By Kentaro Miura
Dark Horse, 224 pp.
Rating: 18+

Somehow, I was one of the few people who picked up the Berserk manga without ever realizing there was an anime. I had read what I thought was “dark” manga before. It turns out, however, that Berserk has all of those other series trumped. Executions, torture, hideous monsters, dismemberment, and gallons of blood soak the majority of the pages in volume one. That being said, Berserk is not an exercise in tasteless, mindless violence.

The story follows Guts, a lone swordsman traveling through a medieval fantasy world. He is seeking revenge against a group he calls “The God Hand” although precious few details are revealed about his reasons for doing so. His quest brings him into contact with those who have traded their humanity for demonic power.

While his sword is of ridiculous proportions, he carries more than enough attitude to back up his choice of weapon. The most compelling part of Guts’ character is that he does not act in accordance with any definition of right or wrong. Instead, he operates within a gray area where, if his actions further his plots, he will commit to any act. There are no inspiring monologues about heroism or protecting the innocent here. Instead, Guts is driven by his own desire for vengeance and survival. And survival is no easy task.

On the back of his neck, Guts is branded with a mysterious symbol that causes demons to flock to him. Night after night, he is hunted by the supernatural and the undead. Readers get to witness one such battle that stretches from night ’til dawn and learn firsthand that Guts has very little time to rest and almost no opportunity to recover between battles. All of this is exhausting for him, and the reader will feel it, too. The fight scenes are magnificently illustrated and just when you think you’ve seen every possible way Guts could bust up a skeleton army, Miura presents a new angle, a new sword swing, and a new eruption of bones. As a result of being constantly hunted, Guts bears countless scars, is blind in one eye, and has a fake left arm.

With so much grim imagery and death, it would be easy for Berserk to get completely swallowed up by the gloom that pervades nearly every drop of ink. To avoid falling into this trap, Miura has a side character who tags along with Guts. Puck, the elf, is inadvertently rescued by Guts in the opening chapter. He’s a tiny creature reminiscent of Tinkerbell, used to provide the occasional sight gag and cute joke. He is not a proper sidekick, since Guts has no real interest in keeping company with him. Instead, Puck and Guts continuously cross paths until it becomes clear that traveling together may be beneficial for both.

Berserk redefines what is considered a well-written fantasy manga. There are few manga that come anywhere close to creating a complex tale that includes medieval warfare, magic, and horror.

Volume one of Berserk is available now.