Nihei, Tsutomu. Blame!

NIHEI, Tsutomu. Blame! Tokyopop. 248p. illus. c2005. 1-595-32834-3. $9.99. SA

"Maybe on Earth. Maybe in the Future." Thus begins Blame! a post-apocalyptic saga set in a world of mega-skyscrapers. When our hero, Killy, is asked where he came from, he replies, "five thousand floors down." Killy traverses a bleak, never-ending maze of concrete and stairs, searching for Net Terminal Genes, moving up and up and up. He doesn't talk much, but his gun sure packs a wallop. This is a good thing, as humans are no longer the dominant species. There is The Authority, a race of robot-like creatures that look to be built from black Slinkies; Watchers, which are insectoid; Builders, spider-like robots; and silicon creatures, who bear a striking resemblance to Cenobtytes (of Hellraiser fame).

I enjoyed Blame! The main appeal of this manga is visual; there's not much dialog and the plot (thus far) is sketchy, but the art is absolutely breathtaking. Nihei (who studied architecture in college) has created a world all his own, with a landscape so detailed it lends his story authenticity. The action sequences are well done also, and there are lots of them. Blame! contains graphic violence, some of it quite gruesome; it is recommended for libraries with collections that cater to older SF readers. George Galuschak, YA Libn., Montvale PL, Montvale, NJ