Review by Ian Keogh

When One left off, the heroes had decided to take decisive action, and having discovered secret tunnels beneath the Monster Association headquarters they launched an attack. It’s a battle that’s been a long time in coming, and it’s going to continue for a while.

The first core confrontation is between Child Emperor in his massive battle armour taking on Resurrected Phoenix Man, who has a power-up of his own. He’s able to work his way into Child Emperor’s mind, sowing seeds of doubt, and pointing out how similar the two of them are, and showing that even the heroes aren’t as squeaky clean as Child Emperor assumes.

After too long with nothing but cameo appearances, we finally see One-Punch Man doing something again, and while it’s not actually throwing a punch it’s decisive. Similar scenes are a staple of superhero comics, the hero being given a pep talk in their darkest hour, but One manages to invest something we’ve read many times before with some gravitas. He then subverts the scene magnificently with the manner in which victory is achieved.

As ever, artist Yusuke Murata revels in the battles, the cast exaggerated and grimacing while throwing planet-shattering punches. He’s continually having to design new monsters at a rate unimaginable to an American artist, and they all look great. Yes, to some extent he’s working from One’s designs from the original webcomics, but that’s only half the story. Monsters whose visual potential weren’t fulfilled now look stunning.

We also see Amai Mask and Zombieman in action, and it’s Amai Mask who’s the bigger concern, with some disclosures surely intended to be followed up later.

In An Instant was very good, but Light is better, and we’re still in the tunnels for Authenticity.