Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt vol. 24

The Nanyang Alliance is about to get everything they’ve ever wanted following the death of their leader, Sojo Levan Fu.  At least, that’s what the majority of them think as they continue to charge the Solar Ray under Karla’s orders, unaware that she’s the one who murdered him.  What they don’t realize is that she wants to massacre the citizens of Zeon as a long-gestating means of revenge.  Meanwhile, the surviving Federation forces have regrouped and are planning their own assault on the Solar Ray with the remaining forces they have.  There’s just one big problem there:  The Perfect Gundam being piloted by Darryl Lorenz.  He’s got enough firepower and skill to take out his opposition, unless they manage to be both brilliant and clever.

I realize that “Thunderbolt” hasn’t always been the most consistent series over the course of its run, but it gains some real momentum here as it heads into its finale (in three volumes).  Part of that’s down to how no one seems to have a clear upper hand throughout this volume.  Those who think they’re holding all the cards find out they’ve been dealt a bad hand, while those who appear to have lost everything claw themselves back with remarkable tenacity.  That last part is expertly conveyed in the battle between Darryl and Io/Yith/Callisto in this volume as what starts off being an epic one-on-one battle turns into a coordinated fleetwide effort.

Yet when you think the tables have fully turned, mangaka Yasuo Ohtagaki pulls out some more twists at the end to really keep you guessing who’s in the lead.  While I can see how the constant shifts might feel like they’re adding up to a zero sum game, it comes off here like a genuinely volatile situation that feels more genuine than trope-y.  It was all enough at the end to make me go and look up when vol. 25 is coming out, which is in… March!  Maaaaaaaan,  the wait for that one is going to suck… is not something I was planning on writing before reading this volume.