Naruto Volume 38 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Once an incorrigible, young ninja-in-training, Uzumaki Naruto is now fully a ninja.  His quest to become the world’s greatest ninja, however, hasn’t dampened his wild sense of humor and knack for mischief.

As Naruto, Vol. 38 (entitled Practice Makes Perfect) opens, Shikamaru battles one of his mentor’s killers, the crafty Hidan.  Naruto pits his new skills against Hidan’s partner, Kakuzu.  Meanwhile, Naruto’s former teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, faces his new mentor, Orochimaru, but Sasuke may not like Orochimaru’s plans for him

THE LOWDOWN:  No, I won’t stop calling Naruto “the Harry Potter of manga.”  Naruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto once again reveals his superb skills at creating outstanding characters by shifting midstream from a focus on Naruto and friends (who are in the midst of a heavy-hitter storyline) to a focus on Sasuke, and the story is just as thrilling.  It’s no surprise that Sasuke’s quest is every bit as engaging as Naruto’s current drama, with characters that are just as good, if not more inventively weird.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  What shonen fan can go wrong with Naruto?

A