Attack on Titan, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama is a dystopian graphic novel about the last surviving humans on Earth. Large, humanoid “Titans” populate the majority of the world, with only a small territory occupied by humans. The Titans feed on humans to survive, fighting a constant battle to pass the fifty-meter wall around the human territory. One fateful day, a Titan taller than the wall broke through, allowing all others into the town. The main characters reside in the attack site, Eren Jaeger, his non-biological sister, Mikasa, and his best friend, Armin Arlert. His mother dies instantly from a launched fragment of the wall, which drives him to become part of the military. The rage of this loss provokes a dedication to slay the Titans and retake the world in the name of the dwindling human population. After his training, he joins the scouts and is immediately eaten. Armin is distraught by this event, seeing as he died to save him. Instead of perishing, Eren has a flashback to his father forcing a needle into his arm. After, he discovers that his body has a special ability that can be used to fight for their cause. I enjoyed the story considerably and the plot is extremely well-developed. The apocalyptic world piques the curiosity of what happened to society outside. The first of the series leaves plenty of room for the chain of events to grow and introduces most characters and their abilities. It includes unexpected moments of comedy which are surprising to find in a novel with such a grim plot. Even at the dawn of the series, characters are forced to face difficult, life-or-death decisions that raise questions about their humanity and morals. The personalities and strengths of all of the characters are extremely balanced and every person has a role that contributes to the story. In conclusion, Attack on Titan is definitely worth reading. Savoring the book in sessions would be the best course of analyzing to appreciate the art and dialogue exchanged, especially with the first of a series. This is because it is filled with context for future occurrences. Skimming through it would cause the reader to miss important details that foreshadow vital events.
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