An absolutely outstanding volume all around.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Kohei Horikoshi
Translation: Caleb Cook
What They Say
Bakugo’s abduction by the League of Villains was a carefully calculated move designed to draw out the Heroes—All Might in particular—and destroy them. Midoriya and his friends set out on a rescue mission that eventually pulls in not only All Might but also several other heroes! The casualties mount, until at last the mastermind of the plot appears—the only villain powerful enough to go head-to-head with All Might and possibly win…All For One!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
We find ourselves seriously in the thick of things right from the very start of this volume, with All Might and All for One facing off! There’s naturally some flash there, but the focus at first is on our heroes figuring out what they can do. And I have to say, I really, really love how it plays out. It’s one of those moments where you can really feel the growth of the characters. They simply would have acted far more rashly in the past, and likely paid the price for it. Plus it’s just wonderfully paced and makes for a really exciting moment in general, too.
With that out of the way, though, the focus is entirely on this battle between the titans. And… just holy crap. THIS is going to be one of the scenes the series is remembered for, and is easily the best it has ever been. Everything is done just so well in every way, making for an absolute joy to read. And the sight of All Might in his reduced form, still fighting on and then putting everything he has in that one last shot… it’s simply amazing.
Hell, even the aftermath is handled amazingly here. The school, in particular, is hit hard by the events, so the teachers make home visits and explain the intention to move the students into dorms. It starts as an excuse to introduce a ton of parents while discussing the issues, which is fun enough in its own way. Just when you think it’s done going through this routine, though, Deku’s mom actually objects! And man, it’s another really well-done scene that I’d say elevates all the characters involved.
The only time the volume really lets up is at the tail end with the introductions of everyone’s dorm rooms. But even then, it’s pretty charming and makes for a nice change of pace after all the excitement, so I don’t even have any complaints there.
In Summary
This volume pulls out all the stops and delivers on all fronts, beginning to end. It’s an absolute rollercoaster ride and easily the best the series has ever been, and by a good margin at that. From the students to All Might and even at least one other surprising source, the characters are treated fantastically throughout and given some great moments. Even the one little slow bit at the end feels well earned and more like a nice change of pace than something that kills the momentum. This is the type of volume most series hope to one day put out, and I can only hope that future volumes can come close to this level of quality. Because if they do, this really could end up becoming one of the greats.
Content Grade: A+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: February 6th, 2018
MSRP: $9.99
