By Naoki Urasawa
VIZ, 210 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were a kid? There were dreams of space travel, of being rich and famous, and I know that I wanted to be a Power Ranger (the blue one!) or Knuckles from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. I’m sure for most of us, like Kenji and his neighborhood pals in 20th Century Boys, our dreams fell somewhere along the line of protecting and saving the world. 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.

20th Century Boys is a story that is compelling on several levels. First, it explores a lot about adulthood and having to give up on your dreams to face reality, to be an “adult.” The main character, Kenji, is the prime example for this point. Growing up, Kenji had high hopes that he and his friend would be explorers and heroes, changing the world as we know it. Silly childhood fantasies like that often fade, but Kenji instead evolved his fantasy from becoming a hero to becoming a rock star, buying a guitar and playing his heart out. Now in his early thirties, he is living out of his home, having taken over the family business and taking care of his mother and niece. It’s heartwrenching to see, actually, as Kenji constantly remarks about his dreams to everyone. Kenji is a very personable, relatable character in this respect.

The story is also very relatable, as everyone can relate to their pasts coming back to them. 20th Century Boys is an extradonairy example, though, as Urasawa presents an easy but enthralling read. The book has a wonderful flow to it, wafting back and forth from Kenji’s present situation and past life. Both sides never seemed overwhelming, however; Urasawa keeps the story suspenseful and exciting so you won’t want to stop reading.

In all honesty, Urasawa’s master storytelling would certainly not be the same without his incredible artwork. Urasawa puts a lot of effort into giving us very clean and detailed images and it pays off, making the stories easy and pleasing to read. On top of this, Urasawa really captures the feeling and emotion of the scene beautifully in the artwork. A good example would be the scene when Donkey, an ill-fated friend of Kenji’s, is in the school at night and sees something frightful. The slight turn of his head, increasing focus on his face and widening eyes really give you an en eerie feeling. As Michelle mentioned in her Pluto review, it is almost cinematic. Urasawa is also able to capture the mundane feeling of Kenji’s life, however. The true strength of Urasawa’s work lies in his character creation. Every character is incredibly different, ranging from small details like the nose or eyes to entirely different shapes for the heads. This has always been a huge aspect to why people enjoy Urasawa’s work: the characters are easy to differentiate and identify, causing much less confusion than other series.

All in all, go out and buy this book and the book after that and the book after that. Urasawa is a great author in the sense that he is able to touch us as people. His works speak to everyone, rather than just a small sect of people. I know 20th Century Boys (Pluto is a close second) is so far my favorite story of his, making me increasingly nostalgic for my younger days in California.

Volume one of 20th Century Boys is available now.