MANGA REVIEW | "Record of Ragnarok" - Volume Seventeen
The Devil is here. It should come as no surprise that Record of Ragnarok has a demon waiting in the wings of Team Gods. After all, if Zeus is expected to fight in this battle between holy entities and humans, then the one called Beelzebub surely needs to also be tagged in. And boy, does his back story deliver plenty of tragedy in the seventeenth volume!
Readers will learn that since his birth, Beelzebub was seen as a cursed being. He had no friends, and he made no attempt to befriend others. But when Lucifer, Samael, and Azazel enter the picture, Beelzebub experiences friendship for the first time. And in this moment, happiness engulfs his whole being.
However, after waking from a nap, Beelzebub discovers his new friends dead in a pool of their own blood, their hearts ripped out entirely. Blaming Satan, Beelzebub seeks to find the demon and face off against him. Again, he first does this alone, until the goddess Lilith decides to aid him. But then, tragedy happens again, as well as a big discovery: Beelzebub isn’t cursed by Satan; he IS Satan!
Beelzebub’s arrival onto the fighting grounds is met with pure terror. The darkness engulfs the entire stadium, as both god and human quiver at the sight of him. Which now leads to the ultimate question: who’ll be the human that will put their life on the line against the Lord of the Flies? Well, if Beelzebub represents darkness, you’ll need someone that brings the light!
Enter humanity’s greatest scientist: Nikolai Tesla! Powered with a suit that’d make Tony Stark jealous, the true Man of the Modern Age enters the venue with his head held high. Even with Satan looking across from him, Tesla is filled with excitement over his quest to study Beelzebub’s fighting style. He’s also filled with electricity, of which he uses to his advantage in the battle.
As the fight goes on, Beelzebub keeps having the upper hand. Be that as it may, it doesn’t wipe the smile off of Tesla’s face. In fact, every attack thrown against him is another chance to learn something fascinating. No matter how much Beelzebub may cause him pain, Tesla won’t stop beaming with joy. After all, when you’ve discovered that even the gods use science to battle, then that means all sorts of theories can be conjured up in the brain of a true genius!
Satan may have the advantage by the end of Record of Ragnarok’s seventeenth volume, but Tesla’s only getting started. Just as this book concludes, our science master pulls a new trick from out of his sleeve. And if it means a victory is possible, then Nikolai Tesla will go down as the most electrifying man in Record of Ragnarok! #SuckItEdison
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
