MAD

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I've read too much manga to call every good start "perfect," but MAD had an amazing one. This manga has so much potential, it's mad (no pun intended). This isn't a typical manga experience; it's something way more cinematic and it perfectly scratches an itch I thought I'd never satisfy again after early Fujimoto.

The standout here, even beyond the story, is the art and direction. It's clear as day that the author is inspired by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The storytelling is heavily focused on cinematic panels showing movement and action rather than relying on dialogue. The art itself feels like a distinct and hugely visible mix ... of Fujimoto's and Gege Akutami's styles, which is a perfect combination. It’s the most movie-like manga I've read, and I love that the mangaka takes so much influence from Western media like Alien or even American Psycho (pretty sure I’ve caught a reference) to create something that feels less like a manga and more like a film.

The story throws you into a bleak, post-apocalyptic world wiped out by aliens. It immediately establishes a dark, uneasy, and empty atmosphere that feels just like reading early Fire Punch. We follow John, a traumatized survivor who encounters a mysterious military-like group offering sanctuary in a base called Jericho. From the very beginning, the unsettling vibe makes it clear that this supposed safe haven is hiding dark secrets, and the story quickly dives into madness with some sick and disturbing concepts.

The character work is great so far. John is a compelling lead, and the story introduces a great cast of deeply disturbed individuals within the walls of Jericho. As the initial "prologue" arc unfolds, the story establishes its core players and sets them on a dangerous path, hinting at larger factions and conflicts to come. The character dynamics are pretty good so far, and the new faces introduced along the way only add to my interest and hype.

MAD is definitely in my top tier of current, ongoing series. It’s a dark, cinematic, and unsettling experience that feels like a perfect spiritual successor to Fujimoto's early work. If you've been chasing that feeling of reading Fire Punch or early Chainsaw Man for the first time, this is it. It’s pretty fucked up and it has limitless potential. I just wish there was way more of it to read right now.

Dark Sci-Fi with an alien-eating cult at the helm. I'm sold.

MAD is the definition of "A picture is worth a thousand words" and that is evedant in the exposition. MAD rarely explains the logistics behind the alien invasion that's taken place in this world, but what little it does reveal is done seemlessly through character interactions. It also shows subtle hints and portray the grim details of humanity on the brink of extintion, that includes the despiration that leads the remaining survivors to do whatever it takes to live.

That's a non-spoiler description of what you can expect from MAD. To get more into the ... specifics, the first thing that caught my eye was the minimalistic and creative way the art was drawn. It has that very rough and rigid art style which is at it's best when transitioning from scene to scene (such as shifting focus to another set of characters). Everyone likes to compare it to JJK or Chainsaw Man, but in my opinion it flows much like a continuation from page to page rather than obvious stopping points. The reason i point all of this out is to say it's story and world-building is much leaner and focused but more in-depth that i forgot i was reading a manga that's published weekly.

Now it's not without it's faults though, and my biggest issue with the manga is the character presentation. To keep it simple, I feel like they are very surface level and haven't been expanded on to make their actions feel justified. To avoid spoiling, the most important characters survive another alien invasion on their " Safe haven" and outside of the protagonist (John) and the main antagonist (Leon), we don't know much about them or what they've been through. Without information on their backgrounds it's impossible to tell if they are as incompetent as they seem or just have no survival instincts. Even from chapter 1, John tells his survivor group how they are basically walking right into a trap and will be killed by either aliens or other humans, and the leader, Ethan, says they must take the chance because of "Hope". For any of my gamers out there, that sure sounds a lot like Dutch telling Arthur to "Have some goddamn faith!" and excuses poor leadership.

Other than that though it's paced incredibly well, nothing feels rushed or drawn out, conclusion or boiling points in the story happen organically (and brutally) and the alien designs are absolutely stunning. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dark fantasy or sci-fi and can handle the gruesomness it displays.

Interesting story, u can clearly get the influence from American cinema in the setting, from Alien to Mad Max: Fury Road.

For people familiar with post-apocalyptic and sci-fi, there isnt really something super new and mind blowing, as u can identify a lot of commom tropes in this kind of stories and its easy to get to where the plot is going, but seems to be a slow-burn story, with the major parts taking their time to start to get more "intense"

The artstyle is quite simple, but seems to be intentional to give this more "graphic-novel" vibe, with nerly no scenary and following a more "realistic" ... drawing style.