Basketball-obsessed manga superstar Inoue (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Vagabond; <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Slam Dunk) returns with a series about wheelchair basketball. Nomiya is a young thug recently kicked out of high school who yearns to play basketball. When he meets the wheelchair-bound basketball prodigy Kiyoharu Tagawa, the two begin hustling pickup games at local outdoor courts. In the meantime, Takahashi, the newly appointed captain of Nomiya’s former school basketball team, is hit by a car and paralyzed from the waist down. This first volume feels less dynamic than Inoue’s previous manga series, and it would have been a better idea for Viz to follow Del Rey’s example and simultaneously release volumes one and two for readers to get a better foundation for the story. Inoue’s illustrations are consistently gorgeous—volume one features ink watercolor paintings of his characters. His sense of action and drama is solid, but this opening book feels as though Inoue is figuring out how to get the different parts of his story to fit together fluidly—something to be remedied by volume two. Those who enjoyed Inoue’s other famed basketball manga, <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Slam Dunk, and anyone moved by triumph over great obstacles are encouraged to give it a read. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(July)

Gr 10 Up-A compelling story of tragedy and struggle, Real is sure to appeal to teensespecially to male readers. Like Inoues Slam Dunk series (Viz Media), the novel centers on basketball, but this time the focus is on wheelchair athletes. Tomomi is an angry and troubled high school dropout. He is plagued by guilt over a motorcycle accident that left his passenger paralyzed and has made Tomomi a social outcast among his former teammates. Kiyoharu is also struggling, having lost a leg to bone cancer and now confined to a wheelchair. Although Tomomi and Kiyoharu are very different, they share an intense love for the game, a passion that brings them together. A third tragic event, which results in a basketball bully losing the use of his legs, is introduced near the end of the book. It is sure to play an important role in future volumes. Inoues black-and-white drawings are detailed and realistic, enhancing the grittiness of the story and helping to bring both characters and action to life. Real will make a welcome addition to libraries looking for manga for more mature readers, and it is sure to leave teens hungry for more. Lara McAllister, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia