Dragon Ball Volume 16 – Akira Toriyama
Hachette Livre Gollancz Manga, 2007
208 pages
RRP: AU$12.95
ISBN: 13-9-780-57508-008-9

Review by Nicolee Baxter

It is the final of the 23rd strongest-under-the-heavens martial arts tournament. Goku prepares to face his last opponent – the great demon king, Piccolo. But it is not just the title of the tournament that is in contention. If Goku loses, his life and the freedom of the world are also at stake. Goku will need all his extraordinary fighting abilities just to survive.

This is the final volume of the Dragon Ball graphic novel series. The subsequent series is Dragon Ball Z which was screened on television some years ago. The plot progresses slowly (it takes almost the whole book to cover the final match of the tournament) but I remained engaged in the story and reading. The action scenes are enjoyably over-the-top explosive. Many of the frames are punctuated with words like “DOOM” and “THOK” to indicate a sound effect as the characters blast each other with superhuman force.

The book warns that its content “may contain language, violence, alcohol or tobacco use, or suggestive situations” and recommends that its content is suitable for ages 13 and up. Volume 16 merely contains comic book violence.

Following the style of the original Japanese version, the book begins with what English readers would consider to be the back page, all the frames on each page are read right to left, top to bottom, and the information within the frames (action, sound effects, word balloons) are also read from right to left, top to bottom. The book gives clear instructions and it is simple to adapt to this reading convention.