Saturday Wars: The Manga Multiverse Crossover

Gr 7 Up–When the villainous Chillian Veyn threatens the fabric of reality, Reina, one of the observers of the multiverse, puts into motion the Saturday AM protocol. With BIPOC heroes from other Saturday AM series like “Clock Striker,” “Apple Black,” and more joining forces in a battle across worlds, they just might survive. While readers of Saturday AM’s action manga will delight in seeing their favorite characters interact, no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy this story. Background information is naturally introduced through snappy dialogue, and as the characters are transported partway through their own plots, their powers haven’t peaked yet. This leaves room for cool combinations as they challenge the Editors of the Universe and other foes. As with other multiverse plots, this one falls into similar pitfalls like deus ex machina. Additionally, panels sometimes cut too quickly, making it harder to piece together cause and effect during fights. Frye does an outstanding job reproducing the character models; any adjustments create a more cohesive look. While this feels like an ambitious project that may not have met its full potential, the strength of its faithfully portrayed characters pulls readers through, and the creators have demonstrated the heights they could achieve in phase two.