Very good starter book for anyone that saw the anime and wants to continue the story.

Yes, I am bias and I can say I belive Berserk is the best manga ever. This story takes place in a midevil europe setting with the main character being "Guts" also called the black swordsman, on a path for revenge for an unknown reason. The fantasy element is obvious early on with hordes of demons and monsters Guts slays with he huge sword and arsenal. If you can take lots of gore/violence..nudity/rape and just "realistic scenes" they won't show you in other comics then you will love Berserk and it doesn't hold back one bit!! On the plus side not only does it have plenty of this but it also has a great plot, well developed deep characters and an epic feel to the story. This is a really long ongoing series that is well past volume 20 now so there is alot to catch up on!! If you can make it past the first few volumes the story only gets better to flackback and explain the reason behind Gut's current condition and his past. Yes its extremely dark at first but the story soon opens up to many great characters with their own ambitions and dreams which converge together to make a hell of a tale. Honestly, Berserk has it all, love, dreams, ambition, betrayal, revenge, intrigue and loads of fighting. Not to give away much more but If you have seen the anime (which I recommend) ur up to about volume 12 in the manga series where it ends.. (Note: the anime is toned down and there are some differences you will see in characters and plot while reading the manga).. Wether you are new to the series or have seen the anime all of this epic story's main plot can be tied back to all the events unfolding between volumes 1-12. Yes its a long ongoing series but get hooked and you'll be just like me pulling at the ropes for more!! (besides who wants a series lasting just a book or two?!) One last warning.. this is an ADULT comic you have to have and will enjoy this series more, if you have a strong sense of reality and can handle the graphic images. And no I was not joking when I gave the list earlier.. women/children are not safe and although this is a fantasy it is more realistic then other comics who choose not to show and let u assume or have the hero save them everytime. So if you can't take the heat get out of the fire but if this is what you are looking for be prepared for the best series of its type out there!!

This book is so freakin' awesome! It's so awesome, I decided to buy the entire series after reading this book. And this is coming from a person who hardly reads books!

I discovered the character of Guts through the anime, and when I finished watching the DVDs I was eager to learn more about the fate of this mesmerizing individual. Luckily, I quickly found out that the manga extended the story way farther than the anime, so here I am. The first thing that struck me about this manga was the notorious presence of Puck. This elf is a welcome incorporation to the story, since it fulfills two crucial roles: introduce some levity via its humor, which is necessary given the nature of the story, and provide a marked contrast with the personality of Guts.

This series is not for the faint of heart, since it includes scenes of extreme violence, many involving women and children, depicts gore vividly, and if the anime is any indication of the progression, this is just the beginning. However, this is a manga that provides the reader with much more than just violence, since the characters posses many layers, and the story that serves as backbone to the action scenes is multilayered and satisfying.

There are few characters in the anime / manga genre as complex and thought-provoking as Guts. This warrior has been branded by demons, and goes around in search of his destiny, fighting anything that comes across his path. Aided by his mechanical arm and enormous sword, if it can be called that, he seeks to free himself from the hold the brand has on his existence. In this first volume, his life is full of anger, sadness, pain, and fear, as well as darkness, as Puck so wisely observes.

The graphic aspects of the novel are very good, and the style efficiently conveys the mood of the storyline. If you are new to this series, and not squeamish, you should seriously consider checking this out. But beware, you will be hooked!

This didn't interest me at all, unfortunately. Some ultraviolent characters, where you are not quite sure what is going on, who they are, why they are doing it, or where they are trying to get to. After that, there was little to interest me. Maybe for fans of androgyny in art?