Bleach Volume 35 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

When a “Hollow,” a malevolent lost soul, attacked his family, Ichigo “Strawberry” Kurosaki was introduced into the world of the Soul Reapers.  Born with the ability to see ghosts, Ichigo became a Reaper.  Now, he protects the innocent and cleanses malevolent lost souls, helping them find peace.

Ichigo and his companions entered Hueco Mundo, the world of the Arrancars (the Reapers’ enemies), on a mission to rescue their friend and compatriot, Orihime Inoue.  All they got was a beat down, but four Soul Reaper captains came to their rescue.

In Bleach, Vol. 35 (entitled Higher than the Moon), the battle between Soul Reaper Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and the Espada, Nnoitora, unleashes astonishing powers from both combatants.  In another battle, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi takes on Ichigo’s opponent, Szayelaporro.  Meanwhile, renegade Soul Reaper and traitor, Lord Sôsuke Aizen, springs a trap and launches his long-planned assault on the human world.

THE LOWDOWN:  Yeah, pretty much every volume of Bleach is the same thing.  There are furious battles, which see the unleashing of powers that are elemental and are like forces of nature.  But creator Tite Kubo does it so well; it’s the martial arts, sword-swinging version of Jack Kirby’s cosmic bashes.  Good character writing, inventive character design, and power graphics make this as good as it gets in fight comics.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Those who want shonen manga fight comics want Bleach.

A