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I am a Hero Omnibus #4
I Am a Hero Omnibus, Volume 4
After teaming up with a larger group of survivors living above an outlet mall, Hideo, Hiromi, and Mr. Araki are betrayed. Now subservient to a band of strange men with odd post-apocalyptic rules, will Hideo find a way to rescue the sick, partially mutated Hiromi? If they can escape with a few new allies and leave the core, rotten group of survivors behind, maybe they have a chance in this deadly new world. Now a major motion picture, this hit manga series is presented in a deluxe omnibus format, collecting two of the original Japanese volumes into each Dark Horse edition. Don't miss this value-priced excursion into the world's weirdest zombie apocalypse!
480 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2017
3 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Kengo Hanazawa
112 books136 followersKengo Hanazawa (花沢健吾 Hanazawa Kengo, born January 5, 1974) is a Japanese manga artist known for his seinen works. He won the Topic Award of the 2005 Sense of Gender Awards for Ressentiment and was nominated for the 3rd, 4th and 5th Manga Taisho for I Am a Hero.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 2, 2021
The first half of this suffers from the trope of "The real monsters in a zombie apocalypse are humans". In the second half Hiromi finally uses that friggin shotgun he's carried around all this time which was pretty great. The real problem with this book is that none of the characters are very likeable. I do really like how the zombies are designed though.
July 7, 2021
The best one yet!
April 28, 2023
Except for some really bad exposition and attempts at character building for people that are unlikely to live to the end of a chapter, this was good. The two volumes in this Omnibus are almost totally action and a lot is drawn like you were a player in a first person shooter video game. The art was great but overly dark in places like there was a sale on ink at the art store.
But seriously, the zombies are smarter and less crazy than the humans in this encampment.
But seriously, the zombies are smarter and less crazy than the humans in this encampment.
September 16, 2017
The series picks up as the protagonist actually starts firing his gun in earnest and the story gains a little more focus. Bonus points for having some of the most bizarre zombies I've seen.
April 28, 2020
I think this will be the final omnibus I read of this series. It's just not terribly interesting, and the main character is gross and infantile in his thoughts. Which might be the point, but I'm honestly tired of the "gross, nerdy, woe-is-me a woman will never love me" dude in his mid-thirties trope. I think there are a lot of little nuggets in here, especially considering a zombie apocalypse in ultra-polite societal Japan, but the manga just isn't getting there for me. And considering these aren't individual volumes, but rather omnibus collections, the manga should have already gotten there at this point. The art, especially the zombies, is really goo too, which makes this kind of like a double disappointment.
September 1, 2019
Looooved this!!! I love zombie stuff! Need the 5th book ASAP
March 10, 2022
Some absolute masterful storytelling here, especially with the building of tension and the action scenes, (also it was great seeing Hideo rise to the occasion for once) , but other parts were so epically disturbing, it will take me a lifetime to scrub them from my memory.
September 4, 2019
So, I read the first three I Am a Hero Omnibuses and decided to take a break. I found that I wasn't loving these books. But, I was enjoying them because the main character is fascinating. However, I felt the narrative progression in the series was "as slow as a well-rotted zombie".
I'm currently reading Chuck Wendig's 800 page post-apocalyptic epic Wanderers, and I wanted something quick to read along with it, so I decided to return to I Am a Hero.
I am so glad I did. I LOVED this volume!
Up until now, our protagonist, Hideo, (whose name in kanji translates to "hero"), has utterly failed at being the hero he wants to be. Hideo is unique in that he owns a gun in Japan, which is a rare thing. He is also unique in that he is crazy. Not aggressive, evil crazy. More of weird, nerdy crazy. In the previous books, Hideo has hallucinated this boy Yajima who seems to be a contradiction to his own subconscious.
In Volume 4, Hideo doesn't hallucinate anything, but there is this brilliant scene where he straight up has a conversation with his own hands. Hideo has been sort of kidnapped by these outlaws who live on the rooftops. They are your standard post-apocalyptic "bad guys" who abuse women, ruthlessly kill anyone in their way, and take whatever they want however they want to take it.
Hideo is forced to join a supply run. His gun was taken from him, but shit hits the fan real quick due to the ineptitude of the bad guys who fire Hideo's shotgun, which leads all the zombies within earshot right to them. Hideo manages to not only survive the first round of zombies that find their group, but he also manages to get his gun and bullets back.
Up until this point in the series, Hideo has, like I said, failed at being a hero. But now, when faced with life or death, he has a choice to make. Does he give up and die? Or fight? Not knowing what to do, Hideo consults his hands. This is their conversation:
But, in less than a minute, Hideo gets bored waiting to die, so he wanders out and finds another survivor.
