BLAME! Vol. 3

BLAME! #3

by Tsutomu Nihei

Cibo has uploaded herself into Sanakan’s body, and she struggles to suppress Sanakan’s consciousness and the Safeguard commands. Cibo and Kyrii continue their hunt for the Net Terminal Gene inside of Toha Heavy Industries, which appears to be a safe space where neither the Administration nor the Safeguards can interfere. Mensab is one of the few AIs who succeeded in protecting her human charges from the deadly attacks of the Silicon Life. Mensab attempts a forwarding that shunts Kyrii into an unstable space within Toha, where time and space warp at random, and he encounters a familiar face…

Genres: Manga, Science Fiction, Comics, Cyberpunk, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fiction

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 22, 2015

About the author

See also 弐瓶 勉.

Tsutomu Nihei (弐瓶 勉 Nihei Tsutomu, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist. His cyberpunk-influenced artwork has gained a strong cult following. He has a relatively large community of fans in Germany where his manga Blame!, NOiSE and Biomega were published by Ehapa. Blame! was also published in France and Spain by Glénat, in the US by Tokyopop and in Italy by Panini Comics.

At first he studied architecture and later it is shown up in his manga works with drawing huge structures. This became one of his general theme that makes his manga unique. His works are usually in black and white. He is also an avid fan of the video game series Halo, as he mentions in his commentary section in the Halo Graphic Novel.

Taken from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsutomu_...

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it sure does look cool, this was mostly confusing.



There isn't that much plot actually. Which makes it even more frustrating to not quite understand what is going on. Also, this once again contains several action sequences that are hard to decipher. Which doesn't help.

There are however some pretty cool double page spreads, and I generally like the style of this manga.



Kyrii is his usual stoic self, to the point where his not saying anything sometimes threatens to get annoying. But there are some interesting things happening to Cibo, and then there's also this whole forwarding (time and space warping randomely?) business that I don't quite get yet.

It might get interesting again. I hope.

[Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

بالاخره از خر شیطون اومد پایین و یکم توضیح داد چی به چیه
تا اینجا به حدی غیر عادی بوده که حتی نمیتونم توی ذهنم یک الگوی مشابه باهاش پیدا کنم که با کمک اون جواب سوال هامو بگیرم.

[Rue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great not just because of the art but the overall action. Good thing I could piece everything together so most of it somehow made sense to me. And Yup!! The ending was something else...

Not gonna lie I kinda wanna see Cibo and Sanakan battle

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are my chapter comments, written down as I read them...

::LOG.21:: THE HYBRID ::003::
Ok, odd. I didn’t remember Cibo changing this way in the last volume (uploading her consciousness into Sanakan). And I am not really sure what happens there at the end or what Kyrii does exactly.

Artwork—Matrix meets Aliens.

::LOG.22:: TOHA HEAVY INDUSTRIES ::037::
Inside. This reminds me of that horror movie, where they are in a maze of cubes with changing gravity, directions and various horrors behind every door...



Safeguards! Eep!

::LOG.23:: THE DIGITAL KNIGHT ::073::
Confusing fight scenes and I find it difficult to understand the action sequences.

::LOG.24:: THE EIGHTH CAVE ::105::
New, rather ominous characters. Cibo does interesting things with her body.
I am starting to wonder if Kyrii is a pod-person, because he barely speaks or does anything.

::LOG.25:: HACKING ::141::
Have we met the Silicone Life in the previous volumes?
My comment regarding the fight scene: wut? What is going on? I was underwhelmed by this chapter.

::LOG.26:: THE UNSTABLE CAVE ::171::
Nice chapter cover!



A furious start and towards the end of this chapter another Moebius flash...



::LOG.27:: THE GRAVITY REACTOR ::221::
I am not a big fan of the action sequence in the beginning of this chapter. Similarly to scenes in previous chapters I found it hard to interpret what is happening. What did happen?

