Comics / Manga

LBX: Volume 6 manga review

By Leroy Douresseaux
July 3, 2015 - 19:55

LBX Volume 6 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “A” for “All Ages”

The LBX is the hottest toy in the year 2050.  The LBX (Little Battlers eXperience) is a miniaturized robot made of a new super-strong industrial cardboard.  Van Yamano is a rising LBX player, but he doesn't just play with these battle-robots for fun.  In order to save his father, Professor Yamano, he has to keep the LBX, named “Achilles,” out of the hands of evil at all costs.

As LBX, Vol. 6 (Chapters 23 to 25 to Final Chapter, entitled World Battle) opens, the “Duck Shuttle” arrives at the powerful new military satellite Eden, which orbits the Earth.  Aboard the shuttle are Van and his partner and LBX rival, Hiro Hughes, with Cobra piloting.

Van has LBX Icarus Zero, and Hiro has LBX Icarus Force.  The duo plans to use their LBX to stop a plot by Alfred Gordon, Vice-President of the American Union and also leader of “The Directors,” a terrorist group.  Gordon wants to bring peace to the world by taking control of the world, and he has the powerful and perhaps unstoppable LBX Zeus to enforce his will.  Van, Hiro, and Gordon are in for a big surprise.

[This volume includes bonus comics.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I am still surprised that I am enjoying the LBX manga, which has proven to be quite entertaining.  Published under VIZ Media's “Perfect Square” imprint, LBX is an “all ages” manga that is really directed at elementary-age readers and also fans of the LBX, an actual, real-life media and merchandising franchise.

The manga is the creation of Hideaki Fujii and is based on the LBX role-playing, action video games originally created by Level-5 for the PSP.  VIZ Media published the English-language edition of the manga as a bi-monthly graphic novel series.  Alas, LBX Volume 6 is the end of the series... for now at least.  Still, this short, six-volume graphic novel series is perfect for readers who are enjoying or have enjoyed the Yu-Gi-Oh manga.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Young comic book readers who are ready for graphic novels will want to read the Perfect Square manga, LBX, and may even want to have an LBX toy.

Rating: B /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12