Planetes

In the year 2075, Hachimaki Hoshino is a member of a three-person crew clearing satellite and spaceship debris out of Earth's orbit. His dream is to own his own spaceship. As a step in that direction, he hopes to be chosen for the crew of the first manned mission to Jupiter, and he's begun training rigorously. But a radical group, the Space Defense League (SDL), does not want to see the natural resources of the solar system plundered as Earth's have been, and Hachimaki and his father (an experienced engineer who's being offered a place on the Jupiter mission) become targets for the SDL's terrorist activities. On top of that, the driven Hachimaki has a lesson to learn: the coldness of space need not inspire coldness of heart. In terms of excellent artwork and also the combination of action and somber reflection, Yukimura's work is reminiscent of Yukito Kishiro's in Battle Angel Alita. For Yukimura's characters, space is an alluring but very dangerous place. A departure from the shojo (e.g., female-oriented) comics that predominates in Tokyopop's line, this compelling and realistic ongoing series is recommended for all collections and especially for teen and adult fans of Alita and Cowboy Bebop. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.