Author / Artist:
Naoki Urasawa
Failed rock musician Kenji's memories of his past come rushing back when one of his childhood friends mysteriously commits suicide. Could this new death be related to the rise of a bizarre new cult that's been implicated in several other murders and disappearances? Determined to dig deeper, Kenji reunites with some of his old buddies in the hope of learning the truth behind it all.
Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren't for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a gang of boys who try to save the world.
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Mon, 10/26/2009 - 16:08 — Lissa
Pull Quote:
"Working from the skins of a coming of age story and layering on some heavy mystery elements, I can’t wait to sink my attention span into the next installment to see where this unraveling tale of suspense leads us next."
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 18:57 — Anna
Pull Quote:
20th Century Boys features a challenging narrative structure, as flashbacks are interwoven with scenes from the present day.
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 07:44 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
20th Century Boys is a true graphic novel in the deepest sense of the term. It has all the characteristics of the best novels combined with excellent art. Perhaps it’s a sad comment on comics, both American and Japanese, but the literary excellence of this book completely caught me off guard.
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 07:45 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
Naoki Urasawa, author of Monster and Pluto: Tezuka x Urasawa, spins a suspenseful thriller involving a group of adults who must face their recurring past in the form of a rising terrorist cult, fittingly named the “Friend” cult.
Thu, 10/29/2009 - 07:47 — Anna
Pull Quote:
After reading the first volume, I still am not entirely sure what the series is about, but I do know it’s really, really amazing. One of my favorite things is variation in storytelling structure, both in novels and in manga or comics, and this has one of the most novel approaches to telling a story that I’ve ever seen.
Thu, 11/12/2009 - 09:41 — swanjun
Pull Quote:
If you’re thinking that this review is largely concentrated on plot, you’re correct, because the same can be said for 20th Century Boys itself. Still, there are some deeper themes in play, too. As Kenji and his friends begin to remember more details from their childhood together, one senses that they’re somewhat in awe of their past selves. In one scene, after discovering a time capsule of sorts buried by the boys many years before, Kenji muses: "Are we, today, the kind of adults we dreamed of becoming back then? Or would our childhood selves just look at us now and laugh?”
Sun, 01/10/2010 - 20:30 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
Reading Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, however, convinced me that it is possible to tell a twisty, layered story about ordinary people saving the world from annihilation without succumbing to cliche or unduly testing the audience’s patience. The key to Urasawa’s success? A strong script with vivid characters and a clear sense of purpose, reassuring the reader that all the plot strands are just that: strands, not loose threads.
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 19:59 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
While I've always been excited by Urasawa's plotting-skills, with volume 6 and 7 of 20th Century Boys I've come to appreciate what an astounding job he's done with character-work in this title. For me, the biggest mystery of this title is becoming Kenji Endo and how exactly he became a man who could save the world.
