Digital Klown
08-13-2006, 03:47 PM
Title: Air Gear (TPB) Vol. 1
Artist/Writer: Oh!great
Publisher/Translator: Del Rey
Price: $10.95 US or $14.50 CDN
First of all, I want to comment on the transition from the Japanese version to the English version. It was very well done. There wasn't a dust jacket cover, of course, but they left pretty much everything intact, plus they added some neat bonus features (which I will get into later)! And unlike CMX's adaptation of Tenjo Tenge, there does not seem to be any noticable edits. Even the cover looks exactly like the one in the Japanese version.
The Story
Now for the material. Air Gear introduces a new sport involving a unique kind of in-line skates called "Air Treck" which is basically in-line skates with two big wheels powered by a small, but powerful motor. This allows the skater (appropriately nicknamed Stormriders) to do some really crazy stunts, like fly over a building, bounce from rooftop to rooftop, skate on walls, etc. The story revolves around a boy named Itsuki, who got pulled into the world of Air Treck after antagonizing a group of Stormriders called the "Skull Saders."
Itsuki lives in an apartment with four girls who are sisters and this situation provides for some very comical moments. The sisters seem to know more about Air Treck than they reveal. It turns out the girls are already experts of Air Treck, and that they have their own team called "Sleeping Forest" with a deep history that is kept secret for now.
Overall, it is a very interesting and engaging story. It's fast-paced, funny, and it makes you wish that Air Trecks were real, so you can fly with them. This first volume is basically a set up for more exciting things to come. Itsuki is being set up as a hero, who is destined to become one of the best stormriders.
The Artwork
The artwork is awesome. It actually took me a while to read through the book because I was so busy admiring the artwork the entire time. There's so much perspective and backgrounds and characters interacting with backgrounds in perspective, there's just so much to see. The shots of the characters flying through the air look exciting and dynamic. And there's so much attention to detail, especially with regards to what the characters are wearing.
This book is worth a look if you're just looking for something new and exciting. It's fast paced, and has artwork that will dazzle the senses. It's worth it just for the artwork alone. And as far as translation goes, Del Rey seems to be doing a good job so far. They even included some special features like in-depth translation notes, character concept sketches and a preview of the next volume. I'm likin that.
Artist/Writer: Oh!great
Publisher/Translator: Del Rey
Price: $10.95 US or $14.50 CDN
First of all, I want to comment on the transition from the Japanese version to the English version. It was very well done. There wasn't a dust jacket cover, of course, but they left pretty much everything intact, plus they added some neat bonus features (which I will get into later)! And unlike CMX's adaptation of Tenjo Tenge, there does not seem to be any noticable edits. Even the cover looks exactly like the one in the Japanese version.
The Story
Now for the material. Air Gear introduces a new sport involving a unique kind of in-line skates called "Air Treck" which is basically in-line skates with two big wheels powered by a small, but powerful motor. This allows the skater (appropriately nicknamed Stormriders) to do some really crazy stunts, like fly over a building, bounce from rooftop to rooftop, skate on walls, etc. The story revolves around a boy named Itsuki, who got pulled into the world of Air Treck after antagonizing a group of Stormriders called the "Skull Saders."
Itsuki lives in an apartment with four girls who are sisters and this situation provides for some very comical moments. The sisters seem to know more about Air Treck than they reveal. It turns out the girls are already experts of Air Treck, and that they have their own team called "Sleeping Forest" with a deep history that is kept secret for now.
Overall, it is a very interesting and engaging story. It's fast-paced, funny, and it makes you wish that Air Trecks were real, so you can fly with them. This first volume is basically a set up for more exciting things to come. Itsuki is being set up as a hero, who is destined to become one of the best stormriders.
The Artwork
The artwork is awesome. It actually took me a while to read through the book because I was so busy admiring the artwork the entire time. There's so much perspective and backgrounds and characters interacting with backgrounds in perspective, there's just so much to see. The shots of the characters flying through the air look exciting and dynamic. And there's so much attention to detail, especially with regards to what the characters are wearing.
This book is worth a look if you're just looking for something new and exciting. It's fast paced, and has artwork that will dazzle the senses. It's worth it just for the artwork alone. And as far as translation goes, Del Rey seems to be doing a good job so far. They even included some special features like in-depth translation notes, character concept sketches and a preview of the next volume. I'm likin that.