ULTIMO, Vol. 1

Gr 9 Up—Stan Lee makes the jump to manga, and, yes, he has a cameo. His concept, brought to life by manga-ka Takei, pits Ultimate Good and Ultimate Evil in a battle to the death. Ultimo, representing good, and Vice, representing evil, are Karakuri Doji, or doll-like robots built to answer the age-old question, "Which is stronger?" The dolls need masters to learn their roles, and Ultimo chooses a 12th-century Kyoto bandit. The story jumps from past to present as Ultimo's master, Yamato, lives his lives. It's a shaky plot device and is strongest when the characters are in the past. However, the point of the manga isn't the plot or the characters but the battles. The Karakuri Doji fight fiercely. Their battle scenes are surprisingly violent but well executed. Unfortunately, after the battles die down, the artwork is a confusing mix of cute characters and lean, tall ones. Yamato looks ages older than his peers. Not only is that confusing, but it is also a little bit creepy. Still, with the action and Lee's name, this will be a popular yet nonessential choice.—Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA