PopMatters reviews Tsutomu Nihei’s “Biomega”

PopMatters reviews the first issue of Tsutomu Nihei’s Biomega:

Biomega shouldn’t be so much fun. The story sounds like a checklist of sci-fi cliches. Dystopian futureworld: been there. Corporations as evil overlords: yawn. Zombie apocalypse: what, again? A stoic good guy who wears black, rides a motorbike and…zzzz.

[...]

The story is so familiar that a summary seems redundant. It isn’t aiming to deconstruct dystopian/cyberpunk/zombie-virus motifs. It’s the all-out embrace of the cliches, the skill with which they’re handled, and the enthusiasm for them that pushes this manga into the win column.

I came across this in the bookstore the other day and liked what I saw. Then again, I’ve always found Nihei’s vision of a transhumanist/post-apocalyptic future intriguing. I even enjoyed—or perhaps, “appreciated” is a better word—the six-part Blame! animation that came out a few years back.