Naruto, Vol. 7

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 7. 2001. 192p. ISBN 9781591168751. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Continuing the second trial of the Chunin exams in Naruto, Vol. 6, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura found themselves int he Forest of Death and suffered a vicious attack by the sound ninjas, who have been hired by Orochimaru to kill Sasuke. With both Sasuke and Naruto out, it was left to Sakura to protect her teammates. Fortunately, Ino and her two teammates intervened, and Roc Lee's teammates also show up, leading to a standstill. 

Infected by Orochimaru's virus, Sasuke wakes up and rejoins the fight, defeating the sound ninjas through overwhelming force. Naruto comes to, only to find that the battle is over. Meanwhile, the ninjas from the village of Sand have ruthlessly killed their opponents, and arrived at the tower a mere 90 minutes after the start of the event, shattering all records, and raising concerns for the organizers.

Short on time and missing a scroll to complete their mission, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura encounter Kabuto, who provided them with choice intelligence in Naruto, Vol 5. He got separated from his team, and he already has two scrolls. Discussing strategies, they soon arrive at the conclusion that their best hope to secure the missing scroll is to head to the tower, and hope to intercept another team. Sasuke, however, suspects that Kabuto has a hidden agenda ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 8.

One Punch Man, Vol. 6

One. One Punch Man, Vol. 6. 216. 207p. ISBN 9781421585277. 

All Class S heroes were summoned to gather at City A's heroes headquarters in One Punch Man, Vol. 5. The death of the seer following her prediction that a catastrophe was threatening Earth forces the Heroes Association to begin planning. The problem is that no time frame was provided for this danger, so it could be next week, or in six months. However, every prediction ever made by the seer became true, so the danger is real. 

The other Class S heroes are wondering why Saitama, a Class B hero, is also present at the meeting, but before they are able to kick him out City A is attacked from the air by a large spaceship, and a monstrous being begins rampaging on the ground. Saitama immediately flies out of the building and boards the ship. The other heroes, unable to reach the ship, attack the monster, but it is proving impossible to defeat.

As bombs rain from the sky and destruction is delivered to the city, Saitama searches the ship for its master, while Genos and the other heroes struggle. Will this be the end of the Heroes' Association?

The story continues in One Punch Man, Vol. 7.

The Hobbit

 Tolkien, J.R.R., illustrated by David Wenzel. The Hobbit. 2012. 134p. ISBN 978-0-345-44560-5. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

Bilbo Baggins lives a quiet hobbit life in a house under the hill, where good food and good tobacco can be found. When he greets Gandalf the Wizard on a sunny morning, little does he know that he's about to embark on a dangerous but very profitable adventure. For you see, most hobbits find adventures repellent, and they much prefer sticking close to home, with all of its comforts, than galavanting out in the wilderness. 

When Gandalf mentions that he's looking for an adventurous hobbit, Bilbo politely declines the invitation, but he is then surprised when a large group of dwarves end up at his home the following day. Having been gathered by Gandalf, the dwarves are on a mission to recuperate the treasure in their former home under the mountain, where Smaug the dragon now dwells. They need a burglar, someone who is skilled at quietly retrieving items, and they think Bilbo fits the bill.

Convinced despite his misgivings, Bilbo accompanies the dwarves on what turns out to be the adventure of a lifetime, with encounters with trolls, goblins elves, and a large red dragon. Dangers abound at every corner, but through it all Bilbo's resiliency and grit allows him to survive and eventually return home richer and wiser.

One of the earliest fantasy book, and the precursor to Lord of the Rings, this graphic novel version of the Hobbit does a fantastic job of illustrating this wonderful tale and visually recreating the rich world that is Middle Earth.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8. 2012. 200p. ISBN 9781421550848. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

With the Impure King's massive body threatening to destroy Kyoto, Rin and Ryuji found themselves heading to the spore sacks, where the creature's heart is located, in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 7. With the exorcists fighting against the spreading of the Impure King, Ryuji calls on the temple's phoenix to erect a protective sphere that will safeguard the city, for the time being.

