Review by Ian Keogh
Although One’s scripts have continued to note the rankings of heroes, and monsters considered dragon level threats, the obsession with categorising them has slipped by the wayside. What was never adequately explained, though, is how the categorisation system works. How did someone rise to the top to become an S Class hero? Just when everyone thought One had dropped the issue, Unfathomable’s busy opening chapter supplies the answer. It’s in typically frustrating fashion, though, as it kicks off for multiple pages just as One-Punch Man and Flashy Flash have confronted a monster on the toilet and demanded to be taken to the Monster Association’s leader. The ongoing joke is that Saitama has already defeated their leader, but doesn’t realise. Anyone wanting further information about the Hero Association and their operations is directed to a longer than usual bonus chapter at the end.
There have been some amazing scenes of devastation from Yusuke Murata over the past few volumes, but he tops himself here showing how the Monster Association’s big guns aren’t going to go down without a fight. Tunnels explode as monsters crash through them and heroes batter them, and the rubble flies everywhere. However, he’s not just the Great Debris Artist. The characters resonate and the threats are fearsome. His most joyous sequence is the roller-coaster down through the tunnels, although there’s plenty of rubble at the end of the ride.
With Orochi gone, but plenty of monsters still active, there’s a vacancy at the top, and Unfathomable eventually shows us who aims to fill that vacancy and how they fare when they come up against Tornado. One has one final surprise in store, though, and it means the fight against the Monster Association in their tunnels extends still further into Tornado Full Blast.
One and Murata’s combination of battle, categorisation and humour is a blend that’s become one of the world’s best selling comic series. It’s not that difficult to pick up with any volume, features an imaginative array of well-designed characters and should also appeal to superhero fans. What’s not to like?
