I’m enjoying the series, especially its really crazy and outlandish characters. But I like how the series manages to balance humor and fighting violence quite well. And Saitama is so different from your usual protagonist character in a super hero comic, so I am enjoying what I’m reading so far. If you love action-driven manga series with a good amount of humor, definitely give “One-Punch Man” a shot!
Image courtesy of © 2012 by ONE. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: One-Punch Man Vol. 2
STORY BY: ONE
ART BY: Yusuke Murata
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shueisha, Inc.
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC
RATED: T for Older Teen
Available on September 1, 2015
Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem – he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of ’em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?
Saitama learns that a group is after him in order to use his superhuman physiology for their research. In order to stop the mad scientist, Saitama and Genos have decided to take the battle to the scientist’s headquarters. But inside the headquarters is a sadistic monster known as Carnage Kabuto.
Meanwhile, a criminal named Hammerhead and his Paradise Group are planning to destroy every symbol of richness, but a ninja named Speed-o’-Sound Sonic stands in his way. Who is this ninja?
What is “One-Punch Man” all about?
When it comes to success stories of web comics becoming viral, ONE’s “One-Punch Man” is one of the well-known titles that have taken the world by storm.
Created back in 2009 and having surpassed over 7.9 million hits in 2012, “One-Punch Man” would receive a digital manga remake featuring illustrations by Yusuke Murata (best known for his illustrations for the manga series, “Eyeshield 21”) and would be published on the Shueisha’s “Young Jump Web Comics” website.
In September 2015, Viz Media released the graphic novel for “One-Punch Man” in the United States and in October 2015, the anime adaptation for “One-Punch Man” began airing on Japanese television.
“One Punch Man” is set in City Z and monsters have been appearing in the city causing massive destruction.
But standing in their way is a skinny, bald man named Saitama who also happens to be extremely powerful and can defeat monsters with one punch. But because he often wins all the time, Saitama has grown bored and is often trying to find more powerful opponents.
In volume 1, Saitama takes on Vaccine Man who wants to eliminate humankind’s constant pollution of the environment by eliminating humanity. He also takes on the strongest of the Strongest Brothers.
One day, Saitama comes across a cyborg named Genos who is taking on a lady who is also a mosquito and can suck one’s life dry. Should Saitama help Genos?
In vol. 2, a group of monsters began attacking Saitama at his home. They have clearly targeted him and as Genos tries to assist, Saitama shows the cyborg his power once again.
But having learned that a mad scientist wants Saitama captured in order to study his body for research, the scientist gets ready to unleash his killer creation, Carnage Kabuto.
Meanwhile, a terrorist group is about to make its war on the rich of humanity, but a ninja known as Speed-O’-Sound Sonic goes to confront him. As Saitama comes across this ninja, is he friend or foe?
Here we are with the second volume of ONE’s popular manga series “One-Punch Man”. As Saitama and Genos join forces to take down a mad scientist.
As the storyline of even deadlier antagonists show up in the second volume, are they even a match for a powerful man, like Saitama?
The second volume also introduces us to a ninja named Speed-o’-Sound Sonic, who contracts for everything from assassinations to serving as a bodyguard for the rich and elite, and now he has been hired to take down a terrorist group who wants nothing but to destroy the symbol of wealth in the world.
But what happens when One-Punch Man and Speed-o’-Sound Sonic confront each other?
A friend of mine has raved about “One-Punch Man” for the past few years. Often telling me how it’s a unique storyline, it would be years later when I would read the first graphic novel from Viz Media and suffice to say, I’m quite surprised by this manga series.
For the most part, you think of a strong super hero as your main protagonist, but the protagonist of “One-Punch Man” is a skinny baldheaded man named Saitama who doesn’t look menacing at all.
A person who became strong by working out constantly, he then lost all his hair an became super powerful.
And where most heroes are proud of their work, Saitama is somewhat wanting the attention and respect that comes with being a hero, but yet hasn’t received it. So, Saitama is an interesting contrast to the stereotypical hero who is typically a person that is athletically fit, has a remarkable IQ or tremendous skillset, but for Saitama….he looks like a normal guy.
As the first volume is the introductory storyline and how Saitama was in the past, before he lost his hair, the second volume goes to show how bored Saitama is with his life and what happens when he accepts the cyborg Genos as his apprentice.
Having seen ONE’s original “One-Punch Man”, the artwork from the original versus Yusuke Murata’s artwork is night and day. I always enjoyed Murata’s work on “Eyeshield 21” but his work of bringing ONE’s “One-Punch” man to life is fantastic. It was Murata who approached ONE to redo the artwork and if anything, it had helped ONE’s creation become well-known internationally.
So far, I’m enjoying the series, especially its really crazy and outlandish characters. But I like how the series manages to balance humor and fighting violence quite well. And Saitama is so different from your usual protagonist character in a super hero comic, so I am enjoying what I’m reading so far.
If you love action-driven manga series with a good amount of humor, definitely give “One-Punch Man” a shot!