Graphic Novel Review – Knights of Sidonia: Master Edition Vol 1 by Tsutomu Nihei (3/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Manga
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Vertical Comics
Release Date: April 9, 2019
ISBN-13 : 978-1947194427
Stand Alone or Series: 1st vol in the Knights of Sidonia: Master Edition series
Source: Christmas Gift
Rating: 3/5 stars
“One of the manga world’s most intriguing artist returns with a science-fiction tour de force which combines post apocolyptic action, modern sci-fi video game tropes and a traditional Japanese aesthetic in The Knights of Sidonia.
Knights of Sidonia has been complied into a Master Edition featuring larger print, colored inserts and omibused volumes. Each Master’s Edition volume compiles 2.5 volumes of the original Knights of Sidonia volumes.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first volume in the Knights of Sidonia: Master Edition omnibus collection. I got this as a Christmas gift.
Thoughts: I had been wanting to read Knights of Sidonia for a while. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t a huge fan of this one. Basically, humanity is surviving on space ships fleeing giant alien lifeforms that devour humans. Our main protagonist ends up joining the Knights that protect these colonies in giant mecha-like suits. Very typical manga themes, nothing all that new or interesting here.
The story jumps forward in time intermittently without notice and this results in a story that’s hard to follow. The drawing is only so-so; alternating between amazing scenes and scenes with very little detail. It’s very inconsistent.
I found the characters a bit hard to keep track of as well and didn’t really enjoy any of them much. They all just seem so shallow and one dimensional.
In the end this felt like an outline or sketch of a story rather than a fleshed out story. I think the premise is somewhat interesting, but also follows a lot of other manga.
My Summary (3/5): Overall I was disappointed and won’t be continuing the series. It was an okay typical science fiction manga, but everything felt subpar. The story didn’t have enough depth, the characters felt shallow, and the drawing alternated between amazing and just so-so. I don’t understand why this series is so popular and don’t plan on continuing it.
