Lupin III, Vol. 2

Lupin III #2

by Monkey Punch

Monkey Punch's Lupin III franchise follows the exploits of master thief, Lupin III, and his fellow partners-in-crime, Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko. Over the 35 years since the first installment of Lupin's exploits appeared in print in Japan, the franchise has spun off a total of 3 separate manga series (comprising dozens of volumes) and hundreds of animated TV episodes, theatrical features, and original video productions. Take a healthy dose of James Bond, add a splash of The Thomas Crown Affair, filter through the warped prism of Mad magazine... stir throughly... and multiply by about 12... the resulting cocktail might just begin to capture the irrepressible lunacy of Lupin III.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Comedy, Seinen, Graphic Novels

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Kazuhiko Katō known by the pen name Monkey Punch (モンキー・パンチ) was a Japanese manga artist, best known for his series Lupin III.

Reviews

[ComicNerdSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has the same problems I had with volume one, but this time there was more in it's favor to carry it. This volume features more interesting story ideas and now has Jigen, who as a character plays off of Lupin beautifully.

[Meu Suzuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 7 short stories in this manga and in all stories, beautiful woman appeared. I like her clothes because those clothes are good sense and gorgeous. And I like chapter 14 “Interview with a Lupin”. Usually, Lupin doesn’t kill women and Lupin sometimes helps people. However, after all, I thought he is definitely criminal in this story.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, action-based manga with lots of comedy. Recommended for fans of the anime.

[Brandon Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is a marked improvement over the first volume, but Kato's writing is even lazier than last time. It's more an anthology of short wherein the author writes himself into a corner and, miraculously, Lupin somehow escapes harm. Emphasis on somehow because most of the time it isn't clear how. Of course, this series is supposed to be fun, so maybe I should overlook things like that - But I can't. It makes it less fun and more frustrating.

Am I necessarily enjoying this manga? Not really. Am I going to read the other 12 volumes? Probably. Why? Who the hell knows. I enjoy the animated adaption far, far more than the source material, partially because of it's proximity to Suzuki and Miyazaki, and partially because it's just a better time than the original manga.

[David Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lupin III of this manga is worlds apart from my own first exposure to the character, through the classic anime series and the immortal film The Castle of Cagliostro. This Lupin is more ruthless, and very often cruel; while Monkey Punch delights in the endless string of reversals and double crosses, he's apparently not above having Lupin simply escape from a sticky situation with an improbable massacre. Neither does he appear uncomfortable with peppering these stories with rape and other forms of sexual violence (though as often as not, the women are capable of fighting back).

Lupin III is kind of a mess in any incarnation, whether it skews to sexist ultra-violence or Bugs Bunny-type looniness. The art in this volume is a little messy, too, though it carries a propulsive edge that gives these short and largely disconnected tales most of their charm. And Lupin's charm is considerable indeed, but there's a lot to be said for character development.