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| Art by Hirohiko Araki |
"The human race lives by destroying the things around us. In such a brutal world, your power is singularly benevolent."
It can be more than a little bit difficult to summarise the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise to someone entirely unfamiliar with it - as you've probably gathered from the title, it's an odd one for sure. JoJo is a manga series by Hirohiko Araki comprised of eight separate parts, each with its own setting and protagonist. The thing that unites all of these is that each main character is part of the Joestar bloodline, abbreviating their name to 'JoJo' and using uncanny powers to fight evil.
Diamond is Unbreakable is the fourth part of the ongoing JoJo saga, starring the fiery Josuke Higashikata in the mysterious seaside town of Morioh in Japan. Part Four of JoJo was originally serialised in Japan in the early nineties, and finally received an official English translation and hardcover release after high demand - this first volume will be one of around ten, set to be released over the next few years.
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| Josuke introduces himself |
The first story in this collection, Jotaro Kujo Meets Josuke Higashikata, picks up a decade after the climatic battle against the main villain of the first three JoJo series, breaking away from globe-trotting martial arts adventures for a slice-of-life story with an overarching crime/mystery narrative. For this reason, the book works as a pretty good entry-point to the franchise for newcomers as previous protagonist Jotaro passes the torch to our new hero.
We learn Jotaro has travelled to Morioh to warn Josuke of a super-powered serial killer lurking in the town, and soon see that the flamboyant teen has a special ability of his own. Josuke's 'Shining Diamond' is depicted as a tall, armoured man visible only to others bestowed with similar powers - it can deal huge damage with its unbreakable fists, but the twist is that it all repairs within seconds (although not always as it once was).
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| Jotaro explains Stand powers to Josuke |
This unique ability of Josuke's completely shakes up the traditional manga battle formula of throwing punches and energy beams until someone wins - he still has to rely on his fists here and there, but is forced to think outside of the box as he figures out how the strengths and weaknesses of Shining Diamond match up with other 'Stand powers'.
Araki's over-the-top artwork lends itself extremely well to high-stakes scenarios - the garishly-dressed characters' snarling faces fill the page as excessive amounts of blood spray from their wounds, and stylish Japanese sound effects wrap around them as they unleash their Stands to counter incoming attacks. These super-dynamic battles are real page turners, and it's near impossible to predict what crazy plan Josuke has up his sleeve to overcome each opponent.
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| Josuke reveals his Shining Diamond |
All of this might be too action-heavy for some, as the fights take up much of the book's 370+ pages. However, there's still plenty of intrigue and pathos in-between due to JoJo's compelling characters and quirky setting, both of which develop as the story unfolds. The moving final act wraps up the first volume with a cliffhanger that builds suspense for the next instalment while providing a satisfying conclusion to this introductory story arc, making the book work nicely as a standalone piece.
Viz Media has done a superb job of bringing this material to the West in the form of a fetching hardback tome complete with a few dozen colour pages and some author's comments in the back. Their translation is a big step up from the online fan-made versions readers have relied on for years, held back only by a few issues such as changing Shining Diamond's name from 'Crazy Diamond' to avoid legal trouble with Pink Floyd.
Volume 1 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is a must-have for anybody interested in Josuke's shenanigans, whether you're a long-time fan planning to re-read Part Four in print or have no previous experience of the series. It's fantastic to finally see one of the all-time greatest manga story-lines on UK shelves at long last, so be sure to check out this gem and begin your own bizarre adventure.
Rating: 8.5/10
You can read the first volume of Diamond is Unbreakable now in print or digitally via Comixology. Parts 1 - 3 are collected in full as a total of 17 hardback volumes, and you can find them in all good bookstores or catch up on the official Shonen Jump app.
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