Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 5: Golden Wind vol. 4

Vol. 3 left off with Mista getting the upper hand on Pesci and his Fisher Man Stand.  Which means that it’s time for the bad guys to get it back and they do with the formal introduction of Prosciutto and his Thankful Death Stand.  They still have to find the turtle that’s housing Bucciarti, Giorno, Trish, and the rest of their crew, and even when they do that just sends the current fight into its next stage.  A crazy, over-the-top stage as Bucciarti finds himself not only having to contend with Thankful Death’s aging ability, but the renewed determination of Pesci as he starts to shrug off his overexcited henchman persona.  This leads the mafioso to come up with some inspired uses for his Zipper Man Stand as we find out that there really isn’t anything he can’t unzip.  Not even the human heart.  It all results in what is arguably the high point of this Part so far and a real showcase of how an untamed imagination can augment a straightforward action story.

That remains true of the second major arc in this volume as Giorno finds himself having to deal with one of the weirdest stands we’ve seen yet.  I realize that “weirdest stand yet” may sound like a broken record when it comes to talking about “Jojo,” but just think about it as a sign that this series is continuing to top itself.  It doesn’t surpass the previous arc, but it gets by in providing a worthy antagonist and helping to flesh out (literally) the limits of Golden Wind’s abilities.  We also get a second consecutive storyline where turtle poop plays a not-insignificant role in the proceedings for what it’s worth.  Will Araki go for the hat trick by making it a part of the next arc, which kicks off here by involving the flash-freezing of body parts while certain characters are inside a car?  I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’m glad that he’s established a clear upward trend for this Part where each volume has been better than the last so far.