GRAPHIC NOVEL
Air Gear
Volume 5

Author: Oh! Great
Artist: Oh! Great
Tanoshimi
RRP: £6.99, US $10.95
ISBN: 978 0 009 50678 2
Ages: 16+
Available 02 August 2007


Following a humiliating defeat in a fight, Ikki is a troubled student. His luck starts to get better when he meets up with sisters who belong to the Sleeping Forest, Storm Riders gang. The Noyamano sisters provide him with his first pair of Air Trecks, a form of high tech roller skates. With the use of the skates Ikki is able to regain his honour and enter the fast and furious skating world of Air Treck...

Airgear: Volume Five, by Oh! Great, continues the loosely related vignette stories, if you interested in the background to the author then check out the review for Volume Three. None of the stories have a title only being differentiated by their trick number. Volume Five holds tricks thirty-three to forty-one.

Whilst I will admit that the book is well drawn, with some nice dynamic use of space, it is sorely let down by its story. It really is a book for young frustrated males who can think of nothing better than wanting to stare at girls panties whilst pretending to themselves that they have some form of special talent.

There is a plus side, in that the book never takes itself too seriously, with lots of visual puns, bolstered by knowing jokes. The characters are well drawn, which given the number involved is vital, so as not to be left totally confused.

The book does come with a nice set of extras. As well as the usual honorifics, there is a question and answer portion as well as some preliminary sketches and, of course, the preview of Volume Six.

Charles Packer

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