The fighting shounen manga is possibly the most widely read and widely published genre in circulation today. Hence, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders faces a great deal of competition for the attention the reader. However, JoJo's visual flare, entertainment value, and unrelenting creativity make it the cream of the crop among shounen adventures.

The story takes place 40 years after the events of Battle Tendency (the second part of the JoJo saga). The protagonist is none other than the grandson of Joseph Joestar -- Jotaro Kujo. When the coffin of the vampire Dio (the antagonist of part one, rival of Joseph’s grandfather Jonathan Joestar) was excavated off the coast of the canary islands, the ancient enemy of the Joestars awakened mysterious powers known as "stands" in Joseph, Jotaro, as well as Jotaro's mother Holly. However, Jotaro's mother is unable to control the consuming power of her stand and falls gravely ill. In order to save Holly from eventual death, Jotaro, Joseph, and Joseph's stand-user companion Avdol must embark on a journey to Cairo in order to destroy the root of her illness: Dio, while making new friends along the way. However, Dio's army of stand-users await our heroes at every turn to impede their progress.

While the outlandish premise of JoJo may not blow anyone away, the sheer creativity employed in the numerous fights will. The term "fight" is used loosely here, as many of the encounters don't rely on the trading of fists, but rather a test of wits and quick-thinking. This is largely due to the dizzying array of abilities that the enemies possess. While the stands of protagonists have more or less conventional superpowers (save for Joseph Joestar), anything is fair game for their foes, with powers ranging from bestowing magnetic pull to the bodies of opponents to the ability to merge with mineral objects, demanding a combination of brains and brawn from the heroes. The action is often visceral, suspenseful, and full of intrigue, especially as the series progresses onwards, when the more outlandish enemies make their appearances. The occasional emotionally charged encounters further enhances the intensity of the story, especially towards the end of the adventure, producing an adventure that is not merely flashy in its action, but truly a memorable journey.

The characters of JoJo are simple and straightforward, each with their own undeniable charm. The strong and reserved Jotaro is the embodiment of "cool", while Joseph makes for spectacular comedic relief with his offbeat attitude, especially for a man of his age. However, most of the villains the group encounters don't have much character behind their stand powers -- they either fall in the "hopelessly psychotic" category, or are bound by their greed for wealth and power, though there are a few exceptions. This is forgivable flaw, given the format of the story, which is a fast-paced ride from one opponent to another, with only brief introductions to the exotic locales in between. There is no mistake in that JoJo does not take itself seriously, as it gives no pretence of plot and character depth, but rather opts to focus on entertainment value, and to this end, JoJo succeeds spectacularly.

The art of Stardust Crusaders, like the previous instalments of the JoJo saga, remains one of the key selling points. The distinctly bold and detailed art style makes it difficult to believe that JoJo was produced weekly. Like the previous incarnations, the characters in part 3 all sport heavily muscled builds, though their bulkiness has taken a step towards moderation from the ridiculous flesh fortresses that appear in the previous two instalments. The fashion sense of the characters is equally wild -- one only needs to take a glance at Jotaro to notice the logic-defying style employed in the manga. Author Hirohiko Araki makes good use of his outrageously stylish artwork by producing action on the page that's ready to leap out at the reader. The fights are kinetic and brutal in presentation, locking the reader's attention and never lets go.

In the end, finding a concrete flaw in JoJo proves to be a difficult task. Its lack of depth is obviously intentional, as JoJo is meant to be a thrill ride -- and what a thrill ride it is. With style, creativity, and exciting bursting at the seams, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders is a no-brainer for any fan of the shounen fighting manga. Even to those who don't usually read works of this genre, JoJo has plenty to offer, and one is bound to be charmed by one of the many positive aspects of Hirohiko Araki's highly influential work.


Pros:
-- Endlessly creative
-- Outrageously stylish
-- Superb action, enhanced by stunning bold art

Cons:
-- The first few encounters don't measure well with the later encounters, though respectable in their own right.
-- Over-muscled men may be a turn-off for some readers.