Evangelion Manga Volume 13 released
By The Eva Monkey on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
Today, Viz Media released volume 13 of the Evangelion manga, and for the first time, released it simultaneously with the release in Japan. Usually, we wait a good 6-12 months to get an English version here in North America, so I’m pleased, as they apparently pushed very hard to get it out sooner rather than later. Unfortunately though, it means we don’t get a supplemental article or afterword from Carl Horn, something that I look forward to seeing with each release.
We’re getting very near the end now, and it looks as if volume 14 will be the last. As someone who has been reading this series for over a decade, I am very eager to see it conclude, and see exactly what path Sadamoto will take, and how exactly he will end it. Will it end on the beach with Shinji and Asuka? We still have a bit longer to wait for that, so start hedging your bets.
Volume 12 ended with Unit-01 breaking free of the Bakelite so that Shinji can board it to join Asuka in the fight against the Mass Produced Evas. From there, volume 13 continues on up until Unit-01 combines with the Spear of Longinus to form the Tree of Life, and Shinji begins to dream, while the giant Rei/Lilith (and Kaworu/Adam) hybrid grows to cosmic proportions and spreads its wings across the Earth. With Shinji in a dream state, Sadamoto has another opportunity to differentiate himself from Anno. That’s my main interest in the manga. Over the years, Evangelion has grown into a work that is highly interpretive, both by fans, as well as the people who make it, so I enjoy his own little creative touches, the different roads he’s taken. I look forward to more of that in the future.