Hen Kai Pan

Environmentalism and spiritualism drive planet-smashing battle scenes in this sometimes spacey but elegantly drawn manga from Yoshimizu (Ryuko). On Judgment Day, “we, spirits of earth, will judge humanity,” holding a council to determine its ultimate fate. One of these spirits, Nila, gets tired of waiting and sends her disciple, Asura, on ecoterrorism missions to wipe out the human race ahead of schedule. As it turns out, the other spirits don’t have a high opinion of humanity, either, but they try to win Asura over to a less destructive solution. The narrative speeds around the globe, alighting in Indian villages, Madagascar forests, the Arctic Circle, and the American Southwest (where the spirits disapprovingly examine “a human invention called a border wall”), allowing Yoshimizu to lavish attention on drawing plants, animals, and landscapes. The visual style has 1980s throwback feel, reminiscent of classic photorealistic manga artists like Ryoichi Ikegami. The heady blend of ecological messages, religious iconography, and pop philosophy sometimes threatens to overwhelm the story, but there’s plenty to appeal to lovers of socially conscious science fiction. (Apr.)