Yukio confronts Todo, he who revived the Impure King after stealing both eyes. Todo's demonic powers speed up his recovery, and Yukio is outclassed in strength and speed. He is still cunning, however, and manages to create a trap that ensnares Todo, but he eventually breaks free. Meanwhile, Shiemi gets over her fears of inadequacy when Izumo is immobilized by the Impure King, and she summons her own ally to help her.

With Ryuji holding the barrier, it is up to Rin and his cat familar Kuro to fulfill the mission of the Myodha temple and protect the world from the Impure King. Can he successful reach deep within himself and reconnect with his demonic powers?

Naruto, Vol. 6

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 6. 2001. 192p. ISBN 9781591167396. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having passed the written portion of the Chunin exam in Naruto, Vol. 5, Naruto and his team have been dispatched to the Forest of Death, where they are entrusted with one of the two scrolls they need to have in their possession before they reach the tower at the center of the forest. Immediately, things go bad as students are attacked and killed. An imposter has infiltrated the proceedings, and is using his abilities to mask his real face. When he confronts Sasuke, Naruto and his rival are quickly put out of commission. Sakura, however, remains in the fight and stands up to this foe. Right at the time of defeat, however, Roc Lee and some of the other students join the fight against the sound ninjas.

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 7.

One Punch Man, Vol. 5

One. One Punch Man, Vol. 5. 216. 206p. ISBN 9781421569543. 

At the end of One Punch Man, Vol. 4, Saitama and Genos were rushing to protect city from the Deep Sea King. On location, many heroes gather to fight the Sea King, but even Class S heroes find themselves unable to defeat him and lose their lives. Wishing to kill as many people as possible, the Sea King breaks through a supposedly safe refuge. Class C heroes step up and confront the Sea King, but they are also defeated. 

Puri-Puri Prisoner, who had escaped from the maximum security prison to fight against the Sea King puts up a valiant fight, but he too is taken down by the Sea King. Speed of Sound Sonic, who had escaped with Puri-Puri Prisoner, barely escapes with his life. Genos, who reaches the monster before Saitama, engages in combat, but despite all of his best efforts he is almost destroyed, and ends up laying in ruins on the ground. Saitama finally arrives, and quickly defeats the Sea King with one punch, but to Genos' dismay he owns the people turning against him. But not all is lost, as Saitama begins to receive thank you notes in the mail ...

The story continues in One Punch Man, Vol. 6.

This Was Our Pact

Andrews, Ryan. This Was Our Pact. 2019. 330p. ISBN 9781250196958. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Every year, during the night of the Autumn Equinox, Ben's town celebrates by holding a festival and releasing lit lanterns down the river. Ben has always wondered what happens to the lanterns as they fade from view. After releasing them, the adults return home, but this year Ben and his friends have made a pact to follow them and find out if the legend that they eventually drift into the Milky Way are true. The boys' pact is simple. No one will turn back for home, and no one will quit.

As soon as the lanterns are released, the boys ride their bikes by the road that follows the river. Ben is soon chased by Nathaniel, a boy who's a little strange and who's often picked on by the other boys. Ben likes Nathaniel, but he doesn't want to be marked as different so he doesn't defend him when the other boys make wisecracks at him.

But one by one the boys peel off, violating the pack. Soon only Ben and Nathaniel stand before the bridge over the river, the furthest they have ever ridden. Deciding to abide by the pact, Ben and Nathaniel cross the bridge, and enter a land populated by strange people, a talking bear looking for his fishing spot, and the enlightened ones coming over to visit. With the help of magical beings along the way, the boys will discover that friendship can be forged in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

Whimsically illustrated with rich blues, This Was Our Pact defies categorization. Readers who enjoy magic on the light side will appreciate the voyage that Ben and Nathaniel are embarked on, while they might wish that a friendly bear could join them to share some of their adventures.