Dominion
Written and Penciled by Masamune Shirow, Translated from Japanese by Dana Lewis, Frederik L. Schodt and Toren Smith

Manga artist Masamune Shirow is a strange paradox. He's one of the few comic artists in the world whose work can truly be qualified as what people call "hard science fiction", yet he refuses to take himself too seriously. Almost all of his works -- from his debut in the science fiction series Black Magic through his post-apocalyptic Magnum-Opus Appleseed to the kick-ass cyberpunk-police saga Ghost in the Shell (on which the famous anime movie is based) -- went to considerable lengths to provide scientific, logical, detailed explanations to their futuristic worlds and technologies, but at the same time were also hilarious and over the top.

Last year, Dark Horse reprinted the trade paperback edition of Dominion, which is perhaps Shirow's most accessible series. While nowhere near Appleseed in terms of sophistication or Ghost in the Shell in terms of art, Dominion is more linear and plot-focused than Shirow's other works, so it might actually be a good introduction for first-time Shirow readers.

Dominion is set in a future when Earth's entire atmosphere has become toxic, and all people must wear gas masks. A gang led by criminal-mastermind Baku is kidnapping a girl who has the ability to cleanse the toxic atmosphere. Enter the Tank Police, a special SWAT unit riding the aforementioned tanks, assigned with the task of stopping Baku. The series follows Leona Ozaki, a short-tempered officer at the Tank Police, who cares more for her Bonaparte mini-tank than for her incompetent colleagues (especially her partner Al, who has a crush on her). An additional story, "Phantom of the Audience," which details Leona's suspension and reinstatement to the Tank Police, is also included in the new edition (in my opinion, although it is entertaining, it's not as good as the rest of the book). Each chapter ends with a "File" containing info about the Tank Police's various team-members and most-wanted criminals. The book ends with a chapter by Shirow explaining how the mini-tanks are built and how they work.

Shirow's usual mix of politics, high-tech, police-action, post-apocalyptic future and mass destruction is here at its full volume, with plenty of exciting car-chases, explosions last-minute-rescues, and lots of cops (and criminals) with attitude. Shirow's art, while not as detailed as his more recent works, helps deliver this excitement. He has nicely managed to make tanks -- which are viewed by most people as slow, heavy and clumsy war machines -- into something sexy. But things are kept light with many funny one-liners and self-references ("if this was a serious comic you'd be dead as a can of tuna now"). There are also many memorable characters -- other than Leona, Al and Baku, you'll also come to love Brenten, a trigger-happy member of the tank-police, the Tank Police's Chief, who's always at the verge of a nervous breakdown and Annapuma and Unipuma -- Baku's catgirl assistants. Dark Horse's translators deserve an extra-credit for the ability to handle Shirow's nuances.

Dominion may not be Shirow's best ride through the catastrophe streets of the future, but it's certainly the funniest, and those who were touched by his visions once will definitely want to experience them again. Here's hoping that a re-print for the sequel, Dominion Conflict 1: No More Noise, is also scheduled for the near future. It would certainly make the waiting for Ghost in the Shell 2 passable.

-- Raz Greenberg

Dominion, published in trade paperback form by Dark Horse Comics, is currently available at comic retailers.

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