Zombiepowder.

Zombiepowder.
Genre	Sci-fi, Western, Comedy, Action
Manga
Written by	Tite Kubo
Published by	Shueisha

Zombie Powder (ゾンビパウダー, Zonbi Paudā) is an unfinished manga and the first work of Tite Kubo, author of the popular series Bleach. Zombie Powder began its serialization in 1999.

Zombie Powder ran a short 27 chapters (compiled into 4 tankōbon beginning in February of 2000) 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. Ironically enough, Western fan support for the manga allowed for its distribution in North America.

Zombie Powder was licensed by VIZ Media and the first volume was released in America in September 2006 with the last released in June 2007.

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, Russian, and Italian phrases.

Most characters in the manga are "Powder Hunters" searching for the legendary "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 anything living to create the Zombie Powder. If a Ring eats a human, that person will fall into a coma. The person will be in that state until he or she dies. Due to the abrupt ending of the manga, the appearance of the Zombie Powder remains unknown, although it may look like white powder that forms a skull with glowing blue eyes (source: chapter 1).

Zombie Powder's manga chapters

Volume One - D.I.B.A.(Death In a Black Arm)

• track.1/ THE YOUNG BOY AND THE BLACK RIGHT ARM
• track.2/ BAPTISM 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 - Can't Kiss The Ring(Of The Dead.)

• 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/ killercircus.

Volume Three - Pierce Me Standing<In The Firegarden>

• track.15/ DIVISIONS.
• track.16/ FLAMEDIVER.
• Track.17/ The Hyena is calling (Craze & Triggerhappy)
• track.18/ Birdcage Evergreen X append selfdemonizer mix.
• track.19/ excoriated the Black Butterfly
• track.20/ Can't Howl My Innerjesus.
• track.21/ No Hesitate,No Fear.

Volume Four - Walk This Nameless Way/Like a ZOMBIE/

• track.22/ lay your heart on me.
• TRACK.23/ CageBreaker3
• track.24/But still livin' under the Sky.
• Zombiepowdersnow.
• track.25/ BADFINGER:BITCHANGEL
• track.26/beLIEve.
• track for cut down/the nameless way
• zombiepowderextra./sleeping with vertigo.

Characters

Major

• Gamma Akutabi (芥火ガンマ, Akutabi Ganma)

The protagonist, a powder hunter. He is 22 years-old. 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 the average 32 years to master it, Gamma managed it in 4 years. Those who master it are surrounded by a black flame of death. These flames allow him to perform special attacks with his sword like creating fire chains, and wings from his body. Gamma is also the last heir of the Karin Zanjutsu. He seeks the Zombie Powder for immortality, for reasons unknown. As a powder hunter, Gamma has a price of 960,000,000 Niit on his own head. He also seems to have some relation to a woman in black (who only appears in the last few chapters of the manga); her name is revealed by Tasha as Tatena, whose grave lies in the back of the home of Nazna Gemini. In Kubo's most popular work, Bleach, the character Grimmjow Jeagerjaques resembles Gamma heavily.

• John Elwood Shepherd (ジョン・エルウッド・シェパード, Jon Eruuddo Shepādo)

A 13-year-old pickpocket who fights with knives. His family used to own a shop until it was destroyed. Then he joined a group of bandits known as "Grey Ants" for money to fix the heart of his sister, Sheryl Ann. He left the bandits when the bandits' leader, Kinqro Mujata, killed her. He wants to use the Zombie Powder to resurrect his sister. He is usually referred to as "Elwood". He is abandoned by Smith and Gamma at the end of the fourth volume. It is stated by C.T. Smith that Elwood is similar to a young Gamma. Gamma states that it is up to Elwood himself if he will get the Zombie Powder or not as they abandon him.

• C.T. Smith (C.T.スミス, C.T. Sumisu)

The most mysterious member of the cast, Smith is a crack-shot gunman who dresses like a London banker, though he is viewed more as a salesman. He is the partner of Gamma Akutabi. To deceive his enemies, he sometimes fights Gamma to the point of almost killing him. C.T. Smith carries a briefcase adding to the "banker" look. Why he seeks the Zombie Powder is not revealed. His age is also a mystery. His favorite words are "D Cup".

• Wolfgangina Lalla Getto (ウルフィーナ, Urufīna)

Referred to as "Wolfina" for short; a female "journalist of justice" with a 101-cm H-cup bust (Japanese cup size, 40 inch DD or E-cup by United States 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 used for one year in surgical experiments by Nazna.

Minor

• Sheryl Ann Shepherd: Elwood's older sister. She is twenty years old. On the surface she appears to have it together because she is calm, gentle, and educated. She does not ponder deeply about things and does not dwell on small details. She is also gullible and is not very good with financial matters. Her favourite foods are cream stew and meatloaf. Her dislikes include eggplant and mental arithmetic. She's also sensitive to cold weather. She is a caring, but sickly, woman with a very weak heart. She cares for Elwood until she is killed by Elwood's employer, Kinqro Mujata, leader of the "Grey Ants" bandit group. Kinqro shoots her in the back during a heated confrontation, killing her in front of Elwood.
• 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. He is now sixteen, and the ring is slowly eating him alive. In the last published chapter of the manga, Nazna 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 fictional drug "phenixsamin" to keep himself from looking old. He resembles a feminine boy. He seeks the Zombie Powder to become immortal and invincible. He uses a jet ripper sword as his weapon. He is quite a narcissist.
• Baragne Binoix Bartoreuil Balmunk: Leader of a group of bandits called "Khorosho", Balmunk is a psychopathic, mustachioed magician who goes by the title of "Mystic." Balmunk is a lover of leisure, who travels the world with a strange circus troupe. His favourite phrase is "Khorosho" ("good" in Russian), but for some reason everything else he says is in French. The spelling of his name is also reminiscent of French. Balmunk loves anything that's shocking, and hates anything that's not shocking. He loves to deal out punishment when the members of his troupe make a mistake. Although he subjects them to unimaginable torture, for some reason the troupe members seem to admire him. His hobby is collecting music boxes.
• Nazna Gemini: The unpleasant head of the Gemini Laboratory. She is an extremely skilled scientist and surgeon with a nasty temperament. She has a long history with Gamma; she is possibly the one who fashioned his black-armored arm. Nazna also seems to have some relation to the "woman in black" named Tatena. whose grave is in the back of her laboratory. In Kubo's most popular work, Bleach, the character Soifon resembles Nazna heavily.

• 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. She refers to herself as "The Lovely Young Psychic Savant." However, the fourth volume states that her powers are not psychic abilities and are closer related to Gamma's Powers.
• Amantine: A monster that Balmunk created by ripping off his right arm.

Censorship

• The cover of the second volume differs between the English and Japanese versions. The Japanese version contains an illustration of C.T. Smith holding a gun to his own head [1], while the English features Gamma scowling in a pair of sunglasses [2]. This may be to not encourage suicide, although C.T. is obviously not going to.

External links

Official

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