I dedicate this blog to comics in all forms, manga, autobio, superhero, art books, etc. And of course, since I need a challenge, I've decided that I'll read and write (short) reviews for 365 comics during 2015.
Last Man; The Stranger starts out with a training scene. Adrian Velba gets his ass handed to him by the star of his martial arts school, but even so, he's not beaten. Determined to compete in the upcoming fighting tournament he teams up with another smaller boy, who ultimately drops out of the competition after having some bad seafood.
Luckily, who should turn up but Richard Aldana, a travelling fighter who just wants to compete. Unfamiliar with the rules requiring a partner Aldana is denied entry, but noticing Adrian in the same plight, offers to team up with him and win the tournament together.
Aldana seems to know nothing about the culture of the place he's visiting and makes mistakes causing himself to become disqualified during matches, but luckily between his brawn and Adrian's unbroken will, the two manage to reach the final round.
There are other side plots going on, Aldana's obvious interest in Adrian's mom, who is also basically being stalked by Adrian's martial arts instructor. I'll be interested to see how this series turns out, where exactly Aldana came from and whether or not Adrian will ever beat up arrogant school champ, Gregorio. This would be a good series for those who like Naruto, Avatar the Last Airbender or other battle manga, but are ready to find something a bit beyond the typical manga.