Old Boy, Vol. 1 Paperback – July 18, 2006

Great read. It is a story that will keep you tuned in from start to finish. The art is amazing as well. With gorgeous two-page spreads. This definitely constitutes a classic read.

The first book in the Oldboy saga, this one really kicks everything off in style - an absolute must for anyone interesting in the origins of an incredible film!Highly recommended seller, super fast shipping :)

I watched Spike Lee' s film version of this story. I have to admit it was rather bland to say the least. I managed to watch the international version of it as well. It was far better and much closer to the source material. Anyhow, this first volume excels as a slow burn as it sets up the basic outline of the story. The artwork is rather exceptional, as it lends a atmospheric and mysterious look to the proceedings. It left wanting to know more about the antagonists motives behind it all. Yamashita was certainly locked away for a pretty good reason. What did he do or not do to bring all this about? I love the how the hints at betraying what is being conveyed at the start. So far, so good. A bit of patience is its own reward once all the pieces come together. I must continue to read....Thanks.

Pretty good

If you have ever heard of Oldboy chances are that you heard the movie first.If you are expecting a manga version of that movie prepare to be disappointed.If you have not seen the movie nor the manga and heard it was a revenge thrillerand are expecting something akin to the Count of Monte Cristo prepare to bedisappointed. If however you are expecting a great plot, classic iconic charactersand one of the greatest cat and mouse chases ever then prepare to be thrilled.Old Boy is a manga (Japanese comic) that is meant for adults. Not just becauseof the sex, violence, and language but because it has adult sensibilities unlikeit's movie counterpart. When you boil it down, the movie is just shock and awe.It's a cheap thrill that once after a while wears off. However with the mangathings happen for a reason. I will admit that their some parts in the manga thatare just a little too much especially some stuff in later volumes concerninghypnotism but as silly as such parts may be it never stops being interesting.Fans of the movie are likely to complain that the pace of the manga is too slow.However I would like to argue that the movie pace was only quick because therewas no real plot. It was basically get revenge and beat up anybody in my way.Granted the manga is also about getting revenge. But it's more calm and collected.The protagonist Shinichi Goto, the "Oldboy" trying to get revenge on the mysterious person who locked him away for 10 years seems to always keep his cool which to me is actually a bit refreshing. The whole "gone mad with vengeance"trope that the movie loves to spam can be rather lame if not done right anddespite popular contention the movie does not do it right. It's refreshingto see a guy who goes to get revenge WITHOUT turning into a complete moron.It's one thing to be reckless but that doesn't mean one has to stop thinkingaltogether. And that's another thing that's awesome about the manga. Everyone is always thinking and trying to get one step ahead in the cat and mouse game.It's interesting to note that there is no real sense of urgency in the manga.Shinichi Goto does not have to pursue his captor and can get just start a fresh.However what's cool is that Shinichi Goto DOES try to track down and get revengeagainst his captor. But the question is how far will he go? In some ways it'skind of like Batman vs Joker. Batman tries to stop Joker but will he becomea criminal himself in order to do so? It's a battle of wits as well as a battleof morals. There are a lot of things that the movie added that weren't in themanga but the truth is that none of them were actually needed or for that matterdid much to help the movie. Again this manga is a story with adult sensibilities.It's not meant for impatient kids. I don't mean that in a condescending way though. I love popcorn flicks just as much as anyone else. But sometimes I likesomething with a bit more substance and Oldboy is that. Finally I would like tocomment on the manga vs movie ending. The movie ending is in a word: stupid.Oh Dae Su proves himself to be a punk and the whole reason for the captivitytries so hard and yet it fails so miserably. The manga ending is superior.Shinichi Goto is a bad ass from start to finish. While Oh Dae Su was a tickingtime bomb, Shinichi Goto is always in control. The bad guy's reason for captivity at first seems like a "all for that!?" type deal but then when you think aboutthe reason it's actually rather understandable. The manga is very much characterbased and while motives may not always be "logical" emotionally they make sense.Oldboy is a relaxing read. But it's also engaging. It almost feels like you could just stop at any time but you don't since it's just that good.Shinichi Goto drop kicks Oh Dae Su

10 years ago a man named Shinici Goto was kidnapped and taken to a private jail for unknown reasons as he was sentenced for someone for 10 years where he has a comfortable bed with bathroom/shower with his only link to the outside world was the TV set to newspapers and talking to the jailers, he even gets his food and water delivered to him mainly Chinese food. He spends those years also building up and working up until he is finally out 10 years later, he searches for a new home and finds a new job working at a construction site in Tokyo including living with a girlfriend named Eri as now he wants revenge on those crooks who locked him up for those years.One of the most unique and grown-up comics or manga i've ever read! i first became aware of Oldboy by the movie back in 2005 which brilliant in it's own right but different from this as i had no idea at first it was based on a Japanese comic (aka manga) until that year. This was first published in 1996 and ended in 1998, it has became one of the best selling mangas in Japan and most award winning too. It came to the US with rights bought from Dark Horse comics to capitalize on the US popularity of the acclaimed 2003 Korean import.I find this to be a stylish Tarantino and Payback-esque crime drama that is a nicely drawn and entertaining work of manga fiction i've read. I can see how this was translated as a live-action movie which was different but still excellent but this is worth reading for fans of comics and manga alike.

The art is fantastic, far beyond most mangaka except for the likes of Junji Ito and Samura. The characters are so expressive, and you can't really decipher them yet, but there is something deep about them. The dialogue is very minimum, and it's kind of redundant that he explains to his girlfriend the whole beginning of the book. But the character art is so expressive, and they don't need to speak for you to know how they're feeling.The story so far is very weak, and there is no tension or build up, all you know is that someone is watching Old Boy and that's about it. The story moves very slow. He leaves his cell, meets a lady, works, someone is watching him, that is the entire first volume, and you probably wouldn't miss much just skipping it.The art is fantastic, the story isn't flawed, it's just very slow, but it's going somewhere.I highly recommend this manga nevertheless, as a great alternative to more mainstream staples like Naruto and Bleach.

didnt care for the fact that it was used, was sent to my son , who had to destroy it because it was not in new condition, so I wasted my money, dont remember anywhere it saying it was a used book