Library Read // Attack on Titan, Vol. 9 by Hajime Isayama

HUMANITY'S WORST NIGHTMARE Eren is still resting from his brutal fight with the female Titan, when word reaches the interior that the impossible has happened: Wall Rose itself has been breached, and Titans are pouring through the gap! The emergency casts new urgency over Armin and Hange's questions about how the walls were built, and what humanity can do to restore them... ? ? PRAISE FOR THE HIT ANIME "A visceral and fantastically intense action/horror story." - Anime News Network ? "Japan's equivalent of The Walking Dead." - io9

The thing about library holds is when you get the news that your title is available for you to pick up or loan, it's like waking up on Christmas morning and finding a gift. You were expecting it, and once it's in reach the anticipation, the excitement, builds until you open it and finally get to evaluate what you got. Was it a good present? Was it what you wanted? Was it what you'd hoped for? But I think vol. 9 of Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan was exactly what I wanted. Maybe more.

I'm still at the point where I can remember the corresponding details and thereby mostly relive that first-time excitement, when I first experienced the story. But also, maybe the despair and desperate looks come across better in panels? Knowing what I do, I can scrutinize characters and be suspicious of them from the jump. The way the minute movements and details, the side glances and single sweat beads really foreshadow what I know is coming is epic. The duplicity can be savored all the more.

The ninth volume of the series correlates to about the first four episodes of the anime. Overall, and as to be expected, the pacing is much faster, but somehow the story plays out a bit more dramatically. Even with the anime the main trio has never been my favorite. As a group they serve more to expand on interpersonal relationships than story. The secondary characters have been more interesting to me. And especially with this volume we're starting to see how multi-faceted this story can get. 5 stars from me.