The Winter 2021 Manga Guide

Kamen Rider – The Classic Manga Collection

What's It About? 

Fans the world over have long been enthralled by tales of Kamen Rider, the masked, motorcycle-riding superhero who protects the world from injustice. Kidnapped and experimented upon by the evil terrorist organization known as Shocker, Takeshi Hongo manages to escape their clutches and use his newfound strength to fight against their schemes. The adventures of Kamen Rider span dozens of television series and films, but in these pages are collected his very first adventures in manga print, drawn and written by original creator and manga superstar Shōtarō Ishinomori. This beautiful hardcover edition, over 800 pages long, contains the entirety of Volumes 1-4 of Kamen Rider in an all-new translation. (from Seven Seas)

Kamen Rider is drawn and scripted by Shōtarō Ishinomori, and the original manga ran alongside the first television series in 1971. Seven Seas Entertainment will release the omnibus on December 14

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Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman

Rating:

Not all manga series from the 1970s can hold up, and that sometimes feels doubly true of seventies science fiction, which often tends towards the campy (and even if it doesn't, room-size computers can be a tough sell today). But Kamen Rider really does manage to retain its appeal. In part that's due to its creator, Shōtarō Ishinomori, but it's also because the themes around which the series is built are still relevant today: climate change and the ways that government can overstep when presented with technology they don't quite understand.

That last theme doesn't really come into play until the tail end of this 850+ page volume. (Yes, over 850 pages. You are definitely getting your money's worth here!) While this is arguably less subtle than the stories that precede it, it's largely saved by the fact that Kamen Rider's friends with a young man who is dying of leukemia caused by his parents being in Hiroshima when the bomb dropped. There's a clear link made between the bomb and the evil applications of science pioneered by Shocker, the villainous group Kamen Rider fights against. It's made clear that should Shocker's scientists care to, they could come up with a cure for leukemia and other cancers; instead, they're invested in turning all of Japan's citizens into mindless robo-slaves by manipulating the government. It's a downer to end on, but the point really stands: science is neither good nor bad until you decide which way to use it. That's certainly a point that doesn't go out of style.

Similarly, the early stories in the volume feature Kamen Rider trying to thwart Shocker's pollution-spewing plans. Rider, who resembles a grasshopper in his helmet and suit, calls on the power of Mother Nature as he rights the wrongs of Shocker, and while it is a bit heavy-handed, it's easy to see how influential the story has been; if nothing else, certain readers will definitely get Captain Planet flashbacks. All of Rider's early enemies are people who have been altered by Shocker to have the powers of dangerous, venomous, or simply maligned-as-evil animals, and Rider is just as horrified by the way the animals have been twisted as the malicious goals they have. It also leads to some awkwardness as translators run up against copyright issues; it's hard not to notice that Rider is fighting “Man-Bat” and “Man-Spider” when the rest of the bad guys are “Snake Man” and “Crab Man.”

Ishinomori's art is dynamic, even more so than in previously released series, with numerous action scenes drawn to show each progressive movement as Rider flies through the air or executes an impressive stunt on his motorcycle. There are a few markers (besides clothing) of the 70s that aren't so great, such as a few racist stereotypes, but overall this is surprisingly inoffensive, unless you really object to ascots. Female characters are mostly damsels, but there are a few more than shonen manga of the period (in translation, anyway) typically feature.

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Christopher Farris

Rating:

It feels like we've been on the cusp of a true Kamen Rider breakthrough in the west for years now. Between all the streaming show releases and officially-sanctioned local toy sales, it's not surprising that Seven Seas would go in for a release of the original Shōtarō Ishinomori manga. What might be surprising is that this ostensibly classic progenitor of the venerated tokusatsu series actually makes for a pretty great introduction to the franchise overall! Kamen Rider almost immediately establishes why its foundation became the effective basis for such a long-runner, and why its distinctive identity stands apart so well from its hero-comic contemporaries, both back in the '70s and today.

This omnibus edition's first half focusing on Hongo Takeshi, the original Kamen Rider, is definitely the strongest foot forward. Instead of any rote monster-of-the-week setups you might expect from reputation, we get surprisingly lengthy chapters that allow room for mysteries around the evil organization Shocker's schemes. As well, it takes time to let Takeshi get rather introspective on the nature of his modified-human body and the obligations towards heroism that come with it. The latter half of the book, focusing on Hayato Ichimonji, the second Rider, does trend a bit more towards the superheroic. Hayato is prone to Spider-Man-esque quips during fights and has access to the super-science lab bequeathed to him by Hongo in the hand-off. But that section still has plenty of details around the characters and their stories, to say nothing of the honestly impressive gut-punch of a downer the overall series ends on, cementing the legacy of Kamen Rider as a series in which the right lessons aren't learned by the people that need them the most.

Backing this up is the presentation. Perhaps due to a combination of Ishinomori's style going on to become 'iconic', and the fact that he was simply ahead of the curve in presenting superhero comic stories, the overall look of Kamen Rider has aged like a fine wine, in my opinion. Ishinomori's propensity for panel layouts that cinematically capture character motion, as well as judicious use of full-page spreads, means this 800-page giant goes by much quicker than you might expect. And it's all effectively in service of presenting incredible knock-down drag-out monster battles which include a few of the most metal finishing blows seen in a story like this. In addition, you've got a few grim reflections on the nature of free will from those swayed to serve evil, and easily more motorcycle action than any Kamen Rider show has had in at least the last twenty years. I genuinely believe this is a compelling piece of classic media to check out aside from its historical value. There's a seriously strong story here – they should think about making a TV show out of this!

