Stray

Kamio and Nakahara (Last Inning) reunite for a brisk crime thriller with a soft heart and streetwise charm. Former gangster Hachiya “Bare Knuckle Fighter” Ken has barely stepped out of prison when trouble finds him in the form of Aoi Hana, the nine-year-old daughter of the man he just served time for killing. Cute but pushy, Aoi thinks Ken can help with finding her mother, who abandoned her. With an assist from dirty cop Natsuki Momoka and a pair of mysterious keys, they just might succeed. But the yakuza are on the same trail, and in no time Ken gets wrapped up in a web of criminal alliances, political conspiracies, and old grudges. Nakahara’s rubbery facial expressions, reminiscent of Naoki Urasawa, lend personality to the fast-paced action. There’s a bit too much plot to cram into one volume, but the characters are well developed. Aoi hides the pain of losing her family beneath a bossy facade and Ken struggles to rise out of the underworld while still issuing threats like, “I’ll make you feel the weight of my life with my fists!!” It’s a swift and satisfying thrill ride. (Dec.)