Dead End (aka: The End) Vol. #02

By Jarred Pine     July 13, 2005
Release Date: June 07, 2005



Creative Talent
Writer/Artist:Shohei Manabe
Translated by:Christine Schilling
Adapted by:

What They Say
Noppori and Pocchari are two nasty hitmen. Stitch Head is a mute and monstrous heavy on a mysterious mission. And Mr. Q is quick-tempered, foul-mouthed thug who just might be the solution to everyone's problems. When Shirou, Gips and Parrot try to convince Mr. Q to join up with them, he agrees--for the right price. But the cost will take the trio into a murky underworld where the only way out might be to pay with one's life.

The Review
Packaging:
The cover features the same artwork as the Japanese release, with Shirou and Lucy sitting next to each other, colored in blue and pink respectively. The Japanese logo has been replaced with the English one across the middle of the cover. The Tokyopop stripe down the right even tries to match with the other graphical elements of the cover. It’s a very nice looking presentation.

There are no chapter headers in this volume, with the story just flowing together with small text designating the start of a new chapter. There is little sample of the next volume in the back of the book. The print job is superb, and really does justice to Manabe’s artwork.

Art:
Manabe’s artwork is absolutely fantastic and works perfectly with his story. Scratchy, rough line work with smooth tones creates a really rich, depressing world. The characters have exaggerated features and limbs that give off a surreal feel but yet retains a very strong life-like presence. There’s plenty of cinematic and very artistic panels, like Stitch Head jumping up a building from an interesting perspective, or the disturbing two pages of just eyeballs staring back at you. The artwork sucks you in to this bleak world and never lets you go. The unique artwork has completely clicked with me and it’s wonderful.

Text/SFX:
There are no traditional SFX at all in this volume. The SFX are done in text bubbles, which have all been translated as you would expect. The font of the text is really nice and easy to read. The dialogue can be pretty harsh at times, but being a seinen title set in a ugly word with rough characters, the language and harshness does feel appropriate.

The translation flows really smoothly and is very character appropriate. I really liked how they handled with the meeting between the yakuza and South American sailors, with both Spanish and broken English being used to get across the communication barriers. Overall the translation really feels natural and perfectly matches the flow and mood of the story.

Contents (Watch out spoilers ahead):
The first volume of Dead End took me by complete surprise with its unique presentation and non-linear storytelling. It was a breath of fresh air that awoke my senses and ignited those flames once again of why I love manga. Now with this volume, the element of surprise is no longer there and I went into this expecting the best. I am happy to say that it delivered, and then some.

Once again the storyline continues to weave in and out from a few different perspectives, bouncing back and forth in time, slowly putting the puzzle pieces of this story together. The bulk of this volume surrounds the third member of the five friends that Shirou must find, a bald, vulgar, angry man who goes by the name of Mr. Q. After hearing Shirou’s story, Mr. Q seems disinterested in joining the group until Shirou agrees to pay him a hundred thousand, which by the way is the amount of money Mr. Q is in debt to the yakuza. Since Shirou already lost Gips’ stolen cash in the fight, Gips comes up with a plan to get the money by once again double crossing his former yakuza boss. The money that Gips originally stole was to be used to by a bunch of stolen jewels from some South American sailors, but now Gips’ old boss is going to sell his collector’s rice bowl to a corrupt loan collector who has had his eye on it for a while. Gips knows about the deal going down, so they lay out a plan to rob the loan collector as he is coming into town on the train. All the characters of this manga are extremely interesting, but Gips is the one that really stands out for me. His keen perception and sly ways are a constant source of entertainment and wonder. There is also a lot of dots being connected between Shirou and his friends, as we get closer and closer to understanding just how they are all connected, and why their memories from 10 years ago are missing.

While Shirou and Gips are getting their plans together, another storyline starts its path towards them as we are introduced to the most horrifying and strangest villain in all of manga. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Stitch Head, a towering ape of a man who might not be human at all that looks like it (I have to use ‘it’, this thing isn’t human) just woke up after having an autopsy done. It sports a bald head with stitches circling around it, and is covered in plenty of other stitch marks including where it used to apparently have genitals. It also has a few holes that it uses for plugs when he apparently jacks into other humans to experience what they have sensed. Words cannot not describe how bizarre and wonderfully terrifying this character is. Stitch Head appears to be on the hunt for Shirou and the five friends. By “jacking in” to the other humans that have had contact with them, Stitch Head is able to track them down like some supernatural beast. It is able to jump tall buildings, move with blazing speed, possesses ultimate strength, and appears to be blind. Stitch Head is one hell of a villain.

The story weaves between Shirou, Stitch Head, and the yakuza masterfully, building up to a big showdown finale with lots of action and violence. The one aspect I really enjoy about this title so far is how the dialogue and scenes just happen so naturally and organically. There aren’t long narratives from characters explaining everything to the reader, but rather details are left to decipher between the lines. There were many times where I found myself flipping back and forth between the pages after realizing some big piece of info I had completely missed. There is also a lot of great commentary about freeing yourself from the shackles of society and experiencing life for yourself and reaching beyond what is seen and heard in front of you. There is this sense of anarchy amongst the characters and them trying to break free of this world that has pushed them into the corner.

The story also melds together a great crime thriller plot, the yakuza and the robbing of the loan collector, with the supernatural horror elements featuring Stitch Head. It also seems as though each of these friends have powers of their own that they are beginning to awaken themselves. The mix of these two styles is really interesting and has me completely wrapped up and loving every minute of it. Then, just as I am lying on the floor begging for mercy, the last page of the manga is a complete mind-blowing scene that had me gasping for air and cursing Tokyopop for not having the next volume in my hands to read.

Comments
Dead End is not something that can be experienced with words and comments in a review. This crime thriller meets supernatural horror story with its puzzle-weaving non-linear plots, anarchist-like themes, and colorful, yet strange characters has to be experienced in the paper. One moment I feel like I’m reading a character study set in the violent underground crime world, and the next I’m in a Lovecraft-ian nightmare with Stitch Head as he hunts down Shirou and friends like a demon dog straight out of hell. I am loving every single page of it.

This is exactly the type of story that myself as an older manga fan craves for. It’s not a title that you can just pick up and read to kill time. This is one to chew on thoroughly and takes some effort. The reward and lasting impressions are so far well worth it. Very highly recommended.