Atsushi Kaneko’s Search and Destroy made a visceral, unforgettable debut with Volume 1, blending cyberpunk ultraviolence, exploitation grit, and a simmering tale of revenge in a snow-covered dystopia. With striking visuals, a sharp translation, and a city that feels like a decaying techno-oligarchy, Search and Destroy proved itself a haunting, cinematic experience—one that Volume 2 now has the challenge of building upon. Out June 3rd, Search and Destroy Vol. 2 is all about what it means to be human, even if you’re a robot.
Loosely inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo, the second and penultimate volume of the series continues to follow the rage-fueled Hyaku—a near-silent assassin hunting down robotic gangsters known as Kreech. She seeks to reclaim her human body parts now being used by robots, all of which are nefarious and evil. In volume two, Hyaku tracks down her legs and her arms.
Along the way, new information emerges surrounding Hyaku’s father and the possible deal he made to take Hyaku’s body parts away. By the end, it’s still unclear what sort of bargain her father, who is also the mayor, made, but it’s clear the fate of the city itself may be in jeopardy.
What makes this second volume so strong is the argument about what evidence is needed to determine if someone has a soul. At the start of the volume, we see robots being sent to mines to gather rare resources, used like slaves, all the while the city tells them they have equal rights. Juxtaposed with these robots slaving away is a priest who is up for becoming a bishop, but soon we see his kindness to the robots is all a facade for what he does behind closed doors.
Behind those closed doors are Hyaku’s legs, which are being used by a Kreech created to sleep with humans. She runs a bordello which seems to specialize in BDSM. Not only does this location act as a surprising turn, showing another way humans use robots inhumanely, but it also shows a side that is stranger to the Kreech. For instance, the Kreech that has taken Hyaku’s legs has bizarre augmentations, making her neck long, her mouth wide, and her general look alien. Tucked away in the dialogue, we learn she’d rather become less human not to be trapped by human standards of beauty.
Lotta rage in this girl.
Credit: Fantagraphics
The art throughout is excellent, with well-timed establishing shots of the snowy city to help create a sense of dread. The action scenes are excellently choreographed, forcing you to linger to piece together where each slash of a blade is coming from. The bordello Kreech’s are particularly disturbing and weird, and there’s a nice sci-fi tech introduced there that further shows the glitz of technology amongst a war-torn future.
As the story comes closer to the end, Hyaku continues to change with each new body part returned. Kaneko further explores humanity through her, with a promising tease for what’s to come in the third volume. Further delving into the quandary of humanity and Kreech is the idea that Hyaku is slowly making herself less powerful with the human body parts, which in turn will make her ability to collect herself all the harder. At one point, Hyaku’s sidekick questions why she’d opt for human parts over robot parts that make her even more deadly, and in turn, the reader wonders as well. There’s a thought experiment at work here about what we desire and what makes us who we are.
If I were to narrow down a gripe with this volume, it’s with the Kreech that has Hyaku’s arms. The design is creepy, and his use of her arms is twisted. That said, he seems to be introduced far quicker with less impact than previous Kreech targets. The fight with him also feels a bit one-sided, making Hyaku’s win in the battle less earned. Of course, by the time she fights him, she’s more human than ever, which may be the point.
Search and Destroy Vol. 2 is a bold, unsettling continuation that raises the stakes both emotionally and thematically. Atsushi Kaneko’s dystopian vision grows richer and weirder with each turn of the page, offering a potent mix of action, body horror, and existential inquiry. As Hyaku literally pieces herself back together, the story dares us to question what it means to be whole, and whether being human is worth the pain.
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