Tokyo Ghoul: re Volume 14 manga review

Tokyo Ghoul re Graphic Novel Volume 14 cover image

Ghouls look like humans and live among humans, but Ghouls crave human flesh.  The Commission of Counter Ghouls (CCG) is the only organization in the world fighting and exterminating Ghouls and investigating Ghoul-related crimes.  Haise Sasaki was in charge of an unruly CCG squad, “Quinx Squad” (or “Qs Squad”), but among the secrets of his forgotten past is the truth that he is Ken Kaneki, a half-human and half-Ghoul.

As Tokyo Ghoul: re, Vol. 14 (Chapters 145 to 154) opens, a kaiju is attacking Tokyo!  No, it's not a kaiju.  It's Ken Kaneki.  Defeated and wounded in battle, Kaneki was forced to devour members of “the Oggai,” Nimura Furuta's new Qs Squad.  This triggered Kaneki's transformation in “Dragon,” a giant turd-like creature covered with eyes.  Now, it has already moved through three Tokyo wards, creating huge damage.

Kaneki/Dragon poses such a huge new threat to both Ghouls and humans.  Will Kaneki's degradation be what brings the two sides of this ancient war together?  And if it does, not everyone will be happy about that turn of events.

[This volume includes bonus four-panel comics.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Tokyo Ghoul: re manga is a sequel.  It is the follow-up to the Tokyo Ghoul manga.  However, Tokyo Ghoul: re has become its own narrative with its own distinctive story.

Tokyo Ghoul: re Graphic Novel Volume 14 offers the most shocking turns of events.  It is not one thing, but several things that tear at the status quo, even more than some of the surprise reveals that have exploded at readers in the previous six volumes.  Creator Sui Ishida continues to find ways to keep his narrative fresh and aggressive, and I find myself more interested in this series than ever before, as I preferred the original over it.

Joe Yamazaki's translation captures the intensity and mania of a narrative that is always in a state of blood-letting and violence.  Vanessa Satone's lettering creates a magnificent graphical soundtrack and soundscape.  Their work makes the English edition of Tokyo Ghoul: re an exceptional dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, and battle manga that actually defies easy labeling.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Tokyo Ghoul will want to dine on VIZ Signature's Tokyo Ghoul: re.

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8.5 out of 10