In this volume, we get the most thrilling and moving chapters yet in Naoki Urasawa’s epic masterpiece of love and hate, guilt and innocence, revenge and forgiveness, and, of course, good and evil.

All the usual elements of the series are here, as Urasawa heightens the suspense of the plot while masterfully developing, disposing and introducing supporting characters caught in the ever-widening web of Kenzo Tenma’s pursuit of the Monster.

But now, with the story heading towards its climax – this is 15 of 18 – the inevitability of a showdown is palpable, the agony of what the characters have gone through now a heavy weight to carry.

And so at the center of this volume is a moving reunion between characters, a scene wrought with exhaustion and resignation on one side, despair and guilt on the other. Scenes like these are the reason for long-form storytelling – the dramatic pay off of all the character work. The dialogue and reactions are pitched perfectly by Urasawa, so that it’s a scene that’s felt instead of read. Around this emotional core, we also get some of the best action and suspense the series has seen yet.

Monster was mentioned several times in Our Beloved Hosts’ recent call for manga recommendations, but I would suggest it’s a book that transcends format and culture, style and country of origin, and stands as purely great Storytelling. And a great story is easy to recommend, no matter if it reads back-to-front and right-to-left.