Manga Review: Assassins Need Love (and Lots of Ammo) in Dogs: Prelude

Stories about assassins and low-lifes who share comradery off duty and under heavy gunfire are a relatively common theme in both Japanese and American comics and movies. But what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary in this genre are some well-choreographed action scenes, some street-smart style and a few fascinating characters who show you just enough heart that you care whether they live or die -- and given their high-stakes lives, dying is a real possibility here.

So what that in mind, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dogs -- or at least the introductory chapter to his stylish yet violent action seinen manga series, Dogs: Prelude Volume 0 by Shirow Miwa from VIZ Media.

Originally serialized in Ultra Jump Magazine, Dogs: Prelude provides an introduction to the characters, their lives past and present, and gives us a taste of the violence, drama and action that's in store when the main series, Dogs: Bullets and Carnage debuts in mid-August 2009.

But does the opening act whet readers' appetites for the main event -- or does its various short stories leave manga fans with emotional whiplash as Dogs Volume 0 careens between manic past-the-ammo action, slapstick humor, melancholy drama and sci-fi-laced urban adventure? Take a look at my review of Dogs: Prelude Volume 0 and see if it gets you headed to the comics shop for your copy, or leaving you waiting for the next big thing to come along.

Also, take a look at Ultra Jump's DOGS website for a look at what's to come (sorry, it's all in Japanese) or check out 11 other great graphic novels for mature manga fans in my summer manga reading list for grown-ups.

Image credit: © 2001 by Shirow Miwa / SHUEISHA Inc.