MOBILE POLICE PATLABOR

—by Mark L. Johnson

In this time of North American manga doldrums (as EX has reviewed about every current release available) it seems perfect time to look back at the best. And certainly the new release of the first MOBILE POLICE PATLABOR graphic novel fits in.
Perhaps the standard manga monologue describes the enviroment better than anything else: "With the rapid development of hyper-technology, the oversized robotic vehicle called the 'Labor' was created and employed for a wide range of industrial applications. But this technological development gave way to a new social threat: labor crimes." The story takes place in a near-future Japan, with a serious while lighthearted atmosphere.
This graphic novel covers the first six issues of Patlabor, which introduces the situation and characters, and deals with Section 2's first major engagement.
The stars of this part are Izumi Noa, the young tomboy female cadet destined to pilot Labors, and Captain Goto, the disarmingly relaxed and casual leader of Section 2 and very cunning when needed. All the other characters (which become equally important later in the series) are introduced quickly, with subtle hints towards their personalities and easily leaving the door open to future development.
Beginning with Goto scoping out Noa for possible recruitment, an environmental terrorist attack shakes up the construction site. Noa quickly demonstrates her competency (and spunk) in a crisis. Events lead to Noa being quietly shown the Ingram AV-98 by Engineer Sakaki, which would prove to be the trademark of the Patlabor series. Soon afterwards she is requested to test for the newly forming Special Vehicles Division 2 Unit.
Exams and practices follow, and we also get to see the inadequacy of the experienced but outdated Section 1. Section 2's home on a distant landfill in Tokyo bay is introduced. Eventually, the supporting cast of characters meet, and await the arrival of their new Labors.
Shinohara Asuma, the smartly obnoxious son of a wealthy labor industrialist, is the backup in the command car for Noa. And Ota Isao, the patriotic and outspoken officer with a minor infatuation of guns, pilots Labor #2. Held up due to anti-terrorist roadblocks are Shinshi Mikiyasu , the apparently meek but intelligent command car backup for Ota, and Yamazaki Hiromi, the gentle giant and support labor driver.
As the labors arrive, they are quickly launched to help Section one in the fight against a Crab mech taken over by terrorists. And we soon see how the unit performs in actual duty.
The art style is very easy to follow, with crisp drawings and spacious scenes. The mecha are cleanly designed, and the characters each have a distinctive style. You will not find any busty character designs here, as the character design is plain but practical and show emotion very well. Viz has also done a good job bringing this over with the translation and lettering.
PATLABOR became a mainstay in the manga and anime scene for good reason: fun and interesting characters, "realistic" mecha action, and intruiging political plots. Sometimes very humourous, sometimes downright serious, and occasionally very strange, PATLABOR is an epic modern tale. And perhaps the only real complaint of Viz's release still is the time between each short issue. However, if you've been delaying on this series till now, be sure to take a look at this collected graphic novel. After reading one, you may not be able to stop.