Name: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1--Phantom Blood, Vol. 1
ISBN: 9781421578798

Hirohiko Araki

A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil! The legendary Shonen Jump series, now available in English for the first time, in a deluxe edition featuring color pages and newly drawn cover art! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a groundbreaking manga famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil! Young Jonathan Joestar’s life is forever changed when he meets his new adopted brother, Dio. For some reason, Dio has a smoldering grudge against him and derives pleasure from seeing him suffer. But every man has his limits, as Dio finds out. This is the beginning of a long and hateful relationship!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1--Phantom Blood, Vol. 1

Alina

A youtuber recommended this series. I will admit that I am confused by the hype surrounding this series. It was... okay?

 As much as I wanted to like the first volume, I was not as intrigued by it. It’s just your typical “boys’ adventure” story. Jonathan and Dio battle for Joestar family inheritance in the 1880s England, with 1980s-style fight scenes until they turn 19. The book's plot revolves around an Aztec mask with powers that appear halfway through the book..

The characters in this volume were extremely two-dimensional. Jonathan’s arc bored me because of naivety. Dio’s lack of any depth beyond “I AM THE VILLAIN OF THIS PLOT” kept me from sinking into the plot at all. I felt like there was nowhere to grow, which was a confusing vibe to present, considering it’s the first installment.

This story feels choppy, as if someone gathered and bound several comic books from a series, despite missing some parts.

Almost everyone agrees that this part of the series is not the best... but it doesn’t pique my interest in continuing.

The legendary Shonen Jump series, now available in English for the first time, in a deluxe edition featuring color pages and newly drawn cover art! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a groundbreaking manga famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil! As if Dio wasn't diabolical enough, now he's an immortal vampire with incredible strength! But Jonathan Joestar's not one to back down, even when it seems like victory is impossible! It's a classic battle! Good versus evil! Grit and determination against power and arrogance! Who will win?!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1--Phantom Blood, Vol. 2

Wynter

October 9, 2018: the bizarre adventure continues, while Dio refuses to go down easy. JoJo gets a new mentor who might just give him the advantage he needs. I wish Speedwagon served a purpose beyond narration and hysterical exclamations, because he is actually an interesting character. I can see his role growing with time.

The legendary Shonen Jump series, now available in English for the first time, in a deluxe edition featuring color pages and newly drawn cover art! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a groundbreaking manga famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil! The conclusion of the Phantom Blood Arc! Jonathan Joestar and his mentor Zeppelli continue their pursuit of the villainous vampire, Dio! But to get to him, they must first face down his murderous henchmen! In battle after bloody battle, JoJo and Zeppelli are pushed to their limits and beyond!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1--Phantom Blood

October 21, 2018: The final book of Phantom Blood cycle. As expected this volume was chock full of epic battles and featured a dramatic finale. There are also lots of references to classic rock music, especially in names, which I really appreciated. Ripple masters Dire and Straights? A quartet of vampires with such monikers as Paige, Jones, Plant, and Bonham? Yes please. I am disappointed that Robert E. O. Speedwagon (get it?) never fully realized his potential as a character. But as a whole, this bizarre adventure was a success.

October 8, 2018: old-fashioned illustration style that evokes the likes of Street Fighter and Crying Freeman, but beautifully rendered. I’m surprised how violent it can be considering it is classified as shounen, but the storyline is very intriguing so far. I’m glad I have dozens of volumes of this to look forward to, because JoJo is incredibly fun.