Akira vol 3 by Katsuhiro Otomo

Colonel Shikishima is used as the latest scapegoat to explain why the Sol rocket was used and parts of the city destroyed, and he loses his command. Despite the disgrace, the soldiers are still severely loyal to him, and he employs his forces to help recover Akira before the boy fully awakens. Kei and Kaneda try to bring Akira to a safe place, but they find themselves being betrayed by someone they thought an ally. The Colonel uses the three super-powered children to track Akira, while Lady Miyako deploys three of her own children to bring Akira to her.  All of these opposing parties chase each other through the streets of Neo-Tokyo during a city-wide lockdown, which means the protector robots are also after them all for breaking curfew.

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Otomo has packed this third volume with just as much action as the other two, and this time, with a healthy dose of this unexplained magical power these children have. With that said, there are a few deaths on page in this volume that aren't just background soldier characters. We also get more of one of the strongest and coolest characters in the series: Chiyoko. This lady runs around in an apron, shooting people and blowing things up, but she's a lady of few words. She helps Kei and Kaneda keep Akira safe, and uses a lot of weapons in the process. This volume is a much smaller entry to the series than all the rest in this Dark Horse edition, but that was probably done purposefully to leave it on one of the biggest and most satisfying cliffhangers I've ever seen. 

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2

Publisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: July 10, 2001
ISBN: 9781569715253 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Action Adventure