And this is when Hideo changes. He fumbles around a bit at first, but FINALLY turns into the hero he always wanted to be. I think this moment for Hideo was all that much more powerful because we had seen him fail so many times. And the fact that he comes to terms with the fact that nobody is there to see him be a hero is pretty awesome. What a great character arc!
I also like the humor in these books. For example, when Hideo gets his gun and bullets back, he begins counting them, realizing that 3 are missing. Hideo immediately worries about what the police are going to think of his irresponsibility. We've seen this sentiment from Hideo before. He constantly worries about things (like the police or paying for groceries) that should no longer concern him. But I find his inability to accept that the world has changed endearing.
There is another funny part of this book that I want to mention. The zombies in this world mimic their human selves to an extent, and there is this pantsless zombie running around their rooftop camp, practicing the high jump. We get several images of him jumping for the roof and totally biffing it. But when he finally makes that jump... at exactly the right time... it was brilliant and funny and I honestly laughed out loud.
There is so much more going on in this book than what I have mentioned, but you should just read it for yourself.
I loved this volume. It is the strongest one in the series so far. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait for the next one.
Do I recommend this series? Yes. They are quick to read, the artwork is great, and Hideo is a great protagonist. If you like comedic horror or zombies, then I think you should give Kengo Hanazawa's I Am a Hero a shot.
I'm currently reading Chuck Wendig's 800 page post-apocalyptic epic Wanderers, and I wanted something quick to read along with it, so I decided to return to I Am a Hero.
I am so glad I did. I LOVED this volume!
Up until now, our protagonist, Hideo, (whose name in kanji translates to "hero"), has utterly failed at being the hero he wants to be. Hideo is unique in that he owns a gun in Japan, which is a rare thing. He is also unique in that he is crazy. Not aggressive, evil crazy. More of weird, nerdy crazy. In the previous books, Hideo has hallucinated this boy Yajima who seems to be a contradiction to his own subconscious.
In Volume 4, Hideo doesn't hallucinate anything, but there is this brilliant scene where he straight up has a conversation with his own hands. Hideo has been sort of kidnapped by these outlaws who live on the rooftops. They are your standard post-apocalyptic "bad guys" who abuse women, ruthlessly kill anyone in their way, and take whatever they want however they want to take it.
Hideo is forced to join a supply run. His gun was taken from him, but shit hits the fan real quick due to the ineptitude of the bad guys who fire Hideo's shotgun, which leads all the zombies within earshot right to them. Hideo manages to not only survive the first round of zombies that find their group, but he also manages to get his gun and bullets back.
Up until this point in the series, Hideo has, like I said, failed at being a hero. But now, when faced with life or death, he has a choice to make. Does he give up and die? Or fight? Not knowing what to do, Hideo consults his hands. This is their conversation:
Hideo: Master... what should I do?
Hands: Hm. Why not fight while you're still able to?
Hideo: No. There's no way, actually.
Hands: But you're going to die, anyway, so why not?
Hideo: Huh. That's true.
Hands: You wanted to become a hero, didn't you?
Hideo: I did say that, but I'm not good with people depending one me.
Hands: True.
Hideo: There's nobody to see me fight, either...
Hands: Then you may as well just stay here.
But, in less than a minute, Hideo gets bored waiting to die, so he wanders out and finds another survivor.
And this is when Hideo changes. He fumbles around a bit at first, but FINALLY turns into the hero he always wanted to be. I think this moment for Hideo was all that much more powerful because we had seen him fail so many times. And the fact that he comes to terms with the fact that nobody is there to see him be a hero is pretty awesome. What a great character arc!
I also like the humor in these books. For example, when Hideo gets his gun and bullets back, he begins counting them, realizing that 3 are missing. Hideo immediately worries about what the police are going to think of his irresponsibility. We've seen this sentiment from Hideo before. He constantly worries about things (like the police or paying for groceries) that should no longer concern him. But I find his inability to accept that the world has changed endearing.
There is another funny part of this book that I want to mention. The zombies in this world mimic their human selves to an extent, and there is this pantsless zombie running around their rooftop camp, practicing the high jump. We get several images of him jumping for the roof and totally biffing it. But when he finally makes that jump... at exactly the right time... it was brilliant and funny and I honestly laughed out loud.
There is so much more going on in this book than what I have mentioned, but you should just read it for yourself.
I loved this volume. It is the strongest one in the series so far. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait for the next one.
Do I recommend this series? Yes. They are quick to read, the artwork is great, and Hideo is a great protagonist. If you like comedic horror or zombies, then I think you should give Kengo Hanazawa's I Am a Hero a shot.
October 28, 2021
** On reread, this volume is even better. Hideo alongside a group of survivors gives a lot of time for interplay. Plus, we get to see how society is breaking down, which is often the most interesting part of any zombie story. Best volume of the series so far!**
This volume was amazing! The action and plot momentum really began moving, it was interesting seeing Hideo and his group interact with another group of survivors. We also get some great kernels of information on the "zombies" and how they are effecting Japan.
