Zombiepowder.

Zombiepowder.
Manga
Written by	Tite Kubo
Published by	Shueisha VIZ Media

Zombie Powder (ZOMBIEPOWDER) is an unfinished manga and the first work of Tite Kubo, author of the popular series Bleach.

Zombie Powder ran a short 27 chapters (later compiled into 4 tankōbon) in Weekly Shonen Jump before its cancellation. According to the coverleaf of the third tankōbon, the author was in a state of severe emotional trauma when he wrote it, which may have contributed to the cancellation. Another possible cause of the cancellation was a low number of fan letters, which publishers sometimes use as a gauge of popularity in the manga industry. Zombie Powder was recently licensed by VIZ Media, due for release in September 2006.

Setting and plot

Zombie Powder has a futuristic-western setting, similar to that of Trigun. The story begins in 716 A.E. The signs on buildings are in English, but some characters speak Spanish phrases.

Most characters in the manga are "Powder Hunters" searching for a legendary drug called "Zombie Powder". It can make the dead come back to life and make the living immortal, much like the philosopher's stone. However, to obtain the zombie powder one needs to collect the twelve Rings of the Dead. The Rings of the Dead use life energy from humans to create the Zombie Powder. A Ring eats a human, making the human fall into a coma. The person will be in that state until he or she dies. Due to the manga ending abruptly, what the Zombie Powder looks like remains unknown.

List of manga chapters

Volume One

Track #1-The Young Boy And The Black Right Arm

Track #2-Baptisim By Fire

Track #3-Smith

Track #4-Shakin' Edges & Smokin' Barrels

Track #5-Face Behind the Mask

Track #6-Deceiving Jet Joe

Track #7-Blackfired

Volume Two

Track #8 - Search & Bangaway

Track #9 - Tripod of Justice

Track #10 - Wolfina (Has No Lips for Tell You)

Track #11 - Rocker&Mystic

Track #12 - The Ring Of The Dead (My Love Feeds On You)

Track #13 - The Birdcage Evergreen

Track #14 - Killer Circus

Volume Three

Track #15 - Divisions

Track #16 - Flamediver

Track #17 - The Hyena is Calling

Track #18 - Birdcage Evergreen

Track #19 - Excoriated the Black Butterfly

Track #20 - Can't Howl My Innerjesus

Track #21 - No Hesitate, No Fear Extra Track

Volume Four

Track #22 - Lay Your Heart On Me

Track #23 - CageBreaker 3

Track #24 - But Still Livin' Under the Sky

Extra Track - Zombiepowdersnow

Track #25 - Badfinger: Bitchangel

Track #26 - beLIEve

Track #27 - Track For Cut Down - The Nameless Way

Extra Track - Sleeping with Vertigo

Characters

Major

• Gamma Akutabi (芥火ガンマ Akutabi Ganma): The protagonist, a powder hunter. Gamma has metal plating on his right hand and arm, which allows him to catch bullets. The plating extends to his cheek and neck. He fights with a chainsword and has mastered Karin Zanjutsu (literally, Fire Ring Sword Technique), an art learned from the East. In its 2,000 year history only 15 have mastered it. Instead of taking 32 years to master it, Gamma managed it in 4 years. Those who master it are surrounded by a black flame of death. He wants the zombie powder for invincibility. He is also a bounty hunter, though he has a price of 960,000,000 on his head too.
• John Elwood Sheperd (ジョン・エルウッド・シェパード): A 13-year-old pickpocket who fights with knives. He used to own a shop until it was destroyed. Then he joined a group of bandits known as "Gray Arts" for money to heal his sister. He left the bandits when they killed her. He wants to use the zombie powder to resurrect his sister, Sheryl Ann. He is usually referred to as "Elwood."
• C.T. Smith (C.T.スミス): A crack-shot gunman who dresses like a London banker. He is the partner of Gamma Akutabi. He is a master gunman. To deceive his enemies 100% he sometimes fights Gamma to the point of almost killing him. But, as he says, Gamma never dies. He carries a briefcase adding to the "banker" look. Why he seeks the zombie powder is not revealed.
• Wolfgangina Lalla Getto: A female "journalist of justice" with a 101-cm h-cup bust (Japanese cup size, E-cup by U.S. sizes). She uses her "tripod of justice" as her weapon. She writes articles about criminals and has successfully destroyed many criminals. She is trying to save her brother Emilio, who is being devoured by a Ring of the Dead. In the last chapter of the manga, she offered to pay for her brother's operation. The price was giving herself to be use in an experiment by Nazana.

Minor

• Sheryl Ann Shepard: John's older sister. She was a caring but sickly woman with a very weak heart who cared for John until she was killed by John's employer, Mr Kinquro, leader of the "Gray Ants" bandit group.
• Emilio Lufas Getto: Wolfina's younger brother. He has been in a coma ever since he accidentally found a Ring of the Dead when he was eight. The ring is now slowly eating him alive. In the last published chapter of the manga, Nazana and her assistants were beginning to perform an operation to remove the ring.
• Ranewater Calder: A sadistic man who leads the Ash Daughter gang. He uses the drug "phoenixsamin" to keep himself from looking old. He seeks the Zombie Powder to become immortal and invincible. He uses a jet ripper sword as his weapon.
• Baragne Binoix Bartoreuil Balmuk: Leader of a group of bandits called "Khorosho". He enjoys murder and chaos. He uses a circus troupe as his gang, and has many magic tricks.
• Nazna Gemini: The unpleasant head of the Gemini Laboratory.
• Angelle Belle Rose Cooney: A sometimes bratty, but wise girl. She is in love with Gamma, who she met at the Gemini Laboratory. Perhaps as a result of experimenting at the laboratory, she is a strong fighter.

External links

Official

• Weekly Shonen Jump (Japanese)- Japanese publisher
• VIZ Media- American publisher
• American Shonen Jump- Part of VIZ Media

Press

• Zombie Powder manga review at Mangareviewer.com