Billy Bat, Vol. 13

Billy Bat #13

by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki

Continuano da dove s’erano precedentemente interrotte per un altro editore le avventure del fumettista nippo-americano Kevin Yamagata che scoprendo un fumetto simile al suo in Giappone, entra a conoscenza di uno dei personaggi più antichi e misteriosi dell’umanità: Billy Bat.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Mystery, Graphic Novels, Seinen, Comics Manga, Thriller

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2014

About the author

Urasawa Naoki (浦沢直樹) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot Díaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.

Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.

Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing

Reviews

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dizzying Trajectories


Lingering Melody

Billy Bat doesn't disappoint in this volume 13: Kevin Goodmean meets and associates with the genuine Chuck Culkin, drawing Billy Bat in the shadow of the pseudo Chuck. We finally discover crime lord Kiyoshi Kurusu's (atrocious) childhood, reaching a during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, when he avenges his father, trapping the spies responsible for his death, and coincidentally takes the first step in his merciless murderous path. Oh, and we see Albert Einstein and the leader of the National Socialist Party casually exchanging a few words in 1931, dealing with a certain ubiquitous bat...

Billy Bat is a rare occurrence of a manga series in which I still can't decide way after the middle of the series what the overarching theme may be, or modestly foresee a likely direction the story could take in the near future.

Let's discover where this train stops next!

Also see:
Something Like an Autobiography

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ese momento en el que ya sólo te dejas llevar por los retruécanos que Urasawa sigue colocando en su historia, a la espera de descubrir cuál es el sentido de todo. Sentido que, supongo, sólo llegará en una relectura porque ahora mismo ya he olvidado demasiadas cosas de las casi 3000 páginas leídas.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trust the process totalmente, me encanta, ¿pero me estoy enterando de alguna de las 15000 tramas? No lo sé.

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il passaggio alla Goen non muta (giustamente) la confezione esterna di Billy Bat, ma forse avrebbe potuto aggiungere uno straccio di recap delle puntate precedenti. Mai se n'è avvertita la necessità (e forse la difficoltà realizzativa) come in questo thriller meta fumettistico che si sta avviando verso il finale. E in effetti appare complicato cogliere bene gli elementi fin qui preparati dall'autore, se non si vuole rileggere le storie passate. Al solito, comunque, pipistrello bianco e nero si danno battaglia, ma non vediamo nè l'uno nè l'altro, e invece ci imbattiamo negli uomini che sono venuti in contatto con uno dei due: fra di essi Hilter e Einstein, immortalati in un bel dialogo iniziale, ma anche Kevin Goodman, l'erede di Kevin Yamagata, e il Chuck Culkin originale, l'allievo che rubò il pipistrello a Yamagata e che cede lo scettro a Goodman. Insomma: ottima realizzazione, disegni pulitissimi ed espressivi, ma il solito frullatore che non accenna a rallentare, nemmeno in prossimità del finale.

[stanley snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was something i didn't expect, Kurusu's backstory? man i was really interested and focused about it, i really liked it. That makes him more interesting than before for me. And Chuck Culkin at the end? A great character thou! Does Kurusu still hear the bat? That's the question now i Need to have an answer in the next volume! This is so good!

[Jacek]

I did say I'd take it slow, but I didn't mean a two-year break!

"Intense" is right. Old scenes and characters fleshed out. One of Urasawa's most classic themes is prominent and, somehow, as disturbing as ever. Newly relevant? The final page, oh man...

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intense.

[Solim · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does Urasawa remain so consistent in quality? This man is a genius

[Sadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito flashback achei inté que tava relendo a obra

[Riley Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

[Arnau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mig camí de la història hi ha més preguntes que respostes i no està clar que es puguin tancar bé.

[John Lemonsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hitler?
Not surprised.
Who's next?

[yoniko · Rating 5 out of 5]

im starting to like this new kevin

[Íñigo Carrasco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esto da mas atracción que la Warner.

[OriginalTTT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein sehr schnell zu lesender Band der einen wieder direkt den nächsten aufschlagen lässt.

[Štěpán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, hello Mr Adolf.

[Princess Keziah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even with the change of protagonist, the vibe and the suspense is the same as always. Kevin Goodman is a good Main Character . But I still miss Yamagata!!!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m glad that it’s coming to be a full circle with Kevin and chuck drawing the real Billy Bat together

[Alenna Rucoba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tomo empieza con Albert Einsten y Hitler hablando tranquilamente bajo un arbol como dos novios enamorados. que peak.

[Federico Elías · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmmmm ¿hasta qué punto está bien jugar con la interpretación que tenemos de ciertas figuras históricas? Más allá de eso, creo que el trato a Hitler ha sido correcto, como dándole una personalidad de ficha de ajedrez, algo más "realista" que el retorcido que conocemos.
Por otra parte, vemos la historia de aquel hombre tan misterioso que vino apareciendo desde el primer tomo, vemos la primera aparición de Billy Bat, y así sucesivamente vamos recibiendo más información y generando más preguntas.

[Milenrrama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me lo he bebido e ido directo a por el siguiente, con eso digo todo.