USA’s Division 1 and Japan’s Keiji must infiltrate the HQ now occupied by China in order to send out a distress signal. Meanwhile, the Terra Formars are about to launch an attack on HQ as well! Find out what happens in an exciting 11th volume of “Terra Formars”!
Image courtesy of © 2011 by Ken-Ichi Tachibana, Yu Sasuga/SHUEISHA Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: Terra Formars Vol. 11
STORY BY: Yu Sasuga
ART BY: Ken-Ichi Tachibana
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shueisha, Inc.
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC
RATED: T for Older Teen
Available on March 8, 2016
In Terra Formars volume 11, it’s the late 26th century, overpopulation on Earth is reaching the breaking point, and humanity must find new frontiers. The terraforming of Mars has taken centuries but is now complete. The colonization of Mars by humanity is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terraforming process unleashes a horror no one could ever have imagined…
In a bid to contact Earth for help, Keiji and the others from Division 1 infiltrate the Annex 1 and head for the communications center. With the release of Hong’s bioweapon, the mission is dangerous even without the ongoing threat from the terraformars. Getting a message through to Earth may be the last chance anyone from the Annex 1 mission has to survive, but even if they can contact home base, will the leaders on Earth agree to help?
With a new mission is being set by U-NASA (20-years after the disastrous BUGS-2 mission), this time, this latest expedition is for the survival of humanity as a virus has swept Earth and the only known antidote is in Mars.
New recruits have been selected and a powerful group of officers that are part of Annex 1 are on their way to Mars, but to the surprise of anyone onboard, the Terraformars have gotten aboard and now it’s a fight for survival in the spacecraft traveling to Mars.
As the onslaught of Terraformars have killed many of the officers of Annex 1, but those who have survived and fought back against the humanoid/cockroaches are now starting to discover that it’s not just cockroaches that are on the planet, other insects are also on Mars and each of them have fighting capabilities.
It was revealed that the Chinese delegation have been working against everyone and are the true traitors and are trying to kill off the other countries officers.
But now, as the USA and Japan teams try to infiltrate the main station which the Chinese are now occupying, the goal is to get in and for Division 1 to use their advanced technical skills to send out a distress signal back to Earth and let them know of the treachery of the Chinese delegation.
But with the Chinese waiting for Division 1, Dragon Fly Terra Formars are also planning to infiltration the station as well.
Find out more of what happens in “Terra Formars” vol. 11!
What is “Terra Formars”?
In 2011, writer Yu Sasuga and artist Kenichi Tachibana would create “Terra Formars”, a manga series that would become a major hit in Japan.
First serialized in Shueisha’s “Weekly Young Jump” and an OVA and anime series slated later this year, “Terra Formars” was ranked #1 in the 2013 “Kono Manga ga Sugoi!” top 20 Manga for Male Readers survey.
With nine tankobon volumes published in Japan, “Terra Formars” vol. 1 will be released in the United States in July 2014 courtesy of Viz Media (on the Viz Signature imprint).
With Earth looking to colonize Mars which is undergoing its final stages of Terraforming and now becoming a green planet, a group of 15 men and women have been sent to Mars to check on the Terraformation of the planet.
Meanwhile, on Earth, the planet is falling into ruin due to environmental destruction and energy shortages, so Mars has been the focus by scientists.
Scientists have used moss and a black organism to darken the surface of the planet and causing it to absorb more sunlight, increase temperatures and melting the carbon dioxide.
The black organism used by scientists were cockroaches.
As the 15 men and women of BUGS 2 arrive on the planet on their mission to evaluate the planet but also to find out what happened to the first crew (BUGS 1) that landed on the planet.
The team discover that the Terraforming has succeeded but to their shock, the cockroaches have mutated with human bodies.
As the Japanese members, Shokichi Komachi and his childhood friend Nanao Akita try to make contact with one of the beings, the humanoid cockroach snaps Nanao’s neck.
And now the humans have become the hunted.
Because the cockroaches exhibit all abilities of a cockroach, it was learned that scientists embedded human DNA in them and their mutation has made them beings that would not just survive in Mars but also exhibiting human characteristics and a hatred towards humanity (as humanity has had a hatred towards cockroaches).
But humanity also has found a way for humans to counteract the cockroaches by using injections of insects on humans that will briefly give them insect powers. But is it enough for the humans to survive in Mars as they are now considered the pests for the planet in which the humanoid cockroaches are the primary species?
