Attack on Titan Volume 16 Review

Attack on Titan

Volume 16

Hajime Isayama

At this point if you have not heard of the Japanese phenomenon of Attack on Titan and you're into nerd/geek culture then you must be actively avoiding it. If you go to conventions, comic book shops, a mall, ala Hot Topic, or even go to the movies now you'll see something from Attack on Titan. If you are a fan you probably know that there is now a live-action, 2-part movie, you are waiting in avid anticipation for season 2 as well as the next volume of the manga. I finished reading volume 16 so I  figured I'd share my thoughts on it with you all. If you've been reading any of the AoT manga you the know the issues that plague this series and continue to do so. You also know the strengths of this book and they are consistent as well.
The art is in black and white, consisting of lots of thin lines. It appears to be penciled and inked but theres not much for gray tones. There is so much emotion in each character. The facial expressions are deep, intense, and add a lot much like the body language and gestures. The action sequences are sometimes hard to follow. They are intense, fast-paced, emotional, gut-wrenching battles. One thing is for sure in this volume; the intensity does not let up but for a brief moment here and there.
For the last few volumes the soldiers fighting for humanity against the Titans, have been dealing with a political coup. Out of the fire and into the frying pan, the survey corps' worst fears are confirmed. A climactic battle ensues that has been a long time coming. Both sides pullout all the stops. There are casualties as they put their lives on the line for humanity's last hope, Eren Yeager. There are many revelations through dialogue, flashbacks, and questions I've been asking this entire time. All the while Eren is chained up by his captors, humanity's greatest oppressor, a fellow corpsmen of Eren's and daughter of the king, and an infamous killer. When these two situations finally converge it's all out mayhem. Once again it ends in classic AoT cliffhanger fashion.
Part of what makes Attack on Titan so fantastic are the intense cliffhangers. This book does not disappoint in that or any other respect. So many questions are answered in this volume that readers and viewers have been asking since the beginning and throughout the series. So many great revelations come to fruition but it is not over yet. This issue was like walking a tightrope, so intense, emotional, scary, not being able to catch your breath until the end. Even the idea of what is to come leaves you on edge. If you've seen the anime and you haven't read the manga, you're a fool. The show no doubt does the fast-paced vertical maneuvering action sequences better but there is no comparison to knowing how the story continues, where it goes, what happens, the heights and depths it takes you emotionally with each character and plot twist, and much more. So go BUY this and read it if you haven't already because it is a STRONG BUY and by far the best in the series thus far. And buy the rest if you haven't yet.
Verdict: STRONG BUY