Platinum End, Vol. 1

For the thematic successor to the infamous and bestselling Death Note, Ohba and Obata reunite for the first time since Bakuman. Mirai is a troubled teen who decides to die rather than pursue high school, for what turn out to be understandable reasons. But his suicide attempt goes awry when an angel saves him and then tells him he’s now in a battle with 12 others to become the next “God.” As in Death Note, the story asks what happens when humans are given divine power, and uncovers truths about human nature with great plot twists along the way; alas, like its predecessor, it also sees women as expendable objects. Obata’s art, some of the most admired in the manga world, leaves nothing to be desired—except, perhaps, some tact: however beautiful, the emotional moments are quite overdone, leading the horror into dark and campy territory at times. But it’s still an engaging story, one that anime and manga fans have been waiting for since Death Note’s end nearly a decade ago. (Oct.)