Megatokyo: Volume 5

The geek factor runs high in this fifth collection culled from Gallagher's popular webcomic. Friends Prio and Largo are still stuck in Japan, living in an apartment above the game store where they work. Piro is a sensitive soul; Largo is an explosive mess of a kid, a ruffled game addict who talks in the unpronounceable nerd-speak ""l33t"" (""You are t3h 3vil!"") and teaches schoolgirls how to assemble computers, but only after they've removed their clothes to be free of the scourge of static electricity. This volume comprises two large stories, the first of which focuses on voice actress/waitress Kimiko who, after an outburst on a talk radio show, becomes the object of otaku adoration. That's the cohesive part of the story, but there are lots of derails along the way, making it about twice as long as it should be to have the most emotional punch. The second story is almost nothing but derails, as it picks through the rubble of Kimiko's and Piro's emotions, stopping along the way for bits of Largo outlandishness. Fans who read the story on the web daily already know Gallagher's unique storytelling style, and will relish the chance to revisit these storylines; first-time readers will be utterly confused.