“Man, they let anybody into this night club!”
Viz Comics (1997)
original publisher: Shogakukari, Inc.
WRITER/ARTIST: Masami Yuki ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Yuji Oniki & Annette Roman TOUCH-UP ART/LETTERER: Wayne Truman COVER DESIGN: Viz Graphics EDITOR: Julie Davis
Noa arrives for her first test piloting Labors for combat and the new Model 98 Ingram Patrol Labor (Patlabor for short). While the Ingram simulator introduces others to their breakfast it’s a breeze for Noa. Meanwhile, the current Police Labors wrangle with the mad bomber and manage to bring it down, but with major damage to their Labors. They need the Patlabors now, and Captain Goto, head of Special Vehicles Division 2 Section 2 decides that throwing the recruits into the deep end now and speeding things up is their best hope. So naturally Noa is getting a chance to drive the Ingram sooner than she thought…if she survives the experience!
What they got right: The characters are fun, the Ingram looks cool, the comedy works fine…that’s all I can really say.
What they got wrong: The bio of the Ingram and the intro to the story on the first page (written on the same page as the credits) gets cut off. Maybe the intent is the narrator is droning on, or someone messed up putting the page together, which I think is the more likely conclusion.
Recommendation: This is a fun comic to read, especially for mecha fans who can have fun with the genre. Pick this one up if you can.
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