This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 2/27/22 Multiversity Comics – Multiversity Comics

Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, our weekly check in on Vizs various Shonen Jump series. Viz has recently changed their release format, but our format will mostly remain the same. We will still review the newest chapters of one title a week, now with even more options at our disposal. The big change for our readers is that, even without a Shonen Jump subscription, you can read these most recent chapters for free at Viz.com or using their app.

This week, Robbie checks in with Dr. Stone. If you have thoughts on this or any other current Shonen Jump titles, please let us know in the comments!

Dr. Stone Chapter 231Written by Riichiro InagakiIllustrated by BoichiReviewed by Robbie Pleasant

As Dr. Stone heads towards its final chapter, it all comes down to this. The Medusa devices that turned the world to stone have been revealed to be a mechanical alien intelligence that offers the gift of petrified immortality in exchange for maintenance, and Senku, the protagonist, is ready to negotiate on behalf of all humanity.

So before we discuss the contents of this chapter, lets talk about the Medusas, the true identity of the Why-Man and the ones responsible for humanitys petrification. I have mixed feelings about them.

On one hand, its unlikely that any explanation Riichiro Inagaki had in mind would satisfy everyone, and it was indeed a twist with enough setup to make the explanation make sense in context.

On the other hand, for a series all about humanitys intelligence and inventiveness, for the driving force behind the entire plot to be some kind of alien AI made by who knows what (not even the Medusas themselves know) feels unsatisfying. Their overall goal also doesnt really work; they seek out sufficiently advanced civilizations, then petrify them under the assumption that everyone would be so grateful for the gift of stone-based immortality that theyd create new batteries for the Medusas? It feels like theres a lot of leaps in logic there, even if the story hinges on the fact that, yes, the Medusas/Why-Man cant comprehend why people would not be cool with spending the rest of eternity as a statue.

So yeah, its not my favorite explanation. It still leaves a lot unexplained and would have worked much better if it were an actual human deciding that petrification would be good for the world. But thats not the main point were here to look at how the chapter itself worked.

And in that regard, well, Doctor Stone continues to impress. That is, of course, due in large part to the amazing artwork from Boichi. This chapter gives us a massive skeletal figure made out of swarming devices in zero gravity, and it looks absolutely stunning in detail and immensity.

At the same time, Boichis bold, clean, and highly-detailed art is filled with a sense of depth made through judicious use of shading, alongside distinctive character designs and expressive moments. The amount of attention and care that goes into images like Senku holding up an axe to the sky, illuminated by the Earth in the background, absolutely hits just the right notes.

Similarly, Riichiro Inagakis script continues to bring us well-defined characters with their own voices and personalities, while building on the mangas overarching theme of the power of human ingenuity and science. The conversation between Senku and Why-Man is filled with optimism and hope (or at least Senkus half of it is) in the face of the unknown and uncertainty. Its a good note to end the chapter on, and a fitting way to conclude the overarching story of the series.

So even if the reveal behind humanitys petrification might have fallen a little short, Doctor Stone continues to hit the right notes for the art, characters, and overarching theme. Chapter 231 is no different, bringing the series closer to what will undoubtedly be a satisfying conclusion.

Final Verdict: 9.0 While the reveal of the Why-Man in previous chapters may be mixed, this chapter stays strong with incredible artwork and a good conclusion based on the mangas core themes of science and discovery.

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This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 2/27/22 Multiversity Comics - Multiversity Comics