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Caitlin Moore

Rating:

Seven Seas' omnibus of Shōtarō Ishinomori's original Kamen Rider manga, first published alongside the TV show's first incarnation, is certainly interesting. Ishinomori was a fascinating figure, being one of the pioneers of the tokusatsu genre as we know it today. Although his legacy has a vibrant international fandom that has existed for decades – I was in first grade the first time Power Rangers came out in the US – few of his original works have been commercially published in English.

Reading this volume, it's clear to see just why Ishinomori's work spawned multiple global phenomena. Kamen Rider has a hard edge to it that's rare in children's entertainment these days, openly political and critical of fascism and the violence it engenders via the fictional organization Shocker, just a couple decades after World War II ended. There's a body horror aspect to it as well, as people are kidnapped and modified into superpowered monsters like Man-Spider, and then brainwashed to do Shocker's bidding. Certain twists and turns in the story are genuinely upsetting, and I could see them giving me nightmares if I had read it as a child.

However, the storytelling is somewhat lacking – in that there is often a lack of storytelling. I have no idea who Takeshi Hongo was before he became Kamen Rider, other than that he seems to have been kind of like Bruce Wayne but really into motorcycles instead of sports cars. Characters appear and disappear with little setup or introduction, joining the cast as if they've been there all along, only to never be mentioned again once their role in the story is filled. There is little narrative connective tissue to be found, and the story seems to be more an excuse for setting up the action sequences, with things just kind of happening more often than not.

In fairness, the action is truly incredible, and it's clear to see why Ishinomori was such a prominent figure. It really is like nothing I've ever read before, making use of stark positive and negative space and two-page layouts. His simple, clean linework conveys a sense of motion and power that few comic artists ever manage to fully harness.

All the cool action and historical relevance in the world won't make up for weak storytelling for me, so in the end, I really didn't like Kamen Rider that much. However, for fans of the genre, it is a must-read.

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Grant Jones

Rating:

Shōtarō Ishinomori.

The man, the myth, the legend.

What a time to be alive! Kamen Rider in print with a legal English translation. Finally, the prodigal son has returned.

Shōtarō Ishinomori being a relative unknown – or simply the “the Kamen Rider guy” – in many English-speaking fandom spaces is a tragedy for multiple reasons. For one, while he certainly is the Kamen Rider guy, it's a shame that such a prolific and inventive career can be so unceremoniously summed up like that. But perhaps what's even more tragic is that this most recognizable of his works hasn't even been available for people to check out beyond scanlations.

But at last, it is here, and what a ride it is.

Shōtarō Ishinomori has imbued these pages with a relentless energy. The art is fluid and shifting, equal parts superheroic action and chilling horror spectacle. There's a refreshing elasticity to the work, which ranges from doughy soft to dripping with heavy inks. It might seem off-putting to modern sensibilities, with characters going “off-model” so to speak, but I find the variation a key part of the enjoyment. The bulbous body shapes in one action scene smash-cutting to a gorgeous splash of harsh linear explosions or torrential rains can leave the reader dizzy. Ishinomori's action works have a sense of velocity that is undeniable, and it is precisely this quality that made Kamen Rider a staple of pop culture – even fifty years removed. You can tell you are reading a foundational work.

But for all the flash, flourish, and flesh, there is a fundamental pathos to Kamen Rider. Takeshi Hongo and Hayato Ichimonji both wrestle with the essential question of what it means to be a weapon built by another's hands. It's a tale of vengeance, sure. But it's also a tale of a relentless pursuit of justice. When life makes you a weapon, make weaponade? Something like that.

Even then, Kamen Rider also doesn't forget to be incredibly funny, weird and creative. It's a story about cyborg warriors dressed as grasshoppers kicking crab men, dodging shark bombs, and doing sick motorcycle tricks in the rain. It's wild and inventive stuff that leans all the way in, never winking at the camera or pausing to lampshade. This quality is perhaps the most essential to understanding the appeal of Kamen Rider and the entire television tokusatsu sub-genre that Ishinomori laid the groundwork for.

Perhaps the one letdown is that it is not the live-action excitement that I love so dearly. Part of what makes tokusatsu such a treat is seeing live-action special effects work, done with care, compassion, and craft within the constraints of weekly television budgets and scheduling. The manga is, by virtue of its medium, “merely” drawn and therefore lacking in that practical effects magic. Nevertheless, you can't go wrong with a landmark work from one of the all-time greats of the medium.

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MrAJCosplay

Rating:

I have never consumed a single bit of Kamen Rider media in my entire life before this review and while this was a tremendously overwhelming endeavor, I am very glad that I was able to experience this bit of history. Kamen Rider is a franchise whose influence can be felt in so many other facets of entertainment throughout the entire world and while large, this collection does help highlight at least some of the reasons why. The action and panel layouts are extremely kinetic, both for the time and even by more modern standards. In fact, if you read enough action manga, then it's easy to see what parts were extensively borrowed from. Incredibly detailed yet cartoony art lends itself to some fantastic imagery with one of my favorites being our hero riding his motorcycle with a sky of manta rays in the background. The violence can get surprisingly visceral at times and some of the storytelling really do show their age. But I would argue that it also surprisingly works in making the package feel more like the time capsule of the past that I think it is supposed to be. Ishinomori imbues his work with a sense of heart and passion that I think really has and will continue to last throughout the decades. If you've ever been curious about Kamen Rider and their origins or are looking for something bulky to add to your collection, then I really don't think you could go wrong with something like this.