::LOG.28:: VERSIONS ::251::
Slightly more inspired battle scene. However, I wouldn‘t mind some plot. Here is my problem with these characters: I don‘t like any of them. And I am still not sure, what their motivations are or where they are headed. Maybe I am not reading this fast enough and struggling to remember. Or they are just not that memorable.

And again some frames that were just indecipherable.

::LOG.29:: THE THIRTEENTH CAVE ::281::
Some plot, yay. I like Mensab and Seu better this way. Not sure that I kept track of the whole time shift and forwarding thing... and I lost the plot again, what little of it there was.

::LOG.30:: THE ENDLESS WAR ::311::

Wut? Not bad, as finales go, but what do I do with that ending? What does that mean? The sleeper has awakened?

:: The End ::
Well... there was some nice artwork here of there, but not enough to really wow me. And I was really missing some plot. Mostly this made me feel meh. It was ok.

[Nate D]

The shades-of-opposing factions, layers of realities, and eons-long history all sharpen a little further, all in a more explicitly grail-quest realignment of the archetypes in this volume. And permeated, often even in the midst of the action, by the elegiac sadness of a universe collapsing into disarray. Out of universal entropy, small pockets of rich complexity may emerge, but they're fleeting and run against an unstoppable trend which can only end in total loss of order at a molecular level.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to be truly a gifted mind to create this crazy world and this crazy visual experience.

Nihei is not only an amazing artist, his creative mind is something else. The visuals throughout the whole series are outstanding. This is not something you get inspiration from the real world. This comes 100% from imagination.

This has to be one of the best visual experiences in manga ever!

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The environmental designs and those of the Central AI, Mensab and Seu are amazing, but other than that I'm still kind of ho-hum about the whole thing. They somewhat fleshed out Cibo's character more, but also kind of... didn't? I'm constantly trying to remember why one character has a thing on their arm now, or where the story is taking place. I had to consult the Wiki just to follow what was going on because I'm not finding that some key details are being well communicated. There was some time dilation thing going on, and the characters get teleported by AI at points, and this process seems to be high stakes, but the rules governing the process weren't explained and so the stakes are lost on me. It almost seems like the governing principles of this fictional universe are being made up as it meanders along instead of being gradually revealed to me.

I'd love to see more of the Electro-Fishers and have them actually fleshed out for once, but they barely have a presence.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.

Kyrii and Cibo are now inside Toha Heavy Industries, where things don't seem to be much better. They are still searching for the Net Terminal Gene but with Toha HI having AI controlling it, finding humans and residents inside is going to prove difficult. Not only do they find themselves up against Mensab, an AI who has successfully protected her residents against the Silicon Life (who also want Kyrii dead), they also have Cibo sharing a body with Sanakan and battling off Sanakan's consciousness. Mensab attempts to "forward" to get out of a fight but it sends Kyrii into a limbo land where he meets another version of Cibo who has no recollection of him, and when a ghostly figure of his Cibo gives him co-ordinates, he travels to meet with her to find he's been gone for 10 years.

This is definitely a series that's easier to read than it is to explain. It's fun, I'm really enjoying it, I like Kyrii a lot despite being a fairly quiet character and the lore gets more and more interesting with each volume. But it's a very hard series to explain. I am enjoying it though. It's gritty and weird and dark and I'm glad I picked it up.

[Mangrii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blame! está resultando un no parar de pasar páginas a la vez que tratas de desentrañar qué narices está ocurriendo delante de tus ojos. Y aunque no lo pillas del todo, de repente, te ves inmerso en todo el universo que va tejiendo alrededor de Killy.

Killy consigue dirigirse hacia la entrada de Industrias Pesadas Tôa, donde Zuru y el resto de pescadores de las electrobases se han resguardado. Pero no todo será tan tranquilo como parece. Ni la Salvaguardia ni la Agencia Gubernamental pueden entrar, pero pronto descubrirá junto a Cibo que existen muchas más amenazas para ellos.

Un intrínseco sistema de control y unas criaturas llamadas Silíceos evitarán a toda costa que Killy y Cibo alcancen su objetivo: encontrar humanos con genes de conexión. Se verán atrapados en una caverna, la octava en concreto, donde el sistema de control llamado Mensab les pondrá un obstáculo tras otro unto a su escudero Sew.

