Graphic Novel Review: The 27 Run

A man awakens from stasis to find that he is the pilot of a giant Mech and immediately needs to fight off a huge monster despite the fact that he has no clue who he is or how he got there. Fortunately he is not alone in his giant robot suit, he is accompanied by a self proclaimed bi-polar SID; designated side kick. The pace of this title is set by the A.I.’s witty repartee that gives more cheek than answers to the pilot’s frantic questions. Eventually the pilot is able to gain some footing and comes to understand that man in his hubris caused Kaiju to break free from the earth and wreak havoc on the world of man and all living things (they like to eat – a lot). Even though men banded together to fight the monsters for all appearances it looks like humans lost the war. Though there might just be a chance for this unnamed pilot to try to save the world again.

Essentially this title is about two things; the main plot point is the fighting of the Kaiju. The second more subtle is intrinsic motivation. Why do we continue to strive forward when all seems lost? Why even try to save the world when there is little evidence that any life still exits beyond the Kaiju? The art accompaniment features some nicely rendered monsters, and solid coloring. The enjoyment one will get from this title will likely hinge on two things; how much you like the monster vs. man genre think Pacific Rim and how annoying you find the AI. Appropriate for teen and adult shelves.