This was the most action packed volume yet. It was a little lighter on the horror elements, but still has some really chilling moments. You also finally get to see Hideo's gun get used, and used well.
I am not certain where the story will be going from this volume, but I can say I cannot wait. This volume ended avoiding many of the plot traps and huge stalls that I see in many zombie stories, the group for example is not going to spend volume after volume in tedious tension with the survivors on the mall.
This volume was amazing! The action and plot momentum really began moving, it was interesting seeing Hideo and his group interact with another group of survivors. We also get some great kernels of information on the "zombies" and how they are effecting Japan.
This was the most action packed volume yet. It was a little lighter on the horror elements, but still has some really chilling moments. You also finally get to see Hideo's gun get used, and used well.
I am not certain where the story will be going from this volume, but I can say I cannot wait. This volume ended avoiding many of the plot traps and huge stalls that I see in many zombie stories, the group for example is not going to spend volume after volume in tedious tension with the survivors on the mall.
April 12, 2023
I think this is an incredibly challenging and uncomfortable series, but as someone who has read a lot of that this series feels like a brilliant subversion that is entirely self-aware of it’s characters strengths and flaws. This is definitely not for everyone and I’m not sure if the series will continue with this level of quality, but I think this is the best one yet. That being said, I was viscerally uncomfortable at a lot of moments during this omnibus and I think that the level of depravity present in a lot of these characters just isn’t what people want from series, but I think it’s great. The main character is an immature child, but this is the first omnibus where we really see him begin to establish consistent morals and finally display some kind of strength. This series feels like it’s trying to do a lot and I think it’s doing so very well right now. It’s not really an action manga, it’s not really a drama, it’s not really horror, and it’s not really a comedy, but it contains elements of all of those while still having three-dimensional characters. I understand not wanting to follow a lot of characters that are essentially incels or manipulative assholes, but if you think that this series is condoning any of that behavior I think you’re misreading it. Also the main character sucks at everything and that’s kinda the point so if you don’t like it then it’s just probably not a series you’ll enjoy. I’m hoping they don’t go down the generic love-interest route especially with the character that was introduced in this omnibus, but frankly I never got the impression they would especially in these volumes. There’s only one way to tell really though and that’s to read more so hopefully I won’t be horribly disappointed.
June 27, 2019
Hideo and his two friends seek refuge from the zombies in a mall and find the people there are even worse.
This series keeps getting better and better. It has opened my eyes to how different the gun culture (or lack of) is in Japan. Here in the United States, every zombie book or movie has people blasting away at zombies, mowing them down regardless of the skill level of the person using the gun. In this book, Hideo is one of a very few number of people who own a gun, and he's very serious about following the law (no one else can carry it, for example). His having a gun makes him a super powerful being in this series where no one but the military and the police have firearms. And apparently, when those two groups were never given permission to use them in the fact of the zombie outbreak, they followed the rules. This different view of guns results in an incredible thing - it has taken 84 chapters of this series for Hideo to fire the gun. It happens in this volume, and it's powerful.
The artwork continues to be amazing, both the 'ordinary' people and the gorgeously disgusting zombies. The occasional two page spread, especially the ones that follow in immediate order with one another, do a remarkable job of making it appear as if the images are moving. And it's almost always zombies getting closer to you. Can't wait to read the next one!
This series keeps getting better and better. It has opened my eyes to how different the gun culture (or lack of) is in Japan. Here in the United States, every zombie book or movie has people blasting away at zombies, mowing them down regardless of the skill level of the person using the gun. In this book, Hideo is one of a very few number of people who own a gun, and he's very serious about following the law (no one else can carry it, for example). His having a gun makes him a super powerful being in this series where no one but the military and the police have firearms. And apparently, when those two groups were never given permission to use them in the fact of the zombie outbreak, they followed the rules. This different view of guns results in an incredible thing - it has taken 84 chapters of this series for Hideo to fire the gun. It happens in this volume, and it's powerful.
The artwork continues to be amazing, both the 'ordinary' people and the gorgeously disgusting zombies. The occasional two page spread, especially the ones that follow in immediate order with one another, do a remarkable job of making it appear as if the images are moving. And it's almost always zombies getting closer to you. Can't wait to read the next one!
December 5, 2017
It's difficult to see how a story about a zombie apocalypse and the possible end of the human race could turn darker, but this one has managed. Because at the heart of it, this is a story about people in crisis, it's always possible for them to surprise you in a bad way. In this case the shopping mall survivor group has clearly gone over to the dark side, as the most active organizers in the bunch are, in fact, evil, and the rest are just trying to get by.
