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ナンバーファイブ 吾 [Number 5] #1-2
No. 5, Vol. 1
A powerfully imagined vision of the future from Taiyo Matsumoto, creator of the Eisner Award–winning Cats of the Louvre and Tekkonkinkreet.
In a world where most of the earth has become a harsh desert, the Rainbow Council of the International Peacekeeping Forces has a growing crisis on its hands. No. 5, one member of a team of superpowered global security guardians and a top marksman, has gone rogue. Now the other guardians have to hunt down No. 5 and his mysterious companion, Matryoshka. But why did No. 5 turn against the council, and what will it mean for the future of the world?
In a world where most of the earth has become a harsh desert, the Rainbow Council of the International Peacekeeping Forces has a growing crisis on its hands. No. 5, one member of a team of superpowered global security guardians and a top marksman, has gone rogue. Now the other guardians have to hunt down No. 5 and his mysterious companion, Matryoshka. But why did No. 5 turn against the council, and what will it mean for the future of the world?
312 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2005
40 people are currently reading
1769 people want to read
About the author
Taiyo Matsumoto
165 books637 followersSee also: 松本大洋 and 松本 大洋
Although Taiyo Matsumoto desired a career as a professional soccerplayer at first, he eventually chose an artistic profession. He gained his first success through the Comic Open contest, held by the magazine Comic Morning, which allowed him to make his professional debut. He started out with 'Straight', a comic about basketball players. Sports remain his main influence in his next comic, 'Zéro', a story about a boxer.
In 1993 Matsumoto started the 'Tekkonkinkurito' trilogy in Big Spirits magazine, which was even adapted to a theatre play. He continued his comics exploits with several short stories for the Comic Aré magazine, which are collected in the book 'Nihon no Kyodai'. Again for Big Spirits, Taiyo Matsumoto started the series 'Ping Pong' in 1996. 'Number Five' followed in 2001, published by Shogakukan.
Source: Lambiek website bio .
Although Taiyo Matsumoto desired a career as a professional soccerplayer at first, he eventually chose an artistic profession. He gained his first success through the Comic Open contest, held by the magazine Comic Morning, which allowed him to make his professional debut. He started out with 'Straight', a comic about basketball players. Sports remain his main influence in his next comic, 'Zéro', a story about a boxer.
In 1993 Matsumoto started the 'Tekkonkinkurito' trilogy in Big Spirits magazine, which was even adapted to a theatre play. He continued his comics exploits with several short stories for the Comic Aré magazine, which are collected in the book 'Nihon no Kyodai'. Again for Big Spirits, Taiyo Matsumoto started the series 'Ping Pong' in 1996. 'Number Five' followed in 2001, published by Shogakukan.
Source: Lambiek website bio .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 13, 2022
In the distant future, there are a small group of superhero soldiers who go by numbers rather than names. No. 5 kills another number, so all the other numbers decide to hunt down No. 5.
Doesn’t sound too complicated does it? It even sounds downright basic! And yet, this is a barely comprehensible manga. No. 5, Volume 1 (this edition collects the first two books so you get double the drivel) was a staggeringly badly written and incompetently told pseudo-story, though Taiyo Matsumoto’s artistic ability is undeniable.
No attempt is made at creating characters that mean anything. It’s appropriate that the main characters all have numbers rather than names because they’re such indistinct ciphers that they may as well simply be stand-ins for the spaces where characters should exist in a story.
The world-building is more nonsense. Animals the size of mountains, some animals talk, the leader of the world wears a bunny outfit, some characters have magical powers, some don’t, for no reasons. Nothing about this world makes sense because Matsumoto doesn’t even try.
And the story - sure, it’s the most basic cat and mouse storyline, but beyond that, who knows what’s going on why. What does No. 5 want, or why did he kill the other number? What’s the purpose of these numbers, and what is anyone trying to accomplish besides capturing No. 5? It’s amazing Matsumoto gets so much out of so little - though it helps that he can simply blather on endlessly when he doesn’t really have to make any of it make sense.
His art style though is undoubtedly impressive. The technical skill alone is quite something, but to draw such inventive, trippy images, for hundreds of pages (and this is the first volume in a series), is amazing, considering the consistent breadth of imagination required to pull this off. He manages to create imagery for a world that feels both futuristic and ancient at the same time. As much as I didn’t enjoy reading this book, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t admire the art.
But I couldn’t get past the low level of writing or gibberish story. Whenever I read Dadaist bullshit like this, I wonder if that kind of storytelling approach isn’t a convenient excuse for the creator’s inability to actually write and tell a story well. I’ve never read any of Taiyo Matsumoto’s other manga though so I can’t say if this is a one-off experimental piece or whether they’re all this godawful.
Maybe if you like Alejandro Jodorowsky or Jonathan Hickman’s similarly bunkum comics you’ll get something out of this one, otherwise I wouldn’t bother - Taiyo Matsumoto’s a somewhat niche manga creator for a reason.
Doesn’t sound too complicated does it? It even sounds downright basic! And yet, this is a barely comprehensible manga. No. 5, Volume 1 (this edition collects the first two books so you get double the drivel) was a staggeringly badly written and incompetently told pseudo-story, though Taiyo Matsumoto’s artistic ability is undeniable.
No attempt is made at creating characters that mean anything. It’s appropriate that the main characters all have numbers rather than names because they’re such indistinct ciphers that they may as well simply be stand-ins for the spaces where characters should exist in a story.
The world-building is more nonsense. Animals the size of mountains, some animals talk, the leader of the world wears a bunny outfit, some characters have magical powers, some don’t, for no reasons. Nothing about this world makes sense because Matsumoto doesn’t even try.
And the story - sure, it’s the most basic cat and mouse storyline, but beyond that, who knows what’s going on why. What does No. 5 want, or why did he kill the other number? What’s the purpose of these numbers, and what is anyone trying to accomplish besides capturing No. 5? It’s amazing Matsumoto gets so much out of so little - though it helps that he can simply blather on endlessly when he doesn’t really have to make any of it make sense.
His art style though is undoubtedly impressive. The technical skill alone is quite something, but to draw such inventive, trippy images, for hundreds of pages (and this is the first volume in a series), is amazing, considering the consistent breadth of imagination required to pull this off. He manages to create imagery for a world that feels both futuristic and ancient at the same time. As much as I didn’t enjoy reading this book, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t admire the art.
But I couldn’t get past the low level of writing or gibberish story. Whenever I read Dadaist bullshit like this, I wonder if that kind of storytelling approach isn’t a convenient excuse for the creator’s inability to actually write and tell a story well. I’ve never read any of Taiyo Matsumoto’s other manga though so I can’t say if this is a one-off experimental piece or whether they’re all this godawful.
Maybe if you like Alejandro Jodorowsky or Jonathan Hickman’s similarly bunkum comics you’ll get something out of this one, otherwise I wouldn’t bother - Taiyo Matsumoto’s a somewhat niche manga creator for a reason.
July 5, 2021
This is a beautiful fever dream of a manga. I will read anything Matsumoto creates for his panel and page layouts alone, but this volume also includes interesting fantastic art, an intriguing post-apocalyptic society, angsty super-soldiers, and almost no backstory whatsoever making the plot and world interesting puzzles to try to figure out. Did I understand everything? Heck no! Was it a dizzying thrill ride? Heck yeah, and I can't wait for the next volume.
Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2021
Taiyo Matsumoto is a hit-or-miss creator for me, and I feel like this was more of a miss. Taking place in a dystopian future that has overtones of Animal Farm mixed with elements of insanity, the story portrays humans as the instruments of their own problems. That's hard to argue with as a premise, but the story's unfolding feels more convoluted than it needs to, and on the whole, the volume left me going, "huh?" while still somehow appreciating the way that it gave me a headache.
