The Fable Omnibus 6 Review
The end of the previous collection was definitely dramatic and that drama only continues to escalate in this latest edition.
We begin by following the aftermath of a shocking incident at the workplace of The Fable, the hitman currently in hiding and working under the name Akira Sato. One of his co-workers, Etsuji, who has been stalking fellow co-worker Misaki, has become so depressed with everything that has gone on around him that he tries to stab Misaki to death then and there in the office. Fortunately Fable/Akira is able to stop him in time.
After Misaki leaves and Etsuji is confronted by everyone else in the office, Etsuji asks to go to the bathroom to wash. During that time however, Etsuji himself is kidnapped by the Taihei Detective Agency, which is in fact a front for various crimes, including kidnapping and murdering people. We later learn that while Etsuji does escape from the gang while he has his hands bound and a bag over his head, he later falls into a gorge and dies, leading to more problems for the gang as the attempt to hide the body fails when the gorge fills with water and becomes a stream, washing the body away.
Meanwhile, one of the gang tries to confront Yoko, Fable/Akira’s pretend sister, but Yoko herself has plenty of skills when it comes to dealing with fellow criminals and is able to overcome the situation herself. Nevertheless, all of the confrontation ultimately leads the head of the Taihei Detective Agency, Rei Utsubo, to carry out a plan to kill both of the Sato “siblings”. The plan involves using Hina, a member of the agency who has ended up in a wheelchair following one of Fable/Akira’s previous assignments, and therefore someone who appears to be keen on revenge too.
As with Omnibus 5, this collection very much sticks to the drama, and personally I think it is better for it. The Fable is more than happy to indulge in comic moments at times, but it is in moments of thrilling action like this where the series really shines. In this collection, we witness Fable/Akira displaying his usual skills, which include surviving an attempt to kill him using a bomb. However, we also find out that Yoko is more than capable of defending herself too when she is confronted. It’s great to see this, as most of the time in the story it mainly seems to be her just drinking, and indeed she does have a bit of a drunken moment following her initial battle. There is also the role of Hina in this story, whose attempts at rehabilitation and trying to walk again ultimately lead to one of the most dramatic moments in the series. Let’s just say that one of the things Rei has planted to try to kill Fable/Akira is an old landmine.
All is generally well regarding the book’s production, with Adam Hirsch’s translation and Arbash Mughal’s lettering maintaining their usual high standard. There are no translation notes in this edition. The closest we get is some small text under a frame about the old yen-dollar conversion rate, so it is only minor.
Given the aforementioned landmine, I want to avoid using a cliché about whether the manga goes out with a bang, but it will be interesting to see if anyone comes out unscathed.
Our review copy from Kodansha was provided by Diamond Book Distributors.