A level of weirdness is brought on by the "high jumper" zombie, but as his physical antics in the background go on, the reader becomes aware that this zombie was probably a decathlon athlete in life. There's something really weird about that, even with everything else that was going on in the story.
The footnotes at the end of these volumes are useful, because there are a lot of Japanese cultural references where you would least expect them.
A level of weirdness is brought on by the "high jumper" zombie, but as his physical antics in the background go on, the reader becomes aware that this zombie was probably a decathlon athlete in life. There's something really weird about that, even with everything else that was going on in the story.
The footnotes at the end of these volumes are useful, because there are a lot of Japanese cultural references where you would least expect them.
September 17, 2021
I still am very clueless as to what’s holding the main character back from putting his safety first above all. He’s still pretty conscious of his morals even when he’s seen first hand how the infected literally rip the faces off of other people. Also, what’s with everybody’s cluelessness of the situation…people are clearly feral and rabid, though that’s my only gripe. I always have to remind myself that their world isn’t the same as the circumstances in ours and maybe they haven’t heard of zombies. I don’t know, the lack of agency of the characters here bugs me—at least that one initially uninfected guy in the newsroom took the lead. But then again maybe this is a theme, maybe Hideo-kun is meant to be like that, maybe this serves as an important part of the plot, it’s too early to tell.
I love the zombies though—the facial expressions, their little still humane mannerisms and tendencies. I can’t wait to read more of this manga >:)
I love the zombies though—the facial expressions, their little still humane mannerisms and tendencies. I can’t wait to read more of this manga >:)
April 22, 2022
The first half of this volume feels a little similar to other zombie stories. People are the real monsters here. Not that it is bad, but it isn't very original. The second half though, is where we see Hideo finally start to live up to the title of the series. We meet a lot of characters in this volume and they are a mix of likeable to detestable. The art is absolutely terrific. The facial expressions and progression panels are terrific. This is just a wildly fun read.
January 17, 2023
Honestly after the third omnibus i was losing interest in the manga but this one made it interesting again. Seeing Hideo meet other people and getting to see how theyre making it through this apocalypse is interesting even if i dont agree with their ways. I also feel like compared to the other omnibuses this one had more gruesome artwork which i hope to see more. I really liked the scene where Iura gouged his own eyes out, very grotesque and cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
This volume was the fastest read so far, mostly because it just kinda went fast. It was not the most enjoyable tho. We left behind the photographer and picked up the nurse, but we will probably lose her in the next one and get someone new according to the formula so far. This one felt way more serious than the previous ones, but I have no clue why that would be the case. Anyway, this one was pretty okay.
April 18, 2018
I love this manga. This is the fourth omnibus and they have successively gotten better. Meaning more interesting, I guess? Better. They're better.
I don't expect this trend to continue but that's fine because 4 set the bar pretty high so dropping it down moderately to Omnibus 3 levels is acceptable.
I don't expect this trend to continue but that's fine because 4 set the bar pretty high so dropping it down moderately to Omnibus 3 levels is acceptable.
December 21, 2021
DAMN this volume was so good. I like how these chapters show how this zombie apocalypse has changed people so much by showing how the outlet mall community goes downhill, also Hideo learns how to be more of a hero and starts to change for the better using his gun and making the nurse girl his ally.
April 15, 2018
This time around it felt as though they slowed things down a bit to build up the zombies characters, which really interesting. There is a seen in particular that would never forget, and I think will stay with me forever... if wasn't invested before... I'm invested more than ever.
May 5, 2018
Hideo, Hiromi and Araki join survivors of the zombie plague inside a shopping centre. Of course, things go bad quickly since shopping centres aren't designed to keep zombies at bay and the survivors find that fighting zombies isn't as easy as playing a video game.
July 6, 2019
I'm not a fan of the whole "dystopian dictatorship settlement" trope in post-apocalyptic fiction .
January 23, 2021
Great volume, picks up the pace from the pervious volumes less than stellar ending. Gives us an insight into the workings of the virus and some great action sequences that will no doubt lead to some 'soul searching' moments in the next volume.
August 26, 2017
Not much happened story wise in this book. a lot of pages about shooting the zqns .
September 6, 2017
Despite the grossness of the images, I still find it super interesting to watch the zombie apocalypse AS it is happening. You always wonder how the human faction that remains will handle the chaos.
September 9, 2017
Best of the series so far.
October 3, 2017
Volume four introduce more characters, its faster and much more suspenseful. While there isn't much to talk about on this volume, all I can say is this is one unique zombie manga read.
January 5, 2018
I am enjoying this much more than the Walking Dead.
July 25, 2018
Top tier horror/action manga. Loving every page, every panel, every little stroke of ink.
October 16, 2018
4.5 stars
February 11, 2020
Boring volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews