Review by Frank Plowright

Deadman Wonderland 4 ended with two shocks, the effect of one seen in the few colour pages customarily opening each volume, but the more immediate danger to Ganta is followed up thereafter. As seen on the sample art, he’s being confronted by what are termed ‘undertakers’ in the prison, and the odds don’t look good on his surviving.

While Ganta has seen success in a toxic environment, he’s also been lucky to have Shiro nearby on occasion, and Jinsei Kataoka decides it’s time he used his abilities more skilfully. Her script ensures the training is every bit as dangerous as the prison tests. Additionally there are frequent examples of how when lives are constantly threatened mental health becomes fragile, even among the tougher specimens. Artist Kazuma Kondou delivers some mad gurning.

While the contrast of past from present is often clarified in the traditional Japanese method of black-bordered pages, this isn’t always the case, which means it can only drop into place midway through a scene that we’re looking at a flashback. That’s presumably down to Kondou, who’s thankfully more restrained than in the previous volume. The levels of violence are high, but not gratuitous given the circumstances, although a flashback to Tokyo destroyed by an earthquake has some grim illustrations.

While the last couple of books have dangled the concept of freedom, this is primarily inmate lining up against inmate, and a new character named Mockingbird shows definite promise. For all that, this is a far more conventional action volume with fewer surprises than usual. Enough, though to take us into Deadman Wonderland 6.

This is the final volume translated by Tokyopop in 2010, the remainder are only available in English via the Viz editions.