Naruto Volume 50 cover image

Rated “T” for “Teen”

When he was a baby, a nine-tailed fox spirit was imprisoned within Uzumaki Naruto’s infant body.  Now, 16-year-old Naruto is a shinobi (ninja) with a knack for mischief and a wild sense of humor.  Still, Naruto is very serious about his quest to become the world’s greatest ninja and the “Hokage,” his village’s champion.

As Naruto, Vol. 50 (entitled Water Prison Death Match) opens, Naruto’s former teammate Sasuke, who turned against his fellow ninja, battles The Raikage.  After Sasuke is grievously wounded, Uchiha Madara comes to his rescue and reveals before the assembled shinobi leaders, the Gokage, his plan to create world peace – Operation Tsuki No Me.  When the Gokage reject him, Madara declares the beginning of the Fourth Great Ninja War.  Naruto and another shinobi who holds a tailed-spirit in his body are at the center of this conflict.  Plus, that other shinobi, Killer Bee, takes on the Akatsuki, Hoshigaki Kisame, in a water prison death match.

THE LOWDOWN:  When I think about Naruto’s success, I first notice the obvious.  It is the great ninja, fight comic book, but as with any successful narrative, good characters must be present.  Those characters must be interesting and engaging; they must be, in a sense, magical and capture the readers’ imaginations.  Their motivations must be clear, and if not clear, must engage the reader enough so that he will want to unravel the mystery of motivation.  Naruto does all that.  It is the complete package.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for the world’s best comic books will find one in Naruto.

A+