Ratman, Vol. 2

Ratman #2

by Sekihiko Inui

Even with a successful caper under his belt, Shuto Katsuragi is still not very comfortable with his role as the dark anti-hero 'Ratman' for the evil secret organization 'Jackal'. Deciding to take advantage of Ratman's abilities, he tries his hand at some vigilante heroism on his off time from the organization. The first attempt goes well, and he even shows up in the papers as a 'mysterious, unnamed hero'. The second attempt does not go nearly as well, as he is mistaken for the criminal instead of the guy trying to stop the crime. The misunderstandings continue when he tries to break up a fight between members of a hero sentai team. He has to knock them out to do it, and a late-coming Ankaiser pounces on the excuse to pick a fight of his own!

Genres: Manga, Comedy, Young Adult, Humor

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2008

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finally getting back to this series, in my to-read pile, and volume two is just as solid as the first one. The comedy is on-point, and its cynical take on superheroism is still well-done, even though it predates the likes of My Hero Academia and One Punch Man. Heroes selling out is a fascinating concept, especially when they let their egos and petty squabbles get in the way of saving lives, or stopping crime. And even more especially when a reluctant villain is more heroic than most of the licensed "heroes."

The only real problems I had were in the production of this volume. You can tell Tokyo Pop was releasing Ratman right at the end of their big splash as a publisher. The text doesn't always align right with the speech bubbles, some pages are printed too dark, so that the images are almost smudgy, etc. Ratman is still very much a diamond in the rough, and it's a shame that its official English release was both a bit shoddy, and cut short. Only one more volume ever got translated through official channels, which really feels like a disservice, because there's a lot to like here.

[Barry Haworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this manga earlier in the year. In a world where super heroes keep the world safe, young Shooto Katsugari dreams of becoming one. When he is offered the chance by a mysterious stranger he accepts without hesitation - only to realise that he has just been signed up by the super villain team and not the super heroes. As the newly minted supervillain Ratman he is obliged to obey his villain overlords - but still finds a way to use his evil powers to the greater good.

This is an amusing twist on the regular superhero fare, and one I quite enjoyed.

[David Doel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 2 was just as good as volume 1. I see the series includes at least 10 volumes, but I'll have to stop at 3.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is pure action with Ratman getting involved in everything whether he's been sent out on a villain's mission or he takes on a hero's mission of his own volition. Lots of fun! I found it a speedy read. And I love the minions called Jacky!!I did find Ratman's ideological speeches rather annoying as if violins would start playing at any time, and more suited to an elementary situation, not this one with its frequent use of mature language. I'll probably read on at some point but just not now.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick thoughts: Slow paced despite a fair a mount of action. Like the leads and some of the small developments, but hoping this picks up speed in future volumes.