Case Closed

    (Viz, 2004-2021)
™ and © 1994-1998 Gôshô Aoyama
Black and white; read right to left.

In a high-concept inversion of the movie Big, teen-age investigator Jimmy runs afoul of gangsters who force-feed him an “experimental poison” (no doubt labeled “deus ex machina”) that reduces him to the age of a first-grader.

Believing his friends would be endangered if those responsible knew he was alive, he assumes the identity of schoolboy Conan and lives with his girlfriend and her incompetent private-eye father while continuing to solve crimes.

It’s nicely done but, while it’s refreshing reading an old fashioned “You are the murderer!” detective yarn, there are plot problems. It’s no fun seeing Jimmy infantalized, seeing as how he’s already living any kid’s dream by being good at everything, living alone, and showing up authority figures. And, while the book is supposedly intended for kids, Jimmy/Conan doesn’t solve nice, polite Hardy Boys-style crimes; when he’s first introduced, he’s investigating a decapitation that took place on a moving roller coaster that’s vastly more graphic than what’s shown on an episode of TV’s CSI.

— S.A. Bennett
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#3

December, 2004
Cover Price: $9.95
1 copy available for $4.25 		Gôshô AoyamaGôshô Aoyama