One-Punch Man #1-11

One-Punch Man #1-11

Originally released in 2012

Written by One

Art by Yusuke Murata

Many manga series have their lead character striving to become the strongest or best that there ever was.  It's a common trope for the genre, and an easy way to give them a goal to work towards throughout the rest of the series, even if it can be unclear in some series.  One-Punch Man asks the question "then what?"

Saitama trained for three years to become a hero for fun, becoming so strong that he can defeat any opponent that he encounters in (as the title would suggest) one punch.  Now he's just bored out of his mind.  Any sort of thrill or challenge is gone - he's like a level 100 character in an RPG where you can beat the game at level 30.

I've been keeping up to date with the series for a while now (the artist behind it, Yusuke Murata, also did the artwork for Eyeshield 21, which played a part in how I got into One-Punch Man), but going back to these early chapters, it's interesting to see that there's no superhero presence whatsoever.  Saitama is a self-proclaimed hero, but we don't see other heroes trying to contain the various disasters, and Saitama's self-proclaimed disciple Genos is a lone wolf seeking to avenge the destruction of his hometown.

Comparing that to later chapters, where the Hero Association and its various members play major roles and make up large portions of the supporting cast, it's interesting to go back and see that there's no reference to any heroes in these early chapters.  It makes Saitama feel more like an oddball than he already is, as it has him coming across as an oddball who dresses up in a costume and punches monster for no particular reason.

Murata's artwork is the highlight of the series, changing styles rapidly mid-chapter, especially where Saitama is concerned.  Monsters are intricately detailed, crafted with the utmost attention to their designs, and they're going up against this guy:

The central gag of the series (a monster shows up, only for Saitama to beat it in one punch) could get a little repetitive if that's all it was, but One (a pen name for the author) keeps it entertaining, and the gradual addition of a supporting cast helps to add some variety.  The first of these characters to be introduced is Genos, a cyborg who is so impressed by Saitama's strength that he becomes Saitama's disciple, whether Saitama wants him to or not.

Genos plays a classic role in shonen manga - someone who gets beaten up to show how strong the villain is before Saitama steps in.  As he's a cyborg, almost any injuries (no matter how gruesome) can be fixed.  As he needs to use much more effort to beat the villains than Saitama does, his fights are more visually impressive, with Murata showing off the powers of his cyborg body in great detail.

The series is a goofy look at the common aspects of a shonen fighting manga, so I don't know how well it would work as someone's first exposure to the genre. (maybe reading something like Naruto or Dragon Ball first would help)  However, the humour is great, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous, and I'd highly recommend it. (as someone who's up-to-date, my only problem with the series is its inconsistent release schedule, which leads to some arcs dragging on at times when there's a long wait between chapters)

 

The double page spreads are a highlight, with Murata and One doing an excellent job with making these moments as big as possible.  A later chapter shows a massive meteor heading to Earth using seventeen consecutive double page spreads. (the series is published digitally before its volume releases, from what I recall, so they don't have to worry about page limits like they might in a magazine)  I'd highly recommend this manga; it's a lot of fun to read.