FIST OF THE NORTHSTAR: Vols.1 and 2

This series, a big hit with manga fans during the 1980s, is now offered in a full-color, two-volume commemorative edition. It tells the story of Kenshiro, a martial arts master who wanders the bleak landscape of a dystopian Earth devastated by nuclear war, where small settlements of survivors struggle for water and food while at the mercy of murderous gangs of bandits. Kenshiro is descended from generations of masters of the ancient and devastating Chinese martial art Hokuto Shinken, or God Fist of the North Star. He can strike the body's vital points and destroy his enemy from within, usually resulting in graphic, bloody explosions. The seven scars on his chest are in the shape of the constellation of death; they were inflicted on him by Shin, his demented brother and master of the Nanto Seiken martial form, who has betrayed their father's teachings and kidnapped Yuria, Kenshiro's true love. The plot is remarkably consistent: Kenshiro encounters brutalized innocents and makes their victimizers pay dearly. In the first volume, Kenshiro slaughters Zeed, a goofy mohawk-wearing motorcycle gang. In the second, he finishes off his evil brother and a group of Nazi lookalikes. The denouement is the same each time: horrific battles punctuated by a stupendous cascade of blood and gore. Tetsuo is a master of operatic violence, and his depictions of disembowelments and hellish beatings are second to none. This edition is in the original Japanese right-to-left format. (June)