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.

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?