ComicsMy Hero AcademiaAs the My Hero Academia manga comes to a close after 10 years, Kohei Horikoshi shows what it means to write a superhero story with a definitive endingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ComicsMy Hero AcademiaAs the My Hero Academia manga comes to a close after 10 years, Kohei Horikoshi shows what it means to write a superhero story with a definitive endingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Viz Media/Shueisha)
One trademark of American superhero comics, the kind that manga series My Hero Academia has obviously taken some inspiration from, is that they rarely end. Sure, certain storylines wrap up and a character might even kick the bucket from time to time (only to usually be revived later on) but most operate within an eternal narrative. Even the most famous comic about an aging, possibly dying superhero,Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, ends with the elderly Batman faking his death and contemplating a troubling future. The pressure of this style puts My Hero Academia in an unenviable position: How do you tell a superhero story that ends?
(Image credit: Shueisha / VIZ Media)
(Image credit: Viz Media/Shueisha)
A staple of the superhero industry is the fact that creators will inevitably pass characters and titles on to new writers and artists, meaning that even though the story continues, a long-running comic is filled with numerous rebirths and changes. My Hero Academia, on the other hand, is under the thumb of only Horikoshi, and many of the series' later complications come from the creator throwing in more elements than it sometimes seems like he’s equipped to handle. My Hero Academia is consistently fun, but layered between copious villain team-ups and backstory reveals (along with the fact that Midoriya, while a solid main character, is arguably less interesting than his hot-headed frenemy/rival Bakugo and the angsty Todoroki), the bombastic scale is constantly on the verge of a tipping point.
It leads us to a climax where -spoiler alert- the young heroes and their mentors are tasked with not only defeating a gigantic grab bag of villains but also saving all of Japan. The country has, at this point, been rendered a no man’s land due to how infested with super crooks it is, and the lengthy endgame fight between Midoriya and his arch foe Shigaraki has grander stakes than anything that’s come before. This is par for the course to an extent, as superhero comics are full of big bang clashes to save the city or country or universe - or even multiverse. It’s also in line with My Hero Academia’s manga peers - stories that also tend to wrap up after the biggest possible conflict.
(Image credit: Shueisha / VIZ Media)
Horikoshi has always been adept at putting together action sequences, especially when he’s able to clearly define the combatants rather than allow them to get caught up in explosions. However, the end of My Hero Academia returns him to what is arguably his greatest strength – reconstructing the sense of optimism that made fans fall in love with the series in the first place.
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(Image credit: Shueisha / VIZ Media)
My Hero Academia’s final chapter will be published in the combined Weekly Shōnen Jump #36/#37 on August from VIZ Media.
Keen to start reading manga? Here are10 incredible ongoing series you should be reading right now.
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