Levius (レビウス) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruhisa Nakata. The series was published in Shogakukan’s Monthly Ikki from December 2012 to September 2014, when the magazine ceased publication. Shogakukan compiled its chapters into three tankōbon volumes. I had originally wanted to collect these Japanese tankobons because I prefer to read mangas in their original Japanese language, but just like Blade Of The Immortal, I found out this English edition by Viz comics is in hardcover, which is much sturdier and better suited for long term collection.

A short synopsis of the story is as follows –

“As society rises from the ashes of war, cybernetically augmented arena fighters battle for fame and fortune…or die trying.

It’s the 19th century, and the world has entered the Era of Rebirth, recovering from the devastating flames of war. The sport of mechanical martial arts has galvanized the nations. Cybernetically augmented fighters turn their blood into steam and their bodies into brutal fighting—and killing—machines.

Young Levius is one of those arena battlers, hell-bent on winning in order to simply survive.”

Although the manga has been out for quite a while now, with even an anime series adaptation by Polygon Pictures, I was unaware of its existence until fairly recently when I was looking for books to review on Amazon Japan. Haruhisa Nakata’s art style quickly drew my attention, and I do like the way he draws action. Check out these preview pages from the Viz’s hardcover edition –

I’ve not had the chance to read this thick hardcover volume in its entirety, something I look forward to doing once I have some free time on my hands. As such, I can’t vouch for the quality of the story, but I can for the art work, which is fantastic. Definitely worth taking a look.

Levius – Haruhisa Nakata Manga ( Vol 1 ) details :

– Dimensions – ‎‎ 5.75 x 1.7 x 8.25 inches
– hardcover, 680 pages
– Full color/B&W, in English

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