Japanese magazine Shonen Ace posted the first installment of a manga based on J.J. Abrams' new monster flick, Cloverfield, to its website last week. The tie-in manga, titled Cloverfield/Kishin, follows the story of a Japanese boy named Kishin whose fate is somehow tied into the apocalyptic events taking place in New York City. Artist Yoshiki Togawa will draw three more installments of the manga, with the next one slated for online release in late February. There aren’t any English translations available yet, so for those who are curious, here’s a brief synopsis:
The first chapter opens with Kishin helplessly being picked on at school. The bullies tease him about his mom being a weirdo (we find out she is dead in a flashback sequence). Just as a pretty classmate helps Kishin out, giving him back his stolen pants and untying his arms from behind his back, the school emergency alarm goes off. But that doesn’t mean he's off the hook yet –- the bullies decide to lock him in the gym storage space, snickering: "Isn't that what you're supposed to do in an emergency? Go somewhere safe when you're in danger? It's dangerous outside, with us here."
While this is going on in Japan, a cargo shipper at sea is anxiously waiting to dock. He has a baby on the way and can't wait to get home to his wife. Just as he's being reassured that they're not far from shore, a mysterious set of eyes starts to emerge from the sea. The last sentence reveals that Kishin and this monster are somehow tied together.
Check back to Underwire for a synopsis of Chapter Two.
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