Review by Frank Plowright

For the first time since Attack on Titan began the Survey Corps forces have the information and means to begin reclaiming territory and repair breaches in protective walls. In Attack on Titan 18 a mission was dispatched, but the book ended with them coming under attack from renegade Corps members and the forces they lead. The immediate danger is of some Titans being intelligent.

Because the primary conflict is of humans against Titans, repeated skirmishes and battles occur, but Hajime Isayama cleverly ensures they’re not repetitive. This time, for instance, the Corps are aware that a tactic will be to slaughter their horses to prevent escape at speed, and that for unknown reasons Eren Yeager is likely to be a target. For the opening battle Isayama concentrates on the thoughts of participants on both sides as they attempt to out-manoeuvre the others.

The conflict has been building for some while, and with a large cast available it’s not settled here, continuing into Attack on Titan 20 and a little beyond. Alternatively everything is collected in the seventh Attack on Titan Omnibus, printed at a larger size.

Isayama’s storytelling technique depends on frequent flashbacks, some only to the relatively recent past, such as the explanation for the new weapons devised, and their limitations. A chapter long flashback reveals dissent in the ranks of those controlling the Titans, and it’s also the first sighting in the near present day of Grisha Yeager.

It’s common for action scenes in Japanese comics to prioritise excitement without any real consideration of how people move and interact. Isayama’s not of that school. It’s clear how events occur, and battles are thoughtfully choreographed, yet still thrill.

Much is still to be resolved here, and we look forward to seeing that play out.