Let's Read Let's Read: Venus Wars!

[The Thin Man]

Venus Wars is a manga from 1987 - 1990 which had a movie length anime made from the parts of the first volume around 1989.

Dark Horse Comics translated the issues around the early 1990's and CPM translated the anime around the same time.

Notable due to being written and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who according the Wikipedia, his most notable works as character designer and director are Brave Reideen, Combattler V, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Less well known is the fact that he was the original character designer for the Dirty Pair.

There is one Dark Horse trade available of the first half of the first volume. While Dark Horse did release the entire series in single issue format there is no readily available way to get those issues other than comic store longbox luck, ebay, or torrent/scanlation. Hell, I didn't even know there was a second volume until almost a decade after first encountering the series although I have luckliy managed to procure the series through longbox luck a few years back, but I also torrented the series just so it's easier for me to reread a series I enjoy. I polybag and acid board everything, so it's a pain opening and resealing issues when I want to reread.

For those who have read the trade, you can jump straight to where it ended here.

 

[The Thin Man]

Here's a link to watch the anime, I tried looking for a subtitled version but got lazy and gave up. If you find a subtitled version available I'll change the link. Interestingly I first came across this series through the old VHS section of a now defunct neighborhood rental store back in 1994, it's been long enough that I can't remember if it was the subbed or dubbed version, but I liked it well enough to buy the trade so ...

I haven't watched the anime in quite a long time, however I think I remember both bikes designs are changed. I remember wanting one of those monobikes for years after seeing one for the first time, and yes I did realize I would have probably flipped one on my head the first second I tried to taken them down some stairs.

Well I went and found some images to show you the differences in bike designs between the manga and anime. If you read the comics you can see that the bikes they ride during the games and as civilians as well as the one-ton bikes they later use to blow shit up with are generally based off regular motorcycle/dirt bike designs.

However the movie decided to go and take a few steps away from the conventional and make the civilian cycles mono-bikes and the one-ton vehicle a fucking awesome version of a mono-bike. Personally, I've always had the impression that they were inspired by Akira's sweet sweet ride for the one-tons.

Borrowed from some nice fellow who happened to upload a few concept designs he found. Also there are some more pictures to be seen if you check out his site.

Borrowed fromsome guys blog, no new information on Venus Wars or images if you go however.

You can go here to see a garage kit image of the same one-ton bike which shows better detail. I can't seem to embed since it's on flickr.

 

[The Thin Man]

Apparently there is also a NES strategy game that was made, you can play it here and a pretty comprehensive review can be viewed here

Jump to Update

First Update
Second Update also End of Trade
Third Update also Start of Issues Never Released in Trade Format

 

[The Thin Man]

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Read that one.

 

[The Thin Man]

Well, that's one reply. Not sure if it's a good one for "I liked it please continue so I can read it again," or "you're wasting your time here, move along."

If there are some folks that would like to read the rest let me know.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Manga with fucking tanks :D ? Fucking .

 

[lightbane]

Funny thing, I half-expected mechs showing up at some point, but they haven't done so. Still, the manga looks good, more please

 

[The Thin Man]

 

[The Thin Man]

So this is where the Dark Horse trade ends, halfway into the first of two volumes.

Thanks to the internet and the generosity of strangers, you can now see the rest of the series.

 

[The Thin Man]

 

[The Thin Man]

I added some images to show the different designs of the bikes from the anime and some links and other happy horseshit.

Check out the first few posts.

Oh, and you might have noticed by now that my updates aren't by issues but blocks of 200 images. Basically I'm going by what I can batch to Photobucket at a go.

If you want to see more, just keep hollarin'.