By Inui Sekihiko
TOKYOPOP, 248 pp.
Rating: OT (16 +)

Ratman is a bit of a manga rarity in the US. It’s a superhero series from Japan. Generally speaking, these don’t make it over to our side of the Pacific very often, at least not in manga form. You’re far more likely to encounter the Japanese take on the superhero in terms of live action, whether it’s in the form of the Americanized version of the Super Sentai series known as the Power Rangers, or the odd and rare release of a Kamen Rider movie on DVD. So when I found out that Ratman was a Japanese superhero title I couldn’t help but be a little intrigued. Thankfully, the first volume doesn’t disappoint as it unveils the origin of the titular character in a rather humorous series of events.

Young Shuto Katsuragi has a dream: he hopes to someday become a superhero! Normally, these kind of dreams are rather silly and come to naught, but luckily for him Japan’s in the middle of a superhero boom with new corporate-sponsored heroes popping up every day. Still, things look grim as he’s not terribly athletic and at the age of fifteen he has yet to break the five-foot mark. Still, dreams can come true and his are about to in a most unexpected way thanks to an evil organization known as Jackal. Through an elaborate setup and for reasons unknown, Jackal enables Shugo to become a superhero, but only after he’s unwittingly signed a binding legal document. Now Shuto is on the wrong side of the law, or is he?

One of the key themes in Ratman is “What makes a hero?” Does a real hero need a license? Does he need special powers? It’s something Shuto encounters again and again throughout the first volume, from the opening scene to a rather disillusioning encounter with the corporate-sponsored hero, Ankaiser. Never fear, though: the book is far from a dour examination of the superhero genre and what it takes to be a hero. In fact, it’s a rather lighthearted and fun read. The book is brimming with gags and humor which range from Shuto’s fanboying over the various superheroes, to a rather unfortunate altercation Shuto has with a local gang member on his school’s roof, to the bizarre mute antics of Jackal’s henchmen known as Jackies. Inui Sekihiko’s struck a nice balance between humor, ponderings on the nature of a hero, an interesting plot involving the organization that governs superhero activities in Japan, and just enough character development to make Shuto a likeable, down-on-his-luck hero.

Inui Sekihiko’s artwork is okay, though it’s not terribly flashy or unique-looking. It’s perfectly acceptable middle-of-the-road stuff for the most part. I think the real standout visuals are probably his superhero designs. They’re all fairly snazzy to look at and seem to be something of a mash-up of Japanese style transforming heroes and the more westernized capes set. With the helmet and full body suit, Ratman looks like he owes more to Japans tokusatsu heroes than he does to the their American counterparts. Ankaiser, another hero he encounters during his first mission, clad in a cape, no mask, and a sleeveless top displaying his rippling physique, feels like a take on the traditional American superhero designs.

I get the feeling that Ratman will be facing a bit of an uphill battle. Contemporary manga and anime fans seem to shy away from superhero stories, but hopefully they’ll be willing to give this title a fair shake. It’s interesting, fun, and personally I’m curious to see what Inui has in store for us.

Volume one of Ratman is available now.

Review copy provided by the publisher.