Slam Dunk Volume 5 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

The Shohoku Prefecture High School men’s basketball team has the dedication and discipline to be the best, and they want to be the best.  This is the last year the team can make the Captain and center, Takenori Akagi’s dream of reaching the finals come true.  However, the arrival of two first year players, the wild and undisciplined Hanamichi Sakuragi and basketball prodigy Kaede Rukawa, can make this dream come true or ruin this special season.

In Slam Dunk, Vol. 5 (entitled Rebound), the much-anticipated, preseason practice game between Shohoku High and Ryonan High is down to the last seven minutes of the game.  Sakuragi finally got his chance to play when Akagi was felled by an injury.  Sakuragi is more than ready to take on Ryonan’s star center Uozumi, and second year phenom, Sendoh.

Sakuragi’s energy gets Shohoku back in the game, and Ryonan’s double digit lead evaporates.  However, Sakuragi’s lack of fundamentals allows Ryonan’s better skilled players to keep the game just out of reach of Shohoku.  Soon, Shohoku is without two star players, and Sendoh makes his move to take over the game…

[This volume’s “Slam Dunk Overtime” NBA player profile features San Antonio Spurs’ center and two-time NBA MVP, Tim Duncan.]

THE LOWDOWN:  See my review of the fourth volume of Slam Dunk.  I’m at a loss for words.  I never thought a comic book about basketball could depict the last seven minutes of a basketball game and make it as absolutely exciting and invigorating as a real down-to-the-wire basketball game – the much loved barn-burner.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  No basketball fan who reads comics, regardless of age, nationality, or gender should be without a copy of Slam Dunk, especially the last two volumes.

A+