Dragon Half (1994)

[ドラゴンハーフ]

Volume 6

Author/Artist: Ryusuke Mita
Publisher: Fujimi Fantasia Comics

Synopsis:
Mink fights Log's killer robot, Navel 08.

Story/Characters:
Everything is coming together for the final confrontation. We have the battle with Log's robotic creations as the warmup and then Mink's treacherous grandfather Titan takes to the field (not to be confused with her great-grandfather who helped her back at the Dragon Village). Azatodeth's characterization shifts from what we saw in the previous volume and honestly, I would've liked it better if the first impression was closer to who he really was. However, I can see the value in making him more of a standard big bad for the finale.

Art:
Appropriate for the home stretch, we get some good fight scenes. Titan's design is pretty cool, probably cooler than what we need in a series like this, but things are being played a little more seriously here (but only a little more seriously). I thought the gag with the hero with RPG-style dialog bubbles was funny.

Other:
Because we're leading into the finale, this volume ends on a preview of coming events plus a nice two-page spread to tease the final confrontation.

Conclusion:
We get a solid penultimate volume with some good fights and raised stakes. For being primarily a gag comic, you wouldn't think the story and character elements would be tied together so well, but it's nice to have. This one's worth a read.

Rating:
Read It