A First Look at Barrage

I like Shonen Jump ' I do, really! ' but there's a terrifying sameness to the introductory chapters of Jump titles. The formula goes something like this: we meet our Every Dude, who's a decent, if rash, soul. We see a few glimpses of his world: where he lives ' or works, or goes to school '  and who he associates with. Then we learn about his special destiny, to be fulfilled by means of a newly discovered power, or a newly bestowed weapon of mass destruction. Once these foundational elements are established ' usually within the first 30 pages of the series ' the Every Dude is free to embark on his adventures.

Barrage, the latest addition to the Shonen Jump line-up, follows this road map with an almost comic doggedness. Its hero, Astro, is a scrappy teen living on the planet Industria. Astro has a big mouth and a short fuse, but he works hard to support a band of orphans who have adopted him as their big brother. When his employer runs afoul of Industria's alien overlords, Astro leaps into the fray to defend him, initiating a chain of events that lead him to a Bodacious Weapon of Destiny ' which, of course, has his name on it.

If the contours of Barrage's first chapter are overly familiar, the execution is skillful. Author Kouhei Horikoshi reveals crucial information through the natural ebb and flow of conversation, sparing the reader from the long-winded speeches that make so many introductions tedious. Horikoshi adds a few flourishes to the standard Jump template as well, borrowing plot points from The Prince and the Pauper, Oliver Twist, and Gin Tama for comic relief and narrative interest.

The artwork is another plus: Horikoshi reserves screentone for just a few elements on every page, making those few elements ' a shock of hair, a crown, a spear ' stand out in sharp relief against the background. And speaking of backgrounds, Horikoshi supplies enough detail to make Barrage feel like it's unfolding in a particular place and time, rather than an anonymous fantasy realm; the street and palace scenes bustle with purposeful activity, giving us a sense of what it's like to live on Industria. (Charles Dickens might recognize Industria's working-class streetscapes, if not its hi-tech weaponry.) The only disappointment is Industria's alien invaders, whose generic lizard-men appearance seems too bland for their capricious, cruel temperaments.

The bottom line: the first chapter of Barrage may follow a well-established template for Shonen Jump titles, but its brisk pacing, crisp artwork, and playful nods to Twain, Dickens, and Hideaki Sorachi distinguish it from other manga about (extr)ordinary dudes saving the world.

Digital review copy provided by VIZ Media.