Meteors and mermen!
Creative Staff
Story: ONE
Art: Yusuke Murata
Translation: John Werry
What They Say
Saitama is now a certified hero! And with that title comes great responsibility-he’s required to perform one heroic deed per week. While Saitama makes the rounds to meet his quota, an incoming threat from outer space is screeching toward Earth… Will he be able to face it? Find out in volume 4 of One-Punch Man!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
For the first third or so of the volume, the focus is on a giant meteor closing in on the city. And for the most part, this is a chance for the S-rank heroes to strut their stuff. Genos of course leaps into the thick of things, and alongside him stand the old master Bang and the self serving Metal Knight. They put in a great effort with plenty of flash, but in the end it’s not enough and of course Saitama has to step in. And for once, our hero’s efforts are actually noticed!
And though the recognition earns him a boost to right near the top of the C ranks, it also earns him the hate of people thinking he’s a glory hog or even responsible for the destruction that still occurred. As a result some tank top loving heroes come after him and even rally the people against him. In the end though, Saitama has an absolutely great reaction that makes him look cool in a way different than his usual method of overpowering his enemies with force. It’s certainly a great moment, and it makes for a nice little change of pace.
Finally, a new threat emerges in the form of the “Clan of the Seafolk”, a group of monsters from the sea. Saitama of course nonchalantly takes down their messengers in his usual manner, but that’s just the start of things. When further Seafolk appear some other heroes lead the charge, but things get intense when the Deep Sea King arrives on the scene. And he’s fortunately a villain with some serious presence, proving himself to be an absolutely terrifying and powerful beast just in time for the S-rank hero Puri-Puri Prisoner to show up in order to confront him.
The bonus chapter this time around is actually especially neat, as it focuses on Sonic being placed in prison with Puri Puri Prisoner. This makes for some great moments for both of them, and some nice little bits that feel relevant, even if they didn’t fit into the main plot.
In Summary
To some degree this volume lacks some of the absolute power of the ones that came before, but it’s still a joy to read. To start us off we get a nice mix of establishment for a few S-rank, which of course results in some of the best visuals in the series yet. Next up we get a fun change of pace when a chapter focuses on Saitama receiving some negative attention, leading to an amusing ending that actually packs a solid punch with surprisingly minimal physical violence. And finally, things end off on a great introduction for a new villain, as well as probably the nicest bonus chapter that the series has had thus far. There’s ultimately a little less to blow readers away than in the past, but it’s still plenty amazing, and it’s sure to keep fans thoroughly entertained.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: January 5th, 2016
MSRP: $9.99
