Two From ONE
No, the title here isn’t as punny as I thought it would be. It’s still the best way to advertise that things have aligned such that the newest volumes from this particular creator have wound up in my review pile. So it’s time to take them out at the same time.
Mob Psycho 100 vol. 3 starts off by wrapping up the cliffhanger from the previous volume in short order. An unconscious Mob reveals his true power and awes Teru into virtual submission. Put like that it doesn’t sound too impressive. Yet ONE manages to cram in some impressively wrought destruction as Mob’s powers decimate the scenery around him. There’s even some well-played drama here too as Mob regains consciousness just in time to agonize over what he’s done. This section even has some mystery to it as the source of the character’s power is hinted at, along with the fact that he might not be the only person in his family to have it.
That marks a change in focus for this volume as the rest of it focuses on Mob’s brother Ritsu and how he’s navigating the treacherous jungle that is Middle School. In addition to being caught up in the School Council President Shinji Kamuro’s plan to clean up the school by scapegoating its biggest delinquent, he’s been recruited by a mysterious man who has dedicated his life and fortune to developing psychic powers. He thinks Ritsu is a prime candidate for this, while the boy isn’t so sure. It’s that uncertainty which fuels his storyline and makes his journey an interesting read even if we can see where all this is going. That, and ONE’s willingness to make outwardly creepy and villainous characters like Shinji worthy of our sympathy as well.
ONE tries that approach here at the start of One-Punch Man vol. 17 as we get to see what it was like for “Hero Hunter” Garo growing up. It’s not as successful because it’s being applied to a character who still has a ways to go before he can even be considered likeable*. Having Silverfang and Bomb continue to beat the crap out of him here is a start, but Garo is whisked away so that they and Genos can throw down with one of the Monster Association’s big bads: Centichoro. The fight against him takes place in three stages and gives all the heroes involved some great moments to shine — such as You-Know-Who’s sudden appearance which leads to four consecutive double-page spreads as the winning blow is delivered. It’s the kind of quality superhero spectacle you’ve come to expect from this series.
After that, things quiet down considerably as Saitama and friends regroup at his apartment for purposes of healing, repair, and videogames. The Monster Association is still at large, but they’re busy amusing themselves with the group of mercenaries they’ve just caught and figuring out what kind of entertainment Garo can provide them with. Meanwhile, the Hero Association is stuck spinning its wheels as they’ve got to rescue the hostage being held by the Monster Association before they can send in S-rank heroes like Terrible Tornado to nuke the site from orbit. It’s all a lot of setup, is what I’m saying, and I’ve read worse as well as better. Still, it looks like the series is finally taking some steps to pit Saitama against Garo, the Monster Association, or both.
*On that note, a friend of mine pointed out something interesting to me: Garo hasn’t actually killed anyone yet. Yes, he put Mumen Rider in the hospital after he beat him within an inch of his life, but the key part here is “in the hospital.” This has me thinking that ONE intends for Garo to fill the anti-hero role for this series. As in someone who is heroic in his own way while rejecting the orthodoxy set out by the Hero Association as well as convention itself. We’ll see how he does with that as Garo is clearly going to need a few more punches from Saitama to knock the arrogance out of him.