One-Punch Man Graphic Novel Volume 12 cover image

He begins his training to become a superhero at the age of 22-years-old.  Saitama becomes a superhero when he is 25, but he really does not look like one, with his lifeless facial expression, bald head, and unimpressive physique.  But he beats the snot out of supervillains with one punch, and he even has his own disciple, the young cyborg, Genos (who really needs no training).

As One-Punch Man, Vol. 12 (entitled The Strong Ones; Chapters 62 to 67) opens, Saitama has cleared the first round of a martial arts tournament that features super-powered competitors.  The most powerful and brutal fighters quickly move through the ranks, including the mysterious Charanko... who looks like Saitama in a mini-afro wig.  Meanwhile, a monster invasion besets several cities, so Genos, the cyborg decides to take them on... by himself.

[This volume includes the bonus manga story, “King's Weekday Off.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  I am a big fan of the One-Punch Man manga, but I had not read it in over a year.  As I began reading the twelfth volume, I immediately remembered how much I enjoyed that the series offers striking super-powered characters.

One-Punch Man Graphic Novel Volume 12 is more of the same, but with a few surprises.  The monster invasion allows creator/writer ONE and creator/artist Yusuke Murata to really throw a menagerie of visually and graphically striking monsters at the readers.  Although the narrative does not move much beyond fighting, I recommend this volume purely for the variety of creatures and strange things.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of shonen battle manga and superhero comic books will love the “Shonen Jump” title, One-Punch Man.

B+
7 out of 10