Páginas y paginas de nuevo recorriendo estructuras interminables e inimaginables. Enigmas y respuestas, respuestas y enigmas. Así parece avanzar Blame!, donde las cavernas y recovecos de Industrias Pesadas Tôa son su nuevo escenario, en una historia que parece haberse estancado en un valle de espectaculares peleas en el cual avanza realmente poco.

Un deleite visual, repleto de diseños que quitan el aliento (Mensab <3) y enamoran a partes iguales, batallas frenéticas con altos niveles de epicidad y espectacularidad, así como un embrollo espacio-temporal de lo más curioso. No es el tomo que más me ha gustado, pero sigo teniendo ganas de continuar esta historia.

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is still confusing, but the art continues to be awesome, and because there are comparatively fewer dialogues, the art moves the story, but the dialogues are clearing the story, but stil, the next 3 books would have to do more explaining because this one added a whole lot of new elements but that's also supposed to be the case as our heroes are moving to the different parts of the world. So let's see how this develops and then Keep on Reading.

I have always loved comics, and I can and I have. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more. You should also read what you love, and I hope you will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.

[Edgar Cotes Argelich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continua amb el mateix nivell altíssim que la resta de volums. Una sèrie espectacular.

[Garrett M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please stop killing Cibo, she's gotta be one her 4th body at this point. Also, let her be 7 ft tall again

[Tarot · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars ~

1/1 for plot
1/1 for characters and character development
1/1 for art
1/1 for pace
1/1 for world-building

Following up from my review of Blame! Master Edition volume 2, it seems the world exists in three layers:

Base Reality - the physical world where the City, Builders, humans, and silicon life are, but the Administration and Safeguards can somehow pop into existence anywhere at any time (my guess is nanobots)

Netsphere - the Safeguards' realm, they kill anyone who try to access it

Backup Worlds - separate from the Netsphere, seems to be where the Administration resides, they can't update their information of the world without help from beings in Base Reality, need a human with net terminal genes to grant them access to the Netsphere to take down the Safeguards

Now, Kyrii and Cibo have a gargantuan cylinder created by Toha Heavy Industries within the City. It seems to have been created for humans as a neutral zone where neither the Administration nor Safeguards can go. There are thirteen "caves" (like Strata in the City), each governed by separate AI programs, with a Central AI governing them all. Kyrii hopes to find humans with the net terminal gene here, but the AIs have been corrupted and are fighting amongst themselves, putting the humans at risk.

Silicon life has also invaded the cylinder with the united task of killing all humans, thus preventing anyone with the net terminal gene from restoring the Netsphere to what it once was. It's currently unknown what exactly the connection is between silicon life and the Netsphere except that they might be somehow related to Safeguards.

My personal theory about the decade jump forward and backwards in time is that the AIs control the gravity reactor, therefore under the command of an AI, the gravity reactor can use immense energy to change space and time. Mensa, the eight cave's AI, uses "forwarding" through time as a defense mechanism to save her knight, Seu.

We also learn that Toha Heavy Industries is still somehow operational and capable of making decisions. It's unknown if it's run by humans, AI, or something else.

[José Vázquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

En comparación con el anterior volumen, he notado a este demasiado repetitivo. Como siempre el dibujo y el diseño son sobresalientes y, en muchos casos, hasta quizá demasiado frenéticos, pero la historia parece haber caído en un valle de esos consistente en páginas y páginas de peleas entre personajes molones tan propio del manga de batallas. Qué hay detrás de Industrias Pesadas Toa y los genes de conexión de red pasan de McGuffin a casi un poco de lo que ahora se llama worldbuilding, referencias casuales que solo sirven para dar un asidero a lo que de verdad importa que es el virtuosismo técnico.
De todas maneras Blame! sigue siendo una obra más que estimable aunque solo sea por el apartado gráfico, pero es cierto que se echa en falta un algo argumental por detrás que haga que las peleas te importen un poco más que como pura estética.

