Naoki Urasawa's Monster

Brilliant doctor Kenzo Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller.

Tenma springs to action when he discovers that Johan, the boy whose life he saved nine years ago, has grown up and turned into a serial killer. But when Tenma finds out that Johan has strong inside connections with government officials, he realizes that this monster is far more powerful than he could have ever imagined.

Tenma's on the run! A wanted man, he's the prime suspect for the serial killings he's trying to stop. But he still manages to edge closer to the truth about Johan's mysterious past, and everything seems to point to a now defunct institution of East Berlin - an infamous "experimental" orphanage called 511 Kinderheim!

As Tenma uncovers more about the infamous 511 Kinderheim orphanage, Johan's twin sister Anna sets out on her own to stop her brother. Their separate searches lead them both to a powerful neo-Nazi organization conspiring to establish Johan as their new superleader! Can Tenma and Anna stop Johan from becoming another Hitler?

Suspecting that Johan suffers from a multi-personality disorder, Dr. Tenma calls upon expert criminal psychologist Rudy Gillen to help him in his campaign to stop Johan. But will Dr. Gillen come to the same conclusion as the authorities - that Tenma is the killer with the split personality?

Tenma's former fiancée Eva Heinneman's life has gone downhill since the death of her father and her breakup with Tenma. Now she's involved with a menacing man with a shady past and a mysterious connection to Johan. Meanwhile, Johan has worked his way into the graces of a powerful but lonely old financier. Could Johan be targeting this man for more than just his money?

When Johan works his way into the inner circle of powerful financier Hans Schuwald, things get dicey for Richard Brown, a private detective hired to find Schuwald's long-lost son. As Richard edges closer to a horrifying truth, his path clashes with Johan's hidden agenda - and his unfortunate fate is all but sealed.

Tenma is hot on Johan's trail and he's more determined than ever. Now in top physical condition and armed with a high-performance sniper rifle, has Tenma acquired the keen hunter's edge necessary to bag his prey? Or will his physician's instincts prevent him from carrying out his dreaded task?

When an unusual children's book causes a disturbing reaction in Johan, it may provide an ideal opportunity for Tenma to fire a well-aimed sniper shot. Could this curious book created by an obscure Czech writer also be the key to unlocking more secrets of Johan's enigmatic past?

"Cedok Bridge, the three frogs...the mother of the twins is in Pargue." A cryptic message from wealthy financier Schuwald sends Tenma to the city of a hundred spires. There, he meets Grimmer, an investigative reporter tracking down the former director of the infamous 511 Kinderheim orphanage. Could it be that the horrific experiments of the past are being recreated in Prague?

More pieces of the puzzle to Johan's past are uncovered in Prague! Everyone is after an old tape recording of an interview with Johan as a child, and Tenma learns more about Johan's mother - a beautiful woman taken away by the secret police. And then Johan makes his presence known when a brillant young detective of the Prague Police Department is accused of poisoning three of his superiors...with whiskey bonbons.

The Nameless Monster, a mysterious children's picture book, holds the key to unlocking the secrets of Johan's past. The startling discovery that it was created by an official from the Czechoslovakian secret police leads Tenma to the ominously eerie Red Rose Manion - an estate with a dark and tragic history covered up and sealed away for decades. Meanwhile, a serial murderer in Prague has been identified as a beautiful blond woman. Who could she be and what is her connection to Johan?

Tenma's long journey for justice, Johan and Nina's search for identity - all roads converge on the mysterious "Red Rose Mansion". Is Nina prepared to confront the dark memories this cursed house will awaken in her subconscious? If Tenma gets there in time, will he find a clue that will help him save the life of his ex-fiancée Eva? Or will Johan, as always, remain several steps ahead of everyone?

Dangerous men of influence hoping to exploit Johan's frightening min for their own shadowy purposes are also hot on the "monster's" trail, and they're willing to use Eva, Tenma's ex-fiancée, to identify him. But what will happen to Eva when her assistance is no longer required? Will her only chance for salvation rest on the shoulders of the very man who's been hired to kill her?!

Tenma is lying low, but his brief respite is doomed to be short-lived. Milan, one of Tenma's new friends, is planning to assassinate a man with deep ties to "Red Rose Mansion." Can Tenma dissuade him from this drastic line of action? Also, a seemingly unrelated string of murders by various serial killers hints at a sinister connection with Johan. How many more people need to die before the monster's work is complete?

In the little mountain town of Ruhenheim, life is simple and peaceful. Neighbors greet each other on the street, and the biggest case the local authorities have to worry about is a lost dog. But this bucolic splendor is about to change. Will Tenma, Grimmer and Inspector Lunge be able to prevent the massacre Johan is planning for this sleepy village and its unknowing inhabitants? Or will the cobbled streets of Ruhenheim soon run red with innocent blood?

A diabolical monster has transformed Ruhenheim, a little village nestled in the German countryside, into hell on earth - and his name is Johan. Tenma, Grimmer and Inspector Lunge try desperately to stem the flow of carnage as Nina steels herself for a final confrontation with her twin brother. Will Johan's madness succeed in snuffing out the lives of everyone who's ever known him? All questions are answered in the thrilling, pulse-pounding conclusion to Naoki Urasawa's Monster, one of the most exciting manga series of all time!