Drakengard
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Series Name: Billy Bat (ビリーバット)
Year of Serialization: 2008
Authors: Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki
Artist: Naoki Urasawa
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Seinen
Current Status: Ongoing
Moment of Reviewing: Chapter 101 (up to date as of now)
Other Formats: ---
Series Summary:
The series directly hits off with an issue of Kevin Yamagata's Billy Bat comic! Well, issue in the making. Kevin's having a hard time finding a good way to finish his plot without it feeling too cliche. But before he comes to a resolution, an even bigger concern hits him: he may have been unconsciously copying another person's design for his Billy Bat character, somebody who currently lives in Japan. If his father ever encouraged a virtue, it was to never steal from others. Kevin has no clue how his design could have originated from elsewhere, but nonetheless, he travels to Japan seeking permission to use it.
But Kevin doesn't realize the truth to the Bat. He is caught in a string of lies, secrets, murders, and total mystery. All of them leading to an identical source: the same Billy Bat he's been drawing in his comics. Kevin finds himself involved with a supernatural, and possibly divine power that has been around for thousands of years. With the Bat telling him what to write, Kevin draws both the future and the past of known history. What exactly is Billy Bat?
Critical Review:
Naoki Urasawa is definitely one of my favorites when it comes to writing manga. If you know 20th Century Boys, Monster, or Pluto, you know this guy. But I have to say, Billy Bat's plot might be the most mysterious of the bunch. I will say that I'm up to date and still don't know half the truths that are going to unfold. Just when I thought the manga might be entering one of its later arcs, it turns out to be the equivalent of a prologue to the actual story.
If you're new to one of Urasawa's stories, you might be offset by a few things. The pacing isn't going to be nearly as fast as some of the action packed stuff out there. There's plenty of names to remember and a lot of foreshadowing (I'm sure there's a lot that hasn't even showed up yet). Personally I think it's something you're either into or you're not - plain and simple.
As for me, I love this type of thing. One of the main traits Billy Bat has to offer is how it works with history. Billy Bat himself seems interested in the work of the past and the future. Urasawa cites several key people, including: (don't click if you want to get the surprise in manga form)
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This will probably surpass 20th Century Boys for me, if it continues as it is.
