Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball Z (Vol 1).San Francisco : Viz Comics, 2002.
Plot: Following the events of Dragon Ball, Goku reunites with his friends and teacher. Much to their surprise, the young man arrives with his son, the four-year-old Gohan. The meeting is cut short by the arrival of an aggressive, flying foe. The man claims to be Goku's older brother, and alerts his younger brother of his mission to destroy all life on Earth. To force Goku to participate, the stranger kidnaps his son and hold him for a ransom of one hundred dead humans. Furious at the alien's demands and determined to rescue his son, Goku finds an unlikely ally. The two manage to defeat the foe, but two more, stronger, opponents promise to come in a year's time...
Genre: Manga, Graphic Novels, Adventure, Science Fiction
Reading Level: Rated Teen for violence and sexual innuendo
Similar Titles: Lum, Naruto, One Piece
Personal Titles: The novel is one of the most famous manga worldwide. It, as well as its sequels and prequel, instigated a number of movies, video games, and television shows and led to the recognition of manga as a genre. That said, it does not age particularly well, in my opinion. The plot seems much slower than it needs to be due to the frequent action sequences, which seem to distract from the story rather than add to it. The characters are broad stereotypes, such as the determined fighter, arrogant prince, smart but flakey girl, and goofball friend. Some critics also argue it becomes too formulaic, particularly in its later volumes.
It should be noted the original translation was aimed at adults, not tweens. As such, some of the imagery and humor is not intended for younger audiences, so use caution before recommending the novels.
Side Note: Dreamworks dragon disapproves of lack of dragons in Dragon Ball.
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