One Punch Man, Vol. 7

One. One Punch Man, Vol. 7. 216. 205p. ISBN 9781421585284. 

Having infiltrated the alien spaceship in One Punch Man, Vol. 6, Saitama is confronting Lord Boros, who has sailed space looking for someone, anyone, to give him a challenging fight. Saitama is that one, and the combat between the two of them is deadly and threatens the whole planet. Saitama even gets thrown to the Moon after a particularly effective attack.

Meanwhile, the heroes on the ground continue to fight against the mutating Melzargard, but his tricks have run out, and they are able to defeat him. Winning the battle on board the spaceship, Saitama defeats Lord Boros, and brings the ship down, destroying what remained of the city. The spaceship is soon scavenged by Metal Knight, the Class S rank 2 hero that Genos has been warned about. The city is soon reconstructed, with a massive network of highways, allowing heroes to reach all corners of the country at high speed. What cost will Metal Knight charge for his efforts?

Naruto, Vol. 8

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 8. 2001. 192p. ISBN 9781421501246. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following their successful completion of the second part of the Chunin exam in Naruto, Vol. 7, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura enter the tower in the Forest of Death and they open their scroll, which reveals that the secret of being a good ninja is accessing the qualities of heaven and earth, that is, being human. The third part of the Chunin exam involves one to one combat between the participants, so that their numbers can be dwindled further to a more manageable one.

Still hurt from his previous encounter with Orichimaru and still suffering from the curse that was placed on him, Sasuke is the first one called to the floor ton confront Yoroi, one of Kabuto's partners. Having observed Roc Lee's technique during their previous encounter, Sasuke pulls out a pure physical move that doesn't draw any energy from his chakra, and defeats Yoroi.

Other ninjas battle it out, until Sakura is called to the floor. She will be fighting her former best friend, Ino. Both of them are attracted to Sasuke, and neither will hold a punch as they determine who will move forward in the training ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 9.

Monet: Itinerant of Light

Rubio, Salva and Ricard Efa. Monet: Itinerant of Light. 2017. 112p. ISBN 9781681121390. 

Monet was always in love with the light. As a young boy, he would draw cartoons that were prized by friends and relatives, and had an undeniable talent for drawing and painting. At the time, professional artists painted in their studios, and their portraits and paintings were staid affairs. Monet was interesting in drawing the light, the way the light played on the objects and textures he could observe. Learning from Bourdin, an artist who painted outside, Monet fell in love with the technique and never looked back.

His personal life was fraught with ups and downs. He was frowned upon for the strangeness of his paintings, and was derided as the leader of the Impressionists, a title he eventually adopted. He married the love of his life, but then had an affair. He was often penniless, and though he was always painting he was not finding commercial success. Eventually more progressive ideas about art caught up with Monet's paintings and he finally earned recognition and financial rewards, enough to be able to buy a farm where he would spend the rest of his life painting.

A complex man driven by the simple desire of faithfully drawing the light, Monet remains one of the most inspired and inspirational artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.