Eden: It’s An Endless World! Volume 5

By Hiroki Endo (Titan Books)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-503-3

The world has been devastated by the flesh-calcifying “Closure Virus” and subsequently racked by global civil war as the despotic forces of the Propater secret society attempt to conquer the survivors.

Mysteriously linked to the origins of the virus, young Elijah Ballard is making his way through war-torn South America seeking his lost mother when he is captured by a band of anti-Propater soldiers. Initially they seem more interested in Cherubim, his robot bodyguard, but eventually he begins to bond with the disparate unit of flawed and exotic warriors fighting a war for power on a planet that needs every human left if humanity is to regain its pre-eminence.

Due to cybernetic advancements the very definition of humanity is constantly in question and, as Elijah and the unit move on towards Cuzco City after surviving a particularly vicious assault, the story focus here shifts to the deeply troubled Sophia whose consciousness (can we call it a “soul”?) is currently inside an incredible artificial form whilst she seeks a preserved body under strict Propater guard. Is this, at least in part, the reason for much of the bloodiest fighting between the Conqueror-armies and the resistance forces of Nomad?

The brooding character study eventually turns into another of the spectacular battle sequences that this series is justifiably famous for when Elijah and his comrades make a play for the body at a “neutral” Gnosian airport. As the life of perpetual warfare and desperate searching for some greater meaning continues Elijah too is coming to some unpleasant conclusions about “humanity” regarding its nature and worth.

Amid incredible, beautifully realised carnage the book ends on another tragic cliffhanger. If you want to follow this adult (lots of sex and very explicit violence are part and parcel of this series) saga – and you should because it’s a truly brilliant work – you absolutely must start at the beginning.

Unmissable, but impossible to jump into late, this is a tale you must enjoy from the very start. This book is printed in the Japanese right-to-left manner.

 

© 2007 Hiroki Endo. All Rights Reserved. English language translation © 2008 Dark Horse Comics, Inc.