In volume 2 of “Terra Formars”, the manga is set 20-years later and Shokichi Komachi is now the new head of U-NASA. As one of the few survivors to escape from Mars and survive the cockroach onslaught, the Earth he has returned to is not just facing an overpopulation problem but also a widespread virus that came from Mars.
The bad news that the only way to stop it is to confirm the existence of the virus and determine its type and bring it back to Earth in hopes to create a vaccine.
But will Shokichi find a new group of people willing to sacrifice their lives for humanity by going to Mars and prepare for the onslaught of cockroach/humans that have infested the planet and want nothing more than to kill the humans?
As the Terraformars have invaded the spacecraft of Annex 1, it becomes a battle of survival as the recruits must prepare for a crash landing on Mars, but to find out that not only have Earth’s recruits have evolved, so have the Terraformars!
In volume 4, the officers come across different types of Terraformars that somehow have other insect abilities. Did they evolve that way or is someone responsible for the insects becoming bipedal humanoid.
And in volume 5, learning that these Terraformars have managed to evolve possible with other insects that were kept behind on Bugs 2. And now, Adolf Reinhad of Germany and his crew must survive in their fight against them.
In volume 6, the onslaught by the Terraformars continues and as the Division 1 has no extra serum to continue fighting or heal themselves, can the team of Lt. Davis and Alex save Division 1 in time?
Meanwhile, it appears there is a traitor amongst U-NASA and that the Terraformars are much more developed than expected.
In volume 7, it is revealed who the traitors who sabotaged the U-NASA mission and why they did it. As Divisions 1 and 2 finally regroup and plan their next strategy, back on Earth, we see how nations are politically corrupt and are working in their own personal best interests and their thoughts of even rescuing the divisions on Mars.
Low on medicine, low on weaponry, will the surviving divisions have any chance of survival on Mars?
In volume 8, the Chinese have revealed that they were never on anyone’s side and are in control of the lab and annex. And with the Chinese feeling they can eliminate all other teams sent by various countries, the Russians are the first to arrive and take them on.
Who will win in this fierce battle? And what about the Terraformars?
In volume 9, the Chinese are in pursuit of the USA and Japan teams, while Russia who are incapacitated are behind. Meanwhile, the Rome team are also being ambushed.
In order to create a diversion, both Michelle K. Davis and Akari Hizamaru must fight with all their might to take on two powerful Terraformars they have faced yet…a ground beetle and a bullet ant in humanoid version.
In volume 10, members of the USA and Japan team have been captured and Bao of the Chinese group plans to bring them back to their HQ. As the group is good as dead, may it be due to the swarming Terra Formars that await them or being experimented on, the top ranked crew member, Joseph G. Newton manages to arrive in time. But can one man save the captured?
And here we are with volume 11 as Keiji and Division 1 try to infiltrate the HQ occupied by the Chinese delegation. But the Chinese are waiting for them and preparing to kill them off. As Division 1 makes their goal to send a signal back home, Keiji must become the diversion to fight the Chinese delegation.
Meanwhile, Terra Formars are also planning to do their own sneak attack upon the station.
With the exciting eleventh volume of “Terra Formars”, the USA delegation along with Keiji from Japan must send a warning signal back to Earth and let them know of what the Chinese delegation had done.
But infiltration is deadly and the chance of success is small. So, as Division 1, consisting of their technical team tries to find the computers to send a message back home, Keiji must take on the Chinese delegation and give Division 1 time to infiltrate HQ.
But unbeknownst to all humans is that the Terra Formars have their own plans to infiltrate the HQ as well!
The artwork by Ken-Ichi Tachibana is magnificent. Characters are well-detailed, artwork is just pleasing and the action is well-featured. And of course, the writing and research done by Yu Sasuga has really made “Terra Formars” a fascinating and captivating series.
Overall, “Terra Formars” is an exciting, violent but addictive series that I am looking forward to! As humanity depends on the survivors on Mars, how will Earth’s only survivors of the mission survive another day on Mars without medicine and advanced weaponry? And also a battle between delegations as USA Delegation 1 and Japan’s Keiji must take on the traitorous Chinese delegation. And all of them must take on a new species of Terra Formars!
Vol. 11 of “Terra Formars” is recommended!