Naruto

(Viz, 2003-Present)
TM and ©1999 Masashi Kishimoto
Graphic novel; Reads right to left; b&w

In a cross between Dragonball Z and Black & White, this tale features a boy who wants to be the best ninja of all time. Of course, the title character, Naruto, is enrolled in ninja training school and is one of the most poorly disciplined students in his class. But he also harbors a dark secret of which even he is not aware.

A decade ago, a giant demon fox tore up their village, and the guardians of Hokage could only stop its rampage by imprisoning its spirit in the body of a baby. Guess which orphan that was? Trying to overcome his tainted past by overcompensating as a class clown, Naruto soon runs afoul of his teachers. Stuck on his fellow ninjette Sakura and jealous of her affection for the snooty Sasuke, this ambitious and scrappy fighter may have met his match in their enigmatic instructor Kakashi.

Originally serialized in Shonen Jump magazine, this series packs both punches and punchlines. Kishimoto has a flair for mixing visual gags with visceral action scenes. As a Generation Y reincarnation of DBZ’s Gohan, Naruto has growing up to do but has had a vigorous start so far.

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