felt a tad contrived.

It’s great how the series so far has built up to this big moment when the Dragon God emerges and how Toriyama totally undermines that with one of the characters – that kind of bait and switch was totally unexpected and brilliant. It also means that the series is now headed in a completely fresh direction full of potential, and I can’t wait to find out where it’ll go next.

Two volumes in and I’m totally hooked. Dragon Ball is aces!

Dragon Ball, Volume 2: Wish Upon a Dragon