The Summit of the Gods Paperback – July 23, 2009

SHIPPING:Arrived in great condition, though used, and ahead of the latest ETA. Would definitely order books from this seller again.PRODUCT:Long time manga fan going back to Epic Comics' (an imprint of Marvel) colorized and extremely well-translated U.S. monthly editions of Akira. It was the early nineties and I was in high school. I'd seen eighties anime on tv as a young boy but never read any manga. Katsuhiro Otomo's mastery of distinct facial characteristics & expressions; the realistically clunky and unwieldy design of machines like caretaker robots, cryogenic chambers and experimental transports & weapons like 'flying platforms' and 'laser canons' (drawn to look heavy, with clunky wirebound batteries that have to be clipped to a soldiers equipment belt and don't last past 5 or 6 shots...because they're still experimental); and the flawless cinematic progression of the panels that effortlessly guide your eye to the next visual step, like you're watching a movie, all set me up to understand that manga was a wholly different form of comic book planning, writing and reading distinct to Japan. But a non-Japanese can't know how different until they read a manga that isn't a sci-fi, action or adventure story, but a story about any other aspect of life, like sports, politics, romance or the corporate world (Yes, the corporate world!) and finds themself completely drawn into the goals, challenges, surprises and victories in each. If you have no interest in rock climbing, by the halfway point of Summit of the Gods' first issue, you should understand at least the passion men and women who engage this dangerous sport have, and the sense of conquering achievement one gets when they've thrown down the gauntlet to nature herself and said, "I'll take this mountain.", survive and stand at the summit to represent their country, their climbing team or their fallen comrades. By volume two, the minutiae of the bureaucracy involved in forming mountaineering clubs, applying for funding and sponsors, the life and limb risk and the plight of the family and friends of those who didn't make it, infected me and I was just as invested as the characters in seeing Joji Habu get back in the game to do the seemingly impossible. I'm currently in the middle of volume 3 and on the edge of my seat! Otomo, along with many others, carries on Osamu Tezuka's tradition. Now, Naoki Urasawa's generation carries on. Somehow the work of Summit's writer and artist, Jiro Taniguchi, escaped my attention but once I saw the cover and the details committed to his vivid vistas and landscapes, the the burning pain in his characters faces and the detail rendered in his depiction of mountaineering equipment, I knew I had to order this book. The sight of it captured my heart the way Otomo's did over 30 years ago! For stories about hobbies, sports, relationships and jobs, only manga can do that!

This is an absolutely fantastic Manga. The story is riveting, the illustrations are gorgeous and the characters are extremely well written and 3 dimensional. If you like photography, the outdoors, beautiful artwork, and great storytelling do not hesitate to buy this book you won't regret it!

Japanese style manga. Right to left. As a manga fan I prefer reading it Japanese style. This book is truly monumental in scope and achievement. Akin to photo realism than manga. Black and white artwork. Paperback which all graphic novels should be for easy handling. Great book. Great Experience!

Truly awesome, fantastic, inspiring manga - fine art illustration coupled with a plot that keeps moving along. This series is among my absolute favorites of Japanese artists, easily equal in depth to Tezuka Osamu's Adolf. Dig the tortured anti-hero dropping out of society, the introspective reporter trying to track him down while battling his own failures, and lots more turns and twists in later volumes.Evan Tick CITI

A great manga with a unique history of the many people as well as one of the main character who have attempted to climb the most treacherous if not life threatening mountains of the known world. Truly a work of art.

Great series...make sure you read all of them and in the right order. If you're a George Mallory fan, you'll like this fascinating story.

One of the best graphic novels I have ever read. Incredibly evocative, and manages to capture the hubris of human ambition, everest as more than just a physical space and the end of the era of classic mountaineering. As someone who works in the Himalayas, this series was truly special.

Loved the story in the series of five books!