August 5, 2021
Taiyo Matsumoto makes me excited about the possibilities of artistic expression.
February 20, 2025
I'm reading these out of order when they appear at the library, which does not make them more coherent, but that's somewhat besides the point. I'm not even sure all will be revealed at the end. No. 5 is Matsumoto's Heavy Metal-inspired psychedelic western about a rogue member of a future peacekeeping organization, motives yet undisclosed. This is much more action oriented than something like Sunny or Go Go Monster, but even at most visceral it has a tendency to spin off into abstraction, towards landscapes and animal life, actual or those of the mind's eye or generated by psychic force of elderly children. Just go with it.
July 23, 2021
Taiyo Matsumoto is so good at making comics it makes me sick. His art style, (which is unconventional, especially for manga) is right on my wavelength, his lines are loose and expressive, his use of warped perspective and pacing of action is unparalleled. No. 5 is filled with dreamlike buildings and psychedelic landscapes, fantastical animals and sci-fi gadgets.
If I was trying to sell you on reading this book, I’d say its a surrealist mashup of Moebius and Watchmen, drawn by, in my opinion, one of the best comic/manga artist alive today.
The plot is opaque at times (with Matsumoto sprinkling in relevant background information at his own leisurely pace) but it revolves around a core focus:
A 9 man global superhero team, maintained by the government largely for optics/propaganda reasons, has had one of their members (No. 5) go rogue, and the remaining members, one by one, are sent to try and track him down and kill him. Along the way Matsumoto utilizes nonlinear storytelling, psychic connections, magical illusions, dream sequences and hidden motivations that elevate the visual and narrative complexity of this core focus, making it hard for the reader to keep up. But the challenge is worth it, because Taiyo Matsumoto is one of a kind.
If I was trying to sell you on reading this book, I’d say its a surrealist mashup of Moebius and Watchmen, drawn by, in my opinion, one of the best comic/manga artist alive today.
The plot is opaque at times (with Matsumoto sprinkling in relevant background information at his own leisurely pace) but it revolves around a core focus:
A 9 man global superhero team, maintained by the government largely for optics/propaganda reasons, has had one of their members (No. 5) go rogue, and the remaining members, one by one, are sent to try and track him down and kill him. Along the way Matsumoto utilizes nonlinear storytelling, psychic connections, magical illusions, dream sequences and hidden motivations that elevate the visual and narrative complexity of this core focus, making it hard for the reader to keep up. But the challenge is worth it, because Taiyo Matsumoto is one of a kind.
October 21, 2021
Matsumoto is the visual version of Haruki Murakami. They both have a style that is unique and absolutely mesmerising, you can't look away. You have to read everything they produce because you're an addict and only they can give you the next dose your mind craves.
September 22, 2022
As with all of his work that I've read, Taiyo Matsumoto's No. 5 is mystical, poetic, and visually stunning. In tackling science fiction with this title, Matsumoto's approach reminds me of Andrei Tarkovsky's treatment of sci-fi themes in cinema, where the artist used the form simply as a springboard, and wisely ignored tired genre banalities.
Given that this is the first volume of a series, the storyline is incomplete in this book, but because it's the work of Taiyo Matsumoto, it's worth reading simply for the pleasure of his unique approach to manga that always defies expectations. As soon as volume 2 appears in October, you can be sure I will grabbing and reading it as quickly as possible!
Given that this is the first volume of a series, the storyline is incomplete in this book, but because it's the work of Taiyo Matsumoto, it's worth reading simply for the pleasure of his unique approach to manga that always defies expectations. As soon as volume 2 appears in October, you can be sure I will grabbing and reading it as quickly as possible!
May 11, 2021
So, if I'm honest, I think I am just too stupid to truly understand what the mangaka was trying to do with this particular manga. The art is lovely, and I could follow the base plot. All of the nuance and the political feel to the story just didn't stick, and I'm a bit sad. I adore Cats of the Louvre, another work by this mangaka, so I was excited about another story. This one is just a little too out there for me. I think I would have to read it 3-4 times to really understand it, so the process of reading it wasn't as enjoyable as reading their other title was.
