By Dustin Cabeal

Last week was busy, so I never got around to reviewing last week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. To be honest, other than the new Jump Start series Robot x Laserbeam, there wasn’t much to talk about in a review. I did make the terrible decision to catch up on One-Punch Man, but will likely continue to review the trades since I find the pacing to be much better. Eventually, I’ll catch up with Black Clover as well since I enjoy the series and need something else to review when I do this. Anyway, from the top!

The Promised Neverland – Score: 4/5

The ending saves this chapter. Up until then, it was clocking in at a solid 3/5, but the last few panels were so crazy that I was shocked. The story did a great job of explaining how the children could, and could is the key word, still escape but that’s yet to be seen. That’s what’s great about this series is that the cliffhangers set you up to believe they’ll succeed, but then reality comes crashing back down. Will they run into a setback in the next chapter? I don’t know, but I’m chomping at the bit to find out. The only downside is that this section was just written for the ending and while that’s tolerable, it does leave room for improvement.

Robot x Laserbeam- Score: 4/5

I’m kinda a sucker for sports stories. I don’t have a clue as to why, but I instantly loved Robot X Laserbeam. There were two other good Jump Starts, but for my money, I would like to see more of this series as it was the most consistent from chapter 1 to 2. All of the other series experienced some kind of dip from chapter 1 to 2. If I did half scores, this would be a 4.5 and slightly better than the first issue.

The story follows a kid that’s nicknamed Robo because he’s terrible with emotions and such. He doesn’t get people or how to have fun, but he’s hella smart. His one and an only friend joins the golf team, and one even leads to another, and he ends up playing some golf. What’s interesting is this issue builds up Robo’s backstory with his father. It’s a bit of a mystery, but it’s clear that the creator has given thought to this character’s background rather than just making him ridiculously smart and good at golf. Considering that there’s only one more chapter left we won’t even get to see Robo play his first game of golf, so I’m really hoping this one comes back.

One-Punch Man – Score: 4/5

I do regret catching up on this series so quickly, but it’s always really good. My only gripe with this arc is that the story constantly cuts away in the middle of something else. Sure, it builds tension, but at times it’s like, hey… I was reading that, knock it off. Saitama’s big fight with the kicky guy is going down, and it’s fantastic. It’s been leaps and bounds better than the monster association storyline running parallel to the story. The thing is, I just want to see the outcome of this fight so when it cuts to something else it’s annoying. That and the fact that a badass monster is heading their way just shows that Saitama isn’t likely to finish the fight and will probably come away with another rival. That shit aside… still a great chapter. This one is similar to The Promised Neverland in that it’s really about those last few pages, but where One-Punch Man succeeds is that the journey is enjoyable. Seeing the kicky dude be a dick and Saitama just trying to keep his wig on, is hilarious and entertaining. The last two pages, though are money.

That’s it this time; I’m done trying with One Piece, I’m not going to try to catch up on My Hero Academia or Food Wars! and I’ve never bothered with anything Yu-Gi-Oh! related and never want to type that title again. Still, for the price and the content, reading this weekly has been a great value.