Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 6: Stone Ocean vol. 4

The invisible alligator has been dealt with, which now leaves Ermes to deal with Sports Maximum – the Stand User who killed her sister – herself.  It’s a gruesome battle that will leave her severely wounded, and out of commission for the next arc, by the time it’s over.  Which means that it’ll be down to Jolyne and sentient-plankton-inhabiting-a-human-body F.F. to get their hands on what Pale Snake has been looking for:  A bone from the body of Dio.  All Jolyne knows is that it’s somewhere in the solitary confinement section of the prison.  While getting thrown in there is no problem for her the fact that there are four other Stand Users inside, along with a special power Pale Snake is using to manipulate things, may be more than she can handle.

While the past two volumes saw this Part of “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” make a substantial uptick in quality, the same cannot be said with this one.  The resolution of the fight between Ermes and Sports Maximum manages to feel outlandish even by this title’s standards, and it looks like we’re setting in for a battle marathon with the arc that follows.  Even though the chapter index indicates that there are multiple parts to it, they’re still part of the same storyline with no comedown between them.  Still, this is a series where its protagonist has to outsmart a guy who can call down meteors to attack his opponents, so it’s not like things have become bad.  It just feels like mangaka Hirohiko Araki has stumbled a bit here as he tries to find a new way to top himself.