Jaco the Galactic Patrolman Review

If you judge a book by its cover you’ll get burned. Wait, that’s not quite how it goes, is it? But if you do judge this little gem of a book by its cover you won’t get burned, you’ll get robbed, because behind its young adult looking cover is a funny, quirky and fun manga.

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Jaco the Galactic Patrolman (Viz Media)

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Dragonball Z’s creator has created a prequel of sorts to his famous series, but you won’t need any experience with Goku and the gang to enjoy Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. I know this because I haven’t read or seen a single panel/second of the acclaimed series and I thoroughly enjoyed this series. It all starts with Jaco and his arrogant, flippant and borderline sociopathic nature.

He just loves to dance!Akira Toriyama writes and draws this fun little story about a galactic patrolman who gets stranded on Earth. More specifically, he’s stranded on an island where an old man lives alone. Coincidentally the old man is something of an engineer, so Jaco quickly strikes up a plan to get his help and maybe, just maybe, he won’t destroy the human race. Yikes. Jaco meanwhile, as powerful and bold as he is, wants to fit in best he can in order not to alarm anyone. Toriyama strikes up a beautiful sense of humor with the character that’ll assuredly bring you a few chuckles.

In one hilarious sequence Jaco goes into town for some supplies only to find out people have very bad manners. He asks his new human friend in the most matter of fact way, “Why don’t we blow up this town for starters?” It’s his inability to see the good in people that creates humorous situations throughout the book that’ll keep you giggling and wanting more. Because he’s an alien and sees humans as barely worth saving, there’s plenty of humor to come out of it.

The art is quite good with nice detail in backgrounds and the faces of supporting characters. Jaco himself is incredibly simple&mdahs;almost a walking cartoon–which makes him all the more otherworldly and interesting. He pops in scenes with detailed shrubbery and trees behind him and his rather simple expressions become all the more comical as his range isn’t so subtle.

Imagine someone actually saying all that.

Conclusion

This is a funny fish-out-of-water story, only the fish can kill the entire human race with the push of a button. If you can’t find humor in that then you’re missing out here.