The Spring 2025 Manga Guide

Drifters Omnibus

What's It About? 

Warriors and warlords from Earth's history—"Drifters"—are transported to an alien world and employed to help the non-human races defend themselves in a worldwide civil war with legions of monsters led by the malefic Black King threatening the annihilation of both human and non-human races. Included in the menagerie of fighters from Earth are samurai warrior Shimazu Toyohisa, Joan of Arc, and Hitler! Drifters is a howling tornado of all-out action and staggering imagination.

Drifters has a story and art by Kouta Hirano. English translation by Matthew Johnson. Studio Cutie lettered this volume. Published by Dark Horse Manga (March 11, 2025).

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Is It Worth Reading?

MrAJCosplay
Rating:

What if the creator of Hellsing traded his obsession with vampires and gothic horror for Japanese historical figures? That's probably one of the funnier ways I can describe what Drifters is, but let me be a bit more thorough. Drifters is a fantasy action series focusing on key figures throughout history being summoned to a void-like area after their death. There's a mystery revolving around the circumstances of how they end up here, but a lot of the story is just an excuse to put these warriors in compromising circumstances for action. The pacing is breakneck, and while I don't find much of the world-building to be particularly intriguing, there is a strong sense of narrative flow. Much like in Hellsing, Kouta Hirano does such a great job of establishing atmosphere while also keeping things kinetic.

A lot of that comes down to his distinct and iconic art style. Long faces with exaggerated limbs, extreme close-ups to punctuate facial reactions, and of course, we have the eyes. The use of multiple circled rings within the eyes to create piercing looks works beautifully for both tense moments and comedic ones. The art can be jarring when it sometimes goes from an overly detailed action set piece to a flat panel with no background for a comedic punchline. In that regard, the tone isn't always as consistent as I would like, but I can't say I was not entertained.

The only thing holding this story back from being truly engaging is the amount of information it tries to convey to the audience. This feels like a story made for people who already had at least a passive knowledge of classic historical figures, especially those from Japan. There are numerous references and nods to the deaths of these real-world figures and the lives they lived. But as somebody with barely a passing knowledge of that subject matter, it was very easy for me to get overwhelmed during certain instances. If you're looking for some good stylistic action and don't mind the quick history lessons now and then, I think this one is a good time.