[Lu tazzio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this manga shines when it doesn't try to give you answers. What I really liked about the first two volumes is that we barely get any dialogue and it's just the characters (and the reader) navigating this uninhabitable world. I hope we chill out on the "lore" in the next volumes. But Seu's design was insane I loved it.

[sugi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the more plot and lore are added to the story, the less i like it. imo the series is at its best when the landscape (industrialscape?) and violence speak for themselves, dialogue and narrative just bog it down

[Remxo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a dip compared to the previous volumes. There's not much progress in terms of narrative and plot in this volume, it's basically more of the same - Kyrii and Cibo journeying through Toha Heavy Industries. The art is less polished, too, and while it's not bad, it's in a stage between storyboarding and finished art. The appeal of Blame! depends heavily on Nihei's visual storytelling and design skills and the worldbuilding is excellent. But with the art turned down a notch, Blame! has lost some of its appeal for me. Kyrri's limited ability to emote - he essentially has one facial expression - is not helping.

[Gala · Rating 2 out of 5]

es una lástima (y me da bastante bronca) que una historia con tan buena construcción de mundo y estética tenga tan, pero tan poca narrativa. literalmente no pasa nada, y si pasa algo es muy confuso y llega a dejar de importarte por completo. las criaturas están buenísimas, así como la idea de una ciudad construida hacia arriba, toda de metal y casi completamente en silencio, pero no puede una historia ser solo eso.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series while visually stunning is difficult to follow at times. I love the aesthetic of the book and the action shots really stun at times. I find myself going back several times to figure out who is doing what. I'm curious how this will be in the second half as the story starts making its way to the conclusion.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me he perdido y ya no entiendo gran cosa pero está guapa

[Rickard Dahlgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortsättningsvis lika brutal som bok tre. Snygga dialoger, episka illustrationer och tuffa karaktärer.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, no idea what’s going on/who anyone is, but I’m enjoying myself. I can’t even figure out who’s on the cover half the time.

[Romain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stop.

[Elvis García · Rating 4 out of 5]

En esta ocasión se centraron más en la acción pero no deja de lado algunos momentos icónicos. Líneas temporales y gran diseño de personajes, es lo que más destaco.

[Marte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.25 ★

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I really didn't care about the Toha Heavy Industries arc (storyline??).

[Analía · Rating 4 out of 5]

las escenas de lucha son impresionantes verdaderamente, el prota esta mamadisimo q onda 😦

[Matthew Ochal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most confusing one so far but like not in a good way

[Sean DeLauder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of this work is the halfway point through the series. I will revise the rating of this omnibus, and all the others, to a full five stars if the story resolves well and doesn't end up being an array of stories that don't really lead anywhere.

It's a significant improvement over the first two meandering works.

Kyrii has apparently been at his search for "eons", according to the length of his dispute with the silicon life. I hope this means we're being introduced to the storyline at a point of some significance rather than getting a look at something that will reinforce the themes of mind-boggling complexity, space, and technology.

Please, Nihei. Please.

Blame prequel story NOiSE review
Blame! Master Edition 1 review
Blame! Master Edition 2 review
Blame! Master Edition 4 review
Blame! Master Edition 5 review
Blame! Master Edition 6 review

For a summary opinion, jump right to the review of Master Edition 6.

[Andrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview: Cibo has uploaded herself into Sanakan's body and is attempting to block her awareness and the Safeguard orders. Cibo and Kyrii continue searching for the Net Terminal Gene inside Toha Heavy Industries, which looks to be a secure haven. Mensab was one of the few AIs who successfully defended their human charges from Silicon Life's lethal onslaught.
Despite the stunning graphics, I found this book the most puzzling. Maybe it's a lack of experience since I'm not accustomed to reading manga in this way, or perhaps it's because the images are entirely in black and white.  I'm hoping the ones after that are better.

Pros: Fantastic visuals and megalomaniacal battles.

Cons: Although I am becoming used to the author's approach, I found the narrative of this book to be quite odd.