December 1, 2022
Superb. Bizarre. Something that stepped right out of my manic dreams.
This series is everything I wanted it to be.
This series is everything I wanted it to be.
July 31, 2022
The Umbrella Academy by way of Moebius. Interested to see where this goes, and since this series is only four volumes I shouldn't have too much trouble finishing it.
March 13, 2022
Clunky artwork and a story I don't get. I won't continue to read these series.
September 8, 2021
The art was very visually crazy and interesting to look at, but the story was mediocre and needlessly confusing. I'm always fond of "assassin leaves order of assassins, gets hunted" types of storylines, but I've seen that same story done better many times elsewhere (East of West by Jonathan Hickman being a personal favorite). My biggest problem was that I never felt like I got to know No. 5 or his companion (lover???) Matryoshka very well. How did they meet? Why is she so important to various other members of the Rainbow Brigade? Why did No. 5 sacrifice everything to be with her? What exactly is the nature of their relationship? None of this is touched on very well, so you really don't feel like you know either of them.
I also found myself frustrated with how childlike Matryoshka was. No. 5 at least can carry on a (pretty one-sided) conversation, but Matryoshka mostly talks about nonsense or makes simple, childish requests (like wanting to dance apropos of nothing). It was especially frustrating because she was the only female character in this story, and she is given nothing in the way of personality or agency. Does she even like being with No. 5? I can't tell if she even notices he is there half the time. What was her life like before? Did she like her life before leaving with No. 5? There are just far too many unanswered questions surrounding both of these characters, making them seem pretty flat. Maybe these things will be addressed in later volumes, but I'm not sure I will be sticking with the series long enough to find out.
I also found myself frustrated with how childlike Matryoshka was. No. 5 at least can carry on a (pretty one-sided) conversation, but Matryoshka mostly talks about nonsense or makes simple, childish requests (like wanting to dance apropos of nothing). It was especially frustrating because she was the only female character in this story, and she is given nothing in the way of personality or agency. Does she even like being with No. 5? I can't tell if she even notices he is there half the time. What was her life like before? Did she like her life before leaving with No. 5? There are just far too many unanswered questions surrounding both of these characters, making them seem pretty flat. Maybe these things will be addressed in later volumes, but I'm not sure I will be sticking with the series long enough to find out.
September 13, 2025
4/5 stars
#fromthelibrary #ilovethelibrary
THIS ART IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!!!!! really intricate and interesting world building. the character designs are awesome, and it was v cool to see the story unfold slowly slowly slowly until you realize you have such a big scope of all the moving parts. such big picture storytelling so it's def hard to follow sometimes, but somehow you find a way to understanding even if you don't realize it. the art is genuinely mind blowing, so beautiful i am in love with it! so many spreads i would love prints of, really really inspiring stuff makes me want to draw more. 7's storyline seems very cool, i hope we see him and dominique come back. interesting to realize it's about military forces/control/vy for power and how that all comes crumbling down when one person chooses to stray from the path. looking forward to the rest of the series!!! unfortunately my local library system only carries this first special edition vols 1-2, but luckily i think i'm eligible for a NY public library card cuz i'll be working there soon and the NY libraries have the rest of the series.. freak yeah i love libraries so much.
#fromthelibrary #ilovethelibrary
THIS ART IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!!!!! really intricate and interesting world building. the character designs are awesome, and it was v cool to see the story unfold slowly slowly slowly until you realize you have such a big scope of all the moving parts. such big picture storytelling so it's def hard to follow sometimes, but somehow you find a way to understanding even if you don't realize it. the art is genuinely mind blowing, so beautiful i am in love with it! so many spreads i would love prints of, really really inspiring stuff makes me want to draw more. 7's storyline seems very cool, i hope we see him and dominique come back. interesting to realize it's about military forces/control/vy for power and how that all comes crumbling down when one person chooses to stray from the path. looking forward to the rest of the series!!! unfortunately my local library system only carries this first special edition vols 1-2, but luckily i think i'm eligible for a NY public library card cuz i'll be working there soon and the NY libraries have the rest of the series.. freak yeah i love libraries so much.
July 21, 2021
This is so good, the story in equal parts interesting, bare bones, simple and beautiful and it’s filled with promise in regards to where it will go.
What makes this book is the art and the sense of style shown by Matsumoto, it’s incredible! It’s so beautiful to look at, it’s always moody but alternates between highly detailed to rougher and more economical line work, I know this doesn’t scream excellence but it’s a huge part of what make this a page turner, the loop, that cadence is addictive and every panel is drawn perfectly for what it needs to tell the reader. There is also great moments where he does his best Moebius and Tezuka impression and if I’m honest, he kind of outdoes them at their own game. The man’s a genius 🤷♂️
This is my first Taiyo Matsumoto, it won’t be the last!
What makes this book is the art and the sense of style shown by Matsumoto, it’s incredible! It’s so beautiful to look at, it’s always moody but alternates between highly detailed to rougher and more economical line work, I know this doesn’t scream excellence but it’s a huge part of what make this a page turner, the loop, that cadence is addictive and every panel is drawn perfectly for what it needs to tell the reader. There is also great moments where he does his best Moebius and Tezuka impression and if I’m honest, he kind of outdoes them at their own game. The man’s a genius 🤷♂️
This is my first Taiyo Matsumoto, it won’t be the last!
May 3, 2023
Surreal, mysterious and absolutely no hand-holding in terms of what’s going on. Fascinating world. I was drawn by the stunning art and I stand by that decision, it was worth picking up… But the story is unapologetically surreal and baffling, not for me I think!
November 1, 2022
This was kind of hard to keep track of at first, lots of different characters to keep in mind but towards the end I enjoyed :•)
December 16, 2021
I'm not a big fan of Taiyo Matsumoto's art style, i read Ping Pong and it's hard to stomach. I think he tries to make everything ugly. The context is lost in the story as to why 5 is on the run and why Matryoshka is with him. It feels weird for the sake of weird. When there is a battle or fight scene it doesn't feel like any more action than the conversations. None of it felt pretty good too me, maybe it was overhyped to me.
August 25, 2025
4 because the artwork is soooo good, such beautiful line art. Otherwise I had no idea what was going on, felt like I started reading in the middle of a series…. but I am pretty sure this is the first book. The world building seems cool, but not enough exposition in the story for me to get my bearings. I think I’d way rather watch this as an anime.
March 1, 2026
wtf was that
July 11, 2024
i thought it was genius
Read
May 18, 2021DNF
This is too avant-garde for my tastes. The plot was hard to follow and while some of the art is gorgeous, I can’t care for the plot when I had no idea what was going on.
This is too avant-garde for my tastes. The plot was hard to follow and while some of the art is gorgeous, I can’t care for the plot when I had no idea what was going on.
January 17, 2023
This comic is a bit of a trip. The concept is simple enough - in a dystopian future, young supersoldiers serve as an elite class in humanity. They go by numbers rather than names, and things go awry when No. 5 mysteriously kills another member leading to the others seeking to hunt down and kill No. 5. Despite the simplicity of the premise, the story is unusually difficult to follow. There's a ton of (at times excessive) world-building, the dialogue is often sparse and indistinct, and the characters aren't very fleshed out. But I did get hooked into Matsumoto's enigmatic storytelling structure, along with the fantastic panel composition and layouts. There's no doubt this is a master cartoonist at work, I just wish the story came together a bit more fluidly. I'll still read the next volumes, but I'm hoping the story becomes a little more distinct moving forward.
March 30, 2026
Solo puedo pensar en el trabajazo que habrá detrás de cada página de este libro y en cómo me lo he terminado en cuestión de dos horas :/ En fin, Five está hot y los Four son increíbles, quiero saberlo todo de sus brujerías así que estaré buscando el volumen dos
February 28, 2022
A member of the superhuman Rainbow Brigade has gone rogue and is taking out his former comrades in a wild looking world with a bunch of frankenstein’d animals and landscapes.
I feel like this author can be hit or miss for me, but this time it’s hitting. Sometimes his dialogue gets a little too navel-gazey for me, but when it’s happening alongside superhumans shooting at each other it’s cool. Reminds me of El Topo/Branded to Kill a little bit.
Anyway, I’m happy this got reprinted and that in general Taiyo Matsumoto is getting more appreciation in the US.
I feel like this author can be hit or miss for me, but this time it’s hitting. Sometimes his dialogue gets a little too navel-gazey for me, but when it’s happening alongside superhumans shooting at each other it’s cool. Reminds me of El Topo/Branded to Kill a little bit.
Anyway, I’m happy this got reprinted and that in general Taiyo Matsumoto is getting more appreciation in the US.
November 1, 2021
The artwork was amazing but the story gave me a headache.
March 23, 2023
This book has a good premise and awesome art but the story was very hard to follow most of the time. Does five like little girls?
June 30, 2024
Reviewing the first volume in lieu of the whole series. This is my review for the whole series.
I really liked it. I should definitely take more time to individually review each volume, because I feel differently about each one. For starters, the first volume I would probably give 5 stars. I loved it. I felt less strongly about the later volumes. Kinda feels like Matsumoto was losing steam, or maybe even rushing to get the art finished. This is mostly evident to me in the scratchier visual style late in the story.
Let's talk style.
The Moebius influence is crazy. It's somehow more Moebius than Moebius himself. Very trippy. Nature. Desert landscapes. Everything feels so cool. Important moments are juxtaposed with sequences of panels dedicated to shots of nature, animals, scenes from the planet. The costumes / outfits are exquisite. In Moebius fashion, the vehicles and tech all retain this fun, child-like, retro-futurism that I absolutely loved. God, could you imagine how incredible this series would look if they did a full-color version. Ugh. I'm not trying to say Matsumoto is biting Moebius here. He is definitely taking his style, both visually and conceptually (world building, themes of nature, innocence), but then building off it. Especially in the later volumes, Matsumoto jumps between visual styles, contrasting the smooth Moebius aesthetic with scratchy line work, sometimes even giving the reader a little taste of the heta-uma ("bad but good") style which I love so much. This jumping around mostly feels like a tasteful flex of Matsumoto's mastery of the pen, but it works to convey the feeling/emotion of a given moment in the story. Like I mentioned above, the later entries in the series lean heavily towards a scratchy style which I had a hard time appreciating. These parts felt rushed, but can maybe be explained as a visual representation of the more serious and violent tone of the story near the end of the series. Matsumoto definitely plays with styles to convey the emotion / feeling of a particular panel, and these scratchier panels are juxtaposed with a cute, early Osamu Tezuka style seemingly to contrast the ugliness of war and violence, and the heroics and purity of TV wartime propaganda. It still feels rushed. It's hard to make out what's going on in many panels done in this scratchy style. I don't love it.
Plot-wise, this story is cool. I'm kind of a sucker for the whole man-turns-against-the-systems-of-power-to-protect-what-he-loves trope. Most people do, I think. John Wick is crazy popular. Everyone loves a good underdog story. It's a bit cringe-anime, magical-crystal-to-save-the-world type-shit, but I liked it. I loved the pacing. I loved how the reader (me) is left in these cliffhangers where something important happens and then we're treated to a lengthy flashback sequence which fills in the gaps in the story. I thought the recurring theme of shared empathy to be very cool and powerful. Those most attuned to this empathy are the super soldiers of the Rainbow Council and... children. All children are heavily attuned to this empathy, something they seemingly lose as they grow older. I thought the themes of love, fraternity, paternity, and how they're all warped and twisted by human intention/desire/ambition were well developed and universally relevant. This story gets kinda fucked up as the series progresses, I liked that.
Wrap up.
Very cool. Very sick. Incredible artwork. I started this review by giving it 4 stars, but writing this and flipping through the series for writing prompts has me excited again, so I'm bumping it up to 5 stars. Fuck it. Matsumoto is a master illustrator, and a strong writer with a clear, consistent vision. More Moebius than Moebius himself.
I really liked it. I should definitely take more time to individually review each volume, because I feel differently about each one. For starters, the first volume I would probably give 5 stars. I loved it. I felt less strongly about the later volumes. Kinda feels like Matsumoto was losing steam, or maybe even rushing to get the art finished. This is mostly evident to me in the scratchier visual style late in the story.
Let's talk style.
The Moebius influence is crazy. It's somehow more Moebius than Moebius himself. Very trippy. Nature. Desert landscapes. Everything feels so cool. Important moments are juxtaposed with sequences of panels dedicated to shots of nature, animals, scenes from the planet. The costumes / outfits are exquisite. In Moebius fashion, the vehicles and tech all retain this fun, child-like, retro-futurism that I absolutely loved. God, could you imagine how incredible this series would look if they did a full-color version. Ugh. I'm not trying to say Matsumoto is biting Moebius here. He is definitely taking his style, both visually and conceptually (world building, themes of nature, innocence), but then building off it. Especially in the later volumes, Matsumoto jumps between visual styles, contrasting the smooth Moebius aesthetic with scratchy line work, sometimes even giving the reader a little taste of the heta-uma ("bad but good") style which I love so much. This jumping around mostly feels like a tasteful flex of Matsumoto's mastery of the pen, but it works to convey the feeling/emotion of a given moment in the story. Like I mentioned above, the later entries in the series lean heavily towards a scratchy style which I had a hard time appreciating. These parts felt rushed, but can maybe be explained as a visual representation of the more serious and violent tone of the story near the end of the series. Matsumoto definitely plays with styles to convey the emotion / feeling of a particular panel, and these scratchier panels are juxtaposed with a cute, early Osamu Tezuka style seemingly to contrast the ugliness of war and violence, and the heroics and purity of TV wartime propaganda. It still feels rushed. It's hard to make out what's going on in many panels done in this scratchy style. I don't love it.
Plot-wise, this story is cool. I'm kind of a sucker for the whole man-turns-against-the-systems-of-power-to-protect-what-he-loves trope. Most people do, I think. John Wick is crazy popular. Everyone loves a good underdog story. It's a bit cringe-anime, magical-crystal-to-save-the-world type-shit, but I liked it. I loved the pacing. I loved how the reader (me) is left in these cliffhangers where something important happens and then we're treated to a lengthy flashback sequence which fills in the gaps in the story. I thought the recurring theme of shared empathy to be very cool and powerful. Those most attuned to this empathy are the super soldiers of the Rainbow Council and... children. All children are heavily attuned to this empathy, something they seemingly lose as they grow older. I thought the themes of love, fraternity, paternity, and how they're all warped and twisted by human intention/desire/ambition were well developed and universally relevant. This story gets kinda fucked up as the series progresses, I liked that.
Wrap up.
Very cool. Very sick. Incredible artwork. I started this review by giving it 4 stars, but writing this and flipping through the series for writing prompts has me excited again, so I'm bumping it up to 5 stars. Fuck it. Matsumoto is a master illustrator, and a strong writer with a clear, consistent vision. More Moebius than Moebius himself.
July 7, 2024
This is a Kill Bill odyssey across a fantasy landscape. The art is absolutely exceptional. It feels savoury, tangible.
The inkwork is done with great confidence such that I can feel the surfaces the lines represent touching eachother and viscerally intersecting. This is so hard to explain, so here's an example:
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The composition of the panels, the linework, the strange fanastical animal-based designs.. it all comes together to create an etheral and hypnotic reading experience.
As for the story itself, in this first volume we follow number 5 of 9 of the Rainbow Brigade: a superhero/PR division of the militaristic peace corps. The 9 seem to have some telepathic link which is activated by strong emotions. And there are strong emotions abound as 5 has kidnapped Matryoshka from Papa (the scientist/bunny rabbit that runs the Rainbow Brigade) and made a break for it. Starting from no. 9, each of the brigade is sent after him and meets a grizzly end, mostly.
Matsumoto makes a nice summary of the plot here:
Even in this graphic you can see that the plot meanders into little asides about animals. That's pretty much the reading experience too.
Look, don't go into this for the plot: go into it for the incredible art, the atmosphere, and the character design.
As for me, I can't wait to pick up the next installment.
The inkwork is done with great confidence such that I can feel the surfaces the lines represent touching eachother and viscerally intersecting. This is so hard to explain, so here's an example:
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The composition of the panels, the linework, the strange fanastical animal-based designs.. it all comes together to create an etheral and hypnotic reading experience.
As for the story itself, in this first volume we follow number 5 of 9 of the Rainbow Brigade: a superhero/PR division of the militaristic peace corps. The 9 seem to have some telepathic link which is activated by strong emotions. And there are strong emotions abound as 5 has kidnapped Matryoshka from Papa (the scientist/bunny rabbit that runs the Rainbow Brigade) and made a break for it. Starting from no. 9, each of the brigade is sent after him and meets a grizzly end, mostly.
Matsumoto makes a nice summary of the plot here:
Even in this graphic you can see that the plot meanders into little asides about animals. That's pretty much the reading experience too.
Look, don't go into this for the plot: go into it for the incredible art, the atmosphere, and the character design.
As for me, I can't wait to pick up the next installment.
July 17, 2021
Visionary and richly imagined, No. 5 Vol. 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto paints a dystopian future where Earth is now mostly desert and an elite group of engineered superhumans called the Rainbow Brigade acts as international peacekeepers. However, when a member of their group, No. 5, goes rogue and runs off with a mysterious woman, the other members try to hunt him down.
I think I need to start off by saying, this is not a straightforward read. This is a surreal, phantasmagorical fever dream. I found myself having to reread the first volume multiple times for me to start piecing the story together and to figure out what the heck I just read, but the payoff is profoundly rewarding.
Matsumoto poignantly dives into heavy themes like climate change, human nature, and social responsibility. It’s a tad early for me to gauge, but I have a feeling that we have a who watches the watchmen sort of deal on our hands.
To top it off, the artwork is dripping with atmosphere and charm. The psychedelic, almost 70s-esque art style perfectly matches its eccentric cast and the dream-like quality of the story.
Lastly, I do want to point out that, although this is my first-time experience with the series, this is technically a reprint since Viz had earlier published the series in the early 2000s. I’m glad to have finally discovered this series though because it’s one bizarre, fun romp that I look forward to continuing.
Thank you, NetGalley and Viz, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think I need to start off by saying, this is not a straightforward read. This is a surreal, phantasmagorical fever dream. I found myself having to reread the first volume multiple times for me to start piecing the story together and to figure out what the heck I just read, but the payoff is profoundly rewarding.
Matsumoto poignantly dives into heavy themes like climate change, human nature, and social responsibility. It’s a tad early for me to gauge, but I have a feeling that we have a who watches the watchmen sort of deal on our hands.
To top it off, the artwork is dripping with atmosphere and charm. The psychedelic, almost 70s-esque art style perfectly matches its eccentric cast and the dream-like quality of the story.
Lastly, I do want to point out that, although this is my first-time experience with the series, this is technically a reprint since Viz had earlier published the series in the early 2000s. I’m glad to have finally discovered this series though because it’s one bizarre, fun romp that I look forward to continuing.
Thank you, NetGalley and Viz, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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